The Escape by Mary Balogh

I love me some romance novel, don't get me wrong but so many of them have these beautiful men and women that sometimes leave us regular folk feeling a little  .... left out. This historical romance is a little different. It's part of a series called The Survivor's Club (I haven't read the others yet but everyone is a little damaged, either physically or mentally!) Though it is historical, everyone was affected by the war, I feel like this book, and most likely the others in the series, can also resonate with today's society as troops come home from Iraq and the world descends just a little further into violence all over the world. 

Sir Benedict Harper is struggling after returning home from the Napoleonic Wars. Though he has returned a hero, his body has been broken upon the back of the war. He had always dreamed of having a military career and now, unable to walk without the aid of crutch's he is forced to find another dream in a world which is no longer familiar. 

Samantha McKay recently lost her husband. Well in all honesty she lost the man she loved about a month into their marriage, but after returning from the war broken, she nursed him back to health for years before he finally succumbed to his injuries and past away. Her sister in law drives her mad with her rules and propriety. Almost getting trampled and meeting the arrogant man who then yells at her as if it's her fault shows her freedom and gives her something to fight for as she flees to Wales to a tiny home that she had almost forgotten she had been left.

Can love bloom between honour and reckless abandon? Can you tell the difference between love and pity? Can you learn to dream again after everything has been lost? These are some of the questions that the book makes you think about! I really enjoyed it and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance or just a good romance in general. It was such a great read!