Surrender the Past by Elizabeth Johns

Surrender the Past by Elizabeth Johns
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Purchased fro Kindle
Genre: Historical Romance



Book Description:  Elinor Abbott was only 14 years old when she and her father left England for America. Six years later, with war at their doorstep, she is forced to return to her land of birth and a life amongst the aristocracy she abhors. A return to England also means facing the man who brutally attacked her as an adolescent. Viscount Easton came to the United States at the behest of His Majesty's Army, for his last assignment. He was sent home early due to an injury and must face his new destiny as the heir to an earldom. An unexpected encounter with the unrefined beauty links Easton and Elinor together in society, and he must decide whether to save Elinor's reputation or hold on to bachelorhood. Can Elinor navigate the perils of coming out in aristocratic England and still retain her sense of identity? Can Easton help her overcome her aversion to men or will her past keep her from facing her future?


My thoughts: Secrets drive this book. There are secrets held by a few that kept me reading and wanting to find out what would happen to Elinor.

Six years ago at age 14 Elinor left her home in England to make a new life in America with her diplomat father. While grieving for her mother she became the victim of a violent crime. Leaving the past and starting anew was what she needed.

Love, trust, forgiveness, and recovery are themes in this story. Elinor struggles through many emotions as she strives to put the past behind her and find happiness in her present. She also begins to hope for the future. She is a complex character who serves and loves others with compassion. She finds contentment helping others while her nightmares reflect the turmoil she lives through.

Adam, Viscous Easton, also fights demons. His come from serving in war. He has so much to give Elinor. I really liked his character. He is also complex with his own secrets.

The book has sensitive material. Little by little the attack on Elinor is described. There is one moment in the book that is graphic in nature, but done with compassion for Elinor. It was the hardest part to read in the book. Elinor acts with mercy. I admire her character, even though I wasn't a big fan of the way the perpetrator was able to skip legal punishment. Fortunately, he is full of remorse and has paid mentally.

This book reflected hope. There is violence with Elinor revisiting her memory of her rape. There are books of Elinor's family members after this one. Yup, I plan on reading them all.

You can get it for your Kindle or Nook for 99 cents!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble  * Book Depository

About the Author: (taken from Goodreads)  Like many writers, Elizabeth Johns was first an avid reader, though she was a reluctant convert. It was Jane Austen's clever wit and unique turn of phrase that hooked Johns when she was "forced" to read Pride and Prejudice for a school assignment. She began writing when she ran out of her favorite author’s books and decided to try her hand at crafting a Regency romance novel. Her journey into publishing began with the release of Surrender the Past, book one of the Loring-Abbott Series. Johns makes no pretensions to Austen’s wit but hopes readers will perhaps laugh and find some enjoyment in her writing.

Johns attributes much of her inspiration to her mother, a retired English teacher. During their last summer together, Johns would sit on the porch swing and read her stories to her mother, who encouraged her to continue writing. Busy with multiple careers, including a professional job in the medical field, author and mother of small children, Johns squeezes in time for reading whenever possible.

Visit her WEBSITE.