Lily Thornton waited two long years for the return of her beloved husband, the Earl of Arnsbury. But the man she married in secret has no memory of her.

After being tortured in India, Matthew Larkspur can hardly return to a normal existence. He cannot sleep at night, and he knows he is not the man Lily needs. A haunted darkness festers inside him, turning him into a beast who does not deserve the love of a beauty.

But beneath his tormented scars lies the man Lily has loved all her life. And she refuses to give up on him, especially when his wildness stirs her blood…

Titles in The Earls Next Door series include:  Good Earls Don’t Lie – What The Earl Needs Now –

Title:  What The Earl Needs Now
Series:  The Earls Next Door #2
Author:  Michelle Willingham
Genre:  Historical  Romance
Published:  October 24, 2017
Publisher:  Kindle Press
My Rating:  4 stars

There were times when What The Earl Needs Now was emotionally difficult to read.  A couple who marry in secret before he leaves for another country is emotional in the first place – add into that the man’s capture by a rebel faction, held hostage, tortured and eventually rescued, and you have a man who has been through the deepest levels of hell.  Throughout this story I kept envisioning how PTSD is viewed and treated in our time… I cannot imagine the misunderstanding and horrible treatment that was “modern” in this historical time period.  Utterly insane would probably have been the kindest diagnosis.

I was easily caught up in Lily and Matthew’s romance.  They had married but not in a way that was considered legal at the time.  Believing that they would remedy that upon Matthew’s return they pledged their love and enjoy one night together.  Only Matthew’s return was far different than either could have possibly imagined… for he returned a tortured, far different man.  He claims to not remember Lily, but that may not be entirely true.  He knows he is a danger now and the kindest thing for Lily is to remain far away from him.  But never underestimate a woman’s love for her man… even when he accidentally hurts her.

Lily is made of strong stuff and I liked her character very much.  Matthew is complicated, trying so hard to hang on to his sanity and do the right thing for the woman he loves.  Only he knows that Lily calms him, that her touch is soothing and keeps the memories at bay.  He knows how good she could be for him but how good could he possibly be for her.  There were moments when I was a bit afraid that Lily would allow her fear of Matthew’s actions to overtake how much she loves and needs this man.  Their’s was not an easy situation with a simple answer.  As I mentioned, this is an emotionally difficult story to read but it is so well worth it.

I enjoyed my time in this world and definitely will search out the next story in this series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Available for the Kindle