The Determined Lord Hadleigh

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you. 4.5* This this is the final instalment of the King’s Elite. And what a great ending! In this book, we do not have a spy, but a lawyer (or barrister) instead: Lord Tristan Hadleigh. We have a saying here in Portugal: “De boas intenções está o inferno cheio”, which means the same as the English saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. And in this book, our main character tries to do his best, with his best intentions, but things take some time before they fall in place. As a barrister, Hadleigh tries to uphold the law and the truth, but he also realizes that the law is at serious fault when it comes to women and their rights. And so, due to some of his personal history that I will not divulge so not to spoil the book for you, dear reader, he acts has an anonymous contributor to help the women that need assistance after lawsuits and other legal actions done against their husbands and families. And that’s what leads us to our main couple. Hadleigh is in court, and a traitor is on trial. His wife and child are left with nothing. He feels somewhat responsible, and tries to help. But Penny doesn’t want any help. After years of being controlled, this amazing woman wants only her freedom, and she will do what it takes to take care of her little boy, Freddie, and herself. Penny is a friend of Clarissa, the heroine in the first book, and so she knows about the King’s Elite. And she believes the anonymous helper is her friend. When she finds out that Lord Hadleigh is actually the one helping, she doesn’t get it, and he doesn’t understand why she won’t accept his help. It’s a very clever plot point, that shows how good actions may have a different and unpredictable outcome. They get to know each other, and they both learn to trust and make (healthy, reasonable) compromises for what they really want in life, and of each other. It had some funny moments, with the gossip between the ladies, and it was great to revisit old characters. I loved the chemistry Penny and Tristan had, and how adorable Freddie was. And even more: how great Tristan was with Freddie, it just melts your heart. One of the best books I’ve read this year. A great ending to a great series. P.S. The epilogue was awesome – you will love the reunion and… a few things more.