A Wounded Hero and the Woman Who Fights for His Love

Helen is in love with Roderick, but he keeps pushing her away. The war left horrendous scars on Roderick's soul, and he does not want his pain to touch Helen. However, Helen is one determined lady. Will she win the fight with Roderick and his demons? Helen and Roderick have more to worry about than his battle scars. Another woman wants him. How far will she go to get him away from Helen, and will she succeed? I enjoyed this historical romance and would recommend it.

Lady Helen and Roderick Vale both come from large families. She is 18, an accomplished painter and wants to travel and make art. He is 32 and has recently come home from Waterloo with ptsd. He's been drifting along since, not knowing what his purpose is now, without being a soldier. There was a very touching scene at a ball, in which she helped him during a flashback. He began to open up and trust her. I wish they had gotten married earlier in the book so we could continue to see their relationship. There also was a former mistress Meg, who was the villain. We could've had more than enough story line just between Roderick and Helen. Bottom line, this story was good but could have been fantastic with simply more of the main two characters and their new relationship.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. My opinion is my own.

Roderick Vale returns home after Waterloo a changed man. Plagued by nightmares he fears never having any peace. Meeting Lady Helen Conway turns him upside down. For her it's love at first sight. Roderick sees a friend, but it can't be love.
A lot of angst.
Mild descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I did not remember that this was part of a series I had previously read until a few chapters in. The author is very clever because almost all the older siblings fall in love almost at once. But it is how she intertwines these tales using the details from the previous books into what’s happening with this one. Its really genius. Starting with the first book you don’t know that the younger siblings arr falling in love UNTIL the next book. the you figure out how all of it corresponds together. Truly terrific. I am really enjoying this series. Bravada for thinking through the entire series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with guidelines.

Major Roderick Vale has brought back invisible wounds from the Waterloo battlefield. His mental trauma is very difficult for him to see past. He feels he's a danger to all around him.
Lady Helen Conway is a talented artist with a very protective family. She also has a fiercely independent streak.
This historical romance is part of a series that is better read in order, only because the families are large and do tend to interfere in each other's lives.
You could still enjoy it on its own though. I have read them all and they are very different but equally interesting and enjoyable. The characters are fabulous and all great fun. I can't wait to read the next book.
Great fun.

Romance and tension!

I wanted some light historical romantic reading. This was just the ticket!
A soldier, a survivor of Waterloo, Major Roderick Vale, is plagued by dreams and strong reactions to loud noises. He meets one of the daughter’s of their neighbor, the Earl of Braithwaire, Lady Helen Conway, at the local Blackhaven Assembly Rooms Ball.
Vale’s just ended an affair with a wealthy widow, Meg Maven (from trade). She’s been planning on using marriage to Roderick as her entree into high society. That’s nowhere on the Major’s radar. He’s already ended the relationship.
Meg won’t take no for an answer.
She sets her sights on Helen who has helped Roderick.
There is more to Helen than meets the eye. One shouldn’t underestimate her.
Suffice it to say we have the evil widow making trouble, the young innocent exploring her feelings, the injured soldier trying to heal, families concerned about their siblings, and so much more.
An intriguing romance that does more than satisfy .

A Dragonblade ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This is the 3rd book of the series. It is Roderick Vale and Helen’s story. I enjoyed the story and the romance, both characters were a bit stubborn about understanding their feelings, but that is what created the tension in the story. The “evil” ex girlfriend was a bit over the top, but again was a part of the tension created in the story.

I absolutely love, love this series. It's not just the characters who are enchanting, although the twins win my heart all the time. More it is the writing of the entire series. This is book three and while each book can stand alone, this author has magically woven the past two books into the overall plot. Doing this had to be a huge challenge because so much happened at the same event. Therefore, the author needs to use the event from multiple different points of view while keeping track of what happens previously. It's almost like writing three different stories at the exact same time. Bravo!! Roderick has been to war and is home with his memories. Helen is in town with her family and it's instant love. However there are struggles and issues needing to be resolved. Besides weaving the series together, there are Helen's relatives who I'm sure each have some published stories of their own. My hope is that the author in her next book gives the reader an indication on where to find their stories and has one lined up for Alice as well. Fantastic, fanominal, awesome job.

I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish. I loved Helen right from the beginning - she may be young but she knows what she wants and she goes for it. I liked that she and her sister set up their exhibition on their own (and everything would have gone just fine had Meg not set out to ruin it). She seems to know just how far she can go without breaking any of the big rules (and again, the one time she does cross that line it wasn't really her fault). I felt really bad for her when things started to fall apart because it really wasn't very fair of her family members to put her in that position. As she points out to all of them, they all got to marry for love but they won't fight so that she can as well. I get that they felt they had no choice, but it seems like they could have had a word with the only member of the ton to know what happened and gotten him to keep his mouth shut. Of course a lot of Helen's feelings about the situation could have been resolved had Roderick been able to be honest with her about how he felt. I completely understood Helen's fear about losing more of her heart to him if he didn't feel the same, that would have been such a sad life for her. I would have felt bad for Meg had she not gone about everything in the worst way possible - and had she not tried to burn down their house in the end. I also enjoyed trying to piece together where the events from this book fit into book 1 (I haven't read book 2) because the stories do overlap to a certain extent. The twins are up to their matchmaking again and provide a little more lightheartedness to the story. I'm very much looking forward to finding out what Aubrey's story will be.

Lady Helen is 17, almost 18 when she sees Roderick a 32 year old soldier in a ballroom. They are drawn to each other from the very beginning but she wants to be free to live the life of an independent artist. Roderick is still suffering the after effects of fighting and needs to find a new direction for his life. With the help of his multiple siblings and the belief of Lady Helen, the love story is gentle, engaging, capturing an age gap that really works. Loved it.

The one thing that the unconventional Vales have going for them is that despite their background and history, they stand together and support one another unconditionally. Even the mischievous twins play their part, and despite their youth, they have the respect of their siblings. Lady Helen Conway is different in her own way as well, but her meeting with the battled-hardened Major Roderick Vale almost knocks her off her feet. He is equally thunderstruck but when recognizing both her youth and inexperience, Roderick has no intention of following through with his feelings for her. Chance encounters bring them together, accompanied by an electric charge that becomes more intense with each meeting. However, a manipulative party with an agenda interferes in the budding friendship, attempting to destroy Roderick's reputation and bring him down in the eyes of society. The closing chapters become very suspenseful, but fortunately, this standalone romance does come to a delightful conclusion. The beautiful cover enhances the reader's appreciation of this book, which is both well-written and a standalone. I received a copy of this novel as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this read!!! I loved the historical elements and everything about this book made me not want to stop reading it! This was by far the best historical fiction book I’ve read this year!

Major Roderick Vale has suffered nightmares since Waterloo. Sent on enforced leave of absence after attacking his fellow officers, he returns with his siblings to the family home near Blackhaven in search of peace and healing and maybe a little distraction. The last thing he needs is to fall seriously in love with Lady Helen Conway, a heady mixture of youthful fun, beauty, and astounding artistic talent. She is also the youngest sister of the Earl of Braithwaite and Roderick could not be more unsuitable company for her. Helen disagrees. He fascinates and excites her. But the course of true love never runs smoothly.
The third book in the series & it could be read on its own but with series I’ve always to read them in order. I love how events in each of the books happen over the same timeframe, I also love the Vale siblings, each one is different but they are there for each other. I loved Roderick who whilst the banging of a door could trigger an episode he still wanted to help other ex-servicemen, he’s also gentle & caring. I also loved Helen who had a wise head on young shoulders. There was a large age gap but it wasn’t unusual in Regency times. I loved their attraction to each other & how they feelings deepened & grew but they skirted around voicing their feelings so misassumptions & misunderstandings occurred. A very well written engrossing romance with delightful characters, well paced & also emotional
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Highly Recommended.
Waterloo changed Major Vale and not for the better. He really doesn’t want to attend a ball in Blackhaven but once there is intrigued by the sight of lady. Unfortunately when he draws near he realises that she is far too young and innocent (she is days away from her eighteenth birthday, whilst he is thirty-two) for his predatory intentions. Lady Helen is also struck by Roderick’s looks, though in her case her artistic fingers yearn to immediately capture his likeness. When he comes across her in a hidden alcove later that evening, with an insightful likeness of him in her sketch pad, they get to talking. And so begins a friendship between a damaged (PTSD) soldier and a wise Earl’s sister that might become more but, not however if Roderick’s ex-mistress has anything to do with it…. Great characters, close family ties and a lovely epilogue.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this story from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A wonderful blend of action and romance. I really enjoyed the play between the main characters as they not only figure out their relationship but figure out themselves as well. As an artist, I loved that included aspect of art. Really enjoyed this story!

I really enjoyed Roderick and Helen’s story. PTSD is a very difficult situation for all concerned and the author did a wonderful job of writing the problem with grace and mercy. I felt for his family, trying to help him, yet being stonewalled by Roderick. Watching Helen bring him back from the brink of despair at her young age was so emotional. Then for her to turn around and act “her age” before the big event was a bit off-putting, as it was unclear for a time what she was worried about. I got rather frustrated with her looking for words when actions speak louder. The villain’s actions were quite a surprise and I loved how Rod and Helen handled that. (Emotions do make you do crazy things sometimes). All in all an emotional ride wrapped up with a bow of love!

I received this story for free and these are my own opinions

A beautiful love story, well written with characters filled with depth and a story that keeps giving. I love a damaged hero and a hard to win love story.

👓 love at first sight
🇬🇧 war veteran
🗓️ age-gap romance
🕯️ slow burn

I enjoyed Roderick and Helen’s journey to their HEA. Particularly enjoyable was Helen’s role as an artist. It gave her character added depth because of how it shaped and guided her actions. Cameos by many family members and friends added to the story. Of course, there has to be a villain, or in this case, a villainess. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned is illustrated well in MM, Roderick’s former mistress. She goes to increasingly desperate lengths to win back her man. Will the tender affection between Roderick and Helen be strong enough to withstand these machinations? You’ll have to read it and see.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great book. It was a cute and very fun book. But it also makes you think. The writing was beautifully done.

I absolutely adored Roderick and Helen's story! Every book in this series so far has been soooo good and I look forward to reading each of them. Mary Lancaster is an author who is a "must read" for me, I always find her stories to be top notch.

Roderick is a soldier sent home on leave to recover from the after effects of the battle of Waterloo, his moods and nightmares not fit for company. Helen, the youngest sister of an earl and artistically talented, is young but she knows Roderick is the man for her as soon as she meets him. Although he is madly attracted to her, he doesn't feel like he's good enough for her and fights the attraction. With an ex-mistress causing trouble, they both need to watch their backs!!

Well written and fast paced!

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.