Suspension of disbelief is important when getting into this book because it was soooo improbable, it was almost funny how unbelievable it got at times. I'm also tired of the grumpy/sunshine in historical romance, where the MMC is grumpy and the FMC the sunshine, can we switch it up a bit, thank you. Yeah a very typical historical romance, nothing groundbreaking. 2.5 stars

I loved this!!! It was so good and I was completely transported to Regency England and I could not get enough. I need to read the rest of this series!!! Loved it!!! It was absolutely perfect. Loved it!!
I just reviewed The Captain's Old Love by Mary Lancaster. #TheCaptainsOldLove #NetGalley
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Captain Julius Vale is a retired officer from the Royal Navy. He has 8 siblings and a need for solitude after 10 years at sea. The last thing he expects the first time he attends a ball after coming back home is to see Miss Antonia Temple. Sorry, Misses Antonia Macy, the girl he proposed 10 years ago before his journey started... and that left him heartbroken without explaining and got married few weeks after his departure.
Antonia Macy is so mad that she recognizes him. Even with his very visible injuries, she would never forget him... or forgive him. Julius Vale, the man that promised to love her until the end of times, but runaway with his mistress in the continent leaving her behind and heartbroken. When she finally woke up from the stupor of his betrayal, she found herself married to a man that barely tolerated her. Now, she has a son and many other things to concern herself with. So, why is his presence still making her feel?

The Captain’s Old Love by Mary Lancaster
One night in Blackhaven #1

Introduction to a new series that has the potential for nine books or more just based on the siblings of one family. This was an easy, quick, somewhat predictable, feel-good, second chance romance that provides a happily ever after for the main characters.

What I liked:
* Antonia: widow, lady’s companion, loving mother to six-year-old Edward, never stopped loving Julius though she was upset he jilted her
* Julius: retired naval captain, war hero, scarred, loving brother, intelligent, knows the area, has brought his family together and is settling in, never stopped loving Antonia but hurt and wonders why Antonia jilted him
* Edward: young, precocious, bright, fun, active, likes Julius
* Julius’s siblings: there are eight of them that I won’t name but I have a feeling they will each have a book of their own
* Lord Linfield and his sister Miss Talbot: he is a diplomat that knew Julius’s father and she travels with him
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* That it was an easy read without any major insurmountable obstacles

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about what Antonia put up with from her parents, husband, brother-in-law and Dunnet

Did I like this book? It was okay
Would I read more in the series? Maybe

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

The heartbreak of a broken engagement ten years ago, resurfaces when Captain Julius Vale confronts the woman who broke his heart. Antonia Macy never stopped loving Julius even though he broke her heart. Isn't it strange they both blame the other for the breakup. Lies, blackmail, smuggling and threats force Antonia to deny happiness with Julius, until she realizes with his help, love is worth fighting for. A mystery and a second chance romance, set a fast pace for a very interesting read.
Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This is the first installment of the series One Night in Blackhaven. This is a second chance romance with a bit of mystery mixed in. Captain Julius Vale is retired from the Royal Navy. Back at his family home near Blackhaven, all he wants is to live in peace. He did not expect to see Antonia again, the woman he loved ten years ago. Even after she broke his heart all those years ago, it doesn't seem his heart had learned its lesson, because he can't help but fall for her again. Antonia is now a widow working as a paid companion. She never expected to see Julius again. But when she is with him, those same feelings from all those years ago begin to resurface. There seems to be some misunderstanding between them, because Antonia believes their parting was his fault. Misconceptions were planted between them by outside forces, and even now when they are finding their way back to each other, those same forces are still trying to keep them apart.
A well-written story that kept me engaged and entertained till the. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed following their story.
This is a wonderful introduction to what looks to be an enchanting series. I am looking forward to following this series.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Two who have loved each other but events have conspired against them. Each have not found happiness, but hopes are rekindled when they are joined again. I loved the story!










1

Heartbreak and a Second Chance

This is a story about two people separated because of other people's treachery and greed. Julius and Antonia are bitter and angry at one another. They snipe at each other at every turn, until they discover that there is more to the story than they know. Each one blames the other, but they soon find out that their love is as strong as ever, and their needless heartbreak is caused by others. As they rekindle their love, evil forces are still at work. Villains are still intent on keeping them apart. Will they succeed, or will love prevail this time?

I loved this historical romance and would recommend it to those who like stories with treachery, suspense, mystery, and second chances. I look forward to what comes next in this series. This is a spin-off from a previous series that took place in the town of Blackhaven, and I am delighted to see the town come back to life once more. You don’t need to have read the previous series to enjoy this book, but I recommend you do. It is a delight. I loved every single book, and this one is no exception.

Fast-paced, suspenseful, and shimmering with romance, this novel kept me glued to my Kindle from beginning to end. I loved the main characters and in fact, all the Vale siblings as they come together to support one another. Discovering his old love at an assembly arousing all his anger and hurt, Julius nevertheless finds that he cannot ignore her presence. Antonia is equally unsettled by her meeting with Julius, and they both quickly come to the conclusion that all is not as it originally seemed. Spending time together with Antonia's lively son draws them closer together and the truth eventually surfaces. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy about the turn of events and forces conspire against the reunited lovers. The novel is well-written and absorbing, is a standalone, and comes to a delightful conclusion. I am looking forward to reading more about the Vale family and their high jinks! I received a copy of this worthwhile romance as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

The Captain’s Old Love by Mary Lancaster was a different sort of book in every sense of the word. Sir Julius Vale and his family have returned to Black Hill, at Blackhaven. His family ranges from himself, the oldest at thirty-six, down to twins who were soon to turn sixteen. The many children have multiple mothers, some married to his father, some not. Their father had been a famous diplomat and somehow managed to get away with it. Sir Julius is a retired naval captain, wounded in battle, who is missing an eye and walks with a limp. His siblings all think it is time fore him to marry. He disagrees; he still remembers his last love, Antonia, who had inexplicably broken their engagement with no warning, ten years earlier. They were going to a ball this evening, he didn’t intend to go but they left him little choice. He had several ideas on how to escape before entering, but his siblings were on to his tricks so he entered the ballroom, and saw something that would change his life.

This was not a simple romance. There was blackmail, smuggling, kidnapping, and more. Antonia, through a very poorly written marriage contract, had come away with nothing and so was working as a companion. She enjoyed her work and her employer allowed her to bring her son with her so that was a bonus, nearly unheard of. Then her brother-in-law, Timothy, appeared and that was never good. He continued to make threats, mostly holding her son over her head, to assure her cooperation. The worst happened when he forced her to enter into a betrothal with a man called Dunnett, who had proven to be a masterful fundraiser for the hospital in Blackhaven, but there was something smarmy about him. An excellent character, but not as creepy was Timothy. This was a well written, well plotted book with excellent characters. It kept me enthralled from beginning to end. Another win for Mary Lancaster!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Captain’s Old Love by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #MaryLancaster #TheCaptainsOldLove

It was great to go back to the town of Blackhaven from an earlier series. Individuals travel to Blackhaven to partake of the healing waters. We got to see some of the charaters from the earlier series and it was like we were catching up with old friends.
Wounded sea Captain Julius Vale has moved back to the family home with all his siblings. Antonia is a widow and mother who is companion to Miss Talbot.
Many years have passed since Julius and Antonia have seen each other. There was a broken engagement thru misunderstanding, secrets, and manipulation of Julius and Antonia all those years ago. I love that Antonia and Julius overcome all the obstacles and misundersandings and have a second chance at love.
Thank you so much, Mary, for taking us back to Blackhaven!

Thank you Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for access to this arc.

This one sounded like a nice, gentle second chance romance. Well, it did have that trope but it wasn’t quite what the blurb led me to expect.

There were actually several things that didn’t work for me about the story. It’s the first in a new series and tacks onto another long one set in this same area. Still it wasn’t the characters from the previous series who were the issue. The hero is one of nine children so all of them had to be introduced with little bits of information that I assume will play out in their own books. I can manage large casts of characters but I hate having them all dumped on me in one chapter especially if many of them have similar sounding names.

My preference for historicals is that they be as historically accurate as possible. “The Captain’s Old Love” turned out to seemingly be a weird mish-mash of accurate and historical-lite. One minute I was sinking into details and the next minute my fur was being rubbed the wrong way. The Vale family is also a mix of legitimate children plus two if not three illegitimate ones who boldly announce to almost total strangers that they are bastards. And despite having plenty of servants, the family always seemed to be meeting visitors’ carriages at the door, saddling their own horses, etc. I was astonished that the heroine’s father allowed her first marriage settlement to be bungled as badly as he did. But then her parents are a bunch of losers so being such idiots shouldn’t have surprised me. Although they began as strong characters, the heroine’s son and her employer faded into a plot moppet and a placeholder before too long.

Another issue for me was the number of plot threads going on. Second chance romance, smuggling, family issues, and abduction were the most prevalent with added hints of what might occur for other family members in future books. The romance actually started as enemies to lovers with convenient interruptions just as the hero and heroine might have cleared up their misunderstandings. Then things progressed from “let’s court and get to know each other as they are now” to (in the course of one day) “marry me” which was quickly (within minutes) finished up with “my bedroom is right down the hall.” It was all way too fast for me to buy into.

I might look into some other series or books and see if they work better for me but I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this one.

3.5 stars.
A second chance historical romance with a touch of mystery, “The Captain’s Old Love”, by Mary Lancaster, features an intense wounded hero, who is as tough as passionate and emotional, and a determined heroine.
I liked watching the initially brooding and lonely hero regain the zest for life and getting involved in the family and community activities as he also reconnects with his old flame.
One aspect of Julius character I loved was the openness and honesty about the depth of his lingering feelings for Antonia. The same applies to her. It’s not often we see a hero so shattered by the pain of lost love.
He’s a handsome wounded hero, a dashing pirate with a eye patch and the love for the sea, and capable of romantic gestures.
In Antonia we see strength and sensitivity and the dependency and subjugation of women in that historical period.
When they reunite for both it is as the memories of their love is imprinted in their souls and it all comes back instantly after “ten years of longing”.
I appreciated that the terrible lies at the root of the breakup are cleared up without artificial delays and both soon acknowledge they were wronged by others and embark in “secret moments of passion”.
I liked watching them doing things together; there’s joyfulness about Julius family that is enticing and pleasurable and fun to watch.
I found the missing eye really didn’t hinder Julius as one would expect and the needed adaptations weren’t addressed.

Torn apart by her parents the captain and local gentry's daughter fund themselves in a rather interesting position.
I found this book very engaging and could hardly put it down. Mary Lancaster thought our the plot very well and the characters were well developed. I cant wait to see what she comes up with for the other siblings.
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.

Captain Sir Julius Vale, has retired from the Royal Navy and moved himself and all his siblings back to the family home near Blackhaven. Where he does not expect to encounter the woman who broke his heart ten years ago, and he certainly does not mean to make the mistake of falling for her again. Antonia Temple, now an impoverished widow and mother, is the paid companion of eccentric spinster, Miss Talbot, who is taking a course of the Blackhaven waters. Meeting Julius again is a shock. So is the fact that he clearly blames her for their parting when it was he who sailed away without a word of goodbye. Amidst the tangle of anger, hurt and reigniting passion, they gradually realize the truth. But it seems that the same forces that parted them ten years ago are determined to do so again.
The start of a new series & we’re back in Blackhaven. The Vales are a very interesting family, all children of the late diplomat but to a variety of mothers. Julius is the eldest & the youngest are fifteen year old twins. I did take me a couple of chapters to sort the siblings, which is the norm for a new series. I loved the dynamics within the family especially how supportive they were of each other. I loved both Julius & Antonia & revelled in how their relationship evolved from hurt, surprise, confusion to hope & love. There’s also the mystery of horses being driven over fields during the night, which turns into something more sinister. The villains were obvious but the depth of their villainy was only slowly revealed. I look forward to more books in the series
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I really enjoyed this book. After reading it I searched on my Kindle for Mary Lancaster books and found several that I had not read. Guess what I am reading next? Julius and Antonia were great characters and enjoyed all the secondary characters as well. The action and mystery kept interesting.

The premise was promising, everything I like about a period read. However, it was a bit of a slow start for me. Julius and Antonia were lied to 10 years ago and discover the truth. It felt anti-climatic and watered down. Antonia wasn’t exactly the type of heroine I was expecting, a bit weak. The Vale family was entertaining though.

I am knocking a couple of stars because the heroine is a bit lame. She hates communicating and just drops innuendos and stalk off and does not reach out for help even though every person around her offers. Her martyr syndrome got to me. She finally develops a backbone and pushes back with her parents.

Julius the hero on the other hand is pretty awesome. He's smart, supportive stands for what he believes be it his silly girlfriend or his amazing work at the hospital.

Story development was well paced, second chance was worked out well. Heros large and unusual family plays a role that is engaging and not too intrusive

Loved reading the engaging and enthralling romance story. When Julius and Antonia see each other again, they both blame each other for their engagement ending a decade ago. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting love story.

For this historical romance we go back to the fascinating town of Blackhaven. A town known to have beneficial waters, so it is popular for anyone looking to improve their health.

Our hero is a wounded Sea Captain who returned to his home town with his siblings. They are a complicated but loving family and I suspect we will get many more stories about them.

Our heroine is a widow earning her and her son's living as a companion.

We get a little of everything in this story, danger, excitement, humour and a second chance at love. All the characters are interesting. Some are new to us, who have read the previous books in the series and others are old friends. Life is never boring in this town. We get smugglers, pirates and flim flam men as well as wonderful families. A lovely place to visit.

Great fun.