The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey (2017)

The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey (2017) by Carolyn Miller is the final novel in her Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace series. This novel is due to release on October 24, 2017. This novel comes in all forms including eBook, and is 291 pages in length. With a full-time job and a precocious five-year old this novel took me four days to read. I received a free copy of this novel from Kregel Publications. In no way has this influenced my opinion of the story. All opinions expressed in this review are mine. I give this novel 5 STARS. This story is a Regency-era Christian Romance set in England in 1815.

About the Book

Tainted by scandal and forced to leave London for the quieter Brighton countryside, the Honorable Miss Clara DeLancey is a shadow of her former society self. She’s lost the man she loved to another and, in a culture that has no patience for self-pity, is struggling with depression. A chance encounter brings her a healing friendship with the sisters of an injured naval captain. But Clara’s society mama is appalled at the new company she’s keeping. 

Captain Benjamin Kemsley is not looking for a wife. But his gallant spirit won’t let him ignore the penniless viscount’s daughter–not when she so obviously needs assistance to keep moving forward from day to day. Can he protect his heart and still keep her safe? 

When they’re pushed into the highest echelons of society at the Prince Regent’s Brighton Pavilion, this mismatched couple must decide if family honor is more important than their hopes. Can they right the wrongs of the past and find future happiness together–without finances, family support, or royal favor?

My Thoughts

In The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, we finally get Clara’s story. As with her first two novels, Miller writes captivating and authentic characters who I found to be completely endearing. Clara, at the start of this story, is battling with depression. She is 25-years old and has been through several Seasons — in her society, this, coupled with quite a few faux pas, makes her ancient and unwanted. She is also reeling from a severe family scandal. Just when she thinks her life has come to its end and has no purpose, a handsome naval captain and his loving sisters enter Clara’s life. Through her new friendships, Clara slowly comes to realize that with God at the center of her life she can overcome anything, especially the hurt, pain, and frustration of all she has been through the last few years. Clara learns not only the value of forgiving others, but the hardest lesson of all: forgiving herself. I really loved this aspect of the novel. I can forgive the one who has hurt me. In fact, once I get over the initial pain and shock from the hurt, forgiving others comes pretty easy. Forgiving myself, however, is one of the hardest things for me to do. This novel is a good reminder to those of us who struggle with forgiving ourselves that God loves us. God meets us where we are at in order to help us through every facet of our lives. I feel blessed to have been reminded of this beautiful fact!

This story has it all: a handsome naval captain who saves the day, good friendships that develop well over the course of the story, awesome moments when misunderstandings get sorted out, a pretty wretched villain, and quite a bit of adventure and intrigue. There is so much depth to this book, I just could not put it down. I also really loved Miller’s use of history throughout the story, especially as she detailed moments with the Prince Regent. He was quite an interesting guy. Many times I was so engrossed by the descriptions of people and places that I had to Google! I especially loved learning about the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Miller does such an excellent job describing the Pavilion and all its glory that it really does become an additional character.

As I have intimated in my reviews for book 1 and book 2 of this series, Carolyn Miller is a fabulous, fresh voice in Christian fiction. God has blessed her with a serious talent. She may be one of the best Regency-era novelists today! I am sad that my time with this series is complete, BUT I look forward to all that Ms. Miller has in store for us readers in the future. The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey is a highly-captivating story that I cannot recommend enough. Purchase this novel on release day — October 24, 2017 — you will not be disappointed that you did!