The Seduction of Lady X by Julia London

I love reading romance novels with seemingly impossible scenarios and this is one of them: Harrison Tolly has worked as a steward for the Carey family for fifteen years and, has been secretly in love with Olivia, Lady Carey from the first moment he saw her.

Harrison is an honorable man, despite his less than spotless origins (he's the bastard son of a courtesan), and never reveals his feelings to Olivia, his Lady X.

To complicate matters even more, Olivia's younger sister, Alexa, comes home from a tour of Spain pregnant and refuses to name the father. In order to protect Olivia and her sister from Edward, Lord Carey's wrath, Harrison steps in and offers to marry Alexa.

As Harrison tries to sort out the mess that he has made of things, Mr. Fish from Hadley Green pays him a visit and informs him that he is the rightful heir of Ashdown, which Harrison immediately refuses -- choosing to live as a steward in order to be near Lady Carey.

So how does one tell the love story of two people who cannot express their love for one another?

"...does she ... does Lady X know of your regard?"

"Apparently not," he said dryly.

Lady Carey bit her lower lip. "But if she knew, she might ..."

"She might what?" he asked impatiently. "Leave her husband and live in reduced circumstances with her reputation destroyed? No, madam. To confess my affection and esteem to Lady X is to compromise her completely, and I would never dishonor her."

Lady Carey looked up then, her eyes full of understanding.

And sadness.
p. 143

In The Seduction of Lady X, Julia London explores what people are willing to endure for the sake of love. Harrison was willing to sacrifice his future, his legacy, his fortune, and his name for his love for Olivia. Olivia sacrificed her chance at happiness and freedom for love of her sister.

Admittedly, the author resorts to a convenient way to resolve the tangled muddle our hero and heroine find themselves in but, then again, I think it works to balance out the plot -- I think it would have been too much if she gave a complicated solution to the problem. (Think Occam's Razor)

Is this the last installment in Julia London's Secrets of Hadley Green series? In some sense, it feels like it is: an heir to Ashdown has been found and the question about the missing jewels has been answered -- though it was answered a bit too casually with a one-line answer from Harrison (p. 330), though -- and the revelations regarding Hadley Green wasn't much in the spotlight in this book. In fact, it felt like a postscript added after London resolved Harrison and Lady X's story.

That aside, this was an amazingly written story -- very daring and ambitious, putting your hero and heroine in a complicated situation but Julia London proves her skill in creating one of the most moving love stories I have read this year.

Do I want this to be the end of the Hadley Green series? No and I hope that it isn't! Julia London has created a scandalous but compelling set of characters -- these are not saints or paragons, but they are lovable, flaws and all.

This is the third book in Julia London's The Secrets of Hadley Green series. The other books in the series are:

Book 1: The Year of Living Scandalously
Book 1.5: The Christmas Secret (e-novella)
Book 2: The Revenge of Lord Eberlin
Book 3: The Seduction of Lady X

For more information about Julia London and her books, visit her website. She's also on Facebook.

The Revenge of Lord Eberlin by Julia London

Fifteen years ago, the lives of the residents of Hadley Green changed forever when an 8-year-old girl gives testimony about the Countess of Ashwood's missing jewels.

Lily Boudine's testimony sent a man to the gallows. Then her aunt drowns in the lake near the estate and her uncle goes missing. As the only living heir, Lily returns, as the new countess, to a crumbling estate and at the receiving end of a man's merciless revenge.

Tobin Scott could not erase the image of his father's dead body -- and he could never forget the girl he knows is responsible for what happened to his family. He has devoted his entire life planning for this moment when he would exact his vengeance on all the people who have wronged his family.

I have been waiting for this book to be published since I read The Year of Living Scandalously last year -- there was a long break in between the first book and this one because Julia London focused on her contemporary series. I am so, so very happy that this book (and book 3) are published close to each other.

Lily and Tobin are the central figures in this tragedy -- standing on opposite sides of the issue, the two finally meet face-to-face as they battle for their heritage. Tobin has been relentless in his intent to destroy Ashwood: he has stolen land, tenants ... and fish -- crippling Lily's estate and leaving her with no means to support herself or her people. And Lily has no resources -- after the debacle of her cousin's arrival in Hadley Green (read the first book), she has no friends and very little money to fight Tobin on equal grounds.

But she refuses to back down -- she knows she spoke the truth many years ago -- it was damning and destructive -- but she knows what she saw. After 15 years, returning to Hadley Green has unlocked pieces of Lily's memory and Lily is able to see the incident more clearly.

But for every answer discovered, more questions are uncovered: What was Joseph Scott doing riding away from Hadley Green that night? What is the meaning of the inscription on the piano stool? Where are the missing jewels?

Tobin and Lily are formidable characters and are very well-matched. Julia London reminds us of their friendship and the idyllic childhood they had before the incident and juxtaposes is to the present -- creating palpable tension between the two adversaries. Their relationship takes an interesting turn when Tobin scandalizes Lily with his most indecent proposal -- and Lily scandalizes Tobin when she accepts it.

Motives are questioned as kisses are exchanged -- Tobin is no longer sure what it is he wants from Lily. And Lily isn't certain what she feels for Tobin is purely enmity.

The word that comes to mind is cataclysmic: that which is destructive but becomes the impetus for drastic change. Lily and Tobin have led tumultuous lives -- not of their own making -- but it is admirable how they have risen up and pressed on (Tobin's motto) -- and love is the cataclysm that allows them to see Hadley Green and the history of their lives there from a different perspective. And love is the balm that heals their wounded souls.

Amazing how Julia London develops the story of our hero and heroine ... and the mystery of the missing jewels! I am itching to get my copy of the third book! >_<

This was an amazing story -- and was worth the wait!

The Revenge of Lord Eberlin is Book 2 in Julia London's Secrets of Hadley Green series. The third book, The Seduction of Lady X was released last March.