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"The Lost Lieutenant" by Erica Vetsch (with giveaway!)
Diana Seaton promised her dying sister that she would raise her newborn nephew as though he was her own child. That's going to be a hard promise to keep, as she's on the cusp of her debut season and her father is intent on marrying her off to the man of his choosing. He's threatening to send the baby to a foundling home unless she does exactly as he says.
There's only one thing Evan Eldredge wants, and that is to recover from his wounds and get back to the battlefield with his fellow soldiers. Though he still struggles with nightmares and startles at loud noises, he has never considered anything less than returning to his post. His life is upended by the Prince Regent, who wishes to thank him for his service to the crown by giving him a title. And lands. And a wife. Evan didn't ask for any of this. What is he supposed to do now?
One does not say no to the Prince Regent. Thrown into a sudden marriage with each of them bearing secrets, Evan and Diana try to make a go of it while rebuilding the grounds of White Haven, Evan's new estate. Will the things they are not saying eventually shatter their fragile relationship?
I appreciated the military aspect that the author brought to this story, including bringing in the plight of veterans and war horses. I also loved that Diana is a list maker and extremely efficient at getting things done. The biggest issue I had with this novel was that it felt a lot like deus ex machina -- in reverse. Rather than a figure outside the story coming in at the end and setting things to right, said figure sweeps in at the beginning and instigates most of the conflict. These characters don't make many choices on their own, but instead are constantly reacting to contrived situations.
That said, the book was hard to put down and I enjoyed it quite a lot. The most intriguing character was Evan's friend Marcus, who will be the hero in Book Two of this series. I look forward to reading it this summer.
Check out the giveaway information below, as well as information on preordering The Gentleman Spy.
I received my copy of The Lost Lieutenant from Read With Audra. All opinions in this review are my own.
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