A complimentary review copy was provided to me.
Where has summer gone? The kids returned to school this week and we are back to our busy school time lifestyle. As summer wound down, I wrapped up the newest book by Kristi Ann Hunter, A Defense of Honor.
A Defense of Honor is a piece of Regency Fiction, set in 1816 London and the nearby countryside. This first novel in Hunter's new Haven Manor series was a terrific story, that had a balance of suspense, compassion and love. The author does a great job transporting the reader in time and location, allowing us to feel a part of the story. The author does a great job of developing the characters at the right depth for connection with the endearing, unique characters within the story. In addition, there is a thread of humor which even further endears the reader.
The book opens at a party, Graham is bored with the status quo of the social scene and follows a flash of green that is hiding behind a potted bush, a woman who we later learn is Kit. 'Though why would a woman wear such an eye-catching color if she intended to plant herself behind the potted shrubbery all evening? Plant herself behind the shrubbery. A grin crossed Graham's face as he chuckled at his own cleverness." "His palms started to itch...It was the itch of curiosity..at last, here was something new and unusual."
From there the book takes off at a good pace and never stopped. It kept me fully engaged, as the characters paths cross paths later and the author explores the secrets going on in the book. I had a hard time putting it down, but was glad that it was a longer story that allowed me to be part of the experience for longer because even with that once I reached the end, I wanted it to continue (good thing is it is the first in a series, so another book will be coming).
The story line was more unique than most of the period fiction books that I have read in the past. Even in those stories where the characters have a cause, they are less immersed in it than in this story. The women in this story have created Haven Manor into a world of it's own. The manor is filled with delightful, innocent, charming children, who despite their challenged background, of which they are unaware, they are being raised with love, the benefit of education exposure to art and music and life skills that will allow them to support themselves as adults.
Kit's love and concern for the mothers and children that she helped was sincere, but since it was fueled through guilt she found herself justifying underhanded methods of providing for the children and the manor. It wasn't until the wrongness of the actions were pointed out by Graham that she reflected upon her actions, the way that she had justified the actions and devised a plan to undo the wrongs she had done to redeem herself. The book dealt with forgiveness, redemption, the issue of rejection, the challenges of societal norms and the reliance on God to see you through difficult situations.
Overall, it was a great story. It found balance in the threads of secrets and mystery, friendship and love, and forgiveness and redemption. Hunter writes an engaging story and I can't wait to read more.
About the Book:
When Katherine "Kit" FitzGilbert turned her back on London society more than a decade ago, she determined never to set foot in a ballroom again. But when business takes her to London and she's forced to run for her life, she stumbles upon not only a glamorous ballroom but also Graham, Lord Wharton. What should have been a chance encounter becomes much more as Graham embarks on a search for his friend's missing sister and is convinced Kit knows more about the girl than she's telling.
After meeting Graham, Kit finds herself wishing things could have been different for the first time in her life, but what she wants can't matter. Long ago, she dedicated herself to helping women escape the same scorn that drove her from London and to raising the innocent children caught in the crossfire. But as much as she desperately wishes to tell Graham everything, the risk of revealing the truth may come at too high a price for those she loves.
About the Author:
Kristi Ann Hunter is the author of the Hawthorne House series and a 2016 RITA Award winner, an ACFW Genesis contest winner, and a Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award for excellence winner. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia. Find her online at www.kristiannhunter.com.
I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the books that I have read by Kristi Ann Hunter and would highly recommend you check them out. I personally can't wait for book 2 in the Haven Manor series to see what comes next in the lives of the characters that I met and came to know in A Defense of Honor.
No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.