Unlike other romances that have a completely ridiculous conflict to drive the hero and heroine apart, this book featured a complete lack of conflict. Both of the characters wanted to be together and the marriage occurred very early in the book. There wasn't much to discover about the characters as the story unfolded and it made it a little disappointing.

Better than the first one in the series, but still pushed up against the edges of my suspension of disbelief capacity.

As noted in my review of the first book, I got this in a five-book packet on Kindle sale and moved on to this book after finishing the first one. I liked the story in this one better, though it relied even more heavily on the "not really saying what they mean" trope than the first, which annoys me. I really liked the characters, however, especially the heroine who had developed a second career of being a capable midwife and healer out in the remote wilds of Cumberland.

This book does have some triggers, including abuse, rape, mutilation, and truly nasty people. Might not be the best selection if any of those are issues for you, especially as the heroine got over her "issues" a little more quickly than is probably realistic. However, I enjoyed the story in spite of that, and it kept me engrossed until the end.

Yep it's official I'm hooked on this series. So far I'm just loving these Lost Lords. Randall was a great character in the first novel as was Julia, I really enjoyed getting to read their story. Learning about Julia's secretive past was of course greatly anticipated and this didn't disappoint.

So after the mild antagonism between these two in the first book of course they were going to be the subjects of the second. I did just adore Randall as the knight in shinning armor though. He's such a gentleman and yet his military life has shaped him into a man of honor and integrity with a backbone of steel. He has such a wonderful need to help the damsel in distress. For all that she's a damsel, and in distress, Julia to slightly mis-quote Disney's Hercules "She can handle it."



Julia has had a ton of strength to get herself out of the awful situation she was in, abused by her first husband, to escape and fake her own death while finding a career for herself. She's learned plenty to become the competent midwife she is now thought to be. I love that Randall respects that about her and doesn't try to curtail the natural power she's found for herself.

I liked how the relationship between these two developed. The marriage was conceived under harsh circumstances and the questionable nature of that came back up later. Things weren't too easy for them. They had to learn about each other and work past their issues to get to a point where trust was eternal and each could be comfortable that the other wanted the same things from them. Sure some things were undoubtedly going to go the way neither of them suspected

Spoiler

Was there really ever any doubt that Julia's fears about being barren were going to be unfounded?

but I liked that both of them faced their fears and moved forward.

I loved reading this story and will definitely be moving on to see what Ms. Putney has in hand for the next of her Lost Lords!

This started out way more intriguing than the first entry in the series ("Loving a Lost Lord"): an older widow as heroine (great), and she's not a fancy lady but a village midwife (even better), and she can't have children (wow!), and she was abused by her first husband and has lingering PTSD-esque issues about sex (ok... not what I anticipated but could be interesting). It had all the makings of a story that wouldn't retread the classic romance novel trajectory of bodice-ripping passion followed by dream wedding followed by babies and blissful domesticity.

Unfortunately the plot quickly hopped right back on the rails and went exactly where you'd expect it to.

Spoiler

She's secretly a duchess! The first time they have sex she overcomes her trauma! She's disowned by all the guys we're supposed to hate and heartily supported by everyone else! The people hunting her down have one last crack at her but the hero saves her! And lo and behold, she gets pregnant at the end, because no relationship can be truly fulfilling unless it produces babies. ARGH.

Had it at least ended the way I hoped it would

Spoiler

(Julia and Randall adopt Branford's bastard and settle into a life as an unconventional but loving little family of 3)

, I was prepared to overcome the drabness of the rest of the plot and give this 3 stars. Alas and BOO-URNS.

Spoiler

Is anyone out there writing romance novels for women who consider "surprise, you're pregnant!" a fine piece of horror writing?

I went to the library and got a couple more Putney and Nora Roberts because out of the recent crap books I've read, they were the least crappy.

This is the second in a series and I suspect there is back story that would have helped flesh out the "romance" some. It was not horrible and I suspect if you like romance that it would be a decent read.

While I liked Putney's character and most of the plot, the memories of horrific acts of violence that the heroine deals with in just about every love scene detract from the Victorian romance genre.

Better than book #1 in series. Had to laugh though because both hedgehog metaphors caught me up short. A "furious, snarling hedgehog"? A " rabid hedgehog"? I must have been indoctrinated by Beatrix Potter too thoroughly because I just laughed at these phrases.

It really is necessary to read these in order. If you haven't read [b:Loving a Lost Lord|6066533|Loving a Lost Lord (Lost Lords #1)|Mary Jo Putney|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1307205240s/6066533.jpg|6242865] first, there will be too many characters inadequately explained here, I believe.

This one was much worse because the situation was COMPLETELY IMPLAUSIBLE! Although readers hear the events in flashbacks, out of order, when you put it all together, here is what happens:

1. Randall's parents die when he is about 10 years old, and he goes to live with his aunt & uncle, where he is brutalized by his cousin Branford.
2. Randall goes off to school, and later, he goes off to war. Apparently, he missed the wedding, and never met his cousin's bride. (see below)
3. Branford marries Julia when she is only 16 years old, in an arrangement made by their fathers, who are friends. He abuses her terribly from the very first day they wed.
4. Branford gets a barmaid pregnant, and never bothers to meet the baby. His father, later desperate for an heir, never bothers to investigate whether there were any "by-blows".
5. After about 1 year of their marriage, Branford brutally beats pregnant Julia & causes her to miscarry, and in self-defense, she accidentally kills him.
6. Julia fakes her own suicide, and becomes a midwife in a very small, out-of-the-way coastal town. She works there for 10-12 years, becoming an expert midwife & country surgeon.
7. Randall's best friend Ashton washes ashore in this SAME small town, with amnesia, and is rescued by Mariah and treated by Julia.
8. Julia meets Randall at this point (he is in between war campaigns, briefly, and he & 2 friends roam the countryside searching for their missing friend), but they do not recognize one another, even though they are cousins by marriage. Julia does not recognize his name, even though ALL these people are landed gentry who seem to know everyone's names and ranks instantly.
9. Julia, Mariah, Randall, & Ashton (along with a few others) travel to London together for Ashton's health. Randall returns to the war immediately after that. Julia is recognized by somebody without her realizing it.
10. Off-screen, Randall's uncle is informed that his murderous daughter-in-law is alive, and he hires his dead son Branford's friend to kidnap/kill her. He also gets his new, younger wife pregnant. She miscarries twice, but gets pregnant again.
11. Randall's uncle tells Randall to come back from war because another cousin died, and there are no heirs. Randall is instructed to marry & produce an heir.
12. Randall is tired of war, so he quits & agrees to find a wife. The first person he thinks of is Julia, who he met very briefly about a year earlier.
13. He goes to her small town, and shows up just an hour after she is kidnapped by Branford's friend. He is such an amazing warrior, that it takes him less than 3 hours to find, disarm & incapacitate her kidnappers, and rescue Julia.

After that, everything is totally logical. Of course they marry, and then they realize how intertwined they were - both brutalized by the same asshole. Of course they are very gentle & sensitive to one another. And everything turns out fine & a big pot of money miraculously appears.

Plus, there is a very big deal made about scars on her chest, and she NEVER wears low-cut dresses, to hide them. The cover illustrator blew it.

I love the Lost Lords and I loved this book. Julia is a strong female character and I enjoyed her rapport with Alex immensely. Alex was a wonderful combination of caring and understanding but also strong and confident. He might be one of my favorite heros.