If you read my review for Kristi Ann Hunter’s Hawthorne House series, then you know I’ve recently jumped on the Hunter bandwagon. Her Regency romances always have a perfect blend of humor and spiritual takeaways.
A Defense of Honor is no different. Hunter creates a careful balance between the serious subject matter and the humorous personality of hero Graham, Lord of Wharton. Kit’s seriousness is sometimes a bit much, but her take-charge attitude is exactly what Haven Manor needs, even if she doesn’t go about it the right way. But the best way Hunter rounds her cast of characters is with motherly Daphne, street smart Jess, dramatic Oliver, down-to-earth Aaron, and the adorable children. How Hunter manages to give each character their own personality is beyond me, but she does a great job of giving each character their own voice.
The topic of illegitimate children isn’t one I’m used to in a Regency story, but the way Hunter handles it is both tasteful and thought-provoking. While things have changed a lot since the Regency era and more and more children are born out of wedlock, Christians’ attitudes toward unwed mothers have not changed. The woman’s sin shows on her, and the men often get away with it. By placing this issue in a bygone era, Hunter allows the reader to fully examine the real problem: it’s not the sin so much as how we deal with the sin.
As Kit struggles with the guilt of her involvement in Daphne’s ruin and her attempt to find grace through works, the reader clearly sees that Kit cannot absolve herself of sin, whether real or imaginary. At first, the reader wonders how she could ever place her sin higher on the spectrum than the fallen women, but through Kit’s life-changing scenes between her and God, the reader gets the message that we ALL sin, and that sin is equal in God’s eyes. Even Graham, who has a friend who was born of an indiscretion, fails to see the correlation at first. It’s through his eyes that Hunter slowly begins to reveal to the reader the unmistakable truth: we are all the undeserving recipients of God’s grace. This gentle prodding doesn’t come off as preachy because both characters realize their flaws and failures as well as their incorrect assumptions. And as the characters struggle with learning who they are and who they should be, the reader comes along on the journey to find the ultimate aha moment: No one is too far gone for God’s grace.
I highly recommend you first read A Search for Refuge, the novella that starts off this series, but it’s not necessary to understand the novel. Characters like Margaretta and Nash will mean more to you, though, if you do read it.
I’m trying to get my hands on A Return to Devotion, the next installment in the series, before the third book, A Pursuit of Home, is released. There’s also a novella in The Christmas Heirloom collection that goes with the Haven Manor series. I’m excited to see how Hunter builds this series.
If you prefer to read a series after all the books are out, then I highly recommend you try the Hawthorne House series.
Check out Kristi Ann Hunter’s website to keep up with her upcoming releases. If you want to check out A Defense of Honor for yourself, click the image to buy it on Christianbook.com or look for it at your local bookstore.
