An unexpected Christmas gift…
Like all of London society, Lady Eleanor believed Viscount Bromley dead. Now, after six years, he has returned a changed man. Brooding Nicholas Bartlett has no memory of their one night of incredible passion -- so how can she tell him he fathered a child?
As Nicholas starts to regain his lost memories, he realizes the true reason he feels so drawn to beautiful Eleanor and her young daughter. And with the danger from his past threatening to rear its head, it’s up to Nicholas to protect his newly discovered family!
Good conclusion to the series. Throughout the previous three books Nicholas has never been far from his friends' minds, none of them ready to believe that he is dead, even though he's been missing for six years. As the book opens, he is in America, where he ended up, with no memory of who he used to be. Instead, he has had to fight off several attempts on his life with no idea why he has been targeted. However, in the latest attack, his memory is partially restored and he knows he must return home.
I loved the reunion between Nicholas and his friends. They are overjoyed to have him back, and deeply disturbed over what he tells them about what happened. I loved the fact that there was no hesitation in their welcome. Nicholas is a little confused at first by the changes he sees in them but happy for them. I ached for him because he felt a little lost, a little overwhelmed, and a lot like he no longer fit. Thanks to everything he had been through, he was no longer the young, reckless, dissolute rake that he used to be, but before he can look to the future, he has to find out who is after him.
Eleanor is Jacob's sister and has been present, though usually in the background, of the previous books. She has a young daughter and lives quietly, avoiding Society as much as she can. There is some mystery about the father of her child, though her brother claims a Scottish marriage. She is stunned by Nicholas's return, and heartbroken and angry when he barely acknowledges her. I ached for her distress and loved that she had the backbone to seek him out to find out why. What she learns diminishes her anger, but increases her caution. She decides she must know more before she will allow him near their daughter.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Nicholas and Eleanor. She is determined to help him recover his memories so that, perhaps, they can have the life together that she dreamed of. I loved seeing Eleanor take Nicholas to the places where they had gone six years earlier, and seeing the events through her eyes. Though Nicholas occasionally gets a flash of memory, it's just spending time with Eleanor that soothes his soul. The more time he spends with her, the more he wants something deeper. I loved his first reaction to meeting Lucy, even before he knew the truth. There was a connection there that could not be denied. Once he knew the truth, his happiness was obvious.
But there are still obstacles to overcome. Just when it looks like Nicholas and Eleanor are ready to embrace their future, Nicholas's past rears its ugly head. The threats made against Eleanor and Lucy cause him to push them away and retreat into his previous persona. I ached for Eleanor and her heartbreak at being rejected once again by the man she loves. I loved the conversation she had with her sister-in-law Rose, who opened Eleanor's eyes to the way the men in their lives behave when their loved ones are threatened.
The final confrontation with the person behind the attacks on Nicholas brought the book and series to a thrilling end. I was not surprised at the identity of said attacker, but that did not diminish the intensity of the confrontation. I liked how Nicholas handled it, proving once again that his soul is not as black as he paints it. I loved the aftermath, as Eleanor has a captive audience to show him how much she cares.
The epilogue was terrific. It brought all four couples together and emphasized their bright futures. It will be interesting to see if there are books in store for the new proprietors of the club.
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