Review: Very good.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 25, 2014
In this summary the author tell you it's "not a traditional regency." And it's true, it's not. This book in many ways reminded me a bit of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. It takes place in a northern town where factory and mills are run. The characters are surrounded by workers on whom their lives depend. However there are problems between the masters and their workers.The two main characters are Nash and Madeline. Nash is the second son of an earl. He chose a life of trade over any other occupation. He's a true bachelor and lives to work. Madeline is an orphan who learns a pretty shocking truth that leaves her reeling. She has few options to her, and they're not what she expected her life to be. She chooses to marry Nash and be a helpmate to him.Many of the truths that Madeline learns in this story is that she was adopted and that her birth father still lives. But he's a radical. Her father and her husband are on different political sides. Madeline feels torn between these two worlds. She lives in a time when women had little say over their lives.I found this book to be a fascinating read. While it focuses on the lives of Madeline and Nash there is a heavy dose of realism for the time period they live. The author deals with the women's suffrage movement, politics, and fair labor. The author doesn't gloss over these trials and tribulations of the time. She puts her characters through the wringer. Some things end happily while others don't. This is an enjoyable story to read. It's not your traditional Regency, but it's definitely worth reading!