Review: Juliet by Anne Fortier

When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy, she is told it will lead her to an old family treasure. Soon she is launched on a winding and perilous journey into the history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose legendary love for a young man named Romeo rocked the foundations of medieval Siena. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in Shakespeare’s unforgettable blood feud, she begins to realize that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is the next target. It seems that the only one who can save Julie from her fate is Romeo—but where is he? (summary from cover).

I read a lot of favorable reviews of Juliet when it came out last year, but just got around to reading it. It was the perfect book for traveling--let's just say I didn't want the plane flight to end! I felt like I was on the hunt with Julie as she uncovered clues about her true identity and tried to unravel the tangled legacy of her family and their relationship to an ancient curse.

The format of alternating between the present day and the events of 1340 that led to Shakespeare's famous play kept my interest, and I loved that the characters were all three-dimensional and complex. Both the hero and heroine have things in their past they'd rather not share, and other characters blur the line between good and evil. The relationship between Julie and her twin sister Janice was especially well-written, as they move from being bitter childhood rivals to working together and finally understanding each other better.

Beautiful Siena

Fortier's writing evoked the lush countryside around Siena and made me want to hop on a plan to Italy immediately. The mix of superstition and family loyalty in the Sienese was really interesting, as was the importance of the Palio, a horse race that still takes place today. I wish the author had explained some of the Italian architectural terms she used (like loggia) as I sometimes had trouble visualizing where the scene was taking place, but that was a minor issue with an otherwise engaging book.

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars. This is a wonderful book for these last remaining weeks of summer or any time you want to escape into a different place and time. If you love history, mystery or romance (or all three) I would recommend reading Juliet.

Details: 480 pages, published by Ballantine, July 2011
Source: personal copy

Review: The Violets of March by Sarah Jio

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after. Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life (summary from back cover).

About Sarah Jio:
Sarah is a veteran magazine writer and the health and fitness blogger for Glamour magazine, a role she’s had for nearly three years. In addition, she is a women’s health contributor to Womansday.com, the web site of Woman’s Day magazine. She has written hundreds of articles for national magazines and top newspapers including Redbook, O, The Oprah Magazine, Cooking Light, Glamour, SELF, Real Simple, Fitness, Marie Claire, Hallmark magazine, Seventeen, The Nest, Health, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, The Seattle Times, Parents, Parenting, and Kiwi. In addition, Sarah is a monthly columnist for American Baby. She has also appeared as a commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time you can probably tell that I'm obsessed with anything set in the WWII era, so I was excited when I was asked to review Sarah Jio's The Violets of March. The book features a mysterious diary written in 1943, and though WWII ended up playing only a minor role in the story, I enjoyed this wonderful novel nonetheless.  

It took me about 50 pages to really get into the story, due mostly to the occasionally awkward writing and metaphors ("' We almost didn't make it home that night,' he said, his eyes like portals into the forgotten memories of my youth.") However, I was soon caught up in the developing love story and the mysteries surrounding the diary that Emily finds. I found Emily to be a admirable character, who learns from her mistakes and has the clarity to listen to the voice inside her. Though she has the tendency to jump to conclusions easily (like the author of the mysterious diary) she also knows herself.

I also enjoyed the gently suspenseful tone of the book and the mystery surrounding the diary. When I thought I had figured out how the pieces all fit together, something happened to change my mind. The ending was thoughtful and bittersweet and I enjoyed seeing all of the loose ends tied up neatly, but not too predictably. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. While it sometimes got bogged down by clunky writing, The Violets of March was a lovely book with a mix of mystery, romance, and likeable characters. I look forward to reading the author's next book, The Bungalow (to be released in spring 2013).

Details: published by Plume, April 2011 
Source: Thanks to Sarah Jio and Plume for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Surrender the Heart by MaryLu Tyndall

Relive the rich history of the War of 1812 through the eyes of Marianne Denton and Noah Brenin, who both long to please their families but neither one wishes to marry the other. Noah is determined to get his cargo to England before war breaks out, and Marianne is equally determined to have a wedding so that her inheritance can be unlocked and her destitute family saved. When their stubborn games get them captured by a British warship, can they escape and bring liberty to their country--and growing love? (summary from marylutyndall.com)

This probably wasn't the best book to read while touring France, since I found myself eagerly wanting to get back to the hotel so I could read more of Marianne and Noah's story. It's that good!

I loved the character of Marianne and found myself relating to so many of her struggles and insecurities. She thinks of herself as no great beauty, and after experiencing personal tragedy and hardship has resigned herself to expecting nothing more than an ordinary life. When circumstances land her on her reluctant fiance's merchant ship sailing to England, she has to face her past and the issues that have haunted her. There were a few times where I was frustrated by her lack of trust, but that really showed the power anxiety can have over us. When she finally trusts God enough to face her fears and fulfill her destiny it is a really nice moment.

Though Noah starts out as a somewhat unlikeable character (at least in terms of his treatment of Marianne) he becomes an admirable hero. He is burdened by guilt over his brother's death and his family's expectations but possesses a strength of character and a willingness to stand up for what is right. I loved that Noah slowly comes to admire Marianne's courage and kindness and realizes just how beautiful she really is. I'm always a sucker for the "dislike turning into attraction" storyline (aka Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy), and Surrender the Heart delivered that in spades.

In terms of the historical backdrop, I really enjoyed Tyndall setting the book in the months leading up to the War of 1812. That war often seems like just a blip on the history of the U.S., but she shows how critical a victory was to our very young nation and how unmatched we seemed to be against the British. It made me want to read more about the contest and America during that time.

A few minor issues with the story... for the most part, I thought that the character's journeys toward faith were realistic and heartfelt, but there were a few instances where everything seemed to fall into place too quickly. It was like one minute a character was burdened by guilt and the next they were suddenly free. I know that God is capable of radically changing people's hearts, but it seemed a little fast. Also, I hated how Noah occasionally referred to Marianne as "princess." Maybe it's just a weird quirk of mine but I squirmed every time he called her by that name (which luckily was only three or four instances in the book.)
 
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. This book kept me totally riveted with its mix of romance and adventure set against the first months of the War of 1812. The characters were likable and relatable and I was caught up in their love story.

Details: published by Barbour, August 2010. Book 1 in the Surrender to Destiny series.
Source: personal copy

Jane Eyre Featurette

Sorry if it feels a bit like Jane Eyre week at Roving Reads, but I am ridiculously excited for the new movie, starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, which releases in my area this weekend. I found this featurette on the making of the movie on Focus Features' website, complete with interviews with Mia and Michael and a few new images from the film.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I finally finished Jane Eyre this weekend, and absolutely loved it! It is a wonderfully romantic novel that also deals with weighty issues like faith, sin, and death. The story is so well-known that there's no need for a review, but I thought I'd touch on some of my favorite themes or moments in the book (note: this post contains some mild spoilers, so if you haven't read the book or don't want to know the story stop now!)

- Jane is in some ways a thoroughly modern heroine, able to take care of herself and remain upright through enormous hardships. She gives freely of forgiveness and love though she has been shown few of those mercies herself, and she knows her own mind and isn't swayed by stronger personalities. When Rochester tries to persuade Jane to live with him as his mistress, she is sorely tempted but knows the pleasure of giving in would not outweigh the consequences:

"...while he spoke, my very conscience and reason turned traitors against me, and charged me with crime in resisting him. They spoke almost as loud as Feeling; and that clamored wildly. “Oh, comply!” it said. “Think of his misery; think of his danger—look at his state when left alone; remember his headlong nature; consider the recklessness following on despair—soothe him; save him; love him; tell him you love him, and will be his. Who in the world cares for you? or who will be injured by what you do?”

Still indomitable was the reply—“I care for myself. The more solitary the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad—as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigor; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth?"

- I enjoyed the multi-layed presentation of Christians and faith. There are examples of people who are esteemed as Christians but really have none of the qualities, like Mr. Brocklehurst. St. John has the fire and the passion to do great things for God, but he expects perfection out of himself and others and isn't able to temper his  expectations with compassion. Jane clings to the law of God as she resists Mr. Rochester in the above passage and realizes she has made him the center of her universe: "I could not, in those days, see God for his creature of whom I had made an idol."

- Neither Jane or Rochester are conventionally attractive, but in the other's eyes they are beautiful. She tenderly cares for him when he loses his sight, and he in turns adores her. Don't we all long to be judged more for our inner selves than for outward appearances? As Mary says on hearing that Rochester and Jane were married, “she'll happen do better for him nor any o’ t’ grand ladies.” And again, “If she ben't one o’ th’ handsomest, she's noan faâl and varry good-natured; and i’ his een she's fair beautiful, onybody may see that.”

Rochester (Toby Stephens) and Jane (Ruth Wilson)

 Over the weekend I watched the 2006 Masterpiece adaption with Toby Stephens as Rochester and Ruth Wilson as Jane. For the most part I really enjoyed it, though I wondered at several of the plot changes that seemed unnecessary (instead of dressing as the gypsy fortune-teller, Rochester pays a real one to entertain/question the ladies, St. John finds Jane on the moor instead of her collapsing outside Moor House, Jane has no knowledge of Rochester's injuries before she arrives at Ferndean). I can't wait for the new adaption, starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, which from the looks of the trailer below seems to play up the gothic aspects of the story.



source: personal copy. This book was one of my selections for Subtle Melodrama's 2011 Victorian Literature Reading Challenge.

Top Ten Tuesday- Favorite Love Stories

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic: Top Ten Favorite Love Stories (mine are listed in no particular order). 

Happy belated Valentine's Day! Sorry for the blogging hiatus... work/life/etc. has been crazy the past few weeks!

1. Persuasion by Jane Austen- I love, love, love this story of second chances between Capt. Frederick Wentworth and Anne Eliot. I know many people have a differing opinion but I am a huge fan of the 2008 BBC version starring Rupert Penry-Jones as Wentworth.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- How can you not mention the grande dame of romantic literature? I periodically re-read this and am always amazed at Austen's perceptive view of people and how Darcy and Elizabeth grow and change over the course of the story.

3. East of the Sun by Julia Gregson- A wonderful novel about three young women who leave England for India in the waning years of colonial rule and their ensuing romantic complications. Each grows over the course of the story and finds the relationship that is right for them.

4. A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin- Probably my favorite book of 2010. Walt and Allie, the main characters, are wonderful and I was totally swept up in their sweet love story based on a deep friendship.

5. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell- I grew up with a Southern mom who adored this movie and when I finally read the book I loved it just as much as the film version. It has it all--passion, danger, scheming, war, romance, etc.


6. The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig- Letty and Geoff have always been my favorite of the Pink Carnation couples. A forced marriage brought on by a misunderstanding turns to love, and it's fun to read how they overcome their initial perceptions of each other.

7. North and South by Elizabeth Gasskell- I'm working off of only the movie version (the book is on my very long TBR list) but I love this story of how Margaret and John overcome their prejudices against each other. And can you beat Richard Armitage as John Thornton? So dreamy!

8. Lady Julia Grey and Nicholas Brisbane in the Lady Julia mysteries by Deanna Raybourn- I've loved reading how their relationship develops over the course of the series and seeing how two very different people spark off each other.

9. Amelia Sedley Osborne and William Dobbin in Vanity Fair by William Thackeray- Thackeray is definitely viewing these characters through a sarcastic eye, but it's still great to see how steadfast Dobbin is in his love for Amelia, even as she holds onto an idealized version of her dead husband and is blind to his help. It's a nice moment when she realizes her husband was no angel and rushes to meet Dobbin at the pier.

10. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling- Sure, I was glad to see Harry and Ginny end up together, but the relationship between brainy Hermione and the lovable and often clueless Ron has always been my favorite. When they finally share a kiss during the Battle of Hogwarts I felt like I'd been waiting the whole series! I can't wait for the movie version this summer... 

What are your favorite love stories?

Review: The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig

Laura Grey, a veteran governess, joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling exploits in service to the spy known as the Pink Carnation. She hardly expects her first assignment to be serving as governess for the children of Andre Jaouen, right-hand man to Bonaparte's minister of police. Jaouen and his arch rival, Gaston Delaroche, are investigating a suspected Royalist plot to unseat Bonaparte, and Laura's mission is to report any suspicious findings.At first the job is as lively as Latin textbooks and knitting, but Laura begins to notice strange behavior from Jaouen-secret meetings and odd comings and goings. As Laura edges herself closer to her employer, she makes a shocking discovery and is surprised to learn that she has far more in common with Jaouen than she originally thought...(summary from goodreads)

I don't know how she does it, but Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series continues to get better and better. I loved that at ages 36 and 32 respectively, Andre and Laura are both older than the other Pink heroes and heroines and therefore more mature and slightly world-weary. 16 years of providing for herself by working as a governess has left Laura cynical and stubborn, while Andre is a man of many secrets weighed down by his job as assistant to the Prefect of Police. Neither of them are perfect, and I loved watching their romance develop as Laura begins to soften and her competence and smarts win the admiration of Jaouen.

I enjoyed the cast of secondary characters as well, like the flamboyant and jovial Monsieur Daubier and the crotchety nurserymaid Jeannette. Willig also deftly weaves in a few scenes with the hero and heroine of the next Pink Carnation book, Augustus Whittlesby and Emma Delagardie. It was fun to get a sneak peek of how their romance will begin (rather contentiously it seems).

Author Lauren Willig

As with Willig's other books, The Silver Orchid is obviously well-researched and grounded in real-life historical events. The edgy environment of suspicion in Bonaparte's Paris was perfectly captured and I felt like I was in the salons and gardens with the main characters. The only part of the book that didn't hold my attention as well was the contemporary storyline with Eloise and Colin. I normally enjoy their chapters but I couldn't help wanting the story to move along so I could get back to Laura and Andre! Overall, however, Willig has mastered how to blend the modern and historical storylines so that they each complement each other. If you've never read any of her books I highly recommend you start.

On a side note, there's an interesting interview with the author here about the journey to the final cover for The Orchid Affair, from the publisher's decision to go for a more contemporary look to one that more resembles the rest of the series' fine art covers (which I love-- I don't think I would have picked up the first book in the series if it had a "traditional romance" cover).

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. Another witty and fun romance with flawed yet appealing characters who I truly liked and an intelligent and well-written story. I can't wait for the next book (which unfortunately won't be released until January 2012)!

source: personal copy

Review: Framed

I finally got around to watching Framed, one of the Masterpiece Contemporary offerings from the 2010 season, and it is a delight!

Quentin (Trevor Eve) and Angharad ( Eve Myles)

When flooding in London's National Gallery precipitates the transfer of its treasured paintings to safety in an abandoned slate mine in the Welsh countryside, curator Quentin Lester (Trevor Eve), a worshipper of art to the exclusion of people, squires his beloved masterpieces to safety, secretly pleased to have them all to himself. There, he encounters a lineup of quirky inhabitants including the spirited and lovely, if slightly nosy, local schoolteacher, Angharad (Eve Myles), and a 10-year-old boy, Dylan Hughes. In a chain of misunderstandings triggered by a wayward chicken, Quentin mistakes Dylan, whose father has just left the family in the face of financial woes, for an art connoisseur and kindred spirit. But when Dylan, in desperation, plans the art heist of the century with his criminal-mastermind-in-training sister Minnie, the results reveal how these paintings on the move have tremendous power to move people. Framed is based on the bestselling book by Frank Cottrell Boyce (summary from PBS).

Angharad

Framed is an uplifting story that centers around the small Welsh village of Manod, which secretly sheltered National Gallery paintings during WWII and is called into service again after a flooding at the museum. Quentin Lester arrives from London hoping for a solitary existence with only the paintings for company, but is soon charmed by the local teacher Angharad and the collection of unique locals. There is a nice symmetry between Angharad's high-spirited ways and Quentin's more guarded and cynical persona. She helps him to see that art is not meant to be kept in safe and secure boxes for viewing by a select few, but should be shared and experienced by all. He in turn shows a surprising depth and unexpected kindness towards the townspeople. The scene where Angharad explains to Quentin that Dylan's love of Donatello has more to do with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than Italian Renaissance painters is so charming and funny. And it's inspiring to see each character make their own art out of the difficult circumstances in their lives, whether it's Marie creating a photo collage of her baby brother or the butcher finding solace and purpose through a Monet painting.

Dylan and Minnie Hughes (Samuel Davies and Mari Ann Bull)

I thought the young actors playing Dylan and Minnie (Samuel Davies and Mari Ann Bull) were fantastic, and able to demonstrate a wide range of emotions, from despair at their father leaving to Minnie's craftiness in hatching a plan to save their struggling garage. Using a knowledge of crime taken exclusively from the movie The Italian Job, she decides to steal a painting from the cave and use it to raise money. Her older brother is just along for the ride until she reveals that her plan didn't extend past the actual theft. Luckily everything works out in the end, for the townspeople, Quentin and Angharad and the Hughes family.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Lively, funny and sweet, Framed is an enjoyable story about the power of art to transform a village and the people in it. I only wish it had a longer running time than 82 minutes so the writers could have devoted more time to each character's story, especially the romance between Quentin and Angharad. Framed is available to watch online here until January 25.

One More Challenge for 2011...

Thanks to Ruth for bringing The Georgette Heyer Challenge at All Things Historical Fiction to my attention! This is the perfect excuse to finally get around to the Heyer novels I own but haven't read yet. I'm going to start with the bare minimum of three books and see how it goes.

The books I'm going to read for the challenge:

 A Civil Contract

An Infamous Army

Faro's Daughter

Review: The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig

I just found a review I had written a few months ago of Lauren Willig's sixth installment in the Pink Carnation series, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, which was released last January. If you haven't read the previous books you need to start with the first (The Secret History of the Pink Carnation), as Willig builds on the characters' relationships and the relationship between the modern day heroine Eloise and Colin Selwick. While I always love Willig's writing and have devoured the previous books, I must admit this is tied for my least favorite with The Seduction of the Crimson Rose.

Like Mary Alsworthy, Penelope Staines (nee' Devereaux) is a difficult heroine, and though you come to admire her strength and wit as love softens her, she is not easy to love. Also, (BIG SPOILER ALERT) I was really bothered by the adultery that took place between the still-married Penelope and Captain Alex Reid. In her previous books Willig has pretty much confined the sex scenes to when the characters were (however reluctantly) married, so I came into Blood Lily expecting the same. I know it contributed to the image of Penelope as more of a rebel, but it cheapened their relationship to me. On the positive side, Willig's writing is as witty and fun as ever, and it was nice to see a feisty woman match wits with a handsome, kind and honorable hero. Willig's descriptions of India are very evocative and obviously very well-researched.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. Wanted to love it, just couldn't really identify with Penelope as I had with previous heroines Henrietta, Letty and Charlotte. However, I did enjoy it and loved The Mischief of the Mistletoe (see review here), so I'm looking forward to reading Willig's next book, The Orchid Affair..

source: personal copy

Review: Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn

Fresh from a six-month sojourn in Italy, Lady Julia returns home to Sussex to find her father's estate crowded with family and friends— but dark deeds are afoot at the deconsecrated abbey, and a murderer roams the ancient cloisters. Certain of her cousin's innocence, Lady Julia resumes her unlikely and deliciously intriguing partnership with Nicholas Brisbane, setting out to unravel a tangle of deceit before the killer can strike again. When a sudden snowstorm blankets the abbey like a shroud, it falls to Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane to answer the shriek of murder most foul (summary from goodreads).

 The second installment in Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey mystery series was even better than the first, Silent in the Grave. I was eager to see more of Julia and Nicholas Brisbane's passionate but unsettled romance and enjoyed Julia's witty narrative voice and the coloful cast of secondary characters. Similar to the first book, the murderer was unmasked and the mystery solved by the last pages, but not fully. Like real life, there is never a perfect ending or justice entirely served, and the loose ends and unanswered questions made the story more realistic. I felt like the characters were fully formed and multi-dimensional, with their own quirks and unique qualities that made them seem like flesh-and-blood people.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. This book held my attention with the descriptive writing and mix of Victorian mystery, humor, and romance. I've already started the third book in the series, Silent on the Moor.

Source: personal copy

Review: The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig

Reginald “Turnip” Fitzhugh—often mistaken for the elusive spy known as the Pink Carnation—has blundered into danger before. But when he blunders into Miss Arabella Dempsey, it never occurs to him that she might be trouble. When Turnip and Arabella stumble upon a beautifully wrapped Christmas pudding with a cryptic message written in French, “Meet me at Farley Castle”, the unlikely vehicle for intrigue launches the pair on a Yuletide adventure that ranges from the Austens’ modest drawing room to the awe-inspiring estate of the Dukes of Dovedale, where the Dowager Duchess is hosting the most anticipated event of the year: an elaborate 12-day Christmas celebration. Will they find poinsettias or peril, dancing or danger? And is it possible that the fate of the British Empire rests in Arabella and Turnip’s hands, in the form of a festive Christmas pudding? (summary from book cover)

I have been a big fan of Lauren Willig's historical romance for a while and the release of The Mischief of the Mistletoe happened to fit in nicely with All About {n}'s Holiday Reading Challenge. While this can be read as a stand-alone Christmas novel, it's much more fun when you have read the previous entries in the Pink Carnation series (six in all, starting with the Secret History of the Pink Carnation). I loved seeing the reappearance of some of my favorite characters from earlier books, like Lord and Lady Pinchingdale and the fearsome Dowager Duchess of Dovedale.

I had never found Turnip Fitzhugh to be a particularly romantic character, but Willig creates a depth that makes him very appealing by the end of the story. As Arabella and Turnip romp through various adventures I was caught up in their story and the setting of Regency era Bath, England. I also enjoyed seeing an appearance by the famous Jane Austen (as an old family friend of Arabella's) and how Willig seemed to capture her smart and comedic take on society.

Rating 5 out of 5 stars. This book reaffirmed Willig's place on my list of favorite authors. Witty and fun, with plenty of chemistry between the two main characters, this was the perfect start to the holiday season! I would highly recommend this for Jane Austen fans or anyone who enjoys a blend of historical romance and comedy.
source: personal copy

Review: Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

Chaos on the streets of Victorian London (from English Heritage)

Silent in the Grave tells the story of Lady Julia Grey, who is widowed when her husband Sir Edward Grey collapses suddenly at a party. Nicholas Brisbane, a private investigator employed by her husband, believes the death was not due to natural causes, and the two team up to discover the true nature of Edward's demise. Along the way they travel the highs and lows of Victorian London interacting with prostitutes, lords and every type of person in between.

The story moved slowly for me until the last 100 pages, when it careened to an unexpected conclusion and I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish. Nicholas Brisbane is an appealing counterpoint to Lady Julia and I enjoyed watching them match wits as they attempt to ignore their obvious sexual chemistry.
Raybourn's writing is atmospheric and really transported me into the backdrop of Victorian London, and certain passages are rich with detail, like this one:

My heart began to drum so loudly that I thought he certainly must hear it. I was grateful then for the high collar that hid the pulse at my throat.
"It must have been. Perhaps you took some medicine while you were ill. They can often provoke strange dreams."
His eyes fell briefly to my mouth, his fingers twitched, and I wondered if he was smelling ripe cherries, remembering the feel of a supple glove against his finger.
"Yes they can," he said finally. (pg. 243)

I hope to see more of the entertaining secondary characters (like Lady Julia's siblings, the Grey House staff and Dr. Bent) in future books, and I'm really anxious to see how the relationship between Lady Julia and Brisbane progresses. In fact, I've already purchased the second book in the series, Silent in the Sanctuary, and am looking forward to starting that when I finish my current read.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. Atmospheric and slightly romantic with an intriguing mystery, this book held my attention and made me care about the main characters. I'm looking forward to the next installment and reading more of their story.

Source: library book