Review: A NEW AUTHOR DISCOVERY MADE BY ME!! WELCOME JULIA TAGAN TO MY BOOK UNIVERSE
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 7, 2014
I love the saying, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." This book takes this saying and runs away with it. With hilarious and creative situations, a mismatched and crazy couple take on Manhattan and even Bridgeport!Catherine Delcour has been used by all the men in her like. Her father drunk himself to death, while she struggled to care for her infant sister, Sophie. Mr. Allen, who raised her after her father, liked to look and even touch her young body. Her husband of 5 years, Morris Delcour, used her as a "Pretend" wife. Since they are not legally wed, he wants to throw her away to Haiti of all places. What's a spunky, unwanted Manhattan woman to do? Fight back with all she has and maybe fall in the love along the way!Benjamin Thomas is Morris Delcour brother-in-law from Morris' first marriage. Benjamin watch his sister, Dolly, being massacred by the revolting Haitian slaves as Morris hides and then flees the scene. He has grown up on the sea and landed in Burgundy, France. Benjamin was taught about wine and molded into a gentleman by Pierre Reynard. Now Benjamin is in Manhattan and begins his REVENGE against Morris Delcour. He has waited 20 years and nothing or no one will get in his way!Catherine meets Benjamin as she tries to runaway to Morris' NYC home and steal his precious bottle of 1780 Chateau d'Yquem, an almost priceless wine. Later she learns who Benjamin is and that Morris has hired him to watch her every move. Benjamin is captivated by Catherine's beauty and her spark for life, but she is the enemy's wife. Catherine can't help comparing Benjamin's tall and chiseled body to Morris' old and pudgy body. Catherine starts to play a seductive game of cat and mouse with Benjamin. They both crave one another and they finally join forces to make Morris pay. Catherine and Benjamin begin a fragile working relationship to find the d'Yquem for Catherine to sell and to prove Morris' fraud to Manhattan's society for Benjamin's REVENGE!They have many speed bumps to pass on their merry enterprise. The housekeeper from Hades, Mrs. Doggett, handsy Percy Bonneville, the snobby Manhattan elite, Mr and Mrs. Allen, Catherine's younger sister, a young pyromaniac, a lot of anger men on horses, an angry magistrate and so many others on their misadventure. Will Catherine every get cleanly away from Morris? Will Benjamin use her too? Will Benjamin get his revenge against Morris? Will he use Catherine to get it? And the most anticipated question: Will the bottle of 1780 Chateau d'Yquem ever be popped open to enjoy?I love and enjoy to discover new authors. Julia Tagan is my least GREAT DISCOVERY and I want to share her with y'all. She used hilarious and madcap situations and characters that immigrant into your book imagination. I thought London and the peerage of England were snobby, but Manhattan's society takes snobbery to a whole new level. Ms. Tagan's use of peaches is sensual and slightly sleazy and I have added it to my bucket list of MUST TRY! She also gives a most welcome ending with extra tidbits of info about the characters lives. Not only has Ms. Tagan become a welcome new author to my ever growing book diet, but Catherine, Benjamin and even Sophie are still living and evolving in my heart. I also want to THANK her for giving birth and sharing her creation with me and has helped to brightening my book universe. I must give Ms. Tagan a score of 4 fingers up and 8 toes. I also wish to shout to the world (pompoms are optional) and say, "I am now a Julia Tagan FAN and PROUD of it!"Reviewed from NetGalley ARC.