Review: In the Arms Of A Marquess by Katharine Ashe
IN THE ARMS OF A MARQUESS
Katharine Ashe
ISBN: 978-0061965654 (Paperback)
ASIN: B004QWZCD8 (Kindle)
Sept 2011 (Paperback)
Sept 2011 (Kindle)
Harper Collins / Harper Collins
Historical Regency
It was love at first sight from the moment the very young Miss Octavia “Tavy” Pierce traveling to India and who was rescued by Lord Ben Doreé. Of course she hadn’t known who he was at the time, and he hadn’t yet become a Marquess. Now at the age of five and twenty and still shockingly unwed, the once gangly coltish Tavy has turned into a diamond and was summarily beckoned home to England to find a perfect match. What her family was unaware of was that Tavy still carried a torch for the one man who had once scandalously shown her a passion that she’d never gotten over.
As a third son, as well as half Indian, Lord Ben Doreé had never expected to inherit his position of wealth and power, and he has never forgotten Octavia, who has come to him desperately needing help of a most dangerous and clandestine matter. Even though Tavy acts as unmindful of their once shared passion, as he seems to, she has never quite gotten over the passion they once shared. While everyone assumes she will accept the English lord who has asked for her hand, Tavy is still holding out hope that Ben will come around and renew the passion they once had.
*** Even though this started out a bit slow and to my mind somewhat weak, I ended up thoroughly enjoying IN THE ARMS OF A MARQUESS by Katharine Ashe (another new author for me). Tavy was not considered pretty, far too outspoken, and basically sent away to India to her Aunt and Uncle with hopes of gaining some maturity or quenching her thirst for adventure. Unfortunately, trying to tame Tavy was like trying to waylay a hurricane. Tavy embraced the exoticness of India, the bazaar, the total uniqueness of the the land, from the smells to the freedom she discovered when most were napping in the heat of the afternoon. I loved that Ms. Ashe gave Tavy the opportunity to innocently meet with Ben during those afternoon walks where they were able to develop their mutual attraction into something much more meaningful and the progression of their friendship into love was a delight until others made Tavy think that she was being cruelly used.
Tavy was beautifully fashioned and wholly fleshed out pretty much from the start, however it took more time to actually see what a fine person Benjirou Doreé truly was. The plot was imaginative in several areas; what had really happened at the fire that killed Ben’s father and brother; why did Lord Crispin seem so intent on forcing a betrothal onto Tavy; and what hanky panky was going on with a ship that seemed to be carrying a very suspicious cargo?
Bottom Line: You’re going to have to read IN THE ARMS OF A MARQUESS to find out and you will be just as surprised as I was! I am recommending this book very highly as a book to read and an author to keep your eye on!
Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com
