I loved Harland and Katherine's story!!

Katherine grew up being a smuggler, but left and made another life for herself. Upon returning home, she is once again caught up in the local smuggling ring. When she meets the new doctor, she is intrigued, but can't let him find out what she and her family are apart of. But why does the man keep turning up everywhere she goes?

Harland turned to smuggling to keep his family's struggling business afloat. But he made a bargain with someone who needs him to keep at it even though his finances are back where they should be. As the unknown head of the local smuggling ring, his job as a doctor allows him to travel the countryside at odd hours and no one is the wiser. But when Harlan needs Katherine's help in London, that all changes.

Neither want this life, but when promises are made, one has to keep their word. Can this couple that has found their way to one another get their HEA?

I've been intrigued with Harland since the series started and was so excited to get his story! He was always sneaking around in the other stories, so you knew he had a lot of other things going on in his life. I loved that Bowen paired him up with another doctor. Female doctors were not the thing back then, so Harland was also perfect for Katherine because he saw the need to allow women to learn "trades" that were normally thought of as being male dominated.

I've throughly enjoyed this series, so I'm hopeful that Bowen is not done with it. Regardless, I'm excited to see what she come up with next!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is exactly why Kelly Bowen is on my auto-buy list. The hero and heroine are unconventional, but not so unconventional that their characters seem unrealistic for the historical setting. Katherine is the shrewd daughter of a smuggler who has acquired and honed medical expertise not commonly found in a woman. Harland is a titled lord who rescued his family from the brink of financial ruin and is now bound in a web of obligation he can't escape. Sweat, stealth and blood throw them together in a desperate gamble. Their passion is quickly ignited and exquisitely wrought. This was an exceptional, five-star read.

This was a beautifully written historical romance. The author writes with almost poetic, detailed descriptions. I was impressed and in love with Kate. A strong, intelligent and vibrant character. She doesn't once lose her integrity or drive. She protects her brother and her father with such incredible bravery and wisdom. She needed a strong, capable and supportive partner. The author gifted her Harland, the hero.
I loved that the author made the hero also a surgeon, a war veteran and a smuggler. Identical to her experience therefore qualified to understand and love her best. Enjoyed the pace of the novel and felt entrapped within the intrigue and espianage. The hero and the heroine were perfectly suited for the obstacles they encountered.
I just loved that in the end he doesn't leave her and sacrifices everything to ensure her safety as she does him. Novel was perfect.

I LOVED this book. It was the best book I’ve read in a long time! It focuses on Katherine, a female surgeon and Lord Hayward, also a surgeon. Katherine is a fierce heroine! And Hayward everything a hero should be. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!