Lady Miranda Rosington loves her husband deeply and she is devastated to learn he is looking for a mistress. She has been happily married to Daniel for many years and they have two wonderful children. However, questions abound about Miranda's health.
Daniel's brother, Orlando, can't bear to see Miranda so upset. He devises a plan to force Daniel to spend time with Miranda... by sending them to renovate the Blyth Arms, a very disreputable inn. Daniel and Miranda must pose as an innkeeper and his wife. Will all their hard work and time together help Daniel see that Miranda is not so fragile after all? Meanwhile, how will they handle situations with the locals, including one young lady named Alethea who is fleeing her home?
Lynne Connolly pens a very thought provoking historical novel. The reawakening of the love between Miranda and Daniel is beautifully done. Lynne Connolly handles the issue of Daniel's search for a mistress quite tactfully as she makes Daniel's point of view clearly understood. After all, Daniel believes that sexual relations with his wife could lead to her death... and he cherishes her too much to see her die. I must admit I wanted to see a little more groveling from Daniel, but he fully redeems himself in other ways.
The subplots involving Alethea and the former use of the Blyth Arms offer a great deal of insight into the mentality of the time period. Women are only minimally given any sort of rights and even those were often trampled on. In a world such as this, Daniel's own thoughts of infidelity are a bit more understandable. Lynne Connolly also exposes Daniel to incidents involving various abuses of women in the course of this tale. Daniel's reaction to those situations helps him come full circle back to what and who are important to him.
LAST CHANCE, MY LOVE is an excellent start to what promises to be a fascinating historical series. Lynne Connolly makes the time period spring to life with her vivid descriptions and realistic characters. LAST CHANCE, MY LOVE is a definite hit!
COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES