Introduction
I received this book via goodreads.com as
a "first read" in order to give this book an honest review. If you
would like to send me a book to review feel free to contact me through this
email, linked to my blog.
I haven't read to many Historical Romances
before, for no reason really it's just I never got around to
"exploring" this sub-genre.
My first impression, was well I wasn't
sure I was going to like it but as I began reading this book I was completely
draw into the world that Sherry Thomas created as well as the character too.
Summary
This story takes between the years 1888 to
1896 (I believe those are the correct dates).
The main character's name is Millie she is
the daughter of wealthy man who's family made their money in canned goods.
Millie had been trained her whole life to be a "proper wife" her
family hoped that she would be able to marry someone who had a
"title" meaning from aristocratic blood. Millie is depicted as a very
agreeable, not particularly "attractive" and a bit plain. She doesn't
really have a "rebellious" bone in her body and is the type of women
who has always done what she is told.
Millie marries, Fitz whom she falls for
instantly when she first meets him. Fitz all though comes from an aristocratic
background, his family is no longer wealthy so he must marry into
"money" in order to maintain his estate which he inherited from his
distant relative. Alas, Fitz is already in love with any other women named
Isabelle whom he cannot marry because her family is not incredibly wealthy.
The story flashes back in between the
"present" time of the story and different moments in the marriage of
Millie and Fitz.
In the beginning of their marriage Millie
makes a pact with Fitz that they would have a "contract" marriage and
all though they would be "technically" married either one of them
would sleep together.
* spoiler*
They grow close and become
"friends" within their marriage and Fitz begins to grow love and
respect for her throughout the years. He doesn't think of her as so "bland".
Years after they are
"comfortably" married Isabelle comes back into the picture. So Fitz
decides to meet up with Isabelle and have an affair with her while still
married to Millie. As promised he plans to give Millie an "heir" they
will try for six months for her to get pregnant and then pretty much plans to
leave her.
*End Spoiler*
In the book there is also brief mention of
Fitz two sisters: Helena who is unmarried and is conducting an affair with her
married first cousin I believe (Fitz best friend Hastings is in love with her
"secretly") and Venetia whom
is already married (I believe her story was told in the previous book which I did not read).
I won't get really into their "story lines" in this review.
Review
I would say the overall I give this
book 4 out of 5 stars. I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I really
enjoyed this book.
I have to hand it to Sherry Thomas, I
actually while reading this book I found that English is in fact not her first
language and I never would I have guessed that!
She created such fluent imagery with her
words, I felt as though I was actually there! To be at least it takes talent to
write "historical" novels because you want to be true the dialect of
the time but still make in understandable to the "average reader" and
I feel like she did just that.
Reading some other reviews about this
book, I saw certain people "complain" that Millie was "boring
and anti-feminist" that she teaches women to "do exactly what you are
told and everything will work out". I can't say that I necessarily agree
with that statement. I think that Sherry Thomas, made Millie historically
accurate, to the time she lived in. I think it would be silly to have a women
who has a "20th century attitude" in that time period. Wealthy women
back then were taught to be "timid" and very rule
"abiding". I don't think Millie was at all a "push over"
instead she was intelligent and found different ways than simply being
"forward" about everything, she worked around the fact she was a
woman and still managed to do the things she wanted.
I really don't have to many complaints
about this book, Fitz obviously annoyed me at times because he was stupidly
obsessed with Isabelle for most of the book and didn't always treat Millie very
nicely. Still, she managed to treat him kindly and even he was surprised about
the fact that she always almost always "composed" and took care of
him even when he didn't deserve it.
I think any reader ( myself included)
probably felt awful for Millie. I mean come on, she just wanted him to notice
her the entire time!
I didn't always "enjoy" the
flashbacks in the story sometimes I just felt to me that they were
"stalling" the story and not getting to the good part!
There was no sex until page 226! I guess
they just wanted to build up the story line more? I don't know it was a bit
frustrating at times.
Over all, I thought this book was an
excellent read and I enjoyed it very much. If you are into historical romance,
I would recommend that you check out Sherry Thomas's books, she is a very good
writer.
Thanks for guys for checking out my blog,
Kylia aka Alaska Book Girl!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3451295-kylia
