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Consequences
Lavinia Keynsham had fallen out of love with her husband James. Until now she had been blissfully happy with life at Broadwood, the great ancestral home to which the Earl of Keynsham had brought her as a child-bride. Had Lavinia's sudden change of heart been caused by the grief of losing her baby? Or was she more deeply infatuated with their neighbour, Stephen Milroyd - a dashing young naval officer - than she would admit to herself?
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 12, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 11, 2016
To start, the list of books saying the Hero in this novel cheated with "many other" women is wrong. There was the maid who is apart of the storyline and one other - a stereotypical trollop-actress from 3 years prior whom is only mentioned and given a paragraph of explanation.
That said, this book really bugged me. The maid is a heartless trollop who found it hilarious that her and H's actions were hurting the heroine (Lavinia). While Molly - the maid - was greatly rewarded for spreading her thighs (cottage, money, marriage, etc. which Molly's mother is THRILLED about - explains where her greed comes from...) - the heroine spends most of the book being treated like dirt and whining about the moral-less people around her.
Lavinia is depressed after the death of her last child, a boy, and thus James finds an excuse to take up with the maid - in their own house, during the afternoon, while Lavinia is nearby. Another maid, Jenny, knows what is going on but is took pathetic to tell Lavinia, whom she claims to adore and sympathize.
Lavinia has a friend and crush in a man named Stephen and James - after being outed for the adulterer he is - uses it as another excuse, hinting that she is having an affair with him but, when denied, James then says "of course" she wouldn't have an affair because she's "so cold" and prudish.
I truly wished Lavinia would have grown a backbone but she never does. It seems as if only the moral-less people in the story are rewarded for their behavior while people like Lavinia are knocked about. I did like when Lavinia confronts James about Molly and her husband being rewarded but then she apologizes, etc., and all my respect towards her is gone once more.
That said, this book really bugged me. The maid is a heartless trollop who found it hilarious that her and H's actions were hurting the heroine (Lavinia). While Molly - the maid - was greatly rewarded for spreading her thighs (cottage, money, marriage, etc. which Molly's mother is THRILLED about - explains where her greed comes from...) - the heroine spends most of the book being treated like dirt and whining about the moral-less people around her.
Lavinia is depressed after the death of her last child, a boy, and thus James finds an excuse to take up with the maid - in their own house, during the afternoon, while Lavinia is nearby. Another maid, Jenny, knows what is going on but is took pathetic to tell Lavinia, whom she claims to adore and sympathize.
Lavinia has a friend and crush in a man named Stephen and James - after being outed for the adulterer he is - uses it as another excuse, hinting that she is having an affair with him but, when denied, James then says "of course" she wouldn't have an affair because she's "so cold" and prudish.
I truly wished Lavinia would have grown a backbone but she never does. It seems as if only the moral-less people in the story are rewarded for their behavior while people like Lavinia are knocked about. I did like when Lavinia confronts James about Molly and her husband being rewarded but then she apologizes, etc., and all my respect towards her is gone once more.
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March 25, 2022Skimmed enough to discover it wasn't safe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2014
Hated the book the first time I read it last year. Being a masochist, I read it again recently.
The story and characters improved in this reading and I find Bishop's writing addictive for some reason. Even so, I wish that there is more emotional connection between the H/h, and the resolution of their estrangement a bit more drawn out and angsty. It seems that one minute they are estranged, and the next, they are in bed with each other, and all is good. Toooo easy...
The story and characters improved in this reading and I find Bishop's writing addictive for some reason. Even so, I wish that there is more emotional connection between the H/h, and the resolution of their estrangement a bit more drawn out and angsty. It seems that one minute they are estranged, and the next, they are in bed with each other, and all is good. Toooo easy...
February 12, 2024
3.5* This is not your typical regency romance. Rather it deals with the struggles arising after marriage (death of child, adultery), in an age when divorce was inaccessible to most.
Even though the story often frustrated me (and my modern sensibilities), overall I found it a compelling read. I disliked the H for most of the book, and still think he got off too lightly, yet his attitudes/behavior were in keeping with those of the time period. At times I also wanted to shake the h, but you do get to understand her insecurities and it was nice to see her mature through self-reflection.
Even though the story often frustrated me (and my modern sensibilities), overall I found it a compelling read. I disliked the H for most of the book, and still think he got off too lightly, yet his attitudes/behavior were in keeping with those of the time period. At times I also wanted to shake the h, but you do get to understand her insecurities and it was nice to see her mature through self-reflection.
August 27, 2024
Este libro es una historia de su tiempo y por eso no quiero juzgarlos tan duramente. Sin embargo incluso en ese tiempo me parece que debió ser catalogado como misógino y absurdo. El argumento es que el marido la engaña con una sirvienta, la embaraza, todo el mundo lo sabe y aún así todo el resto de la historia gira en hacer sentir culpable y mala a la protagonista por sentirse angustiada y defraudada.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2020
Read July 2020
August 31, 2022
Not my cuppa and didn't really
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews