Review: Freshman writer, Doctorate in Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 11, 2013
Marian, after being ostracized from her home because of a dalliance with a local boy, comes to Blakewood to take work as a maid.  Evan Blake is the heir apparent at Blakewood and at the age of 26 is being pressured to marry and produce sons.  Evan has never tupped the help.  He feels it is basically the equivalent of rape because the help can't refuse without fear of loosing their job.  Then he meets Marian.  At first he thinks she is a 'lady' because she is pretty and well spoken but, when he finds out that she is to be an employee of Blakewood he decides she is off limits.  But the electricity between them is undeniable and eventually they end up in a passionate affair.  Marian becomes an author and with the help of Evan befriends the publisher.  When Evan makes it clear that marriage is impossible, Marian leaves for France with the help of her publisher and becomes all the rage as an author and a loose woman.  Evan meanwhile goes into a deep depression and finds solace only in his cups until one day he finds that Marian may need rescuing.  What happens next is an adventure of a lifetime.I would have given this book a lower rating but when I found out that this book was the first for this author, I wanted to be very encouraging.  The concept, plot and twists are very good and I enjoyed the story line.  My problems with the book are with character development, editing, pace and flow.  There is a disconnect between the way Evan acts and his role in life.  Character development is rather absent.  We don't really understand what it is that make either Evan or Marian tick.  The language is all wrong for the time period but, I really don't have a huge problem with that.  In trying to make the ending interesting, the writing becomes a bit choppy.  I would read this author again.  I think given enough time she could become as good as Annette Blair.