Loved this one, I think Hal is my favourite of all the men involved in the series. Julia was a worthy heroine for him and the historical touches surrounding The Battle of Waterloo gave the book a bit more of a bite. ( )

Loved this one, I think Hal is my favourite of all the men involved in the series. Julia was a worthy heroine for him and the historical touches surrounding The Battle of Waterloo gave the book a bit more of a bite. ( )

Seventh in the eight-part Silk & Scandal continuity series. Enjoyable.

A respectable woman needs to seize the sudden chance she gets to mingle in good Society and make a marriage that will financially support her, her mother, and her young brother. However, she finds her head turned by a charmingly rakish officer. The officer finds himself attracted to a virginal woman for the first time, and feeling like he might want to reform. But he's lead a dissolute life, and even if he could reform in every possible way, all at once, he doesn't feel he'd make a suitable match for her.

Set mostly in Brussels in the run up to the Battle of Waterloo. Some of the pre-Waterloo info has become a little tired for me, because I have read quite a few novels set in this time, but this will not be a problem for every reader.

I liked the fact that not all of the story takes place pre-marriage, especially since the match is potentially unbalanced. I always enjoy watching how a couple goes about settling into a new marriage. Too many romances set up relationships full of tension and potential hurdles, and call the story finished when the man finally proposes to the woman.... which is not what I would call a convincing happily ever after.

In this case, we get to see several stages of the relationship: mutual attraction, various encounters (that would be spoilers), a wedding, then the last quarter of the book covers the beginning of their married life together. ( )