Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James (Fairy Tales #5)
May 28, 2013
Historical
Avon
Reviewed by May
Favorite Quote: One didn’t haggle when it came to a wife. That would be most ill-bred.
Edie has always known that she would marry well, that she would accept whatever marriage her father set up for her. The night of her debut ball she is quite ill, and thus spends the evening nearly silent, being far more demure and amiable than she normally is. Gowan, a Scottish duke, is instantly smitten with her and before twenty four hours have passed he has signed betrothal papers with her father. Edie, still quite ill, realizes that she has been married off and her groom to be knows nothing of the real her.
Don’t worry though, because Gowan and the real Edie fall in lust with each other straight away.
Did people really fall in love like this, with no more than a few moments of conversation? Could she fall in love with a ma merely because he was beautiful and looked well in a kilt?
I loved seeing how multi-tasking and no-nonsense Gowan is, and seeing how passionate Edie is about her music. I also really enjoyed how straight forward these two with each other, discussing all kinds of things from how they want their days to run to their sexual experience (or lack thereof)
“You’re mine, Edie.”
“That is hardly the point,” she said, her voice darkening. “I’m… And you’re…”
“As untouched as you are,” he said, fascinated by the way thick lashes framed her eyes.
Her brow furrowed.
“A virgin,” he said, growling it because, after all, a man isn’t supposed to be a virgin. Ever.
Yes friends, we’ve got ourselves a hot Scottish duke in a kilt hero! Huzzah! While he won’t be making my list for favorite heroes (not even close), I still always enjoy a virgin hero and I liked seeing how Gowan grew and changed as his relationship with Edie progressed. I did not like his sexual journey, however. I was deeply curious where and how he suddenly gained his knowledge considering he has spent his whole life working and being a responsible duke overseeing countless properties. He has to multi-task every moment of his life so how and why all of the sudden does he gain this insight into female pleasure?
Before I go any further, let’s talk about what kind of book this is. Eloisa James is a masterful storyteller and this was no exception. She had me flipping pages as fast as possible, and fully engaged in her tale. She fills this one with a cast of lively supporting characters that add to the story and help bring the setting to life. I would describe this book as a light romantic romp, and to enjoy it that really is the mood you must be in. What has me conflicted as I write this review is that while I enjoyed reading it, upon close scrutiny and reflection it is not holding up as well.
First, we have the step-mother who is handing out horrendously bad advice and though Edie can see the woman is terrible at her own marriage, she still listens to the advice. It bothered me that the woman was shown as both kind of an idiot and a wise woman. Which is it? The step-mother is one of those women convinced she’s fat, that her husband is cheating, and that the way to fix this is through flirting and making him jealous. By the way, it isn’t working. What really got me was that if not for this woman’s advice that Edie could and should have ignored, the conflict would have nearly been non-existent.
Speaking of conflict, it was the only thing that bothered me while reading this book. There is a big lack of conflict or obstacles in the path to true love. I kept wondering when the bumps would appear in their road to bliss, and I didn’t feel like it ever happened. Oh, they have a major intimacy issue, but it was nothing a conversation and practice couldn’t fix. For their intelligence and outspoken natures I couldn’t believe how the intimacy issue played out. Oh I could believe the pride and posturing each did – but it really just didn’t work well for me.
While these things (and a few other details) bother me, I still enjoyed this book quite a bit. As I said before this is a light romp, a story where a lot gets glossed over and it is more about the overall tale than the details and if things hold up to scrutiny. It is rather love at first dance, and rather than apologize James runs with this style of book and she does it well. Now I tend to prefer a romance with a deeper connection and more believable relationship, but this was a nice read and I enjoyed that this heroine is so very serious about her music and so uncompromising on what she wants from life. Instead of bowing down and saying that she can leave her instrument at home, she brings a carriage just for her cello and she carves out time for herself. It was nice to see that she had some backbone – especially after the start where she seemed so very amiable to do as her father instructed.
If you have enjoyed this author’s books in the past but aren’t real keen on a fairytale themed one you may really enjoy this one. If not for the title and cover I would not have even realized there was a tie-in to Rapunzel. Sometimes we really do need a nice light read in the world where happily ever after happens as sure as the sun will set in the evening, and Eloisa James certainly delivers that for us.
Grade: B-
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