Book Review for: "The Arrival of Lily Curtis"

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Book Review for: The Arrival of Lily Curtis
Written by: Rachel Brimble
Wild Rose Press
ISBN: 978-1-60154-792-7
Avail as: Ebook & Print book
260 pages
5 Stars

Set in the late Victorian age, Brimble pens a delightful romance about a woman looking for more and a man who will accept nothing less. Lady Elizabeth Caughley wants her independence in a society dictated by strict rules. Lord Andrew Baxter wants freedom from a promise he believes restricts him. When they meet the sparks fly. Does love fit into what they want out of life?

The novel opens with Elizabeth refusing her parents' choice for a husband. Seeking her independence, she agrees to work as a maid for six months with their approval. They make arrangements for her employment with Viscount Westrop, Lord Andrew Baxter.

Andrew is under pressure by his ailing father to get married and produce an heir, but Andrew is not in a rush. There's an undercurrent of anxiety thrumming through his veins. He wants to be in love with the woman he marries. Still, he entertains Lady Tasmin, who is a cousin to his best friend, Charles Winchester.

As soon as Elizabeth, now Lily Curtis, arrives at her place of employment, Nicholas, the butler, puts her right to work. Her uniform is too tight and shows off ample amounts of her cleavage. Lily serves dinner. Andrew can't take his eyes off her. Neither can his friend, Charles. Despite all his instincts, Andrew is drawn to Lily. Lily doesn't want to fall in love, but she can't deny the attraction she feels toward Andrews. Lily must make a choice, as must Andrew. Will Lily choose independence over love and will Andrew follow society's rules or his heart?

Brimble's story shines with delightful characters against a Victorian backdrop. The plot moves effortlessly. Brimble uses a delicious economy of words to paint Lily's world, which doesn't slow down the reader's enjoyment. The dialogue captures the rich authenticity of the times.

The most appealing aspect of the story is the wonderful characterization. Lily seeks to make her own way in a society that discourages it for women. Andrew wants an independence of sorts as well from society's rules. Both wear their thoughts and feelings on their sleeve. Can they overcome what they believe is expected of them and follow their hearts?

The supporting cast entertains with smiles, exasperation, and concern.

The novel is sophisticated for romance readers with love scenes that are sensual, tasteful, and full of emotion. Lily and Andrew's story will resonate in the reader's heart long after they've closed the book.

Reviewed by: S. Burkhart

StephB is an author who likes to read many books and a variety of different genres. StephB is an author at http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Creative Writing.

Enjoying Romance Novels

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Romance is always in the air for true lovers. Romance does not only lift one's mood but the heart too. A person who has been in a romantic relationship at least once in their life will agree with me if I say romance is simply divine. One way to enjoy romance is to read romance novels. Such novels, when shared by lovers bring them closer and give a new perspective to their relationship.

There are lots of choices for romance lovers depending upon their preference. They can choose romance novels based on historical periods with kings and queens, novels based on wars or modern novels that can take paranormal subjects as their main characters. This means there are novels for everybody.

Romance novels, by definition, are supposed to center around a romantic relationship between two important characters and should have a positive ending. However, to make the plot interesting, the novels often have non-romantic sub plots that are related to the romance somehow.

Many claim that compelling romantic novels can even trigger the same feelings and emotions as if one is in a romantic relationship. You have to, however, be able to connect to the character in the novel; you should be able to be immersed deeply into the relationship. The realistic feelings that such novels succeed in evoking make them popular among readers of all ages and both sexes.

Romance novels focus mainly on love, appreciation, intimacy, affinity, and compassion. Similarly, many of the novels focus on spiritual and emotional aspects, while others focus mainly on the physical relationship. Still others focus on the spiritual or divine relationship and talk about soul mates and unconditional love.

But how do you choose a novel that is exactly what you are looking for when there are hundreds of thousands of romance novels available is a big issue. To tackle the issue, you can do a little bit of research. If you like classical novels, you can probably start with Jane Austin or Margaret Mitchell, and if you want modern ones, you can go for authors like Nora Roberts and Julie Garwood. Similarly, you can find a list of the best novels on many websites depending upon what you want to see in a novel. For example, if you are looking for erotic novels, you can type 'best erotic romance novels' in your search engine and you will find some lists. Then you can read the review of the novels along with readers' comments online in websites like Amazon.com.

In order to enjoy a romance novel, you need to have a positive feeling about yourself and your own life first. An optimistic feeling allows you to be a part of the novel and get engrossed in it wholeheartedly. A pessimistic mind might just make you feel that the romance is nothing but a story. Thus, a happy heart and belief in love and romance is a precondition to enjoying romance novels.

Every relationship needs to be cultivated and tended to so that it flourishes. The same is true with romantic relationships. If you do not spend the time and energy needed to maintain a healthy sexual relationship, the relationship could end. Romance novels can help tremendously with your sexual relationship. Not only will romance novels help to keep things interesting but can offer some valuable ideas and information that can last for many years to come. Try romance novels right away and get working on your relationship!