Review: Poor Execution of a Strong Storyline
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 11 17, 2013
Candace Green and her younger sister Catherine were sold into prostitution by their despicable uncle after the death of their father a vicar.  After spending a year in unspeakable circumstances as a prostitute and doing an admirable job of keeping her sister safe Candace manages to escape with Catherine.  As the sisters try to make their way to their estranged grandparents in London, they are almost run over by Lord Blackstone's carriage on the road. Blackstone seems nice enough at first and offers to assist the sisters Green to get to London.  Here is where the story just kind of runs off into a senseless ditch.  Blackstone finds himself attracted to Candace because she has a fiery spirit when she berated his coachman for having poor driving skills.  He offers to help by taking them to his home where his mother and sister are staying.  Candace does confide in Blackstone that she was sold into prostitution by her uncle.  What is the first thing this supposed gentleman and lord do?  He proposes that she have sex with him to keep her and her sister safe.  What is really appalling is that Candace, a vicars daughter who has been traumatized, would willing accept these terms.  This does not make any sense. Throughout the whole story it does not appear that Candace was traumatized by her year as a prostitute. She was a sheltered young woman her whole life and she did not seem to think that Lord Blackstone was any less vile then her uncle or any of the other men who abused her during the time she was a prostitute.Now for Blackstone.  This man was not a hero. He used Candace just as poorly as any of the other men who used her body.  Blackstone was just a ridiculous man. He could not seem to tell Candace he did have feelings for her even after his best friend told him on several occasions that Blackstone had to be direct with Candace and tell her he loved her and intended to marry her.  This book had some really good elements that were poorly executed. I did not understand some of the reactions of the grandfather. The descriptions of his thoughts and behavior were just plain weird. Blackstone is weak, and just plain stupid. Not manly, not protective, not dashing, and definitely not a loving man.  He is selfish, lust driven, and appears not to know how to handle social situations with women.The extra characters of Jake, Catherine, Blackstone's mother, Anne and others were well written but some of their actions were just plain weird as well.  This book was difficult to read, mainly because of Blackstone's own misuse of Candace under the guise of love.  I really hated him, there was nothing that endeared him to me at all as a hero. Candace wasn't even Blackstone's mistress as she described herself. He never bought her a gown, gave her a gift (not even a book) never gave her a chance to recover from sexual abuse before he had sex with her. A mistress is given gifts and jewels in exchange for her body. Candace didn't even get that.  This book would have been so good if Ms. Wilson would have taken it in a sweeter direction with Blackstone helping Candace to heal by being her friend, helping her to be in society and reconnect with both of her grandparents. All the while developing a love story between them.  I liked the two younger sisters together.  And what in the world happened to the bunny?  One minute the bunny was a very big focal point for Catherine then nothing. This book could have been a wonderful story of overcoming dire circumstances with love conquering all but it was just a horrible mess of relationships that did not make any sense.