Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Review: Countess of Scandal by Laurel McKee

As children, Eliza Blacknall and William Denton ran wild over the fields of southern Ireland and swore they would be friends forever. Then fate took Will away to England, while Eliza stayed behind to become a proper Irish countess.
Years later, Will finally makes his way home-as an English soldier sent to crush the Irish uprising. When he spies the lovely Eliza, he is captivated by the passionate woman she has become. But Eliza's passions have led her to join the Irish rebel cause, and Will and Eliza now find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous conflict.

When Ireland explodes in bloody rebellion, Will's regiment is ordered to the front lines, and he is forced to choose between his duty to the English king and his love for Eliza and their Irish homeland.

I expected more from this novel.  It wasn't bad -- I've certainly read much worse -- I just felt a little disengaged from Eliza and Will the majority of the time.  Eliza is writing pamphlets for the Irish Rebellion; Will's task is two-fold: keep Eliza safe from and attempt to quash said Irish Rebellion without his commanding officer (or higher-ups) discovering he's in love with Eliza.  Should be ripe for passion and tension and intrigue and drama, right?  I didn't think so.  At least it fell flat for me.  

Duchess of Sin (December 2010), featuring Eliza's younger sister Anna and the Duke of Adair might be more to my taste.  Anna experienced bloodshed, death, and personal violence in Countess of Scandal, which I fear may have changed her forever.  Plus, she's awfully attracted to the wild, mysterious Duke of Adair...

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