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Scarlett
Women of Fire Trilogy, No 1
Claire Lorrimer

Piatkus (Little, Brown)
19 August 2011 / ISBN 9780749954376
Historical Romance / 1779 – 1812 / Various Locations
Amazon US || UK

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde


Scarlett is the illegitimate daughter of unhappily married Sir John Danesfield and his children’s governess. She grows up in obscurity on a farm in rural Sussex until the age of eight when she meets her father. After that she is tutored and then goes to live with Sir John’s mistress in London. She is destined for many adventures but will only truly love one man, the impoverished Vicomte Gerard de Valle who must marry for money and to restore the name of his family. This means that Scarlett is denied to him, but a love this great will see the pair do anything to be reunited…

This is a big book of over six hundred pages but it does contain a big story of the type often described as “sweeping”. It could certainly stand quite a bit of editing, but manages to be constantly entertaining as Scarlett gets caught up with smugglers, highwaymen, French émigrés, Napoleon and finally his retreat from Moscow. Originally published back in 1976 under the title of Maureen, the name of the heroine has now been changed to Scarlett and has been repackaged for a new generation of romance readers. This is a world away from bodice rippers, and what sex there is manages to take place while being described fairly vaguely so if you like your romances to sizzle this one might not be a good choice. If however you are more interested in story, historical events and find a book more romantic if you actually get the know the protagonists before they tumble into bed then this ought to suit you well, as it did me who enjoyed it very much indeed. Ms. Lorrimer has a good page-turning storyteller style and is adept at describing places, people and events making this a better rounded and satisfying read than your average romance as there is quite a lot in it. The only other flaw apart from the wordiness is Scarlett’s ability to be not only beautiful, but highly intelligent and good at just about everything which makes her somewhat unreal. She is however likeable, and thankfully not one of those heroines who waits to be rescued (she tends to do the rescuing) or behaves like a brat. I’ll be looking out for more books by this talented author.


Reviewer's Note: Some sex
Reviewed 2011
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