Review: A compulsive read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 20, 2014
I haven't read many novels set in the 1700s, but this story won me over. I was so engrossed that I couldn’t stop reading and ended up with a terrible headache, but it was worth it. What an amazing bunch of characters! First of all, there’s Lord Reynaud Ravensdale, the Disgraced Outlaw and Earl: this is a character to really fall in love with. He’s intelligent, quick, wild, impetuous, an amazing shot, and absolutely bursting with honor. Oh, and he’s apparently handsome to the point of being “nondescript,” a term that will come to haunt Lady Isabella, the heroine of the story. Isabella is an amazing kick ass woman, and a true, perfect match for the larger than life Ravensdale. She has no desire to be a shadow to a man—any man. She wants to run off and become a brigand (like the mysterious Mr Fox.) Reynaud and his cohorts have their hands full in their well-meaning but inept and misguided attempts to make her a prim, docile “lady.”There are several layers to this story, which I don’t wish to spoil. One thing I enjoyed very much and do with all of Elliot’s books is the humor. It’s not very often I get to guffaw when I’m reading historical fiction. The setting is brought to life through picturesque descriptions that made me feel I was there, breathing in the scent of roses and watching the butterflies rise, dancing in the moonlight.An eminently satisfying book. Bold, swashbuckling characters. A tender, memorable romance. Action, growth, and personality development working alongside plot. Not to be missed!