Lady Lost

Marcus Dunford, Lord Granton, had left London a year ago, after his unfaithful wife’s death, and relocated to his dilapidated estate off the Black Sea. Never prone to emotional outbursts, he now wallows in solitude. One day, on his way home, his carriage nearly ran over a woman, who was lying on the road. Lady Lilian Martin had collapsed after escaping from her sister Theresa’s home, where Lilian was permitted to exist. Theresa’s husband, the nefarious Duke of Weston was murdered, and Theresa accused Lilian of killing him. Lilian had to flee. Annoyed at the disturbance, Marcus still takes Lilian in until she is well enough to leave. But as if things couldn’t get any worse, shortly after a woman shows up at his door with a five year-old little girl, Mabel, presumably Marcus’ daughter. Marcus has never strayed during his marriage, Mable is not his daughter, it’s impossible. So instead of being saddled with one unwanted houseguest, Marcus now has two. Jane Goodger is one of my favourite authors, and every time she has a new book out, I worry: will her newest book be as brilliant as the previous ones? And yet, she never disappoints. LADY LOST is Ms. Goodger’s most dazzling book yet, and the blurb barely hints at what delights await the reader. The first chapter, which sets the story up, is riveting, and what follows even more so. The dastardly Duke of Weston finally gets his comeuppance, and his timely demise is the basis for a very exciting mystery. Ms. Goodger is a master at creating exceedingly complex and intriguing characters, and she outdid herself with Marcus. Marcus, at first glance, appears cold and aloof; he has never learned to express his emotions, and his disastrous marriage has all but defeated him. On the other hand, up until her sister Theresa’s marriage, Lilian had a pleasant and uneventful life, and now she sees no hope of ever getting it back, yet she remains somewhat optimistic, and her sunny disposition doesn’t suffer very much from her terrible setback. Marcus is drawn to Lilian, and this is the last thing he wants, and sweet little Mabel thaws his cold, cold heart. He feels powerless, and because he is beginning to care for his houseguests, he cannot wait to see them leave. LADY LOST is a stupendous romance of extraordinary depth amidst betrayals, deceit, and pain, where several mysteries both complicate and help our couple to grow, especially Marcus. Ms. Goodger always writes heroes I care for, I believe in, and Marcus is one stellar character: he’s perplexing, fascinating, and at times very vexing. It’s so obvious that he is a good man in small gestures and well-placed words, he just doesn’t care anymore. As for Lilian, she is another wonderful creation from the author: Lilian is relatable, perfectly lovely, and seemingly unbreakable. As always, Ms. Goodger’s historical accuracy is irreproachable, her prose flowing and eloquent, the pacing is impeccable, the dialogues splendid, and the sex scenes are poetic marvels of tenderness. And when one little word was uttered, my eyes filled with tears. Let’s not forget either the superb secondary characters or the truly adorable Mabel. LADY LOST, as all of Jane Goodger’s books, will brighten the dreariest day and lighten the heaviest heart, and not with subterfuges, but because of the author’s impeccable storytelling and gorgeous writing. I very, very highly recommend LADY LOST. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

First time reading a book from this author. I was most impressed with how easy the plot flowed. I enjoyed the characters and the style of writing by the author. I look forward to reading another book by this author

loved it recommend