I really liked this book. Kit is different from most ladies in her age and class. She has a lot on her plate caring for twelve children and the two ladies working with her. Although she has had a bit of crisis of faith, she does come back to God. There's a lot more to this book, but the author reviewers have covered it well. I wouldn't mind a sequel. ( )

A Defense of Honor is my first novel by Kristi Ann Hunter, and as the saying goes, it will not be my last! 🙂 I had heard all the buzz about her books, and the genre, Regency romance, is one I enjoy . . . so what was stopping me? A limited amount of reading time, unfortunately. But I was determined to find a way to finally read one of her books. That’s why audiobooks are so great. I listen to them on my morning walks and whenever I have chores that don’t require a lot of my attention, like ironing (ugh). Hunter’s book was just the thing. It whisked me off to another time and place and set me right down in a lovely story. Although set in Regency England, there wasn’t a lot of society manners present. In fact, the book shines a light on the hidden side of the society doings of London — the children that are better off forgotten.

Main character Kit tries her best to make up for a decade-old mistake, one that cost a friend dearly. She, along with three other women, take in the children who don’t fit into society — the illegitimate children of the aristocracy. I loved the premise of this story, and found it certainly relevant for today. Inconvenience could have swept these children (and their mothers) into the poor houses of the day and into an early death or something perhaps worse. Kit is a strong woman who faces down any opposition or threat, but her weakness is the unforgiveness she places on herself. Graham, a man who at the beginning of the story is bored and looking for a diversion, finds that Kit is anything but boring. Of course the secrecy surrounding Kit’s endeavors places obstacles and walls between the two, but you will love how everything works out in the end. I listened to the audiobook and found the narration charming, especially in the voices of the children residing at Haven Manor.

If you like your romances set in the Regency period, plus love a story with a great message and spiritual truths relevant for today, then I recommend A Defense of Honor. Two more books are in the Haven Manor series. I am very much looking forward to traveling back in time to revisit Haven Manor.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased the audio version from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

A Defense of Honor is a delightful Victorian romance that I very much enjoyed reading. The story is full of love, Faith, good and hard times with great characters, a well written plot and an ending that left my heart warm and a big grin on my face. ( )

I so enjoyed this story of romance and intrigue. This story made me laugh and cry. I loved what Kit did with her life after she had troubles. I loved Graham also. This was a great story. I could not put this book down. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

A Defense of Honor was a very enjoyable read. Set in London over a decade ago, the reader is introduced to a variety of characters in social standing, from those deemed more belonging high society while others are shunned, or looked down upon for their illegitimacy. We follow the main heroine, Kit, as she struggles to redeem herself in the eyes of a close friend as well as herself. But is she going about it the wrong way? Could two wrongs make everything right again? Enter Lord Wharton, who’s helping a friend locating his missing sister of which Kit knows more about than she’s letting on. A bit of mystery, blackmailing, this historical fiction novel will keep the reader entertained. And not to worry, for those who like a bit of romance, there’s some of that in the story as well. Thankfully, while it’s mentioned often, the romance doesn’t overpower the story and actually takes a back seat through good sections.

As for the subject matter, this book doesn’t fall into the same old same old as other historical fiction novels I’ve read. There is only one fancy ball at the beginning, but mostly the story focuses on those pushed from society. What happens to the women that are taken advantage of only to be locked away and hidden from embarrassing the family? This is the first book I’ve come across that involves the idea of starting a fostering program for illegitimate children. For me, that made it an interesting read. While I had some issues with the book, namely some contemporary language used and the “holy than though” approach Graham took to Kit at one point, the rest of the book was good. For fans of Regency novels, I recommend giving this new series a try. I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )