The Lady He Lost

February 19, 2024
Estranged friends struggle to move past their fraught history in Delacour’s jam-packed debut. In 1839, naval lieutenant Eleazar “Eli” Williams expects joyous reunions when he returns to England following a shipwreck that left him erroneously pronounced dead. Instead, he finds that his former friend Jane Bishop is still furious over Eli’s prior engagement to Jane’s cousin, Cecily Kerr, as she has long harbored secret feelings for him. Jane’s determined to be self-reliant, pouring all her energy into expanding her women-only card club while dodging the matchmaking advice of her doting uncle Bertie and putting her affection for Eli behind her—even as they cross paths repeatedly. When they wind up trapped together during a thunderstorm, however, their sexual tension boils over. Eli’s eager to repair the rift between them, but Jane must decide what she can risk and Eli must face the consequences of his choices before either of them can build a happier future, together or apart. Delacour throws myriad obstacles in the couple’s path, resulting in a narrative that feels somewhat overburdened with subplots. Still, the three-dimensional characters and sensual love scenes charm. Delacour is sure to win fans with this. Agent: Rebecca Strauss, DeFiore & Co.

September 13, 2024

London society is stunned when Lieutenant Eli Williams returns to England, seemingly resurrected from the dead. No one is more surprised than Jane Bishop, who once loved Eli until he was caught kissing her cousin and was forced into an engagement. Eli was sent to war before they could marry and was presumed lost in a shipwreck, so Jane's cousin married another. Now that Eli has returned, Jane is determined to keep him from hurting her again, as she is far more intent on securing her financial future through the gambling ring of ladies she has slowly formed under the nose of her meddling, marriage-minded uncle. Yet Eli, with his longing gazes and delicious kisses, manages to open up Jane's heart anew. As Jane grows to trust Eli and their friendship again, Eli's secrets from his shipwreck past and a court martial threaten to scuttle any hopes he has of fully earning Jane's heart. Narrator Blythe Fortune offers a solid performance, effectively capturing both Jane's and Eli's voices. VERDICT Delacour's debut romance is sure to delight those seeking historical romance with echoes of Persuasion and the TV show Poldark.--Elizabeth Gabriel

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