Review: Should have, could have been 4 stars
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 29, 2014
The blurb gives a good synopsis of the broad sweep of this novel.  Set during a small, but pivotal, slice of history, the story takes us from the London ton at the end of the Peninsular War, to the intrigue of Paris, to Vienna and Gypsies, to Brussels, then to the Battle of Waterloo and its aftermath.  Woven within this panorama is the love story of Nicholas and Cecilia.There were so many things I really liked about this story - some beautiful prose, the historical details, exquisite love scenes, a sweet love story,  portrayal of the Gypsies, the music, and some of the countless small points.  The research was truly astonishing.  I had the sense that the author found all the nuances of this important period utterly fascinating and wanted to share the pleasure of her learning with her readers, as well as her love of music.  And therein lay the problem.Too much.  I don't need to share every sip of tea with every character.  I don't care about the key in which the violin was tuned.  I found the minutiae interesting, up to a point, but the innumerable details quickly reduced the pace of the story to a plodding walk, particularly during the first half.  The pace picked up somewhat during the second half.  And, while some of the dialogue in the first half was sublimely lovely, other passages seemed a trifle stilted, giving an uneven impression overall.  The dialogue was much more even and fluid during the second half of the novel.  The dear love story did, however, always shine through, and it was enchanting.I mention the following small quibbles *only* because this novel lives on the assiduous research done by its author.  The startling appearance of "clueless" and "pants" during the second half of the story!  I concluded that "dessert" rather than "pudding" may have been written for the benefit of a wider audience.  Still, these small lapses were so at variance with the punctilious accuracy displayed in the rest of the novel that I was briefly bemused by them.  (I would have traded a few bows and a curtsy or two for "no idea," "breeches,"  and "pudding.") lolAnd I would love to ask the author why she persisted in referring to classical music PIECES as songs.Much good content in this story amid the minutiae, and I look forward to Ms. Willow's next release in this genre.