A Fatal Illusion

A Fatal Illusion (2023) Anna Lee Huber (Lady Darby)

Set in England in 1832

This book picks up immediately after the events of the previous book. Kiera and Gage are rushing to Yorkshire after receiving a message that Lord Gage had been shot.

Lord Gage isn’t dead, but he is also much unchanged despite having been shot and suffered the often typical infection following.

In some ways, this was a hard book for me to read, because of the relationship between Sebastian and his father.

(T)he blunt realization that he wasn’t incapable of warmth and affection after all. He’d simply chosen not to give it.

Kiera and Sebastian are still adjusting to marriage and being new parents, but although she sometimes Kiera still struggles.

I closed my mouth and withdrew my hand, trying not to feel hurt by his rejection. Clearly, he’d chosen to take refuge in anger once again. But knowing that intellectually and accepting it emotionally were two different things.

For the most part she is much better about standing up for herself.

He turned his head to the side, exhaling a long breath. “Yes, I misjudged that rather badly, didn’t I?”

But I wasn’t about to leave it at that. “I believe the words you’re looking for are I apologize.”

What I appreciated were the reminders of things I already knew, but needed to hear again.

“Just because you’re willing to forgive someone doesn’t mean you also have to give them leave to continue hurting you,”

And I especially appreciated that Dr. Barker was based upon an historical figure. Considering the current political client, one can easily imagine certain kinds of people bitching about political correctness entering their fiction, when in fact, in so many ways there is nothing new under the sun.

Publisher: Berkley

Rating: 8/10

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