cover image A Lady’s Honor

A Lady’s Honor

Laurie Alice Eakes. Zondervan, $15.99 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-0-310-33206-0

Eakes (A Reluctant Courtship) delivers beautifully written romantic suspense set in Cornwall during the Regency era. Heiress Elizabeth Trelawny barely escapes an arranged marriage in London with her life, making her way under the cover of darkness back to her beloved grandparents in Cornwall with the help of a mysterious yet kind young man. The coming weeks find the two of them arguing over family, societal norms, jilted suitors, smugglers, murderers, and their own preconceived notions about God and unconditional love. While aspects of the novel are repetitious, the plot has surprises that add depth and texture to what would have otherwise been a predictable romance. A somewhat precipitous ending neatly concludes most of the story lines, although some unresolved issues are left either as cliffhangers or possible premises of future novels in a themed series. Agent: Tamela Hancock Murray, Steve Laube Agency. (Apr.)