Lady Cecilia Mallory receives a letter that forever changed her life. That letter announces the loss of her father which thrusts her barely eighteen year old brother into the role of Earl of Appertan. It also leaves Cecilia without a guardian. The appointed guardian begins to make her life difficult and will not let her access her inheritance which she desperately needs to help her brother. Through this life changing events Cecilia has been corresponding with Sergeant Blackthorne, her father's friend who notified her of his tragic death. Blackthorn has become a friend to Cecilia and out of desperation to help her youthful and irresponsible brother she begs the sergeant to marry her by proxy from India so that she may gain her inheritance.

Sergeant Blackthorne left his life of aristocracy as Viscount Michael Blackthorne to enlist in the military which he feels is his duty to his country. The former Earl of Appertan was his commander and close friend and on his death bed Michael promised the Earl that he would take care of his children. Michael's first letter to Lady Cecilia informs her of her father's death but her reply is such that he feels he needs to write another letter. Over the course of time Michael and Cecilia's letters grow in frequency and they become friends, so when Cecilia asks him to marry her by proxy from India he does so. Michael had previously decided never to marry because he was a soldier and the life of a soldier's wife is a hard one either being alone for long periods of time or having to "follow the drum" but doing the favor for Lady Celia by marrying by proxy he doesn't believe he will ever meet his wife. Then Adam is injured and being sent home to recover from his injury he makes the decision that he must meet his bride.

When Cecilia's husband shows up on her door she is shocked to discover he is so young and handsome. Even more troublesome she discovers he is a Viscount. Cecilia is used to being in charge of everything and running the Earldom on her own and she is worried her husband will try and change everything. Michael is stunned by his Cecilia's beauty and he longs to make his marriage a true one. Michael isn't pleased by the young Earl's lack of interest in running his own estate or how his wife is run down from doing everything. Mysterious accidents keep happening threatening his wife's life and Adam feels a sense of protectiveness and must uncover who is trying to kill Cecilia.

RETURN OF THE VISCOUNT is a brilliant love story and unexpected mystery all in one. I enjoyed reading the letters between Adam and Cecilia; I could witness their relationship's progression from strangers to friends by their words to one another. I also was fascinated by the mystery of who was trying to kill Cecilia and Author Gayle Callen threw a twist at the end that I never saw coming. Once again Callen gives us a delightful novel that has you glued to the pages from beginning to end.

Book Summary

Her marriage of convenience seems far too convenient . . .

Desperation drove Cecilia Mallory to seek a union with a stranger—one who would wed her sight unseen and grant her full access to her inheritance with no expectations whatsoever. She anticipated, perhaps, an older, undesirable, equally desperate husband—never the young, vibrant, and devastatingly attractive man who answered her call. What could such a man really be after?

Unknown to Cecilia, Viscount Michael Blackthorne, a soldier and gentleman, owes a debt of honor to Lady Cecilia's father, and granting her unusual request to wed seemed a worthy way to repay it. But an unseen threat perilously close at hand is convincing Michael thathis true responsibility is to protect the beautiful, warm-hearted lady he has married . . . the woman he is unexpectedly coming to love.