Safety warnings attached at the end.

This is my first book of the series and I felt it's fine read as a stand alone. You probably get more character introduction and death by reading the series in order though. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything though.

This book, as you can probably guess from the title, is about two people who have lost their honor according to society. Our hero, Lucas, was an officer in the navy and a prisoner of war. The heroine, Kendra, is a scandalous divorcee. They come together at a ball and sense each other's vulnerability and protect each other.

Kendra is a very strong character. Independent, fierce, and determined to get back what is hers. Society has been cruel to her since her divorce but she still holds her head up proudly.

Lucas is very sweet and caring. He's been through a lot, emotionally and physically, but hasn't let that damage his personality. He's very steadfast and willing to help Kendra and protect her.

Give this a try if you're in the mood for:
-A regency time period novel – this takes place in 1816
-A novel with darker themes (lots of emotional turmoil, loss, abuse)
-An experienced heroine – she's been married and divorced
-Soldier hero – the hero was a soldier in the navy
-Lots of things going on – there are lot of factors in play here, things the couple are trying to resolve
-Lower to mid steam – kisses and sex happen and it's open door but it's pretty short

I wasn't a huge fan of this story. It was rather dark, but without the emotional pull and angst of, say Kerrigan Byrne's work. There's a lot of loss, struggles, hurt from the past going on and not a lot of romance. I didn't really understand the characters attraction to each other. I wasn't getting butterflies. And the sex was very short and lackluster. I haven't read much of Putney's work, but I do remember Thunder and Roses. WHERE was that heat and fire? There's a scene from that book that had me breathless when they are playing billiards. I felt no remnant of that heat and sexiness here.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions about the story are my own.

Safety warnings (spoilers)
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Miscarriage, adoption, physical/verbal abuse