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A review by pgchuis
A Dream of Redemption by Bronwen Evans
3.0
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
2.5* rounded up.
I requested this book in part because I loved the Welshness of the author’s name, although I see from her Goodreads bio that in fact she lives in New Zealand. This is the eighth novel in a series, which is apparent from the number of happily married siblings milling around. Apart from mysterious references to a past family “enemy” called Victoria, I thought the novel stood pretty well on its own.
The writing is very modern; all the characters use slang and language we use today and don’t sound at all as if they are living in 1820. Much of the behaviour is also rather unlikely for the period, but if you can put all that to one side it’s a fairly enjoyable story.
Naïve Helen is attracted to her sister’s secretary (yes, her sister has a secretary) Clarence and jumps at the chance to go with him to inspect an orphanage her sister has just added to her orphanage portfolio. Clarence is reluctant to take her because he thinks she is “perfection” and also very naïve about how the world really works and how the poor in London get by (she is). Much drama follows; Helen reveals herself to be open-minded and willing to learn, but her foolishness (“let me come with you, messenger boy, through a dangerous part of London at night to help pass a warning on to Clarence”) leads to Clarence being wounded.
There is a certain amount of repetition and much harping on the fact that Clarence’s past means he isn’t good enough for Helen. Clarence does indeed have a very dark and painful past (he is surprisingly well-adjusted, all things considered), but he spends most of the book intending to tell Helen about it and not quite bringing himself to do so. Then after he finally does tell her, it emerges that she didn’t really understand, a moment I found amusing, although I don’t think I was supposed to – SPOILER – what work did she imagine he did at the brothel that wasn’t as a houseboy or servant?
The good ended happily and the bad unhappily and Clarence even got a title, which seemed slightly to undermine Helen’s assertion that he was good enough for her just as he was, but whatever…
2.5* rounded up.
I requested this book in part because I loved the Welshness of the author’s name, although I see from her Goodreads bio that in fact she lives in New Zealand. This is the eighth novel in a series, which is apparent from the number of happily married siblings milling around. Apart from mysterious references to a past family “enemy” called Victoria, I thought the novel stood pretty well on its own.
The writing is very modern; all the characters use slang and language we use today and don’t sound at all as if they are living in 1820. Much of the behaviour is also rather unlikely for the period, but if you can put all that to one side it’s a fairly enjoyable story.
Naïve Helen is attracted to her sister’s secretary (yes, her sister has a secretary) Clarence and jumps at the chance to go with him to inspect an orphanage her sister has just added to her orphanage portfolio. Clarence is reluctant to take her because he thinks she is “perfection” and also very naïve about how the world really works and how the poor in London get by (she is). Much drama follows; Helen reveals herself to be open-minded and willing to learn, but her foolishness (“let me come with you, messenger boy, through a dangerous part of London at night to help pass a warning on to Clarence”) leads to Clarence being wounded.
There is a certain amount of repetition and much harping on the fact that Clarence’s past means he isn’t good enough for Helen. Clarence does indeed have a very dark and painful past (he is surprisingly well-adjusted, all things considered), but he spends most of the book intending to tell Helen about it and not quite bringing himself to do so. Then after he finally does tell her, it emerges that she didn’t really understand, a moment I found amusing, although I don’t think I was supposed to – SPOILER – what work did she imagine he did at the brothel that wasn’t as a houseboy or servant?
The good ended happily and the bad unhappily and Clarence even got a title, which seemed slightly to undermine Helen’s assertion that he was good enough for her just as he was, but whatever…