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A review by justinkhchen
The Portrait of a Duchess by Scarlett Peckham
4.0
3.75 stars
Infused with bold new ideas, but slightly overworked, The Portrait of a Duchess is the long-awaited sequel to Scarlett Peckham's Society of Sirens series, and it definitely doesn't disappoint when it comes to pushing the framework of historical romance: age gap (particularly with a hero in his early 50s), interracial relationship, bisexuality, are just a few elements explored in this universe filled with characters rebelling against societal restrictions and accepted norms. While I applaud the effort (and actually do enjoy a lot of its moments), the drastic alteration to the formula does upset the storytelling somewhat, making it an uneven reading experience overall.
The best part of The Portrait of a Duchess is its found family aspect; Scarlett Peckham has created a colorful group of nonconformists, and the story is often at its peak when the ensemble cast is involved. As someone who's in the creative field, I particularly enjoy its central plot revolving around an art exhibit, and the power of art truly shines through in the author's intensely expressive and passionate writing style.
The romance has its shining moments (particularly the past timeline), and a fascinating perspective (a man's grand declaration of love being a forced-on burden and robs the woman partner's agency), but the journey getting there feels drawn-out and aimless. The reliance on lack of communication to draw conflict seems to be in stark contrast to characters who are suppose to be avant-garde, and the closure to their romance is disappointingly limp and not at all convincing.
The Portrait of a Duchess is ambitious, beautifully crafted, if suffocating in the mold of a historical romance. There are moments where it is quite clear the author was struggling to balance between expressing her own creative vision, and giving what the audience want from the genre. The self-critiquing on what is 'romance' is fascinating, if quite bumpy getting to the point. Still, I would always prefer reading something fresh, instead of safe and stale.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Infused with bold new ideas, but slightly overworked, The Portrait of a Duchess is the long-awaited sequel to Scarlett Peckham's Society of Sirens series, and it definitely doesn't disappoint when it comes to pushing the framework of historical romance: age gap (particularly with a hero in his early 50s), interracial relationship, bisexuality, are just a few elements explored in this universe filled with characters rebelling against societal restrictions and accepted norms. While I applaud the effort (and actually do enjoy a lot of its moments), the drastic alteration to the formula does upset the storytelling somewhat, making it an uneven reading experience overall.
The best part of The Portrait of a Duchess is its found family aspect; Scarlett Peckham has created a colorful group of nonconformists, and the story is often at its peak when the ensemble cast is involved. As someone who's in the creative field, I particularly enjoy its central plot revolving around an art exhibit, and the power of art truly shines through in the author's intensely expressive and passionate writing style.
The romance has its shining moments (particularly the past timeline), and a fascinating perspective (a man's grand declaration of love being a forced-on burden and robs the woman partner's agency), but the journey getting there feels drawn-out and aimless. The reliance on lack of communication to draw conflict seems to be in stark contrast to characters who are suppose to be avant-garde, and the closure to their romance is disappointingly limp and not at all convincing.
The Portrait of a Duchess is ambitious, beautifully crafted, if suffocating in the mold of a historical romance. There are moments where it is quite clear the author was struggling to balance between expressing her own creative vision, and giving what the audience want from the genre. The self-critiquing on what is 'romance' is fascinating, if quite bumpy getting to the point. Still, I would always prefer reading something fresh, instead of safe and stale.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**