Review: Not Bad
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 22, 2013
This book was actually not terrible. It was a tad raw and really could have used an editor, but the story was sound. There were several inconsistencies; such as the coloring of Lord Clifton' s first love. And at times the descriptions of characters' thoughts and feelings were a bit melodramatic and overdone. The lusty feelings from the lead pairing' s first meeting was, I thought, rather ridiculous and completely detracted from the rest of the story. I found myself dreading each page turn waiting for the inevitable deflowering scene and was constantly surprised that it never came. Not that I am a prude, but I don't read Regency Romance novels for the steamy sex scenes. That is not to say that this is a completely clean book, but the love scenes were tolerable and placed at an appropriate point in the work. As much as I hate to say it, this book either needed to be much shorter or much longer with more details and explanations. Why did Emmaline know all those royals? How could she have honestly been left to her own devices in France for two years instead of training a successor and being sent home? What is the history between her and Julianna? At times the book dragged and at other times rushed ahead far too quickly. It seemed like the author had a lot of ideas and wanted to express them all at once but never explains the how's and whys. For instance, Emmaline was born in Spain to a soldier and learned how to ride and drive various equippages before being sent to a premier school in Bath - at a young age - where she met an Earl' s sister and several other high ranking members of the Ton. I don't know that any young woman no matter how accomplished could fit all that and more into her very short number of years. It's a little much. I do wish there had been more tension and build up to the romance. Both leads fell into immediate lust with each other from page one and it just went from there. Still, the author has promise, just needs some editing assistance. Recommended.