Julian West returns to London on a hero's welcome and reputation, but he feels a fraud. There's nothing heroic in him, since he left his friend to die in the field. He intends to stay in London just long enough to fulfill his obligation, but his cousin's wife's request proves to be yet another obligation.

Eleanor's younger sister, Charlotte, the one who stole Julian's heart and broke it a year ago, is going through a scandalous phase now that she's out of mourning for her husband, and Ellie and Cam need Julian to curb her impulses. Julian owes Ellie, so he's willing to do anything to repay the debt he feels toward her, so he agrees, knowing that Charlotte's spell won't work on him twice. He's no longer the man she knew...But the first time he lays eyes on her after the year spent apart, Julian realizes, Charlotte is no longer the woman he fell in love with.


Charlotte and Julian's story, this story, is a perfect example of how a single decision can change one of multiple lives and futures.

In the previous book Julian first seduced Charlotte, then she seduced him, they both fell in love, but Charlotte suddenly found out Julian's true role in his cousin's scheme, and, cutting all communications, married another. She sent word of her nuptials to Julian on the day of her wedding, and he went off to war...Charlotte's husband died mere four months after the wedding, and his death, and everything that followed, changed her. Julian had also been changed in the battlefield and its aftermath...Their decisions, spurred by the misunderstanding and lack of trust, shaped them, changed their lives, and their characters.
But in the end, once it all worked out, once these two idiots actually talked to each other without the barriers of resentment, anger, hurt, and betrayal, it turned out the change wasn't that big at all; their new personas were just masks they hid behind, afraid to show their true self with all their flaws. And they ended up being the only ones who could look and actually see behind the other's mask.

This wasn't an easy story to read. It wasn't happy, it wasn't funny, it wasn't carefree. Far from it. It was dark, troubled, angsty, and turbulent. And I loved every single, dark, moody moment of it.
I didn't particularly care for either the protagonists' behavior; the antagonism was grating, especially since I knew their history and what was beneath their animosity. What bothered me the most was Charlotte's blasé attitude toward what her behavior meant for her family and her seemingly complete disregard for her sister's feelings. Yes, she didn't know what she wanted, she felt she deserved to be punished, but I don't understand why she felt her sister needed to be punished as well.
Oh well. She and her reasoning was off, I guess.
Julian, as he hero, was no better, hiding behind his icy veneer, blaming the "vast blackness" inside him for snapping at Charlotte, when it was obvious it all stemmed from his hurt feelings.

These two were so wrong for each other, especially in their initial states of mind, they were absolutely perfect for each other. A match made in dysfunctional Heaven, if you like, and I enjoyed every single bruising, hurtful moment they spent together.
Because I just wanted for them to figure it out, work out whatever bothered them individually and about each other, I wanted the truth to come out, and I wanted the blasted conflict to end. Which would've if they actually talked, communicated.
I usually hate these types of conflicts that stem from miscommunications, but I found myself enjoying this one, looking forward to each scene, each tidbit of truth that was revealed, because as dysfunctional a pair these two were, despite me not approving of all their choices and behavior, I was invested in these two characters.

Which just goes to show, what a great author Anna Bradley is for creating these two heavily layered, flawed, issue-laden characters, enveloping them in a complex, dark, and angsty story, and still making them shine, showing what was beneath their veneer and mask, keeping me rooting for them, keeping my fingers crossed they don't make an even bigger mess of things...

I got my wish. I suffered, but it was worth it.

Damn, what a wonderful story!

Enjoyed this book immensely, I knocked off a star as I think the hero was a bit rash in some of the situations.

Looking forward to Devons story.

4 Stars

Arc received from NetGalley for an honest review

The relationship between Lady Charlotte Hadley and Julian West, was first revealed in “Lady Eleanor’s Seventh Suitor. The intensity of their relationship was obvious in the first book but so was their downfall. In “Lady Charlotte’s First Love”, Charlotte and Julian demonstrate how love is often thought of as “akin to hate”. They are so determined to hurt the other whilst it is obvious, that they still love each other. Charlotte has married but has found herself a widow whilst Julian has returned from the Battle of Waterloo, a hero, but believing himself a fraud. Julian’s brother and sister-in -law have asked him to protect Charlotte, but their past hurts make for a difficult situation.
The hurt and despair surrounding Charlotte and Julian is palpable. It was difficult not to be drawn into the sadness of this relationship. Ms Bradley gradually reveals the tender feelings between them, giving the reader hope. I loved it! Since reading the first in The Sutherland Sisters series, I have gone and found the previous series about Charlotte and Eleanor’s brothers. I can’t wait for the third installment in this series!

For readers who like angsty reads, this is for you.

This is a gut-wrenching read. Charlotte Sutherland, the widow Marchioness of Hadley, has a broken heart and a shattered soul. Captain Julian West mirrors the same fate.

They broke each other's hearts, a year's past. When they met again , they didn't know how to deal with their wounded prides, wrecked hearts and broken spirits.

Their spiteful tirades, vicious words, nasty remarks, distressing actions and unkind reactions comprise probably about three-quarters of this book. There is a valid reason for their acerbic treatment of each other. But I found myself mentally drained by negativity of the cruel verbal exchanges which seems to be the big part of the story.

I received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

The is the second book in THE SUTHERLAND SISTERS series and it's not a lighthearted regency romance. This book is filled with so much guilt, misunderstandings and pain. Charlotte Sutherland was just a wonderful character in the first book, but in this book, she's broken and filled with guilt over the way her life has turned out over the past year. Julian West loved Charlotte from the moment he saw her, but when she unexpectantly turns around and marries Lord Hadley, he devastated and joins the army. When he returns to London hailed as a hero, it only adds to his guilt that he couldn't save his best friend on the battlefield. He's no hero, just a shell of the man he used to be.

Two broken characters filled with so much pain makes this book darker than most Regency romances. Ms. Bradley teases out details how they both have suffered during the last year and their unyielding guilt begins to make sense--Charlotte for her husbands early death and Julian for not saving his friend. When Julian is tasked with getting Charlotte to agree to leave London and return to her childhood home with her family, the battle of the wills begins. Who is stronger? Will Julian ever discover why Charlotte deserted him a year ago? And will Charlotte ever comes to terms with the ghosts of her past? This book is a roller coaster of emotions that will keep you turning the pages until the very end to see if Charlotte and Julian can rekindle the love they once knew again.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This book is the second in the series The Sutherland Sisters and I do think you need to read the first one Lady Eleanor's Seventh Suitor first. There are also 2 related books Sutherland Scandals: A Wicked Way to Win an Earl and A Season of Ruin. In this book the heroine and hero who were quite wonderful characters in the first book are quite broken and remain that way for most of the book. I was a bit disappointed that they took so long to find their way again and there is a lot of melodrama if you haven't read the first book you will have no idea why Charlotte is so shattered because she is not telling anyone. I expected more from this book because Charlotte was such a wonderful character in the first book. I wanted her to lead Justin on a merry dance in order to win back her love but she cannot as she is unable to stop punishing herself. In the end I did enjoy reading the story but it is not one to read when you are looking for something lighthearted.

In this lovely story, Lady Charlotte, a reputed 'wicked widow', and Julian, a heroic Captain, although they share a past, have not been in each other's company for over a year. During that time, Charlotte has been married and widowed, Julian has returned a hero from England's war with Napoleon, and neither wish to see the other. Each has stories to tell, and secrets to conceal. Unfortunately though, Charlotte's behavior, or wild escapades, have begun to worry her family and they've asked Julian to convince her to leave London and travel to the family's country estate to rest and calm herself. But, is asking Julian to assist the family with this 'problem' the wise course of action? Will she take his advice, follow his request?
This book is terrific and filled with a group of enchanting characters, humor, wit, emotion and romance galore! It's so rare that I ever need a tissue with any book, but I suggest keeping a box close by. I highly recommend this book to readers of romance who want a book with the hea that the two main characters struggled so to achieve despite their longing for each other and the sparks that flew between them.
This book is a second in a series of stand alone books by this author. One of the characters is featured in the next book, Lord Devon, and it looks to be every bit as enthralling and I am looking forward to it!

How in the world are Julian and Charlotte going to get their HEA? Wow, that is hard to figure out while reading this book. It is so full of emotion. There is heartache for both Julian and Charlotte and you just do not know if they can make a go of it. This is darker than the other books in the series but stick with it to the end – it is definitely worth the read.

Wow, what a heartbreaking story. Don't worry, you'll still get your HEA but this was definitely one of the more heartbreaking stories in The Sutherland Series. This is the second in The Sutherland Sisters series but these follow The Sutherland Scandals series which was focused on the older brothers in the family. This one is about Charlotte Sutherland who we got to know in Lady Eleanor's Seventh Suitor. While this book can be read stand alone, there is actually quite a bit of history between Charlotte and Julian which actually drive the story of the last book. It also sets up the relationship for this book so I'd highly recommend reading Lady Eleanor's Seventh Suitor first. It's also a great story so you can't go wrong. The tone of this story though is not as light and silly as the first book. After seeing how carefree and fun Charlotte used to be it was heartbreaking to see her now after she's been widowed. In this story, Charlotte has been widowed in the last year and she's been on a self destructive path. Her family has tried everything they could think of to help her. When Julian returns as a hero from war, he is coerced by his cousin, who is Charlotte's brother in law, to help. The path they go down had me feeling every emotion from anger and frustration to hopeful. Both Charlotte and Julian have been through a lot and despite everything between them, you can't help but be invested in their HEA as you're reading this. Loved this second chance love story.

This novel was a great read. It is filled with much angst. Both characters have suffered greatly for over a year, each in different ways. Lies and secrets caused their downfall, but maybe it can mended. This novel can be read separately but if you want a better understanding of Charlotte and Julian's beginnings and what led to their falling out, you should read the first novel.
Lady Charlotte Sutherland Hadley is running amok around London. She has joined with the "wicked widows" and does not refuse a challenge. Charlotte is suffering internally and London is her escape. She fell in love with Julian West, but married another man, who died after only a few months of marriage. Charlotte felt betrayed by Julian, after he and his cousin tried to blackmail her sister.
Captain Julian West fell in love with Charlotte Sutherland but was angered when she married another man, which caused him to join the army. He was a rogue, but meeting Charlotte changed everything. Julian blames himself for the death of his friend and does not like being called a hero, for he believes it is a lie. To disperse some of the guilt, he betrothed himself to his friend's sister. When Julian is asked to reign in Charlotte, he reluctantly agrees. Julian follows Charlotte all through London. He knows she is destroying her reputation, but does not understand why. Charlotte's friend, Lord Devon, has been with Charlotte and Julian is jealous. This jealously causes him to strike at Charlotte in cruel ways, which breaks her, for Julian does not know what happened to her in the last year. This causes much turmoil in him since he loves Charlotte with a passion and she loves him, her first love. But Charlotte is still keeping secrets from Julian. When Julian discovers the truth, how will he handle it and where does it leave him and Charlotte?

I could not connect with Lady Charlotte. She just seemed very selfish and not a character I wanted to read about. Didn't finish the book and I tried several times.

These are some deeply cruel and unpleasant people, and I just don't buy their HEA.

Loved this! Great story. I love anything by this author , but this was such an emotional book. Great characters and love that Lord Devon has his own story.

I could read 100 novels in row from Anna Bradley's pen. And enjoy of all them with a very high probability.


This novel is heart-wrenching, and I'm not really talking about the protagonists' difficult relationship, but about Charlotte's need to blame and punish herself for her husband's death. The part of the novel settled at Hadley House is certainly the most well written in the story, it is particularly poignant, the feeling of bleakness and anguish in that place is something I strongly felt.

I also found the way Charlotte is depicted in this part, as particularly interesting within the world historical romances, she behaves and respond (and thinks) in a way that almost makes the reader believe she got mad; which is crucial if you want to make credible the way she acts...but can also be a dangerous decision. The author worked it out perfectly.


There is only one aspect that didn't convinced me as much, and this is the ending or more specifically the pregnancy, when Julian finds out about their concealed, unborn child.

Well, the way I see it, the fact could have been developed in two ways: he decides to forgive her immediately, or he needs time to make peace with what happened.

The novel follows the second option, which is great if you ask me. However, in this case, more plot is generally needed; and here in my opinion it was too rushed.


Moreover, and this is a question I started asking myself in Lady Eleanor's Seventh Suitor, why did Charlotte hide her pregnancy? I'm aware of all the historical difficulties, and I can also understand that a young woman could be scared, and I would have understood all of it if Julian had decided to leave for the army before she had found out, but I honestly do not find particularly believable that the way Julian behaved in the previous novel, although wrong, is sufficient to justify Charlotte's decision to marry another when Julian had also demonstrate his deep feelings for her and his intention to be honourable.

Of course in this instance we would have not have this novel the way it is but let's say that I would have avoided the pregnancy entirely.


Nevertheless these types of storyline give me great pleasure, and Anna Bradley is a highly skilled author, and I loved Charlotte I especially adored Julian from the beginning.