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Liliane
This is Liliane -- a beautiful woman swept by the storms of history from the embattled France of Napoleon to Virginia where violence simmered beneath the surface of slavery-dependent plantation life.
Warm, passionate -- a woman alone -- she sought refuge, but found instead turmoil, with two handsome, powerful brothers vying for her. One tantalized her with desire but would not marry her. The other proposed marriage, but concealed a dark secret that tinged his love with terror.
- GenresHistorical RomanceGothic
398 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 17, 2025
A great, authentic feel to the historic setting, first in France during the Terror and Napoleon's rise, subsequently in Virginia, where the charmed life of the white plantation owners is contrasted vividly with the inhumane conditions of the enslaved persons who toil for them.
The bulk of the story is focused on the Virginia mansion where our French aristocrat protagonist, the Liliane of the title, takes refuge. She finds herself embroiled in a creepy and dramatic gothic tale: incest, adultery, illegitimacy, torture, insanity, murder. There is even a secret tunnel filled with the bleached bones of English soldiers who were disposed of by American revolutionaries. Good stuff.
Why not a higher rating? *sigh* I am such a sucker for a good romance but this aspect of the story was under-developed. Read it for a strong heroine and for the intrigue.
The bulk of the story is focused on the Virginia mansion where our French aristocrat protagonist, the Liliane of the title, takes refuge. She finds herself embroiled in a creepy and dramatic gothic tale: incest, adultery, illegitimacy, torture, insanity, murder. There is even a secret tunnel filled with the bleached bones of English soldiers who were disposed of by American revolutionaries. Good stuff.
Why not a higher rating? *sigh* I am such a sucker for a good romance but this aspect of the story was under-developed. Read it for a strong heroine and for the intrigue.
June 30, 2017
This book felt very similar to Victoria Holt -- ultimately worth the effort with gripping scenes scattered throughout, but hampered by uneven pacing.
Overall it's a good story with interesting characters (esp Laura, Charles, & George). I liked that narrator Liliane didn't clutch her pearls over teenage marriage & lusty desires; her reluctance to become involved with George is divided equally between material & moral concerns, as opposed to fainting dead away at the idea of peen. The side-plot of her niece Amanda & the neighbor boy was telegraphed as a tragedy in the making -- which it was -- so one can't help sharing Liliane's frustration when her sound advice is repeatedly ignored as too loose-minded & Continental.
...Speaking of the hero, George was lovely. Tall & burly & not much of a talker, but very capable & decisive when necessary. Gotta love a guy who defends his woman by brawling down the gigantic, murderous slave with his bare hands. ;)
The setting is what I would call Late Colonial -- technically Napoleonic, but as this was set in Virginia during the Jefferson presidency, it's dealing with colonial topics like the Louisiana purchase & establishment of plantation life (an esp cringe-worthy choice for the reader, given how that turned out 50 years later). It's not an era I'm fond of reading, but this one managed to hold my attention.
Squick list:
Not much by my standards. A couple attempted rapes, some moderate plantation violence, & secret (consensual) incest.
Overall it's a good story with interesting characters (esp Laura, Charles, & George). I liked that narrator Liliane didn't clutch her pearls over teenage marriage & lusty desires; her reluctance to become involved with George is divided equally between material & moral concerns, as opposed to fainting dead away at the idea of peen. The side-plot of her niece Amanda & the neighbor boy was telegraphed as a tragedy in the making -- which it was -- so one can't help sharing Liliane's frustration when her sound advice is repeatedly ignored as too loose-minded & Continental.
...Speaking of the hero, George was lovely. Tall & burly & not much of a talker, but very capable & decisive when necessary. Gotta love a guy who defends his woman by brawling down the gigantic, murderous slave with his bare hands. ;)
The setting is what I would call Late Colonial -- technically Napoleonic, but as this was set in Virginia during the Jefferson presidency, it's dealing with colonial topics like the Louisiana purchase & establishment of plantation life (an esp cringe-worthy choice for the reader, given how that turned out 50 years later). It's not an era I'm fond of reading, but this one managed to hold my attention.
Squick list:
Not much by my standards. A couple attempted rapes, some moderate plantation violence, & secret (consensual) incest.
July 17, 2010
Enjoyable read. Details here, http://misfitandmom.wordpress.com/201...
October 3, 2012
The first sentence in the novel: "The May night was black as the heart of a Paris chimney as I fled that dangerous city with my small daughter held close to me."
This is one of favorite historical romances, despite it being written in the 1970's. Ann Forman Borron writes this under the pseudonym Annabel Erwin. It is excellently written in the first person, and takes place in 1802. The novel is 398 pages but because it is published in small print, it would easily be over 500 pages had it been published today with current standard print sizes.
Liliane is the story about a strong 22 year old woman, who after the death of her husband (killed by Napoleon's soldiers) leaves France for America with her 4 year old daughter, after receiving an invitation from her sister. She arrives to her sister's home during a snow storm, and discovers her sister has died a few days prior from a mysterious illness, leaving her husband (Andrew)a widower with a young child. Andrew convinces her to stay and live with him and his extended wealthy family (originally from London). A love triangle develops, where the heroine's brother-in-laws (Andrew and George) both vie for her affection. Amongst all this, there are lavish balls, hunting tournaments, slave reprisals (written with absolute political correctness and respect), discovery of affairs, paternity of children questioned, and much much more.
The story is a true saga, with a lot of history, mystery, suspense and yes romance. Folks, this is not your ordinary romance novel, it doesn't have multiple love scenes (it has only one - that is timid at best), but what it lacks in, it makes up for with great plot and intense chemistry. Best of all, the ending was not rushed (hard to come by in a romance novel).
This is one of favorite historical romances, despite it being written in the 1970's. Ann Forman Borron writes this under the pseudonym Annabel Erwin. It is excellently written in the first person, and takes place in 1802. The novel is 398 pages but because it is published in small print, it would easily be over 500 pages had it been published today with current standard print sizes.
Liliane is the story about a strong 22 year old woman, who after the death of her husband (killed by Napoleon's soldiers) leaves France for America with her 4 year old daughter, after receiving an invitation from her sister. She arrives to her sister's home during a snow storm, and discovers her sister has died a few days prior from a mysterious illness, leaving her husband (Andrew)a widower with a young child. Andrew convinces her to stay and live with him and his extended wealthy family (originally from London). A love triangle develops, where the heroine's brother-in-laws (Andrew and George) both vie for her affection. Amongst all this, there are lavish balls, hunting tournaments, slave reprisals (written with absolute political correctness and respect), discovery of affairs, paternity of children questioned, and much much more.
The story is a true saga, with a lot of history, mystery, suspense and yes romance. Folks, this is not your ordinary romance novel, it doesn't have multiple love scenes (it has only one - that is timid at best), but what it lacks in, it makes up for with great plot and intense chemistry. Best of all, the ending was not rushed (hard to come by in a romance novel).
November 6, 2020
Its a nice story
January 6, 2021
Nice book
January 30, 2021
Wasn't a bad book but the Author was all over the place. It was like a soap opera.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews