I have been waiting for this blog post for so long. This book is so great. If you have ever read any of the Jonquil books by Sarah M Eden, you will know why I am so excited with this first book in Sarah M Eden's new series, The Gents. Forget me Not is the story of Lucas and Julia. He is the heir to Lampton Earldom and she is heiress to the Farland Barony. They were friends as children, and their parents have determined that they will wed. What happens after is so fantastic. If you have read the Jonquil books, you know how this ends, but seeing how it gets there is so fantastic. I laughed and I cried. I cringed and I felt the heartwarming moments to my core.
Book Description
Nottinghamshire, 1785
Julia Cummings has long been acquainted with loss-her mother, her brother, her sister, her friend, all gone too soon. But the loss that pushed her grief to the limit as a young girl was that of her best friend, Lucas Jonquil, who abandoned her without looking back. Now, eight years later, Lucas has returned to Lampton Park, and Julia has steeled herself-she will never forgive the man who broke her heart.
After losing too many of his friends and family to early deaths, Lucas vowed to live life to the fullest. And after traversing the world, he has returned from his adventures to find his family and home as he left them-except for Julia. The little girl he left behind has blossomed into a captivating lady, a lady who makes it clear she despises him. With little hope of reconciliation, the former friends are blindsided when their parents make a shocking announcement. Lucas and Julia have been betrothed without their knowledge and are to marry immediately. Now Lucas must rely on the help of his closest friends to win the heart of a lady who loathes him-a lady he’s coming to love more deeply every day.
My Review
I have been savoring this review in my head. I love everything Jonquil and this story was everything good in this fictional world. If you are familiar with the Jonquil series, you are in for a treat while being introduced to their parents' love story, It started as anything but a love story.
Julia has known loss and has kept to home to protect herself from more loss. Lucas has done what he can to escape his similar losses. He promises to write her, but forgets that promise. By the time their marriage is arranged by their parents, Julia wants nothing to do with Lucas.
This book is the first in a series about "The Gents" and we are privileged to meet them on this journey, because who is a Jonquil without someone to remind him he is an idiot.
We see glimpses of others that we have met before in Sarah M Eden's books including many familiar places. If you haven't met this family yet, this would be a great place to start. However, I am going to give the following warning: make sure you have time to read them all, Sarah M Eden has a way of drawing you in and taking up your time with her novels.
This is a fantastic story and I found myself laughing and crying and becoming thoroughly lost between the pages.
I was given a complimentary copy and these are my own thoughts.
Sarah's bio is on her website here.
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