By
Kelly Bridgewater
Would
you like to win a copy of Price of
Privilege before you can buy it on January 1, 2015? You’re in luck. I’m
giving away a copy to one lucky person. All you have to do is answer the
question at the bottom of this entry and leave your email address by midnight
Monday, December 22, 2014. I will pick someone’s name on Tuesday, December 23
and mail the book. Hopefully, the book will be delivered to you around
Christmas time. So let’s see those comments.
Backcover Copy:
Where
will she turn when the truth becomes more dangerous than the lie?Having finally discovered the truth of her birthright, Julia Elliston is determined to outwit Chance Macy at his own game. Holding knowledge he’d kill to keep secret, however, is proving more difficult than she imagined.
Just when Julia thinks she’s managed to untangle herself from Macy’s clutches, the scandal of the century breaks loose. Drawing rooms all over London whisper what so far newspapers have not dared to print: Macy’s lost bride is none other than Lord Pierson’s daughter, Julia—and one of the most controversial cases of marital law ever seen comes before Victorian courts.
Though Julia knows Macy’s version of events is another masterful manipulation, public opinion is swaying in his favor. Caught in a web of deceit and lies, armed only with a fledgling faith, Julia must face her fiercest trial yet.
My Review:
The
Victorian era of the Novel came around 1837- 1901. Books were thick and
populated with many different characters usually protesting the economic status
of the era. Plus, the story was so long that the reader could get lost in the
pages of the story. Sometimes the authors were long-winded. Can you think of
any authors who wrote during this time?
Give
up?
I
hope you can at least the main two ones who popped in my head. Charles Dickens.
The Bronte Sisters. They wrote masterpieces that were long filled with tons of
description. Honestly, when I read Great
Expectations for the first time, I flipped through a lot of pages because
the descriptions of everything went on and on.
But
Jessica Dotta just completed her Price of Privilege series, which includes Born of Persuasion, Mark of Distinction, and Price of Privilege. Recently, Tyndale
Publishing offered Born of Persuasion for
free for the Kindle. I downloaded it but haven’t gotten around to reading it
yet. So when the opportunity arose for me to review the last book in the
series, I jumped on it.
The
writing was strong and active. What I mean is that as the reader I could
understand all the dilemma, fears, and uncertainties Julia was having as she
tried to fit into the world she didn’t feel like she belonged in. The scenes
moved well together, moving from one scene into another. The entire story was
from Julia’s perspective. Dotta did a good job at keeping the reader focused on
what she saw. We were never told what her father or Edward felt unless it came
through the lens of Julia. The plot was well thought out and sparked my
interest. I couldn’t wait to see where the story would go.
As
for the characters, Dotta created likeable characters. I enjoyed watching Julia
struggle with the idea of being “the Emerald Heiress” as the second book
referred to her. But in Price of
Privilege, Julia wanted to be married to her soul mate, Edward, the vicar.
I rooted for Edward and Julia to be together because when they were together,
they were better people and their love was so worthy. Edward and Julia deserved to be
together.
The
setting was described well. I could see the mansions that Julia and Edward
visited without being overwhelmed with pages and pages upon detail like the
traditional Victorian novels. Dotta does a good job at inviting her readers
into the setting without drowning them in detail. My only issue with the
setting was the date of the book. As someone who came to the series in the
third book before reading the first two, I had no idea when the story took
place. I scanned the back of the book and discovered Dotta had been fascinated
by England during the Regency and Victorian Eras, but I didn’t know what year
to actually place the story. I had to read the blurb on the first book and
understand that Born of Persuasion
occurred in 1838. It would have been nice to know the actual date for the last
book.
Being
labeled as a historical novel, Dotta created a realistic world. I truly
believed the story happened in the wealthy world of the Victorian Era. Dotta
rounded out the story with keeping true to the language, clothes, and customs.
Like Julia, who could not backtalk to the men in her life. Even though we heard
her feelings because we were following Julia throughout the story, Dotta
created Julia to respect and obey the men in her life.
I
truly enjoyed Price of Privilege by
Jessica Dotta. Now I need to go back and read the first two books in the
series, so some of the issues mentioned in the past come alive to my
imagination.
I
received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale and the opinions stated
are all my own.
How to connect with Jessica Dotta:
Amazon’s
author page: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Dotta/e/B00C420UOS/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1418995975&sr=8-2-ent
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BornofPersuasion
Website:
http://www.jessicadotta.com/
Where to buy her books:
Amazon
Christianbook.com
Barnes
and Nobles
Wherever
books are sold.
Would
you like to win a copy of Price of
Privilege before you can buy it on January 1, 2015? You’re in luck. I’m
giving away a copy to one lucky person. All you have to do is answer the
question at the bottom of this entry and leave your email address by midnight
Monday, December 22, 2014. I will pick someone’s name on Tuesday, December 23
and mail the book. Hopefully, the book will be delivered to you around
Christmas time.
Here
is the question:
If
you could pick one person from any book (the character, not the author), who
would you pick to hang out with for a day? and Why?
Merry
Christmas!
