Review: wonderful story!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 4, 2014
I loved this book!  We don’t get a lot with the main character in her 40’s.  That is a welcome change!  This book is set in England in 1870.  Margaret, Lady Westbrook, is a widow.  She has two grown sons, who do not live with her.  Felix Oliver is an experimental physicist that is working with electricity.  Margaret invited Felix to speak at the Waverley Ladies Society meeting.  After the speech is done, Felix needs to find a room at the inn, but Margaret insists that he stay with her.  They sit in the drawing room discussing the fact that Felix believes that women should be educated and afforded the same opportunities as their brothers.  When Margaret questions whether women should be beaten at school, he says, “Women respond to physical discipline so much better than men. Boys should only be beaten until they reach adulthood, but women can benefit from physical chastisement their whole lives.”“How can you suggest such a thing?” Margaret was shocked. “I thought you were an advocate of equal rights for women?”“Being equal doesn’t mean being the same,” replied Mr Oliver smiling. “And the two sexes are certainly not the same. I think most women would benefit from the occasional spanking. I haven’t conducted a full scientific study into the matter, though. Perhaps I should devote some time to practical research.”Margaret goes on to ask if he would spank his wife and he says yes.  A month later he has her invited to a dinner at the Royal Institute.  Of course, Felix is there and he finally lets her know that he is interested in courting her.  She believes that he is joking as he is 26 and only 5 years older than her son.  But, they do court and he asks her to marry him and she says yes.  The rest of the story is about the first few months of their marriage.This was a wonderful story!  I loved the characters, I loved that Felix believed that women were just as intelligent as women and that he supported his wife in her interests.  It was very well written and there are plenty of spankings as well.  All in all, one of the best books I have read lately!