Mary Jo Putney, Loving a Lost Lord

Loving a Lost Lord by Mary Jo Putney - In 1812 in Cumberland in Northwest England, Mariah Clarke inherits Hartley Manor from her late father. The previous owner, before her father that is, George Burke is outraged over the loss of his home as he believes Mariah's father won his estate by cheating at cards. He wants it back and decides to bully Mariah into marriage. She tells him she is married and husband will join her soon.

She finds a God-send when she rescues a stranger from the sea. He has no idea who he is as he suffers from amnesia. She convinces him that he is her spouse Adam. However, as he struggles with his memory, Adam and Mariah fall in love. When she learns he is the Duke of Ashton she knows she must give her beloved the facts as he must choose; however she fears he will select anything but the duplicitous woman who deceived him.

The opening act of the Lost Lords is a terrific Regency romance that showcases how talented Mary Jo Putney is when she turns the overused amnesia ploy into a super historical due to a great cast starring in a strong story line. The tale is fast-paced from the moment Mariah tours her new manor and never slows down as two men enter her life with one threatening to harm her body and the other her heart and soul.