McAlistair’s Fortune

McAlistair’s Fortune (2009) Alissa Johnson

Set in England in 1814

Evie Cole has lived with her cousins since she was a young girl. After her father’s death in a carriage accident, her mother was unwilling to care for her, so the injured child moved to Haldon Hall and remained there with her cousins.

McAlistair worked for the war department as an assassin, but after quitting has spent years hiding out in the woods of Haldon Hall. Whit is fine with this, since it allows the man to recuperate and also provides extra protection for his family.

First, Evie. She has a scar and a limp from her childhood injury. Although she is self-conscious of this, her adopted family has never allowed her to see herself as permanently damaged the way most young women would have been.

The trouble with having a limp was that it was nearly impossible to execute a proper stomping. That wasn’t the only trouble, of course, but it was the inconvenience that most vexed Evie at present.

The fact that she has permanent injuries but doesn’t believe herself to be less is marvelous. Would it have been likely for the time? Probably not, but I’m ok with that.

It wasn’t until Lady Thurston had brought her to live at Haldon (an offer Mrs. Cole had accepted with great relief) that the worst of her shyness had begun to ease. She’d been so quickly accepted, so openly loved by her aunt and cousins that, over time, she regained some of the confidence she had lost.

McAlister is far more damaged, from both his childhood and his time spent as an assassin. He feels himself ruined and undeserving of happiness.

“Act in haste, repent in leisure,” his dear, departed, and no doubt often repentant mother had been fond of saying. An interesting bit of advice from a woman who’d birthed six bastards.

A couple of other notes. When in danger, Evie does not faint or wait to be saved, she acts. (I love the fact that Sophie (from the first book) taught all the young women the basics of self-defense.))

I also appreciated that after paying a price for her stubbornness (riding a horse all day without break leads her to be unable to use her leg when she gets down) although she hates her weakness, she doesn’t make the same mistake twice. She also, although willing to defend herself, doesn’t act stupidly.

Also, this:

“Do you think me capable of—”

“No.”

“Then I fail to see why you’re angry with me.”

A muscle worked in his jaw. “He’s a rake.”

She gestured impatiently at the door. “Well, go lecture him, then.”

I am definitely enjoying this series.
Rating: 8.5/10

Published by Stonesong Digital

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