Review: Bit of romance, the Industrial Revolution and more
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 20, 2014
Although the cover indicates "historical romance" and then goes on to distinguish "Georgian & Regency," it is highly nontraditional in that regard. An Untitled Lady is, in my humble opinion, quite the opposite falling totally into the historical fiction genre with a touch of romance.The opening line to this book"Nash first saw her as an apparition, a gilt London trinket set down by mistake at a dusty crossroads three miles north of town ..."draws the reader in with a hint of possibility of romance, but as the chapters unfold and pages turn, the reader begins to understand that there is more to this novel than romance.Pentilla develops characters who each have their own issues to deal with and yet as they intersect the fire and heat surging between them defines their strength and courage and the final outcome of their relationships.Setting plays a large role in the historical aspect of Pentilla's writing. Finding the plot unfolding in Manchester at the cutting edge of the Industrial Revolution, the writer takes an important historical fact, the Peterloo Massacre, and makes it core to our heroine's story. The Peterloo Massacre represents the boiling point in a series of conflicts between industry owners and their workers. Pentilla uses this factual bit of English history to meld together the conflicts found in her heroine.The mesh between characters, setting and fact is seamless, and none of the three detracts from the others. Pentilla is a master in her writing style and her use of words is first-class. Not once was I bored by this work.My Recommendation:Historical fiction lovers, my recommendation is buy or borrow this book, but certainly do not miss the chance to read it. Historical romance lovers, I'm not sure you will be caught up in this one unless you also have a love of the history of the time period and setting.Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed are solely my own.