I really wanted to love this book more than I did but I didn't. So much of the book dragged on and Hugh was a dick! I liked Eleanor but I wish she'd tossed Hugh and found someone else.

A Lady’s Deception by Pamela Mingle
Haslemere Men #2

One night of abandon between Hugh and Eleanor before he left for war in Canada changed their lives in more ways than one. His return found him knighted, restoring the family residence, still estranged from his mother and brother and also still interested in Eleanor.

The story is in keeping with the early 1800’s and at times I felt I was reading one of the books that I enjoyed as a teen that had been printed in the early 1900’s. I understood why things happened as they did in the book and it made me thankful that I do not live in that time period.

I felt that Eleanor should have been more honest with Hugh from the first – especially since he asked her to be – and then on his return she missed many opportunities to tell him her secret that would have made some of the turmoil avoidable. I admired her desire to run a business but wondered at her inability to stand up to her parents – though that is not doubt in keeping with that time period. Hugh, though likable in some ways, seemed very rigid and though that rigidity was formed in his childhood I questioned it at times if he truly loved Eleanor. Though most of the story is in keeping with the time period there are things like insta-lust in a barn that didn’t seem plausible. I also questioned Eleanor’s father being so unaware of what Mr. Abbott was truly like – I also wondered why he let his wife get away with so very much. I would be interested in reading another book by this author.

I did enjoy the story and would like to thank NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars

This book was good but a little long and wordy at times. I would definitely read more by this author as I liked her story

an exceptional historical romance. Good solid writing and romance. Liked the plot and characters

The first chapter of this novel set the pace. The instant attraction between Miss Eleanor Broxton and Mr Hugh Grey leads to one brief encounter that changes their lives forever. Hugh leaves almost immediately for Canada, only to return two years later, hoping to meet Eleanor again. However, Hugh’s return has also meant that he has taken over the running of the family estate. His tense relationship with his mother and brother has changed him and his renewed feelings for Eleanor, leave him conflicted.
The characters in this novel are well developed and I enjoyed the way in which the author gradually reveals glimpses of both Hugh and Eleanor’s feelings and their past. Eleanor’s struggle to maintain her own independence, especially given the period, was well explored.

Hugh Grey brought a commission and was leaving for Canada in a day or two. Eleanor Broxton, he had meet at a house party. He felt an instant connection, as did she. They ended having a liason and then he left. She started a dressmakers business and worked very hard. After two years, he returned and started working on his house.
It seems to me, that if he cared about her, it would have taken less than three weeks to go see her. Makes you wonder. The author has taken an interesting plot and made it more so, descriptions are vivid and you feel your self transported into the story. The characters are sweet, kind and so willing to help. Except what a stinker her mom was. The plot was amazing, complex, read easily and was even paced. It grabbed you attention from the start and held you till you had finished. It is racy. I highly recommend this book and hope you enjoy.
I received this book from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed.

Publisher's Description:

Mr. Hugh Grey and Miss Eleanor Broxton share a scintillating liaison the night before he leaves for war in Canada. The memory sustained him for the years he was away. Now, the reputed rake is back, knighted, and he’s got enough money to right the estate his father left in ruins. What would make Sir Hugh Grey’s world perfect is the lovely Eleanor by his side.

Their attraction is sizzling, and the sweet way Hugh is wooing her—a kitten, kisses in the moonlight, and expert help in lighting her dreary work space—makes Eleanor dream of forever with her strapping knight. But she will not risk a scandal, which could ruin his newfound respectability and esteem, especially in her father’s eyes. When Hugh discovers what she’s been hiding, it could drive them apart forever.

My Thoughts:

This is my first time reading this author's work but it probably will not be the last.

This is an age old story of one night of passion and a resulting pregnancy with the father none the wiser.
As happens so often, no one thinks that one night could possibly lead to these results.
Hugh is on his way out of the country and he wants just one thing. That is to connect with Eleanor on his last night. However since Eleanor's father doesn't approve of him when he catches sight of that very man giving him an evil look, Hugh decides to just leave. Eleanor isn't having that and she follows him.
The result nine months later is the birth of their daughter with Hugh on another continent and Eleanor keeping the identity of Lili's father a secret.
Will Eleanor divulge her secret deception to Hugh when he comes home or will she continue to keep her secret from everyone involved?
Although this is an age old story and one that I guessed the thread of with the reading of chapter one, I still enjoyed the story.
I gave this book 4.0 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development The sensuality of this story gets 3.5 of 5.0 flames in my opinion.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read.
This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

3.25 stars
Mr. Hugh Grey and Miss Eleanor Broxton share a passionate encounter the night before he leaves for war in Canada. The memory sustained him for the three years he was away. Now, the reputed rake is back, knighted, and he’s got enough money to put right the ruined estate his father left him. What would make Sir Hugh Grey’s world perfect is the lovely Eleanor by his side.
Their attraction is sizzling but she’s hiding a daughter conceived on that November night. Hugh is estranged from his mother & brother & wants nothing to do with them. However nothing is at it seems. I enjoyed the book & would certainly read more by the author but whilst the characters were well portrayed & had plenty of depth both Hugh & Eleanor annoyed me repeatedly throughout the book. Whilst Hugh had plenty of redeeming features he was SO blinkered in a couple of respects, he did gradually loose the blinkers but I did want to shake him at times. Eleanor, who’s a blonde not the brunette on the cover, is striving to be independent shied from telling Hugh the truth & by delaying almost ruined their relationship. They also seemed to ‘put off’ dealing with important issues as ‘a few days’ passed before they saw each other when it should certainly have been the next day. I felt frustrated with them rather than on the edge of my seat or really happy.

I enjoyed the idea for the story but I found it difficult to connect with the characters.

Hugh Grey and Eleanor Broxton shared an amorous dalliance the night before he left to join the war forces in Canada. They didn't have any communication in the years they were apart. Sir Hugh Grey came back form the war, knighted and financially able to restore their old house to its former glory. Eleanor and Hugh have realised that their deep affection for each other hasn't abated. They eventually laid bare their ardent feelings for each other but Eleanor have some misgivings. She hasn't been truthful to Hugh and dreads for that moment when Hugh uncovers her deception.

There was a time in the past where a whiff of scandal could irreparably ruin the family's reputation, where society dictates how people should lead their lives. Thus, secrets were rife, where they leave a trail of shattered hearts, weary souls and broken spirits. This is one of those heartbreaking stories. Fortunately for our knight and our seamstress they have their happy-ever-after.

This is an advance reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my honest review. All opinions are mine.

Absolutely great story! I loved Elianor, Hugh, with childhood resentments almost let them ruin his chance for a happy life! I liked the unusual aspects of this story,with Elianor doing her best to make life better for herself, and those she loves! Hugh, who has loved her, since he first laid eyes on her, however, he feels betrayed, can he forgive, understand, and accept the incredible love, and life waiting for him? Or will his pride get in the way, and destroy any chance he has of being blissfully happy? I highly recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee 👒

=_=

This novel was a nice read. The story begins with what happened with the couple two years ago and where they are two years later. It gave some incite on how each character progressed, but the past always has a way of returning. Unless you confront it, you cannot move forward in life.
Miss Eleanor Broxton is a shy young lady who got to know Mr. Hugh Grey before he left for Canada. She liked Hugh and was sad to see him leave, but they had a passionate night together before Hugh left. Hugh liked Eleanor and when he returns, has plans to marry her. However, Eleanor has changed in the last two years. She designs dresses for the ton even though her father has money. What purpose does she have for doing this? Hugh returns to take over his responsibilities of running the estate after the death of his father. He was a rogue in the past, but after meeting Eleanor, he realized he wanted her. Hugh became wealthy from Canada and plans on fixing his estate. He has issues with his mother and brother, which hinders his relationship with them and impacts his reactions in various situations. Eleanor has her own secrets as well, and due to Hugh's new status, wants to avoid him in a scandal. But Hugh finds ways to see Eleanor and their passion once again ignites. However, there are those who will indirectly get in the way of their happiness and could destroy their budding relationship with their knowledge. Can Eleanor and Hugh overcome their pasts and what they discover about the other in the present to realize their love began two years ago and since then as grown?

Full review on my blog closer to the release date.

This author has so much talent, and I loved her period-appropriate slang, and I would love to read something else by her. In fact, I plan to seek out another one of her books that has a different theme.
However, the “secret baby” trope is not for me, and the heroine had no reason to hide the hero’s daughter from him.
I had some trouble with the short, choppy scenes and time-jumps.
Also: I don’t know why the skunk - an American animal - was in the forests of England.
Definitely would try another from Pamela Mingle, however.

Mr. Hugh Grey and Miss Eleanor Broxton share a scintillating liaison the night before he leaves for war in Canada. The memory sustained him for the years he was away. Now, the reputed rake is back, knighted, and he’s got enough money to right the estate his father left in ruins. What would make Sir Hugh Grey’s world perfect is the lovely Eleanor by his side.

Their attraction is sizzling, and the sweet way Hugh is wooing her—a kitten, kisses in the moonlight, and expert help in lighting her dreary work space—makes Eleanor dream of forever with her strapping knight. But she will not risk a scandal, which could ruin his newfound respectability and esteem, especially in her father’s eyes. When Hugh discovers what she’s been hiding, it could drive them apart forever.

Hugh and Eleanor met when Hugh’s mother threw a house party. They got on fabulously and even shared a kiss in the garden. That had been earlier in the year and Hugh was now at a local assembly hoping to get a peek at Eleanor. He is leaving for Canada in two days’ time and feels the need to see her. He does run into her and plans to dance with her but her father give Hugh the evil eye (as the father believes that Hugh’s not good enough for Eleanor) so he decides to leave. Eleanor ends up following him and they end up in the livery and their encounter goes much father than kisses.

Almost three years later Hugh is back from Canada. He now goes by Sir Hugh as he was knighted and is remodeling his deceased father’s neglected home. He is excited to see Eleanor again as he’s dreamed of her night after night since he’s been gone. He does end up seeing her but when he does Eleanor isn’t as open to him as he feels she should be. He decides to court her but Eleanor is giving him mixed signals.

Eleanor dreamed of Hugh as well but when she finds out that he’s been back in town for almost a month and hasn’t come to see her she’s pissed. She’s been running a dressmaking business out of a cottage on her parent’s property hoping to have enough to eventually move away and live independently from her parents. She wants her two-year-old daughter living with her as she’s currently fostered out. She knows that she should tell Hugh about his daughter but she’s not sure how he’ll react. The longer she holds on to the information the harder it is to tell him.

The pair get closer and closer and eventually declare their love for each other. When it becomes obvious that Eleanor can’t keep the information to herself any longer she hopes Hugh’s love for her will soften what she has to tell him. It doesn’t, and Eleanor’s worst nightmares come to life. She’s not sure that she can forgive Hugh for his actions and if she can, could they have any kind of future together?

So the story started off a little lackluster for me. The time between the start of the story to when Hugh and Eleanor are doing it in the stable is so short I had no time to engage with the characters or find any romantic feelings between them. Because of this I felt the sex scene was awkward and went way too fast. Hugh seemed like a bastard for moving so quickly even though I know he felt he was out of time as he was leaving for Canada. Still…I didn’t like him too much for treating Eleanor the way he did.

When Hugh gets back from Canada we read that he’s planning on courting Eleanor but then he doesn’t even go to see her for 3 weeks. I found this really odd. It’s apparent that his childhood home and Eleanor’s family estate are very close to each other but yet the two never met before the house party three years earlier? Strange.

I had serious issues with Hugh and his temper. He would so get angry at Eleanor and then buy her things to make up for it, or do something nice. She always forgave him but seriously? How many times can that happen before you’re extremely leery of saying anything to the man for fear he’ll fly off the handle? I didn’t care for the way he treated Eleanor once she told him of their daughter, either. The things he said to her and what he called her? Completely uncalled for. Now, he did have his “mama” issue with his own mother so that explained a bit about his feelings with regard to their daughter but it didn’t completely excuse his actions, imho.

Eleanor was a strong woman and had gone through a lot in her short life. I wish she would have stood up to Hugh more when he was yelling at her. She had it in her but was cowed by Hugh’s mean forcefulness. I understood, but didn’t like it.

Overall the book was decent but I’m not sure I’d recommend it. I disliked Hugh too much to say that this book was “good” so I’ll go with “ok.”

Rating: 2.5 out of 5


This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
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This was an enjoyable romance. I was able to read it in one day. The characters were so engaging & I found myself getting caught up in their stories. This book left off on a bit of a cliff-hanger and I'm looking forward . I need to know what happens next.

New author to me. The writing is entertaining enough but I had major issues with the main characters and there were also loads of unexplained plotlines. Hero and heroine had a passionate encounter in a stable after a brief courtship and both knowing fully well, he was to depart for war in Canada war the next day. So off he went and she remained behind, knocked up and with little options but to foster out her bub. He comes back two and a bit years later, knighted for his heroic wartime services and taking over the family estate after the passing of his father. He tries to pick up with the heroine where they left off in terms of physical fooling around stuff and becomes annoyed when she puts up her token resistance. Accuses her of being a bit of a tease basically, never mind that she is a gentlewoman to be courted respectfully and not treated like a two-bit whore. The heroine also severely needs reminding that she must behave like a lady, because in enthusiastically responding to his advances, she certainly has learnt nothing in the last few years despite her little secret, which threatens to implode at any time. The hero is estranged from his mother and brother, a major component of the plot, yet we never really learnt why the mother upped and left. Upon finally finding out the existence of his little girl, did he rush to find out where she is and sought her out? Nope, he spent a day sulking, then another talking to his lawyer, his employee, his brother etc bemoaning the fact that he has been kept in the dark and planning the daughter's future. Dude, you got knighted for your actions, so be the action-man and see her already!

I was very pleased with this book. The characters and plot were well developed. It had so much heart! I couldn’t put it down. I look forward to future books by this author.

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this book. A quick and easy read with a slightly different storyline from most of its genre and would certainly recommend it.

Young Eleanor Braxton meets the ideal suitor but her parents won't let her associate with. him. The evening before he leaves to serve His Majesty in Canada they have a fated encounter leading to complications. Will they fall in love or not be able to find a solution?