THE SINS OF LORD LOCKWOOD is book six in the Rules for
the Reckless series by the redoubtable Meredith Duran.
Liam Devaliant, our tortured (literally!) earl, first
stepped into our notice a decade ago in THE DUKE OF SHADOWS,
Duran's first novel. While one doesn't need to read THE DUKE
OF SHADOWS to appreciate THE SINS OF LORD LOCKWOOD, the
reader would be well-rewarded to read it as well. Duran does
a fabulous job in both of these books in
showing the dark depths of tormented souls. Such angsty
goodness!
Lord Lockwood was abducted on his wedding night and
thrown onto a convict ship bound for Australia, fraudulently
misidentified as a criminal. Lockwood endured terrible
tortures onboard and once upon land as a slave laborer,
until he led a revolt and killed his cruel captors.
Lockwood returns to England determined to revenge himself
upon the perpetrator of this evil, only to find his plans
thrown into utter disarray by the unexpectedly early arrival
of his wife.
Anna is a Scottish countess in her own right. Fiercely
independent, she marries Liam in order to fulfill criteria
that will allow her to rule her own lands in Scotland. Anna
thinks that her husband abandoned her on their wedding night
following a quarrel, and she is furious with him. Anna is
prickly and smart, and I could eat her up with a spoon.
Lockwood is understandably mentally jacked up by his four
year ordeal, and he tried to shut Anna out in order to focus
on his revenge. I got irritated with both characters
multiple times for not talking to each other. Jiminy
crickets! But their reticence, while frustrating, is
believable. Anna also keeps pushing Lockwood away because
of childhood traumas that left her emotionally isolated.
Both Liam and Anna are so broken, my heart ached for both of
them. The guilt, regret, and despair are built up in their
hearts layer upon layer. It's positively gorgeous to see
those layers stripped by love and forgiveness, leaving both
Anna and Liam blinking in the bright lights, a little bloody
and disoriented, but finally released from the prisons of
their own making. Duran's THE SINS OF LORD LOCKWOOD is an
intricate story of redemption overcoming the stains of fear
and despair, and of love proving that two people together
are stronger than two apart.
BACK FROM THE DEAD, AN EARL SEEKS VENGEANCE...
Liam Devaliant, Lord Lockwood, was born into a charmed
life. Charismatic, powerful, and wild, he had the world
at his feet—and one woman as his aim. His wedding to Anna
was meant to be his greatest triumph. Instead, in a
single moment, a wicked conspiracy robbed him of his
future and freedom.
...BUT WILL HIS LONG-LOST COUNTESS PAY THE PRICE?
Four years later, Liam has returned from death with plans
for revenge. Standing in his way, though, is his long-
absent bride. Once, he adored Anna's courage. Now it
seems like a curse, for Anna refuses to fear or forget
him. If she can't win back Liam's love, then she means at
least to save his soul...no matter the cost.
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