An Officer's Vow

Gentlemen

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Pub Date 20 Feb 2019 | Archive Date 27 Apr 2019

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Description

The future looks bleak to Major Nate Crawford. Depressed after being sent home from the Peninsular Campaign as unfit for service, he contemplates ending it all.

Then an unexpected opportunity for adventure beckons in the shape of a delightfully intriguing runaway heiress. He will prove his worth as an officer and a gentleman by offering his help. He has a plan…

Lottie Benham is desperate. Her life is in danger and she needs a place of safety until her next birthday. The unexpected proposal from this attractive, but intimidating officer could be the answer to her prayers.

Not normally a risk-taker, she decides to gamble all by placing her trust in this charismatic gentleman, who she suspects might be more in need of help than she.But the best laid plans…

Caught up in conflict, danger, and deception, will Lottie and Nate survive to find the perfect solution to their problems? An Officer’s Vow is the second in Penny Hampson’s Regency-set Gentlemen series, following the exploits and misadventures of a loosely linked group of friends.

Penny Hampson Writes History, Mystery, and… a touch of Romance

The future looks bleak to Major Nate Crawford. Depressed after being sent home from the Peninsular Campaign as unfit for service, he contemplates ending it all.

Then an unexpected opportunity for...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781916024519
PRICE £2.99 (GBP)

Average rating from 44 members


Featured Reviews

Good main characters set in the past. Story is easy to read, you can pick up the book and remember what has happened. I will read more books by Penny Hampson.

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The handling of the plot was original. I liked the characters and wanted to get back to it when I had to put it down. Not the usual cookie cutter I liked the little twists. There are two supporting characters I wonder about. If the author wanted me to be intrigued enough to come back to find out what happens with those two, I'm hooked. This is not a cliff hanger and a good solid read.

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Good historical fiction with clean romance. This was an easy, light, enjoyable read. I liked the characters of Nate and Lottie, who need each other for different reasons. Will they survive their adventures and still need each other? I have not read the first book in this series but will put it on my list. Thanks to BooksGoSocial and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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This was a great book yes it does have a Lady needing help and a handsome officer vowing to help, but that is far from the story this book contains, be ready for a few twists. Lottie is running from her home and cousin Jonah, she has never really been anywhere and doesn't know how it will turn out but she does know she must go. Nate Crawford recently return to England from the war with Napoleon due to an injury is blue deviled when he suddenly is thrown for his horse, that is how he meets Lottie and offers his help getting her away to safety. Upon reaching a town Nate is very weak from his fall and they must get a room he tells the innkeeper that they are married to protect Lottie. Unknown to him a friend is also staying at the inn and on hearing Nate's name mentions he believes he knows him but not of any marriage thus starts the continue lie upon lie Nate's friend Francis works for a powerful Duke, who has his fingers in many pies, this is were the story takes a different turn, not that Nate and Lottie have any idea they are being set=up. I would love to tell you more but then I would ruin the story, buy this book you will be very happy you did.
I received this book free and wanted to give an honest review.

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Major Crawford is on his way home, thinking about how boring his future will be when Lottie falls in his path upsetting him from the horse. That is the beginning of them helping each other. Lottie is running away from her cousin and Nate is willing to help. Their adventures take them traveling from one place to another. Lottie gets kidnapped and the adventure keeps going. They help the Duke of Wheatley and he helps them. You won't want to put it down.

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Lottie Benham is a damsel in distress and Major Nate Crawford comes to her aid and becomes her saviour. This was such a thrilling story to read, for an historical romance it's so full of angst and danger as the characters set out together on an exciting adventure, whilst traveling the length and breadth of the country. What started out as a plan of escape and self preservation for Lottie, it quickly becomes a dangerous mission to protect the nation.
I really enjoyed the writing style of this author which made this book a pleasure to read. Nate is such a chivalrous man, he was such an easy character to like, Lottie is a strong but often stubborn young woman that I liked once we got to know more about her as the story moved along. There are some very pulse racing scenes as they come to face their nemesis and plenty of romantic suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely read more stories from them in the future.

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Major Nate Crawford had been seriously injured in the Peninsular campaign against Napoleon Bonaparte and was returning home. His injured leg was incredibly painful and took all that he had in him to grit through the pain. When a distraction in his path caused his horse to throw him, further injuring his leg, he relied on the help of the young woman, who had been the cause of the distraction, to assist him. He soon learned that Lottie Benham was running away from her evil cousin, Jonah who was determined to have her committed to an asylum or worse to a brothel so he could get his hands on her inheritance. Major Crawford was determined to protect Lottie from danger so they came to an agreement that they would pose as a married couple for the rest of the journey.

Lottie was an innocent woman who had been sheltered from society by her controlling father. She now began to taste the freedom she desired and Major Crawford was helping her to gain that freedom. But, the more time she spent with him, the more she saw him as a man she admired and could come to love, if only he could see her more than a young woman needing protection. Was it possible for more?

This book is full of intrigue, suspense, romance and finally love. There are dark forces at play threatening to destroy any happiness that can be had but they are no match for love and admiration. This is a rather clean story with limited foul language and no overt descriptive sex scenes but there is plenty of innuendo, especially around the brothel scenes.

I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.

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I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Likable characters, a challenging situation, a little mystery, and romance are all combined by author Penny Hampson to create a book that had me turning pages well past my bedtime. A chance meeting in the middle of a road leads to London and crossing paths with some rather unsavory people. I especially enjoy clever women who are brave and resourceful. And Lottie Benham fits this description, while also being a damsel in distress. Major Nate Crawford was everything an officer and gentleman should be while coming to the aid of lady, with the addition of a sense of humor, plus a willingness to be vulnerable and accept assistance from Lottie. Two other favorite characters in this story were Charles Crawford, Nate's father, and Francis Heslop, Nate's friend with connections. I would be delighted to learn that there were books coming about those two!

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I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and the Publishers and Iam giving an honest and voluntary review.
Penny Hampson has written a book with a ton adventure, a damsel in distress in the guise of a runaway heiress, who someone is trying to murder and just needs a safe place to stay until her birthday passes. That description alone had me intrigued. The dashing Hero is Major who has been sent back from the Peninsular Campaign and is very depressed. So what is the best medicine for this Hero is to aid the heroine/heiress and offer a safe place for her to hide and of course marriage. What can I say I loved the Hero and Heroine and the great adventure story. I look forward to more books in this series.

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Major Nate Crawford injured in the Peninsular Campaign, believes he has nothing to look forward to. Lottie Benham has become desperate, and so has run away from what was her home but is now her cousin's home. Luckily these two meet and the Major vows to protect Lottie, but then the adventure begins.
Thankfully for me there was enough adventure and only some romance in this story. An enjoyable read which kept my interest to the conclusion. It can certainly be read as a standalone novel.

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Heat Factor: Not too steamy, but a lot of tension
Character Chemistry: Starts out pretty innocently and then gradually intensifies
Plot: Young heiress escapes a machinating cousin with the help of young, wounded officer.
Overall: It’s a straight up stress-reliever. Fall right in and enjoy the ride.

I did feel a little guilty reviewing this one--first, it has a feel-good, classic regency vibe that I know Erin would enjoy. But second--the hero’s first description is of his aquiline, Wellington-esque nose. Erin’s a sucker for an aquiline nose. However, I’ve had two very stressful weeks, and before long I could tell this was going to be the type of romance novel that just takes the edge off.

Despite the adventurous plot, the story unfolds at a nice gradual pace. There are certainly some early moments where you feel a little fizzle of “oh dear, what terrible luck!” and then before long you’re going to need to take a break to fold laundry. (Anyone else do that when the plot gets too tense?) It’s just right.

The lovebirds (and the plot) start out a little predictable, but around the halfway point you’ll start to change your mind. The plot really does thicken slowly, with just these little threads of “hmm, that seems off..” and then before you know it there’s a rollicking adventure underfoot.

But honestly, the best way I can describe this book is as a delicious, well-written escape. The author does an amazing job of adding layers of mystery and interconnectedness--you don’t know you’re getting to know complex secondary characters, she just kind of crafts something dynamic and engaging that gets under your skin and sticks in the back of your mind when you’re supposed to be, say, an adult with responsibilities.

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4 stars

I enjoyed this book. It's the second one I've read from this author and imo better than the first. Her stories are a little different from the norm and her characters (hero/heroine) are interesting. I especially liked Nate's friend and the Duke and I wouldn't be surprised if they turn up again in other books. I would definitely recommend this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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An Officer’s Vow is a lovely Regency marriage of convenience story. Nate was making his way home to from the war front when his horse spooked and threw him, causing him to land on his injured leg. When he regains consciousness he finds a beautiful woman at his side. A gentleman simply can’t leave a woman alone on the road and he agrees to assist her get where she is going. Lottie is running away from a cruel cousin and as her situation is revealed Nate is drawn into her life and proposes marriage as the best way to protect her. Of course, they come to have feelings for each other, but don’t dare reveal them. Then there is the Duke whose words seem to be in sympathy with Lottie’s situation. What is his real goal when he suggests a change of residency and a hastier marriage? Is Lottie truly safe from the wicked cousin? Do you actually expect this reader to reveal the answers and deprive you of a most enjoyable read? I loved the tension in the story and the fact that readers weren’t subjected to the idiocies of the Ton like so many period pieces. I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book. Highly recommend.

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After the hero and heroine meet somewhat unconventionally, they start out on an adventure that takes many twists and turns. They have to run from danger and decide to stick together. The history stays true to the time period and there is a romance of course. The hero was a hero and the heroine matured as the story went along.
If you like history, adventure with a clean romance thrown in you will really enjoy this book. I recommend it to everyone.

I received this book from the publisher through netgalley and the opinion is freely given and my own.
Thanks, great book.

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Major Nate Crawford is on his way home from the war with a leg that is severely injured. Due to being in pain and having problems holding onto his horse, he gets thrown. He is found by Miss Lottie Benham who assists him. She is on her way to her Godmother's home to get away from a cousin who wants to marry or have her committed to an asylum for her money. Nate offers to assist her in getting there and keeping her safe. Between Nate and Lord Wheatley, will she is able to make it to safety? Spies, intrigue, mystery and love. I love Lottie and Nate, they are a great couple. the story is not to be missed. I received this book from Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for a honest review. I voluntarily read this book.

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Lovely romantic story.
Exceptional for its genre with a good storyline.
At first thought it was predictable but the last quarter of the book was a pleasant surprise.

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Nate was injured in the war and as he heads home, he feels he has nothing to live for. He's not much of a man anymore since his leg gives out on him, and he doesn't want his father to feel pity for him. While he's wallowing in these bad thoughts, his horse suddenly spooks and he manages to lose his seat and, of course, he falls on his bad leg. As he tries to recover from the fall, he finds a young female attempting to care for him. It seems she was in the bushes and spooked the horse and she's worried she injured him. He tells her it was a war injury and if she helps him get up he'll continue his journey. He asks why she's out there all alone. She tells him and he takes her with him...

BooksGoSocial and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you). It has already been published.

It seems Lottie's father has died and the boy she was hoping to marry died in the war, so his younger brother intends to marry her and then steal all the money her father left her. He's distasteful, grabs parts of her body, and then she finds he plans to sell her to a brothel to get rid of her. So she runs.

Nate intends to keep her safe. He can't do that too well with a bad leg but he can take her home and with his father and the staff she will be protected. That's if they make it there.

The rejected suitor is after her so he can have her money. If they weren't having enough trouble hiding, the Duke gets involved and his help leads them into a dangerous situation. They've become a team.

I enjoyed this story. It has lots of adventures, the Duke is almost more of an enemy than a friend and the romance bounces back and forth. Neither one has said they love the other so it gets all confusing. But it ends well. For a while there, I wasn't sure...

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Nate, now returning to England after being injured in the war against Napoleon, is thrown from his horse when it is startled by the presence of a young lady emerging from a hedge. Due to his injury, he needs assistance from the young woman to set himself to rights. As they talk, he finds her to be a level-headed young woman who is on her way to visit a friend who lives in a more distant area. Something doesn't seem quite right to him, but he doesn't press. He does offer his assistance.

From here the book takes a number of twists and turns as Nate and Lottie come to know and appreciate each other while he tries to protect her against the plots of an evil cousin. At times, it is quite humorous as they get themselves into situations that require subterfuge and prevarication. They quickly act quite well as a team and soon begin to esteem each other, though neither believes themselves worthy of the other.

Nate is an utterly swoon-worthy hero. In these types of romantic stories, I always have a soft spot for the wounded hero returning from war who questions his worthiness because of his injuries and his perceived feelings of not doing all he could for the cause and his brothers in arms. Nate is, in fact, on the road back to his father's home, something he has avoided for some time because he feels like a failure and doesn't want to see either his father's pity or disappointment. His actions toward Lottie are always gentlemanly and kind; he looks out for her best interests, whether she wants him to or not.

Lottie has led a very sheltered life under her father's protection, which is shattered after her father's death. Her cousin inherits, and soon she learns he has a dastardly plot to get the money her father left to her. This is why she has left her house to seek shelter with a friend.

The book also had some wonderful secondary characters. In particular, I adored Nate's father. He was so kind, generous, and loving, and just a little humorous; truly, Nate should have had no fear about returning home.

The plot in part has to do with spying and other matters of the realm.

Until about the halfway point, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters of Nate, Lottie, and Nate's father were so well drawn that it was a delight to read their thoughts, actions, and reactions to wherever the plot was taking them. But then the author used several plot devices that are so common in these historical romances that I just about groaned, smacked my head, and stop reading. I won't go into details, but they are standard devices in Regency novels. I hate when a plot seems to hinge on a happenstance that has a gazillion-in-one chance of actually taking place; then, this was flowed by another nearly de rigueur device when a plot has a villain with a plot against the heroine. The author had done so well in creating these fantastic, flawed, but noble characters that I wished she had taken that perhaps harder road and created a plot that wasn't so cliched in the latter half. Even without those plot devices, the way that Lottie acted in the second half—both toward Nate and with the spying aspect of the plot—seemed incredibly out of character from what we knew of her earlier in the story and of her background. It's hard to imagine a sheltered Regency girl acting as Lottie did.

For the first part of the book, I would highly recommend it. For the latter parts, not so much. Still, I did enjoy Nate’s and Lottie’s story; I just wish the author had kept the second half of the book more on track with what the first half of the book was like.

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An Officer's Vow was an exciting story that I truly couldn't put down! A wounded soldier meets a young lady running from her home, and they travel together on an adventure that is exciting, sometimes frightening journey. It includes espionage, family trouble, and of course, romance throughout! A lovely exciting tale that I would enjoy reading again!

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I found this to be an enjoyable read. Although it is part of a series,I did not realise this until.after I had read it so I can honestly say this is a stand alone book. The characters are likeable and the story is written in an easy to understand way that made this a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.

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Troubled by a leg wound suffered in battle, Major Nate Crawford is certain his useful days are over. He is on his way to retirement on his father’s estate when an accident reinjures his leg and introduces him to Charlotte Benham. Lottie is on the run attempting to escape her wicked cousin, Jonah, who plans to send her to an asylum and take her inheritance. Helping Lottie gives Nate new purpose in life, but just how far will he go? Nate, the injured war hero, and Lottie, the damsel determined to conquer her own distress, are both strong characters, robustly portrayed. We are reintroduced to the Duke of Wheatley and his “secretary” Francis whom we met in The Gentleman’s Promise. The duke, while as manipulative as ever, is a more benign presence here, although his actions on behalf of king and country continually put Nate and Lottie in peril. All in all, an exciting tale, well told.

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Loved this book! Great writing, super character development. Reminded me a lot of Georgette Heyer's books. The premise is different enough that it holds your interest. I highly recommend it for content, situations, characters, and storyline.

This one is well worth the money and is a keeper.

5 of 5 stars

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Nate and Lottie are very sympathetic and engaging. I really enjoyed An Officer's Vow.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

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Adventure and intrigue in Regency England. The action starts in the opening scenes where Nate and Lottie collide on the road and it's a fast paced tale from there on out.

Lottie and Nate made a sweet couple but I found them infuriating in the way they constantly misinterpreted each other's feelings. It seemed to take a long time for them to straighten things out in the end.

Lottie was a great character. She was strong and brave. I was glad that she wasn't a complete damsel in distress.

This is book 2 in the series and can be read as a standalone. The Duke of Wheatley and Francis intrigued me. I look forward to reading more about them and their adventures.

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This book held my interest. I enjoyed the characters and thought it had a good balance of plot vs details. There is a large amount of sexual innuendo, so it is not appropriate for teens. I would recommend it for a fun period piece for those interested in espionage and romance.

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