This book had me laughing. Gotta love a good second chance at romance due to memory loss but throw in a different timeframe and it's even better. So good!

Good book. Anthony was a widower when he met Mary at a house party. She was the paid companion of an unpleasant old woman. They married quickly, but though she worshipped him, Mary never felt as though she belonged in his world. Meanwhile, thanks to the disaster of his previous marriage, Anthony kept himself back, reluctant to trust his feelings.

When Mary disappeared, Anthony believed the worst - that she had run away with another man - and wrote her off. In truth, Mary and the groom with her had been attacked by highwaymen. In the melee, Mary was injured and lost her memory. The story of what happened to her was heartbreaking, and her loss of memory was understandable. Three months later, after being taken in and cared for by a troupe of actors, Mary found herself back at her home with her memory returning. Anthony is shocked by her return and suspicious of her story. He is torn between throwing her out and taking her back.

I liked Mary very much. Because of her memory loss, her time away allowed her to develop skills and strength she'd never had before. No longer is she the meek, quiet, and biddable mouse she had been. She stands up to Anthony's suspicions and unwelcoming attitude. I ached for her and the hurt she felt when she discovered that he hadn't bothered to search for her when she disappeared. I enjoyed seeing her channel her "Perdita" identity as the countess.

I had a tough time liking Anthony. Though he began well by marrying Mary, who stirred unexpected feelings in him, his "I know best" treatment of her was too controlling. It was countered by him neglecting to help her fit in and oblivious to how others treated her. But I lost all respect for him when he didn't bother to look for her after she disappeared. Even after he had proof, his constant questioning of her story irritated me and hurt Mary. He redeemed himself somewhat at the end, and I liked seeing him finally admit his mistakes, but it will take work for him not to backslide.

He's spiteful. And insecure.

I was hoping for a different leading man. Anthony is, sadly, no leading man. He's an insecure oaf, who repeatedly punishes Mary, for his first wife's mistakes and behavior. He is NOT a hero. He does not look for Mary, though she was ill and pregnant when she went missing. He thought she ran off with a groom!!! He is awful. Anthony keeps this behavior up for the entire book and never makes amends, grovels, or acknowledges his fault in Mary going missing. He doesn't have a doctor look her over when she returns. She lost her memory and the baby and has zero help from him. Her health and safety are not important to him at all. Only his pride.
I was sadly disappointed in Anthony and I really like Annie Burrows writing.
I don;t blame Mary for blocking him out of her mind.
I hope for a differnt leading man in her next book.

This was a novel of introspection and discovery. Mary and Anthony entered their marriage from different walks of life. The tragedy of Mary’s memory loss ended up being a blessing in disguise. They were both forced to face some uncomfortable issues. I was up until 4AM because I could not put the book down. At its heart, this was a love story. However, this was not the typical romance novel. Private issues were being forced out into the open. On an emotional level, the story was action-packed.
The happy ending for Mary and Anthony was most definitely deserved. I would love to see them again as background characters in future books. I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

This was a fantastic historical romance. I liked the plot and the characters were a lot of fun. Very much recommend this book.

Tropes: MC with amnesia; MC's from different social classes; second chance romance
TW: miscarriage

1.5 stars rounded up. I really wanted to like this more, it had the basic bones of an intriguing story, but the off-putting structure of the narrative and lack of plot, as well as the callous egotism of the MMC, did it in. 50% of this book consists of characters' repetitive interior ruminations or the relating of events that happened in the past (and sometimes the re-relating of them in wordy fashion). The rest of the plot consists of MFC fluttering around to piece back together her life after an awful series of calamities, while MMC accuses her of lying to him, feels sorry for himself, and makes her feel less-than for being a survivor. Then there's a final repetitive bicker/talk session that's weirdly timed just before the epilogue (after the 3rd act sex scene) that does nothing to make the reader feel warm and fuzzy about a HEA.

If I'm going to be asked to suspend disbelief that an earl married a lady's companion, there needs to be a sense of strong affection between the two of them or at least strong sexual chemistry. I didn't feel it. To top it off, the topic of miscarriage is not handled with any finesse. There's nothing truly romantic here, other than MFC's relationships with friends who are theater troupe members (the only highlight of the book for me).

Honestly, it's been a long time since I've been as angry with a MMC as I was with this one. SPOILERS AHEAD: As MFC very accurately points out, he has the means to have searched for her when she went missing, and even if he hadn't believed she was pregnant with his child he was at least legally and ethically bound to attempt to find her, but he never tried, based on merely servants' nasty speculation. Still, in his twisted mind, he shouldn't be blamed for anything due to his past; he turns everything around on her. And he's so reputation-obsessed he never even bothers to have a doctor check her after everything she's been through (even if he doesn't fully believe her, any human being deserves such care, and a doctor could have helped corroborate her claims). His perspective: she escaped thugs by falling in a canal and at at least didn't suffer the "ultimate indignity" of rape. He has a character arc, I guess, around the 80% mark, but I still had the lingering feeling that he's an emotionally stunted narcissist, more concerned about MFC having behaved "inappropriately" while struggling to survive for months than on her physical and mental wellbeing.

MFC has her moments, but overall remains a doormat. Her character teeters way too often between courageous common sense and apologizing and making excuses for MMC. She keeps bringing up her conflicting feelings as if they're a sign of mental illness. It's heartrending, and not in a "happy ending" way.

So much could have been explored: possible skullduggery surrounding MFC's disappearance; MFC's struggles to become a countess in the eyes of the servants in her own household and MMC's family as well as the Ton; the uneasy power dynamic between the MC's, which definitely gives him all of the physical, psychological, and economic leverage in society's eyes. Lost opportunities.

I am posting this review to Net Galley but will not be posting to websites or social media.





I will be leaving a review on Net Galley but not elsewhere due to my rating.

I wanted to love this book. I have always been a sucker for the amnesia trope, however, the first on-page interaction between the two characters soured the remainder of the story for me. It was hard to move past the initial level of hostility between the couple. An okay read, but enjoyment will depend on the reader's initial reaction to the first few chapters.

I didn't love this one but I also didn't hate this one. However I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

After a robbery erases her memory, countess Mary returns home to a suspicious husband. To prove her innocence and resume their marriage, she must tap into the bravery and wit acquired during her disappearance.

I loved Mary and how strong she is during this novel. Her husband’s behavior is difficult to forgive. He has a lot of work to do on himself to prove his worth to her.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

4 1/2*STARS*
When his missing countess shows up at his townhouse in London, the Earl of Epping thinks the worst possible scenario pertaining to her disappearance. After three months, Mary arrives at a house she recognizes, but doesn't remember, until she looks into the eyes of her husband. All the pain and suffering returns, but she's afraid to tell her story. Would he believe her? Anthony has had his own pain and misery from his first wife. Should he trust his second wife who returned, but is not the same? Two complex people have a tough road ahead to reach an understanding and to find love. Mild descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I love the fire that Mary has and how she faced down Anthony.
I’m usually a little iffy about amnesia tropes, but this was well done.
This was a fun and fast read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin romances for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest reviews.