Review: Highly Recommended Read For Fans of Jane Austen
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 24, 2012
I have a soft spot for plain-faced heroines, I admit. Whether she be the socially awkward spinster who suddenly finds herself the belle of the ball or be she the proverbial "ugly duckling" who transforms into a lovely swan - I adore them all. There's nothing quite like reading about a homely heroine who finds her own "happily ever after".A Practical Arrangement by author Nadja Notariani tells the story of Evangeline Grey, a plain faced woman who makes up for what she lacks in beauty with sensibility and propriety. Having experienced pain, both physical and emotional, at the hands of her emotionally unbalanced mother - Evangeline has sworn off marriage.Thomas Masterson, a second son and known rake, learns that in order to gain his inheritance he must marry - and soon. Reluctant though he may be to give up his carefree lifestyle, Thomas is even more reluctant to give up his inheritance and so he sets his mind on coming up with an arrangement of sorts that will be beneficial to both he and Miss Grey.Nadja Notariani adds such depth to the characters found within the pages of this book. I found myself endeared to the character of Evangeline who suffered bouts of anxiety whenever someone would touch her. She couldn't even tolerate the embrace of her beloved sister, Melody, without tensing within her arms. I loved this and how it made her seem more real to me! This was an affliction that was borne out of a legitimate fear and to watch as Thomas discovered this fear and started Evangeline on her path to healing was beautiful. Simply beautiful.Thomas wasn't without his own demons to face. As the second son, Thomas often felt like he lived in the shadows of his older brother who could do no wrong in their father's eyes. After a bit of sibling rivalry turns deadly, Thomas finds himself engulfed in grief and loses himself in a hedonistic lifestyle. Only within the arms of his sweet Evie does he begin his own healing process.There are a cast of secondary characters that truly add dimension to this tale. There's Melody, Evangeline's recently widowed sister who finds herself in an affair of sorts with Masterson's friend, Mr. Lane. Albert Grey and Winston Platte, matchmakers extraordinaires.  Of course no good story is complete without a vindictive mistress and Augusta Preston plays her role quite well. There are many more characters I wish I had time to mention as they were all written so well but none quite stand out to me as much as Opal Grey, Evangeline's mother. I despised this woman from the first mention of her name throughout. Uuuggh! The way she constantly overlooked Evangeline and put her down in favor of Melody and then to actually be the cause of most of Evangeline's distress - there was no redeeming quality to be found about her whatsoever! I really hoped she would get a proper setting down by either Thomas or her own husband or someone but it was never forthcoming and for that I was greatly disappointed. Yes, I understood quite well that she suffered from bouts of depression but I literally wanted to strangle her myself!Nadja Notariani's style of writing is quite reminiscent of that of Jane Austen and I would not hesitate to read another title of hers. All in all, A Practical Arrangement is indeed every bit as good as I thought it would be and I would highly recommend it.Check out more of our reviews at Not Now...Mommy's Reading[...]