The Lady He Lost
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $24.99
Publisher Description
“Refreshingly charming with a feisty, resilient heroine worth fighting for. I loved it!” —Amalie Howard, USA Today bestselling author
Her only interest is in making her own way in the world. Luckily, he can help.
Lieutenant Eli Williams was supposed to be dead. In the two years since his shipwreck, his friends and family mourned him, his brother spent his savings, and his fiancée married someone else. So, when he turns up in the middle of the London social season, he quickly becomes the talk of the town. All Eli wants is to set his life back in order and reconnect with Jane Bishop, a friend who has always meant so much more to him, before returning to sea.
Jane refuses to waste any more of her life pining over Eli, who chose her cousin instead of her. She needs to focus on gaining her financial independence by establishing a ladies’ gambling club. Never mind that Eli keeps trying to atone for his past mistake by bringing in new members. He’s obviously keeping secrets about his disappearance, which means that she can’t trust him with her heart even if she did kiss him in a moment of weakness. Or three.
As Eli works to regain her trust, Jane's defensive walls begin to crumble. But when Eli faces a court of inquiry on suspicion of desertion, Jane must decide if she can let go of the past to build a future with Eli, or risk losing him for good.
This charming and sexy friends to enemies to lovers historical romance romp is the perfect read for fans of Evie Dunmore and India Holton.
“Friends to enemies to lovers at its best. I loved every minute." —Harper St. George, author of The Heiress Gets a Duke
"A fun and sexy historical. It is perfect for fans of empowered women and their supportive men." —Library Journal
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In 1839, Navy Lieutenant Eli Williams returns to England after two years lost at sea. At first, it seems like he’d be better off dead—he’s broke and accused of desertion, his fiancée Cecily has moved on, and his beloved friend Jane is giving him the cold shoulder. But when he decides to help Jane establish herself as the proprietress of a gambling den, we start feeling the heat of the true feelings that have been quietly burning between them. You’d never guess that this engrossing read is Faye Delacour’s first novel. She maintains a perfectly elegant touch even when things between Eli and Jane get ultra-steamy. And she makes the everyday reality of Victorian England feel totally real and immediate. Curl up with The Lady He Lost for love, suspense, and laughs.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Estranged friends struggle to move past their fraught history in Delacour's jam-packed debut. In 1839, naval lieutenant Eleazar "Eli" Williams expects joyous reunions when he returns to England following a shipwreck that left him erroneously pronounced dead. Instead, he finds that his former friend Jane Bishop is still furious over Eli's prior engagement to Jane's cousin, Cecily Kerr, as she has long harbored secret feelings for him. Jane's determined to be self-reliant, pouring all her energy into expanding her women-only card club while dodging the matchmaking advice of her doting uncle Bertie and putting her affection for Eli behind her—even as they cross paths repeatedly. When they wind up trapped together during a thunderstorm, however, their sexual tension boils over. Eli's eager to repair the rift between them, but Jane must decide what she can risk and Eli must face the consequences of his choices before either of them can build a happier future, together or apart. Delacour throws myriad obstacles in the couple's path, resulting in a narrative that feels somewhat overburdened with subplots. Still, the three-dimensional characters and sensual love scenes charm. Delacour is sure to win fans with this.
