Lady Loring’s Dilemma

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Title: Lady Loring’s Dilemma: A Regency Novel

Author: Catherine Kullmann

Publisher: BooksGoSocial

Copyright: May 26, 2022

ISBN: 978-1913545963

ASIN: B09WNFZPFW

Format: E-Book, 366 Pages

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Regency Romance

Summary

Must she pay indefinitely for her indiscretion?

England, 1814

Delia, Lady Loring has long accepted that a wife has few legal rights and little say in the direction of her life. When she is caught in compromising circumstances, her furious husband, Sir Edward, banishes her to Harrogate where she is to live quietly with her mother and behave at all times in a seemly manner. All contact with their sixteen-year-old daughter, Chloe is forbidden.

In Harrogate, she finds small joys, makes friends and rediscovers a long-forgotten freedom. Most important of all, she meets Lord Stephen FitzCharles, her first love of some twenty years ago. The separation from Chloe grieves her, and she worries about what will become of her daughter but a mother has only the rights her husband allows her and Sir Edward shows no sign of relenting.

Delia resolves to place her trust in Stephen who offers her a new life on the Continent. They leave for Paris, then travel on to Nice. But Sir Edward, determined that his erring wife pays for her misdeeds, counters with new measures.

Napoleon’s escape from Elba and march on Paris to oust the newly-restored French king, bring further complications as Delia must face the most unexpected of decisions. Can she retain her freedom and reconcile fully with her daughter? Or will her wings be clipped forever?

 

Review

Lady Delia Loring’s husband, Sir Edward, is cross with her. He sends her away to the country, to Harrogate, to take care of her invalid mother, with the expectation that she lives in quiet respectability and has no contact with her daughter. While in Harrogate, she is reunited with a lover from her first blush of youth, Lord Stephen FitzCharles. He asks if they can meet again but she rejects the notion. Delia frets over the limited amount of freedom she has over herself as a married woman, frustrated she cannot be reunited with her daughter. Eventually, she agrees to pursue a path forward with Stephen, and they travel to the Continent. But will she ever see her daughter again?

This second installment in the Lorings series is aptly named. Delia is trapped by her circumstances, highlighting the total lack of freedom married women had in Regency England. I loved the human, flawed characters. Yes, Delia doesn’t live up to Regency-era standards but has the courage to reach for what she desires. Sir Edward, very much a product of his time, is a cold husband and the embodiment of double standards. I also loved the rich descriptions, which made me feel as if I was experiencing Regency England alongside the characters. Catherine Kullmann is a masterful storyteller, and her background notes testify to her depth of research. Her extensive knowledge of the time period shines through in her writing.

Originally featured on the History Novel Society website.

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