Robert’s Lady marks the very strong debut for romance novelist Nicole Byrd. It features a woman willing to risk everything for a future with the man she loves, though the ending is not completely satisfactory.

Robert Manning, Viscount Holt and younger son of the Earl of Stonesbury, was kept a prisoner by the French for several long months. During his grim incarceration, the only thing that kept him sane was the memory of his beautiful fiance, Eleanor. Now released, he makes his way home, only to discover that Eleanor, thinking him dead, has married. Robert is embittered by the fact that his childhood sweetheart apparently got over him so quickly, but he has other problems. He is now his father’s only surviving son, and has reason to believe that he won’t be around much longer, so he needs to marry and father an heir as soon as possible to keep Stonesbury out of the hands of a greedy cousin.

Katryn is Eleanor’s darker, stubborner, and less pretty sister. She has loved Robert hopelessly for years. When she learns that Robert is in need of a wife, she gathers her courage and volunteers for the position. And so the two go to the altar – Katryn trembling with hope, and Robert grimly purposeful and still in love with his bride’s sister.

This is a good setup, and it’s improved by good characterization. It’s nice to read about a heroine who you both sympathize with and admire. Katryn has been overlooked for years by her beloved Robert, and because of her own love for Eleanor, she was willing to be overlooked. But when she gets her opportunity she seizes it, which takes guts.

I respect the way the author didn’t succumb to the temptation to make Eleanor a villain. She’s not the manipulative blonde Other Woman that we see too often. She’s a genuinely nice person who loves her sister, loves her husband, and also still loves Robert. Byrd gets the relationship between the two sisters just right: a combination of love, envy, and exasperation on both sides.

Robert is a realistic and believable character, but I had problems with him. He is troubled and secretive, burdened by a lot of very serious problems, and while I don’t want to give away any spoilers, I do note that he does not treat Katryn very well. I don’t object to heroes who mistreat their heroines (I’m a big fan of that perennial bone of contention, Ranney’s Upon A Wicked Time), but I think such heroes should be really, really sorry before we get our happily-ever-after.

By the end of these 327 pages, Robert had wronged Katryn enough for her to become deeply, justifiably angry. He should have suffered for his behavior. Unfortunately, our protagonists were both terribly civilized about the whole thing. The serious conflicts in this relationship were resolved far too easily, and I was left wondering about the future of their relationship. Perhaps Byrd got sidetracked from Katryn and Robert by the greedy cousin and Eleanor’s marriage. I wanted an explosive encounter between Robert and Katryn. What I got was an explosive encounter between Robert and the cousin. This was necessary for the resolution of the plot, but it stole too much energy from what I really cared about.

This is a well-written book, and although I thought the ending could have been a lot more dramatic, I do recommend it. You’ll want to get to know Katryn, in particular. It’s not a keeper for me, but I’ll be looking for Ms. Byrd’s future releases.