William is asked to escort his best friends sister back to England and what at first starts off frosty soon starts to thaw.

an enjoyable read

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

When his best friend dies, and asks that his sister is cared for, Lord William Lancaster, heir to the Marquess of Elvington knows it's time to return home and settle down. However, the long voyage from India proves that even the strongest will cannot fight the attraction between himself and Anna Harris. But Anna doesn't want to return to England, and definitely does not want to marry. Her brother's death has left her quite the heiress, and she will bide her time until she can use that money for her freedom. Unless her feelings get in the way first, that is.

A quick and enjoyable Regency romance. After losing his father, and his mother remarrying and being forced to leave him at his grandparents, William Lancaster has been ready to escape. Moving to India and joining the East India Company was an opportunity for him to be free, and he found friendship along the way. But gaining wealth and friendship also comes with its downsides, and enemies are made too. When one enemy steps too far, and a life is lost, William will stop at nothing to protect those he cares about, and Anna soon becomes the person who means the most to him. However, Anna fights their attraction, and William's protective side, and the fact that her mother is a known courtesan means it's hard for them to be together. I didn't love the book, but it was a good read even so. I do want to read the rest of the series though, as Tilly and Charles' stories are intriguing.

I enjoyed this longer length novel, even though I found the writing style a little staid and dull. There were few instances of humour or lightness in the story. In fact the rather dour demeanour of Lord Lancaster seemed to permeate the story telling in many places. His were the main views that stood out. Disapproval and a stern mien were very evident.
However, I liked learning about the ships in the East India Company, I am astonished that people would travel 5-6 months to England and back several times. That was a whole year at sea!
Having been to Mumbai, I suspect that living there for years would have taxed my health and am not surprised so many English / Europeans fell ill then, considering the way they continued to dress...and children too.
I caught a dreadful cold my first visit!

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

A new author to me
I really enjoyed this

A glimpse of India, then a ship back to English shores and descriptions of the heat and people and beauty of what happens. The growing romance between William and Anna is suppressed as Anna is not suitable however she is a great, feisty heroine that I fell in love with. She cares with her whole heart and embraces her life whatever it brings. An uplifting romance.

This sounded interesting when I read the write up however it didn't really live up to it's potential. The character's were lacklustre including the villain and the pace too slow. It left me not really bothered about the story causing me to rush it a bit and loose interest. I thought having a villain might liven things up a bit but he was just as mediocre as the rest. The setting and descriptions of India were good though. 2.5 stars. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 Stars
Lord William Lancaster has made a fortune in India but when his best friend & business partner Jonathan is killed William feels that he needs to go home. Jonathan dying wish was for William to escort his sister Miss Anna Harris from India back home to England, Lord William Lancaster doesn't expect his late best friend’s sister to be so headstrong and determined But their attraction can go no further, for William is bound by duty to wed, and Anna’s scandalous background and desire for independence are unsuitable for the future Marchioness of Elvington.
A well written interesting read, I loved much about it, the descriptions of India & the storms at sea. I really liked both William & Anna & loved their verbal sparring & liked the chemistry between them & enjoyed how their relationship grew & changed. I disliked James but felt he was a bit of a lacklustre villain & his part could have been developed much more. I also felt the pace lagged at times & my interest wandered. Overall an enjoyable read but one that I wouldn’t read again
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This story sounded interesting but didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

It was too slow to really get going for my liking. It started well and I enjoyed the description and setting of India, however I couldn’t muster too much affection for the characters. I liked that Anna was feisty and knew her own mind but at times she came across as a toddler having a tantrum. Lord Lancaster flipped back and forth between being a perfect gentleman and a domineering oaf intent on getting Anna under control. Whilst this isn’t unusual in this type of genre, it didn’t feel genuine as he would try to control Anna but then contradict himself by stating how much he liked her stubbornness.

I really despised Ryder, a typical spoiled, rich boy used to getting his own way and behaving like he is untouchable.

Once the characters made it London, things picked up a little but again it fell short on delivering what I wanted. I did warm to both main characters a little more as the story progressed but overall I just wasn’t that blown away. It lacked a freshness or something unique to make it stand out and I felt like I’d read the same thing before, whilst that’s not always a bad thing as there can be comfort in reading something that feels familiar, in this instance there was something missing and unfortunately it was significant enough to impact my enjoyment of the book.

Having said all of that, if you love historical romance this might be perfect for you as most of what I didn’t enjoy can be attributed to personal preferences.

2.5 ⭐️⭐️💫 (rounded up)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Mills & Boon) for providing a copy. All opinions are my own and provided willingly.

3.5 stars

For me too much shall we/shall we not. There's three times on the ship when William is acting as guardian to Anna that he either does the alpha male put down or he micro manages her. Anna can be forgiven for her dithering at the beginning because she's only 19 and has left India a place she loved to be returned to her uncle that she doesn't like either wayI'm not sure I liked the temper tantrums. The baddy IMO gets away with his crmes and there's convulotion when we find out that Anna's mother is a courtesan whose protector is related to the baddy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This historical romance gives the reader a taste of the nineteenth century in various locations, from the vibrancy of India to the claustrophobic and dangerous confines of a merchant ship and the social strictures of London society. Dutiful William is a reluctant guardian of his late friend's sister Anna, who has spent her early womanhood in India, free of society's constraints and expectations. Attraction and proximity intensify their chemistry; neither can forget the other when they part in London.

The romance is passionate with deep emotion, as the couple battle for their love against class, suitability and dangerous evil. I like the dialogue and wit, the romance and the varied locations of this historical romance.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Thrust together by circumstances, Lord William Lancaster and Miss Anna Harris have to battle prejudices concerning class and suitability before they can find their happy ending – and then a dangerous enemy hell bent on revenge re-appears in their lives...

Miss Anna Harris has been living in India but on the death if ger brother she has to return to England by her brothers best friend, William Lancaster. There is a problem when she catches the eye of James Ryder. Unable to tell her why she must avoid James he insists she avoids him, which doesn't go down well especially on a close confined ship. I was keen to know the secret that William was holding. I loved this 'will they, won't they' storyline.