Sandy M’s review of For the Love of a Soldier by Victoria Morgan
Historical Romance published by Berkley 5 Mar 13
I’ve been telling myself lately to read more new-to-me authors, so I finally followed through. This is my intro to Victoria Morgan and this is her debut book. Sounds like the perfect pairing.
However, while this book is beautifully written – Ms. Morgan makes you feel and see her scenes one after the other – and the characters are likable, I find the story slows down too often, and it took me much longer to read than normal. That being said, there are wonderful moments throughout and I enjoyed watching Garrett and Alexandra fall in love.
The beginning of this story is fun, albeit everything is on the line for Alex. She’s disguised herself as a gentleman and is once again sitting at the gaming tables where she plans to put her the learning at her father’s knee into action. She knows her cards and knows how to win. What she never sees coming is the man who has the same mindset and who doesn’t lose. Even in this case. When Alex loses what she can’t afford, knowing what to do next in life is beyond her.
But Garrett Sinclair, the Earl of Kendall, who usually has no qualms about taking someone’s money, especially someone gambling more than they can afford to lose, for some reason has second thoughts when taking money from the young man whose vulnerability is there for the world to see. Returning the man’s money is his good deed for the night, something to forget and move on.
Fate, however, is taking a step to throw Garrett and Alex into each other’s lives. At this same party, Alex overhears a murder plot against Garrett. She can’t just walk away and let a man die. So she goes to Garrett to tell him what she – he knows, even entering into a pact to help Garrett find the plotters. Thus, the more time they spend together is what Garrett needs to eventually realize that Alex is not a man but a lovely woman with secrets. I like that it doesn’t take long for that to happen. I prefer most of this type of story to be between the hero and heroine as a man and a woman and not a cat-and-mouse game to keep an identity secret for most of the book.
It’s after this, though, where the pacing of the book takes a few hits. Between learning about Alexandra’s forced betrothal by her uncle, both of which she wants nothing to do with, and Garrett’s horrible stint in the Crimean War – and both stories are emotional and heart wrenching – even the supposed hunt for the would-be murderer is slow in coming. In fact, the story only gains momentum near the end of the book when they finally make their way back to town to flush the culprit out. I wish more would have happened during the time at Garrett’s – either between them or danger from the killer.
Despite that, I like these two characters a lot. Garrett gets his life back on track after his time in a downward spiral after returning from the war, loaded with guilt and disgust. When he unloads what really happened during the Charge of the Light Brigade, you feel as though you’re right in the middle of the huge mess it turned out to be. Alexandra is a strong heroine, independent to the core, and uses her brain as well as her emotions just as a woman should.
Ms. Morgan can only grow from here on out as a writer, and, honestly, she doesn’t have far to go. She writes beautifully already, and I look forward to whatever she has to offer in the future.
Grade: B-
Summary:
Captain Garrett Sinclair, the Earl of Kendall, has returned to England a changed man. As a survivor of the legendary Charge of the Light Brigade, he has spent months as a remorseless rake and dissolute inebriate to forget it. But Garrett also has also made powerful enemies who want him dead…
Desperate and down to her last pound, Lady Alexandra Langdon has disguised herself as a man for a place at the gaming tables. But when a hard-eyed, handsome man wins the pot, he surprises her by refusing her money. Indebted, she reveals to him an overheard plot against him, and promises to help him find his foes—for a price.
But even as Alexandra fights her growing desire to reveal herself—and her heart—to the determined Garrett, she cannot shed the fear that the cost of her alliance with the earl may be a price too dear…her own secret betrayal.
No excerpt available.
