Village opinions and romance!

Someone to Cherish (Westcott #8) by Mary Balogh            

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Major Harry Westcott was once the Earl of Riverdale until he and his family fell apart when they discovered their father had in fact married their mother bigamously. That left Harry and his sisters as illegitimate offspring. Imagine the shock and distress. Harry was no longer the Earl, no longer able to support his mother and sisters. Their place in society was gone. The life they knew was in tatters. Stripped of title, lands and funds this was the Great Disaster. Previous novels in the series give us the background to events up to now.

Harry, anguished and lost, joined the army, off to the Peninsula to fight Bonaparte. Thanks to Avery Archer the Duke of Netherby—his guardian, and his half sister Anna’s husband, he didn’t end up taking the king’s shilling. Avery purchased a commission for him with the same regiment he’d signed up for.

After fighting his way across the continent, Harry was badly wounded at Waterloo. He eventually came back to England, a wreck suffering from the memories of all he’d seen and endured. He now lives on one of Anna’s properties and his former childhood home—Hinsford Manor in Hampshire.

Within the village of Hinsford lives a widow, Lydia Tavernor, wife and ‘helpmeet’ of the former dedicated and charismatic vicar. A young woman who throughout her time has been overwhelmed by the men in her life. Lydia shocked her brothers and father by refusing to move home with them. Instead she bought a small house in the village at the end of Harry’s driveway. The two meet at a local dinner. The innocent action of Harry escorting the seemingly bland Lydia home leads to a situation!

Lydia is rather a fascinating woman hiding who she really is in plain sight. Still waters run deep!

Meanwhile the Westcott women have decided that Harry needs a wife and are planning to bring him to London to celebrate his thirtieth birthday and introduce him to potential partners. And if Harry doesn’t come to London they have a Plan B.

Harry’s mother just wants him to find someone he can ‘cherish.’

A gentle story that takes two people with secrets and ghosts and gives them another chance, albeit it  in a rather unusual way.

A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley