Review: A decent historical read
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 24, 2012
THE SECRET OF RAVELSTON tells the story of Jane Freemont, a free-thinking woman growing up in early 19th-century England, where being free-thinking isn't exactly smiled upon. After accidentally embarrassing a lady of status, she's sent to Ravelston, a town to the far north of the country, to live with her uncle, who is the town rector. While there, she becomes aware of a missing servant girl named Mary, and takes it upon herself to figure out where Mary went, and what happened to her.The story had an intriguing premise, so when I was contacted by the author I immediately accepted it. And, for the most part, I did enjoy the book. While it did take me a very long time to finish, that wasn't necessarily the book's fault, and more my own inability to carve out the necessary time each day to get it finished in a more timely manner. That being said, there were some things that slowed the book down, namely the language used; I'm guessing it was true to the time period, but it was still a bit tedious to read all the "my Lord"s and "my dear uncle"s, etc. There were also a few slip-ups where the language was more modern (a serving maid referring to her male companion as her "boyfriend"), which tended to throw me out of the story. That being said, I found Jane to be a very feisty main character, and I enjoyed reading from her perspective. She is definitely a girl who was born in the wrong time period; she's too aware of her surroundings, too curious, and too persistant. It actually causes Jane quite a lot of trouble while she's in Ravelston, but it was those moments that were the most interesting to read.I have a soft spot for historical books, and enjoyed reading about Ravelston Castle, and the beautiful grounds surrounding it. What I didn't necessarily like was the Lord of Ravelston, Andrew, who was too bitingly sarcastic and mean-spirited. I didn't like his treatment of the people his mother asked to visit, particularly his cousin, Carla. I think we were supposed to find him mysterious and intriguing, but I just found him irritating and arrogant. Some of the constant "this is how the upperclass live" parts were a bit slow, though, and made the book drag. I think some of it could have been cut out to keep the book at a more lively pace. I also have to admit that I had most of the mystery figured out well before Jane discovered the truth, although I was surprised at one particular twist.All in all, Jane is a plucky, lively heroine who does what she feels is right, and doesn't bow down to society's norms. The mystery, while a tad obvious for me personally, was a decent way to drive the plot and keep the reader interested, and I enjoyed the ways Jane set about trying to figure out what happened. The Secret of Ravelston is an overall good read, and would be a good choice for those of you who enjoy historical tales.~A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.~