Through the Smoke

This is the first of this author's books I have read. I am not sure I will read a second one. What caught my eye is that she talked of loving Jane Eyre, which was my favorite book for so many years. And I can see that she matched nobility up with a commoner but there was no sexual tension between our couple. In fact they started off disliking each other. And not much happened in the dialogue to convince me that they were falling in love - in lust as another review said but not in love. Jane Eyre was originally living in her aunt's house so spoke as an educated young lady of a certain class. Rachel was not nor did she go away for an education which would allow her to have conversations with the upper class.The first sexual encounter "turned me off". I wanted to call it rape and another review called it "date rape" - yes, that is what is was. She was drugged, undressed and placed in the bed of a man who we are to believe has been sexually abstinent since his wife died (if not longer). Rachel was supposed to have "wanted him" but her character is described so that I do not find this believable. Although Rachel worked in a bookshop I was not believing that she had the traits or behaviors to fit into the upper class. The near rape scene in the mine was also predictable and unrealistic! She could never do that work (pulling 200 lbs.) and did she really believe those men would leave her alone, knowing she had been in the Earl's bed?Much of the plot was not a mystery: guessed circumstances around and disliked Mrs. Poulsen early on. The whole painting thing was not clear but a tool to keep the Earl working on getting to the bottom. The house was re-built in 2 years after a fire? Why rebuilt as the original when so much was not used? How did Rachel's mother learn to play chess? And just WHY was Rachel's mother called Jillian through out the text? Did the author think that Rachel calling her "Ma" would lower her status in our eyes to hear the cant of the towns people from the mouth of one who was going to move up in society?I will say that the book did keep me reading but I keep waiting for the sexual tension, the falling in love, which for me, never happened. Two people with nothing between them to attract them...except chess? Oh, and she was beautiful - shallow if that is why he fell for her.

There is also a problem with the AUDIOBOOK. The narrator Justine Eyre did not use a microphone screen. You can hear her breaths.AS TO THE STORY:No one is doing anything that gives me hope or anticipation. I wanted it to be over. The whole thing was a struggle to read and then you have a tiny bit of happiness at the end.Rachel does not do interesting things or smart things. Several times she goes out alone at night and bad things happen. She didn’t have to do that. She could have gone out during the day or taken someone with her. Later in the book she has some leads to help Truman solve the mystery but she doesn’t tell him. He and she could go places together regarding the leads. But they don’t - because she will go out alone by herself at night to investigate. Later in the story Truman is out one night and Rachel is anxious. So again she goes out alone at night to find him to help him. She has no horse, no weapon. All she does is put herself in danger and something bad happens to her. Only through luck does she survive. I would have preferred someone do something interesting to save her, not luck.Rachel repeatedly has bad luck. She gets two different jobs and terrible things happen because her superiors hate her and cause her harm.Early in the book Rachel and her brother are starving. When she visits the earl he has tea and food placed in front of her like he would any guest. She drinks the tea but won’t eat the food because of her pride (stupid). In another scene Truman gives her money (like he would give anyone in need that way), but she refuses it for the same reason.I don’t know whether to call Truman stupid or what. His main housekeeper Mrs. Poulson is doing bad things but Truman won’t fire her - because he wants to be kind to his cousin Wythe who likes her. But his cousin Wythe does horrible things. Truman knows that. When Truman overhears Wythe threaten to murder someone, Truman should have exiled Wythe from the area. But no, Truman lets Wythe stay around and do more bad things.CAUTION SPOILER:Wythe did something that did not make sense. He was a sex fiend, having sex with anyone and everyone and going to a brothel frequently. He found Rachel semi-conscious and carried her into the house and made her drink some laudanum so she was groggy. Then he removed her clothes and left her in Truman’s bed. That didn’t fit. Wythe was the type to rape her - not set that up for someone else.END SPOILER.OTHER BOOKS:So I didn’t like this book. But I liked many of this author’s other books, for example: Dead Silence, When Lightning Strikes, Take Me Home For Christmas, This Heart of Mine, When We Touch, Dead Giveaway, Every Waking Moment, The Secret Sister.DATA:Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 315 pages. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 4, plus 1 attempted rape. Setting: 1838-1850 England. Copyright: 2013. Genre: historical romantic suspense.

The opening of Novel's novel sets the stage for the murder that occurs in short order. We know that the Earle wants revenge for his wife's infidelity, but no one seems to know who set the fire in which she perished. The characters are an interesting blend of mine workers, townsfolk, and the Earle and his servants. There is also enough mystery regarding that fatal fire (and some priceless paintings that disappeared beforehand) to cast doubt on just about every character. Add to that the tension created when a simple bookstore owner and the Earle discover a strong and awkward attraction between them, and the formula for a mystery/romance is set. As the plot develops, we experience twists, turns, and intense character interactions that have us wondering who will succeed and how the fire started. The romantic thread felt a bit strained at times to this reader, but the mystery thread kept me engaged throughout.

Lord Druridge needs desperately to prove he didn't murder his cheating wife. He falls in love with Rachael McTavish a shopkeeper and commoner. Who set the mansion on fire and murdered his wife. Did they burn the manse to hide other crimes or to keep the Earl from discovering whose baby his wife carried? Can the Earl and Rachael prove his innocence before he is hung for a crime he did not commit? This book is a thrill from start to finish. You will be guessing who can be trusted and who can't. Brenda Novak knows how to involve you heart and soul into her stories. She is a master story teller. I loved this book. Thank you Brenda Novak for another thrilling story.

I got this free with my tablet and it is by far and away the most enjoyable freebie so far. I am a sucker for well written historical romance and the plot line, while not entirely plausible, carries you along at a good pace. Rachel is a feisty and principled heroine, Druridge a sufficiently tortured hero and the bad guys get their just deserts. The period detail rings fairly true. Just one tiny gripe: Why oh why do American author's who set their stories in the UK persist in using "manse" when they mean mansion? Sylvia Day does it too. A manse is the home of a non conformist minister of religion not a member of the aristocracy.

A good attempt at the classic gothic story.There were to many suspects for me to keep up with though.It was like anyone and everyone could have started the fire.Towards the end I found myself suffering more than a little paranoia!I did enjoy the ending,but bummed that I had to pay full price to read it.

And one perforce written without the English background and awareness of changes in the language since the period.I found the heroine's behaviour unconvincing. Try Georgette Heyer's work

Historical romance with a mystery twist telling the love story between a bookseller's daughter and an earl set in a coal mine village.The story was very gripping and well written, I enjoyed reading it.

This book is a must read....enjoyed it so much, doesn't seem obvious but yet again I guess I just like happy ending.....n also believe we reap what we sow