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Rondo Allegro
In 1799, all of Europe is at war.
In Palermo, sixteen-year-old singer-in-training Anna Maria Ludovisi is married by her dying father to Captain Henry Duncannon, the Perennial Bachelor. Minutes after the wedding he sets sail.
The threat of French invasion causes Anna to flee to Paris. At the end of the Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte is transforming France; Anna must transform herself into a professional singer in order to survive.
in 1805, Anna's opera company is traveling through Spain when events bring the long-missing Captain Duncannon and his forgotten wife back together again, as the English, Spanish, and French fleets converge for battle off the Cape of Trafalgar.
For Henry Duncannon as well as Anna, everything the demands of war, the obligation of family, the meaning of love, and the concept of home. Can they find a new life together?
A romantic Napoleonic-period historical from Sherwood Smith, author of DANSE DE LA FOLIE.
In Palermo, sixteen-year-old singer-in-training Anna Maria Ludovisi is married by her dying father to Captain Henry Duncannon, the Perennial Bachelor. Minutes after the wedding he sets sail.
The threat of French invasion causes Anna to flee to Paris. At the end of the Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte is transforming France; Anna must transform herself into a professional singer in order to survive.
in 1805, Anna's opera company is traveling through Spain when events bring the long-missing Captain Duncannon and his forgotten wife back together again, as the English, Spanish, and French fleets converge for battle off the Cape of Trafalgar.
For Henry Duncannon as well as Anna, everything the demands of war, the obligation of family, the meaning of love, and the concept of home. Can they find a new life together?
A romantic Napoleonic-period historical from Sherwood Smith, author of DANSE DE LA FOLIE.
456 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2014
25 people are currently reading
664 people want to read
About the author
Sherwood Smith
168 books37.5k followersI am a writer,( Patreon here) but I'm on Goodreads to talk about books, as I've been a passionate reader as long as I've been a writer--since early childhood.
I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.
I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
June 4, 2017
I was re-reading parts of this book in preparation for writing this review, and sometime around 2 am, when I forced myself to turn off my Kindle and walk the dog (who'd been waiting patiently for about three hours for me to quit reading) and go to bed, I remembered why I like Sherwood Smith's writing so well.
It would be easy to say that "Regency marriage of convenience story," and that wouldn't be inaccurate, but it would be unfair. This story is so much more than that.
Anna Ludovisi is not quite 16 and has been living in Italy for years when her well-meaning father, who is dying, pulls strings to arrange her marriage to a British naval captain, Henry Duncannon, who happens to be in the area, in order to keep her safe when she is orphaned at her father's death. Pretty much everyone, including Anna and Henry themselves, assumes that this marriage will be dissolved as soon as the immediate need for it passes.
As soon as the wedding ceremony is completed, Henry sets sail. It will be several years before they lay eyes on each other again.
Because of war and unrest, the orphaned Anna travels to Paris where, in order to survive, she does some singing and eventually ends up taking a job with a small opera company. This worries both Anna and her maid, because well-brought-up girls aren't supposed to take jobs like that, but when weighing social niceties against starvation, the job starts to look more appealing.
There is a definite romance element in this story, as Anna and Henry eventually cross paths again, but this is just as much--if not more--a coming of age story, as Anna is faced with one challenge (if not crisis) after another, and learns to grow and deal with a life that's not easy, in a time that could be highly dangerous. The secondary characters are well-developed personalities with their own interests and agendas.
It's interesting that, although Anna has a lovely voice, she soon finds out that she's simply not good enough for a top-notch musical company. It's a nice change of pace from the standard trope. Actually, this story nicely steers around many of the tired romance tropes. Just when you think you know exactly what's going to happen next, it veers off in a different direction, which makes for some pleasant surprises.
Sherwood Smith has written a well-researched book that gave me new insights into Napoleanic France, life on board a British naval warship at that time, and life on an estate in the Regency-era English countryside, among some other more unusual, briefly visited settings like Italy and Spain.
4.5 stars.
Full disclosure: I was a beta reader/copy editor for this book, and received a free ebook version when it was published. I'm also GR friends with Sherwood, but I was a fan of her writing for many years before I got to know her.
It would be easy to say that "Regency marriage of convenience story," and that wouldn't be inaccurate, but it would be unfair. This story is so much more than that.
Anna Ludovisi is not quite 16 and has been living in Italy for years when her well-meaning father, who is dying, pulls strings to arrange her marriage to a British naval captain, Henry Duncannon, who happens to be in the area, in order to keep her safe when she is orphaned at her father's death. Pretty much everyone, including Anna and Henry themselves, assumes that this marriage will be dissolved as soon as the immediate need for it passes.
As soon as the wedding ceremony is completed, Henry sets sail. It will be several years before they lay eyes on each other again.
Because of war and unrest, the orphaned Anna travels to Paris where, in order to survive, she does some singing and eventually ends up taking a job with a small opera company. This worries both Anna and her maid, because well-brought-up girls aren't supposed to take jobs like that, but when weighing social niceties against starvation, the job starts to look more appealing.
There is a definite romance element in this story, as Anna and Henry eventually cross paths again, but this is just as much--if not more--a coming of age story, as Anna is faced with one challenge (if not crisis) after another, and learns to grow and deal with a life that's not easy, in a time that could be highly dangerous. The secondary characters are well-developed personalities with their own interests and agendas.
It's interesting that, although Anna has a lovely voice, she soon finds out that she's simply not good enough for a top-notch musical company. It's a nice change of pace from the standard trope. Actually, this story nicely steers around many of the tired romance tropes. Just when you think you know exactly what's going to happen next, it veers off in a different direction, which makes for some pleasant surprises.
Sherwood Smith has written a well-researched book that gave me new insights into Napoleanic France, life on board a British naval warship at that time, and life on an estate in the Regency-era English countryside, among some other more unusual, briefly visited settings like Italy and Spain.
4.5 stars.
Full disclosure: I was a beta reader/copy editor for this book, and received a free ebook version when it was published. I'm also GR friends with Sherwood, but I was a fan of her writing for many years before I got to know her.
Read
September 9, 2014The impetus behind this story was to novelize the delightful journals of Betsey Wynne (with entries by two of her sisters), which I reread every few years. She had such a fascinating life, which began as a young girl in France as her restless dad used his fortune to extend his Grand Tour for his entire life. Betsey and her sisters learned from an early age to speak English, French, German, and Italian.
When the French Revolution occurred, they were near the French border, desperate for news from Paris—and when their dad decided to get away from the spreading Terror, unfortunately he had no idea that the French army would soon be overtaking them. They ended up in Naples, which had its own problems. But Betsey escaped the worst of them by marrying, as a teenager, the older Thomas Fremantle, one of Nelson’s captains. Her marriage was personally arranged by the fascinating, and infamous, Emma Hamilton, lover of Lord Nelson.
For a time Betsey sailed with the fleet, but that journal is lost; he soon landed her in England, where she and her sisters set about having a life (she had nine children) as Fremantle sailed cruise after cruise.
The problem, I discovered, was that though Betsey lived at the edge of great events, she was never a part of them. Her life was filled with small events, of great interest to her, of course. The letters between husband and wife demonstrated a strong marriage, in spite of her young age as a bride, and their many separations. Young as she was, she managed his estate quite successfully, as well as looking out for her sisters.
Her life was rich and full, but dramatic in a novelistic sense, it was not. One morning I woke up thinking about what would happen to a girl who had been a friend of hers, one caught in a situation where she was summarily married off, as happened to so very many girls of that time.
The idea of a girl caught by the tides of war, who had no sense of home, living on the edge of several cultures, was the next step. I had already done a ton of reading about life in Paris during the Revolutionary years for Revenant Eve, and when I chanced on a book about women writing opera during that turbulent time, suddenly everything was in place.
I knew the naval action at Trafalgar had to be a part of it, as Thomas Fremantle was there—his letter makes absorbing reading—though as the storyline developed, Betsey and Fremantle faded into the distance. The story was already getting too lengthy, because everybody wanted a voice: servants, dancers, chasseurs, midshipman, the French and Spaniards also at that battle—all the people who never get biographies written about them. Act three must then reflect how a couple of outsiders went about building a marriage, and defining love, duty, and family.
When the French Revolution occurred, they were near the French border, desperate for news from Paris—and when their dad decided to get away from the spreading Terror, unfortunately he had no idea that the French army would soon be overtaking them. They ended up in Naples, which had its own problems. But Betsey escaped the worst of them by marrying, as a teenager, the older Thomas Fremantle, one of Nelson’s captains. Her marriage was personally arranged by the fascinating, and infamous, Emma Hamilton, lover of Lord Nelson.
For a time Betsey sailed with the fleet, but that journal is lost; he soon landed her in England, where she and her sisters set about having a life (she had nine children) as Fremantle sailed cruise after cruise.
The problem, I discovered, was that though Betsey lived at the edge of great events, she was never a part of them. Her life was filled with small events, of great interest to her, of course. The letters between husband and wife demonstrated a strong marriage, in spite of her young age as a bride, and their many separations. Young as she was, she managed his estate quite successfully, as well as looking out for her sisters.
Her life was rich and full, but dramatic in a novelistic sense, it was not. One morning I woke up thinking about what would happen to a girl who had been a friend of hers, one caught in a situation where she was summarily married off, as happened to so very many girls of that time.
The idea of a girl caught by the tides of war, who had no sense of home, living on the edge of several cultures, was the next step. I had already done a ton of reading about life in Paris during the Revolutionary years for Revenant Eve, and when I chanced on a book about women writing opera during that turbulent time, suddenly everything was in place.
I knew the naval action at Trafalgar had to be a part of it, as Thomas Fremantle was there—his letter makes absorbing reading—though as the storyline developed, Betsey and Fremantle faded into the distance. The story was already getting too lengthy, because everybody wanted a voice: servants, dancers, chasseurs, midshipman, the French and Spaniards also at that battle—all the people who never get biographies written about them. Act three must then reflect how a couple of outsiders went about building a marriage, and defining love, duty, and family.
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April 18, 2020ETA (April 2020): I just reread this, and I have to say that (a) I love it even more, and (b) this is absolutely my #1 recommendation for quarantine reading. It's a gentle, kind story that entirely submerges you in a different era and then gives you a quiet yet perfectly earned happy ending.
***
This is an elegant waltz of a book. The summary makes it sound like high melodrama--Sudden arranged marriage! The war sweeps them apart for years, then reunites them when they've nearly forgotten each other! CAN THEY FIND HAPPINESS?--and yes, those tropes are there. (Which is great, because I love those tropes.) But the tropes don't play out in exactly standard fashion, because this is not a novel of romantic suspense, where you're dying for them to just kiss already. This is a thoughtful, fascinating coming-of-age novel; at least half of it follows Anna's solo adventures on the continent, as she grows from a naive girl to a perceptive, capable young woman. When she does reunite with her husband, their story is not one of tempestuous misunderstandings (though they do have some issues to work through) or of dramatically fraught sexual tension (though the attraction between them is . . . very believable). It's the story of Anna's second coming-of-age, as she learns to be an adult in a relationship instead of being an adult on her own.
You know those novels that are about all the nitty-gritty details of a character figuring out How To Survive The Zombie Apocalypse Armed With Only A Can-Opener? This novel is like that. Only with building a marriage, not killing zombies. The draw is not the suspense, but the process.
Plus! A sweeping vista of multiple fascinating historical milieux, elegant prose, and an very satisfying romantic subplot for some of the older characters.
Highly recommended.
***
This is an elegant waltz of a book. The summary makes it sound like high melodrama--Sudden arranged marriage! The war sweeps them apart for years, then reunites them when they've nearly forgotten each other! CAN THEY FIND HAPPINESS?--and yes, those tropes are there. (Which is great, because I love those tropes.) But the tropes don't play out in exactly standard fashion, because this is not a novel of romantic suspense, where you're dying for them to just kiss already. This is a thoughtful, fascinating coming-of-age novel; at least half of it follows Anna's solo adventures on the continent, as she grows from a naive girl to a perceptive, capable young woman. When she does reunite with her husband, their story is not one of tempestuous misunderstandings (though they do have some issues to work through) or of dramatically fraught sexual tension (though the attraction between them is . . . very believable). It's the story of Anna's second coming-of-age, as she learns to be an adult in a relationship instead of being an adult on her own.
You know those novels that are about all the nitty-gritty details of a character figuring out How To Survive The Zombie Apocalypse Armed With Only A Can-Opener? This novel is like that. Only with building a marriage, not killing zombies. The draw is not the suspense, but the process.
Plus! A sweeping vista of multiple fascinating historical milieux, elegant prose, and an very satisfying romantic subplot for some of the older characters.
Highly recommended.
October 11, 2022
Read: 10/30/22
An interesting story, with (unfortunately) with little romance!
This was not a hr! It had the history but not the romance. The story starts with a marriage of the MOC between a genteel singer and a naval officer. The two were separated in the beginning and not reunited till years later. Anna's story was interesting enough that I didn't mind the separation. The couple would eventually part 3 times from each other.
The accurate history was the best part of the book. Unfortunately, the romance fell flat. It was not just because it was a clean book. The MC lacked any physical attraction., which included kissing and hugging either. This was sad becuse it would have improved the story immensely.
So:
2 stars for romance
3 stars for story
I should add the name Rondo as a character-type refers to music that is fast and vivacious normally Allegro. Now I know why the name of the book.
An interesting story, with (unfortunately) with little romance!
This was not a hr! It had the history but not the romance. The story starts with a marriage of the MOC between a genteel singer and a naval officer. The two were separated in the beginning and not reunited till years later. Anna's story was interesting enough that I didn't mind the separation. The couple would eventually part 3 times from each other.
The accurate history was the best part of the book. Unfortunately, the romance fell flat. It was not just because it was a clean book. The MC lacked any physical attraction., which included kissing and hugging either. This was sad becuse it would have improved the story immensely.
So:
2 stars for romance
3 stars for story
I should add the name Rondo as a character-type refers to music that is fast and vivacious normally Allegro. Now I know why the name of the book.
September 17, 2014
I'm going to rate this one, despite my own sensible policy of not rating books by friends, family, and other animals, and may revert once (!) this has more five star reviews. Initially, every rating counts, and if I can't break my own rules, why do I have them?
Tongue out of cheek again, this was as delightful as the wonderful Danse de la Folie and yet completely different. For one thing, this has the slowest, binary opposite-est of instalove romantic plot imaginable. Lest it not be immediately clear, that's the best of good things in my book. For a good portion of the time encompassed (maybe 7 years or so) the hero is trying to figure out how to get an annulment for the marriage, while being very much otherwise occupied commanding a ship. In wartime. Well, not much of his time is spent trying to figure this out, as he does have more important-to-him things on his mind. The fact that he was so much otherwise occupied saved him from any hint of my censure for his "I've been burned by Love in the past and will consequently eschew all Women, Romance and indeed Familial Relationships" attitude. That can be very irritating, but wasn't here and I loved Henry, despite his occasional idiocy.
Then there's Anna, who is the heart of the story, and has such an interesting path to travel, both literally and figuratively. Orphaned, married off young as part of an information-gathering deal by the Navy, pretty much abandoned, often forgotten, she manages to make her own way in the first years of the 1800s in Italy, France and Spain (with help from various sources), while still trying to honour her mother's wishes that she remain a "proper" English lady. TALL ORDER, THAT. She's a singer, and goes first to Paris, where she eventually becomes part of a company performing in a small, dilapidated theatre as society is gradually emerging from the Terror and Napoleon is moving towards the throne. One of the things I loved is that Anna is depicted as having a wonderful, pure voice, and being willing to work hard at her skills, but just isn't the best. Her voice isn't terribly strong and she's not a genius and everyone who counts knows it, including her. I guess this stood out as refreshing because of too many YAs where a protagonist having a talent (supernatural OR mundane) will inevitably be the MOST talented ever to have drawn breath.
Even if Anna weren't such a lovely character, the book would have been interesting to me because of the historical setting. I knew little to nothing about the period around the early years of the Napoleonic Wars in Spain, for example, and it's not a typical Regency novel setting. Anna's time in Paris was possibly my favourite of the pre-England sections of the book, as it seemed the perfect place for Anna to grow emotionally in a way she hadn't been able to before. So many wonderful secondary characters, too! The glimpses of Nelson, Lady Hamilton and the like were fascinating, and I was also very taken with the time Anna spent on board the ship Henry commanded, just before the Battle of Trafalgar. It's a re-uniting neither of them wants at all, but their being thrown together this time allows them to see the good in each other after all the years of bad impressions. There's an unflinching view of what war at sea is actually like, but with a wonderful ship's doctor, at least. Loving nods to Persuasion dotted delightfully through the book are another treat.
Finally, Anna travels alone to England, to face a country that bears little resemblance to her mother's memories of a gentle, green land; a family that Henry has shunned since he left (yes, even his mother, who is lovely and doesn't deserve it!); desperate worry about Henry's health; and a scheming hussy of a SIL, who certainly doesn't wish Anna well. I'll leave it there, except to say that readers needn't worry too much about the outcome of all these things... In part that's because Anna is, by now, a wise woman, who has learned from her experiences, tragic or terrifying although they may have been at the time.
So much fun, and I hope this does brilliantly so Sherwood writes more like it. (Don't forget to look for it on Book View Café!)
Tongue out of cheek again, this was as delightful as the wonderful Danse de la Folie and yet completely different. For one thing, this has the slowest, binary opposite-est of instalove romantic plot imaginable. Lest it not be immediately clear, that's the best of good things in my book. For a good portion of the time encompassed (maybe 7 years or so) the hero is trying to figure out how to get an annulment for the marriage, while being very much otherwise occupied commanding a ship. In wartime. Well, not much of his time is spent trying to figure this out, as he does have more important-to-him things on his mind. The fact that he was so much otherwise occupied saved him from any hint of my censure for his "I've been burned by Love in the past and will consequently eschew all Women, Romance and indeed Familial Relationships" attitude. That can be very irritating, but wasn't here and I loved Henry, despite his occasional idiocy.
Then there's Anna, who is the heart of the story, and has such an interesting path to travel, both literally and figuratively. Orphaned, married off young as part of an information-gathering deal by the Navy, pretty much abandoned, often forgotten, she manages to make her own way in the first years of the 1800s in Italy, France and Spain (with help from various sources), while still trying to honour her mother's wishes that she remain a "proper" English lady. TALL ORDER, THAT. She's a singer, and goes first to Paris, where she eventually becomes part of a company performing in a small, dilapidated theatre as society is gradually emerging from the Terror and Napoleon is moving towards the throne. One of the things I loved is that Anna is depicted as having a wonderful, pure voice, and being willing to work hard at her skills, but just isn't the best. Her voice isn't terribly strong and she's not a genius and everyone who counts knows it, including her. I guess this stood out as refreshing because of too many YAs where a protagonist having a talent (supernatural OR mundane) will inevitably be the MOST talented ever to have drawn breath.
Even if Anna weren't such a lovely character, the book would have been interesting to me because of the historical setting. I knew little to nothing about the period around the early years of the Napoleonic Wars in Spain, for example, and it's not a typical Regency novel setting. Anna's time in Paris was possibly my favourite of the pre-England sections of the book, as it seemed the perfect place for Anna to grow emotionally in a way she hadn't been able to before. So many wonderful secondary characters, too! The glimpses of Nelson, Lady Hamilton and the like were fascinating, and I was also very taken with the time Anna spent on board the ship Henry commanded, just before the Battle of Trafalgar. It's a re-uniting neither of them wants at all, but their being thrown together this time allows them to see the good in each other after all the years of bad impressions. There's an unflinching view of what war at sea is actually like, but with a wonderful ship's doctor, at least. Loving nods to Persuasion dotted delightfully through the book are another treat.
Finally, Anna travels alone to England, to face a country that bears little resemblance to her mother's memories of a gentle, green land; a family that Henry has shunned since he left (yes, even his mother, who is lovely and doesn't deserve it!); desperate worry about Henry's health; and a scheming hussy of a SIL, who certainly doesn't wish Anna well. I'll leave it there, except to say that readers needn't worry too much about the outcome of all these things... In part that's because Anna is, by now, a wise woman, who has learned from her experiences, tragic or terrifying although they may have been at the time.
So much fun, and I hope this does brilliantly so Sherwood writes more like it. (Don't forget to look for it on Book View Café!)
September 15, 2015
I kept having to remind myself that I was in Sherwood Smith's capable hands through the course of this story. Smith skirts a number of romance tropes (long separation, different worlds, buried secrets, big misunderstanding, unknown/disguised crush, rival with previous claim) in the course of the story—with many opportunities to crash and burn. Or, worse, indulge in cliché or trite machination. She turns all of those into opportunities that enhance the story, though, and I ended up enjoying it immensely.
I really loved Anna. She was sweet and determined and tackled truly daunting circumstances when she had every reason to simply give up. I grew attached to her almost immediately and from there was along for the ride—which was good because the tale meanders through France and Spain with little to unify the narrative beyond herself and her maid.
Henry was harder to like, and that's not helped by the few short sections from his PoV. He starts out a little callus and rather single-minded as a navy commander induced to marry a foreign girl he doesn't know. Some of his attitude was hard for me to forgive. Yeah, I get being focused on your career and, you know, winning wars and stuff. But I have little patience with someone making promises he has no intention of keeping, no matter how much reassurance he gets from his superiors that everyone agrees it's okay to do so. Plus, he is in position to hurt Anna and I did mention I liked her, right?
Anyway, once I stopped trying to predict where things were going, I enjoyed myself immensely. Anna is just fun to spend time with, particularly once she and Henry get some time to get to know each other. Their friends and family (even the disagreeable ones) only enhanced that further.
I really loved Anna. She was sweet and determined and tackled truly daunting circumstances when she had every reason to simply give up. I grew attached to her almost immediately and from there was along for the ride—which was good because the tale meanders through France and Spain with little to unify the narrative beyond herself and her maid.
Henry was harder to like, and that's not helped by the few short sections from his PoV. He starts out a little callus and rather single-minded as a navy commander induced to marry a foreign girl he doesn't know. Some of his attitude was hard for me to forgive. Yeah, I get being focused on your career and, you know, winning wars and stuff. But I have little patience with someone making promises he has no intention of keeping, no matter how much reassurance he gets from his superiors that everyone agrees it's okay to do so. Plus, he is in position to hurt Anna and I did mention I liked her, right?
Anyway, once I stopped trying to predict where things were going, I enjoyed myself immensely. Anna is just fun to spend time with, particularly once she and Henry get some time to get to know each other. Their friends and family (even the disagreeable ones) only enhanced that further.
August 28, 2015
It took me a couple of chapters to really warm up to this--the beginning skips around between POVs too much for my comfort, and overall it felt a little awkward--but then I really couldn't stop reading. What really makes this work is the main character, Anna, who from the beginning has to find ways to survive in a society that could easily eat her alive, and manages not only to survive but to rise above her circumstances in every situation. I loved the depiction of the troupe and all the people in it, with their quarrels and friendships, and I also loved how those early experiences continued to affect Anna even when she left them.
Anna's romance with Captain Duncannon is so sweet that I couldn't help being swept up in it myself. I liked that the story kept in touch with him just enough that he's not forgotten during Anna's European adventures (it's Anna's story, not really his, but he's an important part of it) so that when they're reunited, he's not a total stranger to the story. Favorite part of their romance: I loved seeing them come together. I thought it was a little odd (stay with me here) that Anna's past didn't come out and create friction and misunderstanding between them and recriminations and then some kind of reconciliation. Odd only in the sense that that's the typical way to do it, and it's stupid, because it depends on the other person being so incredibly shallow that they're willing to ignore all the other great things about the one they love in favor of one negative characteristic or one mistake. And this book doesn't go there. So if the fact that Henry doesn't think less of Anna for having sung on the stage with a troupe of performers makes the story seem lacking in conflict, that's a weakness of the romance genre and a huge plus in this book's favor.
Overall it's a fun story, with interesting characters and a vivid setting. Loved it.
Anna's romance with Captain Duncannon is so sweet that I couldn't help being swept up in it myself. I liked that the story kept in touch with him just enough that he's not forgotten during Anna's European adventures (it's Anna's story, not really his, but he's an important part of it) so that when they're reunited, he's not a total stranger to the story. Favorite part of their romance: I loved seeing them come together. I thought it was a little odd (stay with me here) that Anna's past didn't come out and create friction and misunderstanding between them and recriminations and then some kind of reconciliation. Odd only in the sense that that's the typical way to do it, and it's stupid, because it depends on the other person being so incredibly shallow that they're willing to ignore all the other great things about the one they love in favor of one negative characteristic or one mistake. And this book doesn't go there. So if the fact that Henry doesn't think less of Anna for having sung on the stage with a troupe of performers makes the story seem lacking in conflict, that's a weakness of the romance genre and a huge plus in this book's favor.
Overall it's a fun story, with interesting characters and a vivid setting. Loved it.
June 7, 2020
I’m so glad I saw Rosamund Hodge’s review of this story, because it was the perfect start-of-summer read. I don’t normally like “romance novels.” This one totally won me over. If you see me trying to attend an opera in an embroidered muslin gown, blame this story.
March 26, 2017
It is the start of the nineteenth century, and all Europe is in upheaval. Admiral Nelson is at the court of Naples, carrying on with his mistress, Lady Hamilton. A young captain of the British Navy is compelled to marry a stranger, a half-English teenager whose parents were minor functionaries at the Neapolitan court, so his superiors can obtain a piece of intelligence from her dying father.
So begins Sherwood Smith’s epic Rondo Allegro, a wide-ranging picaresque novel that sweeps across Italy, France, Spain, England, and the seas surrounding them. The marriage is no more than an inconvenience for its two principals, and they both seek to flee it—Captain Duncannon burying himself in his duties and Mrs. Duncannon, cast adrift in the world, forced to make her way doing what she loves, singing for her bread.
Through the author’s impeccable research and devotion to detail, the worlds inhabited by the protagonists come to vivid life. The tale mostly focuses on Anna Duncannon as she grows up and learns self-containment through the hazards and trials of her life. Her husband the captain is more mysterious, mainly because he remains offstage for long stretches, though he is still a credible personality.
Through the first half of the book I was a little bored at times, though it was more a matter of my own defeated misguided expectations than a flaw in the conception or writing. I’m not always a fan of female characters being pushed by mischance into the role of adventuress (never cottoned to Becky Sharp). And the heroine sometimes assumed the dimensions of a madonna—there was a static perfection to her that would have deadened the narrative had the narrative been less absorbing.
Beware, those who like their historical fiction “light”: Smith pulls no punches on vocabulary or political context. In the naval scenes especially I was sometimes baffled by the terminology, and this may put off some readers who like their way to be made smooth. But Smith has evidently learned the lesson of Robert Louis Stevenson; the effect of his scholarship is to weave the reader firmly into an alien world and hold her there.
For my money, this is historical romance as good as it gets. Why is this book not a best-seller?
So begins Sherwood Smith’s epic Rondo Allegro, a wide-ranging picaresque novel that sweeps across Italy, France, Spain, England, and the seas surrounding them. The marriage is no more than an inconvenience for its two principals, and they both seek to flee it—Captain Duncannon burying himself in his duties and Mrs. Duncannon, cast adrift in the world, forced to make her way doing what she loves, singing for her bread.
Through the author’s impeccable research and devotion to detail, the worlds inhabited by the protagonists come to vivid life. The tale mostly focuses on Anna Duncannon as she grows up and learns self-containment through the hazards and trials of her life. Her husband the captain is more mysterious, mainly because he remains offstage for long stretches, though he is still a credible personality.
Through the first half of the book I was a little bored at times, though it was more a matter of my own defeated misguided expectations than a flaw in the conception or writing. I’m not always a fan of female characters being pushed by mischance into the role of adventuress (never cottoned to Becky Sharp). And the heroine sometimes assumed the dimensions of a madonna—there was a static perfection to her that would have deadened the narrative had the narrative been less absorbing.
Beware, those who like their historical fiction “light”: Smith pulls no punches on vocabulary or political context. In the naval scenes especially I was sometimes baffled by the terminology, and this may put off some readers who like their way to be made smooth. But Smith has evidently learned the lesson of Robert Louis Stevenson; the effect of his scholarship is to weave the reader firmly into an alien world and hold her there.
For my money, this is historical romance as good as it gets. Why is this book not a best-seller?
November 18, 2015
4 1/2 and i loved it.
at first it starts maybe a bit slow, though you soon find that it's not slow, but beautiful meausered steps, exactly as they should be at first you think it's another historical romance, a lovely one but just another one (and i love them, no mistake) and then with everything happening you find it just a little bit more, it's historical romance, yes and it's beautifully writen, yes and then it's just something else also, so real and different and everyone acting like they should and yet surprising you at every turn.
this was one very, very beautiful storytelling.
at first it starts maybe a bit slow, though you soon find that it's not slow, but beautiful meausered steps, exactly as they should be at first you think it's another historical romance, a lovely one but just another one (and i love them, no mistake) and then with everything happening you find it just a little bit more, it's historical romance, yes and it's beautifully writen, yes and then it's just something else also, so real and different and everyone acting like they should and yet surprising you at every turn.
this was one very, very beautiful storytelling.
January 6, 2019
Anna carries the story, with rather brief bits from Captain Duncannon’s pov. The story is divided into three sections: Anna, married but completely separate from her husband, basically on her own, growing up and surviving as an opera singer; Anna, reunited with her husband, each of them just getting to know the other — this section is brief but important; and Anna in England, playing the role of Captain Duncannon’s wife while waiting for him to return to his home.
During the long first section, I occasionally felt mildly impatient for the two of them to be thrown together again, but not very impatient. I liked Anna, I liked her friend and companion, and I liked her coming-of-age story. She makes mistakes, but not incredibly stupid ones; and she gets into trouble, but not really awful trouble. I liked her as a character, too — nice, but not saccharine; talented, but not over-the-top gifted. However, I must admit that I did find the story more compelling after Anna and Captain Duncannon are thrown together again.
This is not a suspenseful novel, thankfully.
I so appreciate a slow-build low-angst romance that does not depend on misunderstandings and hurt feelings. At no point does the reader want to shake the main characters and shout, “MY GOD, JUST TELL HIM/HER THE TRUTH!” There’s a secret, sure, but anybody can see it’s not that deep or that dark. When the truth comes out, it’s a sweet and charming revelation, not earth-shattering.
Really liked this one, as I have nearly everything by this author.
During the long first section, I occasionally felt mildly impatient for the two of them to be thrown together again, but not very impatient. I liked Anna, I liked her friend and companion, and I liked her coming-of-age story. She makes mistakes, but not incredibly stupid ones; and she gets into trouble, but not really awful trouble. I liked her as a character, too — nice, but not saccharine; talented, but not over-the-top gifted. However, I must admit that I did find the story more compelling after Anna and Captain Duncannon are thrown together again.
This is not a suspenseful novel, thankfully.
I so appreciate a slow-build low-angst romance that does not depend on misunderstandings and hurt feelings. At no point does the reader want to shake the main characters and shout, “MY GOD, JUST TELL HIM/HER THE TRUTH!” There’s a secret, sure, but anybody can see it’s not that deep or that dark. When the truth comes out, it’s a sweet and charming revelation, not earth-shattering.
Really liked this one, as I have nearly everything by this author.
May 8, 2022
This is a very interesting mix of coming of age novel and romance. While the book starts with a wedding, be prepared for the first third to concern Anna alone as she learns how to grow up, and then to learn what it means to make the most of a marriage that she had almost forgotten about.
February 20, 2015
Sixteen-year-old Anna Maria Ludovisi dreams of becoming a great singer, but her dreams run aground when she finds herself married to an English Navy captain in a confusing blur of politics and grief--Captain Henry Duncannon is roped into the affair for political reasons, Anna because her dying father wishes her to return to her English mother's homeland. The marriage of convenience lasts barely a day before the captain is called back to his ship, and Anna is left to find her way in the turbulent Europe of the early 1800s. Her sometimes desperate, sometimes joyous journey takes her to stages of Paris, the roads of Spain, and eventually to the decks of Admiral Nelson's fleet.
I've been a huge fan of Sherwood Smith's writing ever since I discovered Court Duel when I was twelve or thirteen, and became so obsessed that I attempted to learn how to fence and tried to talk all my friends into creating our own fan language. Obviously Rondo Allegro is quite a different kind of novel, and as an adult reader I was a bit hesitant to commit to it. Which made my enjoyment all that much more of a delightful surprise.
In structure Rondo Allegro follows a lot of the basic tropes of the Regency romance: a marriage of convenience, etc. I was reminded strongly of Georgette Heyer's more historical romances during the first few chapters (which isn't a bad thing, because I enjoy Heyer, but I was hoping for more depth here--and I found it). Then I began to sink into Anna's character, and discovered what I think is the greatest quality of this novel--it's sheer believability. Anna's growth as a character is a fascinating coming-of-age, completely rooted in the realities of the historic world around her, but also resonating with elements of the shared human experience all readers can relate to. Much as I love girl-saves-the-world stories, it's wonderful to sink into a richly realized historical fiction about a girl on the sidelines of grand events, a girl who doesn't care terribly much why or even if great nations are at war, because her music--and finding a way to support herself--are far more pressing concerns. I also loved the resolution of the romance between Anna and her erstwhile husband. There is no prince riding in on a white horse to save the fair damsel. Anna saves herself--and her husband, for that matter. And after that, instead of ending with an easy happily-ever-after, Smith gives us another quarter of the book to illustrate the slow process of growing together as Anna and Henry make a home and a life together.
Obviously I liked this book, and I would absolutely recommend it to any fans of gentle-but-rich historical fiction.
I've been a huge fan of Sherwood Smith's writing ever since I discovered Court Duel when I was twelve or thirteen, and became so obsessed that I attempted to learn how to fence and tried to talk all my friends into creating our own fan language. Obviously Rondo Allegro is quite a different kind of novel, and as an adult reader I was a bit hesitant to commit to it. Which made my enjoyment all that much more of a delightful surprise.
In structure Rondo Allegro follows a lot of the basic tropes of the Regency romance: a marriage of convenience, etc. I was reminded strongly of Georgette Heyer's more historical romances during the first few chapters (which isn't a bad thing, because I enjoy Heyer, but I was hoping for more depth here--and I found it). Then I began to sink into Anna's character, and discovered what I think is the greatest quality of this novel--it's sheer believability. Anna's growth as a character is a fascinating coming-of-age, completely rooted in the realities of the historic world around her, but also resonating with elements of the shared human experience all readers can relate to. Much as I love girl-saves-the-world stories, it's wonderful to sink into a richly realized historical fiction about a girl on the sidelines of grand events, a girl who doesn't care terribly much why or even if great nations are at war, because her music--and finding a way to support herself--are far more pressing concerns. I also loved the resolution of the romance between Anna and her erstwhile husband. There is no prince riding in on a white horse to save the fair damsel. Anna saves herself--and her husband, for that matter. And after that, instead of ending with an easy happily-ever-after, Smith gives us another quarter of the book to illustrate the slow process of growing together as Anna and Henry make a home and a life together.
Obviously I liked this book, and I would absolutely recommend it to any fans of gentle-but-rich historical fiction.
September 15, 2014
I read another of Sherwood Smith's books, Danse De La Folie, last year in five hours, one lazy Sunday and ADORED it. I'm a sucker for an expertly crafted Regency :) When goodreads notified me that she had a new book out, Rondo Allegro, I bought it right away. I tend to rip through books that I really like and I knew this one would be no disappointment, so this time I promised myself I would ration it. My goal was one week start to finish.
I fell short by five days.
It was captivating!
The characters were likable and dislikable and so very HUMAN. The bad characters weren't evil, the good ones weren't angelic. In the words of Austen's Caroline Bingley, that was, "So refreshing!"
Also, I find in a lot of historical fiction, the author (in hopes of a forward-thinking protagonist, maybe?) creates a hero or heroine who seems as though they've been plucked out of 2000-whatever and cast back in time, with modern outlooks and ideas that just aren't believable for the day. I'm convinced the ones in Rondo Allegro actually did live and breathe in 1805...
I also enjoyed the subtle difference in Anna's english dialogue compared to her french or other languages. Both are written in such a way that I clearly heard when she was speaking her native tongue versus the language that was less familiar to her. The same when other english-speaking characters conversed with her in french. In the last portion of the book, her english became less stilted, as it would naturally improve over time. Those small details add so much!
The romance was beautiful.
I want a friend like Parrette. Not only would I be wisely advised in all matters, but I would be smashingly dressed too!
I'm sure I'll open my kindle in less than a month to read it a second time. A note of thanks to the author for a thoroughly enjoyable, GREAT read!
I fell short by five days.
It was captivating!
The characters were likable and dislikable and so very HUMAN. The bad characters weren't evil, the good ones weren't angelic. In the words of Austen's Caroline Bingley, that was, "So refreshing!"
Also, I find in a lot of historical fiction, the author (in hopes of a forward-thinking protagonist, maybe?) creates a hero or heroine who seems as though they've been plucked out of 2000-whatever and cast back in time, with modern outlooks and ideas that just aren't believable for the day. I'm convinced the ones in Rondo Allegro actually did live and breathe in 1805...
I also enjoyed the subtle difference in Anna's english dialogue compared to her french or other languages. Both are written in such a way that I clearly heard when she was speaking her native tongue versus the language that was less familiar to her. The same when other english-speaking characters conversed with her in french. In the last portion of the book, her english became less stilted, as it would naturally improve over time. Those small details add so much!
The romance was beautiful.
I want a friend like Parrette. Not only would I be wisely advised in all matters, but I would be smashingly dressed too!
I'm sure I'll open my kindle in less than a month to read it a second time. A note of thanks to the author for a thoroughly enjoyable, GREAT read!
November 23, 2024
Anna's father is dying in Naples. Captain Duncannon is recruited to marry her, which he obediently does, then promptly sets sail with the British navy and no intention of every seeing her again. Of course naval bureaucracy is a hot mess and his planned annulment never comes through.
Meanwhile, Anna's life in Naples is falling apart. Her patroness is off back to England, with no passage for Anna. Instead she receives a letter of reference and flees for post-revolutionary Paris. In Paris, she tries her hand at being an opera singer of ladylike gentility. There's no money in gentility, and she and her maid need to eat. So Anna signs on with a less-than-renowned theater company for an actual paycheck and thus begins a whirlwind of experiences that bring her up close to the hazards of Bonaparte's new order, the poverty of the French countryside, and Spain.
Where she gets thrown into prison, accused of spying for the husband she met only twice. And then, shockingly, gets yanked out of prison and rowed directly to said husband's ship.
Just in time for the Battle of Trafalgar.
Lovely.
Wow, this was a sweeping novel. It started off with the same Eva Ibbotson vibes that I felt while reading Danse de la Folie. In this case, due to a young lady with superb musical qualities and caught up amidst the dangers of war and politics within her era. But mid-novel, we get a glorious Sherwood Smith action scene, and then the tone of the book changes once again as complex circumstances come to a head and the heroine begins yet another epoch in her life. This is romantic historical adventure with plenty of twists and turns. Worth sinking into for a glorious week.
Meanwhile, Anna's life in Naples is falling apart. Her patroness is off back to England, with no passage for Anna. Instead she receives a letter of reference and flees for post-revolutionary Paris. In Paris, she tries her hand at being an opera singer of ladylike gentility. There's no money in gentility, and she and her maid need to eat. So Anna signs on with a less-than-renowned theater company for an actual paycheck and thus begins a whirlwind of experiences that bring her up close to the hazards of Bonaparte's new order, the poverty of the French countryside, and Spain.
Where she gets thrown into prison, accused of spying for the husband she met only twice. And then, shockingly, gets yanked out of prison and rowed directly to said husband's ship.
Just in time for the Battle of Trafalgar.
Lovely.
Wow, this was a sweeping novel. It started off with the same Eva Ibbotson vibes that I felt while reading Danse de la Folie. In this case, due to a young lady with superb musical qualities and caught up amidst the dangers of war and politics within her era. But mid-novel, we get a glorious Sherwood Smith action scene, and then the tone of the book changes once again as complex circumstances come to a head and the heroine begins yet another epoch in her life. This is romantic historical adventure with plenty of twists and turns. Worth sinking into for a glorious week.
December 7, 2014
When sixteen year old Anna's father is dying in Naples he arranges for her to be married off to a sea captain in Nelson's navy. Henry Duncannon is a penniless officer estranged from his good family, who is more or less forced into the marriage of convenience. Within half a day the two are separated as Henry heads back to sea, leaving Anna under the protection of Lady Hamilton. But war is flowing through Europe in the shape of Napoleon's armies and soon Anna is left alone - with her faithful maid - and determines to make her way using her only skill, music. She takes up singing in an opera company. It's six turbulent years in war-torn Europe before Anna and Henry are reunited and a love story begins.
This is a book in two halves - the opera years and the regency romance and both have theitr appeal. Ms Smith says that the novel came about because she originally intended to novelise the journals of Betsey Wynne, and, indeed, there's lots of rich detail in here and an underpinning of authenticity. The story is a slow-burn romance despite the early marriage of convenience. Anna survives post-revolutionary France, a theatre fire, touring with the opera company which at times is nore hazardous than the Battle of Trafalgar. Possibly more terrifying still is Anna's introduction to Henry's English family and the woman who spurned him for his older brother.
Packed full of ideas, but not falling into the trap of unlikely melodrama this is an engaging read. Highly recommended.
This is a book in two halves - the opera years and the regency romance and both have theitr appeal. Ms Smith says that the novel came about because she originally intended to novelise the journals of Betsey Wynne, and, indeed, there's lots of rich detail in here and an underpinning of authenticity. The story is a slow-burn romance despite the early marriage of convenience. Anna survives post-revolutionary France, a theatre fire, touring with the opera company which at times is nore hazardous than the Battle of Trafalgar. Possibly more terrifying still is Anna's introduction to Henry's English family and the woman who spurned him for his older brother.
Packed full of ideas, but not falling into the trap of unlikely melodrama this is an engaging read. Highly recommended.
October 3, 2015
This is an interesting regency romance written by an author known for her many fantasies. She does have another regency romance which I liked.
This book is interesting in where the action takes place.
It starts off with a very young Italian marrying an English captain at the request of Admiral Nelson. Both parties expect to quickly annul the marriage, but he goes off to sea, and she uses her training to sing with an Opera group (even though ladies don't do that), going across Napoleon's France and it's allied Spain. She does have her mother's lady servant. And she grows into a woman.
Then she gets together with her husband aboard ship in time for Trafalgar, and takes care of wounded. He is wounded and hospitalized in Gibraltar as she goes to his home, where his brother recently died without heir, so she's a Lady (still a virgin). There's some politics and he makes it home with his eyes bandaged up for some months.
I don't need to go into the love stories (if you're into regency romances, you know what to expect) - but this review may attract some who are (like me) attracted by the backgrounds.
This book is interesting in where the action takes place.
It starts off with a very young Italian marrying an English captain at the request of Admiral Nelson. Both parties expect to quickly annul the marriage, but he goes off to sea, and she uses her training to sing with an Opera group (even though ladies don't do that), going across Napoleon's France and it's allied Spain. She does have her mother's lady servant. And she grows into a woman.
Then she gets together with her husband aboard ship in time for Trafalgar, and takes care of wounded. He is wounded and hospitalized in Gibraltar as she goes to his home, where his brother recently died without heir, so she's a Lady (still a virgin). There's some politics and he makes it home with his eyes bandaged up for some months.
I don't need to go into the love stories (if you're into regency romances, you know what to expect) - but this review may attract some who are (like me) attracted by the backgrounds.
December 29, 2018
I’ve read this book twice cover to cover and skimmed to my favorite parts countless times.
Some may feel that it starts slow, and I have to say that the first time I read it I worried that that the romance part would take place in the last five pages and be very disappointing. This is because the OTP of this story only meet twice in the first half of the novel. The first time being at their own wedding.
Taking in the complete story this is actually a good thing. Anna Ludovisi is 16 when she is married to Captain Henry Duncannon for political reasons. Over the next four years (I’m estimating bc I can’t recall the exact timeline) historic events and people intervene and Anna loses all contact with the captain.
This gives Anna time to mature and grow. Because you go on the journey with her you understand how she becomes the woman that Henry falls in love with. So that part of the story may feel slow, but it’s worth it for what comes next, in my opinion.
Events and people contrive to make their paths cross again and this is when things get good!
Some may feel that it starts slow, and I have to say that the first time I read it I worried that that the romance part would take place in the last five pages and be very disappointing. This is because the OTP of this story only meet twice in the first half of the novel. The first time being at their own wedding.
Taking in the complete story this is actually a good thing. Anna Ludovisi is 16 when she is married to Captain Henry Duncannon for political reasons. Over the next four years (I’m estimating bc I can’t recall the exact timeline) historic events and people intervene and Anna loses all contact with the captain.
This gives Anna time to mature and grow. Because you go on the journey with her you understand how she becomes the woman that Henry falls in love with. So that part of the story may feel slow, but it’s worth it for what comes next, in my opinion.
Events and people contrive to make their paths cross again and this is when things get good!
June 13, 2017
Sherwood Smith is a very good writer, and this is going to appeal to some people. It just didn't do it for me, at all. If you're into historical fiction set during/before the Victorian Era (think Pride and Prejudice), you'll probably get a lot out of this. As someone who doesn't particularly care for historical fiction, though, this book completely failed for me. The story is aimless, slow, and just plain boring. It's not episodic exactly - one event does lead to another - but there's no arc to the story at all. Anna was sort of an interesting character, but not nearly interesting enough to make up for the boring story. I had a lot of trouble getting through this one, because of how little it offered me. But if you like historical fiction more than I do, I can easily picture you liking this.
December 14, 2014
This is very slow initially - too slow for me to consider it deliberately paced - but ultimately Rondo Allegro is a sweet, low-key story. The history could be doled out better, because there were a few pages where my eyes glazed over; also, I suppose everyone's easy acceptance of Anna's past feels a bit unlikely, and it would've been nice if she hadn't been able to win over everyone (except the antagonist) immediately. Still, despite the inevitability, this is really enjoyable reading.
March 25, 2015
This was a good book. I think Sherwood Smith generally does a better job writing about worlds of her own creation, but as light Regency romantic read (for it isn't a romance, in the sense of heaving bosoms and all that, but contains a very touching, understated love story), I very much enjoyed it.
September 2, 2025
This book has 3 parts and I can't say I fell in love with any of them, but overall it is a very well written book that transported me to that era, specially the 1st part where Anna earns her living as a singer/dancer in a company, in Paris, then touring in Spain.
The romance is underwhelming, to say the least. In part I, Anna and Henry get married for convenience, they are strangers to each other and besides, Anna is just 16. They barely exchange a few words till Henry got to go with the naval. And they remain strangers for 6 years. In all this time, it is a strange thing for Anna to be a "married" woman (in paper only), not even remembering her husband. Luckily she has her maid/closer friend with her, Parrette. I don't know where Anna would have been without her, I was honestly O_O when that fire happened and I was afraid for Parrette (nothing happens, thank G). For 6 years, Anna earns her wages, falls in love with a douchebag, travels a lot and even gets accused of being a spy, and only in 35% mark of the book is where she meets with Henry again.
Part II is Anna and Parrette aboard the Naval ship, in the middle of the Napoleonic wars. And where is sort of know her husband (at least they consummate their marriage, but alas, he doesn't even remember her name and even calls her "Emily", his previous lover!). He is a bit aloof, but trying a bit to get to know her.
Part III is Anna and Parrette finally in England, where they have to go to Henry's house and meet the family, and basically being the new Lady of the house. All are nice and kind, thankfully, except that Emily is also there, wanting to be the Lady and basically, being politely nasty. Henry comes back with bandaged eyes so she cannot use her beauty to trap him, but luckily Henry is over her (not entirely, but she never had a chance) and finally Anna and Henry connecting as a truly married couple (Parrette also gets her HEA, so nice!).
I can't say I loved the characters, but I liked that Anna was always a lady and never lose her temper, even when Emily was being nasty, and even when she felt a bit jealous. Anna was always kind and just living her best life.
But unluckily, this wasn't a "Danse de la Folie"...
The romance is underwhelming, to say the least. In part I, Anna and Henry get married for convenience, they are strangers to each other and besides, Anna is just 16. They barely exchange a few words till Henry got to go with the naval. And they remain strangers for 6 years. In all this time, it is a strange thing for Anna to be a "married" woman (in paper only), not even remembering her husband. Luckily she has her maid/closer friend with her, Parrette. I don't know where Anna would have been without her, I was honestly O_O when that fire happened and I was afraid for Parrette (nothing happens, thank G). For 6 years, Anna earns her wages, falls in love with a douchebag, travels a lot and even gets accused of being a spy, and only in 35% mark of the book is where she meets with Henry again.
Part II is Anna and Parrette aboard the Naval ship, in the middle of the Napoleonic wars. And where is sort of know her husband (at least they consummate their marriage, but alas, he doesn't even remember her name and even calls her "Emily", his previous lover!). He is a bit aloof, but trying a bit to get to know her.
Part III is Anna and Parrette finally in England, where they have to go to Henry's house and meet the family, and basically being the new Lady of the house. All are nice and kind, thankfully, except that Emily is also there, wanting to be the Lady and basically, being politely nasty. Henry comes back with bandaged eyes so she cannot use her beauty to trap him, but luckily Henry is over her (not entirely, but she never had a chance) and finally Anna and Henry connecting as a truly married couple (Parrette also gets her HEA, so nice!).
I can't say I loved the characters, but I liked that Anna was always a lady and never lose her temper, even when Emily was being nasty, and even when she felt a bit jealous. Anna was always kind and just living her best life.
But unluckily, this wasn't a "Danse de la Folie"...
June 18, 2018
Wow, so much happens in this book - it's like 3 novels in one! First, it's a coming-of-age story for Anna as she gets married to a stranger, Captain Henry Duncannon, before her father dies, and she sets off to become an opera singer after he sails away. Then, it's a drama as she gets betrayed and tossed around until she winds up arrested as a spy! Then she reunites with her estranged husband and is involved in a naval battle. Finally, it's a romance as she travels to England to meet her husband's family and establish herself as Baroness despite his past love living in the house too. Yeah... that's a lot of book, and I enjoyed many parts of it. I didn't love that all of her singer friends were terrible, and she got constantly betrayed until she reunited with Henry. I didn't love Emily, his past love who marries his evil brother instead. What I did love: Anna's voice not being perfect in every way but her still being called an angel, Henry and Anna's solid love after he returns home, Harriet - just everything about her, all of the improvements Anna makes to his home before Henry returns and then when he does return, he helps make even more. I liked the last third a lot! Still probably 3.5 stars but I'm rounding up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2021
I almost DNF, because at first it wasn't really easy to like Anna - she felt bland and boring, with no temperament to speak of. What also didn't help was the fact that hero and heroine had no contact with each other for six years=about 35% of the story. And it's a really long book or at least it feels like one. Anna's adventures as opera singer didn't appeal to me, it got decidedly better when she was on the ship, and the best part starts when Anna finally gets to England, which doesn't happen until around 60% into the book.
It's an extremely slow burn romance, that's for sure. In the end I started enjoying the story, but I don't think I will ever reread it. The opera singer part is too long, there are too many characters to remember or care for, too much of what felt like a history lesson.
In the end it's a 3 star book for me.
It's an extremely slow burn romance, that's for sure. In the end I started enjoying the story, but I don't think I will ever reread it. The opera singer part is too long, there are too many characters to remember or care for, too much of what felt like a history lesson.
In the end it's a 3 star book for me.
June 15, 2021
This story. It's hard to come across a book with fleshed out, flawed, yet interesting characters. Even more so with a plot that keeps your attention until the end. Sherwood Smith did just that with this well written book about two people who found themselves in an arrangement they neither expected or really wanted. As time passes, we see the characters, mainly Anna, grow in necessary ways, experience life in various ways, that lead them to their final roles in life. It was beautiful to see the journey they made as they accepted their roles as truth.
With that being said, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a regency era story.
With that being said, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a regency era story.
June 11, 2023
This is a very detailed story of the life of a singer who unexpectedly weds a naval captain when she is very young. Although the reasoning of why the wedding of convenience took place to begin with was never really clear to me, despite being referenced numerous times throughout the novel, that is a trope that I enjoy. I generally prefer more lighthearted, historical romances, but this one really sucked me in with how immersed you felt with the characters thanks to all the meticulous historical details. Definitely made me more curious about the Napoleonic Wars!
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July 14, 2022This is a lovely book. I was quite surprised that it was not inspired by An Infamous Army. It does read like the Trafalgar counterpart to the Waterloo novel. The heroine is genuinely tough. Just spectacular!
March 12, 2023
I had no idea how long this book was until I was a quarter into it and thought I was getting to the climax. But Smith definitely put the research into this one. There are so many details that it is a bit hard to understand everything everyone says. But it is so immersive that it is hard to find fault. And overall the plot is good.
March 25, 2018
I enjoyed this book even more than Sherwood Smith's other period novel, Danse de la Folie, which was enjoyable if not precisely my perfect cup of tea. This one, however, was utterly perfect for me, as I am a total sucker for marriages of convenience that turn out to be much more meaningful than they at first appear. This story explored some more unusual aspects of the historical setting such as English Navy culture and theater culture through the eyes of a multicultural, talented, and versatile protagonist who forges her own path against the sensibilities of society to survive. It was utterly fascinating. My only wish is that the love interest had a little more pagetime! Some might find the transitions from one society to another – particularly from the Navy to the English upperclass - to be jarring, but I loved all parts of the book equally. In that way, the book's handling of culture shock is part of its charm.
May 16, 2017
Enjoyable and engrossing. The first book in a while that I didn't want to put down.
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