Boundless

Lynne Connolly

Dec 2018 · The Shaws Book 3 · Lyrical Press

About this ebook

Sparks fly after a roguish widower rescues a socialite with a dark secret in this Georgian romance by the USA Today–bestselling author of Dauntless. 

She’s the unlikely wallflower of the extraordinary Shaw family. A woman who will never marry, but not for the reasons you might think . . .

Attacked on the streets of London, Lady Livia Shaw is relieved when a gentleman comes to her aid—and startled to discover her rescuer is Adrian, the Duke of Preston, a notorious rogue. But their association—and instant attraction—does not end there, much to the Shaws’ distress. For Livia was robbed of a memento—one that is both her most precious possession and a reminder of a shameful secret. It is a secret she knows will cause her to lose Adrian forever, yet he is determined to track down the thief . . .

Adrian never wanted to be anyone’s hero, but now he’s finding the prospect as pleasing as he does Livia’s company, and her beauty. Certainly he wants her in his bed, but what surprises him is how much she comes to mean to him. Which is why the revelation of her scandalous past is nearly his undoing. Arrogantly, he had assumed only he had the power to shock. But it is too late to turn back, and now Adrian may have to risk everything for Livia, even his heart . . .

“An unforgettable picture of life in Georgian London. . . . Boundless is exceptionally well-plotted and Lynne Connolly proves that one can write a gripping, sensual, and emotional historical romance, with plenty of drama while remaining true to the times, and even using historical facts to her advantage.” —Fresh Fiction

Ratings and reviews

Attacked on the streets of London outside an orphanage, Lady Livia Shaw is relieved when a gentleman comes to her aid and startled to discover her rescuer is Adrian, the Duke of Preston, a notorious rogue. But their association and instant attraction does not end there, much to the Shaws’ distress. Livia was robbed of a brooch one that’s her most precious possession and a reminder of a shameful secret. Adrian never wanted to be anyone’s hero, but now he’s finding the prospect as pleasing as he does Livia’s company, and her beauty, but what surprises him is how much she comes to mean to him. Livia is the final sibling to have her story, although this book is part of a series it could easily be read on its own. I love the author’s books not only are they very well written but the accuracy is what raises them above the crowd. She doesn't overload facts but throughout her books are tidbits of facts. The characterisation is always very good & the story flows effortlessly. I really liked Livia but adored Adrian, I love a redeemed rake but he won my heart when he rescued Mickey. Their attraction was there from the start but they came to like each other & also learned to trust each other. Secrets threaten their happiness. An engrossing captivating read whilst I’ll miss the Shas I look forward to the authors next books My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Adrian, the Duke of Preston, had just broken up with his mistress when he sees a woman being attacked by street urchins, and he runs to her rescue. Lady Livia Shaw was not too badly hurt, her purse was stolen, but her most precious possession, a brooch, was taken. Adrian takes Livia to his former paramour’s house; he recognised Livia almost immediately, and he cannot resist adding to the already scandalous situation. To put it mildly, Adrian’s reputation precedes him: his birth was a disgrace, so why pretend? He has devoted his life to living up to his scandalous name. But he is intrigued by Livia’s determination to find her sentimental memento; he senses there’s more to it than she’s letting on. Livia has spent years keeping a low profile; her family, the notorious Shaws have endured their share of unwanted attention for years. Livia is past the first bloom of youth, she knows she will never marry, but could the Duke make her rethink her stance? He certainly is reconsidering that there could be worse things than marrying Livia. But life as a scandalous duke can become tedious, so Adrian will see to recovering Livia’s brooch first and see what happens next. I was eagerly awaiting BOUNDLESS, because the three previous books were so outstanding, and this fourth instalment of The Shaws surpasses my greatest expectations. The story is, in itself, rather tragic: Livia is in a serious pickle, but I laughed more than I would have thought possible because of the stellar dialogues. The verbal exchanges between Adrian and almost anyone are simply amazing: there is one instance involving Darius (one of Livia’s brothers) which is remarkable. And when it comes to Adrian and Mickey – one of the best secondary characters ever – the banter is at times hilarious, always clever, and fit the characters perfectly. And what stupendous characters they all are! The joy, the elation of being shown and not told: I could see for myself how scandalous and outrageous Adrian was! Livia was even better than I hoped for. And what a romance it was: no misunderstanding, no silliness. For readers who haven’t read the three previous books – after this, you will want to! – Ms. Connolly gives all the pertinent details in a few concise and crystal-clear sentences. The numerous plot twists were so exciting and totally unexpected, and better yet, some depended entirely on historical reality. Those who read my reviews know how sorely disappointed I have been recently with the endings of some books. A work of pure genius collapsed due to a bungled ending; one plot twist was based on inaccurate facts; a problem with continuity removed all credibility to another. There is none of that here: Lynne Connolly has crafted a story whose foundations are so solid, no argument could possibly make them crumble; where historical accuracy reigns supreme and adds depth, texture, and drama to the plot. A story with a superbly defined – and described! – antagonist who kept me guessing for most of the book, and Adrian’s extraordinary presence: he lives on the page. BOUNDLESS is one of this year’s most outstanding historical romances; it never let me down, it has it all: a fabulous romance, a stunning ending and a glorious epilogue!

Boundless by Lynne Connolly The Shaws #3 Secrets, scandals and serious issues abound in this book. Lady Livia Shaw is saved one night by Adrian Sterling, the Duke of Preston and when she realizes she has lost something precious when she was attacked on the streets he offers his assistance in finding the missing object. I don’t want to give away the secrets or tell too much about this book as it all weaves together in a way that kept me interested from beginning to end. I loved the growing relationship between Livia and Adrian and the people they both were. I enjoyed the supportive family Livia was blessed with. At times I felt sad, angry and happy for the couple and also was angry that they had to suffer so much. They seemed to suit one another to a T and so deserved the happiness they achieved together. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars

About the author

Lynne Connolly was born in Leicester, England, and lived in her family’s cobbler’s shop with her parents and sister. She loves all periods of history, but her favorites are the Tudor and Georgian eras. She loves doing research and creating a credible story with people who lived in past ages. In addition to her Emperors of London series and The Shaws series, she writes several historical, contemporary and paranormal romance series. Visit her on the web at lynneconnolly.com, read her blog at lynneconnolly.blogspot.co.uk, find her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter @lynneconnolly.