Loving Rose: The Redemption of Malcolm Sinclair
Laurens is back on form with this light, bubbly romance set in Regency England. Malcolm Sinclair, pantomime baddy of previous Laurens books, is washed ashore, miraculously still alive despite his injuries. He is cared for by monks before making his way back into the world, determined to make amends for the sins committed in his previous life. What he doesn’t know, however, is exactly how he is going to do that. Rose, as housekeeper for an absentee landlord, had thought her and her family’s secrets safe. Yet when Sinclair returns to his house to find her and two children living there, it doesn’t take him long to realise that there is more going on than appearances suggest. As the attraction between them grows, she is given no choice but to trust Thomas, as he has styled himself, with the burdens she has carried. Thomas can only find spiritual redemption through learning, for the first time in his life, to love – not only Rose, but the two children, too. But will he be able to keep them safe from a wicked plot to kill them and take their inheritance? Despite being the third in a trilogy, the book works as a stand-alone story, although existing fans will enjoy the inclusion of previous characters and Sinclair’s rehabilitation. Lively and sparkling, this is an entertaining and pleasurable read. An enjoyable ‘guilty pleasure’ for a rainy afternoon.
