Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
Great mystery! I definitely enjoy it when there is humor involved in the story. I like the period piece in which the main character does what she's supposed to in society and then doesn't anymore...I think she's a lovely protagonist. I enjoyed the story very much and the bits and pieces of ancient Greek history and art thrown in were fun.
If you need a light read that will transport you to London and Paris of the late 1800s, try this.
Alexander recreates this by-gone society and time perfectly. At the centre of her story is Emily - a 20 something widow who is full of spunk and loves to shock society with her wish to educate herself and her inner circle with her love of Port. Lady Emily reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Bennet and her circumstances were peculiar enough to keep me hooked. The Darcyesque character of Colin Hargreaves helped.
We follow Emily in the aftermath of her husband's death as she uncovers truths about the late Lord Phillip Ashton - found dead while on a safari in Africa. As she begins to fall in love with him, his perfection begins to wear thin when Emily begins to unravel a scheme of stolen Greek artifacts that Phillip could have potentially masterminded.
With its mix of romance, suspense, and even murder, I found this book very different. I needed a lighter read. And this provided that escape. But I did wish the ending was as remarkable as its heroine.
Alexander recreates this by-gone society and time perfectly. At the centre of her story is Emily - a 20 something widow who is full of spunk and loves to shock society with her wish to educate herself and her inner circle with her love of Port. Lady Emily reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Bennet and her circumstances were peculiar enough to keep me hooked. The Darcyesque character of Colin Hargreaves helped.
We follow Emily in the aftermath of her husband's death as she uncovers truths about the late Lord Phillip Ashton - found dead while on a safari in Africa. As she begins to fall in love with him, his perfection begins to wear thin when Emily begins to unravel a scheme of stolen Greek artifacts that Phillip could have potentially masterminded.
With its mix of romance, suspense, and even murder, I found this book very different. I needed a lighter read. And this provided that escape. But I did wish the ending was as remarkable as its heroine.
I wanted to try this series since it seemed very similar to the 'Lady Julia Grey' novels I've become addicted to. 'And Only to Deceive' is set in Victorian England and begins with a young woman who is married and shortly afterwards becomes a young widow. In the course of the novel the young widow learns about her deceased husband through found letters and journals and realizes how little she knew about him. Also she uncovers a scheme involving forgeries at the British Museum that somehow is connected to her dead husband.
I found the beginning to be very good, especially with the wife learning about her husband and her subsequent interest in Greek antiquity. However as it goes along I found it to drag a bit. I found myself skimming quite a bit towards the later part of the book. Also while i liked the main heroine, I felt like the side characters were not as interesting. In general I found the book to be okay, I just found it to be not as good as the 'Lady Julia Grey' novels.
I found the beginning to be very good, especially with the wife learning about her husband and her subsequent interest in Greek antiquity. However as it goes along I found it to drag a bit. I found myself skimming quite a bit towards the later part of the book. Also while i liked the main heroine, I felt like the side characters were not as interesting. In general I found the book to be okay, I just found it to be not as good as the 'Lady Julia Grey' novels.
I rather liked the beginning but it felt too drawn out. My interest waned well before the ending climax.
Well, I am always on the search for a "new" Amelia Peabody. This isn't quite it, sadly - but was still lots of fun and enjoyable for a summer read. I'll add more of Alexander's books to my iPad in the future.
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was so satisfying. It had adventure, romance, and suspense. I really enjoyed the plot twists! This is exactly as Kim (goodreads friend) described in her review saying that if Jane Austen & Agatha Christie wrote a book together this would be the result. Can't wait to delve further into this series!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A first person book, not something I usually enjoy but I really enjoyed getting to know Emily as she discovers her husband, and more about herself. When Emily married Viscount Ashton, Philip, she thought only of escaping her mother, not knowing that he truly loved her. Yet, after his death, she starts to realize there was more to the man than just a big game hunter. He had a love of antiquities that Emily herself is starting to fall into.
There is a mystery, but it more in the way of a secondary story to that of Emily coming into her own.
Really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the rest of the series.
There is a mystery, but it more in the way of a secondary story to that of Emily coming into her own.
Really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the rest of the series.