Reviewer: Lori Graham
Title: Dedication
Author: Janet Mullany
Publisher: Signet Books
ISBN: 0-451-21636-9
Release Date: September 2005
Genre/Sub-genre: Historical Regency Romance
Year/Setting: London, 1813
Overall rating: 4.5
Sexual content rating: Sensual
Janet's Website:
www.janetmullany.com
Adam Ashworth doesn’t quite know what to think of his ward being painted by a woman. Now he is all for women achieving the best they can, but a woman painting a man in a virtual state of undress… When he attempts to find out more, he is surprised to meet the young woman’s chaperone, Fabienne Craigmont. Fabienne was his first love in his youth and he has never recovered from the way she rejected him. Granted he was betrothed to another so he wasn’t sure what he would have done if she had wanted him, but he wasn’t a man who liked being rejected.
Fabienne was equally surprised by their meeting and the feelings stirred by the meeting. After his rejection of her, she was sure she had put all of those feelings behind her. In order to avoid Adam, Fabienne increases her work as a patroness of the arts. She is currently supporting various poets and painters but wants to take on a new author. Mrs. Ravenwood has taken society by storm with her books and Fabienne is determined to get to know this woman. The only down fall is Mrs. Ravenwood is reported to live in the same area as Adam.
I have to admit I found Dedication a bit difficult to settle into. There are quite a few characters in this story and keeping track of them and how they are all related took some concentration. Adam is a member of an old brotherhood, which comes to the forefront as they help him with a situation involving his daughter and her husband. There are various society members who are also showcased because of their involvement with the family such as Lord and Lady Eglinton (she is Adam’s sister).
The supporting characters in this story are Viscount Tillotson, who is the ward being painted, and Elaine Twyford, who is the painter (or is she more?). Because of the time in history being in the 1800’s and these characters being members of society, servants are also quite necessary in the telling of the tale.
Once I settled into the book (which took around two chapters), I found the book actually moved at a pretty brisk pace with a great deal of humor and other emotions being intertwined. The character development was quite good especially given the number of characters being employed. Because of this reasoning, I can’t say there is any character I would say to leave out. Each one plays a role in the story and adds to the dimension.
Janet has done a fine job with this story and keeping true to the time period and the characters, which she developed.
Lori
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