Review: A breath of fresh air in historical romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2014
The story in a nutshell…Aria Whitney just recently entered society and is learning the ways of the ton, attending parties and what-not, in search not of a husband as the rest of the ton thinks but in search of answers that would help her find her missing father. When she meets Adam Willoughby, Earl of Merewood after the latter catches her sneaking about in his soon to be brother-in-law’s room, her life takes a turn to the more complicated. But Adam might be the answer that she’s been looking for, in more ways than she could have imagined.What worked for me?I love that this book has that unconventional tone not just in her story but in her characters as well. I really appreciate the suspense and mystery surrounding the disappearance of Aria’s father. It was a great plot device not just in pushing the story forward but also providing breathing rooms for character development.As for the characters, I really, really liked both main characters. I found Aria stubborn, and although there were several times where I wanted to shake her because of her stubbornness and her seeming inability to trust, I still understood where she was coming from so I was willing to give the woman a break. I love that she isn’t at all comfortable nor settled on a life in society and she’d rather accompany her father in his archaeological expeditions than hold court or dance during balls and soirees. She’s also fiercely independent, loyal, and imperfect. Her imperfections are what endear her to me, as a matter of fact. It makes her character at times annoying but totally accessible.As for Adam, he isn’t your typical rakish and roguish hero. He seems to lead a well-balanced life. He’s not prone to any vices. In fact, he’s responsible especially as head of his family, looking after his widowed mother and three younger sisters. But his sense of responsibility is on the extreme side. After a fateful incident that hurt their family deeply especially the eldest of his younger sisters, he has blamed himself for not doing enough to prevent it and carries the scars of that event as an everyday burden.It was satisfying to watch Aria and Adam circle around each other and whatever feelings they have been developing for one another. I love how they complement each other and I adore basically how their love story developed. It was believable.What didn’t work for me?I love Aria but there were times when I find myself getting annoyed with her. Or this may just be the case of the author being able to channel Aria’s frustration at not finding her father to her readers. There were also minor plots in the book whose nonappearance in the story would not have been missed but I suppose they were there as this would is book two in a series.I would have wanted more from the ending. I liked it, don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t bad or terrible or lacking at all. I just wanted more not just for me as a reader but for the characters as well. I thought they deserved to have more.My over-all take on it?Jeannie Ruesch is a fresh voice in historical romance. Her characters’ depth and uniqueness are a draw and her suspenseful plot is really well-done. I love that this wasn’t a typical historical romance and I would definitely be checking out Jeannie Ruesch’s future works.