Pleasures of a notorious gentleman

4.5 stars! After the rather disappointing first book, I was cautious about continuing the series. However, Stephen's story intrigued me. In Book 1, he was introduced as the black sheep of the family, the spoiled, irresponsible ne'er do well who wrecked his brother's marriage. However, in this book he's a pale shadow of himself; a completely different person. War can do that to you. Stephen has been severely traumatised during his time fighting in the Crimean war. The problem is he can't remember what happened, which makes him beat himself up a lot.

So when Mercy appears at his doorstep carrying his baby, he is moved by guilt to do right by her, but she has a secret (don't they all)?

I enjoyed how Heath highlighted the PTSD that Mercy and Stephen had, and how they're trying to get back to normal, mundane lives in England. They both needed each other after the trauma they've been through and their growing love was very believable. Particularly enjoyed the family dynamics in this one, how his mother and brothers are trying to help him recover and get back on his feet.