The Lost Lieutenant - Review

The Lost Lieutenant (Serendipity & Secrets #1)

By: Erica Vetsch

Publication: April 21st 2020 by Kregel Publications

304 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Regency

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--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.

Another situation where the description is accurate but gave me a different impression of what the book would be about.

Evan is wounded in battle. He's suffering from memory loss as well as PTSD (which wasn't known or understood at this time). He doesn't remember saving Percival's life. He doesn't remember the battle. He just has flashes from time to time with a sense of urgency that he doesn't understand. He doesn't even know if the flashes are real. Evan starts out in a hospital recovering from his injuries when he receives word that the Prince Regent wants to honor him and to present himself at court.

Diana is headed to London for her first Season. Her father and brother are going to attempt to sell her off to the highest bidder with plans to split Diana's inheritance from her grandmother with her husband. Diana's father and brother are the worst sorts of people, and her father specifically is using Diana's nephew (born out of wedlock to her older sister who died during childbirth) as leverage to get Diana to do what he wants.

Diana and Evan meet at court where Diana is presented and Evan is named the new Earl of Whitelock. The two are thrown together in a few chance situations. Diana is goddaughter to the Prince Regent and Evan is the Prince's newest favorite person. The Prince decides to play matchmaker and basically requires the two to marry. Where both are in many ways resistant to the plan (it foils their own plans for their lives), they both know that you can't say no to the Prince Regent.

Evan and Diana travel to their new (to them) estate which is essentially falling apart with the mission of getting it ready for a royal visit. They have to hire a staff, make the repairs to the estate, get the estate functioning (the prior Earl of Whitelock has been dead for 20 years), as well as navigate their new marriage. On top of that, Evan has to figure out why his memories (what little he has) feel so urgent, and they have to settle the issue of Diana's illegitimate nephew.

I loved this book. Each piece of it. The forced marriage. The restoration of the estate. The mystery behind Evan's memory. The side characters--particularly Marcus. (I cannot be more thrilled to get my hands on his story, and if it were available now I would purchase it and read it immediately.) And the conclusion. I found each part of this story enthralling. I wanted to keep reading every time I had to put it down. And I will be stalking The Gentleman Spy.

I loved both Evan and Diana. Each character had strengths to bring to the marriage and story. Each character had thorough backstories and came alive off the page. I enjoyed their journey. I found the estate restoration, Evan's side projects, and the mystery of the original battle that sparked everything into motion intriguing. The side characters were enriching. They added depth. Marcus is a favorite, but also Shand. Percival and Fitzroy, as well as Duke Seaton, were all characters I enjoyed hating. And the Prince Regent brought a little humor in to liven things up. I appreciated God being worked into the story in a way that felt authentic and not forced. And I am absolutely going to stalk book 2 in the series until I get my hands on it. The Lost Lieutenant gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read The Lost Lieutenant? What did you think? Let me know!