Review: Very fulfilling historical romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 29, 2014
*received from Historical Fiction Virtual Tours  for an honest opinionI really enjoy Regency Romances so "An Untitled Lady" by Nicky Penttila was an easy win for me.  Having said that I thought Ms. Penttila really presented an amazing story.  She blended romance, history and intrigue perfectly not giving too much attention to any one of these elements and making them all work well together.  Most of the novels that I have read have taken place in London or around it was refreshing to read about Manchester.  It was heart-breaking to read about Madeline Wetherby or Maddie as she is known.  Nash Quinn was also very interesting.  As the second born son he basically is not of any use unless something happens to his brother.  He was industrious enough to join the navy and become a very successful merchant. Although I don't know much about the Industrial Revolution in England I thought that the author provided enough information to give the readers insight to what a struggle it was for the working class and what it meant to them!  I thought that the author really provided emotional integrity to the struggles of the mill workers.  The author also portrayed the reality that most women faced if they were not born into high society and did not marry well.  On the emotional side, Deacon (the earl and Maddie's original intended husband) was not the most likeable character and seemed to reflect many of the stereotypes of the higher class.  Nash and Maddie have a lot to come up against.  They have to learn to be married and when they finally come to terms with their feelings their love for each other is once again tested.The twist that followed Maddie was very clever and I thought the author was very brilliant for mixing the "secret" into the story.  It was heartbreaking to see how Nash and Maddie's relationship became impacted by the social movements of the time.  I thought this was very clever of the author as well.  I highly recommend this story, it is an emotional ride throughout history with two very strong characters and an equally strong historical background.  This was the first novel I have read by Nicky Penttila but it won't be the last.