Douglas: Lord of Heartache (Lonely Lords)

Grace Burrowes and the Lonely Lords series seldom disappoint. I am not disappointed by this book as I quite enjoyed it, but I will say that there were some uncharacteristic slips in writing and plotting that gave me pause.Without gong into too much detail, potentially ruining the plot, suffice to say that a sudden name switch for an important secondary character caused me to backtrack in my reading to make sure I hadn’t missed something. I hadn’t. I can only assume that in a book as richly populated as this one, the author inadvertently made the switch and it was missed in editing.With regard to plot, Guinevere (Gwen), was put in a position to find out something critical to her and Douglas’ relationship, but failed to ask the important question when she had a clear opportunity to do so. It is a question that would have secured their happiness or at least clarified the problems they were facing. In fact, I felt that the entire complicating premise that kept Gwen and Douglas in a perpetual state of angst was a bit too convoluted and as such, stretched my credulity.Finally, there were some plot elements that challenged my affection for Ms. Burrowes writing. One relatively minor one regards the heroine’s pregnancy and the other more important one involves the over-the-top climax in which the hero literally rides to the rescue and defeats the meddling Duke to pull our heroine away from clutches of unwanted matrimony. Frankly, I found it a bit cheesy.Bottom line: Even with these criticisms, I still like this book. Douglas exudes a believable steadiness and practicality somewhat unusual for historical romance heroes and one that I find particularly attractive. Gwen is also likable and understandable. I especially liked her believably natural interactions with Rose, her little daughter. Finally, the attraction and romance between Douglas and Gwen were beautifully developed over time, thus avoiding the insta-lust found in so many period romance novels. That, above all things makes this a worthy read.

Grace Burrowes is a good writer — even her sex scenes are well written, arousing and not clinical step-by-step user manuals — and her characters engaging, her plots usually well crafted. In this book, the hero sets out to win a woman who has been abused and is suspicious and skittish, so he promises he will abide by her “no” at every turn. But his response to “no” is to push, persuade, engage, nuzzle, touch — in fact, to flagrantly disregard her specifically stated NO. This is exactly what trains young boys and men that “no” means “yes,” exactly what encourages young girls to send mixed signals. This heroine has an independent and responsible position, capably managing a large estate — a job that many men find beyond them — and raising a child as a single mother. The hero acknowledges and uses her expertise, but puts her firmly in her feminine, dependent role every chance he gets by coercing her to accept his assistance — his hands on her person — in mounting a horse, walking arm in arm (at his pace), having her chair placed. THese courtesies are appreciated when OFFERED, but when forced upon one they become an issue of control. There is so much in this plot that is demeaning to the heroine, and women in general and infuriating to the reader, it is impossible to appreciate the competent writing.

Boring read with people doing improbable things. Gwen has a child out of wedlock and has become somewhat reclusive but is steward on a cousin's property. I didn't like Douglas much - I can't say exactly why. I tell you, when these two initially meet I wanted to pluck out my eyes. Gwen's daughter is up a tree (literally) with hornets buzzing. Everyone is standing around like idiots and Douglas has to climb the tree to save her. Gwen is so distraught she cries in his arms. This is a woman who manages property and can't rescue her child. Even the workmen were standing around with their thumbs up their rears. Rose was a precocious child and I found her speech very adult. Anyway then comes the tea scene which made me grind my teeth. A couple of days later Gwen gets a splinter in her finger and said finger ends up in Douglas' mouth so he can extract it ever so cleverly with his tongue and teeth. These two are stuck on proper behavior (so he doesn't scare her with his maleness) and this just seemed out of place. A couple of days later he catches her in a bath and ends up brushing her hair. All of this is told in a boring manner. I absolutely don't get all the 5 stars. This is the second book I've read by Ms. Burrowes and my last. Her style is not for me.