Ashley J. Barner & Jennifer Sanders: Mr. Pembroke’s Ward

He discarded his dreams to hide what he’s become.

She sacrificed everything to protect what’s most dear to her.

Have they found family at last—or will their secrets drive them apart?

Forever changed by a mysterious past, Hugh Pembroke has given up any thought of home and family until the death of an old friend makes him the guardian of a child he’s never seen. Little Lettie is frightened and alone, and he longs to give her the life she deserves.

Aoife Donnelly has given up everything: her name, her status, all she values most, to protect her own secret. Accepting a position at Juris Hall as governess to Mr. Pembroke’s ward seems to offer the security she seeks.

But Lettie’s grandfather, the vengeful Viscount Rainsford, will stop at nothing to ruin them all. It will take a miracle to save them—or perhaps just a little magic.

Can Hugh and Aoife trust each other enough to keep Lettie safe—and maybe find happiness as well?

CW: white savior narrative, slavery, assault

The book starts with a man with a secret past who has just discovered the secret life of his friend. Married in Antigua, the deceased Carstairs has left a child as ward to Hugh Pembroke. Although her mama is a free woman, the laws in Antigua make it dangerous to flee with her daughter, so she sends her alone to England.

Abolitionism is a theme explored throughout the novel, though a lot is in exposition. There are also a few scenes with neighbors, villagers, and an ostler that explore the experience of race during the Regency. I think what the authors were trying to show were varying attitudes about race during the Regency era, but they honestly brought up more questions for me.

I found the end veered a bit towards the white savior narrative which made me uncomfortable. I admire the authors for tackling this topic and introducing a biracial character as a ward, but also want to caution readers that the end result may feel a bit white man saves the day. I want to give the authors some credit that there is a fine line to walk when introducing the topic and doing so with authenticity. On the one hand, I was disappointed that we didn’t see or learn more about life in Antigua. On the other hand, that likely would have been challenging for authors who don’t have that experience. Its a delicate needle to thread, but I want to be completely transparent that I didn’t think it always worked well, particularly in the final pages. Similarly, there was so much going on in this book that the snippets of race we witness with interactions left me feeling there was more to explore.

Pembroke is a bit of a enigma, and we discover why a couple chapters in. This is also another area of the novel that makes me uncomfortable, but mostly because I am not a wide reader of paranormal romance and am not familiar with the conventions. I don’t want to spoil the paranormal element for readers, although its a bit strange to me that the back cover copy (and the way it was pitched to me) does not touch on the paranormal element so that its introduction is jarring to a reader expecting something else entirely.

The paranormal element also feels like a secondary storyline, which was confusing. I am not sure if that is normal for paranormal romance to have elements of the supernatural that seem loosely tied to the outcome of the story/romance. I felt, generally, I could have read this book without the paranormal elements and the story wouldn’t have been that much different.

There are lots of villainy and action, including a fair amount of mildly described violence (highwayman hold up, shooting, attempted murder) but what I enjoyed most were the tender scenes between Pembroke and his ward, Lettie, at least in the beginning. I thought his budding relationship with his ward really showed Pembroke to be a man of principles, character, and kindness (which may also be why it ultimately suffers for being close to white savior territory). Throughout the book, there is an emphasis on found family which I liked and will be appealing to a lot of readers and it expands beyond Pembroke and his ward.

The romance was of the found family/fated mates variety. It may be a bit too instalove for readers, although no confessions of love take place until a crisis occurs. There is minimal intimacy, mostly a couple of kisses, so definitely on the kisses only scale of things. If readers looking for kisses only aren’t concerned about a bit of violence, although not graphic, then this will be a good match.

The historical elements were well researched and many of the details interesting and relevant. Generally, the MCs were well suited and supporting characters added that extra depth and interest that makes up a good Regency romance.

There is a lot going on in this book, and generally it was an enjoyable read, if not for some pacing issues. Readers looking for something different who like a little paranormal with their Regency will probably enjoy this novel.

Although my review has some critical elements that I want readers to be prepared for, I think it is worth stating that I thought this was an interesting, very different novel that shows a lot of promise for this team of authors. A lot of historical romance’s tradition has been white washing, so more books that offer diverse representation I think are a good thing, it just is a delicate thing that needs extra attention and work. The paranormal elements that were challenging for me may be your catnip.

5 Stars 4 out of 6 A paranormal Regency with found family