I personally did not finish this book, but I can see that those who love the Survivor's Club series would enjoy it. It just wan't my cup of tea.

Every time I pick up a novel by Mary Balogh I know I'm in for a good time. Once again there were great characters and a good story line. Sir Benedict Harper returned from the war with his legs destroyed and after years of convalescence he can walk with the aid of canes. But, under the thumb of family, he's been lost. However, when he goes to visit his sister and meets the reclusive Mrs. McKay, he's surprised at what a vibrant and beautiful woman he is.

Samantha McKay is in deep mourning. Not that she wants to be. After nursing a husband who she fell out with years before and who came back injured from the wars, she is ready to finally live again. If only her starchy sister-in-law would let her. When she meets Ben, she can only feel the spark of life ignite in her again and she'll do whatever she needs to to be able to live free.

The majority of the novel I would have given 3 stars for, however I really liked the ending. It was very modern, which I found very refreshing. To me this is the best aspect of the novel. Though, there are other sections I really enjoy too- the first time they meet, the first day they go to the beach, the wall of Jericho he builds in their room- all fun and a pure joy to read.

Mary Balogh has long been one of my favorite historical romance authors largely due to the fact that she really tackles darker issues than I usually find in historical romance. She's not an author that really goes into the usual tropes. Now don't get me wrong - I love some tropes and I adore a good light romp of a book full of witty banter but this isn't one of those books.

Ben is struggling to adjust to his new life post-wartime. His injuries are keeping him from being the man he was before the war and there is a feeling of aimlessness that is causing him to start to fall into a depression. Samantha's marriage wasn't the happily ever after she had hoped for but after 5 years of tending her wounded husband she is now stuck with his prim and stern sister after his death. Both of them are unhappy and both of them long to live again though they don't have the faintest idea of how to go about it.

To say the romance is a slow burn would be an understatement. They really don't have regular contact until a third of the way through the book. While this would usually make me impatient it works here because their backstories and current situations are so important to who they both are that it never felt like nothing was happening. The story was building from the very beginning and while the romance was slow developing the plot was not and the story itself hooked me early on. I cared about these characters and I desperately wanted things to work out for them both as a couple and as individuals.

This is a romance that deals with very real issues yet never manages to lose its sweetness. It pulled me in from the beginning and I didn't want to put it down! While this is book is part of a series (and a later one judging from all the married friends) it works perfectly as a stand alone as it focuses almost solely on Ben and Samantha.