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Rougemont #1
Song For Sophia
To win a man’s heart, a woman must have the mind of a diplomat, a general, and Cleopatra, all in one.
Desperation has led Anne-Sophia Duncombe to a life of exile. Still, she is always just one mistake away from capture and a marriage she would rather die than endure. As a last resort to remain hidden from her former life, Sophia attempts a radical scheme; a life of humility and disguise.
Rumor has it Wilhelm Montegue, the Earl of Devon, is insane. A tormented war hero haunted by scandal, he is only tolerated because of his brilliant mind and swarthy good looks. His unmentionable “condition” which keeps him confined to his country home is also the source of his talent for composing music.
When a new housemaid is hired at Rougemont, Lord Devon is perplexed to find himself fascinated by her. He knows the exquisite beauty is keeping secrets but her siren’s voice draws him ever closer, and he can’t resist the intoxicating scent of danger surrounding her.
Desperation has led Anne-Sophia Duncombe to a life of exile. Still, she is always just one mistake away from capture and a marriage she would rather die than endure. As a last resort to remain hidden from her former life, Sophia attempts a radical scheme; a life of humility and disguise.
Rumor has it Wilhelm Montegue, the Earl of Devon, is insane. A tormented war hero haunted by scandal, he is only tolerated because of his brilliant mind and swarthy good looks. His unmentionable “condition” which keeps him confined to his country home is also the source of his talent for composing music.
When a new housemaid is hired at Rougemont, Lord Devon is perplexed to find himself fascinated by her. He knows the exquisite beauty is keeping secrets but her siren’s voice draws him ever closer, and he can’t resist the intoxicating scent of danger surrounding her.
364 pages, ebook
First published June 1, 2012
52 people are currently reading
1760 people want to read
About the author
Moriah Densley
17 books172 followersMoriah Densley sees nothing odd at all about keeping both a violin case and a range bag stuffed with pistols in the back seat of her car. They hold up the stack of books in the middle, of course. She enjoys writing about Victorians, assassins, and geeks. Her muses are summoned by the smell of chocolate, usually at odd hours of the night. By day her alter ego is your friendly neighborhood music teacher. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband, four children, and two possibly brain-damaged cats. Published in historical and paranormal romance, Moriah has a Master's degree in music, is a 2012 RWA Golden Heart finalist, 2012 National Reader's Choice Award winner in historical romance and '12 NRCA "Best First Book" finalist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
April 1, 2016
Listened to 85% and skimmed the rest in print
There could have been something in Song for Sophia if the author hadn't crammed trope on top of trope like crazy. I'm sorry for the long review but I have A LOT to say.
Let's start by introducing you to Wilhelm, the hero, a former spymaster/assassin, alcoholic, tortured, autistic-savant Earl with prodigious musical/mathematical abilities and an eidetic memory who's the bastard son of an archduke, a horse trainer and suspected homosexual. The heroine Sophia, is a beautiful, half Italian, barren bluestocking heiress disguised as a chambermaid, who's running away from the clutches of her abusive father. Like our hero, she's also plays music beautifully and rides like an amazon.
I'm not making this up. I swear.
You would agree that some of the hero's traits would warrant a whole book to explain the background and how he's dealing with them. So how does the author bridge this list of seemingly irreconcilable traits? By not going in depth on any of them, using a writing style reminiscent of episodes of Law & Order. Like the detective show, each chapter moves from scene to scene, jumping forward in time with chapter titles describing the action to follow. In one chapter they might be in the library, the next at a ball, the next on a train. There are no transitions whatsoever and you have no clue how much time has passed in between chapters. Even worse, characters are not shown digesting or even reacting to whatever happens - at one point, the heroine suffered a traumatic event and in the next chapter, she's ready to move on. We don't see her astonishment or pain or depression, absolutely nothing.
I'm not an expert on Autism Spectrum Disorder by any means but from what I've read, people with ASD often have problems with social, emotional, and communication skills. Wilhelm exhibited none of these issues - he easily interacted with others, could make eye contact, read their expressions and empathize with their feelings. In a feat of terrible characterization, the author portrayed his amazing abilities but very few of the struggles, besides him going on "trances" now and then, which he seemed to be able to control. It was clear by the note at the end that the author wanted to have an autistic savant as a hero, but why she felt that she needed to add the suspected homosexuality, bastardy, alcoholism and horse training was beyond me. The spymaster/assassin role was a stretch as it was!
I expect historical romance to fudge some details but not actual provable facts. By my calculations, the book is set in 1869-1870 but Sophia at some point says "she had been conditioned to fight like a Pavlovian dog" even though Pavlov's experiments didn't happen until 1901. At some point, there's an open conversation between unmarried ladies and matrons at a ball about Wilhelm's supposed preference for men. Anybody that has read historical romance or even seen Downton Abbey knows that scandalous topics like homosexuality (which was illegal by the way) are not discussed in mixed company specially when young ladies are in the room. Also, peers don't hire women to openly pretend to be their mistress while acting as governess to their young nieces.
The whole plot with the evil father was absurd. He was supposedly trying to get one of his evil minions to impregnate Sophia (he didn't know she was barren) so he could break the entail on some property because he was broke. Even after she married Wilhelm, the evil father kept sending his thugs to threaten/beat her (don't know where he found the money to hire so many people) wanting her to annul the marriage (note to the author - you can't get annulment documents before getting married. That's not the way annulments work.) The fight at the end was way closer than it should have been considering
that Wilhelm was supposedly this kickass assassin and her father must have been at least 20 years older. But then, we don't know anything about the father except that he's abusive so maybe he had a black belt in karate or was a ninja.
I have more complaints about this book - how Sophia was so beautiful that all men except for Wilhelm wanted to harass her (give me a break) - but the review is already long enough.
Don't even bother.
There could have been something in Song for Sophia if the author hadn't crammed trope on top of trope like crazy. I'm sorry for the long review but I have A LOT to say.
Let's start by introducing you to Wilhelm, the hero, a former spymaster/assassin, alcoholic, tortured, autistic-savant Earl with prodigious musical/mathematical abilities and an eidetic memory who's the bastard son of an archduke, a horse trainer and suspected homosexual. The heroine Sophia, is a beautiful, half Italian, barren bluestocking heiress disguised as a chambermaid, who's running away from the clutches of her abusive father. Like our hero, she's also plays music beautifully and rides like an amazon.
I'm not making this up. I swear.
You would agree that some of the hero's traits would warrant a whole book to explain the background and how he's dealing with them. So how does the author bridge this list of seemingly irreconcilable traits? By not going in depth on any of them, using a writing style reminiscent of episodes of Law & Order. Like the detective show, each chapter moves from scene to scene, jumping forward in time with chapter titles describing the action to follow. In one chapter they might be in the library, the next at a ball, the next on a train. There are no transitions whatsoever and you have no clue how much time has passed in between chapters. Even worse, characters are not shown digesting or even reacting to whatever happens - at one point, the heroine suffered a traumatic event and in the next chapter, she's ready to move on. We don't see her astonishment or pain or depression, absolutely nothing.
I'm not an expert on Autism Spectrum Disorder by any means but from what I've read, people with ASD often have problems with social, emotional, and communication skills. Wilhelm exhibited none of these issues - he easily interacted with others, could make eye contact, read their expressions and empathize with their feelings. In a feat of terrible characterization, the author portrayed his amazing abilities but very few of the struggles, besides him going on "trances" now and then, which he seemed to be able to control. It was clear by the note at the end that the author wanted to have an autistic savant as a hero, but why she felt that she needed to add the suspected homosexuality, bastardy, alcoholism and horse training was beyond me. The spymaster/assassin role was a stretch as it was!
I expect historical romance to fudge some details but not actual provable facts. By my calculations, the book is set in 1869-1870 but Sophia at some point says "she had been conditioned to fight like a Pavlovian dog" even though Pavlov's experiments didn't happen until 1901. At some point, there's an open conversation between unmarried ladies and matrons at a ball about Wilhelm's supposed preference for men. Anybody that has read historical romance or even seen Downton Abbey knows that scandalous topics like homosexuality (which was illegal by the way) are not discussed in mixed company specially when young ladies are in the room. Also, peers don't hire women to openly pretend to be their mistress while acting as governess to their young nieces.
The whole plot with the evil father was absurd. He was supposedly trying to get one of his evil minions to impregnate Sophia (he didn't know she was barren) so he could break the entail on some property because he was broke. Even after she married Wilhelm, the evil father kept sending his thugs to threaten/beat her (don't know where he found the money to hire so many people) wanting her to annul the marriage (note to the author - you can't get annulment documents before getting married. That's not the way annulments work.) The fight at the end was way closer than it should have been considering
that Wilhelm was supposedly this kickass assassin and her father must have been at least 20 years older. But then, we don't know anything about the father except that he's abusive so maybe he had a black belt in karate or was a ninja.I have more complaints about this book - how Sophia was so beautiful that all men except for Wilhelm wanted to harass her (give me a break) - but the review is already long enough.
Don't even bother.
October 31, 2016
“It’s true you are the most clever woman I know.”
“Then which man of your acquaintance is more clever?”
“Touché.” He chuckled. “You are by far the cleverest creature I have ever met, man, woman, or animal.”
What a lovely book! I found this book by accident but when I read that the hero was autistic or rather, had Asperger's syndrome I knew I had to read it immediately. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie is one of the few other books I've read, where the hero has Asperger's in a historical setting. Song for Sophia did not disappoint with it complex characters, sharp humour and the amazing relationship between Sophia and Wilhelm!
Sophia escapes the abusive and tyrannical rule of her father and goes into hiding, she disguises herself as a lowly house maid in Wilhelm's household. But when Wilhelm who has never felt any desire for a woman sees her a new obsession begins. Sophia goes from maid to governess to Lady Devon, to be quite honest this all happened so quickly my head was spinning but it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story at all.
“His breath quickened and his lips parted as he stared. “An effective manipulation. I cannot look away, and now I have this embarrassing urge to lick you.” His voice sounded low and smooth with a hint of flirtation, like chocolate liqueur.”
I love a book with a good villain and Sophia's father definitely fit the bill. With him doggedly trying to get Sophia back into his clutches no matter the cost, bribery and deceit were all in a days work for him. But with Wilhelm he'd met his match, I loved how dedicated and protective Wilhelm was of Sophia. If you enjoy the strong, protective yet caring hero, you'll love Wilhelm!
I can't wait to read about the rest of the Rougemont men!
September 30, 2022
4 stars. This is a really solid and enjoyable book with a very devoted hero willing to do literally anything to keep the heroine safe. Including killing for her. 😏😈
It’s made better (for me at least) because both of the MCs are virgins, hero bc he was afraid of venereal disease, and the heroine because of her extremely abusive father who tried repeatedly to sell her to the highest bidder. Both have endured a lot of trauma in the past, and both have PTSD from that trauma. I also liked that the hero married the heroine not knowing that she was indeed a virgin, and actually thinking that she wasn’t. He even asked her if she had any STDs before having sex with her, lol. I liked that this book wasn’t the typical fantasy HR where STDs just magically don’t exist and manwhores are free to go to every brothel and still live happy, healthy lives. Back to this book… when the MCs finally do have sex… he somehow knows she’s a virgin right after penetration. 🧐 Which is very much bullshit. So, this is a step in the right direction but could still use improvements.
As other reviews have pointed out, there are several unanswered questions and unclarified details in this book, but those really didn’t bother me here like they normally would. This book is very fast moving with a lot of action, so I never really felt like I had time to wonder about missing details much. Although, I am wondering about them more now that I’m writing this review. 🫤Also, I think listening to this on audiobook versus reading would make for a different experience since it’s easier to stop and think about small details when reading.
I’m not really sure what I had expected going into this story… because it REALLY wasn’t much… and sometimes low expectations help me enjoy the story more. 🤪
Very safe; both virgins, no om/ow drama or scenes, no cheating.
TW: mentions of past physical abuse, torture, physical scars from abuse, blood, gore, violence, death, attempted rape, miscarriage, pregnancy.
It’s made better (for me at least) because both of the MCs are virgins, hero bc he was afraid of venereal disease, and the heroine because of her extremely abusive father who tried repeatedly to sell her to the highest bidder. Both have endured a lot of trauma in the past, and both have PTSD from that trauma. I also liked that the hero married the heroine not knowing that she was indeed a virgin, and actually thinking that she wasn’t. He even asked her if she had any STDs before having sex with her, lol. I liked that this book wasn’t the typical fantasy HR where STDs just magically don’t exist and manwhores are free to go to every brothel and still live happy, healthy lives. Back to this book… when the MCs finally do have sex… he somehow knows she’s a virgin right after penetration. 🧐 Which is very much bullshit. So, this is a step in the right direction but could still use improvements.
As other reviews have pointed out, there are several unanswered questions and unclarified details in this book, but those really didn’t bother me here like they normally would. This book is very fast moving with a lot of action, so I never really felt like I had time to wonder about missing details much. Although, I am wondering about them more now that I’m writing this review. 🫤Also, I think listening to this on audiobook versus reading would make for a different experience since it’s easier to stop and think about small details when reading.
I’m not really sure what I had expected going into this story… because it REALLY wasn’t much… and sometimes low expectations help me enjoy the story more. 🤪
Very safe; both virgins, no om/ow drama or scenes, no cheating.
TW: mentions of past physical abuse, torture, physical scars from abuse, blood, gore, violence, death, attempted rape, miscarriage, pregnancy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2012
I would give this a few more stars if I could! It was refreshingly different from anything I have read in a while.
This book made me laugh, made me cry and everything in between. The characters in this story were just wonderfully fleshed out that there was no hesitation in getting involved in the story.
Sophia was in big trouble, her heinous father ( I mean he was truly evil!!) was searching for her after she fled his home. He had whipped her and almost killed her after she fought off the man he sent in to rape her to get her pregnant. With help from her trusted solicitor and a family friend, he gets a housekeeping job at Wil, Lord Devon's estate.
Wil becomes obsessed with her ( but in a good, loving, adorable way)and the things he does to protect her... sigh...
This one is going on my second read worthy shelf!
This little bit sums up Wil nicely:
Even now she could not muster much angst toward Lord Devon. She had experienced twenty-and-four kisses in her lifetime stolen by gentlemen, bohemians, even royalty from all the continental nations, men who could not kiss without trying to maul her. But number twenty-five — Wilhelm — had set her aside despite his obvious arousal. Rather chivalrous, in a way.
This book made me laugh, made me cry and everything in between. The characters in this story were just wonderfully fleshed out that there was no hesitation in getting involved in the story.
Sophia was in big trouble, her heinous father ( I mean he was truly evil!!) was searching for her after she fled his home. He had whipped her and almost killed her after she fought off the man he sent in to rape her to get her pregnant. With help from her trusted solicitor and a family friend, he gets a housekeeping job at Wil, Lord Devon's estate.
Wil becomes obsessed with her ( but in a good, loving, adorable way)and the things he does to protect her... sigh...
This one is going on my second read worthy shelf!
This little bit sums up Wil nicely:
Even now she could not muster much angst toward Lord Devon. She had experienced twenty-and-four kisses in her lifetime stolen by gentlemen, bohemians, even royalty from all the continental nations, men who could not kiss without trying to maul her. But number twenty-five — Wilhelm — had set her aside despite his obvious arousal. Rather chivalrous, in a way.
May 19, 2012
Unexpected. Smart. Captivating. I have to admit, it took a while for me to warm to Sophia despite her bravery, her clever wit and her many other fine qualities. I fell hard and fast for Wilhelm, though. He’s damaged. Oh, so damaged. He’s brilliant. He’s flawed. What other hero compliments his love with Fibonacci sequences? Calms his mind by reciting quadratic residues? What other heroine will understand him? Appreciate him? And this was what finally charmed me into love with Sophia, too. Not her strength and bravery in escaping her father. Not her intellect. Not her charming conversation. The fact that she loved Wilhelm as much as I did.
This was one of the most unexpected stories I’ve read in a long time. The repartee is sparkling and witty. The love is scandalous. The past is dangerous and hard on their heels. And Wilhelm is an unforgettable hero. I look forward to reading the next book from Moriah Densley.
This was one of the most unexpected stories I’ve read in a long time. The repartee is sparkling and witty. The love is scandalous. The past is dangerous and hard on their heels. And Wilhelm is an unforgettable hero. I look forward to reading the next book from Moriah Densley.
September 22, 2016
Wilhelm the mad and Ann-Sophia the jinxed.
Sophia is a lady on the run from her psychopath of a father after he beat her bloody. She takes a position as a maid in the household of Wilhelm to hide in obscurity, but she is too beautiful for that. Wilhelm who has been a long time recovering from the atrocities he saw and committed, during the Crimean War, finds himself enamoured. This story is so OW free that there are rumours that Wil bats for the other team. Actually, there are a lot of rumours surrounding Wil and his wartime 'job'. The story is pretty straight forward. She needs his protection from the big bad father who has no scruples and will stop at nothing to get her back. There's some fun side characters and I loved the chemistry between the MCs. Wilhelm's character was particularly awesome! He's a large sexy genius with some strange quirks. But most just think him mad.
Honestly, I would have given this one 5 stars if not for the (imho) unnecessary violence. It seemed that someone was constantly at death's door and in explicit detail too. You couldn't really fast forward through those scenes either, because there were important details that you'd miss.
I did like that even though the plot is very straight forward, the intrigue was well thought out and generally less predictable than I was expecting. The writing was clever and I look forward to reading more by this author!
The audio reader, Heather Wilds, was great!
Sophia is a lady on the run from her psychopath of a father after he beat her bloody. She takes a position as a maid in the household of Wilhelm to hide in obscurity, but she is too beautiful for that. Wilhelm who has been a long time recovering from the atrocities he saw and committed, during the Crimean War, finds himself enamoured. This story is so OW free that there are rumours that Wil bats for the other team. Actually, there are a lot of rumours surrounding Wil and his wartime 'job'. The story is pretty straight forward. She needs his protection from the big bad father who has no scruples and will stop at nothing to get her back. There's some fun side characters and I loved the chemistry between the MCs. Wilhelm's character was particularly awesome! He's a large sexy genius with some strange quirks. But most just think him mad.
Honestly, I would have given this one 5 stars if not for the (imho) unnecessary violence. It seemed that someone was constantly at death's door and in explicit detail too. You couldn't really fast forward through those scenes either, because there were important details that you'd miss.
I did like that even though the plot is very straight forward, the intrigue was well thought out and generally less predictable than I was expecting. The writing was clever and I look forward to reading more by this author!
The audio reader, Heather Wilds, was great!
October 14, 2014
I was shocked reading this. How often does one encounter a four star .99 center?
I can tell you it's not friggin' often.
I can't tell you what happened at the halfway point that had me wanting to kiss Moriah Densley, you'll just have to read it for yourself. Let's just say it's nice to read work from someone who isn't a naive ninny in regards to violence.
I wasn't a huge fan of Sophia, I thought her reluctance was extremely misguided, but since she eventually came to her senses, I'm forced to forgive her any transgressions. She is, for the most part, a likable heroine with an unfortunate history and some trust issues. Wilhelm, on the other hand, is all that is awesome. He's cute and weird and smart and deadly. And loving. He's basically my sort-of insane dream man. I got the feeling Densley was going for a kind of Savant syndrome for Wilhelm...there were shades of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie here that were thrilling. And the greatest part of all was that Wilhelm wasn't a reluctant moron. He saw Sophia, knew he wanted her, and acted accordingly.
A refreshing read with a good plot and enjoyable characters.
I can tell you it's not friggin' often.
I can't tell you what happened at the halfway point that had me wanting to kiss Moriah Densley, you'll just have to read it for yourself. Let's just say it's nice to read work from someone who isn't a naive ninny in regards to violence.
I wasn't a huge fan of Sophia, I thought her reluctance was extremely misguided, but since she eventually came to her senses, I'm forced to forgive her any transgressions. She is, for the most part, a likable heroine with an unfortunate history and some trust issues. Wilhelm, on the other hand, is all that is awesome. He's cute and weird and smart and deadly. And loving. He's basically my sort-of insane dream man. I got the feeling Densley was going for a kind of Savant syndrome for Wilhelm...there were shades of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie here that were thrilling. And the greatest part of all was that Wilhelm wasn't a reluctant moron. He saw Sophia, knew he wanted her, and acted accordingly.
A refreshing read with a good plot and enjoyable characters.
July 24, 2016
Song for Sophia is a thoroughly entertaining and generally well-written romance which features a pair of engaging and unusual protagonists and a well- crafted “heroine-in-peril” plot.
Lady Anne-Sophronia Dunscombe is on the run from her violent and abusive father (there do seem to be rather a lot of those in historical romances these days!) and has disguised herself as a housemaid in the home of the eccentric and rumoured-insane Wilhelm Montegue, Earl of Devon. He is immediately aware that his newest member of staff is no housemaid and is both intrigued by and attracted to her, determined to find out what could possibly have happened to a young woman of good breeding to have made her enter domestic service.
Historical Romances in which the lord of the manor becomes involved with a servant (even when the servant in question is actually an aristocrat in disguise) always require a certain stretching of one’s credulity, as in reality, the paths of those at the top of the social strata and those at the very bottom would hardly have crossed. But by the time the enigmatic earl and his new housemaid begin to interact, I was already so intrigued by them and drawn in by the mystery surrounding Sophia that I was prepared to accept the premise and keep reading.
Sophia literally stumbles across her new employer one evening while on a late walk in the garden, but has no idea of his identity. A few days and another accident-prone meeting serve to apprise both of them of the other’s position in the household, and master and servant very quickly fall into an irreverent banter and game of one-upmanship. That Sophia, supposedly trying to hide away incognito, should so quickly respond to Devon’s teasing does require rather a large suspension of disbelief, but the dialogue is witty, the sparks are flying and I’ve never before come across a flirtation conducted in quite the same manner, which made the whole thing so delightful that I was able to suspend my disbelief quite happily.
In fact, it quickly became clear that this was going to be one of those books which was going to require a number of similar suspensions, but which was captivating nonetheless because of the depth to the characterisation, the way the romance developed and the quality of the story overall.
Another factor that contributes to the book's success is the sense - which leaps off the page - of Wilhelm’s larger-than-life personality, his almost overwhelming self-confidence and the fact that he doesn’t give a damn what anybody things of him. In the first few chapters, Ms Densley draws a portrait of a truly fascinating man who, despite massive flaws, is incredibly attractive and utterly compelling.
Wilhelm is a tortured soul whose particular “gifts” were pounced upon and heavily used during the recent war in the Crimea, where he served as a spy and assassin. He’s a savant – a mathematical and musical genius with a photographic memory, which obviously made him an excellent choice as a courier and spymaster. In addition, he appears to suffer from OCD and PTSD, and he is prone to sudden “trances”, when he withdraws into himself and his world of music and numbers. He is widely rumored to be both insane and homosexual, but is utterly and genuinely dismissive of society’s opinion. His war-time occupations and the horrors he suffered are revealed slowly, which works well to increase the reader’s curiosity and to perpetuate the sense that there is much more to this man than meets the eye.
Sophia is also surrounded by a mystery which is only gradually revealed. Right at the beginning of the book, it’s made clear that she’s suffered physical violence and has been deeply affected by it. As her attraction to Wilhelm deepens, she finds it harder and harder to confess the truth to him because she does not want to place him in any danger. Her father is up to his neck in debt, but his lands are entailed and he is unable to liquidate them in order to pay off his creditors. He tries to force Sophia to marry one of his cronies, the plan being to get her pregnant as fast as possible and then claim the entailed lands through her son, although I’m not completely sure how this would have worked in terms of the legalities.
The romance between these two damaged individuals unfolds slowly and naturally as they come to know and gain a sincere appreciation of each other. Sophia, intelligent, tough, and compassionate, is completely accepting of Wilhelm’s eccentricities and comes to esteem him and value him as a person. For his part, Wilhelm has been so used to being regarded as a social pariah, that he is somewhat taken aback to discover that Sophia sees past the rumors and his oddness. But realizing that she sees beyond the gossip and what he terms his “illness” gives him the impetus to aspire towards making himself a better man for her. And he, in turn, shows Sophia tenderness and affection, offering her a happiness and freedom she’d never thought to have. In that way, theirs is very much a relationship of equals, and I thought it was very well-written; tender, sensual, and laced with humor.
The road to happiness is not travelled without a few bumps along the way, most of which are supplied by the machinations of Sophia’s father to force her to return to him and submit to his demands. He does not appear in person in the book until almost the end of it, but that works well, as his malevolence pervades the story, almost always in the background, but always there. This element of the story is well-executed at an almost breathless pace as Wilhelm hatches a plan to free Sophia once and for all, his Machiavellian dealings and maneuverings stretching far and wide as his scheme takes shape.
I said at the outset that this was one of those books where it was no hardship to embark on a slightly greater suspension of disbelief than one might normally find necessary in a romance novel. The storyline was very well conceived, the characterization excellent, and there was plenty of humour and sexual tension between the leads. But there were a couple of things I just couldn’t ignore which caused me to lower my overall grade.
Firstly, the book ‘proper’ ends on one hell of a cliffhanger. That’s not to say that Sophia and Wilhelm don’t get their HEA – of course they do, but we only learn that to be the case in the epilogue. I’ve always thought that a book should come to a satisfactory conclusion regardless of whether there is an epilogue or not, and because the final chapter ends with such a big question mark, I did feel rather let down and found the epilogue to be an anti-climax.
Then there was an odd quirk in Ms Densley’s writing style which I tried very hard not to notice, but which happened so often that in the end, it was impossible to ignore. Frequently, if felt as though she was starting a sentence part-way through; for example
“Years since he’d allowed himself the weakness of…” instead of “It had been years since he’d allowed himself the weakness of …” Or “Lovely, how he seemed content…” Instead of “It was lovely, how he seemed content…”
I know that starting a sentence without the first couple of words is not uncommon when one is speaking, but in print it looks rather odd and after a while, I found it quite intrusive. There was one page when it seemed like every sentence started in this way, and it was incredibly annoying!
There were a few Americanisms littered around (we don’t have faucets, we have taps, for example); and at times the author used completely the wrong word choice. For example:
”Today she’d been clearly outshined” when the correct useage is outshone.
And – in one of the love scenes, we’re told that Sophia “braised her teeth” over Wilhelm’s shoulder. As far as I know, braising is a way of cooking meat, which I’m sure isn’t want the author intended to convey!
Despite those things, however, I thoroughly enjoyed Song for Sophia. Ms Densley is clearly a very talented author and she has crafted a compelling, entertaining and emotionally satisfying story featuring a couple of very well drawn and engaging protagonists. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of her work although I strongly hope that her next endeavor might receive a more thorough proof-reading before its release.
Lady Anne-Sophronia Dunscombe is on the run from her violent and abusive father (there do seem to be rather a lot of those in historical romances these days!) and has disguised herself as a housemaid in the home of the eccentric and rumoured-insane Wilhelm Montegue, Earl of Devon. He is immediately aware that his newest member of staff is no housemaid and is both intrigued by and attracted to her, determined to find out what could possibly have happened to a young woman of good breeding to have made her enter domestic service.
Historical Romances in which the lord of the manor becomes involved with a servant (even when the servant in question is actually an aristocrat in disguise) always require a certain stretching of one’s credulity, as in reality, the paths of those at the top of the social strata and those at the very bottom would hardly have crossed. But by the time the enigmatic earl and his new housemaid begin to interact, I was already so intrigued by them and drawn in by the mystery surrounding Sophia that I was prepared to accept the premise and keep reading.
Sophia literally stumbles across her new employer one evening while on a late walk in the garden, but has no idea of his identity. A few days and another accident-prone meeting serve to apprise both of them of the other’s position in the household, and master and servant very quickly fall into an irreverent banter and game of one-upmanship. That Sophia, supposedly trying to hide away incognito, should so quickly respond to Devon’s teasing does require rather a large suspension of disbelief, but the dialogue is witty, the sparks are flying and I’ve never before come across a flirtation conducted in quite the same manner, which made the whole thing so delightful that I was able to suspend my disbelief quite happily.
In fact, it quickly became clear that this was going to be one of those books which was going to require a number of similar suspensions, but which was captivating nonetheless because of the depth to the characterisation, the way the romance developed and the quality of the story overall.
Another factor that contributes to the book's success is the sense - which leaps off the page - of Wilhelm’s larger-than-life personality, his almost overwhelming self-confidence and the fact that he doesn’t give a damn what anybody things of him. In the first few chapters, Ms Densley draws a portrait of a truly fascinating man who, despite massive flaws, is incredibly attractive and utterly compelling.
Wilhelm is a tortured soul whose particular “gifts” were pounced upon and heavily used during the recent war in the Crimea, where he served as a spy and assassin. He’s a savant – a mathematical and musical genius with a photographic memory, which obviously made him an excellent choice as a courier and spymaster. In addition, he appears to suffer from OCD and PTSD, and he is prone to sudden “trances”, when he withdraws into himself and his world of music and numbers. He is widely rumored to be both insane and homosexual, but is utterly and genuinely dismissive of society’s opinion. His war-time occupations and the horrors he suffered are revealed slowly, which works well to increase the reader’s curiosity and to perpetuate the sense that there is much more to this man than meets the eye.
Sophia is also surrounded by a mystery which is only gradually revealed. Right at the beginning of the book, it’s made clear that she’s suffered physical violence and has been deeply affected by it. As her attraction to Wilhelm deepens, she finds it harder and harder to confess the truth to him because she does not want to place him in any danger. Her father is up to his neck in debt, but his lands are entailed and he is unable to liquidate them in order to pay off his creditors. He tries to force Sophia to marry one of his cronies, the plan being to get her pregnant as fast as possible and then claim the entailed lands through her son, although I’m not completely sure how this would have worked in terms of the legalities.
The romance between these two damaged individuals unfolds slowly and naturally as they come to know and gain a sincere appreciation of each other. Sophia, intelligent, tough, and compassionate, is completely accepting of Wilhelm’s eccentricities and comes to esteem him and value him as a person. For his part, Wilhelm has been so used to being regarded as a social pariah, that he is somewhat taken aback to discover that Sophia sees past the rumors and his oddness. But realizing that she sees beyond the gossip and what he terms his “illness” gives him the impetus to aspire towards making himself a better man for her. And he, in turn, shows Sophia tenderness and affection, offering her a happiness and freedom she’d never thought to have. In that way, theirs is very much a relationship of equals, and I thought it was very well-written; tender, sensual, and laced with humor.
The road to happiness is not travelled without a few bumps along the way, most of which are supplied by the machinations of Sophia’s father to force her to return to him and submit to his demands. He does not appear in person in the book until almost the end of it, but that works well, as his malevolence pervades the story, almost always in the background, but always there. This element of the story is well-executed at an almost breathless pace as Wilhelm hatches a plan to free Sophia once and for all, his Machiavellian dealings and maneuverings stretching far and wide as his scheme takes shape.
I said at the outset that this was one of those books where it was no hardship to embark on a slightly greater suspension of disbelief than one might normally find necessary in a romance novel. The storyline was very well conceived, the characterization excellent, and there was plenty of humour and sexual tension between the leads. But there were a couple of things I just couldn’t ignore which caused me to lower my overall grade.
Firstly, the book ‘proper’ ends on one hell of a cliffhanger. That’s not to say that Sophia and Wilhelm don’t get their HEA – of course they do, but we only learn that to be the case in the epilogue. I’ve always thought that a book should come to a satisfactory conclusion regardless of whether there is an epilogue or not, and because the final chapter ends with such a big question mark, I did feel rather let down and found the epilogue to be an anti-climax.
Then there was an odd quirk in Ms Densley’s writing style which I tried very hard not to notice, but which happened so often that in the end, it was impossible to ignore. Frequently, if felt as though she was starting a sentence part-way through; for example
“Years since he’d allowed himself the weakness of…” instead of “It had been years since he’d allowed himself the weakness of …” Or “Lovely, how he seemed content…” Instead of “It was lovely, how he seemed content…”
I know that starting a sentence without the first couple of words is not uncommon when one is speaking, but in print it looks rather odd and after a while, I found it quite intrusive. There was one page when it seemed like every sentence started in this way, and it was incredibly annoying!
There were a few Americanisms littered around (we don’t have faucets, we have taps, for example); and at times the author used completely the wrong word choice. For example:
”Today she’d been clearly outshined” when the correct useage is outshone.
And – in one of the love scenes, we’re told that Sophia “braised her teeth” over Wilhelm’s shoulder. As far as I know, braising is a way of cooking meat, which I’m sure isn’t want the author intended to convey!
Despite those things, however, I thoroughly enjoyed Song for Sophia. Ms Densley is clearly a very talented author and she has crafted a compelling, entertaining and emotionally satisfying story featuring a couple of very well drawn and engaging protagonists. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of her work although I strongly hope that her next endeavor might receive a more thorough proof-reading before its release.
June 21, 2012
Song for Sophia by Moriah Densley is an historical romance sparkling from page one with mystery, sensual tension and clever repartee. Wilhelm Montague prefers solitude but his keen intelligence and air of intrigue teases Sophia out of her guarded reserve. Both bear scars, inside and out. Both live in hiding. The two must decide if the possibility of love, long abandoned, is worth bearing their inhibiting secrets and exposing a deadly danger.
I absolutely loved Song for Sophia. Moriah writes with brilliance and smooth panache, using wit and humor to weave a charismatic story of hidden desires and unfulfilled dreams. Wil and Sophia, both passionate and engaging by nature, yet crippled by vulnerabilities, will capture your heart. Song for Sophia is one of those memorable romances you read over and over. I give it a hearty all thumbs up!
Pam B. Morris
www.pambmorris.blogspot.com
I absolutely loved Song for Sophia. Moriah writes with brilliance and smooth panache, using wit and humor to weave a charismatic story of hidden desires and unfulfilled dreams. Wil and Sophia, both passionate and engaging by nature, yet crippled by vulnerabilities, will capture your heart. Song for Sophia is one of those memorable romances you read over and over. I give it a hearty all thumbs up!
Pam B. Morris
www.pambmorris.blogspot.com
July 25, 2016
3.5 Stars, rounded up this time but only because of the adorable hero!
Song For Sophia is full of flaws. Flaws that have earned other books less stars. But, oh wow, after a long, tedious, soul destroying and almost tablet smashing drought, I've finally come across a book where I fell for the hero again, and actually really liked the heroine as well.
Wilhelm Montague, Earl of Devon, is 35, a former spymaster suffering from PTSD, loving uncle and nephew, a virgin (!) and autistic whose quirks lead him to meet the newly employed chambermaid Anne-Sophia Duncombe who is on the run from her evil father and hides at Wilhelm's estate under a false name.
Wilhelm, oh, Wilhelm. Such a lovely, mischievous, charming, flawlessly flawed and sometimes a little psychopathic man! This book had me when Wilhelm and Sophia start communicating via books left on a nightstand, forged letters to dear, old aunts and overseen smudges on mirrors before they actually meet. Whatever the flaws of Song For Sophia, the story is immensely emotionally satisfying as we watch Wilhelm and Sophia's romance unfold.
Wilhelm is the true star of this book. From the moment he meets Sophia, he is obsessed with her, not in a caveman kind of way, although, he is in lust with her, of course, but in the first third of the book, Sophia keeps wondering if Wilhelm is not indeed gay, as the old rumours suggest. Just because he lusts after her, doesn't mean he's all over her from the moment he sees Sophia. Whenever the POV switched to Wilhelm, I was glued to the book. The little things he does for Sophia, how he speaks to her, yearns for her...so sweet! And funny at times.
The romance between Sophia and Wilhelm was pure and simple adorable. After her true identity is revealed and with a little coaxing of Wilhelm, Sophia agrees to marry him. Sophia is the worldlier character, having lived her whole life in a dysfunctional family, a maniac for a father. What happens next is Sophia and Wilhelm, both virgins, adjusting to their new lives. There was no Big Misunderstanding, just two wounded and insecure people trying to handle the sensations a marriage brings along. When challenged with conflicts within their marriage, they are mature, careful and tender. They talk things through!! Obviously, not always, due to their insecurities, but even those are overcome with care and leaps of faith on both sides. Loved it, loved it, loved it!
So, where did the book fall short? First of all, the writing was a little off, or weird. It seemed to me that the author used the 'show, not tell' approach to a point, where certain situations were confusing enough for me to flip back a page or two to re-read. Who was talking to whom? What's it about? Where are they now? It took the flow out of the story.
Secondly, and more importantly, I had to suspend my disbelief quite a few times because of plot holes and the unwillingness of the author to share more information about the characters or circumstances. Had she done that, it would been more comprehensive. Which takes me to the subplot that includes Sophia's evil father. I didn't really care for it. The author had done such a great job giving me an emotionally satisfying romance, and then a subplot that had gaping holes in it. For instance, Wilhelm is also a former assassin, and kills effectively and very quickly, as if he had some sort of James Bond training. Yet, when fighting Sophia's father, it went on and on and on, and no more James Bond moves were seen. And this only a very minor example that left me thinking 'This makes no sense.'
But, anyway, back to Wilhelm and my swooning over him. A hero who openly cries when he thinks he'll lose the love of his life, who needs almost forced seduction by his wife because he wants to protect her and doesn't think with his cock for 90% of the book? Yes, please!
Song For Sophia is full of flaws. Flaws that have earned other books less stars. But, oh wow, after a long, tedious, soul destroying and almost tablet smashing drought, I've finally come across a book where I fell for the hero again, and actually really liked the heroine as well.
Wilhelm Montague, Earl of Devon, is 35, a former spymaster suffering from PTSD, loving uncle and nephew, a virgin (!) and autistic whose quirks lead him to meet the newly employed chambermaid Anne-Sophia Duncombe who is on the run from her evil father and hides at Wilhelm's estate under a false name.
Wilhelm, oh, Wilhelm. Such a lovely, mischievous, charming, flawlessly flawed and sometimes a little psychopathic man! This book had me when Wilhelm and Sophia start communicating via books left on a nightstand, forged letters to dear, old aunts and overseen smudges on mirrors before they actually meet. Whatever the flaws of Song For Sophia, the story is immensely emotionally satisfying as we watch Wilhelm and Sophia's romance unfold.
Wilhelm is the true star of this book. From the moment he meets Sophia, he is obsessed with her, not in a caveman kind of way, although, he is in lust with her, of course, but in the first third of the book, Sophia keeps wondering if Wilhelm is not indeed gay, as the old rumours suggest. Just because he lusts after her, doesn't mean he's all over her from the moment he sees Sophia. Whenever the POV switched to Wilhelm, I was glued to the book. The little things he does for Sophia, how he speaks to her, yearns for her...so sweet! And funny at times.
Wilhelm stood at the wall in his room, banging his head into it. Thud… thud… thud. It felt better than when he stopped and unwelcome thoughts filled his mind. Thud… thud.Go ahead, Wil, it's fine! Just do what you feel necessary, I've fallen for you anyway.
Someone knocked at the door.
“Wilhelm, my dear?”
“Yes, Aunt Louisa?” Thud…
“Are you quite all right?”
“Cannot a man strike his head on the wall in his own house?”
The romance between Sophia and Wilhelm was pure and simple adorable. After her true identity is revealed and with a little coaxing of Wilhelm, Sophia agrees to marry him. Sophia is the worldlier character, having lived her whole life in a dysfunctional family, a maniac for a father. What happens next is Sophia and Wilhelm, both virgins, adjusting to their new lives. There was no Big Misunderstanding, just two wounded and insecure people trying to handle the sensations a marriage brings along. When challenged with conflicts within their marriage, they are mature, careful and tender. They talk things through!! Obviously, not always, due to their insecurities, but even those are overcome with care and leaps of faith on both sides. Loved it, loved it, loved it!
So, where did the book fall short? First of all, the writing was a little off, or weird. It seemed to me that the author used the 'show, not tell' approach to a point, where certain situations were confusing enough for me to flip back a page or two to re-read. Who was talking to whom? What's it about? Where are they now? It took the flow out of the story.
Secondly, and more importantly, I had to suspend my disbelief quite a few times because of plot holes and the unwillingness of the author to share more information about the characters or circumstances. Had she done that, it would been more comprehensive. Which takes me to the subplot that includes Sophia's evil father. I didn't really care for it. The author had done such a great job giving me an emotionally satisfying romance, and then a subplot that had gaping holes in it. For instance, Wilhelm is also a former assassin, and kills effectively and very quickly, as if he had some sort of James Bond training. Yet, when fighting Sophia's father, it went on and on and on, and no more James Bond moves were seen. And this only a very minor example that left me thinking 'This makes no sense.'
But, anyway, back to Wilhelm and my swooning over him. A hero who openly cries when he thinks he'll lose the love of his life, who needs almost forced seduction by his wife because he wants to protect her and doesn't think with his cock for 90% of the book? Yes, please!
October 1, 2015
Overall rating: 4 "Darling" stars!
Triggers:
Cheating:
Love triangle:
Sex with om/ow:
Intimate Pasts:
Push/pull:
OW/OM drama:
HEA:
My review:
This was surprisingly a cute story about love being found in the oddest of places. Sophia is on the run and is using the alias Rosalie. She doesn't know that when she takes a job as a cleaning lady that her employer would end up changing her life forever (and for the good).
Wil was the sweetest hero but not without his faults. He was a heavy drinker and he had this scandalous past as a assassin basically. He had many scars all over his body from previously being kidnapped and tortured. One of the reasons that I rated this below 5 stars was because his past was never expanded upon. We learned a lot of Sophia and what was done and attempted to be done to her in the past. But with Will? It was never clear. Was he raped by men? What kind of torture did he endure? We will never know. It was just kind of skimmed over.
Another reason for my 4 star rating is that I felt that there weren't enough sexy times and just flat out enough time spent with the characters ACTUALLY together. Yes, they are essential in the same proximity to each other for the entire book, but not together together. And Will was endearingly scared to bed Sophia for a major portion of the book as well and that drove me (and Sophia, I'm sure) a little batty LOLOL! He was alpha, but then he wasn't. It's hard to explain. I also thought a longer epilogue would have been nice. Now, I KNOW these two have truly in love and will definitely have a great life together. That is apparent, however, I would LOVE to witness Will being a wonderful father - especially after everything in his past in that regard as well. And of course, Sophia - witnessing her being a mother when she never thought she could! That would have been so sweet.
I would love to carry on with this series and read further and maybe get those glimpses into Will and Sophia's lives, but I didn't like the direction that the next book in the series goes in, so sadly, because of my own book triggers, I will not be moving on with this series. Such a shame because there is the second book that I have adored by this author! :D
Triggers:
Cheating:
Love triangle:
Sex with om/ow:
Intimate Pasts:
Push/pull:
OW/OM drama:
HEA:
My review:
This was surprisingly a cute story about love being found in the oddest of places. Sophia is on the run and is using the alias Rosalie. She doesn't know that when she takes a job as a cleaning lady that her employer would end up changing her life forever (and for the good).
Wil was the sweetest hero but not without his faults. He was a heavy drinker and he had this scandalous past as a assassin basically. He had many scars all over his body from previously being kidnapped and tortured. One of the reasons that I rated this below 5 stars was because his past was never expanded upon. We learned a lot of Sophia and what was done and attempted to be done to her in the past. But with Will? It was never clear. Was he raped by men? What kind of torture did he endure? We will never know. It was just kind of skimmed over.
Another reason for my 4 star rating is that I felt that there weren't enough sexy times and just flat out enough time spent with the characters ACTUALLY together. Yes, they are essential in the same proximity to each other for the entire book, but not together together. And Will was endearingly scared to bed Sophia for a major portion of the book as well and that drove me (and Sophia, I'm sure) a little batty LOLOL! He was alpha, but then he wasn't. It's hard to explain. I also thought a longer epilogue would have been nice. Now, I KNOW these two have truly in love and will definitely have a great life together. That is apparent, however, I would LOVE to witness Will being a wonderful father - especially after everything in his past in that regard as well. And of course, Sophia - witnessing her being a mother when she never thought she could! That would have been so sweet.
I would love to carry on with this series and read further and maybe get those glimpses into Will and Sophia's lives, but I didn't like the direction that the next book in the series goes in, so sadly, because of my own book triggers, I will not be moving on with this series. Such a shame because there is the second book that I have adored by this author! :D
September 6, 2016
Love this one a lot, close to 5 for me. I am so gratified to read a book where neither protagonists are annoying and acted asinine because they were denying their feelings. The whole casts including the supporting ones are lovable, and besides a lot of alonetime together where we see their relationship build, there is the villain plot and action that help make this even more entertaining.
Both our protagonists are interesting characters with depth and smarts. The one thing I really love about this book is we are not just told they are smart, we are shown them discussing interesting topics and displaying layers of depths that gives credit to this statement. I really enjoy their very discussions and debates ranging a while variety of subjects, and these two showed by actions as well they are not totally just all talks.
Our H has a very traumatic past that left him very messed up as a person. Yet from the first moment he laid eyes on our h, he found his haven in her. Our H is probably one rare oddball even in romanceland, where usually H can get all frisky and couldn't stay away 3 seconds from our h. This adorable man here was so afraid he will loose her he would rather not touch her and just have her by his side. So cute in a misguided way albeit.
Our h is just as adorable. While she shows she is worldly and can be wily and cunning (love her comment that in order to enslave a man one has to be a general, diplomat and cleopatra all rolled in one), she never harbour any malicious intent towards other people. Sure, she will maneuver situations and people to work in her favour, yet she is inherently kind and gentle.
The plot is believable and I love how Densley gives us a plausibly dangerous situation without making two reputedly off the chart clever people degenerate into fools. There are still tons of actions and lots of exciting developments, yet we see how our H preempts all moves and counteracts them all (with me cheering loudly on the sideline).
The only quibble and this is really minor, is the sexy times. At times it was described in such a sutble way that I have to pause and figure things out. It is certainly leaning more on the romantic and half faded out side to me, and I would have had preferred more fire here.
Other than that, this definitely is most enjoyable and I can see why it has a few nominated or won awards of the year.
Both our protagonists are interesting characters with depth and smarts. The one thing I really love about this book is we are not just told they are smart, we are shown them discussing interesting topics and displaying layers of depths that gives credit to this statement. I really enjoy their very discussions and debates ranging a while variety of subjects, and these two showed by actions as well they are not totally just all talks.
Our H has a very traumatic past that left him very messed up as a person. Yet from the first moment he laid eyes on our h, he found his haven in her. Our H is probably one rare oddball even in romanceland, where usually H can get all frisky and couldn't stay away 3 seconds from our h. This adorable man here was so afraid he will loose her he would rather not touch her and just have her by his side. So cute in a misguided way albeit.
Our h is just as adorable. While she shows she is worldly and can be wily and cunning (love her comment that in order to enslave a man one has to be a general, diplomat and cleopatra all rolled in one), she never harbour any malicious intent towards other people. Sure, she will maneuver situations and people to work in her favour, yet she is inherently kind and gentle.
The plot is believable and I love how Densley gives us a plausibly dangerous situation without making two reputedly off the chart clever people degenerate into fools. There are still tons of actions and lots of exciting developments, yet we see how our H preempts all moves and counteracts them all (with me cheering loudly on the sideline).
The only quibble and this is really minor, is the sexy times. At times it was described in such a sutble way that I have to pause and figure things out. It is certainly leaning more on the romantic and half faded out side to me, and I would have had preferred more fire here.
Other than that, this definitely is most enjoyable and I can see why it has a few nominated or won awards of the year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2012
The language of fans, roses and music. Fibonacci sequences and mathematical erotica. Greek, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish and French. This historical romance is for anyone Interested in any--or all--of these. From the start, where the mystery of the beautiful house servant immediately hooks the reader, through the gradual revelations about who Sophia really is, to the happy-ever-after epilogue, "Song for Sophia" moves the reader along, often at break-neck speed, through her complicated romance with Wil, as broken and unhappy a person as she is. The reader can't help rooting for the two of them to heal each other.
Often historical fiction pulls the reader out of the story with a too-modern sensibility. Densley manages to deftly walk the line between staying in the period and giving the characters modern relevance. Because of that, this classic story works on several different levels, giving the reader even more enjoyment.
Often historical fiction pulls the reader out of the story with a too-modern sensibility. Densley manages to deftly walk the line between staying in the period and giving the characters modern relevance. Because of that, this classic story works on several different levels, giving the reader even more enjoyment.
November 14, 2013
This was not a quick read. I love Moriah's writing style. The language-words and phrases are...well, I can't describe since it's just English, right? I'll say: lyrical, since other reviewers have said the same thing... I agree. The heroine, Sophia is very original. She's very intelligent AND smart.Well read, speaks many languages & plays piano proficiently . Wilhelm is an aristocrat, but is a savant(also proficient in languages and piano)- and has some other issues. This novel is so full of beautiful description, and great dialogue. The chemistry between Sophia & Wil was built up, which might frustrate some. I took my time with this one. This is going on my favorites shelf. I want to reread this many times. The last 1/4 of the book took a turn-a little less flowery description and dialogue. There is some violence in the book-with villains-Sophia's father and his cohorts. I love how devoted Wil is to Sophia & Sophia to Wil. Wilhelm, is one of my favorite heroes. Wow.
March 22, 2014
DNF at 25%
I couldn't get into it.
I didn't sympathize with Sophia or Wilhelm.
They were both too much.
Too beautiful. Too talented. Too sophisticated. Too tortured.
Her father and husband so bad - putting all Disney-villains to shame.
I felt that the plot was more or less all over the place.
For him it was more or less love/attraction at first sight. So no big suspense there.
Also it felt off as a historical. I never felt a certain "this place, this time".
For example: no gentleman would have a housemaid who is supposedly his mistress teach his sisters as a governess. Just not done.
And there is no understandable reason why she has to pretend to be his mistress for protection.
It would have been much smarter to stay hidden as a housemaid than draw so much attention to her person. Especially since she is more beautiful than the moon and the stars combined...
So I felt detached all the time reading.
I couldn't get into it.
I didn't sympathize with Sophia or Wilhelm.
They were both too much.
Too beautiful. Too talented. Too sophisticated. Too tortured.
Her father and husband so bad - putting all Disney-villains to shame.
I felt that the plot was more or less all over the place.
For him it was more or less love/attraction at first sight. So no big suspense there.
Also it felt off as a historical. I never felt a certain "this place, this time".
For example: no gentleman would have a housemaid who is supposedly his mistress teach his sisters as a governess. Just not done.
And there is no understandable reason why she has to pretend to be his mistress for protection.
It would have been much smarter to stay hidden as a housemaid than draw so much attention to her person. Especially since she is more beautiful than the moon and the stars combined...
So I felt detached all the time reading.
September 30, 2015
Ahh... Wilhelm.... He's my favorite kind of hero!
April 19, 2018
1.5 stars.
This was a bit of a confusing read. Nothing was entirely developed; the H's "condition", the pasts and family dynamics of either MC, the romance, the plot the suspense, and the supporting characters all left a lot of unanswered questions. The specifics of the lack of development have been noted by other reviewers so there's no need to expound on it. Simply put, I think that this was a really great first draft, with a lot of ideas to be explored, but there were too many elements crammed into one story for it to be truly engrossing.
However, despite the numerous shortcomings of this story, it was sweet. I loved the safety of this book For the safety alone, I give it one star. The writing, while not very clear in certain aspects, was very readable, so another half star for a total of 1.5 stars.
This was a bit of a confusing read. Nothing was entirely developed; the H's "condition", the pasts and family dynamics of either MC, the romance, the plot the suspense, and the supporting characters all left a lot of unanswered questions. The specifics of the lack of development have been noted by other reviewers so there's no need to expound on it. Simply put, I think that this was a really great first draft, with a lot of ideas to be explored, but there were too many elements crammed into one story for it to be truly engrossing.
However, despite the numerous shortcomings of this story, it was sweet. I loved the safety of this book For the safety alone, I give it one star. The writing, while not very clear in certain aspects, was very readable, so another half star for a total of 1.5 stars.
November 19, 2013
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2013/11/review-...
Favorite Quote: “To win a man’s heart, a woman must have the mind of a diplomat, a general, and Cleopatra, all in one.”
Lady Anne-Sophia Duncombe is running from an abusive father whose last scheme almost killed her. He wants her with child and will do anything to accomplish that. Sophia manages to escape her father and hide with the help of a friend. She decides the only way to avoid recapture is to become a commoner. She disguises herself up as a widow and seeks employment at Rougemont, home to the insane Earl of Devon.
Wilhelm Montague, the Earl of Devon, is thought to be insane. A tortured war hero tainted by scandal, he is suffers from savant autism. He remains closeted on his country estate, safe in his routines and composing his beautiful brilliant music; a necessary release of his illness.
When Wilhelm meets the newest member of his household, he is stunned by the chemistry that blazes between them. He knows instinctively she is hiding secrets but finds himself drawn to her beauty and intelligence. When danger comes to Rougemont, Wilhelm and Sophia must push through their fears in order to triumph over the evil that seeks to destroy them both.
Song For Sophia is a delightful historical romance filled with mystery, suspense, sizzling chemistry, and sparkling dialogue. Set in the Victorian era, this strong character driven story features a hero and heroine so supremely built, their characterization catapults this from good to fantastic. Well plotted with a healthy balance between the conflict and romance. Strong dialogue is punctuated with humour and wit, written without flowery prose or overly saturated angst, entrances the reader and draws them into the story. Darkness shadows our protagonists yet their journey to true love is a bright shining thread that intertwines through the storyline.
I loved Sophia and Wilhelm from their first meeting. Both are strong, intelligent, strong willed characters who have been victimized by life but able to rise above it. They each have been alone for so long that it takes awhile for their minds to acknowledged what their souls already know-they are one. Neither of them sees the other as damaged. They are both accepting of who the other one is and that only enhances the joy that occurs when they begin to embrace and accept it. I loved the banter between them. It reflects their personalities and intentions so well we watch their acquaintance turn into friendship, then love.
“Lord Devon,” she greeted dryly in the same tone she might say, “you impish prankster.”
He shrugged one shoulder to mean, “So, you finally figured it out. Bravo.”
“The only havoc I see here is the dreadful cataloging. For one so meticulous, it strikes me as odd that the alphabet should be beyond you.”
He nodded thoughtfully.”Perhaps I had them organized chronologically by genre.”
“You have the Bible next to Homer.”
“Fiction.”
Sophia is a wonderful mixture of fragility and steel. She had defied incredible odds to survive the horror that is her father and continues to fight her way towards complete freedom, using whatever means are necessary. She hates being deceptive but her staying safe also guarantees the safety of others.
“You said before I may keep my secrets and I shall. I promise, you would like me less without my mystery.”
Wilhelm is fabulous with his patience and steadfast ways towards Sophia. He handles her with care; knowing that she needs to trust herself and him before they can go forward. His complete acceptance of her and her story makes him a true hero in my eyes. He assures her repeatedly that no matter what she does or where she goes, he will always be there for her.
“This is a peaceful place. I vow you have nothing to fear. And you may keep your secrets, Madam.”
The romance evolves at a realistic pace, allowing Wilhelm and Sophia time to get to know one another and deal with their personal issues. Wilhelm's illness causes him great consternation while Sophia remains on constant vigil. The chemistry and sexual tension between Wilhelm and Sophia is so emotionally charged you can feel it leaping off the pages. Their love scenes are deliciously sensual and revealing. The internal and external dialogue between one another is both humorous and heart wrenching. Trust is hard won but once it’s earned, it’s a silken tie that binds them to one another with the strength of steel.
Ms. Densley does a fantastic job of blending the suspense of the story with the romance. Non stop action speeds the story along at an engaging pace as the conflict begins to weave its way into the main conflict. While there is much going on, Ms. Densley clear and concise writing leaves little confusion. With each scene we watch Wilhelm and Sophia face their fears and overcome obstacles. Neither the plot nor romance is sacrificed. They balance and complement each other through the entire book.
Moriah Densley paints a beautiful love affair in her historical romance debut and I for one look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Rating: B+
Favorite Quote: “To win a man’s heart, a woman must have the mind of a diplomat, a general, and Cleopatra, all in one.”
Lady Anne-Sophia Duncombe is running from an abusive father whose last scheme almost killed her. He wants her with child and will do anything to accomplish that. Sophia manages to escape her father and hide with the help of a friend. She decides the only way to avoid recapture is to become a commoner. She disguises herself up as a widow and seeks employment at Rougemont, home to the insane Earl of Devon.
Wilhelm Montague, the Earl of Devon, is thought to be insane. A tortured war hero tainted by scandal, he is suffers from savant autism. He remains closeted on his country estate, safe in his routines and composing his beautiful brilliant music; a necessary release of his illness.
When Wilhelm meets the newest member of his household, he is stunned by the chemistry that blazes between them. He knows instinctively she is hiding secrets but finds himself drawn to her beauty and intelligence. When danger comes to Rougemont, Wilhelm and Sophia must push through their fears in order to triumph over the evil that seeks to destroy them both.
Song For Sophia is a delightful historical romance filled with mystery, suspense, sizzling chemistry, and sparkling dialogue. Set in the Victorian era, this strong character driven story features a hero and heroine so supremely built, their characterization catapults this from good to fantastic. Well plotted with a healthy balance between the conflict and romance. Strong dialogue is punctuated with humour and wit, written without flowery prose or overly saturated angst, entrances the reader and draws them into the story. Darkness shadows our protagonists yet their journey to true love is a bright shining thread that intertwines through the storyline.
I loved Sophia and Wilhelm from their first meeting. Both are strong, intelligent, strong willed characters who have been victimized by life but able to rise above it. They each have been alone for so long that it takes awhile for their minds to acknowledged what their souls already know-they are one. Neither of them sees the other as damaged. They are both accepting of who the other one is and that only enhances the joy that occurs when they begin to embrace and accept it. I loved the banter between them. It reflects their personalities and intentions so well we watch their acquaintance turn into friendship, then love.
“Lord Devon,” she greeted dryly in the same tone she might say, “you impish prankster.”
He shrugged one shoulder to mean, “So, you finally figured it out. Bravo.”
“The only havoc I see here is the dreadful cataloging. For one so meticulous, it strikes me as odd that the alphabet should be beyond you.”
He nodded thoughtfully.”Perhaps I had them organized chronologically by genre.”
“You have the Bible next to Homer.”
“Fiction.”
Sophia is a wonderful mixture of fragility and steel. She had defied incredible odds to survive the horror that is her father and continues to fight her way towards complete freedom, using whatever means are necessary. She hates being deceptive but her staying safe also guarantees the safety of others.
“You said before I may keep my secrets and I shall. I promise, you would like me less without my mystery.”
Wilhelm is fabulous with his patience and steadfast ways towards Sophia. He handles her with care; knowing that she needs to trust herself and him before they can go forward. His complete acceptance of her and her story makes him a true hero in my eyes. He assures her repeatedly that no matter what she does or where she goes, he will always be there for her.
“This is a peaceful place. I vow you have nothing to fear. And you may keep your secrets, Madam.”
The romance evolves at a realistic pace, allowing Wilhelm and Sophia time to get to know one another and deal with their personal issues. Wilhelm's illness causes him great consternation while Sophia remains on constant vigil. The chemistry and sexual tension between Wilhelm and Sophia is so emotionally charged you can feel it leaping off the pages. Their love scenes are deliciously sensual and revealing. The internal and external dialogue between one another is both humorous and heart wrenching. Trust is hard won but once it’s earned, it’s a silken tie that binds them to one another with the strength of steel.
Ms. Densley does a fantastic job of blending the suspense of the story with the romance. Non stop action speeds the story along at an engaging pace as the conflict begins to weave its way into the main conflict. While there is much going on, Ms. Densley clear and concise writing leaves little confusion. With each scene we watch Wilhelm and Sophia face their fears and overcome obstacles. Neither the plot nor romance is sacrificed. They balance and complement each other through the entire book.
Moriah Densley paints a beautiful love affair in her historical romance debut and I for one look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Rating: B+
November 28, 2016
4 and 1/2 Stars - A Heroine on the Run and a Hero Fighting His Ghosts Make for an Unusual Victorian
Set in 1867, this is the story of Lady Anne-Sophia Duncombe, a Viscount’s daughter on the run from her father who beat her because she refused to marry the man he selected. She manages to get a job as a maid in the home of Wilhelm Montegue, the Earl of Devon, who everyone thinks is mad. A war hero haunted by scandal, he is brilliant: a musician who composes music in his head; a mind for figures; literate in multiple languages; and can recite from the literature he’s read. (The author tells us later he’s an “autistic savant”.)
Having been a spy, Wilhelm instantly sees through Sophia’s disguise and, when he realizes how bright she is and speaks as many languages as he does, and how attractive he finds her, he tells his aunt “I mean to have her.”
It took me some time to get used to the author’s writing style but once I did, I enjoyed the story and the banter between Wilhelm and Sophie. It seems they are well matched, both geniuses and both strikingly attractive, both exceptionally well read. Seriously, it’s a bit unbelievable, but if you can get over that, the story entertains and the writing is excellent.
Wilhelm makes a bargain with Sophia: he will protect her from whomever she is fleeing if she will pretend to be his mistress, even his wife, as the occasion requires. I suspected he was just getting her used to the idea. Since he makes no demands other than the pretense, she agrees.
The story is intriguing and I couldn’t help become enamored with Wilhelm. Who wouldn’t want a handsome man, the son of a prince, with noble motives and unlimited wealth meaning you only good? When Sophia is attacked by one of their “guests” sent by her, Wilhelm sweeps her, his aunt and his three young nieces, who have come to live with them, to Cornwall. (It’s the only location change in the story.)
At times the phrasing seemed more modern than the Victorian era. But still very clever. (The author is a music teacher and it shows.) One thing to note: This is not a light romance as there is graphic violence (Wilhelm is, after all, a former assassin and he does kill several men). It’s only 290 pages but it felt much longer. I suspect it’s because almost all the scenes were of Sophia and Wilhelm together.
I liked the story well enough to read another by this author. (The King of Threadneedle Street is the next book in the Rougemont series.)
Set in 1867, this is the story of Lady Anne-Sophia Duncombe, a Viscount’s daughter on the run from her father who beat her because she refused to marry the man he selected. She manages to get a job as a maid in the home of Wilhelm Montegue, the Earl of Devon, who everyone thinks is mad. A war hero haunted by scandal, he is brilliant: a musician who composes music in his head; a mind for figures; literate in multiple languages; and can recite from the literature he’s read. (The author tells us later he’s an “autistic savant”.)
Having been a spy, Wilhelm instantly sees through Sophia’s disguise and, when he realizes how bright she is and speaks as many languages as he does, and how attractive he finds her, he tells his aunt “I mean to have her.”
It took me some time to get used to the author’s writing style but once I did, I enjoyed the story and the banter between Wilhelm and Sophie. It seems they are well matched, both geniuses and both strikingly attractive, both exceptionally well read. Seriously, it’s a bit unbelievable, but if you can get over that, the story entertains and the writing is excellent.
Wilhelm makes a bargain with Sophia: he will protect her from whomever she is fleeing if she will pretend to be his mistress, even his wife, as the occasion requires. I suspected he was just getting her used to the idea. Since he makes no demands other than the pretense, she agrees.
The story is intriguing and I couldn’t help become enamored with Wilhelm. Who wouldn’t want a handsome man, the son of a prince, with noble motives and unlimited wealth meaning you only good? When Sophia is attacked by one of their “guests” sent by her, Wilhelm sweeps her, his aunt and his three young nieces, who have come to live with them, to Cornwall. (It’s the only location change in the story.)
At times the phrasing seemed more modern than the Victorian era. But still very clever. (The author is a music teacher and it shows.) One thing to note: This is not a light romance as there is graphic violence (Wilhelm is, after all, a former assassin and he does kill several men). It’s only 290 pages but it felt much longer. I suspect it’s because almost all the scenes were of Sophia and Wilhelm together.
I liked the story well enough to read another by this author. (The King of Threadneedle Street is the next book in the Rougemont series.)
August 22, 2014
This really was an awesome book. In my opinion, Ms. Densley is right up there with the other great historical-prose authors like Meredith Duran and Sherry Thomas. Like the presence of music in the plot, Ms. Densley makes the story sing from the page with her vivid imagery and meaningful dialogue.
We first meet Sophia, on the run from her abusive father, who tried to - literally - force her into marriage. She's managed to secure a job as a housemaid in the home of the Earl of Devon, Wilhelm Montegue. Lord Devon is a war hero and former spy, and suffers from a mental "condition", which based on the descriptions he would probably be diagnosed in the modern age as a savant.
From the very beginning this story was great. I'm not normally a fan of books with heroes suffering from un-diagnosed "mental illness" (the only exception being Kinsale's Flowers from the Storm), but Ms. Densley did a fantastic job of creating two multi-dimensional characters that were not just plastic containers for their character tropes.
The plot was basic girl in trouble finds a big strong man to love her and make the bad guys go away, but the time spent between Sophia and Wilhelm really sold me on the romance and made the story come alive on the page. By the end of the book, I was fully invested in the characters AND the story. Pretty sure I chewed my fingernails during this one.
Lovely. A must read.
We first meet Sophia, on the run from her abusive father, who tried to - literally - force her into marriage. She's managed to secure a job as a housemaid in the home of the Earl of Devon, Wilhelm Montegue. Lord Devon is a war hero and former spy, and suffers from a mental "condition", which based on the descriptions he would probably be diagnosed in the modern age as a savant.
From the very beginning this story was great. I'm not normally a fan of books with heroes suffering from un-diagnosed "mental illness" (the only exception being Kinsale's Flowers from the Storm), but Ms. Densley did a fantastic job of creating two multi-dimensional characters that were not just plastic containers for their character tropes.
The plot was basic girl in trouble finds a big strong man to love her and make the bad guys go away, but the time spent between Sophia and Wilhelm really sold me on the romance and made the story come alive on the page. By the end of the book, I was fully invested in the characters AND the story. Pretty sure I chewed my fingernails during this one.
Lovely. A must read.
April 2, 2014
Rating this book was diffucult.
The way the story is told is interesting, but something disturbed me. Something about the way the words were used is highly unusual. For me it was like when you speak under water - you hear, but it's kind of muffled, not clear...
I was opften unable to "see" clearly what was happening. It also happened during their intercourse; I never understood how was on top, who was doing what to whome, etc... Very annoying.
Also, I couldn't understand what was the problem. Sophia run away from an abusive father and hides. That's OK. What I couldn't understand was
Here it was not like that... Boh...
On the other hand, I loved Will. He was such a darling! His obsessions, his odd behaviour, his incredible mind was so wonderful. I could completly understand Sohpia's fascination.
I also found strange Sophia's behaviour either as the maid and supposed lover and wife. I find it highly improbable that a woman of that time would act like that.
I don't have a clear dislike of her, but I didn't find her particularely lovable.
Anyhow, this book was different and unusual, so if you like to try something different, you might like it!
The way the story is told is interesting, but something disturbed me. Something about the way the words were used is highly unusual. For me it was like when you speak under water - you hear, but it's kind of muffled, not clear...
I was opften unable to "see" clearly what was happening. It also happened during their intercourse; I never understood how was on top, who was doing what to whome, etc... Very annoying.
Also, I couldn't understand what was the problem. Sophia run away from an abusive father and hides. That's OK. What I couldn't understand was
Here it was not like that... Boh...
On the other hand, I loved Will. He was such a darling! His obsessions, his odd behaviour, his incredible mind was so wonderful. I could completly understand Sohpia's fascination.
I also found strange Sophia's behaviour either as the maid and supposed lover and wife. I find it highly improbable that a woman of that time would act like that.
I don't have a clear dislike of her, but I didn't find her particularely lovable.
Anyhow, this book was different and unusual, so if you like to try something different, you might like it!
January 11, 2019
Discovered by chance (it was a freebie), I totally loved this book, affectively (love story, action, evil villains, etc) and intellectually (finally, both hero and heroin are not stupid or average or I'm going to binge eat ice-cream while drinking beer and watching TV - OK, it's not likely ot happen in historical books but you know what I mean).
And it wasn't obvious at the start, because when I started reading, I didn't really warm up to her and he looked pretty much... crazy. Not a good crazy, but a scary "I'm going to strangle you while I'm in a trance and not notice it" crazy. I was wondering how a book hero could be plain mad and murderous. However, as I found out what his condition really was (a kind of autism), I really enjoyed seeing them evolve, banter, circling each other and sizing up each other to finally fall in love. No insta love here, nope ma'am.
I thought the evil father and his friends would spoil my fun because they were too evil, I thought the annulment option would later come up in the book in a way I wouldn't like, I thought somebody would make a stupid move - that's how wary I am of romance plots, but no, much to my surprise. It's a fear that came up because of past read books, yet I loved every second of that romance and I had such a good time reading it that I'm looking forward to discover more of what Moriah Densley wrote.
Completely, absolutely recommended !
And it wasn't obvious at the start, because when I started reading, I didn't really warm up to her and he looked pretty much... crazy. Not a good crazy, but a scary "I'm going to strangle you while I'm in a trance and not notice it" crazy. I was wondering how a book hero could be plain mad and murderous. However, as I found out what his condition really was (a kind of autism), I really enjoyed seeing them evolve, banter, circling each other and sizing up each other to finally fall in love. No insta love here, nope ma'am.
I thought the evil father and his friends would spoil my fun because they were too evil, I thought the annulment option would later come up in the book in a way I wouldn't like, I thought somebody would make a stupid move - that's how wary I am of romance plots, but no, much to my surprise. It's a fear that came up because of past read books, yet I loved every second of that romance and I had such a good time reading it that I'm looking forward to discover more of what Moriah Densley wrote.
Completely, absolutely recommended !
May 9, 2012
This story is captivating from beginning to end. There is just enough mystery to keep you turning the pages, but not so much to make you exasperated, waiting for your questions to be answered. The characters are so human in their flawed state, you can't help but root for them. The banter between Wil and Sophia is witty and intelligent. The love scenes are steamy, but classy. Very well-written. The supporting cast is wonderful, as well, especially Aunt Louisa. I am intrigued by some of the male characters...I hope the author writes more books in this world so I can read their stories and hear more about the Brotherhood of the Falcon. Bottom line, I loved it.
November 20, 2013
I enjoyed the heck out of this book and will write a proper review soon. In the meantime, I'll just say, "Very highly recommended!"
October 26, 2014
I loved this book when I read it, and the audio book is equally excellent. Very highly recommended.
May 18, 2014
I've read historical romances involving a hero who's rumored a sodomite, or suffering from autism, or scarred by his war experiences, or guilty about his years as state-sanctioned killer, or who's inherited a title though not the offspring of his legal father; and I've read HRs in which a well-born heroine is hiding as a servant, or guarding a life-threatening secret, or running from abusive men and/or terrified by one close to her who has authority over her and dastardly plans afoot...But never one story that manages to cram them all in one narrative. So this takes the cake, trope-wise.
She's a beautiful noblewoman cum anonymous parlor maid(?) who's been beaten nearly to death, left scarred and terrified, on the run from her brutal father, who is desperate to use her for his own financial salvation. The tortured hero's an autistic (savant syndrome) assassin, suffering for his sins and generally misunderstood. This includes a rumor allowed to circulate about him being a sodomite (such on dit served the purpose while he was infiltrating a spy ring). And his real sexual history is a big surprise, too. So very, very, very complicated people populate this story.
Happy, happy times ahead, if you love angsty melodrama.
The heroine's on the run with everything to hide and he's preternaturally good at discerning truth from fiction. He finds her a mystery he must solve in his obsessive, highy focussed way. Both have devastating scars, emotional and physical, each offers the other redemption and safety. Much was affecting about these two damaged people finding, circling and finally embracing each other. I loved their sparring, their erudite oneupsmanship, very clever and very endearing. But all the churning paragraphs of overwrought emotion (his and hers) were redundant, so I skimmed a lot of it.
What got my heart pounding, and made turning the page mandatory, wasn't the ongoing angst but the sword hanging over her: Daddy's looking for her and will stop at nothing to get her back...Can she trust the broken, charming, dangerous man who says he will protect her?
Once it got cooking, this premise propelled me through the repeated paragraphs of angst, but I won't be re-reading this, my litmus test for 5 star books. And so many tropes seemed too much for any one of them to be developed meaningfully from start to finish, so 3+ stars it is.
I found The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (5 stars easy-peasy) more original, more moving, better focused and developed. I don't enjoy every-trope-in-the-book stories. But you might.
She's a beautiful noblewoman cum anonymous parlor maid(?) who's been beaten nearly to death, left scarred and terrified, on the run from her brutal father, who is desperate to use her for his own financial salvation. The tortured hero's an autistic (savant syndrome) assassin, suffering for his sins and generally misunderstood. This includes a rumor allowed to circulate about him being a sodomite (such on dit served the purpose while he was infiltrating a spy ring). And his real sexual history is a big surprise, too. So very, very, very complicated people populate this story.
Happy, happy times ahead, if you love angsty melodrama.
The heroine's on the run with everything to hide and he's preternaturally good at discerning truth from fiction. He finds her a mystery he must solve in his obsessive, highy focussed way. Both have devastating scars, emotional and physical, each offers the other redemption and safety. Much was affecting about these two damaged people finding, circling and finally embracing each other. I loved their sparring, their erudite oneupsmanship, very clever and very endearing. But all the churning paragraphs of overwrought emotion (his and hers) were redundant, so I skimmed a lot of it.
What got my heart pounding, and made turning the page mandatory, wasn't the ongoing angst but the sword hanging over her: Daddy's looking for her and will stop at nothing to get her back...Can she trust the broken, charming, dangerous man who says he will protect her?
Once it got cooking, this premise propelled me through the repeated paragraphs of angst, but I won't be re-reading this, my litmus test for 5 star books. And so many tropes seemed too much for any one of them to be developed meaningfully from start to finish, so 3+ stars it is.
I found The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (5 stars easy-peasy) more original, more moving, better focused and developed. I don't enjoy every-trope-in-the-book stories. But you might.
December 8, 2015
What started out as an extremely good and proming story dipped at about 50% the redeemed itself at about 70%.
What I liked:
Intelligent strong female lead.
Humor.
What I didn't like:
Little plausbility.
Space and orientation of characters postions were cloudy.
The tormeted aspects of the main characters not felt as strongly as they should have.
My biggest beef is how an intelligent woman who is in hiding, disguised as a maid, could so easily fail at covering it up. It just didn't make sense.
The love making scenes were written as if the author was a nun, afraid to go into any details. They were lackluster and and felt passionless.
I didn't truly feel the toment of the hero as the author intended. The hero's past was only slightly touched upon, and I never felt the reasons truly explained.
The hero is supposed to be"insane" or thought to be insane, but I never got that. Yes he had a haunted past, but it really didn't debillitate him as much as it should have.
The author states in the afterword, that the hero was supposed to be a sevant, I kinda got that but wasn't sure if he wasn't just intelligent, a genius, who also had a perfect memory.
The book started out great, with parts where I laughed out loud, but the humor was only here, and became non existant for the rest of the book.
I also had a hard time imagining the positions, of the characters if that makes sense, the author consistantly lacked describing their stances.
The ending was cartoonish, and lacked believablility. The typical conversation with the armed antagonist (why did the h not just send the dogs to attack? instead she has a conversation?!) and then the crew of guards who just stood back and watched th H get his ass kicked without assisting.
I would not recommend this to anyone. Nor would I consider reading another by this author.
Sorry
What I liked:
Intelligent strong female lead.
Humor.
What I didn't like:
Little plausbility.
Space and orientation of characters postions were cloudy.
The tormeted aspects of the main characters not felt as strongly as they should have.
My biggest beef is how an intelligent woman who is in hiding, disguised as a maid, could so easily fail at covering it up. It just didn't make sense.
The love making scenes were written as if the author was a nun, afraid to go into any details. They were lackluster and and felt passionless.
I didn't truly feel the toment of the hero as the author intended. The hero's past was only slightly touched upon, and I never felt the reasons truly explained.
The hero is supposed to be"insane" or thought to be insane, but I never got that. Yes he had a haunted past, but it really didn't debillitate him as much as it should have.
The author states in the afterword, that the hero was supposed to be a sevant, I kinda got that but wasn't sure if he wasn't just intelligent, a genius, who also had a perfect memory.
The book started out great, with parts where I laughed out loud, but the humor was only here, and became non existant for the rest of the book.
I also had a hard time imagining the positions, of the characters if that makes sense, the author consistantly lacked describing their stances.
The ending was cartoonish, and lacked believablility. The typical conversation with the armed antagonist (why did the h not just send the dogs to attack? instead she has a conversation?!) and then the crew of guards who just stood back and watched th H get his ass kicked without assisting.
I would not recommend this to anyone. Nor would I consider reading another by this author.
Sorry
December 6, 2014
A dark and absorbing tale of redemption, honor, and true love between a damaged former soldier and an heiress on the run.
Wilhelm Montegue, the Earl of Devon, is a chivalrous and charming young man but rumors swirl around his madness—actually, savant syndrome—and his sexuality which is why he has retreated to his country estate, Rougemont. When he comes upon the beautiful Rosalee Cooper—not her real name—in the woods of his property, he is captivated by her beauty and her air of mystery and quickly wants to learn everything about her.
Rosalee is Sophia Duncombe, a lady fleeing her abusive and maniacal father, Lord Chauncey, who is determined she wed the man of his choice at whatever cost, including abuse and rape. So she disguises herself as a maid but Wilhelm and his sharp-tongued Aunt Louisa thinks she is much too pretty to be one. She’s also obviously as educated as she is knowledgeable in the finer things: languages for one, music another. I really like that Densley translates all the sexy foreign words that are shared between Wilhelm and Sophia as well as the commands they issue to Wilhelm’s dogs, who become her faithful protectors. All too often, authors omit this and I sometimes feel lost.
For my full review on my historical romance and history blog: http://bit.ly/1vpLn4W
Wilhelm Montegue, the Earl of Devon, is a chivalrous and charming young man but rumors swirl around his madness—actually, savant syndrome—and his sexuality which is why he has retreated to his country estate, Rougemont. When he comes upon the beautiful Rosalee Cooper—not her real name—in the woods of his property, he is captivated by her beauty and her air of mystery and quickly wants to learn everything about her.
Rosalee is Sophia Duncombe, a lady fleeing her abusive and maniacal father, Lord Chauncey, who is determined she wed the man of his choice at whatever cost, including abuse and rape. So she disguises herself as a maid but Wilhelm and his sharp-tongued Aunt Louisa thinks she is much too pretty to be one. She’s also obviously as educated as she is knowledgeable in the finer things: languages for one, music another. I really like that Densley translates all the sexy foreign words that are shared between Wilhelm and Sophia as well as the commands they issue to Wilhelm’s dogs, who become her faithful protectors. All too often, authors omit this and I sometimes feel lost.
For my full review on my historical romance and history blog: http://bit.ly/1vpLn4W
September 25, 2013
Sit back, grab a seat and be prepared to discover or in some cases rediscover Romance-the way it used to be.Romance -the way it is supposed to be.Romance-the way you would want it to be. Regardless that this is set in time past this is the way Romance can be that has been captured in this story Two of the most intensely compelling characters you could meet-Sophia who plays deception as a beginning to an end. Wilhelm -who uniqueness and genius sees for who she really is. Your set in a time when simple times were really not so simple to any class. Shown coldness of heart and danger weaved by a man who infuriates you to no end playing havoc these two and their lives. Filled also with humor that leaves you laughing, sadness that gets you crying, music you could hear if you listen. Filled with danger at times you are holding on to your seat because will it be at every turn. Fills you with love that warms the heart and jump up off that seat with anxiousness to the adventure you join at the near end and clap with joy due to the happiness you get with the delightful conclusion. I truly love it when a author such as her can do all this in a book.
May 10, 2012
I love the writing style of Moriah Densley. Her imagery is so real that you feel you are actually in the story. At different times I felt my heart burst with love, cry in despair, and laugh all at once. Emotions are very well captured in this book, and that kept me wanting to read on and on.
This story is full of suspense, romance, humor, and intellectualism, the perfect combination for a good novel. Every woman dreams of a romance like this, where two characters fit so perfectly together, and I loved the chemistry between them as well.
I wasn't expecting the intimate scenes to be so detailed, though, and that is the only thing I didn't like so much about this novel. But considering the genre, I shouldn't have been so surprised. If scenes like that bother you, be sure to skip the one in Chapter 17.
Over all I really really enjoyed this novel, and when I read it again, I'm skipping the love scenes.
This story is full of suspense, romance, humor, and intellectualism, the perfect combination for a good novel. Every woman dreams of a romance like this, where two characters fit so perfectly together, and I loved the chemistry between them as well.
I wasn't expecting the intimate scenes to be so detailed, though, and that is the only thing I didn't like so much about this novel. But considering the genre, I shouldn't have been so surprised. If scenes like that bother you, be sure to skip the one in Chapter 17.
Over all I really really enjoyed this novel, and when I read it again, I'm skipping the love scenes.
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