Title: The Other Countess
Author: Eve Edwards
Series: The Lacey Chronicles #1
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication date: 01 Jul 2010
Format: Paperback - 352 pages
Genre: YA - Historical Fiction
Ellie - Lady Eleanor Rodriguez of San Jaime - is in possession of a worthless title and a feisty spirit that captivates the elite of the Queen's court, and none more so than the handsome new Earl of Dorset...
William Lacey has inherited his father's title and his financial ruin. Now the earl must seek a wealthy heiress and restore his family's fortune.
Will's head has been turned by the gorgeous Ellie, yet their union can never be, Will is destines to marry a lady worthy of his status, so the only question is - which one…?
My thoughts:
This isn't the kind of read that I usually go for but I decided to give it a go and see if I enjoy the genre. I have to say my initial reaction was that I definitely have to pick up more historical fiction including the second book of The Lacey Chronicles.
More than anything, what impressed me about this read was the depth to the characters. They were each as flawed as the other but owned up to it and had changed in different ways by the end of the book.
I fell in love with Ellie instantly. I thought she was a well-rounded character who had a lovely fierceness to her that isn't typical to this genre. Will was also just as loveable. He came across as an arrogant snob at the beginning of the book but he soon changed. It was literally as if he knew he was behaving similar to a child and was doing his best not to - he soon stopped when Ellie came into the picture though!
My only problem with this book was the pace of the plot. It was pretty obvious what was going to eventually happened but it seemed to take so long to do so. It was one of those reads where it divides itself into three parts. The beginning was really fast paced and great because of the introduction of all the characters. The middle, however, went on for far too long in my opinion. It resulted in me distracting myself from the book by putting it down, trying to find something else to do. I get really disappointed when that happens - it makes a 300 page read seem like 600. By the time I got close to the end I had almost given up, however, it got so much better. It was really dramatic leading up towards the end.
The end was something else entirely. It was so lovely purely because of the desperation of the characters beforehand in the story. It was great to read and it made me a little desperate to get my hands on the next one.
All in all I would recommend this read to both readers who are a fan of historical fiction and those who are anxious to try it. Give this one a go!
My rating: 7/10
Eve Edwards:
The Lacey Chronicles:
- The Other Countess
- The Queen's Lady
- The Rogue's Princess
2 comments:
I used to live and breathe historical books, I love the pomp and circumstance of the aristocracy and all the rules. Now it takes me days to finish one book.
Happy to follow bloggers like you you read this tho, at least I can still experience the stories vicariously through you.
Braine @Talk Supe
I've always been a bit uncertain about historical fiction, but I've been reading them lately and really falling in love! I shall look out for this one, thanks :)
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