Review: The Fortunate Marriage by Meriol Trevor

Fortunate Marriage by Meriol Trevor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really like these old-fashioned style novels, so just a warning that if you don't like this type of writing style, this book will probably not be as enjoyable.

First off, the back cover copy, which is from the Fawcett Crest reprinting, is VERY misleading. It is not actually a romance--more a Regency historical fiction with strong romantic elements, and the two characters in the back cover copy--Dynham and Louisa--are not the only main characters. There are actually 4 main characters as well as Caroline, and it is not structured like a romance novel. I felt a bit betrayed because the back cover copy is so misleading. If I had known ahead of time that it was not a romance, I would have been fine with it, but I felt betrayed because I was expecting a romance.

Louisa as a main character is quiet and insightful for the first half of the story, if a bit weak, but it's understandable considering she's a poor relation and has a tenuous place in the household. But in the second half of the book, she devolves into a bit of a milksop.

Dynham is a strong character with weaknesses and strengths. I also liked Henrietta quite a bit, and wish there had been more page time devoted to her. Hilary also develops as a better character by the end of the book.

My biggest gripe is that the first half of the book, with a very gothic romance feeling, seems to go on for too long. I think it could have been cut in half, and I would have liked the second half of the book to be expanded more.

However, the story was interesting enough for me to keep reading and wanting to know what happened to each of the characters. I enjoyed the book a lot.

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