The Jasmine Veil in Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous

Jan 06, 2010 Jennefer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bodice-rippers, favorites

"Claire Cottington had done many a daring thing, but nothing so daring as what she planned tonight." And thus we receive our introduction to our adventurous and head strong heroine and the stage is set for the rest of the story. Claire just simply can not seem to do as she should. Despite her best intentions she continually seems to find herself involved in scandal after scandal after scandal and has her parents at their wits end as to what to do with her! When a letter comes from an old family "Claire Cottington had done many a daring thing, but nothing so daring as what she planned tonight." And thus we receive our introduction to our adventurous and head strong heroine and the stage is set for the rest of the story. Claire just simply can not seem to do as she should. Despite her best intentions she continually seems to find herself involved in scandal after scandal after scandal and has her parents at their wits end as to what to do with her! When a letter comes from an old family friend stationed in India, requesting her father send Claire to marry him she is determined to end the string of scandals she has brought to her family with a respectable marriage to the Colonel. But that was before Claire was awakened by loves passion! She would never be the same!

This is my second Gimone Hall novel I have read (the first being Hide My Savage Heart) and let me tell you, she is a true hidden gem! I am now forced to hunt down every single book she ever wrote and devour each and every single one! So let me tell you why I love this author and this book so much!

The historical setting: This takes place over the three years leading up to the 1857 India Rebellion or India's first war of independence. I didn't really know much about this time period or even much about the British colonization/occupation of India and I found it fascinating! The characters were firmly rooted in the setting and atmosphere. All the politics and eventual battles impacted their relationship and the story. Near the end Claire is involved in the Siege of Cawnpore, and the details were vivid and left me running to Wiki to do some research to learn more about what happened in the area afterword. True historical fiction! The setting is not nearly a backdrop but a real part of the story!

Character Development: Both Claire and Colin (as well as many of the other characters) are fully drawn out characters. They have hopes and dreams, strengths and weaknesses, their own world view and self image. They both grow and change as their experiences impact them in subtle ways. This is a 'show' not 'tell' kind of author and I love that! We are not beat over the head and told 'this person is impacted this way' and 'that person matures that way'. We simply get to witness the changes and growth of the characters through the story. Extreemely well executed!

A fast paced ride!: Boy oh boy is there a lot crammed into these 376 pages!!!! From the near rape in the very first chapter to the knife fighting in the last this book is stuffed full of action! It sometimes amazed me at the end of a chapter to stop and think how the chapter began! Travel to and from India and within India (they never seems to stay in one place for very long!), multiple love interests, political intrigue, death and birth, near death sickness, robbery, kidnapping, a secondary love story and on and on! I was never bored that is for sure!

My one small complaint is simply that I wanted more!!!! It does end a bit abruptly and I wish there had been an epilogue at least to get a better picture of Claire and Colin's HEA. But not enough of an issue for me for it to loose a star. This goes right to the keeper shelf!

This book review has been provided by the No Book Left Behind Campaign! A Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous group initiative to review the un-reviewed! ...more

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Jun 09, 2018 Sarah Mac rated it really liked it

Shelves: vintage, virginal-copy, zzz-2018, hoopy-good-reads, bodice-ripper, faux-victorian, reviewed, cover-lust, cover-me-pink, historical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. More like 4.5, but rounded down.

It took me awhile to get into Hall's prose, which isn't a ratings-breaker, but I never warmed to the hero even by the end. Colin was one of those have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too guys -- which wouldn't have wrinkled my nose if he hadn't married Claire midway through. Why even bother if you're just gonna leave her behind for your true passion (i.e., Pandeish province)? But that's my personal preference re: fictional heroes. Colin's visions of Idealized India be damne ...more

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