Old friends of whom I never tire

In this second novel in the series the reader gains a different perspective on the main character, Angelique Beauchamp. In the first novel she seems to be cruel, almost ruthless, in her pursuit of her lover, Anthony Carrington. Her verbal attack on his young wife is meant to humiliate Caroline and drive her from her husband. This novel shows a different side of Angelique, her own pain and deep sense of loss when her 10 year affair with Anthony ends. She has endured much over the years and has hardened in the process. Captain James Montgomery brings out another side of her and we see her capacity to love and care for others.

Although a stand alone novel, it’s best read with the other two books in this set. It fills in some of the background of the first two novels, telling the story from another perspective.
The characters are delightful and it’s a pleasure to meet those from the earlier novels again. I hope Ms. English writes additional novels about these characters. I’m curious to see how the relationships evolve in the future.