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A review by tita_noir
The Choice by Edith Layton
4.0
We first met the heroine of this novel, Gilly Giles, in [b:The Cad|520275|The Cad (C Series, #1)|Edith Layton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387734181s/520275.jpg|508180]The Cad - Edith Layton. She was the streetwise orphan girl who tried to give her younger sister a better life.
In this one, it is years later and she is ostensibly the ward of Ewan, Viscount Sinclair and his wife Bridget. Although she is respectable because of this and has entree into society, her lack of family and mysterious background doesn't exactly make her completely eligible.
And Gilly herself is very aware that her hard-scrabble background and trauma in her past separates her from other ladies. She has very much internalized this so despite the urgings of her guardians, she doesn't think she is worthy of the a good match.
Into this comes Damon Ryder, a gentleman but not of the nobility. After a spurned suitor attempts to besmirch Gilly's name, Damon -- having witnessed the spurning -- takes it upon himself to rescue her good name and claim they are engaged to be married.
As a set up this is textbook historical romance. They pretend to be engaged only to fall in love by the end and become really engaged and get married. This really is the basic plot of this book. But Layton adds some flair to it.
You see Damon falls in love with Gilly rather early. His feelings become very transparent to both himself and to the reader. And also to Gilly although she keeps herself in denial. Her doubts about her worthiness are one barrier she keeps between herself and Damon but there is another. She is desperately in love with another man.
As I was reading and watching Gilly and Damon's relationship blossom I was rooting madly for him. Although I have read lots of romances and understand that I have enjoyed tons of heroes and heroines, every once in awhile one just jumps out of the pack and makes an impression. The author does something with them that makes you just really, really like them. Layton does that with Damon in this book. He is what back in my old neighborhood we would call 'good people'. It is a high compliment.
Gilly however was a bit more problematic. On the one hand I understood her struggle and her doubts and the unease she felt about the whole thing. She simply was not as committed as Damon or knowledgeable about her feelings. She was still in a 'this is just make believe' stage while also denying that she was developing real feelings for him.
But on the other hand, I started to get a bit impatient with her. And I really shouldn't have because the writing for her made sense. But I was totally on Team Damon at this point.
Even as I wishing good luck to Damon on in his quest to win his lady, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop -- for him to finally realize that all is not right with Gilly. When the man for whom Gilly is pining makes an appearance, the story takes on a bit of an angsty tone. But it was deftly wrought. Damon starts to notice Gilly's behavior toward the other guy. Some of the glow starts to dim out of him. I wanted to hug him.
I liked this book more than I did The Cad - Edith Layton. The romantic conflict was first rate, the balance of humor and angst was perfect. All the characters were well drawn and perfectly deployed. And I am thinking that Layton has a particular brilliance in crafting the 'hardened roué with a heart of gold' character because I have seen this character in her books before and she does him so well.
Really good book.
In this one, it is years later and she is ostensibly the ward of Ewan, Viscount Sinclair and his wife Bridget. Although she is respectable because of this and has entree into society, her lack of family and mysterious background doesn't exactly make her completely eligible.
And Gilly herself is very aware that her hard-scrabble background and trauma in her past separates her from other ladies. She has very much internalized this so despite the urgings of her guardians, she doesn't think she is worthy of the a good match.
Into this comes Damon Ryder, a gentleman but not of the nobility. After a spurned suitor attempts to besmirch Gilly's name, Damon -- having witnessed the spurning -- takes it upon himself to rescue her good name and claim they are engaged to be married.
As a set up this is textbook historical romance. They pretend to be engaged only to fall in love by the end and become really engaged and get married. This really is the basic plot of this book. But Layton adds some flair to it.
You see Damon falls in love with Gilly rather early. His feelings become very transparent to both himself and to the reader. And also to Gilly although she keeps herself in denial. Her doubts about her worthiness are one barrier she keeps between herself and Damon but there is another. She is desperately in love with another man.
As I was reading and watching Gilly and Damon's relationship blossom I was rooting madly for him. Although I have read lots of romances and understand that I have enjoyed tons of heroes and heroines, every once in awhile one just jumps out of the pack and makes an impression. The author does something with them that makes you just really, really like them. Layton does that with Damon in this book. He is what back in my old neighborhood we would call 'good people'. It is a high compliment.
Gilly however was a bit more problematic. On the one hand I understood her struggle and her doubts and the unease she felt about the whole thing. She simply was not as committed as Damon or knowledgeable about her feelings. She was still in a 'this is just make believe' stage while also denying that she was developing real feelings for him.
But on the other hand, I started to get a bit impatient with her. And I really shouldn't have because the writing for her made sense. But I was totally on Team Damon at this point.
Even as I wishing good luck to Damon on in his quest to win his lady, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop -- for him to finally realize that all is not right with Gilly. When the man for whom Gilly is pining makes an appearance, the story takes on a bit of an angsty tone. But it was deftly wrought. Damon starts to notice Gilly's behavior toward the other guy. Some of the glow starts to dim out of him. I wanted to hug him.
I liked this book more than I did The Cad - Edith Layton. The romantic conflict was first rate, the balance of humor and angst was perfect. All the characters were well drawn and perfectly deployed. And I am thinking that Layton has a particular brilliance in crafting the 'hardened roué with a heart of gold' character because I have seen this character in her books before and she does him so well.
Really good book.