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Liked It “Sebastian Grimthorpe, Earl of Wortham, is bent on revenge after his former friend, Bertram deLint, raped Sebastian's young, illegitimate daughter. A carriage accident gives Sebastian the excuse to fake his death, and he goes to Italy, where he makes an elaborate plan to pay deLint...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“I believe this was the first actual romance novel I've ever read. I read it in the eigth grade and liked it very much. I never thought much of books like these, but this is a good book that I recommend to romantics. I don't really remember the main theme or idea of the novel, but I do remember that it is about a girl that is not very pretty. A man that she finds attractive but is shy towards comes to have a sexual attraction to her, and they have a romantic affair. There are some sexual scenes in the novel, but nothing of a pornographic sort. It is an interesting and fast to read novel set in a luxurious almost fantasy world. ”
Melissa S wrote this review Friday, March 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Sebastian Grimthorpe, Earl of Wortham, is bent on revenge after his former friend, Bertram deLint, raped Sebastian's young, illegitimate daughter. A carriage accident gives Sebastian the excuse to fake his death, and he goes to Italy, where he makes an elaborate plan to pay deLint back.
DKayeS wrote this review Tuesday, November 18 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
When deLint and his family arrive, Sebastian notices a young woman with a pock-marked face, and remembers the mistress who'd abetted deLint in the rape, so he decides to add her to his scheme.
The scarred woman, however, is deLint's mother's companion, Sarah Connolly. She'd been born in the slums (hence the pox marks), but has raised herself as high as she's able, given her past.
The more Sebastian sees of Sarah, the less he wants to involve her in his plan for revenge. Still, his guilt over not protecting his daughter drives him to revenge, even though he knows it'll destroy Sarah's regard for him.
Sarah, on the other hand, is happy to have his attention and affection, but her knowledge of her status is deep-rooted, and she can't believe her future holds anything better than working as a companion until she's too old, hopefully accruing enough savings to support herself in her old age.
So they're both holding back, but of course, love is a steamroller.
The ending fell a little flat for me. I'm not sure how I was expecting it to turn out, and I loved the twist, but I think the villain's recitation of his misdeeds was my biggest problem. It seemed forced, like an actor in a play addressing the audience directly.
There was also the issue of a certain part of Sarah's past. It seemed tacked on at the end, almost like a change of mind. I couldn't figure out a good reason for the deception, nor a reason for what amounted to "oh, by the way...." I guess I just wish it had been either left out or expanded on.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Venice setting. It's been over 22 years since I was there, but the descriptions still evoked memories. I also enjoyed the characters trying very hard not to fall in love with each other. I'd figured out Sebastian's revenge plot ahead of time, but it still kept me on the edge of my seat, begging him not to go through with it.
I'd read (and loved) The Veil of Night when it first came out, but unfortunately forgot to keep looking for Lydia Joyce's books. I've remembered now, and don't think I'll forget again. I have her next two books in my TBR pile.”
“This one is reviewed on my blog at laurielikesbooks.blog-city.com”
Laurie Gold wrote this review Friday, May 2 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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