A Lady To Treasure Author Marianne Ratcliffe
Book Review
4 out of 5 stars!
"As a child, she'd been nurtured not by love, but by numbers."
Louisa's viewpoint of the world has been one of practicality and reason. Growing up with an abacus as a "child's toy" really helped to cement her outlook, not to mention the way her father approached things as well. Only trouble strikes her father's business and Louisa has to secure a rich husband and fast!
But when our no-nonsense girl goes to England, she runs into a very independent and headstrong woman that chips away at her ideals. Maybe she was a little narrowminded and there's more to life than just numbers and profits? But this is the nineteenth century and being gay is highly frowned upon or worse! That's not how this attraction would be classified, right?
"I trust that you will not let foolish notions of romance interfere with making a profitable transaction?"
Louisa believes she has everything figured out and if she sticks to her plan, it will all go smoothly. But even well thought out plans can go astray. I enjoyed watching Louisa's arc play out as she discovered the world away from her home and father. Trying to honor her duty to her father but also stepping out of her comfort zones.
Sarah's different from other women around the town. Having to grow up fast she has no time for romance or marriage as she tries to save her family from debt. Sarah's stepfamily not doing anything to help alleviate the burden of it all! The young woman had to take on a lot of responsibilities, even if she didn't want to. Upon meeting Louisa, Sarah finds herself slowly being pulled into the beautiful woman's orbit.
"Rationality and love are poor bedfellows." - Anne
I loved the banter between the two women and how they didn't always get along. Misunderstandings galore and lack of communication! Slow burn fools to lovers for sure that will have you shaking your head. Not to mention this book being set back in the days when being gay was unheard of, really places obstacles up for the two women.
I adored the historical accuracy of it all but also felt outrage on behalf of the FMCs. We have so much freedom now compared to the times when you had to hide your affections. Walking on eggshells even around those in your home for fear that you would be turned in! But thank goodness for roommates and no one seeming to find that odd enough to go digging into. I felt sad for the women in a couple of scenes as well, but I promise this book has a very HEA!
The characters in this read were amazing and I was so happy how things ended. We also have a disability rep with one of the side characters and unfortunately how society looks down on them. Writing them off and not declaring them worthy enough to marry off for riches and titles. But the character is an amazing one and focused on the positive side of being able to have the freedom to marry for love! There's a side character who is injured and becomes disabled, giving us insight into the stigma surrounding people with disabilities even more.
This book doesn't contain any language and is a closed-door romance. The most we see on page is kissing and implications that more took place. There is some violence and brief bloodshed, but nothing detailed out. I was happy to have dual POVs (both are third person), so we get to see how each woman's story progressed since both are struggling with their own situations.
A character is physically abused by someone, and we get an understanding of what happened but no up-close play by play of what goes down. And unfortunately, much like current affairs, coming right out and stating someone is abusing you is difficult or ignored. There is also a brief attempt of SA but was swiftly stopped. Mention of suicide and deaths along with grieving and depression.
For me I felt like leading up to the conclusion of the main storylines was a little slow. This is just my personal opinion; you may find absolutely nothing wrong with it! But I wanted a little less detail and more chase to the end and seeing if everyone gets a HEA or if I'd be sobbing because some of my favorite characters didn't.
Nevertheless, this was a great historical romance that had me captivated by the writing, the dialogue, and the times. Nothing threw me out of the narrative, and I got "Bridgerton" vibes and a little bit of "Pride and Prejudice". Both women being headstrong and stubborn as can be! Not wanting to ask for help or rely on others, but sometimes you need that.
Enjoy this lovely read and don't forget to give the author some stars!
Home - Marianne Ratcliffe Author Of Historical Fiction
Marianne Ratcliffe Author of Historical Fiction (@ratcliffe_mj) • Instagram photos and videos
Comments
Post a Comment