Review: Hard to get in to
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 04 29, 2011
I've read longer works by Ms. James, and found them unmemorable.  Novels take more skill than might appear--developing characters the reader can like or dislike, or in some way find interesting enough to continue turning the page. As I recall, she doesn't particularly excell in the long form. I gave this work a try, hopinng Eloisa James's forte might be in the shorter work.  While it is difficult to develop characters much in the time and space contraints of the novella, one would hope for interesting characters, at least.  Ms. James has fallen to the temptation of crafting paper doll characters: all rather shallow and incredible extremes.  The husband is rough and evil, but not entirely so.  His successor is suave and courteous, but not particularly so.  The protagonist (there are actually two and a half) is a man who apparently has grown and changed very little from boy to man, yet we are supposed to root for him.  The heroine has changed not at all from girl to wife to widow.  She is simply confused and lustful.  Sorry to 'spoil' the plot for you, but read it yourself and see if you find it any more satisfying.