Prelude for a Lord by Camille Elliot

★★★★★
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An awkward young woman. 

A haunted young man. 

A forbidden instrument. 

Can the love of music bring them together... or will it tear them apart? 

Bath, England 1810. At twenty-eight, Alethea Sutherton is past her prime for courtship; but social mores have never been her forté. She might be a lady, but she is first and foremost a musician. 

In Regency England, however, the violin is considered an inappropriate instrument for a lady. Ostracized by society for her passion, Alethea practices in secret and waits for her chance to flee to the Continent, where she can play without scandal. 

But when a thief’s interest in her violin endangers her and her family, Alethea is determined to discover the enigmatic origins of her instrument... with the help of the dark, brooding Lord Dommick. 

Scarred by war, Dommick finds solace only in playing his violin. He is persuaded to help Alethea, and discovers an entirely new yearning in his soul. 

Alethea finds her reluctant heart drawn to Dommick in the sweetest of duets... just as the thief’s desperation builds to a tragic crescendo...

Camille Elliot’s Prelude for a Lord held me entranced from the first page to the last. I simply could not stop reading it. It is a truly lovely read, which kept me guessing until the very end.

Elliot masterfully maintains the threads of intrigue, hinting at crucial information without revealing the complete details until the perfect narrative moment. Her plot includes mystery and drama and romance with a great collection of musically-inclined characters. The heroine, Lady Alethea Sutherton, captured my heart with her willful and independent spirit, determined not to fit into society’s confining standards, while the hero, Lord Dommick, drew my attention, playing the conflicted gentleman, protective and kind yet emotionally distant. As they uncover the secrets of the violin (and love), their interactions are lively and endearing, and it is hard not to smile at their exchanges.

Prelude for a Lord is a worthwhile read and I definitely recommend it to fans of historical romance and mystery. I look forward to reading more from Camille Elliot.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Prelude for a Lord and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

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