He's doing what he can to save the Prince Regent's life . . . but can he save his new marriage as well?
Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero--he just wanted to fight Napoleon for the future of his country. And he certainly didn't think that saving the life of a peer would mean being made the Earl of Whitelock. But when the life you save is dear to the Prince Regent, things can change in a hurry.
Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride, all thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn't have are all his memories. Traumatized as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there's something he can't quite remember. It's important, dangerous--and if he doesn't recall it in time, will jeopardize not only his marriage but someone's very life.
Readers who enjoy Julie Klassen, Carolyn Miller, and Kristi Ann Hunter will love diving into this brand-new Regency series filled with suspense, aristocratic struggles, and a firm foundation of faith.
Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride, all thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn't have are all his memories. Traumatized as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there's something he can't quite remember. It's important, dangerous--and if he doesn't recall it in time, will jeopardize not only his marriage but someone's very life.
Readers who enjoy Julie Klassen, Carolyn Miller, and Kristi Ann Hunter will love diving into this brand-new Regency series filled with suspense, aristocratic struggles, and a firm foundation of faith.
ISBN-13: 9780825446177
My Review
Their lives change forever at the whim of one man...
I've been a bit leery of Regency era fiction in recent years. It seems like if you've read one you've read them all, though there are definitely exceptions. But, I put aside all reservations because The Lost Lieutenant is an Erica Vetsch novel and she had won me over years ago with her historical westernish romance. I've never regretted reading one of her books and that still very much holds true.
I was continually surprised by The Lost Lieutenant and I really enjoyed that fact. It's not one of the myriad Austen retellings nor an endless round if teas and dancing. There is so much more to Erica Vetsch's characters than that. They both hold secrets, ones that could mean serious heartbreak, but if they are going to make their unexpected and certainly unplanned marriage work they are going to have to learn to trust each other.
One of the other pleasantly unexpected parts of the story was the suspense thread, especially near the end of the book. I loved it! When it got to the showdown I was riveted to the page and couldn't have put the book down even if I wanted to, which, of course, I didn't.
I really liked The Lost Lieutenant and I think I've discovered my new favorite Erica Vetsch novel. And, the best part? This is only book 1 in the very engaging Serendipity & Secrets series, I can't wait for the next one!
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch a 4.5 Bark rating.
I've been a bit leery of Regency era fiction in recent years. It seems like if you've read one you've read them all, though there are definitely exceptions. But, I put aside all reservations because The Lost Lieutenant is an Erica Vetsch novel and she had won me over years ago with her historical westernish romance. I've never regretted reading one of her books and that still very much holds true.
I was continually surprised by The Lost Lieutenant and I really enjoyed that fact. It's not one of the myriad Austen retellings nor an endless round if teas and dancing. There is so much more to Erica Vetsch's characters than that. They both hold secrets, ones that could mean serious heartbreak, but if they are going to make their unexpected and certainly unplanned marriage work they are going to have to learn to trust each other.
One of the other pleasantly unexpected parts of the story was the suspense thread, especially near the end of the book. I loved it! When it got to the showdown I was riveted to the page and couldn't have put the book down even if I wanted to, which, of course, I didn't.
I really liked The Lost Lieutenant and I think I've discovered my new favorite Erica Vetsch novel. And, the best part? This is only book 1 in the very engaging Serendipity & Secrets series, I can't wait for the next one!
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch a 4.5 Bark rating.
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
An Interview with Erica Vetsch,
Author of The Lost Lieutenant
Who doesn’t need to be swept away to another place and time every now and then? After all, there’s never a bad time for a good story. For readers ready to take a trip back to early nineteenth-century England, The Lost Lieutenant (Kregel Publications) by Erica Vetsch is a perfect means of transport.
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Q: Up until now, many of your books have been historical releases but set in the American West. Why the move to England for the new series? If there is one thing my family and friends know about me, it is that I always want to be learning and researching new historical topics. Having written and researched so many books set in the American West, I found myself feeling as if I was in a bit of a rut. I was having difficulty coming up with something fresh and interesting, where I could really dive into the research. |
I had been reading quite a bit of Regency, thanks to some recommendations from an author friend, and the more I read, the more I realized I didn’t know many specifics about the era. Suddenly, there were so many avenues to explore, like the aristocracy, the clothing, the amusements, the Napoleonic Wars, and much more! My imagination sparked, and I was hooked!
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Q: Tell us a little bit about your new book, The Lost Lieutenant. The Lost Lieutenant is a combination of an arranged-marriage and a fish-out-of-water story. The hero, Evan, continually finds himself having his life dictated by others and wondering if God has made a huge mistake. Evan is a soldier, a sharpshooter in the British Army. The son of a parson, he knows more about battlefield tactics than how to conduct himself in London society. And yet, when he is conferred an earldom and a bride to go along with the title, he is forced to accept his new role and make it his own. |
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While he’s struggling with his new responsibilities, his bride, Diana, is hiding secrets from her husband, her father, and the man who could destroy everything. If the truth gets out, it could cost a baby his life. What she doesn’t realize is that her husband is keeping secrets of his own, secrets that could cost him his freedom.
The Lost Lieutenant is a story of falling in love while learning to trust. Trust God. Trust your heart. Trust your spouse.
The Lost Lieutenant is a story of falling in love while learning to trust. Trust God. Trust your heart. Trust your spouse.
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Q: Diana and Evan both find themselves caught in circumstances beyond their control. How do they each handle themselves?
I think they each arrive at the same conclusion, that God is sovereign and God is good, but by different routes. Diana is used to being bossed and coerced by her domineering father, and she has less trouble with God’s sovereignty and more issue with whether God is good to someone like her—someone who keeps secrets and lies, even though she means well. Evan continually wonders if God really intends him to be an earl, to have a wife, to abandon the life and career he built for himself. And if so, now what? |
Through their circumstances, and through learning to love one another, each teaches the other the truth about God that they know, and they also discover a few truths together.
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Q: What role does faith play in the lives of your main characters, Diana and Evan? Evan has a background and foundation of faith to draw on, being the son of a preacher. He has a good relationship with his father that helps him in his relationship with his heavenly Father. While Evan doesn’t always know what God is doing, he finds it quite easy to ask through prayer for God to help him make sense of things. He has enough faith to not fear asking and questioning when things aren’t going according to Evan’s plans. |
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Diana has some training, through a childhood teacher, about faith being more than a weekly ritual, about needing to have a personal relationship with God through His Son. She prays, but because her father is so domineering and mean, she wonders if God could possibly be good to her. She has very clear lines about what is right and wrong, but she also fears that if she crosses God, He will seek retribution.
Through seeing a godly man, her new husband, Diana is able to gain confidence that she is both loved and lovable, that a man can be kind and therefore demonstrate that God can be kind as well.
Through seeing a godly man, her new husband, Diana is able to gain confidence that she is both loved and lovable, that a man can be kind and therefore demonstrate that God can be kind as well.
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Q: Without giving away too much, what can readers expect as the Serendipity & Secrets series continues? Big things! There are two more stories in the Serendipity & Secrets series coming this summer and in early 2021, The Gentleman Spy and The Indebted Earl. And as a bonus, there’s a spin-off novella this Christmas in the Joy to the World novella collection. My story is “The Wonders of His Love,” and I think readers will enjoy visiting the characters in this series again. |
The Gentleman Spy is the story of Marcus, Duke of Haverly, and a crusading bluestocking named Charlotte. Readers first meet Marcus, who becomes a good friend of Evan, in The Lost Lieutenant. Marcus marries Charlotte and thinks he can relegate her to the margins of his life so he doesn’t have to change too much, but Charlotte is not one to be pushed aside and ignored.
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The Indebted Earl is Sophie Haverly’s story of loss and newfound love. When Sophie’s fiancé is killed in the war, his best friend and commanding officer returns to England to repay a debt. Charles carries the weight of guilt, feeling himself to be responsible for his friend’s death. If he can fulfill his promise to look after Sophie, maybe he can pay part of his debt.
“The Wonders of His Love” in the Joy to the World collection is the story of transformation and spreading wings for widow Cilla Haverly. With no real place now in society, she wonders if her future is as bleak as it feels. Enter Hamish, a Scottish painter brought in for the holidays to paint the portraits of the new Duke and Duchess of Haverly. But Hamish creates more than just likenesses in oil on canvas. He also creates a longing in Cilla that she can’t deny. |
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Erica Vetsch
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Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.
Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. A self-described history geek, she has been planning her first research trip to England. |
Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@EricaVetschAuthor), Twitter (@EricaVetsch), Instagram (@EricaVetsch) and Pinterest (Erica Vetsch).
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