Customer Reviews

Dangerous Illusions

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In England in 1815, a married woman was "of one body" with her husband. They were legally one person, and that person was the man. With drama and passion, Amanda Scott brings that premise to shocking and--to most American women of the 1990's--virtually unimaginable life.

Published as a historical romance, this book transcends genre. If you have any interest in women's history of the period, then pick up DANGEROUS ILLUSIONS, and experience not just a great historian, but a true storyteller who knows how to keep you turning the pages right to the very end.

Dangerous illusions set in 1815 is a romance with a side story about the plight of women in that era. Women today do not fully appreciate how far we have come. We have much more say about our life. miss daintry's sister is in an abusive marriage. The law says she must stay with her husband because he is entitled to beat her. Miss Daintry falls in love with a man whose grandfather was in a fued with. Miss daintry gets around the mores of the day and finds happiness for herself and her sister. also note the books about the other characters from the auther. A good read for all.

This plot had enormous potential, a returning war hero, a strong willed, intelligent heroine and family secrets. The characters themselves were the disappointment. A man of honor would not, under any circumstances pass himself off as his dead friend. Gideon performed acts of heroism, but the descriptions of him weren't sufficient to convince me that I needed to cheer for him. Daintry, the heroine, was her era's feminist, but lacked the common sense to recognize some potentially dangerous situations or curb her willful niece. The secret was a tiresome thread through the story. The dialogue relied on phrases/terms that after a while became annoying, especially "dash." Too bad the characters weren't more likable.

I am not a fan of Romantic novels, I tend to go in for movies and books about car chases, and blowing stuff up. This book, though, touched a nerve. I identified with the strong romantic male, and found the story to be wonderfully enchanting. I did think the bit about the plot to assinate the zsar of Russia was a little bit out of date, but the scenes with the ski chases were some of the most exciting prose ever put to page!