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Rumours That Ruined A Lady (2013)

by Marguerite Kaye(Favorite Author)

4.06 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Mills & Boon Historical

series

Armstrong Sisters

review 1: Anyone who reads my reviews will know that I love reading books by Marguerite Kaye. Anyone who reads Marguerite Kaye, will know why! You can imagine my delight when I heard that there was another book featuring the fascinating Armstrong Sisters and I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, before I’d reached page 15, I was so completely hooked that it never occurred to me to put the book down or draw out the enjoyment of it.It takes a talented writer to be able to move back and forth through time the way Marguerite has in this book. Often, it is a confusing and pointless exercise that brings nothing to the telling of the tale. Here, however, she has used it to great effect as a way of showing us things that cannot be told. It enhances the experience and lends a very cinema... moretic air to the tale. Cleverly, we join the story, not at the beginning as we so often do – with the meeting and the falling in love - but rather at a point where so much has already happened to our characters.From the opening paragraph, we think we know exactly who this Sebastian Conway, Marquis of Ardhallow will be. He’s a bored playboy, entitled gentry who has seen it all, done it all and is now bored by it all. Right? Even as we follow him round the high society party, watching the ton at play, dismissing the dancing and disinterested in the gambling, there is a chance we could be right. Then we follow him into a dimly lit salon, heavy with the scent of opium and I find myself waiting, holding my breath, to see what happens next.His visceral reaction to one addict, a young woman on the verge of death, surprised me. His tenderness towards her in the face of his obvious dislike and anger, his compassion, told me that my instinct that there was more to this man had been right.Of course, we already have a surface opinion of the young woman, based solely on her unfortunate circumstances. However, knowing that she is Lady Caroline Rider, daughter of the imminently proper Lord Armstrong, I’m as shocked as Sebastian to see her in this state. Knowing that Lord Armstrong is pig-headed doesn’t really ease my sense of righteous indignation that he should have allowed one of his children to be ostracised by society.But from the first interaction that they have, I’m even more deeply hooked, fully invested in their story. Perhaps it is because it is imperfect, flawed, that I feel more able to connect with it? It is now that the true genius of Marguerite’s writing comes to the fore. She has carefully woven the intricate strands of historical fact with the imagined detail of our two lead characters. Skillfully, she leads us through the minefield that is the ton, the law of ownership that represented marriage in the 1800’s and the very few resources that were available to a woman who was trapped in a loveless or dangerous union. The strength of character exhibited by both Caroline and Sebastian and the journey that we take with them is captivating. Marguerite has clearly put in a lot of effort when researching her work and it has paid off handsomely. This book is another triumph and if you’re a fan of historical fiction, or even just a well written love story, this book is a must for you.
review 2: Wow, what an exciting novels. Unique novels like this are a reason to get excited again in the genre! I'm not a huge fan of flashbacks, but they're so seemless in this text that i was wanting more. Also, the characters and situations call for an extra applause for the author. This novel keeps you wondering where the storyline will take you. But don't worry, it wont leave you dissapointed. Rather, we can hope that the author will have a sequal, focussing on a child of the pair in this one. less

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