Cephalopod Coffeehouse: March 2018
the last Friday in March is time to join in with the Cephalopod Coffeehouse where we recommend the best book we've read during the month.
If you want to join in please go to:
http://armchairsquid.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/cephalopod-coffeehouse-march-2018.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+TheArmchairSquid+(The+Armchair+Squid)
I've had a good reading month and have read at least 10 books ranging from my 5* pick, 4 1/2*, 4* and 3* novels. Also quite a diverse months reading, historical romance, contemporary romantic second chance, a book written from the perspective of a dog and three thrillers from the same author and murder/police and psychological thrillers.
My top pick and my 5* book is a Regency romance.
PERCEPTION & ILLUSION
BY
CATHERINE KULLMANN
350 pages
BLURB
England 1814: Brought up by her late
grandparents after the death of her mother, Lallie Grey is unaware that she is
their heiress. When her father realises that he will soon lose control of his
daughter’s income, he conspires to marry her off to his crony, Frederick Malvin
in exchange for a share of her capital. But Lallie has fallen in love with Hugo
Tamrisk, heir to one of the oldest titles in England. When Hugo not only comes
to her aid as she flees the arranged marriage, but later proposes to her, all
Lallie’s dreams have come true. She readily agrees to marry him at once.
But past events casts long shadows. Hugo resents
the interest his three elder sisters take in his new wife and thinks they have
turned her against him. And then there is his former mistress, Sabina, Lady
Albright. As Lallie finds her feet in the ton, the newly-weds are caught up in
a comedy of errors that threatens their future happiness. She begins to wonder
if he has regrets and he cannot understand her new reserve. A perfect storm of
confusion and misunderstanding leads to a final rupture when Lallie feels she
has no choice but to leave. Can Hugo win her back? Will there be a second, real
happy end for them?
MY REVIEW
5*
Perfect. I've read
quite a few books set in the Regency period and this book is streets ahead of
all of them. The book explores the good
and bad in people, the constraints of society in that era, arranged marriages,
gossip-mongers, all of which is written delightfully with good characters, good
plotting, well scripted dialogue and interspersed with the minutiae of daily
living without being in the least bit boring.
The language is of the time and reading on my Kindle it was
so easy to look up the words I didn’t know which, as well as enhancing my own
vocabulary, added to the atmosphere of the book.
Can’t fault it – in my opinion one of the best books I've
read this year.
