Review: Good read
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 28, 2013
The redemption of a rake begins with a simple act of kindness...Olivia Blake can vividly recall life before blindness set in, and although it limits her activities, it does not keep her from participating in a London season or from dancing with a skilled partner. Yet, when a dance partner takes Olivia to the floor with a plan to abandon her so he can win a bet, hardened rake Adrian Calwell, Baron Norbury, refuses to allow the young debutante to risk physical injury or personal humiliation by wandering aimlessly among the whirling couples. But no good deed goes unpunished, as very quickly Adrian finds himself captivated by Olivia and shunned by her mother and uncle for his past rakish ways.With a few well-planned meetings under the eye of Olivia's helpful, yet mindful, young cousin Emily St. George and a steady stream of thoughtful gifts that appeal to the senses, Olivia soon returns Adrian's sentiments, but her uncle refuses to allow courtship due to Adrian's unsuitability. But Mr. St. George never counted on his daughter Emily's determination to see her cousin Olivia happily married to the man she loves.For anyone looking for a sweet, kisses-only story set during the English Regency period, Elizabeth Cole's LOVE IS BLIND will happily fulfill your reading needs. Younger readers hooked on Austenesque tales and mature readers who prefer traditional, clean Regencies will find this a pleasant diversion that stays with the tried and true, rather than veering off into unnecessary subplots that often leave a reader unsatisfied and pondering a loose end not neatly tied up.The author's writing is crisp and her dialogue is true to the period. My only disappointment is that Adrian and Olivia didn't particularly come to life for me in their roles of hero and heroine. More details on the backgrounds of these characters would have made them much livelier, which is definitely how I would describe the well-intentioned and often interfering secondary character Emily St. George, a miss who is sorely in need of a story of her own from the talented Ms. Cole.Reviewed by Angie Just Read...for TheRomanceReviews.com