Honor Bound by C.J. Archer

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Personal Kindle Library

Read: August 14, 2012

Fans of Diana Gabaldon and Philippa Gregory imagine this: 7 years ago a woman with too many secrets and a man with too many lies fell in love. Then she left him. Isabel's quiet life as an assistant to one of London's famous apothecaries hides a deadly secret. A secret that could see her put on trial for witchcraft if the authorities uncover the truth. But when the authority figure who turns up at her shop is Sir Nicholas Merritt, she's at risk of losing more than her life. She could lose her heart and soul, and the man she loves. Royal spy Sir Nicholas Merritt can't believe his luck when he stumbles upon Isabel during an investigation. He's been searching for her for seven long years and now he has her again, in his bed and his life. Except she's resisting all the way. Worse still, she's somehow tangled up with a plot to assassinate the queen. To hold onto her this time, he must find out why she left him while hiding a secret of his own that could tear them apart forever.

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Just my opinion, but I don't think drawing comparison to Gabaldon or Gregory was the way to go here. C.J. Archer's Honor Bound is good, definitely worth the $2.99 it is currently listed for on Amazon, but it doesn't have a thing either title. Even as a tease, the line seems ostentatious and arrogant.

That said, I liked the book. I spent a lot of time wondering when Isabel's secret was going to be incorporated into the plot and that sort of put a damper on the rest of the story, but it is what it is. Up to the halfway point Isabel is working as an apothecary's assistant, trying to convince herself she can live a normal life, refusing to use or even acknowledge her abilities. I was about to chuck the book when it finally got to the point in the best possible way. Needless to say, I was pretty impressed.

Archer's lovebirds possess some very modern sensibilities and that was a little awkward for me as I personally like period appropriate perceptions, but beyond that I can't fault the book. Light, but not a bad beach read. 

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Men! What sort of silly fool did they take her for? She could forgive the earl's assumption of her lack of intelligence, but Nick? He should know better...

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