Pages: 352
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: 7th February 2017
Format: Ebook
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review: The first thing I have to say about this book is that Lawrence, the earl of Radnor, is an absolute BABE! He suffers from anxiety, which means that he hates new situations, noise, and, most especially, being around people. He has coped with this mainly by shutting himself away in the tower of his crumbling Cornish mansion, dedicating himself to his scientific experiments, including his attempt to build a telegraph machine. He is also convinced that he is mad, and doomed to descend further into that madness like his father and brother before him. This intelligent, tortured soul, is also a big hunk of man-meat with a penchant for chopping wood in his shirtsleeves...swoon!
Enter George Turner, a confidence trickster who takes up a commission to pose as Radnor's secretary in order to escape a dangerous criminal he has crossed back in London. Georgie is suave, sharp-minded, and for all his criminality, he has a heart of gold. Right from the first moment Lawrence and Georgie meet, their mutual attraction is set on course to derail both of their lives.
Georgie forces Lawrence out of his solitude, providing companionship, support, and eventually overturning Penkellis: he brings in new servants, sets to renovating parts of the house, and generally puts all his effort into making things habitable again, all while making sure that Lawrence is as comfortable as possible. As Georgie falls for Lawrence, he realises that his plans to steal from the earl are doomed: he simply cannot do it. But without anything to mollify the angry criminal back in London, what will happen to the brother and sister he left behind in the city?
The Lawrence Browne Affair is a gorgeous regency era romance populated with well-drawn characters, a peppering of steamy sex scenes, and a rough-hewn, almost gothic atmosphere punctured by Cornish smugglers and superstitious villagers. My one criticism would be that, as dramatic as it was, I did feel that the ending lost some of the magic of the first three quarters. Things became a little rushed as the action moved to London, and it all felt as if it was over rather quickly. That said, it was still a great read overall, and I defy anyone not to fall in love with Lawrence when they read this book!
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