A Lady Awakened by Cecilia GrantMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read this for the # TBRChallenge, previous updates with my full thoughts, comments, and quotes can be found:
This definitely reads different than the majority of romance out there and I can see why people loved it and didn't enjoy it. Our widow Martha has more cold than warmth and is more of an analytical personality than emotional and her actions have to be looked at in the grey area to be able to sympathize with her. When her husband dies, she learns that his brother set to inherit raped at least two housemaids, so she sets out to get pregnant to keep the estate from him.
Theo, our hero, is sent to the country by his father to learn some maturity and responsibility. He maybe bats an eyelash at Martha's proposition but he still follows her to the bedroom that day. From there they have sex everyday to try and get her pregnant and their sex scenes are definitely frigid and mechanical. As they get to know one another and through actions they take throughout the story with tending to their tenants or trying to improve the people's lives on their estates, Theo learns maturity and how to care for Martha, while Martha thaws and learns the very basics of caring.
This is a very quiet show and not tell story, a lot of it is in the little details. I thought a few chapters in the middle slowed the pace too much and Martha and Theo's first loving sex scene wasn't quite lead into right and felt, at least off the page, anti-climatic. However, the secondary characters were on point and added so much to this story, I will cry for years for a Mrs. and Mr. Weaver novella.
If you can't get passed the coldness of Martha and frigid bedroom scenes, you probably won't make it to the 20% mark and I can definitely see why some wouldn't. If you can absorb those, though, you'll find a different romance story ripe in the little details.
I read this book and felt in the middle. I liked the idea of it and Martha's reserved manner didn't bother me but I think the author could have developed things differently.
ReplyDeleteThen, I read the second book in the series and I didn't like it. I've concluded I just don't enjoy her style of writing.
Grant definitely has a distinct style, I appreciate how she tries something different but yeah, it won't be a fit for everyone.
DeleteThat does sound very different, but intriguing. I'm glad you enjoyed it! Always such a thrill to find a good one in the pile. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm two for two on having great reads for this TBR challenge! It's telling me that I really do need to read more from that pile.
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