The Black Lotus
by
Claire Warner
Release Date:June 29th 2014
ARC for Review
Summary from Goodreads
....though I would dearly love to play court to you, I would hurt you more than any other.
It is 1752.
The year that will change the life of heiress Melissa De Vire. As she makes her first fumbling steps into society, she meets the handsome young cad Justin Lestrade and his world tears her perceptions apart. For Justin is more than he appears and his secrets and enemies are manifold. Drawn irresistibly to him, she finds herself sinking into a realm of feuds, magic and old curses and her life will never again be the same.
Though Beautiful the Lotus is Cursed
This was a fun read that throws the reader to a difficult time for women. The beginning of this read gives a glimpse of what lays ahead and I kept waiting for that moment. This had a lovely sense of romance and courting that doesn’t exist anymore but it is so enjoyable. I look forward to continuing this series because now that certain truths have been revealed I can’t wait to see where the author goes with this delightful story full of darkness and despair.
The Story, Melissa is a young girl who makes her first appearance in society. The times are hard for women because they cannot own land or do anything without a chaperone then husband. The description of the scene was absolutely beautiful. I felt as though I was part of many grand parties with powder wigs and exquisite gowns. Melissa is drawn to the enigmatic cad Justin. What is more strange is he sees something in her that makes him hope for something that he knows is out of his reach. Amidst duels, courting, dancing, and plotting these two will discover there is more to their connection that either could imagine. There are those who seek to punish Justin and they will do whatever it takes to ensure his existence is miserable.
The Characters, Melissa is willful and very smart. She has a spunk that is rare for the ladies of her time. The thought of being put on the market by her parents makes her sick. Melissa wants to live her life freely but she knows this could only be a dream. Her life has always been planned for her but now she wants that to burn in a fire pit. From shooting to fencing this smart young beauty defies the standards. Justin he is very handsome and a cad. His life is meaningless and he is destined to be alone. Not without company because he doesn’t lack the number of girls who throw themselves at him but without a true connection. Justin learned a long time ago that the best course of action for him is solitude, but Melissa draws him too deeply to ignore. He is very broken and I pain for him as a youth he made a terrible mistake and now those he held dear despise him. Driven by the desire to make things right Justin will work towards the redemption so many deserve.
The End, there isn’t any resolution but there is more trouble. Everyone has shown their card and unfortunately Melissa has had to pay the highest price. She is the target of Justin’s enemy and there isn’t anything anyone can do to avoid what is bound to come. The reader finds out Justin’s secrets but I hope we get some more details of that fateful night when his whole life changed. Melissa knows where everyone stands. After the choice is taken away from her Melissa will realize there is only one way things could have played out. Not once did she think she would lose so much. Things have escalated to a serious degree and now the stakes are higher than ever before. I look forward to Melissa’s growth as a character and I will be cheering for her and Justin. Enemies abound and the situation not particularly good will not keep him down. Vowing to achieve the sought redemption Justin knows what he must do and with Melissa by his side the desire and determination are a thousand fold.
My Rating
4.0 Lotus, Curse, Pictures, Sick Games, Court, Reputation, Duel, Advice, Broken Wheel, Revenge, Dancing, Truth, Centuries, Mistakes, Murder, Destruction, The Search for Answers with the help of Love filled stars!
About the Author
And some fun facts about me:
I sew.
My favourite Disney film is Atlantis.
I’ve been a film extra and stood 5 feet away from Sam Rockwell.
Babylon 5 is my fave sci-fi show.
I cried at the end of Toy Story 3.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We love to hear your thoughts, and appreciate you stopping by :)