by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
My rating: ★★★★☆
This must be read as 4.5 stars
--- I loved it and after finished it I feel like I'm missing the charaters.----
It's a lovely clean adventure-romance set between France and England in the late 18th century and related to the well known "Scarlet Pimpernel" ( by Emma Ocrzy / Emmuska Orczy ).
I read and appreciated E. Orczy fiction novels, so this is one thing that made me choose to read this book.
Despite the awful cover ( too dull colors,too much grey color in the background and not at all charming people ) that is suggesting something very dramatic, this is a lively romantic novel with a hint of adventure and of course a happy ending.
__THE PLOT__ Early 1789. Paris
Mademoiselle Dacia de Prideaux and her brother Marcel, from a rich and aristocratic family, are going to the theater.
While she only thinks about love and can't wait to meet her boyfriend again, her brother is taken by the new political currents, led by Robespierre, who would like to see the monarchs deposed and would like equality between the social classes.
That same night, 2 shocking events happen: her lover will marry someone else and Marcel will be killed by someone of his own political persuasion (this is not a spoiler, we know this right away).
Witnessing the murder and accused by the murderer of being the murderer, Dacia has to flee France and thus begins her adventure in England.
An adventure that is anything but easy, made up of physical effort, disguises, false identities and dangers... But in all this another aristocrat with a heart of gold, an adventurous soul and broad views will help her in her new path: Master Richard Harris, a close associate of Sir Percy Blakeney, the famous Scarlet Pimpernel.
__________________________________________
While in the start the story looked a little bit dull to me ( the chapters at the theater, while she was looking for her loved one ) after the murder ( about 20% through the book) all became interesting.
_ THE SETTING __
This is not a challenging novel (we can compare it to the usual regency romances), but the author has managed to give the reader a precise idea of the time and background in which the story took place, making the atmosphere alive and real, thus how the feelings and emotions of all the characters are fully perceptible.
Talking about the background in which the events take place and the atmosphere that the story gives us, the book can be divided into various sections:
__ Pre-revolutionary France and the first troubles shaking the country: the leaflets circulating with the new anti-monarchist ideas, the secret meetings of those who want to change history, the police and the first skirmishes and revolts underway.
__ The escape to England, Dacia's fear and anguish of being captured, the pain of her brother's death and the flashbacks of those moments, the fear of the unknown in an unknown world, the adventure together with strange characters that others they are simply men dedicated, by choice, to saving people in danger of their lives.
__ Life at Master Harris' estate, a bit of Downton Abbey set in the late 1700s, with servants, haughty aristocrats, balls and theatrical rehearsals of a Shakespeare comedy.
__ Imminent danger and action including rescue and total reversal of current situations.
__ Finally declarations of love and the only kiss of this slow-burn (very slow, too slow) romance and happy ending.
__ THE 2 MAIN CHARACTERS _
I liked both although in my opinion there is too little interaction between the two in the book.
😀 🌷The first half of the book focuses more on DACIA:
and it can be said that she is the only protagonist.
---> I liked her because as a wealthy and privileged person she found herself forced to take on the role of a very humble person and to take on all the hardships, pains and sacrifices of that type of life.
First she worked as a waitress and then as a scullery maid, but despite the humiliation she didn't complain, on the contrary, she learned the meaning of sacrifice and understood how she too, in her previous life, without realizing it, had been haughty and very demanding with her their servants, without taking their feelings and self-love into consideration.
The author focuses several times on these considerations and between the lines invites the reader to reflect 8 and I liked it ), because if it is true that today we (or should) all have the same rights, there is still a big gap between very wealthy people and poor and humble workers who often suffer the arrogance, arrogance and boastfulness of those who have more money and more power (even in our normal daily lives).
😀 🌷 When RICHARD (Master Harris) finally enters the scene
we still have too few scenes to know him well and the interactions between the two are few and devoid of the warm emotions that should instead constitute the romantic and sweet part of the story.
So, even after meeting the character, it was initially difficult for me, the reader, to fall in love with him and if the plot on the back cover had not revealed to me the name of the male protagonist of the couple, up to 75% I would not have even known who he was, since courtship was absent.
Richard has another girlfriend, not out of love, but imposed by his father and so for a good part of the time he tries to find points in common with her.
He behaves ambiguously with Dacia, as if he had a soft spot for her, but didn't realize it... but I would have liked the author to accentuate this unconscious attraction more.
When "falling in love" finally begins, I loved it but we are quite far into the book and so for me it wasn't enough.
The author inserts glances between Dacia and Richard during the story, but they are not enough to create an expectation complete with butterflies in the stomach for the reader, it all arrives later ( so that's why it is "too" slow-burn to me )
This is the main reason why I didn't give 5 stars, but since the whole story as a whole involved me and I liked it, I sincerely think that the book deserves a full 4.5
__ A PINCE OF HISTORY____ Have you ever heard of the "Cagots" in France?
I didn't and I learned, from this book, that the Cagots are pariahs (people of the lowest social status, living in isolation from the majority), that in the Middle Ages they lived on both sides of the Pyrenees and that popular superstition saw them as object of contempt and horror, partly inspired by the visceral fear felt by populations exposed to leprosy.
I LOVE TO LEARN THINGS by reading historical fiction !!!!
---> RECOMMENDED for those who love clean romances that are sweet and adventurous at the same time.
---> NOT RECOMMENDED for those looking only for romance and hot scenes
__I WOULD LIKE __ to read a series of book with this couple as main characters about their adventures rescuing people along with Walter ( Richard's brother ), Mr. Carter ( Richard's former valet and aid in his adventures), Marguerite ( Dacia's french best friend ) e of course Sir Percy Blackney.
FREE DOWNLOAD: you can download a free ebook of a short sequel-novella of this story ( named "Sergeant Jake and his Lady "), by subscribing to the author's newsletter on her website ( https://www.rondahinrichsen.com/ ---> click on FREE BOOK ).
I did it and of course I've already read it ( nothing very amazing but nice to read, so many thanks to the author for the giveaway )
THANK YOU all for reading my opinion and please forgive my English since it's not my language 😉
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