The Lady He Lost

Estranged friends struggle to move past their fraught history in Delacour’s jam-packed debut. In 1839, naval lieutenant Eleazar “Eli” Williams expects joyous reunions when he returns to England following a shipwreck that left him erroneously pronounced dead. Instead, he finds that his former friend Jane Bishop is still furious over Eli’s prior engagement to Jane’s cousin, Cecily Kerr, as she has long harbored secret feelings for him. Jane’s determined to be self-reliant, pouring all her energy into expanding her women-only card club while dodging the matchmaking advice of her doting uncle Bertie and putting her affection for Eli behind her—even as they cross paths repeatedly. When they wind up trapped together during a thunderstorm, however, their sexual tension boils over. Eli’s eager to repair the rift between them, but Jane must decide what she can risk and Eli must face the consequences of his choices before either of them can build a happier future, together or apart. Delacour throws myriad obstacles in the couple’s path, resulting in a narrative that feels somewhat overburdened with subplots. Still, the three-dimensional characters and sensual love scenes charm. Delacour is sure to win fans with this. Agent: Rebecca Strauss, DeFiore & Co. (Apr.)