A Baron for Becky by Jude Knight

Second Half is an Emotional Read

I am of several minds about this book. I found it confusing to start off with. The heroine’s name is Becky, but the prologue and the first part of the book don’t refer to a Becky. The woman who is Becky is first called Rose, by the name she is known as a courtesan. The prologue itself was confusing because I had no idea who the man or the two children were or who the woman he referred to was. Was he talking about the heroine in the past tense? Sometimes prologues are like that. A bit too confusing for my liking. The first half seemed to be filled with crime with nasty characters and various types of debauchery. The men in the first half of the book did not comport themselves as gentlemen. But the second half, or so, of the book was a surprise, especially given what the first part of the novel was like. The story turned into something completely different. I found myself completely caught up in Becky’s story then, her horrible past as well as the future that she was trying to make with her husband. Even with all she had been through, she is a kind and compassionate person, trying to do her best for those in her sphere—all the while thinking poorly of herself because of her past. Reading her backstory and seeing her grapple with postpartum depression certainly brought tears to my eyes. So if you’re willing to slog through the first part, the second half is much better.