"Winning the Wallflower"
By: Eloisa James
Synopsis from Eloisa James' Author Website:
It Could Only Happen in a FairytaleMy Thoughts:
Lady Lucy Towerton Plain and tall. (According to the lady herself.)
Titled, and irreproachably proper. (According to her fiancé.)
Until, overnight, she becomes
Lady Lucy Towerton Heiress. (Thanks to an aged aunt’s bequest.)
Belle of the Ball. (So say the fortune hunters of the ton.)
In charge of her own destiny (finally!), Lucy breaks her engagement and makes up her mind to never be proper again...
I have declared my love for Ms. James before and I will do it again. "Winning the Wallflower" has an entire romance, a great plot, wonderful character and does it all in less than 100 pages. I'm not a fan of these short romances, but never doubt a wonderful story when Eloisa James is involved.
Lucy has been a wallflower all of her life. In fact, she was picked as a bride by Ravenscroft, for that very fact. So when she inherits a large sum, Lucy decides she is more than a wallflower and more than a faceless girl in the crowd.
Ravenscroft is trying to make his way in society. He thinks marrying Lucy, a daughter of a peer, will make his way. He is so set on his goal, he doesn't even learn Lucy's name, her likes, her dislikes...which is never a good thing. So when this nameless, faceless girl turns his marriage proposal down, he pays a little more attention.
I love that Lucy claims her power. She is an intelligent girl and knows the way the world works. Yet, she bucks tradition and acknowledges that she is no longer living life by her parent's rules, she's deciding her own life. She may have to marry at some point, and she's going to marry someone who loves her...even if that means it won't be until she is firmly on the shelf. Ravenscroft responds to this new woman and declares he will become the man Lucy wants and needs. Part of the enjoyment of this novel comes from his efforts to become the man Lucy needs, including a little groveling and a few comedic episodes.
I enjoy a good story but I enjoy good characters more. Lucy and Ravenscroft are fully developed, smart, sensitive people who, you as the reader, really come to care about. Some authors are unable to deliver in these short novellas, but this short story is a wonderful example of how a novella can really work. After reading "Winning the Wallflower," be sure to check out "The Duke is Mine" a full length novel that was released December 27, 2011.
Book Details
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Date of Publication: December 6, 2011
Pages: 100
I've been a lot of really great novellas the past few months. Thanks for bringing this one to my attention :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's really great :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I usually don't go for shorter stories, so maybe I'll give it a try! Great review! :)
ReplyDeleteI love Eloisa James' books! I have probably read just about everything she has written - especially her historical fiction.
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