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Serena
"I HOPE WE MAY NEVER MEET AGAIN, SIR" And the pale young beauty meant it with all her heart.
But Serena Spence did meet handsome Giles Abbott again and again. And each meeting was marked by her deepening feelings for him. Feelings she could not acknowledge.
For Giles was engaged to a beautiful heiress. And Serena, poor as a church mouse, served as a lady's companion to support her mother and younger sisters.
But it was not only her station in life that hindered her feelings. Serena was haunted by memories of her hateful father, who had crushed her spirit and left her unable to trust any man. Even kind, gentle Giles...
But Serena Spence did meet handsome Giles Abbott again and again. And each meeting was marked by her deepening feelings for him. Feelings she could not acknowledge.
For Giles was engaged to a beautiful heiress. And Serena, poor as a church mouse, served as a lady's companion to support her mother and younger sisters.
But it was not only her station in life that hindered her feelings. Serena was haunted by memories of her hateful father, who had crushed her spirit and left her unable to trust any man. Even kind, gentle Giles...
223 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 12, 1981
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 4, 2023
The blurb for the book is misleading, but it's understandable because it's hard to define the plot. This is a Victorian romance that starts in 1861. Although, apart from some slightly more modern ideas, it could have been Regency as the cover seems to portray.
Serena is the oldest daughter and, at 20 years of age, she needs to seek employment to help her family financially. Her father is not only a wastrel who spends money only on himself while his wife and three daughters go without, but he also emotionally abuses Serena. Unfortunately, Serena's new employer is also a very abusive lady, and Serena's spirit is almost broken. She spends one year with this lady but leaves her when her father gets sick. The rest of the book is what happens to Serena and her family after her father dies as well as how Serena overcomes the years of damage to her spirit and self-esteem. The book spans around two-three years from when Serena is twenty until she's twenty-three.
The book starts on a very sad note as Serena just goes from one abusive home to another. If you're not in the right mood, it will depress you. However, the book is really about love, friendship, and family. Serena's family encounters several good people who help them as they help others. That includes the love interest, Giles. Although there's romance, the book is really not about that. It's about love in general. Love between sisters, between friends, love towards each other, as well as kindness. It sometimes has a melancholic tone, and tragedy does happen, but it's really a celebration of life.
There are a couple of religious quotes, but I wouldn't characterize it as a religious book. The way I see it, Church was a big part of life then, and it's only natural that it's part of the story. As another review mentioned, the author's style is very unique. I've read other books where there's what's called head hopping - when you get to see what each character is thinking - but I don't remember one quite like this one. It did take me a while to get comfortable with it and, even after a while, I had to sometimes reread a page to see who was doing the thinking, but that didn't bother me. I always prefer multiple points of view and find that it makes an author more conscious and deliberate about characters and actions.
The highlight of the book is Serena and her family. The sisters are all lovely and unspoiled. They support and admire each other, and there's no jealousy or petty behavior from them. The mother is also a lovely character. You'd think you'd dislike her for loving a horrid man and allowing him to mistreat Serena but, by exposing the readers to the character's thoughts, the author makes us understand and sympathize with her. I loved Serena and felt for her plight, but I think my favorite character was her sister Cecilia. She's so confident and full of pluck while still being proper and kind. I would have loved to read a sequel with her, and see her success in her endeavors. This was a truly lovely read that not only left me feeling good, but that I did not want it to end. And that, to me, is what makes a book five stars.
Serena is the oldest daughter and, at 20 years of age, she needs to seek employment to help her family financially. Her father is not only a wastrel who spends money only on himself while his wife and three daughters go without, but he also emotionally abuses Serena. Unfortunately, Serena's new employer is also a very abusive lady, and Serena's spirit is almost broken. She spends one year with this lady but leaves her when her father gets sick. The rest of the book is what happens to Serena and her family after her father dies as well as how Serena overcomes the years of damage to her spirit and self-esteem. The book spans around two-three years from when Serena is twenty until she's twenty-three.
The book starts on a very sad note as Serena just goes from one abusive home to another. If you're not in the right mood, it will depress you. However, the book is really about love, friendship, and family. Serena's family encounters several good people who help them as they help others. That includes the love interest, Giles. Although there's romance, the book is really not about that. It's about love in general. Love between sisters, between friends, love towards each other, as well as kindness. It sometimes has a melancholic tone, and tragedy does happen, but it's really a celebration of life.
There are a couple of religious quotes, but I wouldn't characterize it as a religious book. The way I see it, Church was a big part of life then, and it's only natural that it's part of the story. As another review mentioned, the author's style is very unique. I've read other books where there's what's called head hopping - when you get to see what each character is thinking - but I don't remember one quite like this one. It did take me a while to get comfortable with it and, even after a while, I had to sometimes reread a page to see who was doing the thinking, but that didn't bother me. I always prefer multiple points of view and find that it makes an author more conscious and deliberate about characters and actions.
The highlight of the book is Serena and her family. The sisters are all lovely and unspoiled. They support and admire each other, and there's no jealousy or petty behavior from them. The mother is also a lovely character. You'd think you'd dislike her for loving a horrid man and allowing him to mistreat Serena but, by exposing the readers to the character's thoughts, the author makes us understand and sympathize with her. I loved Serena and felt for her plight, but I think my favorite character was her sister Cecilia. She's so confident and full of pluck while still being proper and kind. I would have loved to read a sequel with her, and see her success in her endeavors. This was a truly lovely read that not only left me feeling good, but that I did not want it to end. And that, to me, is what makes a book five stars.
March 6, 2022
This author has a very unique style. Her characters are well developed and her plots are believable but it takes a while to get into the rhythm.
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June 10, 2014For a time back in the 80’s & 90’s, my reading material of choice was frequently bodice rippers, historical fiction, and regency romances with a few contemporary best sellers thrown in for good measure. Most of them were pretty steamy (blush) &/or overly romantic, but I read them during a time in my life when I found myself as a single parent, and these books fit the bill. I found them to be highly entertaining.
I recently donated a slew of them, but I wanted to catalog them all the same. So if there is no rating here from me, it means that I don’t remember anything about the book other than I obviously read it. If there is a rating, it must have been in some way memorable for me.
I only wish that GoodReads had been around years ago so that I had some idea of the many books I have read – there were thousands! I did own a copy of this book, but most others came from the library because back then I could never have afforded the 100+ books I generally read in any given year.
And by the way, I still read bodice rippers – just not quite so many as I used to!
I recently donated a slew of them, but I wanted to catalog them all the same. So if there is no rating here from me, it means that I don’t remember anything about the book other than I obviously read it. If there is a rating, it must have been in some way memorable for me.
I only wish that GoodReads had been around years ago so that I had some idea of the many books I have read – there were thousands! I did own a copy of this book, but most others came from the library because back then I could never have afforded the 100+ books I generally read in any given year.
And by the way, I still read bodice rippers – just not quite so many as I used to!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews