Hope's Betrayal (The Huntley Trilogy) [Kindle Edition]

Grace Elliot (Author)

Book Description

HOPE'S BETRAYAL (Historical romance)
One wild, winter's night two worlds collide.
Known for his ruthless efficiency, Captain George Huntley is sent to stamp out smuggling on the south coast of England. On a night raid, the Captain captures a smuggler, but finds his troubles are just beginning when the lad turns out to be a lass, Hope Tyler.
With Hope as bait, the Captain sets a trap to catch the rest of the gang. But in a battle of wills, with his reputation at stake, George Huntley starts to respect feisty, independent Hope. Challenged by her sea-green eyes and stubborn loyalty Huntley now faces a new threat - his growing attraction to a sworn enemy. But a love where either Hope betrays her own kind, or Captain Huntley is court-marshaled, is not an easy destiny to follow.

Product Details

• File Size: 461 KB
• Print Length: 244 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0084ND8ZY
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #244,287 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars her betrayal showed an honor he loved May 28, 2012

By Melissa A. Tackett

Format:Kindle Edition

Hope's Betrayal: Huntley Trilogy #2 by Grace Elliot
In this new Regency romance, Grace Elliot has tuned out a delightful tale full of taught tension, unexpressed sexual desire and a love so deep it brings to people together from the far reaches of society.
Lady Constance Huntley is a mother that wishes nothing more than to see her three sons married and giving her grandchildren. She will plot with every opportunity given and Fate hands her a ripe one. Hope Taylor is a smuggler, from the Isle of Wright where the fishing is not always good and the crops have been failing regularly, the only way to keep her family fed is to join the smugglers. Captain George Huntley, her second son of is a Navel man, but with his ship in dry dock for repairs he has been put to work by the Admiralty as an Excise man hunting down the smugglers in his home area.
Needless to say, when Captain Huntley captures Hope it is one searing kiss after another. She is a smuggler, everything he is supposed to despise, but listening to her story he knows he must catch the ring leaders - because to punish her would be very wrong. Hope finds the man that caught her out on the duns one dark night to hold a level of honor she admires, if only she were good enough for him, but she is the daughter of a smuggler, the sister of a smuggler, and yes, a smuggler herself, she would ruin his family name, ruin his chances of advancing.
I was caught in this story from the first words; they were woven with a love that is very telling. Ms. Elliot's love for history and her characters comes through the page as brightly as the characters love for each other. I couldn't put this book down until sleep claimed me each night. As the Excise men case the Smuggling ring, and their leaders down, as Captain Huntley chases his female down and tries to keep her, and has the villain makes an appearance on stage, you can almost see the smoking gun and black cape wrapped around him. Yes, a stage is set, and the colors of the costumes vibrate in as the backdrop is placed. The characters move with grace and purpose through their story, leading us to gasping climax that satisfies the most adventure loving of us all.
Five stars for this wonder addition to the Huntley Trilogy. This reviewer can't wait to read the rest of them. Thank you, Ms. Elliot for sharing your love of history with us in this delightful way.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet but unrealistic romance; interesting non-romanticized view of smuggling July 15, 2012

By Marlene @ Reading Reality

Format:Kindle Edition

Hope's Betrayal by Grace Elliot is the second book in her Huntley Trilogy (after Eulogy's Secret). The Huntley Trilogy are unusual historical romances, not just because the Huntley brothers seen so far definitely work for their livings and because the heroines are definitely not society chits. It's a refreshing change.

Hope Tyler is a smuggler. There's no romance in her choice of occupation, nor any adventure. For Hope, it's a matter of her family's survival, pure and simple. Hope's home on the Isle of Wight has lost too many of its men to the war (Napoleon), to disease or to fishing accidents. When the economy is bad, the English coast turns to smuggling. There is no other work. Hope and her brother are in the smuggling trade to put food on the table.

Captain George Huntley works for the Crown. His current assignment is to put a stop to, or at least a dent in, the smuggling trade. It keeps him occupied while his ship is undergoing refit in Portsmouth. Then he'll be back at sea, and away from land, from the Isle of Wight, from the family estate, and from his mother, Lady Constance.

There are two serious problems with George's mission. One is that everyone in England seems to be a party to the smuggling trade. Everyone wants luxury goods, like tea and French lace, but no one wants to pay the tax.

The second problem is a raid that goes horribly wrong. One of George's men is killed. And the only smuggler he manages to catch is a boy. A boy he knows can't be guilty of the actual shooting, because George was chasing the boy at the time.

But since the boy is the only smuggler available, he'll probably hang anyway. But when George carries him to his house to get him seen to - the boy was only caught because he broke his ankle - George discovers that this smuggler, this criminal, is a young woman.

And George can't make himself sent her to jail. He says it's because she might lead her confederates to rescue her. It's really because he wants her for himself.

But his mother finds her first. And discovers that Hope might be more than she appears. Even if she is still exactly what she appeared, a smuggler who should be hanged for her admitted crimes.

Leaving George trapped between his duty and his desires. With his mother standing guard over his prisoner, and his men howling for justice.

George does the only thing he can under the circumstances. He requests a transfer. How could George know that leaving would only make everything worse?

Escape Rating B: It was great to see a view of the Regency/Napoleonic Wars period from a perspective other than that of the upper crust. Even though George's mother is Lady Constance, the family seems to be from the "squirearchy" more than the aristocracy. (The third book is about the oldest brother, and it could prove me totally wrong.)

However, George is a naval man, not a lord. His only title is Captain, and he earned that one. And Hope is definitely no lady. Her family is so poor, she's turned to smuggling just to keep eating.

Hope's plight is what makes this story different. It's not a romantic view of the smuggler's trade. There are no dashing pirates here. It's all about bone-deep poverty. Her village will starve if they don't turn to smuggling. And that's the point she brings home to George and Lady Constance.

There is no other work. It's the free trade, or starvation. And plenty of supposedly law-abiding people will happily buy their smuggled goods as long as they don't have to get their hands dirty in the actual smuggling.

There's also a sweet love story between George and Hope. It is very sweet, and just a tad bit unrealistic. Not that they wouldn't fall for each other, but that love (and his family's position of privilege) would manage to conquer her very real criminal record.

But you want the happily ever after enough to let it go.

Originally published at Reading Reality

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars There is always "Hope" June 24, 2012

By laurathomas61

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Hope's Betrayal is a historical romance in every sense of the word. It takes you back to the first romance book you read and evokes those feelings of wonder and anticipation. I can still feel the sun baking my skin as I lay on the pier, enthralled by the story of Hope and George.
I like to comment on the cover art sometimes. This cover is seductive and graceful and the woman is now firmly implanted in my mind as Hope. I love it when the cover compliments the story inside and I can visual the character.
I truly enjoyed Hope's Betrayal. A sweet tale of falling in love despite their different places in society, the risks of a damaged reputation and the loss of a cherished profession.
Hope is forced to join the free traders in order to feed her family. Smuggling is not her first choice, but what else can she do? To protect herself, she wears a disguise.
Captain Huntley is hell-bent on furthering his career and will not stop until the smugglers are all rounded up. He manages to catch one of them alive, but the lad is injured and he is forced to take him to his estate lest the boy dies.
At first the captain thinks he is going crazy. Upon cleaning up the unconscious lad, he gazes on his face and feels stirrings. He leans closer and laughs in relief when he realizes the lad is a lass. And a beautiful one at that.
The physical attraction might be quick, as it can be in real life, but the emotional attraction is developed slowly. There are many obstacles to be overcome for Hope and George if they are to be together and the way will not be easy.
Grace Elliot's writing is like a wave, building to a crest as it approaches shore, then crashing down. As you read, the undertow pulls you deeper into the story, tossing you about and then gently depositing you safely on land.
There are a few places in the story where I felt it could have been explained in more detail, but maybe that is because I felt a desire for more.
Historical romance has not been my first genre of choice since I was younger, but recently I have discovered some wonderful stories and I am left wondering, when did I wander away from reading them and what took me so long to come back?
Hope's Betrayal is romance with a touch of innocence and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys falling in love, with all its angst and fervor.

More About the Author

Grace Elliot leads a double life as a veterinarian by day and author of historical romance by night. She is addicted to cats and is housekeeping staff for five adorable moggies; Wallace, Gromit, Pilchard, Widget (pictured) and her daughter Noni.
Grace started writing as an escape from an emotionally demanding job and believes all intelligent people need romance in their lives - as an antidote to the modern world.
You can find out more about Grace at her blog.
http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com
www.wix.com/graceelliot/grace-elliot

NEW release!
"HOPE'S BETRAYAL."
One wild, winter's night two worlds collide.
Known for his ruthless efficiency, Captain George Huntley is sent to stamp out smuggling on the south coast of England. On a night raid, the Captain captures a smuggler, but finds his troubles are just beginning when the lad turns out to be a lass, Hope Tyler.
With Hope as bait, the Captain sets a trap to catch the rest of the gang. But in a battle of wills, with his reputation at stake, George Huntley starts to respect feisty, independent Hope. Challenged by her sea-green eyes and stubborn loyalty Huntley now faces a new threat - his growing attraction to a sworn enemy. And a love where either Hope betrays her own kind, or Captain Huntley is court-martialed, is not an easy destiny to follow.




"EULOGY'S SECRET"
In the four weeks since her guardians' death, Eulogy Foster has lost everything.
Penniless and alone she seeks the help of her estranged brother, Lord Lucien Devlin. But Devlin turns Eulogy onto the streets, where she is attacked and thrown onto the mercy of a passing stranger, Jack Huntley, who becomes her unlikely ally. As Eulogy seeks the truth behind her birth, she is drawn into the world of art and artists, where her morals are challenged and nothing is as it seems.

Jack Huntley: bitter, cynical and betrayed in love. He believes women are devious, scheming, untrustworthy creatures - and when he rescues a naïve Miss from being raped, his life is about to change forever. There is something about Miss Foster that haunts him and challenges his emotions. But despite their growing attraction, Eulogy will not share her secret, which means he cannot trust her. Caught in a deadlock, both denying their true feelings, events take a sinister turn as someone wants to silence Eulogy....forever.


"A DEAD MAN'S DEBT".
Celeste Armitage has a plan...and that plan doesn't include marriage.
After deliberately humiliating a suitor, Celeste's despairing parents exile her to the country. But once there she discovers a sketch book of daring nude studies and is shaken to find the artist is her hostess's eldest son, Lord Ranulf Charing. This darkly cynical lord is exactly the sort of dissipated rogue she despises most...if only her blood didn't heat at the thought of him...
Nothing is as it seems. Lord Ranulf's life is a façade. Only he can save the Charing's from disgrace as a blackmailer seeks to ruin his late brother's reputation. But just as Ranulf dares to open his heart to Celeste, the fury of his nemesis is unleashed... facing him with the stark choice between true love and family duty. However when Celeste guesses the truth behind his rejection, Ranulf underestimates her resolve to clear his name and in so doing places the woman he loves in mortal danger....