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    Lord Somerton's Heir
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    Lord Somerton's Heir
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    Lord Somerton's Heir
    Ebook386 pages5 hours

    Lord Somerton's Heir

    By Alison Stuart

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    First love left them desolate ... can a new love heal their wounds? A tale of second chance love in aristocratic Regency England, for lovers of all things Bridgerton.


    Sebastian Alder's sudden elevation from penniless army captain to Viscount Somerton is the stuff of fairy tales, but the cold reality of an inherited estate in wretched condition leaves him little time for fantasy, and the memory of his wife's brutal death haunts his every moment. When he learns of the mysterious circumstances of his cousin's demise, he must also look for a potential murderer ... surely not Isabel, his cousin's ladylike widow?

    Isabel, Lady Somerton, is desperate to bury the memory of her unhappy marriage by founding the charity school she has always dreamed of. Her hopes are shattered from beyond the grave when she is left not only penniless but once more bound to the whims of a Somerton ... although perhaps the new Lord Somerton is a man she can trust ... or even care for?

    Suspicion could tear them apart ... honesty and courage may pull them together.

    'In the wake of Waterloo, a richly detailed historical romance with plenty of danger, deception and derring-do.' - Anne Gracie, international award-winning author

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers Australia
    Release dateMay 1, 2014
    ISBN9780857991560
    Author

    Alison Stuart

    Australian author Alison Stuart began her writing journey halfway up a tree in the school playground with a notebook and a dream. Her father's passion for history and her husband's love of adventure and the Australian bush led to a desire to tell stories of Australia's past.  She has travelled extensively and lived in Africa and Singapore. Before turning to writing full time, she enjoyed a long and varied career as a lawyer, both in private practice and in a range of different organisations, including the military and the emergency services.  Alison lives in a historic town in Victoria. You can connect with Alison on: Website  Facebook Instagram Twitter

    Read more from Alison Stuart

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    Reviews for Lord Somerton's Heir

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    • 3/5
      Received from publisher via NetGalley for an honest review

      "In the light of the lanterns held up by the stable hands, the glossy hide of the great, black horse reflected by fire." This was the first sentence and what followed was a just as lushly, rolling gentle written read.

      Lord Somerton's Heir is a male Cinderella story with a touch of mystery. Sebastian is a soldier who fought and was injured in Waterloo. While suffering from a bullet wound and fever he is visited by a woman calling herself the Dowager Lady Somerton and stating he is the new Lord Somerton. While at first it seems like a stroke of good fortune, Sebastian soon discovers a mountain of debt, hanger on cousins, and a murder mystery are also part of the inheritance.

      Isabel, Dowager Lady Somerton, is the heroine of the story and I found her to be the more stronger written character of the two. She appears cold and rigid at first but as the story goes on it is revealed the brick wall exterior is built from a horrible childhood, death of a child, and a lack of a relationship between her and her husband. She is very easy to sympathize with and as you read on you'll be wishing for her to get her happy ending. Sebastian, I felt, was more weakly written than Isabel. His humble beginnings are discussed, military service, and the traumatic death of his wife but he lacked the depth Isabel had. He always make the right decision, has a heart of gold, and I'm sure in his free time rescues puppies and babies. It started to feel very overdone.

      The romance between the two is a very slow burn. They start off as strangers, move to friends, and at the very end of the book develop their romantic relationship. Their interactions are soft and gentle. There are really only two bedroom scenes and both were fairly short. I could see this book falling under the term of women's fiction.

      The murder mystery story arc was intriguing and will keep you guessing. I do however, think the separate house maid murder and gold mine scam tangent should have been cut; it wasn't necessary and cluttered the story.

      This is not a book that is going to elicit strong feelings, rather a chicken noodle soup comfort read. I suggest finding a babbling brook, laying down a blanket, and settling in for a nice read.
    • 4/5
      I absolutely enjoyed Lord Somerton's Heir. In this romantic mystery, Sebastian Alder survived Waterloo, barely. As he recovers, a woman appears to inform him that now, he is Lord Somerton. Removed to better chambers and an increased hope of actual recovery, he finds the legacy a great deal more trouble than it seemed to be worth."The Somerton inheritance was a tainted privilege. In some ways he was no better off than he would have been if he had remained a penniless officer of the line on half pay. At least then he only had his siblings and himself to worry about. Now he had a household and an estate, all claiming pennies from a purse that looked decidedly the worse for wear.... Where had it all gone and how, in God’s name, was he expected to restore the family fortunes?He had thought the matter through in the tedious hours in the coach and decided that if he thought of the task ahead as being akin to a sudden promotion to Colonel of a regiment, it did not seem so daunting." Sebastian meets the new family, assumes his new responsibility and intends to make provisions for his brother and sister. As soon as he untangles the financial mess Anthony Kingsley left behind. There are hanger's on, wise granny, an aunt and dozens of cousins, plus tenants, retainers and servants to assess and get to know. Always near by, ready to offer assistance or subtle guidance, is Isabel. He sees her wounds, the grief she struggles beneath and that she is trying to reach beyond the sorrows and anger. Through Sebastian's eyes we observe Isabel's healing steps, stumbles and set backs. It was an interesting perspective because generally the socks are on the other foot.This story is slightly Gothic in tone, the writing smooth and gently reflective. There was an old-fashioned pace I really enjoyed. There was no rush of the romance, the story or the ending. The dialog kept you in the period without effort or cliches. Characters were believable, though slowly revealed. Personally I like that but others may find the bits and pieces revelation too old skool. Secondary characters weren't two dimensional though the villains were both over the top once their disguises were stripped away. I was disappointed by the second villain's big reveal. For all the realism it brought to the story, I felt manipulated and a wee bit resentful.I liked Sebastian, his siblings and Isabel. I appreciated how the tragic past was handled as part of the story, not a cudgel to wallow in and create more angst. They were the Ordinary Folks we all think we are until trials come our way and we learn not only is there more to us, but less as well. Confronting their own failings, they have compassion for other's. Mostly, it was absolutely wonderful to read an Awakening Story that wasn't all about the sexual attraction or trumped up conflicts that reduce hero and heroine to argumentative banter based on misunderstandings. They were cautious with each other, kind to themselves even. Taking time, giving support and space as needed, Sebastian and Isabel's story advanced even as the mysteries, debts and confusions mounted to a larger pile.I had a bit of difficulty with the last couple chapters of this book. It tied up "too neatly" for me. I like a bit of conflict left hanging, things to work through together in happily ever after land. In fairness, the financial situation is probably Huge Enough, not to mention the "secret" Sebastian has chosen to keep. I believe that will come back to bite them both in the end. Of course, it could simply be the fact I seldom like epilogues and this one was a bit too sweet for me. That said, I did enjoy 98.7% of the book, the writing style, characterizations, and well-handles story line. Definitely will look for other works by this author. I recommend Lord Somerton's Heir for when you're in a Traditional mood, looking for a meatier story with a gentle romance.~Note I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Originally posted at Romance Reviews Magazine