Lawson’s Review of The Perils of Pleasure (Pennyroyal Green, Book 1) by Julie Anne Long
Historical romance released by Avon January 29, 2008
Julie Anne Long’s first novel with Avon shows a lot of her trademark flowing and elegant style as well as her wit and charming characters. A historical novel, that is most likely part of a series, though I’m not sure. It seems as though it could be. Family feuds, childhood dreams, dramatic escapes and unraveling a mystery are all involved in this tale.
The Eversea family has always been wealthy and always managed to do it effortlessly. Rumors abound of past shady dealings but it’s become part of the Eversea charm, and middle child and youngest son Colin Eversea is no exception. Colin’s problem comes from getting convicted and sent to the gallows for a crime he didn’t commit. Rescued before the hanging by the efforts of Madeline Greenway, Colin can’t believe his luck. Until someone tries to shoot Madeline and she and Colin are forced to flee before the culprit can get Madeline and the authorities can get Colin.
A fast paced novel, the plot takes place in the span of a week. Colin and Madeline spend a lot of time together, and though the reader sees them falling in love, Colin clings to the dream of returning home, marrying his childhood crush and becoming a farmer. It was hard to keep hearing about Colin’s love for Louisa until the fact that only a day or so had passed in the story hit me in the head. A person can fall in love in a short amount of time, but those aspects of their life before will always be there.
But the fast pace and the fact that Colin is constantly on the run trying to prove his innocence and by day four continues to pine for Louisa, even during his lusting after Madeline make things a little hard to swallow and make Colin more a regular guy rather than a romantic hero. Fear plays a big part of this, as Colin is afraid of living outside his dreams. Madeline is afraid of loving again, as she’s already loved and lost. They work well together, but it was all rather. . .rushed.
If more time had been spent with Madeline and Colin rather than being so rushed and the extra time with secondary characters, it could have been smoother. All the time spent with Marcus Eversea (Colin’s brother and the one set to marry Louisa) as he figures out who framed Colin and then who planned is escape from the gallows and the time spend with the other side of the feud, the Redmonds, takes away from the romance.
Long’s style is beautiful and she uses language well, but with the rushed plot it made this book readable but forgettable.
Grade: C-
Blurb:
A rescued rogue . . . Scandal has rocked the city of London. Colin Eversea, a handsome, reckless unapologetic rogue is sentenced to hang for murder and, inconveniently for him, the only witness to the crime disappears. Then again, throughout history, the Everseas have always managed to cheat fate in style: Colin is snatched from the gallows by a beautiful, clever mercenary.
A captivating captor. . . Cool-headed, daring Madeleine Greenway is immune to Colin’s vaunted charm. Her mission is not to rescue Colin but to kidnap him, and to be paid handsomely for it. But when it becomes clear that whoever wants Colin alive wants Madeline dead, the two become uneasy allies in a deadly race for truth. Together, they’ll face great danger—and a passion neither can resist.
Read an excerpt.
