When Katherine “Kit” FitzGilbert turned her back on London society more than a decade ago, she determined never to set foot in a ballroom again. But when business takes her to London and she’s forced to run for her life, she stumbles upon not only a glamorous ballroom but also Graham, Lord Wharton. What should have been a chance encounter becomes much more as Graham embarks on a search for his friend’s missing sister and is convinced Kit knows more about the girl than she’s telling.
After meeting Graham, Kit finds herself wishing things could have been different for the first time in her life, but what she wants can’t matter. Long ago, she dedicated herself to helping women escape the same scorn that drove her from London and raising the innocent children caught in the crossfire. And as much as she desperately wishes to tell Graham everything, revealing the truth isn’t worth putting him and everyone she loves in danger.
Kristi Ann Hunter graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Computer Science but always knew she wanted to write. In addition to several pre-published contests, Kristi is a Rita award winner and has also been a finalist in the INSPY, Christy, and GRW Maggie Award of Excellence. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia. Find her online at http://www.kristiannhunter.com.
My Impressions:
A Defense of Honor is my first novel by Kristi Ann Hunter, and as the saying goes, it will not be my last! 🙂 I had heard all the buzz about her books, and the genre, Regency romance, is one I enjoy . . . so what was stopping me? A limited amount of reading time, unfortunately. But I was determined to find a way to finally read one of her books. That’s why audiobooks are so great. I listen to them on my morning walks and whenever I have chores that don’t require a lot of my attention, like ironing (ugh). Hunter’s book was just the thing. It whisked me off to another time and place and set me right down in a lovely story. Although set in Regency England, there wasn’t a lot of society manners present. In fact, the book shines a light on the hidden side of the society doings of London — the children that are better off forgotten.
Main character Kit tries her best to make up for a decade-old mistake, one that cost a friend dearly. She, along with three other women, take in the children who don’t fit into society — the illegitimate children of the aristocracy. I loved the premise of this story, and found it certainly relevant for today. Inconvenience could have swept these children (and their mothers) into the poor houses of the day and into an early death or something perhaps worse. Kit is a strong woman who faces down any opposition or threat, but her weakness is the unforgiveness she places on herself. Graham, a man who at the beginning of the story is bored and looking for a diversion, finds that Kit is anything but boring. Of course the secrecy surrounding Kit’s endeavors places obstacles and walls between the two, but you will love how everything works out in the end. I listened to the audiobook and found the narration charming, especially in the voices of the children residing at Haven Manor.
If you like your romances set in the Regency period, plus love a story with a great message and spiritual truths relevant for today, then I recommend A Defense of Honor. Two more books are in the Haven Manor series. I am very much looking forward to traveling back in time to revisit Haven Manor.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(I purchased the audio version from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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