Review: I wanted to love it
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 17, 2013
Disclosure:  I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.  It contains no spoilers.I really wanted to love this story.  The blurb reeled me in and the subject matter seemed so fascinating.  And that's where the love pretty much ended.First, I will admit I have a history degree... a European history degree.  As such, I tend to be critical of historical fiction.  I'm willing to give a little to the process of world building, but unless it's fantasy, I should at least be able to identify it.  No such luck with this book.  The descriptions were beautiful and very unrealistic for 18th century London.Second, considering this is set in 18th century London, there were language issues.  Modern, American English was blended with modern British and Victorian British English.  Also there was cockney slang that just didn't fit... not only was the slang too modern, but it didn't seem very cockney.Third, by the end of the tale, I was still ambivalent towards the characters.  I had no attachment to the characters and therefore, no feelings about the ending.However, I gave it three stars because the writing was great.  The prose was well constructed and enjoyable.  The author did an excellent job with her descriptions and the amount of description given (I am finding more and more novels with too much description).  The plot seemed well thought out and executed perfectly.  If I had connected with any of the characters, I probably would have overlooked the other problems.  Sadly, that was the critical flaw.It was a light, easy read that entertained me for a few minutes, even when I was clenching my teeth.