Not Quite a Wife

August 1, 2014
An estranged couple is brought together by fate and tries to make a go of it again, but the tensions that drove them apart still exist, and unbeknownst to them, they have a shadowy, malevolent enemy, too. Ten years ago, James, Lord Kirkland, and Laurel Herbert tumbled into love and marriage with lightning speed, but things fell apart in one violent moment before their first anniversary. Leaving her aristocratic husband also created a rift with her parents, and with nowhere else to go, Laurel moved in with her brother, Daniel. Together, the siblings used the allowance James granted her to fund Daniel's medical education, then opened a clinic and a shelter for women and children in a poor Bristol neighborhood. Now, fate will intercede when James is in Bristol on business and, weakened by a bout of malaria, is set upon by thieves. Bloody and unconscious, he's brought to the clinic, where Laurel treats him-and can't quite bring herself to stop him when, in a dreamlike hallucination, he reaches out to her sexually. The next day, Laurel lets him leave, oblivious to their lovemaking, but must revisit the situation when she learns she's pregnant. James is unwilling to abandon his child, and the two reconcile. Working on old grievances, misunderstandings and secret yearnings, they begin to believe in their love again; however, just as happiness is in sight, Laurel is attacked by a new enemy made when she stood up for a vulnerable victim, and James must turn to his closest friends to save the brave, principled wife he knows he can't live without. Putney continues her Lost Lords series with two passionate lovers who are convinced love can't save the day; she then forces them to mine their own vulnerabilities before they can truly be happy with each other. Elegant and tender; a compelling sweep of romance and adventure with a gratifying undertone of social justice elements.

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Starred review from August 1, 2014

Ten years ago, teenager Laurel Herbert and James, Lord Kirkland, fell hopelessly in love and married after a whirlwind courtship--only to separate soon after owing to opposing values. Now, because of a chance mugging and a brief, passionate interlude, they are back in each other's lives attempting a civilized rapprochement--all for the sake of an unplanned baby. But their paths have taken new turns, and Laurel's work with abused women and children, while sometimes dangerous, is too important to give up, but can it be reconciled with her situation as James's countess? VERDICT A deeply caring, capable heroine who struggles with her feelings about violence and a ruthless, protective spymaster hero with a well-honed sense of justice gradually work through their differences to find common ground in this provocative, penetrating romance. Undeniable passion wars with clashing views on right and wrong in another memorable masterpiece from one of the genre's best. Gorgeously done. Putney (Sometimes a Rogue) lives in Baltimore.

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