TEST
After I finished The Lady in Gray, I took a trip to the used book store to find more of Patricia Oliver’s books. I finished 1998 in a bit of depression because two of my favorite regency writers, Mary Balogh and Carla Kelly said they will no longer be writing the traditional Regency Romance, but with my discovery of Patricia Oliver, 1999 is looking much better.
Lady Sylvia Sutherland is the daughter of an Earl. Ten years earlier she had been tricked into a false marriage by Sir Matthew Farnaby who disappeared and left her reputation in tatters. Sylvia has spent the last ten years with her aunt in Cornwall where she has built a quiet life for herself and has a rising reputation as a skilled artist.
Ten years ago, Nicholas Morley, the Earl of Longueville lost his wife Angelica when she fell off a cliff. Nicholas left Cornwall pursued by rumors that he drove his wife to suicide or even murdered her. He has spent the last ten years making a fortune in shipping, and has come home to marry again. When Nicholas sees Sylvia painting on the very cliffs where his wife fell, he sends her away in a very rude fashion.
Nicholas and Sylvia do become friends after that inauspicious introduction, and the attraction between these two strong people who have both suffered from scandals in their pasts is developed beautifully. The unveiling of the facts about Nicholas and Sylvia’s pasts and their mutual relationship with Matthew Farnaby is presented in a way that kept me turning the pages. As it turns out, the lead characters and those involved in their respective scandals share a past that, while not exactly ground-breaking in terms of romance plot, are handled extremely well. What worked in particular were revelations about Angelica; her true nature is shown slowly and subtly through flashbacks and remarks made by people who knew her.
The one quibble I had with The Lady in Gray was Sir Matthew Farnaby. For almost the entire book, he is presented as a chillingly charming and handsome sociopath. Then, toward the end he abruptly descends to madness. Matthew’s change from charming rogue to vicious madman was too abrupt and looked like it was done only to provide a thrilling climax on the cliffs.
That aside, I’m looking forward to reading more of Patricia Oliver’s Regencies. She writes just the kind of regency novel I like – not just misses, beaus and witty banter, but books with good strong characters and stories that keep me engrossed. Yes, 1999 is looking very good indeed!
Grade: B
Book Type: Regency Romance
Sensuality: Subtle
Review Date: 01/02/99
Publication Date: 1999
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.