A Compromised Lady

As much as I adore sweet romances with innocent heroines, I have to say that this one will remain in memory long after those have dissipated. Because it reminds me that those sweet romances are lies--or at the very least, telling only part of the truth. Surely there were a few doting parents among the ton who wanted the best for their children, but they were really the exception to the rule. Most parents were more interested in using their children for personal gain--a fortune, a title (or connections), or political capital. Especially daughters. I mean, what else could a woman wish for besides a wealthy, titled husband? Love should not enter such matters, nor the character of either party. And especially not the wishes of the daughter, who was raised to be obedient to her parents and eventually to her husband. It was a time when women were the possessions of their husbands, suffering all manner of cruelty, with the blessing of the law of the land. This heroine, Thea, was taken advantage of by the fiancé thrust upon her by her father. After his death, she is taken to the country and the babe, supposedly dead, taken away. Rejected by her ambitious father as a loose woman, she resigns herself to lifelong spinsterhood and is dismayed when her father orders her brought to London to marry a cruel, older man looking for a wife to give him an heir. Richard is not looking for a wife, but he is outraged at the way Thea has been sold by her father to a completely unsuitable man, and seeks to do his best to protect her. He has no inkling of Thea's past. But as he gets to know her, he finds himself falling for her until he realizes his greatest wish is to love and protect her the rest of his life. But Thea will not accept his proposals of marriage, because she cares about him too much to ask him to accept what she intends to do. No longer a child of 17 afraid of scandal, Thea is a woman who knows she has to do what she can to right past wrongs. . . even if it means she must reject the love of the man she deeply loves.

I first came across Elizabeth Rolls through her contributions to the AAR website forums and then in one of her short stories. As I enjoyed the short story, I decided to check out her novels and started with A Dutiful Rake which struck me, despite following a somewhat cliched plot, as a satisfying and entertaining read. I've now read her entire backlist and found A Compromised Lady to be her very best effort to date and showing all of the hallmarks of a maturing author at home in her chosen genre. When I read the companion novel to this book, His Lady Mistress, I was a little disappointed because I thought Elizabeth Rolls had created some wonderful characters that she handled rather badly. She more than redeemed herself with this story. As the plot has been summed up by other reviewers, I would like to comment on the characters. First of all, Richard Blakehurst is a twin, the younger by a few minutes, to Max from His Lady Mistress. However, the author has been clever enough to make them fraternal rather than identical twins. Thus, Richard and Max although sharing the mental closeness of twins are similar but different in appearance so that Richard is not a mirror image (or, indeed, opposite) of Max. He is, in my view, the stronger of the two, the more rounded, the deeper and more intellectual and, possibly, the more moral of the two. He is by far the more mature man of the twins and the author gives him a perfect setting in this book to allow his honour, learning, moral fibre and experience of physical pain to shine through. Thea, the heroine, is an extremely poignant character. She was the victim of rape; she has borne a child; she has been lied to, cheated, ignored and despised yet her sterling qualities, strength and honour are unquestionable. She is the perfect match for Richard. Fortunately, in this book, Richard knows his own mind, unlike his brother. He makes no rash, silly, abrupt shifts in his views like Max did and thus his fidelity triumphs in a perfectly believable way. I really liked him, was a little in love with him even, and full of admiration for how he dealt with Thea. And, he benefitted from a much better plot without the histrionics that Max got caught up in. This is a very well written book. It's a little dark in a few places as Thea deals with a particularly unpleasant but, considering the timeframe, totally believeable father. The questionable moral standards of Regency society are well portrayed. The author handles the period with a sure hand. I am full of admiration for Elizabeth Rolls for setting a very high standard for herself in this book. I only hope she continues to write such excellent stories and I am only sorry that I have read the entire backlist and have nothing left in the TBR pile. More please! Highly recommended.

Make sure you have a box of tissues close at hand before beginning A Compromised Lady by Elizabeth Rolls. You will definitely need a couple during Dorthea Winslow's story. Thea's father, Viscount Aberfield, demands she returns to town to find a husband. He has arranged for her to stay with her godmother, Lady Almeria Arnsworth. She would make a perfect chaperone. Thea would rather not. She can barely stand to be touched by anyone and the thought of being in a crowded ball room frightens her beyond belief. It was not always like this but the horrors of her first season, years ago, sapped all the sparkle of life from her. To make matters worse, she discovers she has an enemy who is set on making her miserable and making it impossible to let go of the past. Lies and secrets are revealed, guaranteeing Thea will never be happy. She would gladly hide away in the country again if it was not for one friend, Richard Blakehurst. Richard has decided there was something missing in his life, a family of his own, to his godmother's delight. Lady Almeria quickly becomes vexed with him though when he emphatically states an heiress is not what he requires. She has always wanted more for him but he is quite satisfied with his income and the small estate he has recently purchased. Reluctantly, Richard agrees to stay with Lady Almeria for the season. He should have known she was up to something but there was no way he could politely back out once he discovered she was to have another house guest, Thea. They were once close friends but that was when they were both children. So when they were reintroduced, Richard was shocked by how pale and lifeless his former vivacious friend seemed. Instantly, Richard feels protective towards Thea and that feeling only increases with each minute they spend together. . He wants to help his former friend, especially after he receives hateful mail regarding her and her reputation. However, as time passes, he begins to see Thea as more than a friend. The thought of marrying her enters his head even though she is a wealthy heiress. Surely she would know he wanted her for more than just her money. Unfortunately, Thea repeatedly tells him no when he proposes. Even though it practically breaks her heart, Thea will never marry. Her past makes it impossible. How will Richard ever convince her to accept him? How can he overcome the ghosts of her past and the enemies of her present? Elizabeth Rolls surpasses her past success with A Compromised Lady. Her heroine is truly a tortured soul in need of a noble hero. Her own family is the cause of much of her distress. The hero is not perfect either. He obviously loves Thea but is that enough to overcome all her secrets and fears. Personally, I believe this is Ms. Rolls best book to date. She delves into deep painful emotions that are rarely seen with historical novels. This is not your run-of-the-mill going to balls to find your perfect mate book. I loved every page, every twist, every harsh re

I really enjoyed this book and can highly recommend it. The story line is interesting and well developed, the characters are well defined, interesting, sympathetic. This is a keeper... IMHO.

From Richard's introduction in His Lady Mistress, I was prepared to feel sorry for Richard Blakehurst. I developed a soft spot for him in the previous story (it isn't necessary to read it to enjoy this story, it is simply more). But Richard grabbed me from the start and wouldn't let go, encouraging me to see the fine man the years had made him. Elizabeth Rolls does an admirable job, as usual, in portraying her heroine, Thea Winslow, with fears and courage. The relationship that grows between Richard and Thea is rich and multilayered. The standards of the time are explored and, I thought, well developed and played out. I read it through and then had to promptly re-read favorite parts again.