Review: A Defense of Honor

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Genre: Historical romance

Subgenres: Inspirational; Regency

Heat Level: Sweet

This is the first book I’ve read by Kristi Ann Hunter, but it won’t be the last. She might be relatively new on the scene, but she has several titles to her credit. I didn’t realize I already had a couple of them in my TBR list until after I finished A Defense of Honor and looked up the author’s background for this review.

Before I get to the good stuff, first a disclaimer. I received an ARC copy of A Defense of Honor from Bethany House.

I am going to give A Defense of Honor one of my rare five stars. In my view, three means worthy effort but not my cup of tea, four is I liked it; five is I loved it. I never write reviews for anything I can’t at least give a three. On the other side of the spectrum, I’m not saying a five is on par with Middlemarch, Jane Eyre, or Pride and Prejudice. I’m not even saying the story was perfect. It simply means I loved it, and I think others will, too.

(Actually, I’ve only managed to read one of those aforementioned classics all the way through. The others weren’t my cup of tea.)

I hesitate categorizing this as “sweet.” It fits, but the storyline also deals with the underbelly of Regency society and how it dealt with unwed mothers. There’s a certain amount of grittiness to it that I found appealing. Given the time period and how horrendous it could be, I always wondered how so many Regency-era writers could set that aside. (If you’ve read either Fierce Convictions or Amazing Grace, you know what I mean.)

Nevertheless, Ms. Hunter does not lose sight of the fact that this is a romance. Her Heroine (Kit) and Hero (Graham) have a definite chemistry that manages to stay above the line for a sweet romance while not losing any of the sizzle we’re looking for when we pick up a historical romance novel. (Even sweet ones!)

The theme, as I mentioned before, has to do with Regency society’s attitudes and actions (or lack thereof) toward unwed mothers. Arguably, Kit is responsible for her best friend Daphne (a bit of a wallflower) finding herself in the family way. Not willing to abandon her friend, and feeling more than a bit of guilt about the whole situation, Kit joins Daphne when her father disowns her. With Kit’s dowry, which her father gave her with the promise that she disappear, they start a program rescuing women in a similar situation.

Most of the character growth is on Kit’s side. She has to learn to deal with her guilt and accept forgiveness. Her effort to save others also leads her to make questionable decisions. She has to learn to trust God and let him lead her in a different direction.

Those who aren’t familiar with the underlying theology of “trust God” might find this a bit of a “beam me up Scotty” sort of approach to the second half of the story, but let me translate the Christianese for a moment. In secular language, it can be seen as “the ends do not justify the means.” By making the choices she does, Kit has become what she’s been fighting against. That ought to resonate with believer and non-believer alike.

Graham’s growth is less dramatic. It’s more akin to what most people go through when they struggle to find their purpose. I won’t dwell on him, but let me just say he is an incredibly likeable man. And a real hero.

The Inspirational aspect of the story is high, but considerably higher in the second half of the story than the first. In fact, I was even thinking the story seemed more mainstream until I got to the black moment. I suppose that’s when many of us create our first real relationship God, so it shouldn’t surprise me that her characters waited until then as well.

The secondary characters in this story are perfect for a series. There were a couple of small twists that I expected, but which never happened. I’m hoping Ms. Hunter is saving those for the sequels.