Amazon UK £2.99 £9.99
Amazon US $3.85 $14.99
Amazon CA $25.67
Regency Romance
1800s
France
Marie Ange lives in Devon, waiting for the return of her husband, lost
when his ship was wrecked during the Napoleonic War with France. She is
convinced that Christopher still lives despite having no proof beyond the
knowledge of her own heart. A letter arrives from a distant French relative
offering a bequest that will pay for much-needed renovations to her house and
with enough to pay for her brother-in-law to attend Naval College. A soldier
sails to fetch her and from then on nothing goes to plan.
This Regency Romance is different if only because it takes place almost
entirely in France where we are exposed to pro-Napoleonic sentiments and
witness the class divisions that re-emerged after Napoleon's first deposition.
You can't but feel sympathy for such feelings.
The story draws on legends from the days of the Knights Templar, adding
an other-worldly tang and a heavy dose of mystery and danger. Marie Ange finds
herself in constant peril and has a fair go at getting herself out of it. She
is feminine enough to make a proper Regency Heroine, and yet is robust enough
to avoid being annoying.
As a nit-pick, the ending was rather contrived and, to be honest, was
unnecessary. There is a natural ending to the plot and story, and maybe the
author should have appreciated that and not tried to do too much, less is best
sometimes. But this is a Regency Romance
and so it is forgivable.
But what actually lifts this novel above similar offerings is the author
herself. It isn't perfect, the language is a touch off in places, but Ms Laval
is not a native English speaker or writer – she's French, making this novel a
rather impressive undertaking. That she has written this well in a language not
her own makes me wish my French was good enough to enjoy to the full anything
she may have written in her own language.
With a good team behind her Ms
Laval would be a perfectly satisfying read. I found this story difficult
to put down, desperate to discover what would happen next.
Absolutely worth reading and I feel there is more to come from this
author.
© Nicky Galliers
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