Allegra

by Anna Lisle, Eliza Graham, Emilia De Paola (Translator)

1822: La giovane figlia illegittima di Byron muore in un convento in Italia, lontana dalla madre che la adorava. 1838: la giovane Alice Clarke, infelicemente sposata con un uomo violento, è inseguita nelle strade di Londra da un greco e da una donna che indossa un mantello nero.

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 17, 2013

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

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Anna Lisle's Allegra is one of those titles that didn't work for me. I picked it up on a whim, but quickly found myself frustrated by a premise that was too far-fetched and a delivery that didn't compensate for the liberties taken in its execution. To add insult to injury, I feel the cover art misrepresents the title and while I do not factor the jacket as part of my rating, I can't deny irritation with the design.

The relative age of the model on front of the book led me to believe this was a young adult piece, but judging on content, I can honestly say Lisle wrote Allegra with a more mature audience in mind. I was naturally surprised, but shrugged it off as a mere misstep in the publishing process, a hiccup and nothing more. Other issues, however, were harder to ignore.

Cookie-cutter characters with no depth and little spirit, I found it difficult rouse my enthusiasm for Alice and her peers. The language is at times poetic, Lisle can turn a pretty phrase, but the narrative lacked allure, something I feel necessary especially in stories that revise history in the name of entertainment. It moves along at a brisk pace, but it is mechanical and progresses systematically from one twist to the next, often leaving me at a loss as I struggled to work through Lisle's work.

I wish I could recommend Allegra, but it simply wasn't my cup of tea. An aspiration with potential that never materialized, the title failed to captivate or delight.

[Patty Mccormick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting is 19th century London. Who is Allegra/Alice? Who were her parents? Alice grew up in the convent and was “saved” when typhus broke out there; by a woman she calls Aunt. What secrets are lurking in Auntie’s and her nephew, Martin’s past? Allegra gives us a look at the oppression of women and their lack of rights. This is a love story with a happy ending.

Hmm. My thoughts on this one? This was just okay for me. I love the setting and the time period. It reminded me of Dickens’ England. I thought that there was too many things going on in this one though and that many issues were not explored in-depth. My favorite part of the book was the Rookery and the theatre. I thought that this was the most exciting part. I could have read a whole book about just that. It sounded exciting and forbidden and dangerous. This is another book that is for a mature audience. It contains wife abuse and homosexuality. I give this one a 3 out of 5 stars.

[Mirella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully complex plot and an intriguing heroine make this a great book. With its fast pace and intriguing storyline, I read the novel in one sitting - it was that good! Alice/Allegra is trapped in an abusive marriage and is being followed by a Greek man and a woman in a dark cloak. Her love blooms when she meets a kind sea captain, but during one of his voyages, he mysteriously disappears. I love the two villains of this book – her cruel abusive husband who harbors dark secrets of his own and the woman who is his manipulative aunt. This story had so much to laud about! Lots of plot twists, mystery, dark secrets, intrigue, and a heroine you cannot help but love and cheer for. Highly recommended and one of my favorite books for 2014.

[Loretta Giacoletto · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unhappy childhood followed by an abusive marriage leads to a forbidden romance, all of which are set in the early Victorian Era so rich in details I felt a part of it and didn’t want to leave. The powerful opening was mesmerizing and each subsequent chapter pulled me further into the story. After reading the last page I still wanted more, even though the author did an excellent job of wrapping up all the loose ends. Her writing is superb; the tale well-paced and flawless; the historical aspects intriguing; the heroine clever and independent. What more can I say except, "Allegra is an excellent read."

[Patty McKenna Van Hulle]

I absolutely love romance reads & a DIE HARD fan of regency romance, so I grabbed this ARC. As my romance peeps know I will try any genre at least once, but I do have 1 FATAL FLAWED & that is 1st person writing. When I crack open a new book COSMO, I like to follow in the background, be a true voyeur & maybe be a fly on the wall of sizzling ladies teas & I am not able to SUBMERGE myself reading "Is" & "MEs." One author said that her characters speak to her in their own voices & she writes them that way, so I have too much respect for authors to score their reads if it's my FLAW!

NetGalley ARC given for my honest review.