Review: Won't Disappoint!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 29, 2013
A historical romance worth taking the time to read. Confession time; I've not read a historical romance in a long time. That being said, I enjoy Olivia’s work so much was willing to give PASSION AND PRIDE a try and I’m really happy I did.  Olivia does such a wonderful job with the characters and the dialogue in her novels and this book exemplifies that. She also does a wonderful job depicting sensual love scenes that make you want to take your significant other and get a little practice in. PASSION AND PRIDE’s main characters are Evan Blake, the oldest son of Baron Phineas Blake, and Marian Willows, a new servant in his father’s mansion. Sounds like a cliché doesn't it? Well it works, and so does the rest of the book which is anything but a cliché.Evan is firmly entrenched in the world of the aristocrat having been raised by a father who can think of nothing worse than associating with the lower classes. The society he is a part of has strict rules as to whom it’s ok to dally with and who is acceptable as a wife, friend, associate, and so on. Evan is a staunch believer in society’s unwritten laws. Oh, he’s had plenty if the dalliance type of relationships but he’s never promised any of them anything more than the “now”, never “forever”. Marian rockets into his life, literally, in the form of a runaway carriage. Evan saves the damsel; there is immediate attraction on both sides with Marian not seeing a problem in pursuing the matter and Evan being horrified to find out she is a servant.Marian would be a card carrying feminist in today’s world. She has no problems going after what she wants even if it’s not accepted behavior for a female. Evan is something she definitely wants. Love should level the playing field in her mind which allows her to believe Evan will feel the same. Marian had a very unorthodox education having been given free-rein in a library owned by her father’s boss, Mr. Powell. Mr. Powell treated Marian as a granddaughter and as such paid for a tutor to educate her. But her biggest educational influence came from the banned and sensational novels she found hidden in the library. She is also a huge fan of Jefferson and Paine, with their ideas of equality. Her love for books leads to her wanting to be a writer, of the sensational variety.It’s Marian’s introduction to Evan’s best friend, Pemberly, which is the start of heartbreak, a new life, and a threat to Marian’s very existence. It will be this danger that will cause Evan to rethink his upbringing and social moral.I LOVE Pemberly! Didn't think I would at first, but his satirical humor, not so veiled innuendoes, and sharp wit makes the man irresistible. Pemberly is the perfect example of how even the sub-characters in Olivia’s works are fascinating, well thought out personalities.If like me, it’s been a long time since you've read a historical romance do yourself a favor and give PASSION AND PRIDE a read. Don’t believe you’ll be disappointed. Highly recommend to anyone 18+ due to sexual contents.