5 Star Review by Amanda for Upon Your Return!

*This was originally posted on Amanda's blog here, but I will post it below.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Review: Upon Your Return

Fara Bellamont has been back in society for a year after leaving Cluny Abbey, where her uncle sent her long ago. When he chooses a suitor for her for marriage, she fears that she will be forced to marry a stranger and live a miserable life.
But, Fara finds herself thrust into an adventure of a lifetime when unforeseen circumstances cause her to place her trust in a strange man for protection. His intervention not only saves her, but puts her in an even more compromising position.
Grant Hill, a trading captain, is enchanted by the young heiress not only because of her beauty, but because she is hardly conventional. Underneath her ladylike exterior lies a tigress. Grant cannot help but offer his protection as she is in need and he is far from immune from her charms.
Fara just never bargained on the passion that she feels for Grant Hill. As events unfold, she must decide whether her desires and the dictates of her heart should trump the rules of society in this exciting tale.

Upon receiving this book, I immediately noticed how beautiful the cover was. I only meant to open it long enough to see how long it was going to be but found myself sucked in to the story from page one. I couldn't stop reading and ending up stay up way past my usual bedtime. It was that good. 

Fara's background elicits teary eyes at the thought of the hopelessness that faces children in her situation. She was orphaned at a young age during a time in the world that when having a place to live meant relatives had to take you in or your were sent to the work houses, no matter your age. Thankfully, she did have an uncle to turn to but he was a cold man that tried to stifle the independent woman she was to become. 

I laughed, cried, and even cheered a few times during the reading of Upon Your Return.

Fara and Grant's story is one that leaves you hoping for more and the touches of historically correct facts, women's rights issues, and the way society worked back then makes this book a hidden gem. Add in the fact that it was well-written and wonderfully edited makes it a five star book, in my opinion.

Brava to the author for publishing a book that turned out so wonderfully! Looking forward to reading more from Marie Lavender in the future! You can purchase Upon Your Return from Amazon or read more about it from Goodreads.