Strung out on opium and falsely imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit Viscount Lord Ryder Blackwood is embittered and doesn’t see a way out of his predicament. Losing hope and not caring if he lives or dies, he’s surprised when someone finally comes forward to clear his name. Unbeknownst to him while incarcerated he’s accrued a wife, a woman he’s sure is inline with his thieving aunt and cousin. Jessie is an innocent pawn in the lunacy of her stepfather. Marrying a man she thought knew of their arrangement, she’s unprepared for his disbelief and anger. Jessie made sure at least his family fortune wasn’t ravished in the same way his home has been, but feels all her efforts will be in vain due to the lord’s dependency on drugs and alcohol. An unlikely pair will have to overcome the torment that comes when your mind and body are ensnared by chemical enslavement.

I think sometimes modern individuals forget drugs have been an issue for hundreds of years. The Viscount’s Addiction is a prime example of how even the strongest of spirits can be broken when hopelessness occurs. Jessie and Ryder are both victims of their circumstances but while Ryder has decided to drown in his sorrows Jessie has taken her situation and maintained not only her physical innocence but her morality. This historical effort from Scottie Barrett is memorable and provides a dramatic way to past the time on a wintry day.