Art & Grace by Catherine E. ChapmanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
"Art & Grace" by Catherine E. Chapman was a well-written and engaging story with interesting, likeable, and well-developed characters. I particularly liked that the story was set in Bristol and the English countryside, not London, and featured characters that weren't titled members of the ton. Some of them actually had to work for a living and make do without servants, which is very different from a lot of the other historical novels out there. I also liked that I wasn't easily able to predict where the story would go next. Just when I thought I knew what to expect, there would be a twist, so eventually I just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
While there were romantic elements that were central to this story, the relationship between main character Bess and her friend, Miss Artemisia Liston, was equally important. I always enjoy stories featuring strong female friendships, and while this one had its share of ups and downs, Bess and Artemisia were mostly supportive of each other, which I appreciated.
Bess herself was an excellent main character and narrator. There aren't many stories set in this time period that feature mixed-race characters, so it was very interesting for me to get a sense of what life might have been like for her. I admired that Bess didn't apologize for her actions and choices except for her regret at the impact they sometimes had on her relationship with Artemisia. Faced with a sometimes uncertain future, Bess did what she felt was necessary to secure her own comfort and happiness, even if she did make some mistakes along the way. However, she never came across as selfish. She always looked out for Artemisia as well as a number of the other secondary characters, including servants Hannah and Esther.
Overall, "Art & Grace" was a refreshingly different take on a Regency novel, and I recommend it. I would read more of Ms. Chapman's work in the future.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments make my day! While I do not expect everyone to agree with my point of view, please note that I reserve the right to delete any nasty or uncharitable messages, as well as spam. Open discussion is welcome and appreciated, but personal attacks are not. Thanks for understanding and have a nice day. :-)