Prompt #8 – A book by a blind or visually impaired writer

I honestly had no idea what to read for this prompt,but a search found lots of suggestions including writers I have read but had no idea they visually impaired. In the end I chose The Honourable Heir by Laura Alice Eakes. She is not an author I had read before, but I love a Regency romance and I read a really interesting article she had written about her experiences and those if the blind population in general Click here. One of the things I love about this challenge is that it always means I am introduced to new and interesting writers.

What it’s about?

Catherine, Lady Bisterne, returns to Tuxedo Park cloaked in scandal, the widow of a nobleman who’d loved only her fortune.

As she sets out to repair her family’s reputation, another Englishman in her midst is seeking reparations of a different sort.

While Lord Tristram Wolfe may suspect that Catherine has stolen the Bisterne jewels, he looks at her in a way her husband never had.

As Tristram’s investigation continues, one thing becomes the only thing Lady Catherine has ever stolen is his heart. But can he convince her to trust another English nobleman…and take a second chance on love?

What I think:

This took a few chapters to get into. There were a lot of characters and names to get straight and it was clear that some of the characters already had complex relationships and back stories. The reader is dropped straight into the social world of Tuxedo Park and has to catch up.

The story centres around Catherine, Lady Bisterne. Recently widowed, she is returning home to Tuxedo Park with her tail between her legs. Her marriage to Lord Bisterne caused a scandal and hurt people she cared about. Now she is back and has to make amends and build bridges.

But avoiding further scandal in the restrictive world she lives in is proving challenging. Her sister, a talented musician, cares little for social conventions and she is being pursued by an English Lord accusing her of stealing the family jewels and selling them across Europe.

There is a bit of everything in this book – romance and sexual tension, mystery and intrigue. This is a gentle and sweet historical romance. The characters grew on me and it was a quick and enjoyable read.