If you're expecting dances and romance typical of Regency stories, just like the cover of this book, be prepared for something different.

The story highlights the issue of women's rights on property, marriage and divorce during the Regency period. It also touches on breaking parole conditions and the dishonour that brings.

Yes, it opens with a dance and a chance encounter between our main characters, Kendra, Lady Denshire, and Lucas, Lord Foxton. Both have been "dishonourable" in the eyes of Society, but as events unfold about each others pasts, we learn that nothing is as straightforward as it first appears.

Kendra is searching for a lost loved one and with Lucas' help, as well as that from new friends, she not only succeeds in her search, but makes a new discovery too! And of course, along the way, things change between her and Lucas too.

Whilst I enjoyed reading about Kendra's plight, I got annoyed by the ease in which she immediately got on with Lucas' family and their friends, as well as how quickly in the story that Kendra's search comes to an end - it was just too neat for me. That said, the way in which a solution for Kendra to prove her innocence was a different, yet intriguing one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this eARC.

This book is amazing! It is action-packed, witty, heartwarming, pulls at your heart-strings, and is just all around incredible. Whenever I picked up "Once Dishonored", I was whisked back in time to Regency Era England, and got pulled into this incredible story.

This is the 5th book is Ms. Putney's "Rogues Redeemed" series, but the first I have read. Oh I absolutely can't wait to go back and read the previous ones, and I hope there will be many more in the future! She truly knows how to bring a story to life. All of her characters seem so real, and every single interaction and moment is very well-thought out to push the plot forward.

Kendra Douglas is such a strong, kind, and caring woman. What she has been put through is absolutely heartbreaking, but the fact that she is able to remain true to herself and seek justice is incredible. Her determination and will to drive forward and protect those she loves is beautifully expressed.

Lucas Mandeville is also extremely strong, kind, passionate, and does what he believe to be the right thing, regardless of what society says. He has such a caring nature, and while he himself has had some horrific experiences in the past, he does not allow them to negatively affect who he is.

(Possible Spoilers!)
What an incredible couple these two make. They truly bring out the best in one another, and I love how they do not judge one another based off what others think. Their passion and emotional connection is so strong, and they really just understand each other in ways no one else has before. Watching their relationship develop was absolutely beautiful, and they are there supporting each other through the good, bad, and everything in between.

Also, I absolutely adore many of the supporting characters in the novel, especially Simon and Suzanne. What kind, compassionate people with hearts of gold.

If you enjoy Regency Romance and / or Historical Fiction, I highly recommend this book! I had a very hard time putting it down, and read it in two sittings! The only reason I put it down was I needed to be up early the next morning, and I got back to it just as soon as possible! There are quite a few twists and turns that made my mouth absolutely drop. It truly pulls you in from the very first moment to the last!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book, and to Kensington for sending me a physical ARC as well, I so enjoyed it. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Please note: This book does deal with some heavier topics, such as domestic abuse and memories from being a prisoner of war. I believe the author handles them with great care and respect.

Lucas and Kendra have a fascinating story. Both dishonored by distorted truths. Mary Jo Putney does a wonderful job of bringing these two characters together in unexpected circumstances. Lucas needed a cause and Kendra needed his help. She just didn't realize how badly until he came to her aid. Readers will love this book.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was attracted to the book cover, which has a woman holding an epee. That looked promising, I thought.

It has been years since I have read a straight historical. This one really hit the spot. It is vintage Mary Jo Putney. It is outlandish, slightly over the top, and while set in the early 1800s in England, it is it's very own self. If you want a Jane Austen/Georgette Heyer type romance, this is not your book.

If, however, you want an outlandish/over the top story with a romance plot line with all kinds of other really cool stuff going on, and nice fun characters (who decide to call each other by their first names as soon as they meet), this is just the ticket. It is very much in line with Putney’s other books.

In this present moment, with what is going on in the world, this was exactly what I needed. Recommended!

In fact, I might just go off and read more of Putney's recent work.
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Kendra has lost everything, her son, her marriage, her life, all because of a lie. Her husband only cared about her money and labelled her the black sheep of society. As a newly divorced women, ostracized by society, she much fight her way back to regain her honour and get back her son. With the help of a certain handsome Royal Navy officer, she is able to face her battles head strong and regain what she loves.

I really liked how well rounded the two main leads were. In most historical dramas, the story very much surrounds their love story and not much else. Putney strays away from the norm with success and some fails. She tackles issues which are little talked about for historical romance genre even though they would be prevelent for the time. I really enjoyed how the author handles issues surrounding Kendra's domestic abuse and the inequality faced by women during the times. I also appreciated seeing a community which supports hurt women much like the present day women's shelter.

Although I did like the deviances it took from the norm, I did wish there was more romance in the novel. I didn't feel a strong spark for the love interests which I really need with my historical romances. Despite this, I do think readers who prefer a more realistic and mature romance will enjoy it.

Once Dishonored is such an astounding read! Mary Jo Putney has given readers what I believe to be a very well rounded story that doesn't tie everything in a nice, pretty bow. So many times reading a book where the heroine gets everything she wants feels so fake. I am excited the author went in a different direction with this book. No spoilers, but this is a HEA. This book is also one of a series, Rogues Redeemed. Be on the look out for a peek at the next story in the series at the end of Once Dishonored.

This was a middle-of-the-road read for me. While I liked a lot of aspects, there were some things I disliked, and overall, I just didn't feel strongly enough about the book to really warrant adding an in-depth review to the blog.

I wanted to love this book, I really really did, but it fell flat for me. The writing and the characters didn't seem to have much spark or energy to them. In the end, I didn't get very far because I battled to care about the two main characters. This might be a mismatch between the book and the reader (me) and the book might hit the spot for other readers.

This has been a great series and I loved this new addition. Mary Jo Putney is a great author who knows how to write adventure. Highly recommend !!

Wonderful, heartfelt, Regency romance

Kendra Douglas, formerly Lady Denshire, was brutally dishonored by her venal, corrupt husband when he divorced her on the grounds of trumped up charges of adultery. Being unfairly shunned by society is a horrendous burden to bear, but it is as nothing to the pain of her ex-husband taking away her beloved son, a child of nine, and sneeringly informing her she will never see him again.

Disgraced naval officer, Lucas Mandeville, Lord Foxton, spent almost 10 years abroad living under an assumed name, and after his first seven years away from home, with no word to his family, he was declared legally dead. He did not feel worthy of coming home due to breaking parole when captured by the French, even though there were extreme, extenuating circumstances involved. As a form of atonement for his perceived unforgivable sin, he spent those long years working as a humble, vows-of-poverty novice, apprenticed to a Franciscan friar who was very skilled as a type of healer called a “bonesetter.” Lucas might never have come home at all if not for the intervention of his first-cousin Simon, with whom he was raised as a child, and whom he regards as his “almost-brother.” (These events between Lucas and Simon occur in Once a Spy, Book 4 in this series, in which Simon is the hero. Though it is not essential to read that book before reading this one, it is a wonderful book which is well worth reading. It also adds a crucial dimension to this story by allowing the reader to get to know Lucas’s, history of Simon tracking him down and convincing Lucas to return home, by directly experiencing it, rather than just hearing about it via a short narration of the basic facts in this book.)

In the opening scene of the novel, Kendra and Lucas meet unexpectedly at a society ball, when he boldly steps forward to rescue her from the “cut direct” that she is receiving from everyone else at the ball. Lucas recognizes a kindred spirit in Kendra, as they are two dishonored individuals.

Kendra is amazed and extremely grateful when Lucas freely offers her his assistance—and that of his network of powerful friends—in order to find the necessary evidence to restore her reputation and regain custody of her son.

I very much admired Kendra. She is a strong, determined, brave, and active protagonist. I especially enjoyed her connecting and bonding with multiple other wonderful heroines from previous books in this series and from the Lost Lords series, forming with them a loving, supportive sisterhood. The scenes with her learning fencing together with these ladies were especially entertaining.

I absolutely adored Lucas. He is a shining exemplar of the archetypal Positive Warrior who protects and defends. As such, he is a beacon of compassion and generosity, in his relationship with Kendra, in his male friendships, and as a gifted healer.

It was a pleasure for me to encounter, in brief cameos that are crucial to the plot of this novel, various heroes from previous books in this series and from the Lost Lords series who are friends of Lucas. It is refreshing and very fulfilling to read about men forming a family of affiliation with each other, which is one of my all-time favorite themes in a romance novel, but which is almost always only done for the heroines and not the heroes. Ms. Putney offers both.

As always with this talented author, the sex scenes are not included just for the sake of raunchy titillation. Instead, there is always tenderness as well as passion in the lovemaking, and these events are always plausibly motivated within the context of the constricting social mores of the Regency era.

Finally, all loose ends of the main plot and the subplots are tied up completely in the satisfying HEA, and there is also a lovely epilogue. I look forward to checking in on these wonderful protagonists in future books in this series, in which I’m hopeful they will, in their turn, have important cameo appearances.

I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Friendship Plots: 5 stars
Historical Setting: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review.

I absolutely loved reading, Once Dishonored. Truthfully this whole series has been one of my favorites. Kendra is an inspiration to all women who has been falsely accused. Lucas is the truest of gentlemen.

I haven't loved this series form MJP, but this unique twist on history (and the distinctive perspective from which it comes - a divorcee!) kept me turning pages.

I usually enjoy this author, but this one was so very over-dramatic and I couldn't find the flow. But perhaps this is your cup of tea. I did enjoy the dramatics at the end, though it was also much.

It's been a few years since I've read Mary Jo Putney. In fact, the last book of hers I read was the first book of the Rogues Redeemed series, so I was looking forward to reading Once Dishonored.

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me, and I was quite surprised by that. I remember thoroughly enjoying many of Mary Jo Putney's books in the past, so I'm not sure what happened here. I feel like it might be a change in my personal reading preference.

I didn't feel a connection TO either of the main characters, nor did I feel much of a connection BETWEEN any of the characters. I even found the conversations to be stilted and awkward, with an excess of exclamation points thrown in. Also, the storyline itself didn't play out like I imagined it would, and it didn't keep my attention at all.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

I will be honest, this book wasn't my favourite in regards to light romances. Though I did enjoy the storyline and the unique perspective of a divorcee in the regency era.
What makes this book different from others is the portrayal of the legalities that women and children faced in the regency era. Having no rights and being property to their husbands and fathers was a particular plot that was woven throughout.
Personally I enjoy getting to know the characters before knowing them in relationships with others. If that makes sense? Knowing who they are individually or following along with them as they learn who they are. I didn't get to care about any of the characters individually as they were all immediately attached in one way or another. Whether that was friendship, or family, or through romance. I also wished that some scenes were fleshed out a bit more. I felt as if the direction shifted quickly from one setting to the next. Although that is on par with other romance novels.
I enjoyed the relationships between the women and how they lifted each other rather than one another down. It is always nice when an author can mix romance and female friendships without there having to be a misunderstanding.
Overall this book had some good qualities. It fell in the middle of the pack for me. However, I don't regret reading it and if I am ever in the mood for a regency romance then I will give this book another shot.

This is a most enjoyable historical romance novel, with both heroine and hero having plenty of angst and past trauma to overcome. But they do it together, along with the help of previous characters in the series. As always with this author's work, I look forward to the next entry.

A Fight for Justice
Mary Jo Putney jumps right into Lucas and Kendra’s story. They find a kindred spirit in each other’s loss of reputation, and Lucas promptly offers to help Kendra regain custody of her son. Simon and Suzanne Duval, from Once a Spy, are eager to help. Kendra’s experience is tragic, as she is a woman during a time of patriarchal law in English history. Thankfully Lucas has the rank, persistence, healing knowledge, and friends to help her. Friends such as Lord and Lady Kirkland from Not Quite A Wife. It was nice to see how wonderful these families are doing, and how kind they are to their extended family. Kendra’s bravery and fortitude in her situation is admirable. I was genuinely happy that she finally got her happy ending. Lucas and Kendra’s love is the quiet dependable type, with a strong root of trust and mutual understanding. A great read for Mary Jo Putney fans!

A heavy 5 stars. This was such a soul searing story. There was a level of drama that was not over the top, but it pulled the reader in. As a reader, I could feel the helpless anger of the heroine. She lost everything and then, because she was a weak woman, she was divorced and vilified after having survived what most women would not have been able to. The hero is willing to step back and see the big picture and allow her to be justified in her attempt to not only get her name and reputation returned, but get her child back. Her ex-husband had so many people lie in order to cheat her out of her inheritances on the pretext that he had to raise his son and that he was the victim. Not only did he cheat his ex-wife of everything, he also beat the crap out of her during their marriage. This type if book just pulls at my soul because not only did it happen and the perpetrators got away with it, there are people still doing this today. I understand that this is fiction, but it is fiction based on what was historically happening to women. Sometimes a book will transcend time and this is one of them. I recommend this book with a solid 5 stars. Ms. Putney has proven again that she is a relevant author and does not rely on tricks to keep the readers attention. She uses good old fashioned talent and hard work to create a book that will be on many 'keeper' shelves.

Nothing like meeting a new author and becoming addicted, right? How had I not read anything by Mary before ??
Once dishonored brings us a story about injustices, about the search for truth, about friendship, love, loyalty and about redemption too.
Our protagonists will be united by something in common: they have been banned from English society. Her, because she was accused of cheating on her husband and went through a divorce (super scandalous for the time!) And him, for being a navy veteran considered dishonored after escaping from prison where he was.
And if both are considered dishonored, why not join forces, right?

"She took his hand, desperately grateful that he was offering support in a whirlpool of condemnation."

Kendra suffered a lot from the divorce process and before that too, at the hands of her ex-husband. But all she wants now is justice, to have her name cleared in front of society after the lies told by her ex-husband, but mainly, her goal is to get her son back. But at that time, nothing was easy for a woman.

And that's when Lucas, Lord Foxton, appears, willing to help, to face these battles with her, to be the rock she needs to establish herself during these difficulties.

Lucas is extremely cute. Seriously, he is the kindest and herper person that I’ve ever seen. It makes you want to hug him all the time. His past broke my heart, but the way he developed after that is really cool. I love his relationship with medicine and healing within the story, it gave an interesting tone to everything.

The romance between them is smooth, delicate and progresses on each page very naturally.


“ - I had forgotten how wondrous a kiss can be. Though I think it’s you who makes it wondrous.
- I think it’s the two of us together who create wonder.”

Something I loved about this book was seeing the partnership between the characters. We have Lucas with his cousin, uncles and the group of friends he has, but especially Kendra and the group of empowered women who support her. I wanted to be friends with them too, you know?

I connected a lot with the characters, with the story of this couple. I suffered and got angry at the difficult times, I hated the ex-husband with all my strength, I hoped things would work out and I also smiled with each happy part.

“- But how can I say no when you are in my arms and the most alluring woman in the world?
-Then don’t say no.”

If I have anything to criticize, it is that the ending was a little to fast, and that I would like the book to have an epilogue. But for the rest, it's an incredible story. The reading is fluid, the plot holds us all the time and the characters are complete and captivating. I just loved so much and highly recommend it!

Now I just need to read all of Mary's other book series 🤣

I decided to have a quick glance at the first chapter of this book at bedtime and I was still reading three hours later! Literally couldn’t put it down and I was instantly engaged in both the hero and heroine’s lives. They are both considered ‘dishonoured’, and although this takes a different form for each of them, their shared experiences and feelings of being outside society draw them to each other. I loved the way they battled each other’s enemies and stood up for one another, and it is always immensely satisfying when a truly horrible villain gets his come-uppance. Add a couple of delightful children, a whole host of protective and helpful friends, and you have a wonderful story – I loved it!