Book review : Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell

Fools and Mortals
by Bernard Cornwell

My rating: ★★☆☆☆
2.5 stars, rounded down to 2, because I can expect such a dull story from a novice author on his first book, but not from a renowned author like Bernard Cornwell (and only one with a renowned and famous name can get away with it and still be able to sell the book).

I'm sorry to say that reading this book is a waste of time and money.

If you are really curious to read it (like I was and I chose it with great enthusiasm), then RENT IT FROM THE LIBRARY OR HAVE IT BORROWED FROM A FRIEND, DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON THIS BOOK (if you like it you can do it later)

The plot, reading the back cover, was interesting and the story could have been captivating and engaging, if only it had been developed with unexpected events and twists that had managed to keep the reader in suspense.

What was also needed was a main character with an incisive character and great willpower, perhaps also endowed with a big heart and great intelligence, a character that the reader could respect and become fond of.

The world of Shakespearean theater is certainly fascinating and this is what led me to choose this novel: I love theater and I appreciated both the historical notions on the birth of "playhouses" and on the life of actors during the Elizabethan era and on the difficulties and terror sown by the Puritans.

What distinguishes a good writer from a normal historical scholar, however, is precisely knowing how to enchant the public through a compelling plot, with which to surprise the reader with each chapter and push him to turn page after page with pressing curiosity.

___PLOT___ We are in London, during the reign of Elizabeth I Tudor.
William Shakespeare is not only an actor, but has his own company of actors and writes comic and tragic plays to be performed both on public stages and in the private mansions of the nobility.
The main character of the book is his young brother Richard, also an actor, who constantly lives in the shadow of his older brother, already well known and appreciated and completely devoid of affection towards Richard.
At that time female actresses were not accepted, so female characters were played by very young boys, still without beards and with voices not yet set up as adults.
This is Richard's biggest worry, besides poverty and hunger. He wants to play male roles and of course earn more money, but William is difficult to convince and the disagreements between them are getting deeper, which leads Richard to think about leaving his brother's company.
When the manuscript on the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet disappears, William and the other actors immediately think that Richard is the culprit, but he is not the only one who is dissatisfied and angry with William. To save his honor and his job, Richard will have the only option to find the real traitor.
______________________

It doesn't matter that there are no murders or gruesome battle scenes.
Theft and betrayal + brotherly love + the birth of a love story + the enchantment of Shakespeare's works, are all elements from which a wonderful and captivating story could emerge from the first to the last page! __ But this is not the case !!!!__

1) This STORY is FLAT, devoid of emotional elements capable of arousing in the reader surprise, hope, fright, relief and the whole range of emotion that a fiction enthusiast expects.

---> Almost three quarters of the book (that's right, you got it right, three quarters, that is, nothing interesting happens until almost the end! ) only tell us about the daily life of Richard and the other actors, when they rehearse on stage, occasionally addressing vulgar jokes, to joke or even to take offense), when Richard returns to his cold attic or goes to the pub.
If I could laugh at the first vulgar joke (not because of the swear word, but because of the situation: adult men tease each other like school children would), after a while it becomes tiring.

I'm not offended by the swear words, given the period in which the story takes place it was something I expected, but a good writer knows how to make people laugh by creating funny situations.
If a writer thinks he can make people laugh just by using vulgar jokes, then he isn't worth much to me.

2) Between one rehearsal and another, Cornwell inserts pieces of some of Shakespeare's works... Yes, of course, it's interesting, but copying verses and inserting them into each chapter isn't that difficult.

3) CONFUSIONARY WRITING STYLE.
The story is told in the first person by Richard who, in the middle of recounting each situation, goes on to recount past life memories that last so long that the reader forgets what he was telling before. When Richard returns to talk about the present it is difficult to understand immediately. There is great confusion.

Furthermore, during dialogues important to the story, the author inserts sentences from other people who do not participate in the scene, but are simply in the same place ( in the background ) and perhaps are arguing or uttering jokes on the stage during the play's reharsal.
So more confusion !
If I'm watching a film and during the main dialogue I hear other sentences in the background, there are no problems, because I see the scenes and understand that they are background chatter. In a book, however, I need the writer to make me understand this in some way, he can't simply insert jokes from other characters, here and there, in the middle of a dialogue between 2 or 3 people who are part of the main scene ! (I hope I was able to explain the concept).

4) At 60% of the book I was still waiting for something to happen!!!
I'm not exaggerating, it's really like that !
I usually leave books that fail to engage me, after 25% or at most 30% of the story.
This book is written by a very successful writer, so I kept thinking: "now something will happen"... but no.
I couldn't believe it!!!
I felt angry and mocked and I kept reading it deliberately, so now I can write an honest review with full knowledge of  it.

5) From 65% onwards, it finally seems that the story starts and the reader can finally wake up from a long lethargy caused by an insipid and boring plot.
Chapters 8 and 9 of the fourth part of the book are finally a little more interesting (but never really compelling, I repeat that this seems like a book written by a novice).
Don't have too many illusions though, you will have just a pinch of action, the solution to the problem, a little relief, again a slight suspense because there is a new problem, a new and quick solution to the problem, described in a completely simplistic way. That's all ...

After this, the author, so presumptuously taken with himself and his knowledge of Shakespeare, returns for the umpteenth time to tell us about the rehearsals, the costumes they wore, who knew the lines and who didn't, reports some of the most incisive lines and re-tells us the whole story of "Midsummer Night's Dream".

6) ___ MAIN CHARACTER: completely ANONYMOUS.
Speaking of the protagonist, Richard Shakespeare, I have no dislike for him, but I certainly can't say that he has a charming personality or that he can win over a reader in any way.
He is good looking and basically he is also a good guy, but he is not a character who emerges and will be remembered.
Richard is under the thumb of his older brother, he is unable to assert himself and the only time he finds in himself the strength to act, although he is a good boy, he exaggerates in violence against the one who is the real traitor, reducing him to a cripple.
Maybe I could have accepted the first blow, but he could have spared the subsequent beatings and in that scene the character disappointed me.

7) ___ SIDE CHARACTERS___

----> The character of W.Shakespeare:
I don't know exactly what he was like in reality, because I've never read his biography, but if I didn't like him in the film with Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench (All Is True, 2018), in this book he is even more unpleasant, very presumptuous, arrogant and devoid of any affection towards his brother (which is the only reason why we can appreciate the protagonist and that is because we feel sorry for him!).
  He was probably a real asshole in reality too, he certainly wasn't a good husband and a good family man.
 His works will remain great over time and testify to his talent, but the portrait that emerges from Cornwell's story is that of an opportunist like many others, arrogant and presumptuous, a cheating husband and a domineering and affectionless brother. Great playwright and poet as a human being... Meh.
Since this is a fiction, perhaps it could have given us a more appreciable W.Shakespeare.

---> ABOUT THE OTHER CHARACTERS: the writer inserts so many people and so many names (many of which actually existed), that initially it is really difficult to remember who is who.
None are particularly memorable, let's say that, taken as a whole, they contribute to giving an idea of the atmosphere of the time.

8) I didn't expect a love story, but the romantic element included in the book could have been developed a little more and better.
It could have been a strong point of the plot together with the theft and recovery of the script.
Instead, neither theft, nor betrayal, nor the sentimental story manage to act as catalysts, everything revolves around Shakespeare's verses which are scattered throughout the book.
Perhaps Cornwell wanted to write a book that was both educational and interesting, but the result is that this book is neither...

I also think that the publisher was only able to publish such an insignificant novel because of the author's renowned name.
______________

---> I can understand that every reader has personal tastes and that each of us perceives things differently, so I understand that for some this book is worth 2.5 stars while for others 3.5 or perhaps almost 4 stars...
But the reviewers, who rated it 5 stars, also wrote that this book is superlative.... the top of the quality... SORRY, BUT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND IT.
It's still a mystery to me.

Thank you for reading my opinion, probably written in a horrendous way, both because English is not my language, and because when I feel angry and disappointed by a book, I write in one go, without even the desire to reread my text (I've already had enough of the book and am happy to put it away forever).


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Book review : Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Devil in Winter
Wallflowers Book 3
by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: ★★★★★
5 FULL STARS !! :-D

Gosh!   Definitely not my usual reading   ...this really took me by surprise since I didn't know what kind of romance writer Lisa Kleypas is. 

You know, I just chose something romantic having many enthusiastic reviews, without the faintest idea about the kind of romance.
It's a well written story with hot and sensual scenes, where I won't tell you what is or isn't there... because the author has been generous in all the descriptions!
... And it's definitely suitable for adults.

--------> But that's not why I gave it 5 stars: 
it's because in addition to the theme on which the book "seems" to mainly focus, i.e. the hot and sexy intimate scenes, the author was good at inserting other emotional elements and parallel plots, which are intertwined with the love story of the two main characters.

---> I am not an expert of romance and in particular not of those with explicit sex scenes, which I usually discard, but according to my tastes, a love story becomes engaging and truly pleasant to read if the reader is also involved in other events and situations.
Some that constantly keep him/her on the razor's edge, piquing his/her curiosity and leading him/her to make suppositions and conjectures, to hope for one solution or another and to keep on turning the page by the desire to know what will happen the next moment. 

---> Here the author has been completely successful in keeping alive the interest of a reader, me, who usually rejects this type of reading!

_____ THE PLOT____ London, 1843.
Desperate to escape her scheming relatives, Evangeline Jenner, a 23-year-old spinster desperately trying to escape her abusive relatives, who want to rob her of her future inheritance by marrying her to their slimy and stupid son, finds the only possible solution in proposing herself in wife to London's most infamous scoundrel: Viscount Sebastian St. Vincent, a thirty-year-old womanizer whose father has squandered his entire fortune.
The advantage for her is to escape family members who mistreat her and keep her prisoner, the advantage for him is that he will be rich again and will be able to satisfy his father's creditors.
To get married immediately they must reach the village of Gretna Green, Scotland, famous for the marriages of couples who do not have their parents' permission.
She sets the condition that she will only give herself to him on her wedding night (to validate the marriage which would otherwise be considered null), then she will dedicate herself to the care of her dying father, who had left her as a child and she will be independent with her part of the money.
He happily accepts the condition posed by her, because spending more than one night with the same woman bores him to death.
So they leave that same night and together with the journey their life adventure also begins...
But is Sebastian really the rake he seems or does he, after all, have a heart too? And will Evangeline, Evie to her friends, be able to keep at a distance a man she's really falling in love with ?
_____________________

MY THOUGHTS WHILE I WAS READING :
--> Usually clean romance plots follow more or less these stages:
meeting between hero and heroine + dislike and/or adversity + overcoming problems + first kiss + other problems ( other kisses ) + definitive solution + finally sweet and intimate moment between the main characters + they lived happily ever after.

--> Well, this novel begins with the meeting of Sebastian and Evie who already know each other superficially (they met in the previous books of the series).
+ they make an agreement and a journey together follows. We do not have a classic courtship but the story of the journey is so beautiful and sweet to read, which can be equivalent to the courtship in which the protagonists begin to become familiar with each other.
+ The wedding ( so fun scene and I confess that I was also nervous for fear that one of the "villains" would stop it.)
+ Everything is ok and we have "a whole chapter" about their wonderful wedding night that WILL NOT DISAPPOINT any of the romantic readers 😉

So far we are at 25% through the book and my thought was: WHAT NOW? I HAVE ALREADY READ EVERYTHING THAT USUALLY TAKES PLACE IN THE SPACE OF AN ENTIRE BOOK...

I really feared that the book would continue with a succession of skirmishes and intimate scenes until I felt nauseated...

...BUT HERE COMES THE BOMB :
While I expected that the problems would come from asshole family members or that Sebastian was really the scoundrel bastard that he himself and his bad reputation proclaimed, she is the one who creates problems with her stubbornness and one-sided decisions.

-----> In addition to the disagreement between the two spouses, new dynamics enter the plot, altogether with painful events, new unexpected challenges, moments of action and new characters, who will have a very important role in the course of events.

----> Furthermore, every time it seems that a certain difficulty is about to be overcome by smoothing the path of the two young, a new emotional element comes into play and it revolutionizes the plans of our heroes once again.

---> In all this whirlwind of events, not only the great attraction that Sebastian and Evie feel for each other and their mutual desire are highlighted, but also the deep feeling that is being created thanks to the mutual support they give each other in overcoming critical moments ( in which sometimes their very lives are at risk).

CHARACTERS: THE COUPLE __ I liked both characters, although I must admit that for 5 minutes, I found her a bit hypocritical, too stubborn and too whiny, luckily she then redeemed herself...I'll explain better below.

___ SEBASTIAN and the subplot that makes his personality interesting:
from the story emerges his nature was not as selfish and contemptuous as it seems from the previous books... Basically the young man's nature was good, but having lost, at very young age, his mother and his loving sisters, he had grown up in a superficial way with a selfish and spendthrift father, certainly not the best of examples. The great beauty he possessed led women to throw themselves at his feet, resulting in great self-confidence, arrogance and boredom.
By reading the story WE REALIZE THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS WAY OF DOING IS THE LACK OF A PURPOSE, OF SOMETHING TO DEDICATE TO AND OF A GOAL TO REACH.

Evie's arrival ( a "wallflower" who is not only more beautiful than he had previously noticed, but also turns out to be much sharper and more intelligent than he supposed ) combined with her need for protection and the problems related to her father's work her, trigger a process that manages to bring out from Sebastian his true value and skills.

His respect and esteem for her arises immediately and this changes the balance between them.
He immediately offers her the needed help and so he discovers that in dedicating himself to someone and something he finds the satisfaction and fulfillment that he previously lacked.

If on the one hand he is gratified by all this, the change scares him very much.
He feels vulnerable for the first time, because now he feels that "his well-being depends on someone else's happiness".
---> Being selfish and self-centered is ultimately much easier.
LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING, and even though he behaves like a lovely husband, he refuses to admit that he feels himself in love.
The care that Sebastian gives Evie ( despite the fact that she no longer wants to behave like a wife ) and his unconsciously sweet gestures easily made it easy for the reader to fall in love with him.

WARNING SPOILER ___ ___ There is a moment when she takes off the wedding ring (which is a small protagonist of the story from the beginning), he continues to pretend to be the indifferent asshole who doesn't get hurt by anything, but later on, we will discover that he had hung the ring on a chain around his neck, therefore the object had an intrinsic value to him: it represented the bond with her, their adventure to and in Greta Green and all moments spent together.
So for him, keeping the ring around his neck was like keeping her (and the bond with her) close to his heart... but Evie doesn't know this, she will discover it by chance only later. SPOILER END ___ ___


_____ EVIE and what gives her value: Evie's value lies precisely in her strength of mind and her courage in throwing herself into new situations which ultimately do not give her guarantees, but could be a leap into the void, just to escape an unacceptable family life.
Shyness and a slight stammer, mainly due to the mistreatment suffered in the family by greedy relatives, do not make her popular at social events.
Instead of crying over herself, she rebels against events and reacts.
She doesn't want to be intimidated even by Sebastian's boastfulness, but she wins his respect and obtains his kindness.
The journey to Gretna Green is very long and full of discomfort and yet she never complains, pursuing her goal with clarity and great determination.
She falls in love with Sebastian not only because he is beautiful and, as we will discover, a fabulous lover, but above all because for the first time she experiences what it means to have someone who covers her with attention, takes care of her, cuddles her and makes her feel protected and safe.

During the trip, Evie has the opportunity to see a side of Sebastian that he had never shown to anyone and she will learn to appreciate him also for his desire to get involved in her father business despite having never worked before.

---> What Evie gives Sebastian is "faith" in him and his abilities, something that everyone else continues to deny him despite facts proving the opposite.

---> Obviously Evie also has her fragilities and the fear of falling in love with someone who perhaps sooner or later will betray her is what complicates things.
As I already said above, there is actually a moment in which Evie makes me angry:

WARNING SPOILER ___ ___to protect herself from a strong disappointment in love, she no longer wants to have sexual relations with Sebastian, SPOILER END___ ___ however don't think that after the first 25% of the book, there are no more hot scenes: Sebastian tries in every way to provoke her desire with kisses and touching, intense or amused and inviting looks, barely hinted mischievous smiles ...

--> There is a scene WARNING SPOILER ___ ___ which, although not a complete sexual intercourse, it is anyway sex and she is in ecstasy because of that, so I said to myself: WHAT A KIND OF HYPOCRITE!
Furthermore, she doesn't want make love with him, but when he tries to detach himself from her to overcome the constant temptation, she whines "because no one wants her and everyone has always left her in a corner".
NO GIRL! IT'S YOU WHO ARE DOING THIS TO YOURSELF, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO WHINY! SPOILER END ___ ___
...luckily this attitude changes thanks to an unexpected dramatic event and all situations are turned upside down again.

__ I ALSO LOVED EVERY MOMENT in which Sebastian enjoyed scandalizing her with risqué topics or words that gentlemen would never say in front of a woman.
It made me laugh too much every time she pointed out: I DON'T LIKE THAT WORD, like a diligent little nun could do and then he usually smiled smugly and topped up the dose.
Then she smiled just as much, accepting the joke and accepting Sebastian's personality in its entirety.
---> These little skirmishes are not only funny to read, but they help to create an intense bond between them two.
A certain playfulness and complicity are born, this strengthens their relationship.

__SIDE CHARACTERS:

--> I adored Cam Rohan, a young half-Irish and half-gypsy man, who not only has the charm of a pirate, but is also intelligent, capable at his job and knows how to prove himself to be a loyal and affectionate friend for Evie and a great help to Sebastian.
He is a secondary character, but he was fundamental to the realization of Sebastian and Evie in a world hostile to them.
____ We have a scene of a kiss between him and the heroine's friend Daisy... don't have any illusions about this couple, but each of the two has a book dedicated to, with a related love story (see at the bottom).
I will definitely read that one telling about Cam Rohan love story : "MINE TILL MIDNIGHT" ( book #1 in The Hathaways series )

---> Lord Westcliff ( Sebastian's former best friend ): ...always serious, always loyal to duty and justice.
Main character in book #2 alongside Lillian, but that one I won't read, because I don't want to go back to an asshole Sebastian. I am happy with everything that is told in this book.
I'm more interested in "A Wallflower Christmas", to read next December. That's book #5 in the series, in which all the characters from the previous books are reunited.

---> Lillian ( Evie's friend ): when she was mentioned I didn't see her as a poor one in a difficult situation, but I disliked her.
Then later her jokes become funny and she proves to Evangelin (Evie) that she is a good friend who can be counted on.

---> the family of villains ... a little exaggerated, they seemed to have come out of the Cinderella fairy tale: a triple stepmother in the role of the 3 uncles and the 2 step sisters concentrated in the character of the slimy cousin.
I suppose it was necessary to be represented in this way in order to justify Evie's proposal to the rake in question, resulting in her escape to Gretna Green

--> the other villain: the perfect expression of a dissatisfied person who is constantly envious of others success, devoured by envy, anger and desire for revenge.

4 CURIOSITIES that the author cleverly inserted into the events: 

1) GAME OF DICE and EXPLANATIONS OF THE CALCULATION OF PROBABILITIES: logic + mathematics ... It was interesting to read how expert croupiers and gamblers make their bets not by relying on chance, but on very precise calculations.
The process is explained just enough to capture the reader's attention without becoming boring.

2) COMBAT AND LEVERS TO LAND THE OPPONENT: Cam explains to Sebastian that to defend himself and defend the place effectively, he must put aside the correct behavior of a lord. To deal with drunks and brawlers and avoid trouble in the shortest possible time, it is necessary to implement some immobilization techniques. Here too a brief explanation and demonstration together with other club employees.

3) BLEEDING TECHNIQUE TO TREAT: obviously leeches are no longer used as in the 18th century, but the doctor brings a special device and explains how the whole procedure works.
What I FOUND UNLIKELY:

WARNING SPOILER ___ ___even though Sebastian was against it thanks to his common sense, the doctor and all the other doctors proposed that solution.
Evie is brave to follow her husband's will, but it is a little absurd that the doctors proposed the wrong thing, while Evie and friends find the "right cure" on their own through the remedies of grandmothers and housekeepers.
...Oh well, after all it's a fiction, let's ignore it. SPOILER END ___ ___

4) A PARTICULAR VARIANT OF SMALLPOX. I didn't know there were various types of smallpox, much less that the disease attacked the brain and could show itself through symptoms of confusion and madness.

These little notions have somehow enriched my knowledge and given a little added value to the author's writing style and the plot of the book.

CONCLUSION: is it worth reading? If you are looking for a beautiful love story full of sensuality, a little adventure and action, feelings (including friendship, loyalty, spirit of sacrifice), irony and lightness combined with moments of drama, the answer is yes!
If you are romance-addicted, then ABSOLUTELY YES!

---> I find the whole story interesting from start to finish.

Oh my goodness, such a long review!
I suppose I needed to share my enthusiasm... well, if you've read this far, thank you for your patience and interest in my opinion.
English is not my native language, but I hope I managed to write in an understandable way and that my thoughts can be useful to you in choosing or rejecting this novel :-)

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LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !

Peccati d'Inverno
di Lisa Kleypas
My rating: ★★★★★
5 STELLE PIENE !! :-D

Caspita, decisamente, non il mio solito tipo di lettura... Son stata colta di sorpresa, dato che non sapevo che tipo di scrittrice di romanzi rosa fosse Lisa Kleypas, ho scelto qualcosa di romantico che avesse molte recensioni positive, senza la più pallida idea al riguardo...
E' un Romance dalle scene molto calde e sensuali, dove non sto a dirvi cosa c'è e cosa non c'è ...perchè c'è tutto ! L'autrice non si è risparmiata nelle descrizioni ed è decisamente adatto solo ad adulti.

Ma non è per questo che ho dato 5 stelle:

----> Dal mio punto di vista, infatti, il libro è ben scritto e la storia mi è piaciuta tantissimo,  perché oltre al tema su cui "sembra" focalizzarsi principalmente il libro, ovvero le scene intime calde e sexy, l'autrice è stata brava ad inserire altri elementi emozionali e trame parallele, che s'intrecciano alla storia d'amore dei due protagonisti e che mantengono il lettore coinvolto con un turbinio di emozioni che vanno dal divertimento alla suspense, dalla tristezza alla tensione per situazioni pericolose, dall'insofferenza nei confronti dei cattivi alla felicità per una nuova chance di vita...

---> Come ho già detto non un'esperta di romance e in particolare non di quelli con scene di sesso esplicite, che di solito scarto, ma non per bigotteria, semplicemente perchè "il troppo annoia" ( penserei lo stesso se il libro fosse stato sulla cioccolata che adoro o su qualsiasi altra cosa, se dall'inizio alla fine il tema si ripete in continuazione ed è sempre e solo fine a se stesso ). 
---> La storia d'amore per me diventa coinvolgente e davvero piacevole da leggere se il lettore viene coinvolto anche da altri elemnti che lo tengono continuamente in suspense stuzzicandone la curiosità e inducendolo a fare supposizioni e congetture, a sperare per una soluzione o per l'altra, girando continuamente le pagine con la brama di sapere cosa succederà l'attimo dopo.
---> Qui l'autrice ha avuto pieno successo nel mantenere vivo l'interesse di una lettrice,la sottoscritta, che solitamente scarta questo tipo di letture !

_______ LA TRAMA ___ Londra, 1843.Nel disperato tentativo di sfuggire ai suoi intriganti parenti, Evangeline Jenner , una zitella 23 enne che cerca disperatamente di sfuggire a parenti maneschi, che vogliono derubarla della  futura eredità facendola sposare al loro figlio viscido e stupido, trova l'unica soluzione possibile nel proporsi in moglie al più famigerato mascalzone di Londra: il Visconte Sebastian St. Vincent, un trentenne donnaiolo il cui padre ha sperperato tutto il patrimonio.Il vantaggio per lei è sfuggire ai familiari che la maltrattano e la tengono prigioniera, il vantaggio per lui è che sarà nuovamente ricco e potrà soddisfare i creditori del padre.
Per sposarsi immediatamente devono raggiungere il villaggio di Gretna Green, in Scozia, famoso per i matrimoni di coppie che non hanno il permesso dei genitori.
Lei pone come condizione, che si concederà  a lui solo la prima notte di nozze ( per convalidare il matrimonio che diversamente sarebbe considerato nullo ), poi si dedicherà alle cure del padre morente, che l'aveva lasciata da piccola e sarà indipendente con la sua parte di soldi.
Lui accetta la condizione posta da lei con contentezza, perchè passare più di una notte con la stessa donna lo annoia da morire.
Partono dunque la notte stessa e insieme al viaggio comincia anche la loro avventura di vita.
Ma Sebastian è davvero il bastardo mascalzone che sembra oppure in fondo anche lui ha un cuore?
...Ed Evangeline, Evie per gli amici, riuscirà a tenere a distanza un uomo di cui si sta davvero innamorando ?

----------------

I MIEI PENSIERI MENTRE LEGGEVO : -->  Comincio col dire che fin ora ero abituata a trame che, nel loro svolgimento, seguivano questo più o meno queste tappe:
incontro dei 2 protagonisti + antipatia e/o avversità + superamento dei problemi * bacio  + altri problemi + soluzione definitiva + finalmente momento dolce e intimo tra i protagonisti + vissero felici e contenti.

--> Bene, questo romanzo comincia con l'incontro dei due protagonisti che già si conoscono superficialmente  ( si sono incontrati nei libri precedenti della serie ), stringono un patto, ne segue un viaggio che non è un corteggiamento ma è talmente bello e dolce da leggere che può equivalere al corteggiamento in cui i protagonisti cominciano a prendere confidenza tra loro.

--> Il matrimonio offre spunti divertenti e confesso che ero anche in tensione per paura che qualcuno dei "villains" lo fermasse.

--> Tutto ok e abbiamo "un intero capitolo" sulla meravigliosa notte di nozze che NON DELUDERA' nessuna delle lettrici romantiche...... Fin qui siamo al 25% del libro e il mio pensiero fu : E ORA ? HO GIà LETTO TUTTO CIò CHE DI SOLITO SI SVOLGE NELL'ARCO DI UN INTERO LIBRO... temevo davvero che il libro sarebbe proseguito con un susseguirsi di qualche scaramuccia e scene intime fino ad averne la nausea... 

ECCO CHE INVECE ARRIVA LA BOMBA :
mentre i mi aspettavo che i problemi sarebbero arrivati dai familiari stronzi o che Sebastian fosse davvero il bastardo mascalzone che lui stesso e la sua brutta fama proclamavano, è proprio lei a rovinare tutto con la sua testardaggine e le sue decisioni a senso unico.

-----> Oltre allo screzio tra i due sposi entrano nelle trama nuove dinamiche, vicende dolorose, nuove sfide inattese, momenti d'azione e nuovi personaggi che avranno un ruolo molto importante nel corso degli eventi. 
----> Inoltre ogni volta che sembra che una certa difficoltà stia per essere superata appianando il cammino dei due giovani ecco che entra in gioco un nuovo elemento emozionale che rivoluzione nuovamente i piani dei nostri eroi. 
In tutto questo turbinio di eventi vengono messe in rilievo non solo l'attrazione che Sebastian ed Evie hanno l'uno per l'altra e il loro desiderio, ma anche i sentimento profondo che si sta creando grazie all'appoggio che ognuno da all'altro nel superare momenti critici in cui a volte la loro vita stessa è a rischio.

PERSONAGGI : LUI E LEI __  mi sono piaciuti entrambi anche se devo ammettere che per 5 minuti, durante la storia, l'ho trovata un po' ipocrita, troppo cocciuta e troppo frignona, per fortuna poi si è riscattata...spiego meglio sotto.

___ PERSONAGGIO: SEBASTIAN e la sottotrama che rende interessante la sua personalità: 
dalla storia emerge la sua natura non era così egoista e sprezzante come sembra dai libri precedenti, di base l'indole del ragazzo era buona, ma avendo perso, in età molto giovane, madre e sorelle che ne avevano cura con affetto, era cresciuto in maniera superficiale con un padre egoista e scialacquatore, non certo il migliore degli esempi. 
La grande bellezza di cui era dotato portava le donne a buttarglisi ai piedi, ne conseguiva grande sicurezza in se stesso, arroganza e noia. ( come dite? Certo, sono d'accordo, non è comunque da giustificare !!! Essere stronzi è una scelta, non si sono scuse che engano !)

IN REALTà, man mano che leggiamo la storia, CI RENDIAMO CONTO CHE LA CAUSA DI QUESTO MODO DI FARE è LA MANCANZA DI UNO SCOPO, DI QUALCOSA A CUI DEDICARSI E DI UN TRAGUARDO DA RAGGIUNGERE.

L'arrivo di Evie, non solo più bella di quanto lui avesse mai notato, ma anche molto più acuta ed intelligente di quanto lui supponesse, unito al bisogno di protezione di lei e ai problemi legati al lavoro del padre di lei, innescano un processo che riesce a tirare fuori da Sebastian il suo vero valore e capacità.

Il rispetto e la stima di lui nei confronti di lei cominciano da subito e questo cambia gli equilibri. Lui le offre aiuto e scopre che nel dedicarsi a qualcuno e a qualcosa trova la soddisfazione e il completamento che prima gli mancavano. 
LA SUA BATTAGLIA INTERIORE: Se da una parte è gratificato da tutto ciò, il cambiamento lo spaventa, si sente vulnerabile per la prima volta, perchè ora sente che "il suo star bene dipende dalla felicità di qualcun altro".

---> Essere egoisti ed egocentrici in fondo è molto più facile, l'amore cambia tutto e pur comportandosi da innamorato rifiuta di ammettere che prova questo sentimento.La cura che Sebastian ha per Evie, nonostante lei non voglia più comportarsi da moglie e i suoi gesti inconsapevolmente dolci, mi hanno facilmente fatta innamorare di lui.

ATTENZIONE SPOILER ___ ___ C'è un momento in cui lei toglie l'anello di matrimonio ( che fin dall'inizio è un piccolo protagonista della storia ), lui continua a fingere di essere lo stronzo indifferente che non rimane ferito da nulla, invece più avanti scopriamo che aveva appeso l'anello ad una catenina al suo collo, ergo per lui l'oggetto aveva un valore intrinseco, rappresentava  il legame con lei, la loro avventura a Greta Green e i bei momenti trascorsi insieme. Dunque per lui tenere l'anello al collo era come tenere lei (e il legame con lei) vicino al cuore...ma Evie questo non lo sa, lo scoprirà casualmente solo più avanti. FINE SPOILER ___ ___

__ PERSONAGGIO _ EVIE e ciò che le da valore: ogni libro di questa serie mostra come ognuna della 4 ragazze che per più di una stagione londinese sono state solo wallflower, riesce a riscattare la propria esistenza e a trovare il vero amore.
Il valore di Evie sta proprio nella sua forza d'animo e nel suo coraggio nel buttarsi in nuove situazione che in fondo non le danno garanzie, ma potrebbero essere un salto nel vuoto.
E' una ragazza che viene lasciata in ombra dagli altri a causa della timidezza e di una leggera balbuzie, dovuta soprattutto ai maltrattamenti subiti in famiglia dagli avidi parenti.
Invece di piangere su sé stessa, si ribella agli eventi e reagisce. Non vuole farsi intimidire nemmeno dalla sbruffoneria di Sebastian, conquistandone così la stima e ottenendone la gentilezza.
Il viaggio a Gretna Green è molto lungo e colmo di scomodità eppure lei non si lamenta mai , perseguendo il suo obiettivo con lucidità e grande decisione.

S'innamora di Sebastian non perchè è bellissimo e, come scopriremo, un favoloso amante, ma perchè per la prima volta sperimenta ciò che significa avere qualcuno che la copre di attenzioni, si prende cura di lei, la coccola  e la fa sentire protetta e al sicuro.
Evie durante il viaggio ha l'opportunità di vedere un aspetto che Sebastian che lui non aveva mai mostrato a nessuno e imparerà ad apprezzarlo anche per la sua voglia di mettersi in gioco nonostante non abbia mai lavorato prima d'allora.
---> Ciò che Evie regala a Sebastian è la "fiducia", sia come partner sia nelle sue capacità, qualcosa che tutti gli altri continuavano a negargli nonostante i fatti dimostrassero il contrario.
---> Ovviamente anche Evie ha le sua fragilità e la paura di innamorarsi di qualcuno che forse prima o poi la tradirà è ciò che complica le cose da una parte, ma che forse crea anche le basi per un impegno reciproco solido, nonostante la vita non possa mai dare certezze assolute.  Come ho già detto sopra, effettivamente c'è un momento in cui Evie mi fa arrabbiare: per proteggere sé stessa da una forte delusione amorosa, non vuole più avere rapporti sessuali con Sebastian, tuttavia non pensate che dopo il primo 25% del libro non ci sia più nulla : Sebastian cerca in tutti i modi di creare desiderio in lei, i baci non erano compresi nel patto e oltre agli sfioramenti, agli sguardi, ai sorrisi, ai baci caldi c'è una scena ATTENZIONE SPOILER ___ ___ che pur non essendo un rapporto sessuale completo, è comunque sesso e lei è praticamente in estasi per cui io mi son detta : CHE RAZZA DI IPOCRITA !  Inoltre lei non vuole concedersi a lui, ma quando lui cerca di distaccarsi da lei  per superare la tentazione continua, lei frigna " perché nessuno la vuole e tutti l'hanno sempre lasciata in un angolo " . EH NO RAGAZZA ! SEI TU CHE STAI FACENDO QUESTO A TE STESSA, NON HAI DIRITTO DI FRIGNARE ! FINE SPOILER ___ ___
...Per fortuna questo atteggiamento cambia grazie ad un evento drammatico inaspettato e tutte le situazioni vengono nuovamente mette sotto sopra.

_LUI E LEI__ HO ADORATO INOLTRE OGNI MOMENTO in cui lui si divertiva a scandalizzarla con argomenti osé o parole che i gentiluomini non direbbero mai davanti ad una donna.  Mi faceva troppo ridere ogni volta che lei puntualizzava : I DON'T LIKE THAT WORD ( non mi piace quella parola ),  come una piccola e diligente suorina e lui sorrideva compiaciuto e rincalzava la dose. A quel punto lei sorrideva altrettanto, accettando lo scherzo e accettando la personalità di Sebastian nella sua interezza. IN QUESTO LEI MI è PIACIUTA MOLTO.

---> Queste piccole schermaglie non solo sono divertenti, ma contribuiscono a creare un legame intenso tra loro.
Si creano una certa giocosità e complicità, che rafforza il loro rapporto. 
Evie mi è piaciuta anche quando mostra di rispettare a pieno la volontà del marito nel momento in cui il dottore proponeva una soluzione che andava contro ogni buon senso, ma che al tempo era una pratica molto diffusa tra i medici.
Sebastian non voleva sottoporsi a quel procedimento e Evie, combattuta tra la volontà del marito e  l'opinione professionale del medico, decide di rispettare la volontà del marito( vedi sotto al punto in cui parlo del SALASSO ).

__PERSONAGGI DI CONTORNO : 

--> Cam Rohan, impiegato nel club del gioco d'azzardo: giovane mezzo irlandese e mezzo zingaro, che non solo ha il fascino da pirata, ma è anche intelligente, capace nel suo lavoro e sa dimostrarsi un amico leale ed affettuoso per Evie che, conoscendolo sin da piccolo, lo considera un fratello.
Naturalmente ciò indispone Sebastian, ma Cam non fa mai nulla per mettersi tra marito e moglie, anzi con modi non convenzionali aiuta St. Vincent ad inserirsi i un mondo che non gli apparteneva e a farsi rispettare da coloro che lo ritenevano un intruso non abbastanza forte, emotivamente e caratterialmente, per sostenere quella situazione e quel tipo di lavoro.
E' un personaggio secondario, ma è stato fondamentale per la realizzazione di Sebastian ed Evie in un mondo a loro ostile.
DIFFICILE NON INNAMORARSI DI LUI e sarà con lui protagonista, che più avanti leggerò nuovamente Lisa Kleypas!
____ Abbiamo una scena di un bacio tra lui e l'amica dell'eroina, ma per questa coppia non fatevi illusioni: ognuno dei due ha un romanzo dedicato, con relativa storia d'amore. ( Daisy è nel libro 4 della serie Wallflowers : Scandalo in primavera; Cam è nel libro 1 della serie Hathaways, con il titolo Fino a mezzanotte ).

---> Lord Westcliff, ex amico del protagonistatenebroso, sempre serio e ligio al dovere e alla giustizia.
  Protagonista nel libro #2 insieme a Lillian. Non lo leggerò, perché non mi va di tornare ad un Sebastian stronzo. Sono contenta di tutto ciò che viene raccontato nel libro presente.

---> Lillian, amica della protagonista e neo-moglie di Lord Westcliff: quando veniva nominata per gli eventi concernenti il libro precedente, non la vedevo come una vittima, ma mi stava antipatica.
Poi successivamente le sue battute divertenti me l'hanno resa più simpatica. Lei dimostra ad Evangelin ( Evie ) di essere una buona amica, su cui si può contare.

---> La famiglia dei cattivi: un po' esagerati, sembravano usciti dalla favola di cenerentola: una tripla matrigna nei panni dei 3 zii e le 2 sorellastre concentrate nel personaggio del viscido cugino.
Suppongo fosse necessario essere rappresentati in questo modo per poter giustificare la proposta di Evie al rake di turno con conseguente fuga a Gretna Green.

--> L'altro cattivo: la perfetta espressione della persona scontenta e costantemente invidiosa del successo altrui, divorato dall'invidia, dalla rabbia e dal desiderio di vendetta.

___ LOCATION :

---> Gretna Green ___ le lettrici di romance conoscono già questa località. Per chi non lo sa dirò semplicemente che questa cittadina scozzese, vicino al confine con l'Inghilterra, divenne famosa in passato per i matrimoni delle coppie in fuga, che non avevano il consenso dei genitori.
Qui non era nemmeno necessario andare in chiesa, i matrimoni potevano essere celebrati da chiunque, anche se  per lo più i posti dove venivano celebrati i matrimoni erano i fabbri. I documenti che venivano preparati immediatamente e la presenza di 2 testimoni era sufficiente per confutare il matrimonio. Unica clausola per evitare l'annullamento era consumare il matrimonio subito alla prima notte di nozze ( per questo i fabbri non solo avevano tutto l'occorrente, ma disponevano anche di una stanza per la prima notte ).
La scena del matrimonio è molto divertente e la prima notte di nozze molto calda e sensuale.

---> Club di gioco d'azzardo ___ non mi piaceva inizialmente che l'autrice facesse prendere in mano questo lavoro a Sebastian...ma perlomeno lo ha reso più accettabile facendo togliere prostitute e mandandole in un luogo vicino dedicato a quell'attività. "In un certo qual modo" il protagonista pian piano lo trasformerà in un club rispettabile( metto tra virgolette, perchè ovviamente si tratta sempre di gioco d'azzardo che comunque non è legale e sia in passato che al giorno d'oggi è un vizio che rovina la vita delle persone, per cui per me non è accettabile ).

____ 4 CURIOSITA' che l'autrice ha inserito abilmente in mezzo agli eventi: 

1) SPIEGAZIONI DEL CALCOLO DELLE PROBABILITà: logica + matematica ...è stato interessante leggere come i croupiers e i giocatori d'azzardo esperti, facciano le loro puntato non affidandosi al caso, ma a calcoli ben precisi.
Il procedimento viene spiegato quanto basta per catturare l'attenzione del lettore senza scadere nella noia.

2) COMBATTIMENTO E LEVE PER ATTERRARE AVVERSARIO: Cam spiega a Sebastian che per difendersi e difendere il locale in maniera efficace, deve mettere da parte il comportamento corretto da lord. Per fronteggiare ubriachi e attaccabrighe ed evitare guai nel più breve tempo possibile, è necessario infatti mettere in atto alcune tecniche di immobilizzazione. Anche qui una breve spiegazione e dimostrazione insieme ad altri impiegati del club.

3) TECNICA  DEL SALASSO PER CURARE: ovviamente non sono più usate le sanguisughe come nel 700, ma il dottore porta un apparecchio apposito e spiega come funziona tutto il procedimento.
Ciò CHE HO TROVATO IMPROBABILE : nonostante Sebastian si opponesse grazie al suo buon senso, il dottore e tutti gli altri dottori proponevano quella soluzione.
Evie è coraggiosa a seguire la volontà del marito, ma è un poco assurdo che i dottori proponessero una  cosa sbagliata, mentre Evie e amici trovano da soli la "giusta cura" attraverso i rimedi di nonne e governanti ...mah !..eh vabbè, in fondo è una fiction, sorvoliamo.

4) UNA PARTICOLARE VARIANTE DI VAIOLO. Non sapevo ci fossero vari tipi di vaiolo, ne tanto meno che la malattia attaccasse il cervello e potesse mostrarsi attraverso sintomi di confusione e pazzia.
Queste piccole nozioni hanno in qualche modo arricchito la mia conoscenza e dato un piccolo valore aggiunto allo stile di scritture dell'autrice  alla trama del libro.

CONCLUSIONE : vale la pena leggerlo ? Se cercate una bella storia d'amore ricca di sensualità, un poco di avventura e azione, sentimenti ( tra cui anche amicizia, lealtà, spirito di sacrificio ), ironia e leggerezza unita a momenti di drammaticità, la risposta è si !
Se siete romance-addicted, assolutamente si !

Trovo tutta la storia interessante dall'inizio alla fine.
L'unica differenza tra i romanzi normali ( diciamo così ) è che trattandosi di un romanzo dai toni caldi, le parti in cui i protagonisti hanno dei rapporti vengono raccontate per filo e per segno. Se noi abbreviassimo quelle parti, vi assicuro che non rimarrebbe una storia vuota, bensì rimarrebbe una storia ugualmente dolce ed avvincente ed è questo ciò che apprezzo di più.

Ringrazio chiunque abbia letto la mia recensione con interesse, spero possa essere utile nella scelta o meno del romanzo.
Non sempre i libri che leggo hanno la corrispondente edizione italiana, ma se volete rimanere aggiornati potete seguirmi sulla mia PAGINA FB: Tizi Cozy Corner .

Book review : The Crimson Cavalier by Mary Andrea Clarke

The Crimson Cavalier
by Mary Andrea Clarke
The Crimson Cavalier series book #1

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,7 stars rounded up to 4.

Very nice lighthearted read, though suitable for "cozy mystery" readers and for young adults.

It was so refreshing to me reading it after
 the dark mystery I read before. It was just what I needed and what I was looking for, but as I said it's a good read if you're just looking for "this" kind of read.

___ THE PLOT IN SHORT __ Late 18th century London.
When an aristocratic citizen, a magistrate, is murdered on the road to Bath, along which carriages are often attacked by highwaymen, Miss Georgiana Grey's alter ego, the Crimson Cavalier, is suspected of being the killer.
The Crimson Cavalier, who steals to donate the money obtained from the stolen goods to the most needy, is innocent as regards the murder, but having robbed the magistrate just the previous evening and having his ring, puts her in serious danger.
The only thing left for her to do is discover the real killer, before being arrested and taken to the gallows.
-------------------------------------

The story immediately begins with a hint of adventure: the attack on a carriage, the collection of the stolen goods, the indignant aristocrats, the usual melodramatic ladies beyond all reasoning, an escape by the bandit, an unexpected encounter that makes the good bandit fear of being discovered, an embarrassing and funny situation...

A series of situations that reminded me a little of the old films, set in 1700, which were so fashionable in the 30s, 40s and 50s (for example the Scarlet Pimpernel TV series or Scaramouche) and this immediately put me in a good mood, because I knew that there would be no dramatic scene, no death among the good people (in this kind of story only villains get the worst, while all good people survive and can live happily, hurray!!!! ).

____ THE CHARACTERS ____ 

---> Our heroine, Georgiana, is an aristocrat who robs the rich to help poor people. She naturally loves adventure and the thrill of risking being discovered and caught.
She is immediately likable because she is an independent person who, despite the rules of etiquette of the society of the time, has no problem openly saying what she thinks, opposes forced marriages and stands up to an affectionate but very bigoted brother,  who wants to impose a husband on her at all costs.

---> Luckily in the story there is also the usual maid/best-friend Emily, 100% trustworthy, who supports Georgiana and helps her to extricate herself from the messes of her double life.
Even the rest of the servants, despite not knowing the secret of the Crimson Cavalier, constitute a reliable staff always ready to obey their mistress' orders.

---> In addition to the over-protective brother with blinders, we naturally also have the spinster cousin who lives in Georgiana's house, to ensure that the life of our young girl, with a bizarre and slightly rebellious character, always proceeds on the right path.
I must say that this character got on my nerves several times and I would have liked her to be thrown out of the house... but then meddlers, the "know it all" ones, are part of life and how could a character like that be missing? His participation was a given.

---> The male counterpart of our heroine... you were expecting it, right? I understand you and I tell you that he is aristocratic, handsome, kind, protective and very intelligent and intuitive.
His name is Mr. Mawell Lakesby and of course the author is very good at making us hope for something romantic throughout the book...
I don't want to lead you to read this book hoping for a romance, I remind you that I defined the book as "cozy mystery" and unfortunately no romance occurs (maybe I should have put a spoiler warning, but I don't want to give false illusions), even though his interest in her is clear.
I also love his sparkling eyes and his veiled smiles and his gallantry, never artificial but always dictated by honesty and attraction for her.
Of course, I hope there will be at least a hint of open courtship in the next book.

___ YOU CAN READ IT AS A STANDALONE __ This book is the first in a series of 3, but it's also readable as a standalone.
I will also read the next ones, when I once again need light, worry-free reading.

___ COZY MYSTERY ___ The cover and the plot already tell us that it is a cozy mystery.
The language is clean, there are no violent scenes, there is no blood, there are no sex scenes and there are no kisses.

----> Overall, the story was always engaging, from the first to the last page, and I was really curious to know who was responsible for the murder.

----> However, the final solution arrived a little too hastily and this, together with the fact that there wasn't even an open courtship on the part of the male co-protagonist towards the female protagonist, reduced my score: this is why I rated it only 3,7 rounded to 4 stars.

___ HISTORICAL SETTING BUT NOT A HISTORICAL READING __  Although it is set at the end of the 18th century, it has no historical references and there are no characters who actually existed. This also reduced a little my score, but as I said the settings with carriages, bandits, guns and parties with ratafia, tea, gloves and fans, give the story a little of suggestiveness making reading enjoyable.

___ CONCLUSION____ : do I recommend it?
Yes, BUT ONLY to those who love COZY MYSTERIES, i.e. LIGHTWEIGHT and CAREFREE WHODUNITS.
I have read some negative reviews, but I think the books should be evaluated in their genre, comparing them with other books of the same genre.
This mystery obviously cannot be compared with other more intense and dramatic historical mysteries or with strong and impressive scenes and with a much more elaborate plot and mystery, it wouldn't make sense!

:-) Thanks for reading my opinion and forgive my English. It's not my language and while it's easier for me to read in English and make sense of it, it's not at all easy to speak and write correctly.

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Book review : What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris

What Angels Fear
Sebastian St. Cyr Book 1
by C.S. Harris
My rating: ★★★★☆
4 FULL STARS !! :-D

Actually it would have been a full 5 stars, the story has been so engaging and so well written, but  something annoyed me in the end, so I removed 1 star ( better explanations at the bottom of my review ).

Let's start telling something about ____ the PLOT :

We are in England in 1811, when King George III is about to be deposed due to his madness and a regent is about to be appointed. The rivalry between the two main political parties is increasingly heated and with it espionage, political pressure and blackmail are always at work.

In the midst of this turmoil, a brutal murder of a prostitute occurs in a church and the suspect seems to be the one who will be the hero of the story: Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a brilliant young nobleman shattered by his experiences in the Napoleonic Wars .

In normal times a noble would have gotten away without problems, but political forces need an exemplary punishment to offer to the people and it matters little whether the man is innocent or not. Sebastian's only chance is to escape and look for the real culprit on his own.

Everything becomes more complicated when on Sebastian's path also appear an old romantic disappointment, family members with whom he has difficult relationships, corrupt politicians, bad policemen and a large host of suspects.
Luckily a little cut-purse rascal will become a precious ally and good friend for Sebastian, as is a young doctor, a long-time comrade in arms.


😃😃😃😃😃😃 MY OPINION :

THE CHARACTERS : I liked all the characters and the author manages to describe them so well in their facial expressions, in their movements, in their thoughts, in the relationships that exist between them. The characters are three-dimensional, so much so that you feel like you know them as if they were real people.

What I hate in some regency novels or mystery series set in the 1920s is the meticulous description of how they are dressed in the latest fashion... Hey, how boring !!
What do I care about the description of the clothes every time the main character enters a hall or participate in an event??? !! I want to enter the soul of the character to get to know him/her better and this author allowed me to do so!

---> This is not the case, in fact by the descriptions of this author we are able to enter into every thought of bitterness, anger, fear, envy, love, tenderness, hope, irony etc... that the characters are feeling within themselves and which they pour out onto the other characters.

__ Each character is perfect in its particular way to be, I hated every bad guy and felt great sympathy for every good character.

__ I love Sebastian because not only is he young and handsome, but he is noble at heart, he manages to feel empathy for others and he realizes how the world he lives in is generous towards some and too unfair towards many others.
I also appreciated the fact that he does not choose the easy way out and decides to risk his life in order not to reveal secrets of people he is fond of, do justice for a victim, even if she is a prostitute, and to clear his name from a 'unjust accusation.

I already have a medieval book boyfriend and now I also have a regency one, I am completely in love with Sebastian.

__ I liked the rekindled relationship between Sebastian and his old love (no I wasn't jealous, I'm rooting for Kat Bolein who was a victim of the divide between nobles and poor. In fact, what I'm sorry about is already knowing that WARNING SPOILER ___ ___[ their love story will end again and he will marry his enemy's daughter. There are 19 books and the back covers reveal it openly ] SPOILER END___ ___.

---> There are sex scenes between them that are not explicit and not at all vulgar, but warm and tender at the same time.
--> Another sex scene involving another person may seem a little vulgar but there isn't too much of a description. Nothing shocking, just maybe not suitable for very young people.

__SCENES AND DIALOGUES__ each scene of the story is described meticulously.
While I was reading I could see in my mind the images of places, characters and situations scrolling like in a film.
The author makes us breathe in a humid and foggy, dark and dangerous London.
The dialogues are brilliant and, depending on the scenes, offer the reader suspense and tension alternated from time to time with lightness and fun irony.

---> Frenetic action scenes, daring escapes with a lot of adrenaline, desperate rescues, intriguing interrogations, playful and ironic jokes, moments of strong tension and fear that everything could fall apart... A clever mix of all these elements kept my attention alive from the first page to the last one!!!!!!!

___THE MYSTERY___ This fast-paced mystery was really complicated to solve not only for our hero but also for us readers.
The suspects alternate in a web of lies and subterfuges and each from the way they answer Sebastian's questions they all seem to have uncovered truths about the murder and they all appear to be sincere.
In fact, I never even suspected who the murderer turns out to be and I was really surprised when one of the characters guessed it.

The intertwining of politics, espionage and personal interests in the search for those involved is truly compelling and even more compelling is the way in which Sebastian manages to extricate himself from the meshes of this network.

___ If you love action thrillers, with an intelligent and stubborn hero with a good heart, then I recommend this read.

___ WHAT MADE ME ANGRY ____
The only flaw in the whole story was WARNING SPOILER ___ ___[ the punishment of the culprit at the end: absolutely inadequate and disappointing.

A bad and perverse man who committed crimes that were not only serious because they were murders, but even more horrible because the murderer had sex with women after having slaughtered them, finding sadistic and perverse pleasure from the pool of blood around him.

This psychopath was unmasked, in the finale, by Sebastian and left to drown, all his guilt will be covered up by the authorities.
A death too easy and quick for such a perverse and disgusting being.

It is true that at that time the nobles often got away with it, but as I explained in the plot, exemplary punishment was needed and they were ready to sacrifice the Viscount of Devlin ( Sebastian ).
It would therefore have been right for the author to have had him publicly indicted and publicly executed...
Indeed the punishment should have been proportional to the crimes (and attempted crimes) committed, here is my idea:
Dear author, we know that in reality justice is very imperfect and I have had enough of reality, this is the reason why I love reading fiction, because they are not reality.

So, dear author, you have written a beautiful and breathtaking mystery, so I ask you why you gave your readers such a disappointing ending? Such a monster deserved a more atrocious death!

That perverse maniac, that devil should have burned in the fire that you described so well in the ending...
You, dear author, should have made that murderer burn, make him come out of the building in flames and screaming in pain...
You should have had him saved by Sebastian with the sole purpose of making him suffer unspeakable pain for at least 10 days in hospital before dying.
In those ten days the perverse murderer should have known that he would die and that his name was ruined, he should have received a visit from his wife (equally bitchy and despicable) who declared her contempt for him.
She and their equally psychopathic son would have to continue to live in dishonor and poverty.

Instead you, the author, saved the honor of those despicable and evil people and you even gave the murderer's family the satisfaction of mocking Sebastian!

I took away a whole star because I really didn't like your ending!!! ] SPOILER END ___ ___

_______ *** ____ 

__ A small difficulty that readers may encounter in this story is the enormous quantity of names not only of characters, but of streets, buildings and places... I admit that it was confusing at times.Furthermore, being Italian, it was difficult for me to understand many dialect phrases uttered by Sebastian's protégé.
It's not the first time I've read truncated or distorted words to indicate the common language of the poor, and I usually understand it anyway, but this time it was a little more complicated.

___ This is the book #1 in a series and as I said, except one particular,  I loved it and I will definitely read the next 18 books already published.

You can also read it as a stand alone, there are no final cliffhangers.

Thank you all for reading my opinion and please forgive my English, it's not my native language.

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LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !

Il Visconte Incriminato
di C.S. Harris
My rating: ★★★★☆
4 STELLE PIENE !! :-D

In realtà sarebbero state 5 stelle piene, la storia è stata così avvincente e così ben scritta, ma qualcosa alla fine mi ha infastidito, quindi ho tolto 1 stella (spiegazioni più approfondite in fondo alla mia recensione).

Ma cominciano per ordine,
ecco un breve accenno alla TRAMA_______:
Siamo nell'Inghilterra del 1811, quando Re Giorgio III  sta per essere deposto a causa della sua follia e sta per essere nominato un reggente. La rivalità tra i due principali partiti politici è sempre più accesa e con essa spionaggio, pressioni politiche e ricatti sono sempre all'opera. In mezzo a questo tumulto accade un efferato omicidio di una prostituta in una chiesa e l'indiziato sembra proprio colui che sarà l'eroe della storia :
Sebastian St. Cyr, il visconte di Devlin, un brillante giovane aristocratico, distrutto dalle sue esperienze nelle guerre napoleoniche.
In tempi normali un nobile se la sarebbe cavata senza problemi, ma le forze politiche hanno bisogno di una punizione esemplare da offrire al popolo e poco importa se l'uomo è innocente oppure no.
L'unica chance di Sebastian è fuggire e cercare per conto proprio il vero colpevole.
Tutto si complica maggiormente quando sulla strada di Sebastian compare anche una vecchia delusione amorosa, dei famigliari con cui egli ha rapporti difficili, alcuni uomini politici corrotti, qualche cattivo poliziotto e una larga schiera di sospetti.
Per fortuna un piccolo furfantello tagliaborse diventerà un prezioso alleato e buon amico per Sebastian, così come lo è un anche un giovane dottore, compagno d'armi di vecchia data.

______****______

___ I PERSONAGGI ___  Mi sono piaciuti tutti i personaggi e l'autrice riesce a descriverli talmente bene nelle loro espressioni facciali, nelle loro movenze, nei loro pensieri, nei rapporti che intercorrono tra loro, che diventano tridimensionali e sembra di essere dentro la storia e farne conoscenza come se fossero veri.
Ciò che odio in alcuni romanzi regency o serie mystery, è la descrizione minuziosa dei loro abiti ( merletti, cappellini, perle fibbie )...ma che m'importa della descrizione dei vestiti ogni voilta che l'eroina di turno entra in una sala o partecipa ad un evento??? !! Io voglio entrare nell'animo del personaggio per conoscerlo meglio e questa autrice me lo ha permesso!
Dal tipo di descrizione, infatti, riusciamo a sentire ogni pensiero di amarezza, rabbia, paura, invidia,amore, tenerezza, speranza, ironia ecc... che i personaggi sentono dentro di loro e che riversano sugli altri personaggi.
---> Ogni personaggio è perfetto nelle sue caratteristiche ed esse ci mostrano a pieno che tipo di persona lui/lei sia.L'autrice è riuscita a farmi detestare ogni personaggio cattivo e provare grande simpatia ed emoatiaper ogni personaggio buono.

__ Ho amato Sebastian perché non solo è giovane e bello, ma è nobile di cuore, riesce a provare empatia per gli altri e si rende conto di quanto il mondo in cui vive sia generoso con alcuni e troppo ingiusto verso moltissimi altri.
Di lui ho apprezzato anche il fatto che non scelga la via più facile e decida di rischiare la sua vita pur di non rivelare segreti di persone a cui è affezionato, fare giustizia per una vittima, seppur una prostituta e per ripulire il suo nome da un'accusa ingiusta. E' davvero facile innamorarsi di questo ragazzo.

__ __ Mi è piaciuta la riaccesa relazione tra Sebastian e il suo vecchio amore ( no, non ero gelosa, faccio il tifo per Kat, soprattutto perchè è una vittima del divario fra nobili e poveri. )
---> Ci sono delle scene di sesso tra loro non esplicite e per nulla volgari, ma calde e tenere al tempo stesso.
--> Un'altra scena di sesso che riguarda un'altra persone invece può sembrare un poco volgare, ma non vi è una descrizione troppo spinta. Nulla di sconvolgente, solo magari non adatto ai giovanissimi.

__SCENE E DIALOGHI__ ogni scena della storia è descritta in maniera meticolosa. Mentre leggevo potevo vedere nella mia mente le immagini di luoghi, personaggi e situazioni scorrere come nella pellicola di un film.
L'autrice ci fa respirare una Londra diversa dai soliti regency, più oscura e pericolosa, sempre umida e nebbiosa.

I dialoghi sono  brillanti e a seconda delle scene offrono al lettore suspense e tensione alternate di tanto in tanto con leggerezza e divertente ironia.
---> Scene d'azione frenetiche, fughe rocambolesche ricche di adrenalina, salvataggi disperati, interrogatori intriganti, battute scherzose ed ironiche, momenti di forte tensione e paura che tutto possa precipitare... Un sapiente mix di tutti questi elementi ha mantenuto viva la mia attenzione dalla prima all'ultima pagina.

___IL MISTERO___ questo mystery dal passo veloce, era davvero complicato da risolvere, non solo per il nostro eroe ma anche per noi lettori.
I sospettati si alternano in una rete di bugie e sotterfugi e ogni dal modo in cui rispondono alle domande di Sebastian sembrano tutti dalle verità scoperte sull'omicidio e sembrano tutti essere sinceri.
Di fatto non ho neanche mai sospettato colui che si rivela essere l'assassino e sono rimasta davvero sorpresa quando uno dei personaggi stessi lo intuisce per primo.
L'intreccio tra politica, spionaggio ed interessi personali della cerca di persone coinvolte è davvero avvincente e ancora più avvincente è il modo in cui Sebastian riesce a districarsi dalle maglie di questa rete.

__ Se amate i gialli d'azione, con un eroe intelligente,caparbio e con di buon cuore, allora vi consiglio questa lettura!!!!

---> Il linguaggio del libro è pulito, ma oltre alle scene di sesso, si parla di omicidi efferati e racapriccinati.
In questo caso le scene sono descritte con lo stretto necessario per far capire al lettore la brutalità dell'omicidio, non vi sono descrizioni eccessivamente particolareggiate, tuttavia non considero il libro adatto ai giovanissimi e gli adulti abituati a leggere i cozies potrebbero non gradire questo tipo di lettura.

Fin qui ho detto solo cose positive, ma allora perchè 4 stelle e non 5 ?

__ QUELLO CHE MI HA INFASTIDITO ____
L'unico neo dell'intera storia è  stata ATTENZIONE SPOILER ___ ___ la punizione del colpevole nel finale : assolutamente inadeguata e deludente.
Un uomo cattivo e perverso che ha commesso reati non solo gravi perchè omicidi, ma ancora più orribili dal fatto che l'assassino ha fatto sesso con le donne dopo averle sgozzate, trovato un sadico e perverso piacere dal lago di sangue intorno a lui. Questo psicopatico è stato smascherato, nel finale, da Sebastian e da lui lasciato annegare, tutte le sue colpe verranno  insabbiate dalle autorità.
Una morte troppo facile e veloce per un essere così perverso e schifoso.
E' vero che a quel tempo i nobili se la cavavano spesso, ma come ho spiegato nella trama, si aveva bisogno di una punizione esemplare ed erano pronti a sacrificare il Visconte di Devlin ( Sebastian ).
Sarebbe stato giusto quindi che l'autore l'avesse fatto incriminare pubblicamente e giustiziare pubblicamente... anzi la punizione avrebbe essere dovuto essere proporzionale ai delitti ( e tentati delitti ) commessi, se non attraverso la legge del tempo, almeno attraverso la fantasia dell'autrice,  ecco la mia idea:

Caro autore, sappiamo che nella realtà la giustizia è molto imperfetta e io ne ho abbastanza della realtà, è questo il motivo per cui amo leggere fiction, perché esse non sono la realtà.
Così, caro autore, hai scritto un mystery bellissimo e mozzafiato, quindi ti chiedo perchè hai regalato ai tuoi lettori un finale così deludente ? Un mostro del genere meritava una morte più atroce !
Quel maniaco perverso, quel diavolo avrebbe dovuto bruciare nell'incendio che tu hai descritto così bene nel finale...Tu, caro autore, avresti dovuto fare bruciare quell'assassino, farlo uscire in fiamme ed urlante dal dolore dall'edificio...avresti dovuto farlo salvare da Sebastian con il solo scopo di fargli patire indicibili pene per almeno 10 giorni in ospedale prima di morire. In quei dieci giorni il perverso assassino avrebbe dovuto sapere che sarebbe morto e che il suo nome era rovinato, avrebbe dovuto ricevere la visita della moglie ( altrettanto stronza e spregevole ) che gli dichiarava il suo disprezzo. Lei e il loro altrettanto psicopatico figlio avrebbero dovuto continuare a vivere nel disonore e nella povertà.
Invece tu autore hai salvato l'onore di quelle persone spregevoli e cattive e ai famigliari dell'assassino hai persino regalato la soddisfazione dello scherno nei confronti di Sebastian !

Ho tolto una stella intera perché il tuo finale, caro autore, proprio mi ha fatto arrabbiare !!! FINE SPOILER ___ ___

--> Una piccola difficoltà che i lettori potrebbero incontrare, in questa storia, è l'enorme quantità di nomi, non solo di personaggi, ma anche di strade, edifici e luoghi.
Ammetto che qualche volta mi son trovata un pò confusa.
Un'altra piccola difficoltà per i lettori che come me leggono il libro in lingua originale ( inglese) sono le frasi dialettali, che di tanto in tanto vengono pronunciate dal protetto di Sebastian.
Non è la prima volta che leggo un inglese con parole mozzate o distorte per indicare il linguaggio popolano dei poveri e solitamente lo capisco ugualmente, perchè anche se scritto in maniera diversa di fatto la fonetica assomiglia al linguaggio corretto, quindi è abbastanza intuibile, ma questa volta era un po'più complicato del solito.

Francamente non ho idea se in italiano le abbiano tradotte scrivendole in un italiano corretto oppure se abbiano trascritto un italiano dialettale per non perdere l'effetto della parlata da persona non istruita e di umili origini.

___ Questo libro è il primo lunga una serie di successo, purtroppo come accade spesso in Italia, questo è l'unico che i lettori in lingua italiana avranno l'opportunità di leggere.
Il lato positivo è che è leggibile come "standalone", ovvero come libro a sé, non ci sono eventi che rimangono in sospeso nel finale e avrete quindi la possibilità di guastarne a pieno la lettura.
Io sicuramente leggerò anche i prossimi 18 libri già pubblicati, nonostante l'atmosfera sia un po' dark per i miei gusti, è comunque assolutamente coinvolgente e il pizzico di rosa addolcisce un poco la storia.

Grazie a tutti per aver letto la mia opinione in proposito :-) , se volete rimanere aggiornati sulle prossime recensione , potete seguirmi anche sulla mia pagina facebook : Tizi Cozy Corner

Book review : Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung

Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman
by E.W. Hornung
Classic short stories collection
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book about 3 years ago and have reread the stories in it over the last 2 days.

I have always been fascinated by stories of gentleman thieves, but except for having seen an old black and white film with David Niven and Olivia De Havilland from 1939, I had never heard of Raffle.
I found this book by chance and since it was super discounted I grabbed it immediately. Wow, how lucky, it was a nice breath of joy.

It has been a great read, each story very quick to read, light and ironic.
The main character, a gentleman thief, not only is fascinating but could also be a magnificent character in a contemporary adventure book or in a TV series suitable for the whole family.
So if work keeps you too busy and you don't have too much time to focus on a longer and more challenging read, this little book will relieve all your stress.

The set is Victorian-era London. The two characters ( yes , actually we have a couple of main characters) Raffle and Bunny love a comfortable and luxurious life but they don't like working that much, so their choice is theft.
The couple is the usual cliché: one very intelligent and full of charm, the other a little clumsier and less skilled, but always a very good friend and a good supporting shoulder for the first one.
As I said, it's the usual cliché of books and films of all time, but they know the same way how to steal your heart.

I liked all the stories, only the last one left me a little sad... but I can't tell you anything otherwise I would ruin your enjoyment of reading.

A nice curiosity is that the author, EW Hornung, was the brother-in-law of none other than Arthur Conan Doyle (author of Sherlock Holmes and his trusted Dr. Watson).

Thank you for reading my opinion and if you found any errors in my text, please forgive me, English is not my native language.

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Book review : Gentle Conquest by Mary Balogh

Gentle Conquest
by Mary Balogh
My rating: ★★☆☆☆

A regency romance by the famous Mary Balogh.
Here's why I didn't like it and I don't recommend you to spend ( waste ) your time reading it.

THE PLOT IN BRIEF __ Ralph, Earl of Chartleigh, is only 21 years old and has no experience of the world or even with women. However, he has a kind heart, good manners and no malice in his thoughts, always smiling and condescending to everyone, always ready to see the good side of people.
Georgiana Burton, the young 18-year-old bride that his mother found for him, is a smart girl, with several flirtations behind her and with a peppery character, but who in the first dates with Ralph will show herself shy and sweet, as ordered by her father.
Ralph falls in love immediately, however the wedding night is not consummated, due to his inexperience and because of the mocking comments of his young wife.
The result is a misunderstanding that will not be resolved for a long time and will result in actions that will confuse the situation even more.
___________________

The premise of the story interested me a lot because the hero of the story is different from the usual rakes and libertines who suddenly come to their senses thanks to the encounter with special and fantastic women in every way.
The latter is in fact a cliché that may suit women who are passionate about regency love stories, but I am not an avid reader of romances and I find it tiring to always read the same type of story, just with different names.

For almost all my life I disdained romances, especially regency ones, because I found them dull and flat, until a couple of years ago I discovered that some are really funny and full of humor and other romances, which include a little mystery, are intriguing and full of suspense and twists (the dramatic ones, however, I discard out of hand because they make me sad).

---> Well, this book is exactly what I have always avoided: a boring, flat story, without plot twists, without jokes and humorous scenes, without any suspense and without interesting protagonists!!!

Throughout the first half of the book, the author tells the thoughts of the two spouses in the third person: THE BRIDE initially considers her new husband weak, inexperienced and with none of the male "skills" (gambling, go hunting, be a scoundrel full of women... ), too physically beautiful to be considered charming, as if for her beauty made him effeminate.
You will understand that I could not love this girl.
I understand that the rich man's lifestyle back then was to go to the club and play cards and be a complete asshole, BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE ADMIRED THIS IN A MAN! To me she was a complete idiot!
After the failed wedding night, she finally realizes that she has behaved badly and understands that she has inhibited her husband even more.
Little by little he begins to appreciate his kind ways and his generosity towards everyone... the character therefore improves, but throughout the first half of the book I always had to read the same things: first contempt and then repentance... nothing else interesting.

Again throughout the first half of the book, in addition to the same phrases, continually repeated in her head, the reader has to put up with his mental ruminations: THE GROOM, in his naivety and lack of malice, does not feel angry at all with the bride, but he thinks he has scared her and is afraid of "hurting her" because she is a virgin.
The author really exaggerates in describing him as good and altruistic and this becomes far-fetched and tiring.
Furthermore, at a certain point one comes to think that he really is an idiot, since he desires his wife, but no longer makes any attempt to consummate the marriage with her.
However, he tries WARNING SPOILER ___ MAKE SURE YOU WANT TO READ IT !___to build a relationship of affection and mutual respect with his wife, he succeeds and sees her cheerful and happy and yet he only makes another feeble attempt to spend the night with her, he backs down and doesn't try anymore. SPOILER END___ ___ THIS IS ABSURD !

... I understand the writer's intent, but she wrote everything in an absurd and implausible way not even for that time.
I understand that at the time there was embarrassment in talking about sex WARNING SPOILER _____and yet she has no problem talking about it with a stranger (the groom's womanizer cousin), SPOILER END___ so why not talk about it with her husband?
And what to say about her husband: WARNING SPOILER ___ ___after she shouts in his face that he wasn't even capable of "making her his wife", still he doesn't go to her, but he accepts another stupid solution ( to take a mistress just to have experience in sex ). SPOILER END___

In the second part with the arrival of the rogue cousin, I thought that finally there would be some movement in the story, because he interferes in the affairs of the two spouses, bringing havoc to the family due to his reputation.
BUT NO: WE STILL HAVE A FLAT STORY.
This would have been an interesting character because amidst all the boredom of the story, he manages to say a few slightly witty lines, but the character isn't developed enough to bring joy to the reader.
Don't even think that you can read something interesting about misunderstandings, because even family arguments are boring.

WARNING SPOILER ___ ___He is interested in the bride's sister (but here the author inserts a second love story which is ridiculous because it doesn't even have time to develop, so it doesn't give any emotion and makes no sense at all). SPOILER END ______

The icing on the cake of boredom is that "the good boy", known for his fairness, WARNING SPOILER ___ ___decides to take a lover and has sex with her for at least 2 months and decides to end the relationship only because events put him in front of a dilemma.
Honestly as well as feeling disappointed and betrayed by the character, I don't find it plausible with the way of being of the young groom, described so insistently by the author throughout the story.
It matters little that actually the mistress was his wife in disguise.
He has a mistress and he feels he cannot put an end to the relationship with her, he loves her and equally declares himself in love with his wife (and here for me he was a perfect idiot: he has experience by now, but he didn't go to his wife at night, but throughout the book he repeats to himself that he wants his wife, he desires her!)
As I said the lover was the wife disguised (all organized by the bride) and by creating this ruse in the plot, the author can ensure that the protagonist does not commit a real betrayal... well, for me the intentions count and he didn't know that the lover was the wife. To me it wasn't an acceptable solution and even the whole ending where they make up is ridiculous and not at all satisfactory.
SPOILER END___
I would like to explain the spoiler of the ending more, but I feel like I have already wasted too much time both in reading this book and in reviewing it.

Thanks for reading my opinion and sorry for my faulty English, it's not my native language.




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