Someone to Cherish
Harry's Story
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4.1 • 34 Ratings
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Is love worth the loss of one's freedom and independence? This is what Mrs. Tavernor must decide in the new novel in the Westcott series from New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh.
When Harry Westcott lost the title Earl of Riverdale after the discovery of his father's bigamy, he shipped off to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, where he was near-fatally wounded. After a harrowing recovery, the once cheery, light-hearted boy has become a reclusive, somber man. Though Harry insists he enjoys the solitude, he does wonder sometimes if he is lonely.
Lydia Tavernor, recently widowed, dreams of taking a lover. Her marriage to Reverend Isaiah Tavernor was one of service and obedience, and she has secretly enjoyed her freedom since his death. She doesn't want to shackle herself to another man in marriage, but sometimes, she wonders if she is lonely.
Both are unwilling to face the truth until they find themselves alone together one night, and Lydia surprises even herself with a simple question: "Are you ever lonely?" Harry's answer leads them down a path neither could ever have imagined...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Two people find the cure for loneliness in each other in Balogh's enchanting eighth Westcott Regency romance (after Someone to Romance). Harry Westcott was once the Earl of Riverdale, but he lost his title when his mother discovered that her husband had committed bigamy in marrying her, making Harry illegitimate. He fled England to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, only returning to his childhood home of Hinsford Manor after being injured in battle. When Lydia Tavernor's husband died, she decided never to remarry, valuing her independence. But independence proves lonely, and she hopes to take Harry, her neighbor, as a lover—she's drawn to "the suggestion of darkness that he well hidden." After she awkwardly propositions Harry, the pair spend one glorious night together—but Lydia stops it there, hoping to avoid village gossip. Harry agrees as, after their tryst, he knows he wants more from her than she's willing to give. But when gossip erupts despite their best efforts, Harry proposes, hoping to quell the rumors and perhaps win Lydia's heart. The seamless plotting and enticing characters make this a romance to be savored. Balogh is in fine form, and this may be her best Regency to date.
