Isolde returns to England following the death of her father, to throw herself on the mercy of her father’s friend, Lord Alderton. In the intervening years he has passed away and his son Richard now bears the title. He agrees to help her, but she is very unsettled. Isolde has always lived in the army camp with her father, and is quite unsuited to the life of a young English lady. She has been educated, she can fight with a sword and a pistol, and her feisty nature makes her a force to be reckoned with. In some ways she seems older than her seventeen years.
The story is well written and the characters believable, but some elements of the story don’t work for me. It is unclear why Richard’s sister, Alicia, reacts in the way she does; it makes her look mentally unhinged. The romance between Isolde and Richard is not well enough developed; it seems to be a bit of an afterthought. I really enjoyed the adventure element of the story and that it did not all take place in the drawing room like a lot of novels set in this period. I had not read any of Elizabeth Bailey’s books before but will definitely try another. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable Regency story. The characters were well developed and it was a light read.
Many thanks to Sapere Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When her father dies, Isolde travels to Bawdsey Grange to get the protection of an old family friend. However, she finds that the son, Richard de Baudresey, has never heard of her. He insists she needs to learn to take her place in society. Can Isolde become a lady?

Well. I wanted to love this. Isolde was fun and interesting to watch. I could understand why she resisted the strictures of society because she had grown up following the drum. It made sense for her to fight.

But I didn't. I feel like there was a good premise here, but it just wasn't presented well. I didn't like Richard at all. The romance came out of nowhere when it would have been nice to see it blossom. And Richard's sister...the explanation for her behavior made no sense.

For a clean Regency read, it isn't terrible. I just think it could have been so much better.

An excellent Regency story. The characters had depth and very likeable except for the overbearing aunt. I highly recommend Ms. Bailey's historical novels.
An excellent Regency story. The characters had depth and very likeable except for the overbearing aunt. I highly recommend Ms. Bailey's historical novels.

I enjoyed reading about the struggles of a tomboy to fit in to the societal expectations of Georgian England, as well as what life might have been like for the families following the soldiers across the battlefields of Europe. That so many things we take for granted were considered scandalous back then is both amusing and tragic.

But back to my review: this book was well written with an interesting plot and characters that came to life on the pages. Elizabeth Bailey has a wonderful writing style, and I’m looking forward to reading more books by her in the future.

I was given a free copy of In Honour Bound, but that did not affect my review.

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

Loved this

A great historical romance - well written, loved the characters and the HEA

A great summer read

Since the death of her mother, Isolde has been raised in an Army camp by her father. She can fence, shoot, skin a rabbit, and set up a tent, but she knows nothing of being a lady. When her father is killed in battle, she is taken to Bawdsey Grange, the home of her father's friend and mentor, Lord Alderton, who had agreed to be her guardian in the event of her father's death. She cannot go to her mother's family because they had disavowed her when she had eloped. She arrives at Bawdsey Grange to find her father's friend dead and his son Richard was now the Lord. Richard allowed her to stay at the manor while he figured out what would be done. His dying mother took an instant liking to Isolde and agreed to start training her to be a lady until Richard's sister, Alicia, returned and could continue her training.

Lady Alderton passed away and Richard had to travel to London to handle financial arrangements. Alicia shows her true colors then and is cruel to Isolde. The servants help Isolde run away from Alicia. Richard returns and resolves to find her and bring her back where she belongs. This is a quick and easy read for those who like a different twist on a Regency romance.