Book Synopsis:
Tracy Rees’s latest novel The Elopement is an elaborately imagined historical novel full of delight and temptation, spanning the luxury and poverty of late Victorian England.
A wealthy heiress . . .
1897. Rowena Blythe is wealthy, entitled and beautiful. As her twenty-fourth birthday approaches, she’s expected to marry – and to marry well.
An unsuitable match . . .
Her parents commission a portrait of Rowena to help cement her reputation as a great society beauty. However, Bartek, the artist’s young assistant, is unlike any man Rowena has met before – wild, romantic and Bohemian. While society at large awaits the announcement of Rowena’s engagement, it is Bartek who captures Rowena’s heart along with her likeness.
A scandal in society . . .
Rowena knows her parents would never approve of Bartek, who in their eyes is nothing but a penniless foreigner. As her feelings grow, she has no-one to turn to. Dare she risk everything for love?
My Review:
The Elopement is a thoroughly absorbing, intriguing piece of historical fiction that I really enjoyed.
The story is told from the point of view of 3 very different woman Rowena, Pansy and Olive. Initially I didn’t actually like any of them as Rowena seemed so spoilt, Pansy so grumpy and Olive very self satisfied . However this opinion completely changed as the book went on and I grew very fond of them. Rowena and Pansy go on a fabulous journey of discovery as they learn more about themselves and what they are capable of.
I loved all the fantastic historical details in this book which really helps bring the story to life. It was interesting to learn more about life in late Victorian England though heart breaking to see the huge divide between the rich and the poor, especially in regards to how they live. They lived in such horrendous conditions and had so little opportunities to improve themselves. The rights of women, or lack of, was quite emotional to read about especially when you realised how helpless it made them. I therefore loved reading about Olive and the other women who were willing to stand against societal expectations with the restraints it put on women.
Overall I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading more from the author in future. I felt immediately drawn into the story and quickly found the book hard to put down as there was always lots happening to keep my interest. I really enjoyed following the characters throughout the book and loved seeing how far they’d come by the end. My only slight niggle was I wished Verity has got her just deserts at the end but then maybe that wouldn’t have been very realistic.
Huge thanks to Chloe from Pan Macmillan for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Tracy Rees was the winner of the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition and the Love Stories Best Historical Read award and was shortlisted for the RNA Epic Romantic Novel of the Year. She is the author of five bestselling historical novels and her first contemporary novel is to be published in May 2021.
Tracy was born in Swansea. She studied languages at Jesus College, Cambridge, then moved to London where she worked in medical publishing for years. She then did a second degree, in psychology, at London Metropolitan University before training and working as a counsellor for people with cancer and their families. She has also been a waitress, bartender, shop assistant, estate agent, classroom assistant, university lecturer and workshop leader.
Tracy and her partner divide their time between the Gower Peninsula of Wales and London.
Visit Tracy on twitter at @AuthorTracyRees or on her website http://www.tracyrees.com
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