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Regency Tales #2
My Sweet Folly
After years of innocent correspondence with her husband's cousin, Folie Hamilton had him pictured in her mind as a heroic soldier. But when he returns to London after her husband's death, Folie meets a man on the edge of madness-who both frightens and fascinates her.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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About the author
Laura Kinsale
29 books1,528 followersLaura Kinsale is a New York Times bestselling author and both winner and multiple nominee for the Best Book of the Year award given by the Romance Writers of America.
She become a romance writer after six years as a geologist--a career which consisted of getting out of bed in the middle of the night and driving hundreds of miles alone across west Texas to sit drilling rigs, wear a hard hat, and attempt to boss around oil-covered males considerably larger than herself. This, she decided, was pushing her luck. So she gave all that up to sit in a chair and stare into space for long periods of time, attempting to figure out What-Happens-Next. She and her husband David currently divide their time between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Texas.
She become a romance writer after six years as a geologist--a career which consisted of getting out of bed in the middle of the night and driving hundreds of miles alone across west Texas to sit drilling rigs, wear a hard hat, and attempt to boss around oil-covered males considerably larger than herself. This, she decided, was pushing her luck. So she gave all that up to sit in a chair and stare into space for long periods of time, attempting to figure out What-Happens-Next. She and her husband David currently divide their time between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
November 19, 2015
4.5 poignant, romantic, mysterious stars!
When I'm in a reading slump I turn to authors who I know will put a smile on my face and a sigh in my heart. Kristen Ashley, Pamela Clare, Sarah MacLean, Lisa Kleypas, to name a few... and the Kinsale/Boulton author/narrator team. Without fail I have loved each book I've listened to and find it hard to leave them behind when review obligations demand I move on. But as soon as time permits I'm right back with them, escaping to new worlds and new adventures.
Description...
“My dear girl! I could never fall in love by letter. Though I have no doubt you are a notorious breaker of hearts, not to mention a princess in disguise, and if I were a few miles closer to Toot-above-the-Batch I would be in great danger. From the safe distance of another continent, I will admit to a modest desire to see how your pearl becomes you, even to know the color of your hair and eyes, but this is mere curiosity, I assure you.” -- Your knight, RobertMy Sweet Folly is such a unique story. There were moments that things seemed to drag, but Nicholas Boulton's performance is brilliant, as always, and I loved every minute I spent with Folly and Robert!
Through their innocent correspondence, a lonely young wife grows to love an imaginary man thousands of miles away. But when Folie finally meets him in truth, reality is turned upside down. She cannot find her own cherished Robert in the frightening stranger who claims her love.
February 13, 2011
I don’t like predictable stories so when a book surprises me, it’s a good thing. Not so much with this one. The plot advanced in such a bizarre way that several times I found myself checking the cover to make sure I was reading the same book.
That first feeling of unbalance started once I got into the first 50 pgs. or so. The prologue had been brilliant, one of the best I’ve ever read. Before reading the first chapter I saw the hero and heroine fall in love (sight unseen) and knew without a doubt that they were perfect for each other. Those first few pages were so whimsical and magical that I expected the book to be an expanded version of that. Not so much. Of course I expected a conflict but it was so dark with a hero behaving in a very strange way. Neither I nor the heroine could fathom what was going on and I began to feel very scared.
Then all of a sudden, I found myself reading a suspense plot with some mythical undertones. I.kid.you.not. His strange behavior was explained but then more strange behavior ensued. He loved her but didn’t seem to know her and did something reprehensible that I’ve never seen a hero do in a romance and his explanation was…a woman from his past did it to him so he did it to the heroine! If the conflict had been about his feelings of inadequacy – he was a somewhat silly, romantic guy who had been horribly mistreated by his father, his superior and that woman from this past - then I would have gotten it, but at this point, the suspense plot had overtaken the book so I didn’t see the need for this WTF behavior. The hero from the prologue never materialized so I kept wondering (like the heroine) if he had been real.
The heroine on the other hand, was amazing, probably the wittiest heroine I’ve ever read. What we saw in the prologue continued throughout the rest of the book so there wasn’t a big disconnect as in the case of the hero. She was charming, funny, and a good mother to her stepdaughter. She was not a beauty but her great personality attracted the admiration of men. I was so glad to see a confident heroine who didn’t wither and die in a corner just because she wasn’t beautiful.
Overall, an uneven book with some really charming aspects and some other really weird ones. If you like books a bit out there, then this may be for you.
That first feeling of unbalance started once I got into the first 50 pgs. or so. The prologue had been brilliant, one of the best I’ve ever read. Before reading the first chapter I saw the hero and heroine fall in love (sight unseen) and knew without a doubt that they were perfect for each other. Those first few pages were so whimsical and magical that I expected the book to be an expanded version of that. Not so much. Of course I expected a conflict but it was so dark with a hero behaving in a very strange way. Neither I nor the heroine could fathom what was going on and I began to feel very scared.
Then all of a sudden, I found myself reading a suspense plot with some mythical undertones. I.kid.you.not. His strange behavior was explained but then more strange behavior ensued. He loved her but didn’t seem to know her and did something reprehensible that I’ve never seen a hero do in a romance and his explanation was…a woman from his past did it to him so he did it to the heroine! If the conflict had been about his feelings of inadequacy – he was a somewhat silly, romantic guy who had been horribly mistreated by his father, his superior and that woman from this past - then I would have gotten it, but at this point, the suspense plot had overtaken the book so I didn’t see the need for this WTF behavior. The hero from the prologue never materialized so I kept wondering (like the heroine) if he had been real.
The heroine on the other hand, was amazing, probably the wittiest heroine I’ve ever read. What we saw in the prologue continued throughout the rest of the book so there wasn’t a big disconnect as in the case of the hero. She was charming, funny, and a good mother to her stepdaughter. She was not a beauty but her great personality attracted the admiration of men. I was so glad to see a confident heroine who didn’t wither and die in a corner just because she wasn’t beautiful.
Overall, an uneven book with some really charming aspects and some other really weird ones. If you like books a bit out there, then this may be for you.
July 23, 2016
I've given this a B+ grade overall - broken down into B for content and A+ for narration.
In the books I’ve listened to and read so far by Laura Kinsale, I’ve often loved the heroes but found the heroines rather difficult to like. I’m thinking particularly of Maddy in Flowers from the Storm and Leigh in The Prince of Midnight, both of whom are characters whose actions with respect to the hero I could understand but didn’t particularly like.
The heroine in My Sweet Folly, however, is completely different. Folly, or Folie, to name her correctly, is warm hearted and loving, with a great sense of fun and mischief. She is put through the wringer by the hero, whom she loves wholeheartedly (sometimes against her better judgement) and yet she is not a doormat or a woman to be pitied. Even when she’s at her lowest point, Folie is strong and forgiving, instinctively knowing that the man she loves needs her help, even when his behaviour towards her is downright cruel.
I love a good epistolary romance, so the opening of the book was right up my alley as Folie and Lt. Robert Cambourne fall accidentally into a correspondence that lasts the course of several years. Their exchanges are by turns funny, romantic, and heartbreaking as they fall in love in front of our eyes. Both are lonely and immediately recognise something of a kindred spirit in the other. Folie is married to a much older man who doesn’t take much interest in her and probably only married her to provide his young daughter with a stepmother. Robert is unhappily stationed in India knowing he’s not cut out for the army, or for the political division either, when he is transferred there. But after Folie’s husband dies, and she jokingly suggests she might visit him in India, Robert’s response is crushing.
Ten years later, Folie and her stepdaughter, Melinda, are summoned to Solinger Abbey, Cambourne’s country house, because Robert is now Melinda’s guardian. On arrival, Folie is devastated to discover that her “sweet knight” is nothing like the man she had imagined all those years ago. His letters had given her to expect a man of sunny disposition, a kind man with a ready smile and wit – which couldn’t be farther from the truth. Robert may be gorgeous, but he’s saturnine and brooding with an unpredictable and forbidding manner and, truth be told, Folie is more than a little disturbed by him. She mourns the loss of her imaginary knight, even as she tells herself it’s ridiculous to do so. Yet, she can’t help worrying about him, especially when she catches the odd glimpse of the man she had believed him to be.
My Sweet Folly is part romance, part thriller, and while Ms. Kinsale certainly keeps things moving, I felt that overall the story was somewhat uneven. In the first part of the book, it seems that Robert is on the brink of madness as he acts harshly and inconsistently. He speaks to (and is spoken to by) a dead woman and is unable to leave the house because of his irrational fears. He is still in love with Folie but his driving need to keep her safe from whatever evil he believes will threaten her because of her involvement with him, makes him tyrannical and only fosters Folie’s belief that he is insane.
The thriller element comes to the fore in the story somewhere around the halfway mark. It’s a complex but enjoyable storyline involving blackmail, political intrigue, and revenge and even though I thought it was a little far-fetched at times, I nonetheless enjoyed it.
Due to a number of events and circumstances not of their making, Folie is inadvertently compromised and so she and Robert marry in order to preserve her reputation. Of course, they’re both desperately in love with each other while having no idea of the other’s feelings, and there’s a rather lovely air of domesticity about them later in the book, especially in the scenes where Folie is acting as a sort of secretary to Robert and his colleagues. But while they may be good companions, the physical side of their relationship gets off to a very rocky start as Robert makes a completely irrational and muddle-headed decision as a way of protecting himself from future hurt. He does something rather unpleasant which has been mentioned often in reviews of the book, and, in my opinion, strikes rather a nonsensical note in a story that already contains more than enough sudden shifts in tone and direction. I’ll admit that I reached this point in the audio with some trepidation, wondering how on earth Nicholas Boulton was going to make it work without it sounding either laughable or crass. But he perfectly communicated the emotional purport of the scene, Folie’s naïveté, and Robert’s controlled callousness.
But fortunately for Robert (and for the reader) Folie is not one of those romantic heroines who feels that she must wait for a declaration from the hero before making one or her own, or the sort of heroine who will allow potential embarrassment to keep her from the man she loves. Even though she is bewildered and hurt by his contradictory behaviour towards her - warm one minute and cold the next - she remembers something she had once said to Melinda; that “to be loved, you must love” … and realises she needs to take her own advice if she is to have any chance of making a future with Robert.
Despite the reservations I’ve mentioned, I enjoyed listening toMy Sweet Folly. Nicholas Boulton’s name has become synonymous with outstanding when it comes to audiobooks and he once again delivers an insightful and sympathetic performance. He uses a wide range of tone and accent to clearly delineate every character from the principals down to the “bit parts” of servants and gullible society matrons, and his performance of Robert Cambourne convinces at every turn. Robert is one of the most tortured heroes I’ve come across, and his inner demons drive him to be a not particularly nice person a lot of the time. In the utterly delightful correspondence at the beginning, he’s flirtatious and romantic, qualities which enable the listener to remember that there’s a lovely and loving man trapped inside him somewhere during the events which follow. For most of the first half of the book, he’s in the grip of mania and sounds brittle and unsettled, his deep voice imbued with a harshness that expertly conveys the impression of a man on the edge. Later, Robert is commanding and authoritative, a man you’d want on your side in a fight yet he can be charming and tender towards Folie, his voice infused with affection until he remembers that the best way to keep her safe is to push her away.
While, as I’ve said earlier, I felt that the story was rather uneven overall, it was as beautifully and intelligently written as I’ve come to expect from this author, and as superbly narrated as I’ve come to expect from this performer. I thought that the relationship between Robert and Folie, while not always easy or comfortable, was especially well drawn. The affection conveyed by their letters is palpable and even later on, when things are not going so well for them, there’s a strong undercurrent of sexual tension and attraction pulling them together.
Folie is without doubt one of the most engaging heroines I’ve come across in the genre; she’s sensible, loving, and witty and even though there were times I thought she should tell Robert to take a hike, the Robert she (and the reader/listener) had come to know through his letters was thoroughly deserving of her.
In the books I’ve listened to and read so far by Laura Kinsale, I’ve often loved the heroes but found the heroines rather difficult to like. I’m thinking particularly of Maddy in Flowers from the Storm and Leigh in The Prince of Midnight, both of whom are characters whose actions with respect to the hero I could understand but didn’t particularly like.
The heroine in My Sweet Folly, however, is completely different. Folly, or Folie, to name her correctly, is warm hearted and loving, with a great sense of fun and mischief. She is put through the wringer by the hero, whom she loves wholeheartedly (sometimes against her better judgement) and yet she is not a doormat or a woman to be pitied. Even when she’s at her lowest point, Folie is strong and forgiving, instinctively knowing that the man she loves needs her help, even when his behaviour towards her is downright cruel.
I love a good epistolary romance, so the opening of the book was right up my alley as Folie and Lt. Robert Cambourne fall accidentally into a correspondence that lasts the course of several years. Their exchanges are by turns funny, romantic, and heartbreaking as they fall in love in front of our eyes. Both are lonely and immediately recognise something of a kindred spirit in the other. Folie is married to a much older man who doesn’t take much interest in her and probably only married her to provide his young daughter with a stepmother. Robert is unhappily stationed in India knowing he’s not cut out for the army, or for the political division either, when he is transferred there. But after Folie’s husband dies, and she jokingly suggests she might visit him in India, Robert’s response is crushing.
Ten years later, Folie and her stepdaughter, Melinda, are summoned to Solinger Abbey, Cambourne’s country house, because Robert is now Melinda’s guardian. On arrival, Folie is devastated to discover that her “sweet knight” is nothing like the man she had imagined all those years ago. His letters had given her to expect a man of sunny disposition, a kind man with a ready smile and wit – which couldn’t be farther from the truth. Robert may be gorgeous, but he’s saturnine and brooding with an unpredictable and forbidding manner and, truth be told, Folie is more than a little disturbed by him. She mourns the loss of her imaginary knight, even as she tells herself it’s ridiculous to do so. Yet, she can’t help worrying about him, especially when she catches the odd glimpse of the man she had believed him to be.
My Sweet Folly is part romance, part thriller, and while Ms. Kinsale certainly keeps things moving, I felt that overall the story was somewhat uneven. In the first part of the book, it seems that Robert is on the brink of madness as he acts harshly and inconsistently. He speaks to (and is spoken to by) a dead woman and is unable to leave the house because of his irrational fears. He is still in love with Folie but his driving need to keep her safe from whatever evil he believes will threaten her because of her involvement with him, makes him tyrannical and only fosters Folie’s belief that he is insane.
The thriller element comes to the fore in the story somewhere around the halfway mark. It’s a complex but enjoyable storyline involving blackmail, political intrigue, and revenge and even though I thought it was a little far-fetched at times, I nonetheless enjoyed it.
Due to a number of events and circumstances not of their making, Folie is inadvertently compromised and so she and Robert marry in order to preserve her reputation. Of course, they’re both desperately in love with each other while having no idea of the other’s feelings, and there’s a rather lovely air of domesticity about them later in the book, especially in the scenes where Folie is acting as a sort of secretary to Robert and his colleagues. But while they may be good companions, the physical side of their relationship gets off to a very rocky start as Robert makes a completely irrational and muddle-headed decision as a way of protecting himself from future hurt. He does something rather unpleasant which has been mentioned often in reviews of the book, and, in my opinion, strikes rather a nonsensical note in a story that already contains more than enough sudden shifts in tone and direction. I’ll admit that I reached this point in the audio with some trepidation, wondering how on earth Nicholas Boulton was going to make it work without it sounding either laughable or crass. But he perfectly communicated the emotional purport of the scene, Folie’s naïveté, and Robert’s controlled callousness.
But fortunately for Robert (and for the reader) Folie is not one of those romantic heroines who feels that she must wait for a declaration from the hero before making one or her own, or the sort of heroine who will allow potential embarrassment to keep her from the man she loves. Even though she is bewildered and hurt by his contradictory behaviour towards her - warm one minute and cold the next - she remembers something she had once said to Melinda; that “to be loved, you must love” … and realises she needs to take her own advice if she is to have any chance of making a future with Robert.
Despite the reservations I’ve mentioned, I enjoyed listening toMy Sweet Folly. Nicholas Boulton’s name has become synonymous with outstanding when it comes to audiobooks and he once again delivers an insightful and sympathetic performance. He uses a wide range of tone and accent to clearly delineate every character from the principals down to the “bit parts” of servants and gullible society matrons, and his performance of Robert Cambourne convinces at every turn. Robert is one of the most tortured heroes I’ve come across, and his inner demons drive him to be a not particularly nice person a lot of the time. In the utterly delightful correspondence at the beginning, he’s flirtatious and romantic, qualities which enable the listener to remember that there’s a lovely and loving man trapped inside him somewhere during the events which follow. For most of the first half of the book, he’s in the grip of mania and sounds brittle and unsettled, his deep voice imbued with a harshness that expertly conveys the impression of a man on the edge. Later, Robert is commanding and authoritative, a man you’d want on your side in a fight yet he can be charming and tender towards Folie, his voice infused with affection until he remembers that the best way to keep her safe is to push her away.
While, as I’ve said earlier, I felt that the story was rather uneven overall, it was as beautifully and intelligently written as I’ve come to expect from this author, and as superbly narrated as I’ve come to expect from this performer. I thought that the relationship between Robert and Folie, while not always easy or comfortable, was especially well drawn. The affection conveyed by their letters is palpable and even later on, when things are not going so well for them, there’s a strong undercurrent of sexual tension and attraction pulling them together.
Folie is without doubt one of the most engaging heroines I’ve come across in the genre; she’s sensible, loving, and witty and even though there were times I thought she should tell Robert to take a hike, the Robert she (and the reader/listener) had come to know through his letters was thoroughly deserving of her.
March 8, 2024
Read: 3/7/24
This book was just agony for me! So boring!
The story starts off great! Robert (India) and Foli (England) have been corresponding for years. Though they have never met , they fall in love through their letters. After the death of her husband, Foli begins to dream of a happy life with Robert. Unfortunately, Robert just married, and he heartbreakingly stops writing to her. For 6 years, she hears nothing from him until a leter arrives. Foli's stepdaughter's guardian is Robert, and he demands that both women come to his home.
Foli is shocked to see Robert. This is not the man she fell in love with. Robert is going mad and lashing out at others. He later discovers he is being poisoned and he needs to find out why and by whom? Foli accidentally discovers the truth (@ 150 pages) and soon helps with the investigation.
So , will these two ever gain back their love and friendship?
Problems:
I could care less about Robert! It's a shame because he had an interesting backstory. He lived in India, visited sharmans, had an evil dead wife, and someone is trying to poison him. All the elements for a great character, right? Well, no! Unfortunately, his personality was dull, and the story lacked romance. Robert was always pushing Foli away and comparing her to his ex. --- never good. Sadly, the author never gave me a reason to root for him.
Foli was a great h stuck in a bad book. She doesn't shine as bright as she should have thanks to the bad writing (sorry LK). . Frankly, she deserved better!
Conclusion: I never cared about discovering the victims identity because I never cared about the H! I was almost hoping LK would kill him off so the story could focus on Foli. Too harsh?
I know many people loved this book (sorry). I'm a little puzzled as to why? LK can write better than this book.
TBH, faster pacing could have saved this book. Instead, it was just boring, and I had to really push myself to finish it.
This book was just agony for me! So boring!
The story starts off great! Robert (India) and Foli (England) have been corresponding for years. Though they have never met , they fall in love through their letters. After the death of her husband, Foli begins to dream of a happy life with Robert. Unfortunately, Robert just married, and he heartbreakingly stops writing to her. For 6 years, she hears nothing from him until a leter arrives. Foli's stepdaughter's guardian is Robert, and he demands that both women come to his home.
Foli is shocked to see Robert. This is not the man she fell in love with. Robert is going mad and lashing out at others. He later discovers he is being poisoned and he needs to find out why and by whom? Foli accidentally discovers the truth (@ 150 pages) and soon helps with the investigation.
So , will these two ever gain back their love and friendship?
Problems:
I could care less about Robert! It's a shame because he had an interesting backstory. He lived in India, visited sharmans, had an evil dead wife, and someone is trying to poison him. All the elements for a great character, right? Well, no! Unfortunately, his personality was dull, and the story lacked romance. Robert was always pushing Foli away and comparing her to his ex. --- never good. Sadly, the author never gave me a reason to root for him.
Foli was a great h stuck in a bad book. She doesn't shine as bright as she should have thanks to the bad writing (sorry LK). . Frankly, she deserved better!
Conclusion: I never cared about discovering the victims identity because I never cared about the H! I was almost hoping LK would kill him off so the story could focus on Foli. Too harsh?
I know many people loved this book (sorry). I'm a little puzzled as to why? LK can write better than this book.
TBH, faster pacing could have saved this book. Instead, it was just boring, and I had to really push myself to finish it.
February 25, 2018
3.8
She could hardly remember the unhappy girl she must have been, to develop such a passion for a man who was no more than ink upon paper.
Lo que comienza como un intercambio postal entre Folie Hamilton y Robert Cambourne, primo de su esposo, mientras este esta en la India en 1800s se convierte en una amistad con los años y luego en algo más. Sin embargo, al quedar ella viuda siete años después, él corta abruptamente la correspondencia. Años más tarde, Folie tiene 30 años , su hijastra esta en edad de presentarse en sociedad para buscar marido, y Robert es ahora su tutor legal.
La correspondencia entre ambos es una delicia.
El encuentro cara a cara entre ambos protagonistas pasa a convertir la trama en una de esas historias donde uno no esta seguro si el personaje esta loco, lo quieren volver loco, y se queda elaborando teorias descabelladas entre paranoia y sinsentidos que nos dejan en confusión.
Para cuando Robert decide dejar de esconderse y empezar a actuar como un caballero excéntrico y místico , mientras mantiene a "su dulce Folly" alejada con una vara de resentimiento uno empieza a preguntarse para donde va el libro.
A pesar de todos los altibajos del libro, me gustó. Por otra parte, lo que menos me gustó fue el comportamiento de Robert cuando no puede deshacerse de toda su amargura y comete el error de muchos de desquitarse con quien menos le ha hecho daño. Humano tal vez, pero da bastante rabia. (Eso es lo que le quita puntos a la historia, de paso).
La trama es entretenida, hay personajes de la época mencionados de los salones aristócratas (Mrs. Melbourne, Byron; Altman's) y da un vistazo de la sociedad inglesa de clase alta del periodo de la regencia. Sin embargo, pareciera que la historia fue retomada por la autora durante tres periodos -o tras varios años- diferentes, y va en tres direcciones diferentes en consecuencia.
Uno se encuentra tan extrañada como Folie con este personaje que es divertido aunque a veces depresivo perdido en tierras lejanas mientras deja entrever que se siente inadecuado frente a las expectativas de su padre en cuanto a su trabajo en la compañia de Indias y en su poco avance en el ejército. Me gusta cuando menciona que le va mal en contabilidad y que se pierde jaja, en eso me identifico.
Lately I have been out of the cantonments more than usual, the army having given up on my soldiering abilities, for which I can hardly blame them after I thrice lost the way back to Delhi from Lahore with my patrol. (The wife of a Pathan robber very kindly led us into Ambala.) On account of my father, they cannot quite cashier me, but I have been assigned to the much-despised political side, which seems to consist of a lot of talk and roaming in bazaars, which suits me well enough. My father has warned me never to darken his door again. I suppose that suits me also.
Pero luego con eso de Y esa casona con dragones y tallas fantasmagoricas parece que fuera el padre al que le faltaba un tornillo o cuatro.
Lo de Lander sorprende, es como 'no me digas que conveniente' .roll eyes.
Otra cosa que me sorprende es que de no entenderse con la hijastra pasa ella a ser la más querida de las madres ...
I am perhaps a little dishonest in my life; I pretend to love my stepdaughter, I pretend to love my husband — and it is not quite that I do not love them, but that they really do not love me, and so I cannot seem to hit upon what will please them. Actually I do not seem to see them very often; Melinda is at her academy for young ladies, being polished to a high sheen; and Mr. Hamilton is a crusading amateur florist and hybridizer.
Cierto ambos se enamoran un desconocido como un escape a una vida infeliz , pero cuando se encuentran el hombre esta amargado y no muy feliz con el matrimonio.
“I think you are all frozen up in rust already, sweet knight,” she said, with an odd, unexpected note of affection. “You stand here stupefied because none of your joints will move.”
Claro, la mujer ya sabemos esta aun más atrapada entre no disponer de nada sin el permiso de un hombre y no poder hacer nada ni vivir sola por lo que dira la sociedad y ademas repercutirá sobre los prospectos de matrimonio de la linda Melinda la hijastra ( y de paso que lata que lo unico valioso que se menciona de la chica es que es hermosa, ug)
“There are things locked so deep that tears cannot reach them, Folly,” he said quietly.
She could hardly remember the unhappy girl she must have been, to develop such a passion for a man who was no more than ink upon paper.
Lo que comienza como un intercambio postal entre Folie Hamilton y Robert Cambourne, primo de su esposo, mientras este esta en la India en 1800s se convierte en una amistad con los años y luego en algo más. Sin embargo, al quedar ella viuda siete años después, él corta abruptamente la correspondencia. Años más tarde, Folie tiene 30 años , su hijastra esta en edad de presentarse en sociedad para buscar marido, y Robert es ahora su tutor legal.
La correspondencia entre ambos es una delicia.
El encuentro cara a cara entre ambos protagonistas pasa a convertir la trama en una de esas historias donde uno no esta seguro si el personaje esta loco, lo quieren volver loco, y se queda elaborando teorias descabelladas entre paranoia y sinsentidos que nos dejan en confusión.
Para cuando Robert decide dejar de esconderse y empezar a actuar como un caballero excéntrico y místico , mientras mantiene a "su dulce Folly" alejada con una vara de resentimiento uno empieza a preguntarse para donde va el libro.
A pesar de todos los altibajos del libro, me gustó. Por otra parte, lo que menos me gustó fue el comportamiento de Robert cuando no puede deshacerse de toda su amargura y comete el error de muchos de desquitarse con quien menos le ha hecho daño. Humano tal vez, pero da bastante rabia. (Eso es lo que le quita puntos a la historia, de paso).
La trama es entretenida, hay personajes de la época mencionados de los salones aristócratas (Mrs. Melbourne, Byron; Altman's) y da un vistazo de la sociedad inglesa de clase alta del periodo de la regencia. Sin embargo, pareciera que la historia fue retomada por la autora durante tres periodos -o tras varios años- diferentes, y va en tres direcciones diferentes en consecuencia.
Uno se encuentra tan extrañada como Folie con este personaje que es divertido aunque a veces depresivo perdido en tierras lejanas mientras deja entrever que se siente inadecuado frente a las expectativas de su padre en cuanto a su trabajo en la compañia de Indias y en su poco avance en el ejército. Me gusta cuando menciona que le va mal en contabilidad y que se pierde jaja, en eso me identifico.
Lately I have been out of the cantonments more than usual, the army having given up on my soldiering abilities, for which I can hardly blame them after I thrice lost the way back to Delhi from Lahore with my patrol. (The wife of a Pathan robber very kindly led us into Ambala.) On account of my father, they cannot quite cashier me, but I have been assigned to the much-despised political side, which seems to consist of a lot of talk and roaming in bazaars, which suits me well enough. My father has warned me never to darken his door again. I suppose that suits me also.
Pero luego con eso de Y esa casona con dragones y tallas fantasmagoricas parece que fuera el padre al que le faltaba un tornillo o cuatro.
Lo de Lander sorprende, es como 'no me digas que conveniente' .roll eyes.
Otra cosa que me sorprende es que de no entenderse con la hijastra pasa ella a ser la más querida de las madres ...
I am perhaps a little dishonest in my life; I pretend to love my stepdaughter, I pretend to love my husband — and it is not quite that I do not love them, but that they really do not love me, and so I cannot seem to hit upon what will please them. Actually I do not seem to see them very often; Melinda is at her academy for young ladies, being polished to a high sheen; and Mr. Hamilton is a crusading amateur florist and hybridizer.
Cierto ambos se enamoran un desconocido como un escape a una vida infeliz , pero cuando se encuentran el hombre esta amargado y no muy feliz con el matrimonio.
“I think you are all frozen up in rust already, sweet knight,” she said, with an odd, unexpected note of affection. “You stand here stupefied because none of your joints will move.”
Claro, la mujer ya sabemos esta aun más atrapada entre no disponer de nada sin el permiso de un hombre y no poder hacer nada ni vivir sola por lo que dira la sociedad y ademas repercutirá sobre los prospectos de matrimonio de la linda Melinda la hijastra ( y de paso que lata que lo unico valioso que se menciona de la chica es que es hermosa, ug)
“There are things locked so deep that tears cannot reach them, Folly,” he said quietly.
June 7, 2017
This passage from one of my favorite parts of My Sweet Folly felt so analogous to the "pantser" style of writing that I feel it probably sums up Laura Kinsale's writing process for this and her other books. Sometimes it works out beautifully, and sometimes it doesn't work out quite as beautifully -- as in the case of this interesting but flawed book.
Robert sipped his ale. "What are you making?" he asked at last.
"I don't know," she said. "Sometimes I just knits and sees what comes of it. Often enough, I pull it all apart again. But now and then, ah, my hands just seem to know what they want to do."
He smiled in the darkness. Skipper stood up and turned around, lying down again in the firelight.
"I love the best what I make that way," she said. "'Just make a scarf,' me husband he'd say. 'Ye can turn out lovely stuff. Just make me a waistcoat, can't you? How hard can it be?' But even if I tried, it would come out ugly. And I took it apart. Don't know why. It was because my hands wanted to make something else."
There were a lot of great things about this book -- the warmhearted, witty, brave, and unique heroine, Folie, most of all. But the plot was here, there, and everywhere and the romance between Folie and Robert never really gelled for me. I felt a lot of sympathy for Robert, actually. He'd been through some rough stuff and was very damaged inside. But I would've liked him to get his messy self together a little more in order to be a better match for the lovely Folie.
I still enjoyed reading this, though, despite its imperfections. There's not another writer whose prose makes me so happy. And I definitely enjoyed listening to Nicholas Boulton's narration as I read. The man pretty much doubles the quality of everything when he reads it. I don't know how he managed to get through one particular scene, though. My face was surely as red as a beet, just listening to it! If you've read this book, I'm sure you know to what I am referring.
Robert sipped his ale. "What are you making?" he asked at last.
"I don't know," she said. "Sometimes I just knits and sees what comes of it. Often enough, I pull it all apart again. But now and then, ah, my hands just seem to know what they want to do."
He smiled in the darkness. Skipper stood up and turned around, lying down again in the firelight.
"I love the best what I make that way," she said. "'Just make a scarf,' me husband he'd say. 'Ye can turn out lovely stuff. Just make me a waistcoat, can't you? How hard can it be?' But even if I tried, it would come out ugly. And I took it apart. Don't know why. It was because my hands wanted to make something else."
There were a lot of great things about this book -- the warmhearted, witty, brave, and unique heroine, Folie, most of all. But the plot was here, there, and everywhere and the romance between Folie and Robert never really gelled for me. I felt a lot of sympathy for Robert, actually. He'd been through some rough stuff and was very damaged inside. But I would've liked him to get his messy self together a little more in order to be a better match for the lovely Folie.
I still enjoyed reading this, though, despite its imperfections. There's not another writer whose prose makes me so happy. And I definitely enjoyed listening to Nicholas Boulton's narration as I read. The man pretty much doubles the quality of everything when he reads it. I don't know how he managed to get through one particular scene, though. My face was surely as red as a beet, just listening to it! If you've read this book, I'm sure you know to what I am referring.
November 29, 2021
Laura Kinsale has to be a pantser, right? This book is far beyond the reach of any err predictable or uh normal plot. AT times, I adored it. I think the entire prologue is an experience. At other times, I just hated it. It's interesting, and makes me think the characters really have a life all their own.
Nicholas Boulton performs the audio and I could never read this book I don't think. Although I was curious, it wouldn't have been enough for the WTFery that ensues. He gets an A+++ but the book is only saved from DNF by that and Kinsale's often amazing writing-because as a whole, I just didn't like it.
Nicholas Boulton performs the audio and I could never read this book I don't think. Although I was curious, it wouldn't have been enough for the WTFery that ensues. He gets an A+++ but the book is only saved from DNF by that and Kinsale's often amazing writing-because as a whole, I just didn't like it.
October 22, 2015
I don't have a fully formed opinion of this book. It has the best first chapter of any novel I've ever read. Truly, it is worth the read for that prologue alone. That was a beautiful story unto itself. In fact, the first 60% of this novel was a five star read.
Laura Kinsale is a master wordsmith. I'm envious of her talent: her ability to world-build, to write scenes and turns of phrase that make me actually feel things, and create heroes and heroines that eschew tropes and feel entirely unique. It was disappointing to see the story fall apart about three-quarters of the way in. There was a tonal shift; things became somehow both more farcical and needlessly melodramatic all at once. The heroine became relatively inconsequential to the story and the hero became condescending in a way he hadn't been with the heroine before. The character issues I just mentioned might not have bothered me so much if everything else about the story remained consistently good. But the story took some clunky turns that made me feel disappointed and sad, the way heroine, Folie, was sad that the hero
Look, I think Laura Kinsale is amazing but not every book can be Flowers from the Storm. The first half of this book, while perhaps lacking the emotional intensity of that other novel, is every bit as quality. I highlighted so many passages in this and it was actually nice to read about a hero who was not so much an alpha male and also lacked the affability and charm that a beta male character would possess. In many respects he seemed very much a normal guy, with all his really crippling feelings of inadequacy, and he was still a very attractive character. I love how Kinsale manages to create characters who are truly indecisive and unable to even understand themselves (like Maddy in FFTS).
Anyway, in my head broody Robert Cambourne, the hero, looks like this.
September 29, 2023
*Spoilers*
Second time reading this book, and I must say I love it even more than the first read! You know, that doesn’t always happen? Sometimes you re-read a book and you’re scratching your head going, “why did I ever like this book?” Not the case here!
If you have read this, then you know this is a major angsty book! The beginning of the book is possibly my most favorite ever, and it’s unique in that, I’ve never read a book that starts off with two people falling in love via letters. Hell, I fell in love with both MCs through these letters. If these two are this passionate just writing each other letters, can you imagine what they will be like when they’re with each other physically? The letters were so passionate and sexy.
Then they do meet…and whomp, whomp, whomp. Lame!! Or is it?
See Robert is a schizophrenic…or is he? I mean he is haunted by his dead wife who was an uber bitach in real life and a horrid C U next Tuesday as a ghost. He talks to her as if she is in the room with him, He drinks copious amounts of alcohol to deal with this haunting. He is very much a mentally sick person, at least we are lead to believe he is. The passionate Robert that wrote his sweet Folly letters is not there anymore, and our heroine is confused, sad and angry. What’s left is a cold, obsessive, sick man who is convinced our heroine is his lifeline. He scares her…. but desperately tried not to. You feel so terrible for him, something is clearly wrong.
I won’t give anymore away, because after this whole setup, we start to see the romance come back to life. BUT the romance is not without a bunch of mystery and political mumbo jumbo. Who is trying to hurt our MCs? Who can we trust? Just how deep into this are they?
This will be a re-read book for me when I need angst, romance and thriller. The writing is exceptional and not much can touch the creativity that LK used here.
Second time reading this book, and I must say I love it even more than the first read! You know, that doesn’t always happen? Sometimes you re-read a book and you’re scratching your head going, “why did I ever like this book?” Not the case here!
If you have read this, then you know this is a major angsty book! The beginning of the book is possibly my most favorite ever, and it’s unique in that, I’ve never read a book that starts off with two people falling in love via letters. Hell, I fell in love with both MCs through these letters. If these two are this passionate just writing each other letters, can you imagine what they will be like when they’re with each other physically? The letters were so passionate and sexy.
Then they do meet…and whomp, whomp, whomp. Lame!! Or is it?
See Robert is a schizophrenic…or is he? I mean he is haunted by his dead wife who was an uber bitach in real life and a horrid C U next Tuesday as a ghost. He talks to her as if she is in the room with him, He drinks copious amounts of alcohol to deal with this haunting. He is very much a mentally sick person, at least we are lead to believe he is. The passionate Robert that wrote his sweet Folly letters is not there anymore, and our heroine is confused, sad and angry. What’s left is a cold, obsessive, sick man who is convinced our heroine is his lifeline. He scares her…. but desperately tried not to. You feel so terrible for him, something is clearly wrong.
I won’t give anymore away, because after this whole setup, we start to see the romance come back to life. BUT the romance is not without a bunch of mystery and political mumbo jumbo. Who is trying to hurt our MCs? Who can we trust? Just how deep into this are they?
This will be a re-read book for me when I need angst, romance and thriller. The writing is exceptional and not much can touch the creativity that LK used here.
January 16, 2016
Robert, by the end of this book: 
I actually quite enjoyed this book. It falls back on a lot of the standard romance tropes and themes, but it's very well-written and super readable. If you're into romance novels, I would certainly suggest this one. That said, I there were a few things that bothered me...(spoilers below):
1) The heroine's (nick)name is literally "Folly," so Robert literally calls her "my sweet Folly." Like, all the time. Constantly. He also calls her his "princess" and she calls him "sweet knight" and shit like that. I did an awful lot of cringing over that.
2) While I love the idea of Robert not being what Folly expected in real life based on his letters, he never really gets any more likeable in real time. He's kind of a fussy dick who throws all sorts of tantrums and flips out about stupid shit and leaves her with blue balls every day. I wasn't really feeling the genuine connection between them. Every time Folly was like "and I was inescapably, irrevocably in love with him..." I was just like "...really? With this guy?"
3) Especially because Robert is, 100%, indisputably, without question, a rapist. And not even in a romance-novely, she-said-no-at-first-but-then-was-into-it kind of way (not that that's really any better). In a she-said-no-and-hated-it kind of way. And are we supposed to forgive him because his first wife was supposed to be so evil and bad? Are we supposed to infer that she deserved it, or brought it on herself? That's going to be one big NOPE for me. Sexually frustrated and mistreated? Fuck someone else who consents. Don't force yourself on her and then expect me to feel real sympathetic cuz you feel real bad about it afterwards.
4) Uh spoiler alert but by the end of the book it's all about Robert usin' his magic tricks to get them all out of trouble. Which is just about the lamest thing in the world. He's supposed to be this dark, angst filled troubled hero...and instead, all I could think of was this:
5) The political intrigue and the end reveal were kind of "eh." A bit cheesy and overblown, although it is a romance novel so I wasn't expecting anything super realistic. I was kind of excited by the beginning of the story, figuring Robert might actually be legitimately insane and suffering from schizophrenia (he did legitimately have agoraphobia, but that was rather quickly brushed aside). Would have been kind of interesting to see Folie help him deal with real mental illness, but nah. It was some poison and plotting. Ah well.
I do wish we got to see more of Melinda and Lander's romance, because that seemed awfully interesting. But despite all my complaints, Kinsale is an excellent writer, the story held my attention throughout the book, and I'm glad I picked this up from the library. If you like romance, you might want to check it out.
(2016 PS Reading Challenge: Book set in Europe.)
I actually quite enjoyed this book. It falls back on a lot of the standard romance tropes and themes, but it's very well-written and super readable. If you're into romance novels, I would certainly suggest this one. That said, I there were a few things that bothered me...(spoilers below):
1) The heroine's (nick)name is literally "Folly," so Robert literally calls her "my sweet Folly." Like, all the time. Constantly. He also calls her his "princess" and she calls him "sweet knight" and shit like that. I did an awful lot of cringing over that.
2) While I love the idea of Robert not being what Folly expected in real life based on his letters, he never really gets any more likeable in real time. He's kind of a fussy dick who throws all sorts of tantrums and flips out about stupid shit and leaves her with blue balls every day. I wasn't really feeling the genuine connection between them. Every time Folly was like "and I was inescapably, irrevocably in love with him..." I was just like "...really? With this guy?"
3) Especially because Robert is, 100%, indisputably, without question, a rapist. And not even in a romance-novely, she-said-no-at-first-but-then-was-into-it kind of way (not that that's really any better). In a she-said-no-and-hated-it kind of way. And are we supposed to forgive him because his first wife was supposed to be so evil and bad? Are we supposed to infer that she deserved it, or brought it on herself? That's going to be one big NOPE for me. Sexually frustrated and mistreated? Fuck someone else who consents. Don't force yourself on her and then expect me to feel real sympathetic cuz you feel real bad about it afterwards.
4) Uh spoiler alert but by the end of the book it's all about Robert usin' his magic tricks to get them all out of trouble. Which is just about the lamest thing in the world. He's supposed to be this dark, angst filled troubled hero...and instead, all I could think of was this:
5) The political intrigue and the end reveal were kind of "eh." A bit cheesy and overblown, although it is a romance novel so I wasn't expecting anything super realistic. I was kind of excited by the beginning of the story, figuring Robert might actually be legitimately insane and suffering from schizophrenia (he did legitimately have agoraphobia, but that was rather quickly brushed aside). Would have been kind of interesting to see Folie help him deal with real mental illness, but nah. It was some poison and plotting. Ah well.
I do wish we got to see more of Melinda and Lander's romance, because that seemed awfully interesting. But despite all my complaints, Kinsale is an excellent writer, the story held my attention throughout the book, and I'm glad I picked this up from the library. If you like romance, you might want to check it out.
(2016 PS Reading Challenge: Book set in Europe.)
November 30, 2015
I picked this book because it was convenient, never expecting it will pull me thoroughly in (since my reading slump is getting worse, I can't seem to find interest in any books, including some by my favorite authors). How surprised was I when I can't stop reading, even though it was well past my bedtime (I just picked up the book as a lullaby...hehehe).
The start was so great, it really pull my heart with Folie's innocence and her bright world. And it were all shattered just because of one letter. The letter that was not even addressed to her. I have to admit, I did not cry when the last letter came, but I can't stop the tears reading Folie's reaction. It was so true. It was what any woman would do in the exact situation.
But I was happy that Folie finally found her HEA. Knowing Kinsale, you are safe to expect some intrigue and a foray into the political world. It was not an easy breezy road, it has some surprises and its own ups and downs. But in the end, you are glad that some of us found their happiness whereas some of us would still be searching for it.
Might need another read from Ms Kinsale to lift up my slump ;)
The start was so great, it really pull my heart with Folie's innocence and her bright world. And it were all shattered just because of one letter. The letter that was not even addressed to her. I have to admit, I did not cry when the last letter came, but I can't stop the tears reading Folie's reaction. It was so true. It was what any woman would do in the exact situation.
But I was happy that Folie finally found her HEA. Knowing Kinsale, you are safe to expect some intrigue and a foray into the political world. It was not an easy breezy road, it has some surprises and its own ups and downs. But in the end, you are glad that some of us found their happiness whereas some of us would still be searching for it.
Might need another read from Ms Kinsale to lift up my slump ;)
September 2, 2021
The book starts with letters between Folie Hamilton and her husband's cousin, Robert Cambourne, and we get to watch them believably fall in love over the span of a few years and many letters. After Folie's husband dies, she alludes to visiting Robert in India, when Robert drops the bombshell I'm married and their correspondence abruptly ends.
Years later, Robert is the guardian of Folie's stepdaughter, and he summons them both to his home, where we find out he's gone full-out tortured gothic hero. He's contradicting himself, seeing ghosts, and struggling with basic communication, and Folie is baffled at the change in him. The only thing Robert seems sure about is that he needs Folie, but he doesn't know how.
Folie is so dang likable, it's easy to see how someone could fall in love with her by mail. Robert's the more challenging one, but keeping his demons at bay is a full-time job, and in the end I just really wanted a win for him.
Years later, Robert is the guardian of Folie's stepdaughter, and he summons them both to his home, where we find out he's gone full-out tortured gothic hero. He's contradicting himself, seeing ghosts, and struggling with basic communication, and Folie is baffled at the change in him. The only thing Robert seems sure about is that he needs Folie, but he doesn't know how.
Folie is so dang likable, it's easy to see how someone could fall in love with her by mail. Robert's the more challenging one, but keeping his demons at bay is a full-time job, and in the end I just really wanted a win for him.
December 12, 2013
I had not read this book yet, so I jumped at the chance to listen to the audiobook narrated by Nicholas Boulton. Readers, if you haven't yet heard his rendition of Laura Kinsale's titles, what are you waiting for?
Once again, Nick Boulton hits it out of the park. This story has many characters, and his vocalization of them all is fantastic. Robert, the hero, has a deep, almost sinister voice, which fits his character. Folie, the heroine is pert and sassy, with a wicked dry sense of humor. Boulton is especially good with female voices; he does not try to actually sound like a woman. He simply softens his voice and alters his speech pattern. He can do children, old men, society matrons, and debutants with equal aplomb. Truly, you forget that you're listening to just one person.
The plot is rather light on the romance side of things, but that did not distract from my enjoyment. I felt a great deal of sympathy for Robert, who believes that he is losing his mind in the first half of the story. He truly felt himself to be unworthy of being loved and unable to give love. Yes, he is cruel at times to Folie, but that is his fear and insecurity coming out.
Folie is a delightful heroine. She fairly radiates love -- for Robert and for her young stepdaughter. Although she's a country mouse, she stands up to Robert and to the adversaries who are trying to harm him. Some of Kinsale's heroines can be hard to like, but Folie is a gem.
Nick Boulton is doing all of Kinsale's titles, and before this one I've listened to The Prince of Midnight and Flowers from the Storm. I'm sure that I'll listen to every one. The combined talents of Kinsale and Boulton have turned me into an audiobook fan.
Once again, Nick Boulton hits it out of the park. This story has many characters, and his vocalization of them all is fantastic. Robert, the hero, has a deep, almost sinister voice, which fits his character. Folie, the heroine is pert and sassy, with a wicked dry sense of humor. Boulton is especially good with female voices; he does not try to actually sound like a woman. He simply softens his voice and alters his speech pattern. He can do children, old men, society matrons, and debutants with equal aplomb. Truly, you forget that you're listening to just one person.
The plot is rather light on the romance side of things, but that did not distract from my enjoyment. I felt a great deal of sympathy for Robert, who believes that he is losing his mind in the first half of the story. He truly felt himself to be unworthy of being loved and unable to give love. Yes, he is cruel at times to Folie, but that is his fear and insecurity coming out.
Folie is a delightful heroine. She fairly radiates love -- for Robert and for her young stepdaughter. Although she's a country mouse, she stands up to Robert and to the adversaries who are trying to harm him. Some of Kinsale's heroines can be hard to like, but Folie is a gem.
Nick Boulton is doing all of Kinsale's titles, and before this one I've listened to The Prince of Midnight and Flowers from the Storm. I'm sure that I'll listen to every one. The combined talents of Kinsale and Boulton have turned me into an audiobook fan.
April 5, 2015
Hacía mucho tiempo, años, que no leía una novela de Laura Kinsale y el argumento de "Una extraña locura" captó mi atención de inmediato. Los primeros capítulos, cuando lees las cartas que se envían los protagonistas, son casi perfectos y contienen esa magia que logra que te enganches a una novela. Pero después el ritmo decae y la historia adquiere un tono extraño, confuso, casi surrealista. Entiendo que la autora quiere nos sintamos tan confusos y alterados como los protagonistas de la novela, pero en mi caso me ha hecho plantearme si valía la pena seguir con la historia. He seguido y me alegro, pues la novela recupera el ritmo al mismo tiempo que la "locura" del personaje masculino se explica y se desvanece.
"Una extraña locura" es una novela romántica muy de género, está escrita por una mujer que siempre se ha arriesgado con sus historias y con sus personajes, y, aunque en algún aspecto se nota que tiene unos añitos (en especial en las escenas de cama) me ha gustado leerla y me ha recordado que debo ponerme al día con Kinsale.
"Una extraña locura" es una novela romántica muy de género, está escrita por una mujer que siempre se ha arriesgado con sus historias y con sus personajes, y, aunque en algún aspecto se nota que tiene unos añitos (en especial en las escenas de cama) me ha gustado leerla y me ha recordado que debo ponerme al día con Kinsale.
October 26, 2020
I know others have really enjoyed this book. I am done. I have listened to the book for hours and it goes nowhere. I understand building up the story... but I am no longer interested. The 2nd star was for the wonderful letters at the beginning that gets you hooked on the story .
March 31, 2014
Ok. This book was a bit beyond what was expected, what with the gothic undertones in the first 5 chapters (excluding the charming prologue) that I kept looking for a review that would tell me more about the book. So I'm going to write one with spoilers.
Okay. My take on this. Laura Kinsdale is a very gifted writer. She can write very convoluted plots fairly well. HOWEVER. If you're not into angst (and I have to say that I'm not, so my review may be biased in that sense), this is not the book for you. However charming the heroine is, and she is quite a likable person, the hero is tortured beyond belief. I've now read two of her books, the other one being Flowers in the Storm, and that too featured a tortured hero, a brilliant mathematician who suffers a stroke early in life and then is confined into a madhouse because people think he's gone crazy. So. Along similar lines with the going crazy.
This hero has so many hangups that it's not even funny. He is probably a very real sort of person, but with so much baggage. I guess I'm not a fan of heroes with so much baggage, sorry. He had a terrible first marriage (his wife killed his dog and did all sorts of terrible stuff). He was never able to get over there, despite the fact that his "love" for the heroine was what kept him "sane." I suppose that's realistic, but it makes me a bit impatient with him. I mean, seriously, the woman was a psychopath; why dwell on her or put any sort of power in her words? Apparently she did such a number on him, total mind control and manipulation that he has nightmares about her. That is also the reason that he snaps at the heroine from time to time and makes her feel bad (although I thought he was just moody and didn't notice this until she pointed it out). He loves the heroine and wants to marry her, and yet when he has the opportunity, he throws a fit and says mean stuff to her about how he doesn't want to marry her...even though he's upset with himself that she overheard a joke he made about marriage. He was just too much to handle towards the end...so emotional that he was turning manipulative towards the heroine as well.
The part where he sends her away and she rushes back to him to tell him what she remembered was also a bit convenient, I thought.
In sum, the writing was superb, a little too angsty for my taste, and the hero was too over the top. He probably should have gotten better with time, and instead, I liked him more as the crazed loon who was being poisoned than the man who kept leading the heroine on sexually and not following through because he had some weird fear that she would leave him. What? Where did that fear come from?
Laura Kinsdale's writing is elegant but her heroes may be too tortured for my taste.
Okay. My take on this. Laura Kinsdale is a very gifted writer. She can write very convoluted plots fairly well. HOWEVER. If you're not into angst (and I have to say that I'm not, so my review may be biased in that sense), this is not the book for you. However charming the heroine is, and she is quite a likable person, the hero is tortured beyond belief. I've now read two of her books, the other one being Flowers in the Storm, and that too featured a tortured hero, a brilliant mathematician who suffers a stroke early in life and then is confined into a madhouse because people think he's gone crazy. So. Along similar lines with the going crazy.
This hero has so many hangups that it's not even funny. He is probably a very real sort of person, but with so much baggage. I guess I'm not a fan of heroes with so much baggage, sorry. He had a terrible first marriage (his wife killed his dog and did all sorts of terrible stuff). He was never able to get over there, despite the fact that his "love" for the heroine was what kept him "sane." I suppose that's realistic, but it makes me a bit impatient with him. I mean, seriously, the woman was a psychopath; why dwell on her or put any sort of power in her words? Apparently she did such a number on him, total mind control and manipulation that he has nightmares about her. That is also the reason that he snaps at the heroine from time to time and makes her feel bad (although I thought he was just moody and didn't notice this until she pointed it out). He loves the heroine and wants to marry her, and yet when he has the opportunity, he throws a fit and says mean stuff to her about how he doesn't want to marry her...even though he's upset with himself that she overheard a joke he made about marriage. He was just too much to handle towards the end...so emotional that he was turning manipulative towards the heroine as well.
The part where he sends her away and she rushes back to him to tell him what she remembered was also a bit convenient, I thought.
In sum, the writing was superb, a little too angsty for my taste, and the hero was too over the top. He probably should have gotten better with time, and instead, I liked him more as the crazed loon who was being poisoned than the man who kept leading the heroine on sexually and not following through because he had some weird fear that she would leave him. What? Where did that fear come from?
Laura Kinsdale's writing is elegant but her heroes may be too tortured for my taste.
July 21, 2018
The romance began beautifully as an epistolary novel but then morphed into a mystery. Too bad as the love letters were the best part of the book, being well-written and oozing romance. So imagine my disappointment when the romance took a backseat to the subplot (this tends to happen in most of the Kinsale books I've read so far). It's as if the author doesn't have faith in the romance and so tries to compensate with a subplot she thinks will reel in the reader. And I say, stick with the romance if one is writing a romance, please!
I liked Folie who possessed a strong will, without being annoying or too prudish. She is the rare Kinsale heroine I actually liked. As for Robert, I felt he was a passive character and, even worse, a narrative device the author used to further her subplot more than a full-fledged character. The sweet and determined Robert whom Folie fell in love with in the beginning never fully materialized.
I want to like Laura Kinsale's writing, but she isn't for me. Too little romance is a deal-breaker.
I liked Folie who possessed a strong will, without being annoying or too prudish. She is the rare Kinsale heroine I actually liked. As for Robert, I felt he was a passive character and, even worse, a narrative device the author used to further her subplot more than a full-fledged character. The sweet and determined Robert whom Folie fell in love with in the beginning never fully materialized.
I want to like Laura Kinsale's writing, but she isn't for me. Too little romance is a deal-breaker.
October 23, 2015
5 stars for the EXCELLENT prologue, 3 stars (barely) for the rest of the book. Kinsale's writing style is truly a cut above others in the genre, but this book is very up and down - at some points it is very good, at others it is very, very bad. It also features a few twists that had me rolling my eyes, and the conclusion seemed rather hastily thrown together.
The start of the book held so much promise but it was not, ultimately, delivered on. After the 30% mark it seems she decided to write another sort of book altogether but with the same characters (though in some cases their personalities were altered quite a bit - especially the hero's). The book's saving grace is Folie, who is a delightful and witty heroine, and remains very consistent throughout.
The start of the book held so much promise but it was not, ultimately, delivered on. After the 30% mark it seems she decided to write another sort of book altogether but with the same characters (though in some cases their personalities were altered quite a bit - especially the hero's). The book's saving grace is Folie, who is a delightful and witty heroine, and remains very consistent throughout.
March 6, 2019
If you live for that moment in a soap opera when it’s revealed that an evil twin has been pretending to be the hero have I got a book for you....
With the changes in tone it felt like 4 different books. Like some kind of layered dessert. Not a particularly delicious one.
And I’m fairly certain the hero gave me whiplash. He was here. He was there. He wanted this. He wanted that.
Cheese and Crackers.
With the changes in tone it felt like 4 different books. Like some kind of layered dessert. Not a particularly delicious one.
And I’m fairly certain the hero gave me whiplash. He was here. He was there. He wanted this. He wanted that.
Cheese and Crackers.
February 19, 2024
Tan romántico como lo recordaba. Sobre todo el principio es lindo, con esas cartas que se intercambian, mientras Folie Elizabeth Hamilton (18) está en Inglaterra y Robert Cambourne (23) en la India.
Luego pasa más de una década y Robert (ahora con 35) regresa a Inglaterra. Folie (30), viuda y a cargo de una hijastra a la que tiene que hacer debutar en sociedad, no puede andarse con fantasías románticas. Este Robert que le llega es muy distinto al que ella imaginó. De hecho piensa, francamente, que está como una regadera. Cuesta un poco aceptar su tiranía y sus prontos.
Eso sí, hay una razón para todo. Personajes complejos, trama de intriga en segundo plano pero bien llevada. Y ese estilo de Kinsale, claro, de lo más literario, para lo que es romántica. Un ❤️
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
Luego pasa más de una década y Robert (ahora con 35) regresa a Inglaterra. Folie (30), viuda y a cargo de una hijastra a la que tiene que hacer debutar en sociedad, no puede andarse con fantasías románticas. Este Robert que le llega es muy distinto al que ella imaginó. De hecho piensa, francamente, que está como una regadera. Cuesta un poco aceptar su tiranía y sus prontos.
Eso sí, hay una razón para todo. Personajes complejos, trama de intriga en segundo plano pero bien llevada. Y ese estilo de Kinsale, claro, de lo más literario, para lo que es romántica. Un ❤️
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
April 19, 2008
I dubbed Laura Kinsale the "Queen of Tortured Heroes" on the romance forum at Amazon, and she certainly has one in Robert, this book's "hero". The book begins with a lovely correspondence between him and Folie (whom he soon begins caling "Folly"), his cousin's wife. That does NOT set the tone for the rest of the book, as it literally takes the rest of the tale for Robert's demons to be exorcised and Folie's loving patience to pay off. Indeed, I only had a very few pages in which to savor the HEA. It is not a book I will soon forget, however.
There is one very intense intimate scene that may bother some readers; it makes sense in context, as our hero was in the process of working through some of his issues. It includes a word or two that may offend some. I would hate for that to keep anyone from enjoying this original, off-the-beaten-path love story!
There is one very intense intimate scene that may bother some readers; it makes sense in context, as our hero was in the process of working through some of his issues. It includes a word or two that may offend some. I would hate for that to keep anyone from enjoying this original, off-the-beaten-path love story!
April 7, 2023
I was utterly heartbroken by the end of the prologue. Say what you want, but man, oh man, Ms Kinsale can indeed write. Her books are not your conventional historical romance. Some of her books are better than others, but there is one thing that all her books have in common: 'MEMORABLE'. If you ask me what's the story 10 years down the road, I can probably tell you. I loved Folly, especially her positive attitude towards life (she's been dealt a bad hand in life but takes it in stride). Robert, not so much (he is far too handsome for his own good and too broody). There's political intrigue, a conspiracy to remove the Prince regent and a whole bunch of craziness. I have three more of her books I have yet to read, and I'm saving them for when I'm in a reading slump. Nothing but a Kinsale can get you out of the slump.
February 26, 2017
Meh. This isn't really a story about couple who fell in love via letter and had to navigate their connection once they met in real life. No, it's more the story of a poorly-thought out political overthrow and revenge scheme that involved the easily manipulated hero and his tangential romantic interest, a frivolous and dim-witted mother hen who thinks she is smarter than she really is because of her ability to run a household and be a stepmother to a woman only 8 years her junior.
The heroine became TSTL once she met the hero and read more like a naive old woman than a 30-year old. The couple had no chemistry except in their once-a-year letters at the very beginning of the book (honestly, it could stand alone as a sweet, yet sad, story of two unhappily married people who had a connection). I'm not really into the mentally unstable, weak hero with no self-confidence, which may be this author's favored theme. I like healthy relationships, and this has zero honesty. I found myself skimming towards the end just to get past the drawn out mystery and misunderstood romance and see how everything wrapped up. It was overly convoluted, frustrating, and boring. I really thought the hero was insane for most of the first half, and with his first marriage being so awful (on both sides), how is the reader supposed to like him? I've no idea. And the mysticism (also present in Kinsale's Shadow and the Star) is so dull and hand-wave-y to gloss over the lamer parts of the plot and action. A great way to make every other character look stupid and rip me out of my suspension of disbelief.
Just a big no for me.
The heroine became TSTL once she met the hero and read more like a naive old woman than a 30-year old. The couple had no chemistry except in their once-a-year letters at the very beginning of the book (honestly, it could stand alone as a sweet, yet sad, story of two unhappily married people who had a connection). I'm not really into the mentally unstable, weak hero with no self-confidence, which may be this author's favored theme. I like healthy relationships, and this has zero honesty. I found myself skimming towards the end just to get past the drawn out mystery and misunderstood romance and see how everything wrapped up. It was overly convoluted, frustrating, and boring. I really thought the hero was insane for most of the first half, and with his first marriage being so awful (on both sides), how is the reader supposed to like him? I've no idea. And the mysticism (also present in Kinsale's Shadow and the Star) is so dull and hand-wave-y to gloss over the lamer parts of the plot and action. A great way to make every other character look stupid and rip me out of my suspension of disbelief.
Just a big no for me.
October 21, 2024
2nd read thoughts: Still enjoyed the first half, but the second half is like
Kinsale throwing paint on a canvas and calling it abstract. 3 stars now.
Initial review:
Really liked this one! The letters are perfect at the beginning. The ending went on a little long and then just stopped, but it was a great read. My second favorite by Kinsale.
Real review:
This book starts STRONG with an epistolary component as Folie and Robert, our MC’s get to know each other. It’s hilarious and adorable. Robert is the cousin of Folie’s much older husband and though a few years of correspondence, they basically fall in love. Folie’s husband dies and when Folie makes a comment about going to India (where Robert is stationed) he tells her not to bc of spoiler. GASP.||
Ten years later, Robert’s is back in England and happens to be the guardian of Folie’s much older husband’s daughter. He orders the girls to move to the country to live with him and then things get weird. He acts like a completely different person, ie not caring about Folie, and has become a paranoid hermit, not letting anyone leave the house.
Every now and then, he will crack and they will kiss, but it takes a compromising situation to actually get them together. In true LK fashion, a lot is happening including blackmail, political spill-over from Robert’s time in India and, of course old rivals
The second half of the story was less fun than the first, which is why it places as 2nd in my ranking of LK books. The angst of the second chance was a bit overshadowed by all the Plot. But in closing, I still very much recommend this one.
Alrighty, they have kissed and I’ve told you about it!
Kinsale throwing paint on a canvas and calling it abstract. 3 stars now.
Initial review:
Really liked this one! The letters are perfect at the beginning. The ending went on a little long and then just stopped, but it was a great read. My second favorite by Kinsale.
Real review:
This book starts STRONG with an epistolary component as Folie and Robert, our MC’s get to know each other. It’s hilarious and adorable. Robert is the cousin of Folie’s much older husband and though a few years of correspondence, they basically fall in love. Folie’s husband dies and when Folie makes a comment about going to India (where Robert is stationed) he tells her not to bc of spoiler. GASP.||
Ten years later, Robert’s is back in England and happens to be the guardian of Folie’s much older husband’s daughter. He orders the girls to move to the country to live with him and then things get weird. He acts like a completely different person, ie not caring about Folie, and has become a paranoid hermit, not letting anyone leave the house.
Every now and then, he will crack and they will kiss, but it takes a compromising situation to actually get them together. In true LK fashion, a lot is happening including blackmail, political spill-over from Robert’s time in India and, of course old rivals
The second half of the story was less fun than the first, which is why it places as 2nd in my ranking of LK books. The angst of the second chance was a bit overshadowed by all the Plot. But in closing, I still very much recommend this one.
Alrighty, they have kissed and I’ve told you about it!
December 28, 2014
In so many ways this was a wonderful book. The first part of the book is epistolary, and the letters between the hero and heroine are delightful. The heroine is one of the most sympathetic, engaging, charming, poignant, and dryly funny women in any romance that I have read. I adored her. The hero is well drawn in all his complexity and angst, and I understood why he was so tortured. However, despite all that, I found the hero's treatment of the heroine to be just plain cruel (emotional cruelty). And totally undeserved. At times it was just painful for me to read. So, for that reason, I can only give this book a three star rating. However, maybe that's a testament to this author's beautifully descriptive writing, that I can feel so strongly about a character, even if it's negative.
January 3, 2014
Anyone who likes emotionally abusive romantic heroes (of the "a woman tortured him, so of course he has to pass it on" variety) will probably be fine with this book, but everyone else should just read the prologue and then STOP. The waste of the prologue's loveliness will make you too sad otherwise.
October 16, 2021
5* for the epistolary prologue and epilogue, which I could have read a whole novel of, and for Folie, who has ascended into my pantheon of Kinsale heroines for services to witty repartee. Oh, and for the cameos by credulous Byron. Fewer stars to the problematic basis of most of the plot. The writing, as always, is impeccable.
July 4, 2018
I read this because it was listed on several people's fave romance lists. It didn't do anything for me. I read it through and kept waiting but it was disappointing for me. Perhaps if I hadn't been expecting so much from it then I would have enjoyed it more.
October 21, 2024
This is a plot heavy romance novel. The best I can recommend is to "grab ahold and hand on" because it's a wild ride. It took so many twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, but kept me thoroughly entertained. We start with an epistolary section, where our couple Folie and Robert are falling in love a continent apart. When they finally meet in person, Robert doesn't seem to be the person she met in his letters. And either he's mad, or there's perhaps a plot to poison him and also the prince regent.
I was never bored, and while there isn't as much depth to the romance as some of Kinsale's other books I've read, I really enjoyed this one overall.
I was never bored, and while there isn't as much depth to the romance as some of Kinsale's other books I've read, I really enjoyed this one overall.
September 3, 2022
Le iba a poner 2 estrellas porque sucede algo, aunque no se lo merece y se lleva 1, porque menudo patinazo lioso que se marca la Kinsale, y vaya salida de la premisa inicial. Una pena, porque quería leer a una buena autora del género tras mis batacazos con la Kleypas y la Chase, que me hacen pensar que el género no es para mí.
Personajes inaguantables por su infantilismo y conducta irracional (y no por la supuesta locura), historia que da bandazos y no tiene sentido, y romance masoquista, porque no tiene sentido lo que ocurre, especialmente cuando se ha solucionado parcialmente el destino de los protagonistas.
Una completa pérdida de tiempo.
Personajes inaguantables por su infantilismo y conducta irracional (y no por la supuesta locura), historia que da bandazos y no tiene sentido, y romance masoquista, porque no tiene sentido lo que ocurre, especialmente cuando se ha solucionado parcialmente el destino de los protagonistas.
Una completa pérdida de tiempo.
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