Spotlight & Giveaway: Someone to Honor by Mary Balogh

Posted July 18th, 2019 by in Blog, Spotlight / 32 comments

Today, HJ is pleased to share with you Mary Balogh’s new release: Someone to Honor

 

Spotlight&Giveaway

 

First appearances deceive in the newest charming and heartwarming Regency romance in the Westcott series from beloved New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh.

Abigail Westcott’s dreams for her future were lost when her father died and she discovered her parents were not legally married. But now, six years later, she enjoys the independence a life without expectation provides a wealthy single woman. Indeed, she’s grown confident enough to scold the careless servant chopping wood outside without his shirt on in the proximity of ladies.
 
But the man is not a servant. He is Gilbert Bennington, the lieutenant colonel and superior officer who has escorted her wounded brother, Harry, home from the wars with Napoleon. Gil has come to help his friend and junior officer recover, and he doesn’t take lightly to being condescended to–secretly because of his own humble beginnings.
 
If at first Gil and Abigail seem to embody what the other most despises, each will soon discover how wrong first impressions can be. For behind the appearances of the once-grand lady and the once-humble man are two people who share an understanding of what true honor means, and how only with it can one find love.

 

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from Someone to Honor 

She just needed to walk for a minute or two to clear her head, she told herself as she hurried along, and give herself the courage to look at Harry again without dissolving into tears as her mother had just done, or—worse—fainting. The carriage had pulled away to the carriage house at the far side of the stables. The dog she had heard earlier was over there somewhere too, objecting loudly to its arrival or perhaps welcoming it. The sound of the axe grew louder.
And then she saw the man—groom or gardener—who was using it. He was beside the stable block, tackling a large pile of logs, which he was reducing to wedges of firewood on a chopping block. There was a sizable pile of wood, neatly stacked, beside him. But it was not the wood that caught her shocked attention and stopped her in her tracks.
It was the man.
He was naked above the waist. Below the waist his breeches, more like a second skin than a garment, hugged narrow hips and long, powerfully muscled legs. Leather boots, old and scuffed, looked as though they must have been molded to his calves. Muscles rippled in his arms and shoulders and along his back as he wielded the axe. His dark hair curled damply at the nape of his neck.
Abigail swallowed and would have moved on, unseen yet horribly embarrassed, if a huge shaggy monster of a creature, which she did not immediately identify as a dog, had not suddenly erupted from behind the stables and come dashing straight for her, barking ferociously. She did not scream. But she did remain anchored to the spot as she raised her arms protectively before her face and whimpered or wailed or pleaded for mercy—truth to tell, when she looked back later, she could not recall exactly what sounds she had made, if any. Something humiliatingly abject, no doubt. But just as she expected the animal to leap for her throat, a deep voice issued a command.
“Beauty, sit!”
Beauty sat so abruptly that Abigail dropped her arms in surprise. She could see now that the animal was indeed a dog, a huge lump of a creature with a shaggy grayish white coat that hung over even its eyes and mouth, almost obscuring them. Its front legs were long, its rump wide and somewhat lopsided. It sat with mostly erect ears, one of which flopped over at the tip; a lolling, panting pink tongue; and a tail that thumped the ground. Abigail dared not move, lest the order to sit be forgotten in the dog’s eagerness to attack.
“She will not harm you,” the man said, reading her thoughts or perhaps the stiffness of her body. “She looks upon every stranger as a potential new friend.”
Abigail switched her attention from the dog to the man without moving her head. He had straightened and turned to face her, revealing himself as tall and powerfully built, the muscles of his chest and abdomen, which she could see almost to his navel, well defined. His eyes were as dark as his hair, one lock of which hung over his forehead. His features were angular and harsh, his expression forbidding. Both his face and his body were badly scarred. Indeed, a scar slashed across one cheek, down over his chin, and along part of his neck before proceeding across the whole width of his shoulder. He bore himself in a very up- right manner. His large hands were clasped about the handle of the axe, which he held at an angle across his body. He was glistening with sweat.
He looked like a fearfully dangerous man. Primitive. Magnificent. He was all raw masculinity. Abigail felt herself shudder inwardly.
He looked boldly back at her, his eyes moving over her quite frankly, as she supposed hers had moved over him. And terror gave place to embarrassment—had she really wailed or whimpered and thrown up her arms to protect her face? And had he noticed? But how could he not have? Was he laughing inwardly at her? Or worse, feeling a sneering contempt at her terror of an apparently friendly dog? Embarrassment turned to indignation—at his near nakedness and at his boldness.
“Were you given permission to remove your coat and shirt?” she asked him. Too late she heard the primness in her voice.
He cocked one eyebrow.
“You are in full view of anyone who walks even a few steps from the house,” she said. “It is quite unseemly. Perhaps you have not been informed that Major Westcott has visitors and is expecting more. Including ladies. I shall report you to him and see to it that he has a word with your supervisor.”
Belatedly it occurred to her that she ought to have had that word with Harry without actually scolding the man himself. She did not usually take it upon herself to berate servants. But she was feeling ruffled and hot cheeked, and he was still standing there looking steadily at her.

Excerpt. ©Mary Balogh. Posted by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
 
 

Giveaway: US only giveaway of one copy of SOMEONE TO HONOR (The Westcott Series)

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and post a comment to this Q: What did you think of the excerpt spotlighted here? Leave a comment with your thoughts on the book…

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Meet the Author:

Mary Balogh has written more than one hundred historical novels and novellas, more than thirty of which have been New York Times bestsellers. They include the Bedwyn saga, the Simply quartet, the Huxtable quintet, the seven-part Survivors’ Club series, and the Westcott series.
 
 
 

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32 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Someone to Honor by Mary Balogh”

  1. Jeanna Massman

    I love Mary Balogh books! All of her characters are so well developed and these two are perfect examples.

  8. A

    Great review! I’m really looking forward to reading more! Mary Balogh is such a talented author. This is definitely on my TBR list!

  11. Joye I

    I am always looking for new authors to read.
    This book sounds like the kind I enjoy reading.

  20. BookLady

    I enjoy Mary Balogh’s books. Great excerpt. I’d love to read more.

  23. Ruth Pople

    I love your blog I am such a romantic! The book sounds wonderful I haven’t read from this author yet so I am crossing my fingers as it would be a great read 🙂

  24. Janie McGaugh

    I recently read the first book in the series and really enjoyed it. This sounds like another good one!

  25. Ellen C.

    I’m enjoying this series. Looking forward to reading more of this book.