Review: Simply A Great Book
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 2, 2010
Originally posted at: [...]Trapped in a loveless arranged engagement to a man who values his family jewels more than the woman who wears them, Sophia Astley is about to be literally swept off her feet by a highwayman that is so good at what he does, they call him "Bad Jack".Prepare to be swept back to a time of Lords and Ladies, balls, clandestine meetings and romance a la Regency England. Ms. Glass has written an exciting and sexually charged novella that had me at "Stand and deliver".I couldn't help but imagine the opening scene through the eyes of the heroine, Sophia Astley. A gently bred English miss who is raised knowing that she had a duty to fulfill. With no foreseeable options she was resigned to marry an odious man she could barely stand to be near. Until she met Jack! I became so caught up in Sophia's plight and the breath stealing abduction by Bad Jack I did a little mental happy dance for them as they rode away.There were so many great elements to this book but not surprising coming from such a talented writer as Ms. Glass. If I was asked to break down the main subplots for Badcock into single words I would begin with Greed, Abduction, Seduction, Discovery, Heart-ache, Betrayal, Danger and last and most importantly Love.I've read a lot of Regency era romance and tend to unconsciously look for specific wording in the dialogue and in the characterization that breathes reality into the story for the time period. Ms. Glass does a beautiful job with both.Have you ever heard the term "breaking bad"? It's not new but it's seen a revival recently in mainstream talk. It's a southern colloquialism that refers to someone who has strayed off of the straight and narrow path and embraced a life changing alternative. Badcock is a must read for anyone who, like Sophia, has the guts to break away and break bad!