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| Emmaline was done with all of it! |
So for the last year or so, I've had a bad habit of scrolling through Facebook and letting the social networking site make vague book selections that they figure that I would like based on my past reading habits. Even better than that, not only do they know my love of romance novels and all things literary and gaming related (which Facebook, you are creepy, just so ya know) but they even notify me when e-books are for the Free.99 or on a deep discount. So needless to say that I have expanded my kindle list to astronomical proportions and discovered new authors outside of the ones included in my comfort zone.
This time they suggested one such book by an author that I had not had the opportunity to experience so I once again made the journey with some trepidation. I fired up my new kindle fire (yes I broke and bought a tablet just because of the sheer amount of e-books) and flipped open this particular book with no preconceived notions of what I was getting into other than the blurb included on the site. I didn't do any research previously before diving straight into the lives of the particular characters, which in retrospect could've ended disastrously. I didn't even consult my book club for opinions. Went in completely blind. And you know what it was a really well done read, and the start to a series no less.
The story starts off with the harassment of a woman peddling vegetables and fruits on the side of the road, and our heroine Emmaline puts herself between the dandy and the old woman where she verbally berates him for his actions. That is where our hero Drake comes in to defend the ladies in question while simultaneously ignoring the woman who he has been betrothed to since he was fifteen years old. He cannot believe that she is a woman who goes around defending the poor, much less a woman now and not the simpering teenager he left behind before the war. Drake makes it his mission to continue to ignore her so he can live his life of "bachelorhood".
Meanwhile Emmaline has essentially become the Elf on the shelf. Due to the fact that her engagement is public knowledge, she is left as a wilting wallflower. No one dares to capture her eye or flirt with her because the entire ton knows of her someday nuptials. Not to mention the fact that after his return from the Napoleonic war, he proceeded to turn into huge womanizer. Not giving one care in the world that he was publicly humiliating the woman he was supposed to marry.
When Emmaline learns from her best friend Birdie that Drake has set up with a new beautiful voiced opera singer, she decides that it is time for him to either marry her, or set her free. Thus she puts her new plan to the test. She challenges Drake one night at the opera house within the eyes of the ton by making her presence known and also making known the fact that she is done with his dismissal of her existence. She even promises him an autograph from his paramour, which she does deliver on.
Her demands of his attention leave Drake feeling dumbfounded. On one level he finds her absolutely exasperating, not even worth the trouble shes putting him through. On the other hand, he admires her courage and will power to match wits with him on any level without backing down. However as the weeks and months roll by and their interactions in public become more scandalous and hurtful, the more Drake starts to pull away from Emmaline due to his secret.
What Drake and his father haven't revealed to the general public is the fact that since his return from the wars, he suffers from sound induced terrors as well as nightmares of the wars and the men he lost. He pushes Em away as a means to protect her from himself and the monster that he believes that he is. Sure today for us, hearing about our men and women in uniform coming home with mild to severe PTSD is not a huge deal, but during the 19th century, it wasn't a common occurrence and was kept well under wraps. Drake's self blame and self sacrifice is what redeems the character in my eyes.
In most cases I tend to shy away from books where the hero purposely goes out of his way to hurt the heroine. In a lot of cases it is unforgivable, however in this instance the infidelity takes place within the first third of the book and we are able to watch Drake and Emmaline grow throughout the course of the story. His fear of physically hurting her causes him to constantly keep her on the periphery of his life.
Eventually after more misunderstandings and even the end of their betrothal, Drake and Emmaline work through his PTSD and her issues with loneliness and end up happy and in love.
While I loved the book from start to finish, like I said I did have some issues with Drake and his initial treatment of Em. However, her level of care and dedication to her charity projects, her interactions with her brother, mother, and best friend are what kept me along for the ride. The high level of humor and the gamut of emotions that I went through made this surprising little ebook one of my new favorites, and I truly cannot wait to dive into the new series!
When Emmaline learns from her best friend Birdie that Drake has set up with a new beautiful voiced opera singer, she decides that it is time for him to either marry her, or set her free. Thus she puts her new plan to the test. She challenges Drake one night at the opera house within the eyes of the ton by making her presence known and also making known the fact that she is done with his dismissal of her existence. She even promises him an autograph from his paramour, which she does deliver on.
Her demands of his attention leave Drake feeling dumbfounded. On one level he finds her absolutely exasperating, not even worth the trouble shes putting him through. On the other hand, he admires her courage and will power to match wits with him on any level without backing down. However as the weeks and months roll by and their interactions in public become more scandalous and hurtful, the more Drake starts to pull away from Emmaline due to his secret.
What Drake and his father haven't revealed to the general public is the fact that since his return from the wars, he suffers from sound induced terrors as well as nightmares of the wars and the men he lost. He pushes Em away as a means to protect her from himself and the monster that he believes that he is. Sure today for us, hearing about our men and women in uniform coming home with mild to severe PTSD is not a huge deal, but during the 19th century, it wasn't a common occurrence and was kept well under wraps. Drake's self blame and self sacrifice is what redeems the character in my eyes.
In most cases I tend to shy away from books where the hero purposely goes out of his way to hurt the heroine. In a lot of cases it is unforgivable, however in this instance the infidelity takes place within the first third of the book and we are able to watch Drake and Emmaline grow throughout the course of the story. His fear of physically hurting her causes him to constantly keep her on the periphery of his life.
Eventually after more misunderstandings and even the end of their betrothal, Drake and Emmaline work through his PTSD and her issues with loneliness and end up happy and in love.
While I loved the book from start to finish, like I said I did have some issues with Drake and his initial treatment of Em. However, her level of care and dedication to her charity projects, her interactions with her brother, mother, and best friend are what kept me along for the ride. The high level of humor and the gamut of emotions that I went through made this surprising little ebook one of my new favorites, and I truly cannot wait to dive into the new series!
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