Hadrian: Lord of Hope

What I am reading this week:
This week I am reading Hadrian, the newest in the Lonely Lords series by Grace Burrowes.
I have been reading books by the super talented Grace Burrowes since her debut novel The Heir came out in 2010.  I have to admit, it was one of the first romances I read and what made me fall in love (no pun intended) with Regency Romance.   Since then I have gobbled up the entire Windham series, Scottish Victorians and now the Lonely Lords.
Why do I love this book?
I love a character driven story.  More than the plot or action, it is the characters that keep me coming back to favorite authors and staying up into the wee hours of the morning reading their books.  Or re-reading them as is often the case.  You can have a well written story involving your favorite trope, but if the characters aren’t believable, then the story will fall flat.
That is not the case here.
There is something about the characters in the Regency World of Grace Burrowes that are believable.  They seem human to me, believable.  They aren’t perfect or typical of the genre.  They are unique and flawed and sometimes damaged to the point you think that nothing will help them.  But with help from the right person providing the right type of love, these characters can overcome what is holding them back and become more than they were before.
Do they get their Happy Ever After?  You betcha!  But it’s the road they take to get there that really draws me in and has me routinely alternating between growls of frustration, tears and cheering!
Having followed both the Windham and Lonely Lords series, Hadrian allows the reader to get reacquainted with Hadrian Bothwell, whom we first met in The Soldier, and introducing new characters that have the bold personality to become just as beloved.  Add in a cameo appearance by one of my favorite characters and I was a happy reader.
Why do I keep coming back for more?
Throughout the series, there are hints about the past that leave the reader asking “What the heck happened?”  This book, more than any other in the series, does it’s best to shed light on those events hinted at in Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal and Ethan.
Many books in these series have cameos, and it is such a treat! They come as a relief, knowing these characters are doing well.  Almost like a mini epilogue.
There is also a little twist that all Grace Burrowes books have that makes the reader realize that not everything is as it appears.  That little tease of mystery teamed up with the underlying message of hope is one of many reasons I keep coming back again and again.