A Defense of Honor

For a regency novel it had a very unique storyline, one that was intriguing, highlighting the outcast due to others mistakes but also one of redemption, grace and trust. The main characters Kit and Graham drew you in and had you rooting for them by the end of the first chapter. Although there is a dark underlying story weaved throughout the pages that revolves around illegitimate children (by-blows) and a heroine who puts everything on the line for her cause, the words on the pages remain fresh and even humorous at times. Several times I had to remind myself that blackmailing is not a worthy cause, because I found myself backing The Governess in her grand scheme of getting revenge. The last few chapters leave you thinking deeply with lines such as “Did you even give them a chance?”, “That's not the way grace works.” or “He (God) wasn't confined to the solutions she could conceive.” and many more. At one point in the storyline near the end, I found Graham to be a bit frustrating in that he didn't know if he could forgive Kit which went against the spiritual advice he was giving out. Although I have not read the prequel, it probably would be helpful in order to understand how Kit and Daphne found themselves in the situation they were in. If you are like myself and tend to read books based on mood or season, then this would be a great book to grab for a rainy day on the couch or cozied up by a fire in the fall.

Thank you to Bethany House Publisher for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Okay, emotional rating here! This atmospheric story checked so many boxes for me that I really wanted to jump right into the second book without delay. The romance is so sweet and feels so genuine, and I loved how Kit's inner conflict unfolds bit by bit over the story. Masterful drawing of the emotional issues in that! I was also impressed of how both Kit and Graham act like adults with each of the issues that come up and I loved how they are able to both spark each other to draw closer to God...so sweet. The stories of the children Kit is looking out for really caught my heart early on and Hunter did a great job of portraying each one clearly even with limited page time.

I was grateful for having read the prequel about Margaretta and Nash first because it made it easier to figure out what was going on at Haven Manor and move forward with the story.

Thanks to the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required. However, I listened to the finished copy as an audio from my library and the narrator also receives five stars for her narration.