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Linley & Patrick #1
A Love That Never Tires
Librarian note: Older cover of B00OECC9VS.
Linley Talbot-Martin is a girl who likes to get her hands dirty. As the daughter of a famous archaeologist, she’s been everywhere and seen everything—except London. When the Talbot-Martin team travels there for her father’s investiture, Linley finally gets her wish. But when the time comes to trade her jodhpurs and work boots for silk gowns and kid gloves, she may be in over her head.
Even though she can out-ride, out-shoot, and outsmart any girl in London society, Linley is destined to be the failure of the season. No one she meets cares about ancient pottery or lost Buddhist texts, and fundraising efforts for future expeditions keep coming up short. If the Talbot-Martin team doesn’t find money soon, they will be out of a job, and Linley will lose everything she holds dear.
Patrick Wolford, Marquess of Kyre (pronounced 'Keer'), is a man who knows his place. Well-connected and respected, he is everything everyone expects him to be, but beneath his façade, he is as neglected and crumbling as the family estate. Now the strain of keeping up appearances is taking its toll. The smart thing would be to marry the heiress nipping at his heels and be done with it, but when he meets Linley Talbot-Martin, who dares to shake up his seemingly proper world, he must choose between the life he’s always known and one he never dared to dream of.
Linley Talbot-Martin is a girl who likes to get her hands dirty. As the daughter of a famous archaeologist, she’s been everywhere and seen everything—except London. When the Talbot-Martin team travels there for her father’s investiture, Linley finally gets her wish. But when the time comes to trade her jodhpurs and work boots for silk gowns and kid gloves, she may be in over her head.
Even though she can out-ride, out-shoot, and outsmart any girl in London society, Linley is destined to be the failure of the season. No one she meets cares about ancient pottery or lost Buddhist texts, and fundraising efforts for future expeditions keep coming up short. If the Talbot-Martin team doesn’t find money soon, they will be out of a job, and Linley will lose everything she holds dear.
Patrick Wolford, Marquess of Kyre (pronounced 'Keer'), is a man who knows his place. Well-connected and respected, he is everything everyone expects him to be, but beneath his façade, he is as neglected and crumbling as the family estate. Now the strain of keeping up appearances is taking its toll. The smart thing would be to marry the heiress nipping at his heels and be done with it, but when he meets Linley Talbot-Martin, who dares to shake up his seemingly proper world, he must choose between the life he’s always known and one he never dared to dream of.
367 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2014
1239 people are currently reading
1776 people want to read
About the author
Allyson Jeleyne
55 books88 followersAllyson Jeleyne writes enchanting low-angst, medium-steam “slice of life” romance novels—no stressful third act break-ups in sight!
Her characters are a complex cast of adventurers, entrepreneurs, heiresses, peeresses, and survivors, each journeying through love and life in the Victorian era
She earned an interdisciplinary studies degree in Creative Writing and Journalism while also studying British history & literature in her spare time. When not writing, she enjoys traveling and checking things off her bucket list.
She makes her home in the South Carolina lowcountry with her beloved dog, Dollie Madison (2005-2022).
Her characters are a complex cast of adventurers, entrepreneurs, heiresses, peeresses, and survivors, each journeying through love and life in the Victorian era
She earned an interdisciplinary studies degree in Creative Writing and Journalism while also studying British history & literature in her spare time. When not writing, she enjoys traveling and checking things off her bucket list.
She makes her home in the South Carolina lowcountry with her beloved dog, Dollie Madison (2005-2022).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
March 16, 2019
A little bit of an unconventional historical romance that takes readers from Morocco to London to India as an archeologist 's daughter finds herself falling for a British lord in pre World War I (1912/1913) It started out really great and I loved free spirited Linley, but once part two began and Patrick was rushing to India to "surprise " Linley, I suddenly lost interest.
June 27, 2019
"A Love That Never Tires" - I was tired of it by the end.
Most of the book I found very forced. Linley and Patrick spent a lot of time moaning at one another. I think this was to create a kind of 'heated passion' but personally I just found them irritating.
Linley's Father was very selfish and his team was the most unorganised archaeological unit I have ever read about. Every part of this book seemed to be a lucky coincidence.
I also felt like the book wanted to address female oppression, but failed - Linley questions (twice) why is ok for men to have a sexual history but woman must remain virgins. Yet her and Patrick were exactly that. Linley can apparently out ride and out shoot any other girl in London, she carries a pistol and there was the incident with the French at the beginning of the book. Yet through out the rest of the book she kept needing to be rescued by Patrick.
The attitude and description toward the Suffragettes I also found very annoying and kinda insulting.
Most of the book I found very forced. Linley and Patrick spent a lot of time moaning at one another. I think this was to create a kind of 'heated passion' but personally I just found them irritating.
Linley's Father was very selfish and his team was the most unorganised archaeological unit I have ever read about. Every part of this book seemed to be a lucky coincidence.
I also felt like the book wanted to address female oppression, but failed - Linley questions (twice) why is ok for men to have a sexual history but woman must remain virgins. Yet her and Patrick were exactly that. Linley can apparently out ride and out shoot any other girl in London, she carries a pistol and there was the incident with the French at the beginning of the book. Yet through out the rest of the book she kept needing to be rescued by Patrick.
The attitude and description toward the Suffragettes I also found very annoying and kinda insulting.
January 23, 2015
As a man who reads stereotypical books for men(I.e.crime, science fiction,etc...)I will admit I had low expectations for my first historical romance read. However those expectations were quickly forgotten as I dwelled into this book. What stuck out most for me were the vivid descriptions of the settings and time in which they took place in. The author has a unique talent of putting me in these varying locations...whether it be in downtown London or on an African coast. What surprised me was how much I invested in the characters of this book. Getting to know them better and better as pages and chapters progressed, I'd even catch myself smiling as the main character showed instances of growth and change throughout the book. I'd strongly recommend this book to any readers of historical romance, or to any reader looking for a good read period. Can't wait for the next book(s) to follow in this series.
June 25, 2015
The descriptions are magnificent, the characters are likeable (mostly), and the story itself is wonderfully written. I absolutely loved how the scenes and settings are so well integrated between dialogue--a miraculous feat for a debut indie novel--instead of lumped into long winded narratives. You get behind the eyes of the characters and see what they see, as they see it. Just wonderful.
I agree with another reviewer that in the follow up (which I hope comes fast!) that we see less of Linley's father and his friends.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction, romance, and Edwardian love stories.
I received a free copy of this book from Story Cartel for the purpose of an unbiased review.
I agree with another reviewer that in the follow up (which I hope comes fast!) that we see less of Linley's father and his friends.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction, romance, and Edwardian love stories.
I received a free copy of this book from Story Cartel for the purpose of an unbiased review.
October 1, 2020
Trigger warnings: serious illness, slut shaming, death of a sibling (in the past), graphic description of wounds.
Their love may never tire, but I certainly did.
I think a big part of my problem with this is that it was described as "Downton Abbey meets The Mummy" when it was in fact neither of those things. The two leads were utterly lacking in chemistry. The writing was aggressively mediocre. The extreme hatred of suffragettes was...baffling, to say the least. I rolled my eyes on every second page. The sex was...weirdly violent and not at all okay. The ending was beyond ridiculous.
And the constant references to how much time Linley had spent at Machu Picchu made me roll my eyes repeatedly because a) archaeologists are experts in ONE civilisation, not all of them, and b) it had only been discovered two years before this is supposed to be set so, uh, NO. Also, the moment where they locate a temple in the jungle and then immediately decide to........walk to the Himalayas???........was beyond baffling.
Basically? This was terrible and I hated it and I definitely won't be continuing the series. Not even the fact that it was free helped it to not suck.
Their love may never tire, but I certainly did.
I think a big part of my problem with this is that it was described as "Downton Abbey meets The Mummy" when it was in fact neither of those things. The two leads were utterly lacking in chemistry. The writing was aggressively mediocre. The extreme hatred of suffragettes was...baffling, to say the least. I rolled my eyes on every second page. The sex was...weirdly violent and not at all okay. The ending was beyond ridiculous.
And the constant references to how much time Linley had spent at Machu Picchu made me roll my eyes repeatedly because a) archaeologists are experts in ONE civilisation, not all of them, and b) it had only been discovered two years before this is supposed to be set so, uh, NO. Also, the moment where they locate a temple in the jungle and then immediately decide to........walk to the Himalayas???........was beyond baffling.
Basically? This was terrible and I hated it and I definitely won't be continuing the series. Not even the fact that it was free helped it to not suck.
May 31, 2015
So this book was ok for me overall, it wasn't bad it wasn't great. There were some funny parts that made me laugh, and there were some sweet moments too. This was another free book I found on the Bookbub.com website and I will say that I am glad I didn't pay for it solely because it was just "ok". There were moments and behaviors that seemed incongruous with the characters (mostly Linley), from one moment to the next that made them seem inconsistent and unbelievable. That worked on my reading nerves. There was also a different outcome I was hoping for from this book just because, as sad as it would have been, it would have been a great spin on the originality of the storyline. Anyone who has read this before probably knows what situation I am talking about. I think a lot of the reasoning behind my rating is due to the ending; I wanted it to end differently and it didn't. Do I think it was worth the read?? Maybe/maybe not, this book will NOT resonant with me like others have so that tells me a lot.
July 30, 2017
There was obviously a lot of time, effort, and research poured into the contents of this book. They all melded together very nicely. I would much rather give up the sexually descriptive scenes to have learned more about how the archeological party reunited, how the father of the bride reacted to his daughter's recovery, the wedding news, as well as the place and wedding event. I felt very cheated by the conclusion of this particular book. Discovering there are three more to follow about this particular couple does not give me any hope.
I liked the book and the characters up until the explicit sexual scenes invaded the otherwise entertaining book. I don't understand why some authors think minute details convey any more imagination than allowing each reader to derive their own interpretation from those scenes. I just read the first few paragraphs of the second book through the Amazon preview and and was even further disappointed to discover that profanity has been added as well.
I am a fan of each book in a series standing on its own. This book did not meet that scrutiny. I am not a fan of having to read 4 books to find out what happens to one single couple. I am discouraged by the obvious desire of the author to stretch out the story to make more money. So I do not plan to purchase any further books in this series.
I liked the book and the characters up until the explicit sexual scenes invaded the otherwise entertaining book. I don't understand why some authors think minute details convey any more imagination than allowing each reader to derive their own interpretation from those scenes. I just read the first few paragraphs of the second book through the Amazon preview and and was even further disappointed to discover that profanity has been added as well.
I am a fan of each book in a series standing on its own. This book did not meet that scrutiny. I am not a fan of having to read 4 books to find out what happens to one single couple. I am discouraged by the obvious desire of the author to stretch out the story to make more money. So I do not plan to purchase any further books in this series.
June 20, 2022
Ein historischer Liebesroman mit einigen netten Ansätzen, aber auch einigen Tiefpunkten. Die wechselnden Schauplätze von Marokko über London und Indien hatten ihren Reiz, besonders das Kennenlernen in Marokko und das Wiedersehen in London haben mir gut gefallen. Die Liebesgeschichte war bis dahin auch wirklich süß, was mir aber nicht gefallen hat, waren die Gespräche über Sex, die fand ich unpassend. Es gab immer wieder Stellen, in denen mir die Personen zu modern und zu wenig nach 1913 klangen, auch die sehr negative Haltung zur Frauenbewegung fand ich einseitig und abwertend. Der Part in Indien war eine echte Achterbahn, auf der einen Seite spannend (besonders der Showdown am Ende), auf der anderen Seite hat ich das Buch bei den Sex-Szenen total verloren. Das war so gar nicht meins. Wirklich gar nicht.
Gelockt hat mich auch das archäologische Setting, aber mit Archäologie hat das Buch nichts zu tun. Besonders die Reise in Indien ist die reinste Katastrophe, keinerlei Vorbereitung, kein Proviant, null archäologische Forschung, reine Schatzjägerei. Auch ist der Rest des Teams, mit einer Ausnahme, ein echt unsympathische Truppe und ich hätte ihnen allen gewünscht, dass sie scheitern.
Gelockt hat mich auch das archäologische Setting, aber mit Archäologie hat das Buch nichts zu tun. Besonders die Reise in Indien ist die reinste Katastrophe, keinerlei Vorbereitung, kein Proviant, null archäologische Forschung, reine Schatzjägerei. Auch ist der Rest des Teams, mit einer Ausnahme, ein echt unsympathische Truppe und ich hätte ihnen allen gewünscht, dass sie scheitern.
December 6, 2015
Shades of Georgette Heyer mixed up with a bit of Far Eastern travel!
A story involving a young girl, brought up by her father in a very unconventional style (for the time). Living her life in archaelogical ruins and coming to London as they are dead broke and he must find a financier for his next trip to discover the temple ruins which beckon so enticingly. Linley knows that her duty is to help her father obtain those finances by hook or by crook and to this end she goes along with his plans in London.
Meeting up with a Marquess seems fortuitous but things are not what they seem as he is not as well heeled as he sounds. His main idea was to find an heiress and marry her to bolster the family fortunes. Meeting Linley puts a spoke in the wheel in that scheme of things!
Covering London with all its conventionality at the times, and then moving across to Northern India almost at the Nepalese border was descriptive enough for me.
I did not like the title though as I felt it was not apt for the very lovely story it covered.
A story involving a young girl, brought up by her father in a very unconventional style (for the time). Living her life in archaelogical ruins and coming to London as they are dead broke and he must find a financier for his next trip to discover the temple ruins which beckon so enticingly. Linley knows that her duty is to help her father obtain those finances by hook or by crook and to this end she goes along with his plans in London.
Meeting up with a Marquess seems fortuitous but things are not what they seem as he is not as well heeled as he sounds. His main idea was to find an heiress and marry her to bolster the family fortunes. Meeting Linley puts a spoke in the wheel in that scheme of things!
Covering London with all its conventionality at the times, and then moving across to Northern India almost at the Nepalese border was descriptive enough for me.
I did not like the title though as I felt it was not apt for the very lovely story it covered.
January 25, 2024
I read this for my 2024 Romance Around The Ages Challenge. It is difficult to find very many Edwardian HR, so I decided to give this one a try.
Both Linley and Patrick were likable characters, but they also had their foolish moments. The story was fun and adventurous. The setting took place in Morocco, London, and India. I would recommend if looking for something around the world.
Another unique thing about this series is books two and three are also Patrick and Linley rather than new H and h. Book 2 is set in WWI, so I think I will read it as well.
Both Linley and Patrick were likable characters, but they also had their foolish moments. The story was fun and adventurous. The setting took place in Morocco, London, and India. I would recommend if looking for something around the world.
Another unique thing about this series is books two and three are also Patrick and Linley rather than new H and h. Book 2 is set in WWI, so I think I will read it as well.
June 7, 2017
First, this is a cliffhanger book; which is not told in the blurb. Second, this isn't really a historical romance, which I've read lots of. Third, the book is at it's best at the beginning, and is downhill from there.
The beginning of the book is the best part. But the latter half of the book is not very good, and rather gruesome towards the end. The characters aren't that great, and the storyline drags on too long and isn't very good.
Bright spot is I picked this book up for free.
The beginning of the book is the best part. But the latter half of the book is not very good, and rather gruesome towards the end. The characters aren't that great, and the storyline drags on too long and isn't very good.
Bright spot is I picked this book up for free.
February 23, 2017
UGH. I can't believe I actually finished this book. It started out promising, but just got ridiculous and more frustrating as the chapters wore on. Linley was the most frustrating character. I liked her initially, but she turned into a completely different person by the end.
November 15, 2015
I will admit that I read this just as a lovey-dovey fluff piece, but I was very pleasantly surprised by what I found! This book has a depth I wasn't expecting and fairly believable characters that I was able to connect with which was completely unexpected. I wish the ending had been drawn out more, but overall a really enjoyable read!
May 19, 2017
I have read this book, but I don't remember how long ago. I think a few years ago. What is more important, I remember that I enjoyed that a novel took place in an interesting places (this was why I had hopes that it would be worth reading). But I fear that it wasn't very much accurate with a historical reality (probability of a human behaviour, manners and so on). Nonetheless, if I recall it correctly, a romance had a few nice points.
It is for free now on Amazon. As for free you can give it a try. Perhaps you will like it more than me.
It is for free now on Amazon. As for free you can give it a try. Perhaps you will like it more than me.
September 20, 2021
It's well written, with quite an adventure but I didn't like overwrought romance. The h's father is selfish, and he's taught her to be the same. She talks about being free all the while living on money they had begged from others. Truly awful people, little better than swindlers but they both thought themselves so much better than the H. He was lonely, titled, with entailed assets and lives in poverty. He was a Hero in the end, but it's only a HFN. I won't buy the next book, he deserved better than her.
September 13, 2021
This is book one of a series that has been on my Kindle for some time. Though I did enjoy parts of it, I was not enthralled enough to continue with the series. The best part of the story was the author's descriptions of foreign lands in the early 1900s. They were vivid and alive. You could imagine the characters in Morocco or in India and feel the action through them. I did find it intense at times and very gritty and life-threatening. I think I just prefer a little less action in my romances. It is a well-written book and others would probably enjoy it more.
September 3, 2017
I don't typically read historical fiction from this time period but it sounded interesting. The first half was good with Linley and Patrick meeting and Linley getting introduced to London life. However, things go downhill fast once the head to India. Linley has a series of awkward conversations that made me cringe. Regardless of her upringing, I have a really hard time with a smart girl like her being so naive about basic social protocols and expectations. She also flip flops from being an independent and capable women to throwing tantrums like a spoiled brat. Too much character inconsistency for me.
June 23, 2015
An interesting story that does a credible job of presenting attitudes and habits of the time period it's set in. Lindley's father makes absolute decisions even to the point of hauling his daughter up the mountains in Tibet. Patrick expects his wife to be a virgin. The old-fashioned attitudes are striking to a modern perspective, but the sex scenes aren't old-fashioned which makes for an awkward fit. Otherwise well-written with a strong love story.
April 27, 2015
This was another book introduced to me by BookBub, it sounded good with all the travel and adventure.
It was not that great. Although they went to exotic places, it was more about these two being together and not telling each other they were in love with the other. It was good writing, not very exciting, and of course there was turmoil and someone had to be near death. All in all, I say "meh".
It was not that great. Although they went to exotic places, it was more about these two being together and not telling each other they were in love with the other. It was good writing, not very exciting, and of course there was turmoil and someone had to be near death. All in all, I say "meh".
May 6, 2015
Lovely Story!
It looks like they got it right. True love is rare and precious, and if you find it, you should cherish it. Nothing lasts forever, enjoy every moment like it's the last.
It looks like they got it right. True love is rare and precious, and if you find it, you should cherish it. Nothing lasts forever, enjoy every moment like it's the last.
November 19, 2015
Very good.
I visualize the the characters from the English Patient while reading. Finley an archeologists daughter and Patrick an English Lord are exact opposites but was drawn to each other. Their adventure is riveting. I am looking forward to their next adventure.
I visualize the the characters from the English Patient while reading. Finley an archeologists daughter and Patrick an English Lord are exact opposites but was drawn to each other. Their adventure is riveting. I am looking forward to their next adventure.
November 21, 2015
Okay, mindless read.
Beach read, maybe. A bit too obvious for my taste. More background, details about archeology or the monks, or anything might provide some substance, but it's lacking. Don't think I'll continue with the trilogy.
Beach read, maybe. A bit too obvious for my taste. More background, details about archeology or the monks, or anything might provide some substance, but it's lacking. Don't think I'll continue with the trilogy.
November 28, 2016
3.5 stars. The book started out well, but it got progressively more irritating, fake, and a little ridiculous. I wanted to like it, but I just wasn't sold on the characters. I'm probably being a little harsh, but I definitely wouldn't have wanted to spend money on it (I got it free through iBooks)
Want to read
March 9, 2015Free 03-09-15 (Historic Romance 1913)
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Never-Tire...
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Never-Tire...
May 4, 2015
I really wanted to like this book, after reading the synopsis, but I couldn't. The story was all over the place. The lead characters were not consistent. I did push through and finish the book.
April 30, 2015
Good fun historical romance with a difference. Nice prose and a plot that drew me in. My real gripe is the 'clunky' title that somehow sounds all wrong.
November 19, 2015
Excellent
A wonderful historical tale set just prior to WWI. This should be made into a movie or BBC series. Interesting places and characters.
A wonderful historical tale set just prior to WWI. This should be made into a movie or BBC series. Interesting places and characters.
October 19, 2016
3.5 out of 5 stars
December 27, 2017
This book was terrible. I won't even bother with a review. Thankfully it was free!
August 17, 2017
Patrick Wolford, Marquess of Kyre, feels bored and empty. Looking for some excitement he travels to South Africa for big game hunting, and along the way he runs into Linley Talbot-Martin. She's not like anyone he's ever met before: she wears pants, travels unchaperoned and unafraid, and has none of the delicate accomplishments expected from a woman of her class. After a few intense days together, they part ways. Unexpectedly they meet again in London, where Linley's father is being knighted and Linley is making her debut. Patrick squires her around town to all the right parties. He even helps her secure funding for her father's next archaeological expedition, this time to India to look for lost Buddhist scrolls. And, it turns out, he's not willing to give her up, and insists on accompanying the expedition to India. Their travels turn out to be wildly dangerous, and after
Apparently this is part of a series, and their travels continue after this book ends. I don't care. This book started strong, with Linley evincing competence and strength of mind and character, and Patrick being fascinated and admiring, but also a little wary of her oddities. In London, we meet the only other female character, a grasping manipulative harpy who chases after Patrick and tries to ruin Linley. Not a fan. There are also some weird prejudices that sneak in: Patrick and Linely run into suffragettes repeatedly, and every time they make a point to talk about how awful and violent their actions are, and how unnecessary their cause is. Patrick and Linely have a whole conversation about how unfair it is that Patrick couldn't inherit all his father's wealth due to taxes. It's historically plausible for the characters to have these views, but also odd that the author chose to lean on these particular opinions.
Once they got to India, this book went solidly south for me. The landscape of India is given a bit of attention, as are the physical details of traveling and camping, but the actual people of India get only a couple sentences in the entire book and get no names or personalities, even though some of them travel with the expedition for weeks (? not sure of the timeline, but definitely a while). Sir Talbot-Martin is supposedly a great archaeologist, but he doesn't act like one: he gives up on a ruin within minutes of finding it, and then heads vaguely toward mountains in hope that there's a monastery in them. He doesn't bother to ask anyone who lives in the area, doesn't have a guide or anyone who speaks any of the languages of the area, and himself has no knowledge of the area or where to find anything. Then when they stumble upon a monastery, starving and about to die, the monks kindly take them in and ask for nothing in return, not even labor. In return, he secretly tries to steal their scrolls. It's in line with archaeology of the period, but I expected the narrative to be less blase and maybe a little condemnatory of it. Even worse, Linley transforms from the bold, competent character of the first few chapters into someone who continually has to be held, comforted, and saved.
Meanwhile, Patrick and Linley are having a torrid affair, all the while tearing themselves up because they can't be married. Why can't they be married, you might ask. They're both of age, of the same class, and could live comfortably on the income Patrick's tenants bring in. But Linley is convinced she can't marry because then she'll have to give up on traveling (even though Patrick seems happy to travel with her). And Patrick is sure that he needs to marry money, saying, "'I am desperate for money. The only way I can get it is if I whore myself out to an heiress.'" Someone needs to sit Patrick down and explain to him that he travels luxuriously every year, has multiple houses, a Rolls-Royce, entire chests of real jewels, servants, bespoke clothing replenished every Spring...and that none of these things are necessary. He doesn't ever even really seem to come to that conclusion, though. Just, at the end of the novel he's like After hundreds of pages of these two twits making themselves miserable because they both wanted and didn't want to marry each other, the final coming together was too little, too late for me.
Apparently this is part of a series, and their travels continue after this book ends. I don't care. This book started strong, with Linley evincing competence and strength of mind and character, and Patrick being fascinated and admiring, but also a little wary of her oddities. In London, we meet the only other female character, a grasping manipulative harpy who chases after Patrick and tries to ruin Linley. Not a fan. There are also some weird prejudices that sneak in: Patrick and Linely run into suffragettes repeatedly, and every time they make a point to talk about how awful and violent their actions are, and how unnecessary their cause is. Patrick and Linely have a whole conversation about how unfair it is that Patrick couldn't inherit all his father's wealth due to taxes. It's historically plausible for the characters to have these views, but also odd that the author chose to lean on these particular opinions.
Once they got to India, this book went solidly south for me. The landscape of India is given a bit of attention, as are the physical details of traveling and camping, but the actual people of India get only a couple sentences in the entire book and get no names or personalities, even though some of them travel with the expedition for weeks (? not sure of the timeline, but definitely a while). Sir Talbot-Martin is supposedly a great archaeologist, but he doesn't act like one: he gives up on a ruin within minutes of finding it, and then heads vaguely toward mountains in hope that there's a monastery in them. He doesn't bother to ask anyone who lives in the area, doesn't have a guide or anyone who speaks any of the languages of the area, and himself has no knowledge of the area or where to find anything. Then when they stumble upon a monastery, starving and about to die, the monks kindly take them in and ask for nothing in return, not even labor. In return, he secretly tries to steal their scrolls. It's in line with archaeology of the period, but I expected the narrative to be less blase and maybe a little condemnatory of it. Even worse, Linley transforms from the bold, competent character of the first few chapters into someone who continually has to be held, comforted, and saved.
Meanwhile, Patrick and Linley are having a torrid affair, all the while tearing themselves up because they can't be married. Why can't they be married, you might ask. They're both of age, of the same class, and could live comfortably on the income Patrick's tenants bring in. But Linley is convinced she can't marry because then she'll have to give up on traveling (even though Patrick seems happy to travel with her). And Patrick is sure that he needs to marry money, saying, "'I am desperate for money. The only way I can get it is if I whore myself out to an heiress.'" Someone needs to sit Patrick down and explain to him that he travels luxuriously every year, has multiple houses, a Rolls-Royce, entire chests of real jewels, servants, bespoke clothing replenished every Spring...and that none of these things are necessary. He doesn't ever even really seem to come to that conclusion, though. Just, at the end of the novel he's like After hundreds of pages of these two twits making themselves miserable because they both wanted and didn't want to marry each other, the final coming together was too little, too late for me.
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