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A review by mediaevalmuse
The Worst Woman in London by Julia Bennet
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Finishing off the series and I must say, this is my favorite of the three. The yearning and the obstacles felt much more substantial in this book, and I'm a sucker for a good pine, so I enjoyed myself. I could nitpick, but overall, this was a good romance.
WRITING: I don't have much to say about the writing style that I haven't mentioned in previous reviews. Bennet writes clearly and keeps the pace quick - perfect for an audience who loves these aspects of the romance genre.
PLOT: The non-romance plot of this book follows Francesca Thorne, a thirty year old woman who is trying to obtain a divorce from her philandering husband, Edward. Unfortunately, a divorce is hard to come by in the late 19th century, and her already uncertain future is threatened by her growing affection for James Stanton - Edward's close friend.
What I liked most about this plot was that the stakes felt very high and not manufactured. It's very clear that the forces working against Francesca are not merely her own biases and flaws, but the sexism embedded in society and the legal system. I enjoyed watching Francesca weigh her options and ultimately desire to live according to het values, and I liked seeing how chasing her own happiness (unfairly) put all of that at risk.
I also appreciated the subplot involving Sylvia, a young debutante who finds herself to be the object of Edward's affections. Her plot didn't detract from the main narrative, but it did offer some interesting opportunities to compare Edward's behavior and character development to that of Francesca and James. It also prevented parts of the plot from feeling slow and dragged out, so that was nice.
I do think, however, that the plot could have been improved just a touch. There were some scenes that felt a little bit like filler, amd I would have liked to see more legal drama as a way to drive up the tension. As it stands, it feels like the legal aspect gets pushed to the background at times, and since Francesca cares more about that than her social status, I think bringing the visciousness of the court case to the front could have been more powerful.
CHARACTERS: Francesca, our heroine, is easy to sympathize with in that she is both tired of her husband's affairs yet also tired of confining herself within the expectations for and "ideal Victorian wife." Even though she had a few liasions of her own, it was easy to root for her, and I admired the way she stuck to her principles.
James, our hero, is interesting in that he is forced to decide which he loves more: Francesca or his lifestyle. As the heir of a wealthy aunt, James has enjoyed being a man of leisure, but must ultimately act the way his "proper" society aunt wants. When he falls for Francesca, he realizes the ways in which he too is confined by expectations, and watching him overcome his selfishness and laziness was narratively very satisfying.
Edward, Francesca's husband, was suitably horrible without being overly abusive. I was surprised by how things turned out in the end and how his character arc progressed, and to be honest, I think I found it more interesting than if he had just been defeated without much ado. The fact that he was James's friend also made things interesting, and watching characters try to balance loyalties was extra angst.
Sylvia was fine and I was pleased that she wasn't written as a dupe. She seemed smart and wholly aware of things, which made me feel better about her arc.
Caroline, Francesca's friend, was fine, but didn't seem to be used much. I was glad Francesca had someone to lean on and someone who offered some insight into middle class life.
I was probably most surprised by Mrs. Mackenzie, one of Edward's mistresses. I dreaded her being used to prop up Francesca as "more virtuous," but I was pleased that Bennet forged a meaningful relationship between the two.
ROMANCE: A lot about this romance was satisfying, in part because both characters had their individual arcs and it was easy to see how they enriched each other's emotional lives. Francesca motivated James to seek fulfillment in something other than money and James made Francesca feel worthy and supported when almost all of society cast her out.
The angst and the yearning was also really great, but I'm biased because I'm a sucker for the kinds of tropes in this book.
TL;DR: The Worst Woman in London is a satisfying romance that focuses on sexism in the legal system while also mirroring the individual arcs of the two protagonists.
WRITING: I don't have much to say about the writing style that I haven't mentioned in previous reviews. Bennet writes clearly and keeps the pace quick - perfect for an audience who loves these aspects of the romance genre.
PLOT: The non-romance plot of this book follows Francesca Thorne, a thirty year old woman who is trying to obtain a divorce from her philandering husband, Edward. Unfortunately, a divorce is hard to come by in the late 19th century, and her already uncertain future is threatened by her growing affection for James Stanton - Edward's close friend.
What I liked most about this plot was that the stakes felt very high and not manufactured. It's very clear that the forces working against Francesca are not merely her own biases and flaws, but the sexism embedded in society and the legal system. I enjoyed watching Francesca weigh her options and ultimately desire to live according to het values, and I liked seeing how chasing her own happiness (unfairly) put all of that at risk.
I also appreciated the subplot involving Sylvia, a young debutante who finds herself to be the object of Edward's affections. Her plot didn't detract from the main narrative, but it did offer some interesting opportunities to compare Edward's behavior and character development to that of Francesca and James. It also prevented parts of the plot from feeling slow and dragged out, so that was nice.
I do think, however, that the plot could have been improved just a touch. There were some scenes that felt a little bit like filler, amd I would have liked to see more legal drama as a way to drive up the tension. As it stands, it feels like the legal aspect gets pushed to the background at times, and since Francesca cares more about that than her social status, I think bringing the visciousness of the court case to the front could have been more powerful.
CHARACTERS: Francesca, our heroine, is easy to sympathize with in that she is both tired of her husband's affairs yet also tired of confining herself within the expectations for and "ideal Victorian wife." Even though she had a few liasions of her own, it was easy to root for her, and I admired the way she stuck to her principles.
James, our hero, is interesting in that he is forced to decide which he loves more: Francesca or his lifestyle. As the heir of a wealthy aunt, James has enjoyed being a man of leisure, but must ultimately act the way his "proper" society aunt wants. When he falls for Francesca, he realizes the ways in which he too is confined by expectations, and watching him overcome his selfishness and laziness was narratively very satisfying.
Edward, Francesca's husband, was suitably horrible without being overly abusive. I was surprised by how things turned out in the end and how his character arc progressed, and to be honest, I think I found it more interesting than if he had just been defeated without much ado. The fact that he was James's friend also made things interesting, and watching characters try to balance loyalties was extra angst.
Sylvia was fine and I was pleased that she wasn't written as a dupe. She seemed smart and wholly aware of things, which made me feel better about her arc.
Caroline, Francesca's friend, was fine, but didn't seem to be used much. I was glad Francesca had someone to lean on and someone who offered some insight into middle class life.
I was probably most surprised by Mrs. Mackenzie, one of Edward's mistresses. I dreaded her being used to prop up Francesca as "more virtuous," but I was pleased that Bennet forged a meaningful relationship between the two.
ROMANCE: A lot about this romance was satisfying, in part because both characters had their individual arcs and it was easy to see how they enriched each other's emotional lives. Francesca motivated James to seek fulfillment in something other than money and James made Francesca feel worthy and supported when almost all of society cast her out.
The angst and the yearning was also really great, but I'm biased because I'm a sucker for the kinds of tropes in this book.
TL;DR: The Worst Woman in London is a satisfying romance that focuses on sexism in the legal system while also mirroring the individual arcs of the two protagonists.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Classism
Minor: Cursing, Infertility, Alcohol