Sydnam is one of my favorite characters. His wounds would be hard for any man, but he has the added wound of not being able to paint without a right hand. Pairing him with Anne who has been wounded in rape and fears intimacy was brilliant. Hartley in Lord Carew's Bride had to overcome his handicap, trust that he can be loved and avenge himself against a cruel man. Many of your characters also have emotional scars like Elliot in First Comes Marriage, and Lucas in Heartless. The emotional scars are also handicapping and need to be overcome in order to live whole lives. You do their stories in very believable ways. Although we KNOW there will be a HEA, you still build up nicely to the end.