Flirtation and Folly by Elizabeth Rasche
Publication Date: November 10, 2020
Quills and Quartos Publishing
Series: A Season in London, Book One
Genre: Historical Romance
Marianne Mowbrey is a responsible country rector’s daughter who longs for the novelty and excitement she reads about in novels. When her crusty Aunt Harriet agrees to give her a Season in London, Marianne vows to dazzle the world, win a husband, and never go home again. But the Londoners who determine social success are inclined to pass over plain Marianne in favor of her beautiful, reckless younger sister.
In a world of ambition, fashion, flattery, and deceit, how can Marianne stay true to her real self—when she is not even sure what that real self is?
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My Thoughts
Flirtation And Folly is a wonderful "first season" story.
A sort of nod to the "not so ugly duckling becoming her very own sort of swan".
Though the eldest girl of the bunch living at home. It seems that Marianne has never been first choice for much of anything. Save helping her mother to care for her siblings.
For when it comes to beauty, and all the acclaim of natural social graces. Those laurels will ever be worn by her younger and fairer sister Belinda.
So it is no surprise to our dearest duckling that when her very affluent but highly critical aunt Harriette is in need of a companion to fill in while hers is convalescing.
Sends word to her mother that the much sought after Belinda is to join her in that capacity.
But when Belinda choses the invitation of a prominent family much dearer to her family's more rural social standing. It is the much plainer Marianne who is sent in her place.
Watching Marianne fumble and bumble her way, mostly unaided by those who would claim to be her betters. And in fact ,be left to the often torturous barbs and inside jokes of one Miss Emily Stokes. Resident preening peahen and "mean girl" in charge. Who to be fair, takes a general delight in deriding anyone to whom she might have even the slightest chance of being in any way superior.
To whom Marianne spends most of the book being very good natured about her hot and cold whims and paper cut like slights . But learning how to handle her nonetheless.
The situations with the menfolk of this read are no less dramatic by far. Ranging from a with every type cast. From the flirting popular dandy that everyone wants, but no one can seem to pin down. In the form of one Captain Pelteney.
The friend of a friend, who really isn't supposed to be there. But the friend insisted. In the form of one Mr. Glass. Her aunt Cartwright's apothecary.
And of course there is the dark, and brooding hero on a mission. In the form of Robert Hearn.
There are so many characters with so many subplots. That this book sometimes reads more like an After School Special than a Regency Romance.
And that is all before Marianne's sister breezes her way into the picture in all of her vapidly entitled glory.
Please don't mistake my rather dismissive slant on some of the aforementioned characters for a distain of this book.
Nothing is further from the truth.
It is in fact. One's ability to form such strong emotional ties with this books characters that makes one want to keep reading.
In much the same way that one watches a favorite teen soap opera.
You know that the just deserts are coming. You just hope that your chosen hero and heroine are on the right side of justice when they do.
This is in essence survival of the fittest meets "coming of age" ala Regency.
And "oh boy what a ride."
Thank you to HFVT and Ms. Rasche for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions given are my own and have not been influenced in any way by any interested party.
About the Author
After acquiring a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Arkansas, Elizabeth Rasche taught philosophy in the U.S. and co-taught English in Japan. Now she and her husband live in northwest Arkansas, the ‘garden of America.’ (At least, she has only ever heard Arkansas called so.) She dreams of visiting Surrey (if only to look for Mrs. Elton’s Maple Grove), Bath, and of course, London. When she has a Jane Austen novel in one hand, a cup of tea in the other, and a cat on her lap, her day is pretty much perfect.Elizabeth Rasche is the author of The Birthday Parties of Dragons and her poetry has appeared in Scifaikuest. Flirtation & Folly is her first historical fiction novel.
Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, November 10Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Wednesday, November 11
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Thursday, November 12
Review at Bitch Bookshelf
Review at Books In Their Natural Habitat
Friday, November 13
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Feature at CelticLady's Reviews
Monday, November 16
Feature at I'm Into Books
Review at Probably at the Library
Tuesday, November 17
Review at Bookworlder
Wednesday, November 18
Feature at Reading is My Remedy
Thursday, November 19
Guest Post at Novels Alive
Friday, November 20
Review at Library of Clean Reads
Review at View from the Birdhouse
Saturday, November 21
Excerpt at Passages to the Past
Sunday, November 22
Review at Robin Loves Reading
Monday, November 23
Review at Jessica Belmont
Tuesday, November 24
Review at Novels Alive
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of Flirtation and Folly by Elizabeth Rasche! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on November 24th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Flirtation and Folly
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