Chantal
Women of Fire Trilogy · Book III
Claire Lorrimer

Piatkus (Little, Brown)
27 December 2011 / ISBN: 9780749954475
Historical Romance /1837 - 1840
Amazon / AMAZON UK

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

Following on from Scarlett and Antoinette (both reviewed on this site) those women of fire are back for a third and final adventure · and they have saved the best until last! Now it is the turn of Chantal, natural daughter of Perry and a young Italian woman encountered while he was with the Carbonari. Sheltered and rather spoilt, she thinks the world a wonderful place with her firmly at its center. She is about to discover that nothing in life is quite what it seems·

Shipwreck, pirates, desert islands, and an evil stepbrother (Antoine of course) living a depraved life in a remote chateau make this book the most exciting of the three. Chantal has some life lessons to learn and does so in some exotic places. There is romance for John and Antoinette too, as well as some genuine history and the background of the early years of Queen Victoria·s reign. Looking back, I wish tthere were more books like this, possessing the sort of exciting and exotic locations as a bodice ripper (pirates and highwaymen too) but without the constant sex. Instead there is actual romance, as we get to know the people first and care about them enough to make the actual act enjoyable and interesting to read about rather than just rutting. There is also the well-researched background, making these books · despite being all rather drawn out · intelligent romantic fiction. I hope that Piatkus reprints more books by this talented and very underrated author.