5 stars A steamy historical romance with unusual characters— Torren, “The One-Faced Duke” and Adalia, this story takes place during the war between Britain and France, which is a key component of the plot. When Torren is first introduced, I wondered what might be revealed about him to explain his lack of emotion, assuming it would be a form of ASD, but the truth of it is far more tragic. The development of the relationship between Adalia and Torren was layered and realistic. Brought together by Adalia’s older brother Theo, the reader does not at first understand why he would direct Adalia to go to the duke for help, but there is a conversation that foreshadows a later epiphany. Torren relates the first conversation he had with Theo, a philosophical discussion regarding the mating habits of peacocks. Theo was convinced that male peacocks were blind because the peahens were so plain. He feared that if their eyesight ever improved, it might mean the demise of the species. “The only thing he could imagine that would save the species was if one could encourage true love between the peacock and the peahen.” Adalia is the opposite of Torren in almost every way, her enthusiasm and passion for life a stark contrast to his logic and inability to emote. The writing is evocative and engaging and I found myself pulled into the world of Adalia and Torren, understanding their complicated feelings for one another and rooting for Torren to finally realize that what he felt was actually love, even if he didn’t know the word for it. I really enjoyed the book and I recommend it. March 24, 2021
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
Categories |