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A review by fiction_aficionado
The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller
4.0
Readers of inspirational Regency romance have much to look forward to with this debut release from Australian author Carolyn Miller. It’s just the kind of unhurried excursion into Regency life that begs you to find a cozy book-nook to curl up in, so that the here and now can fade away for a few hours. And fade it will, for this is an easy story to be drawn into.
Carolyn Miller did a lovely job of evoking the Regency era in the style of her writing, and readers familiar with Austen’s works, particularly Pride & Prejudice, will recognize a few familiar lines here and there throughout the novel. The author also did a lovely job of bringing the country setting to life. I know London has all the glamour and excitement (and we do head that way toward the end of the novel), but there’s something about the English countryside and the lifestyle there that feels so cozy—provided you’re not a poor tenant waiting for necessary maintenance and improvements to be carried out, of course. And therein lies just one of the problems plaguing Lord Hawkesbury when he arrives in Gloucestershire.
Miss Lavinia Ellison makes quick work of becoming another of Lord Hawkesbury’s problems with her forthright opinions, independent ways, and determination to help those in need. And the fact that he doesn’t appear to be very attentive to her father’s sermons certainly doesn’t raise him in her estimation! The banter between Lord Hawkesbury and Lavinia was very enjoyable for the most part, but there were times when they came across as a little capricious and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of them or their relationship. Both characters were aware of this to a certain extent, and I liked that part of Lavinia’s growth as a character was discovering that virtues can become stumbling blocks if we do not take care to examine our attitude, but I still felt that their relationship see-sawed more than was necessary.
The second half of the novel took a surprising turn that I thought could have been more convincing if it had been foreshadowed earlier in the novel. Nevertheless, the story held me firmly in its grasp until the end, and I look forward to reading the next two books in the series as they release later in the year.
I received a copy of this novel through Netgalley. This has not influenced the content of my review.
Carolyn Miller did a lovely job of evoking the Regency era in the style of her writing, and readers familiar with Austen’s works, particularly Pride & Prejudice, will recognize a few familiar lines here and there throughout the novel. The author also did a lovely job of bringing the country setting to life. I know London has all the glamour and excitement (and we do head that way toward the end of the novel), but there’s something about the English countryside and the lifestyle there that feels so cozy—provided you’re not a poor tenant waiting for necessary maintenance and improvements to be carried out, of course. And therein lies just one of the problems plaguing Lord Hawkesbury when he arrives in Gloucestershire.
Miss Lavinia Ellison makes quick work of becoming another of Lord Hawkesbury’s problems with her forthright opinions, independent ways, and determination to help those in need. And the fact that he doesn’t appear to be very attentive to her father’s sermons certainly doesn’t raise him in her estimation! The banter between Lord Hawkesbury and Lavinia was very enjoyable for the most part, but there were times when they came across as a little capricious and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of them or their relationship. Both characters were aware of this to a certain extent, and I liked that part of Lavinia’s growth as a character was discovering that virtues can become stumbling blocks if we do not take care to examine our attitude, but I still felt that their relationship see-sawed more than was necessary.
The second half of the novel took a surprising turn that I thought could have been more convincing if it had been foreshadowed earlier in the novel. Nevertheless, the story held me firmly in its grasp until the end, and I look forward to reading the next two books in the series as they release later in the year.
I received a copy of this novel through Netgalley. This has not influenced the content of my review.