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By: Marcia, guest reviewer

It is always a treat to read one of Madeline Hunter’s books.  They are very well written with compelling plots and historical subplots as well as wonderful characters.  Secrets of Surrender is the third book in the Rothwell Series about a family that is declining socially.

Roselyn Longworth has come down almost as far as possible.  Her respectable family has been impoverished for sometime but after her parents’ death, her brothers became bankers.  Adding to her distress, her older brother has been killed as a freedom fighter in Greece her younger brother fled to Paris, after his embezzlement of bank funds was discovered, absconding with roughly 100,000 pounds (about $10,000,000 today).  Her cousin’s husband, Lord Hayden, has tried to repay all those affected but there is still a great deal of resentment, most notably from Lord Norbury.  Unaware of his connection with her brother, Roselyn has agreed to be Lord Norbury’s mistress thinking that he cared for her, but his attentions are anything but romantic.

In the opening scene we find her at a house party hosted by Lord Norbury.  This is not a respectable affair.  The only attendees from society are men, the women they are escorting are not their wives or mistresses but common prostitutes.  She tells Lord Norbury that she will not continue with this affair, but he is unwilling to let her go and indicates that he will hold her by force.

Kyle Bradwell is a local boy who has risen up in the world thanks to the patronage of Lord Norbury’s father.  He is an architect and arrives thinking to discuss some business with Lord Norbury.  When he discovers that there is a house party in progress, he intends to leave as soon as his business is competed.  Lord Norbury invites him to stay long enough to have dinner with the rest of the guests whom Kyle has not yet met.

Entering the dinning room Kyle is offended by the company, but he is dazzled by a beautiful, graceful woman across the room and soon realizes that she is here with Lord Norbury.  During dinner Lord Norbury rises and addresses the company.  He tells his guests that Roselyn no longer chooses to be his mistress and that he is glad to be rid of her because she is so cold and unskilled, although he does list some favorable and intimate physical attributes.  He wants to be compensated for the money he has spent on her so far and he offers to auction her to the highest bidder.  Kyle is horrified by these proceedings and realizes, when looking over the men that are bidding, that Roselyn is in grave danger.  They are not nice men regardless of their standing in society.  The bidding starts at 50 pounds and proceeds with several gentlemen in the running.  Kyle wastes no time and bids 950 pounds.  The room is silenced and Kyle leaves quickly with an ungrateful Roselyn who is unaware of his honorable motives.

What follows is a beautifully written story of two kindred spirits on the outskirts of society who find love, completeness, home, security and acceptance with each other.  Adding depth and interest is an historical backdrop dealing with the English justice system during the Regency period and the inequities of justice for titled gentlemen vs. the common man and men vs. women.

4 Stars

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Originally posted 2008-08-12 05:42:06. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Categories:

4 Stars, Architect, England, Guest Reviews, Madeline Hunter, Regency

Tags:

attendees, attentions, bradwell, embezzlement, freedom fighter, hayden, house party, local boy, longworth, Madeline Hunter, mistress, mistresses, patronage, prostitutes, resentment, respectable family, rothwell, s books, subplots, world thanks