The titles were more interesting when read in order, as a series, than as standalone novels. ( )

Book source ~ NetGalley

Baron Sebastian St. Clair was stuck between a rock and a hard place. As a boy he and his family visited family in France and then got stranded there when Napoleon went apeshit and the war started. His father slipped back to England but died during the war. Then his mother died. In order to protect his French relations, Sebastian had to join the French army as Robert Girard, in charge of a chateau where they tortured prisoners to get information out of them. English prisoners. Of which Sebastian could claim half his ancestry. When the war was over, England pardoned the torturer St. Clair, and, as the last remaining male heir, he was told to take up the barony and get to work. He was trying to live a quiet life and do just that, but The Traitor Baron kept being challenged to duels by the very peers he tortured during the war. Would there be no peace for him? Enter Miss Millicent Danforth, a poor relation turned paid companion. His only remaining relative, his elderly Aunt Freddie, had gone through quite a string of paid companions before she hires Milly. And the story is off and running…

After having read book 1, The Captive, I have to say I came into this story with grave doubts that the author could turn the torturer from it into a hero. I was wrong. Sebastian is a complicated tortured soul himself. What he has done haunts him. Not just because he had to torture his peers, but the circumstances that brought him to it. He’s flawed, but redeemable. Milly isn’t without her demons. She’s a great character and perfect for Sebastian. The story is complicated and layered and one of the best reads of 2019 for me. Hell, it ranks up there with my all-time favorites. Bravo! ( )

One of the best Burrowes novels, yet, which is saying something since I've loved everything I've read so far (and it's a lot). St. Clair is a complex character with a very complicated situation, and Millicent is a wonderfully strong woman dealing with her own baggage. I love how the women in this series have been their own characters with interesting stories. Burrowes is definitely exploring the flawed hero/heroine dynamic of late, and I approve. Not everyone is a titled noble with an impeccable background and some minor foible. These characters have survived war, abuse, loneliness, loss and pain. I applaud Burrowes' efforts and look forward to reading the third in this set. ( )

The Traitor was a difficult book for me to get through. I loved the heroine but really had a hard time connecting with the hero. The story was very dry and I had to force myself to finish. I figured the ending would make up for it, but, although it was a nice ending, it didn't knock my socks off. I'm not sure exactly what the issue was, because I usually enjoy Ms. Burrowes' work. Looking forward to the next one though. 3.5/5 stars ( )

This book and series is why I am so miserly handing out stars, I want there to be a clear distinction between 2stars (ok) and 4stars (great emotional reads). I haven't read the third in the series yet but I can already tell, I'm going to be begging for these to come out in hardback. Cherished story, cherished characters, and cherished experience.

There are a lot of wonderful reviews on this already and as I'm behind on ARCs I simply don't have the time to dedicate to writing a review I feel worthy (just short of blood and tears went into the review I wrote for the first book in the series,lol). Suffice to say, I didn't quite like this second one as much as the first; there seemed to be a weaker bond between me and the characters, the middle dragged on a wee bit, and the true villain was dispensed of in a very unsatisfactory way. However, Ms. Burrowes has written a series that is leaps and bounds ahead of a lot of her predecessors.

I will end with, there is the perceived truth, truth in lies, personal truths, the truth, and the damn truth. This series encapsulates them all and I can't wait until I can read the third book. ( )