Blurb: To save her new life, she needs the man who destroyed her old one...
Chloe de Montesse never thought she’d return from exile. Now she has a chance to reclaim the life she fled after her husband was executed for treason. But coming home again isn’t as simple as it sounds. Her magic is rusty, her family want her to wrap her in cotton wool, and Illvyan society views her as a scandal waiting to happen. Worse, fate keeps throwing her into the path of the man who ruined her life.
Lucien de Roche’s magic bares the truth for all to see. He’s used it to serve the empire, but there’s one secret he’s always kept hidden. The fact that he fell in love with his best friend’s wife. And that he’s never quite fallen out again. Now Chloe is back and it’s no secret at all that she loathes him for his part in her husband’s death. A sensible man would forget her…but he’s tired of being sensible. And determined to keep her safe.
When a mission from the emperor takes them both into the wildest heart of the empire, to a country where power and loyalties collide, and old plots simmer back to life, Chloe finds herself dragged back into the past she wants to leave behind. And her only way out might be Lucien. The man she thinks she can never trust. The man she wants to hate. Or hates to want…
Review: Chloe de Montesse returns to her home in Illvya after ten years in exile because her new husband had been a traitor. She hopes for a new start with an exciting career with the Imperial Mages as a diplomat, but fate keeps throwing her in the path of trouble. It doesn't help that she's constantly running into her former husband's best friend and the one who bared the truth of the treason, Lucien de Roche. He had always put his empire and the truth first, but now with Chloe back, his heart won't let him put anything else ahead of her. On a mission in a frozen country together, she must decide if she will let her past dictate her life or move on to a future free of it. If she survives all the secrets whispered around her.
I picked this fantasy romance up randomly, and the Fates were on my side with the choice. It's a wonderfully well-written story with steampunk, fantasy, and regency romance elements. I see it labeled as historical romance, but since it involves magic and other fantasy aspects, I don't think it falls into that category. The romance is slow moving, but the tension is taut, and it's a cliffhanger. There is mention of another story, perhaps one written by the author before this. This is my first introduction to her work, and an excellent one at that. I adore Chloe. She fell for the wrong man and was betrayed by his treason, but in her ten years of exile, she made a life she loved for herself starting with nothing except her own smarts and wit. I love independent female protagonists who don't go suddenly soft when the hero comes into the picture. She remained equally as strong when she returned home and decided on a career as a diplomat. Chloe detests Lucien as the one who exposed her former husband's treason, and as her feelings for him grow, the love and hate war with one another. It affects her on a deep level and I love what comes out of it. Great cast of characters and marvelous settings. I was totally lost in this book, and I can't wait for the release of the next one later this year.
You can find M.J. Scott on her website and buy the book here.
It sounds like a good read. Beautiful cover.
Thank you for the review of About Her. You made my day!!
I really love that cover. The rest of the story sounds great, too. Thanks for sharing!