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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Splendid First Season, February 20, 2002
This review is from: First Season (Paperback)
First of all, I loved this book and found it very difficult to put down. As the description states, the very beautiful Fantine Delmere totally starts out on the wrong foot by contemptously insulting the Earl of Ashcom out of hand. The same Earl on whom her family's subsistence is dependent. As a form of punishment he forces Fantine to a London Season with the ton she disdains with the instructions that she find a husband who will offer not only for her but will also take over the support of the family that has been the responsibility of the Earls' family for over a century. The Earl's resentment of Fantine is so fierce that he is quite surprised to find that somewhere along the way he has fallen for this beautiful 'diamond of the first water'. Knowing that she has made a major mistake, it takes some time for Fantine to discover that her trepidation in meeting the Earl's eyes, and her inability to apologize without further insulting him is masking her 'strange feelings' towards him as well. I loved the sexual tension so deftly implied by Gloria [Gay's] style of writing. You didn't need a blow by blow description of an act to intensify the sensuality that came easily to the forefront proving that ofentimes, less is better. This, I felt, is the mark of a truly outstanding author! This book is definitely a keeper not only for the story which I hated to see end, but also for the beautiful cover which showcases the artistry of Gloria [Gay's] painting ability.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great villain!, December 3, 2001
This review is from: First Season (Paperback)
Nicholas Leigh, the Earl of Ashcom, knew his family had supported the Delmere family for the last three generations out of guilt. Alfred Delmere wrote to Lord Ashcom in hopes that the Earl would pay for his daughter to have a London Season. Nicholas decided it was time for him to meet the Delmere family, refuse the request, and cut the purse strings. When the Earl finally came face-to-face with them, he learned that the daughter, Fantine, wanted nothing to do with him. She actually hated him! In fury, Nicholas decided to force her to take a London Season, as his ward. His aunt would be her companion. She would hate every shilling he spent on her and be furious every time he paraded her in front of eligible men at balls, as if she were for sale. Lady Laura Vladim's lovely face his an evil heart. Due to an addiction to opium, Lord Ashcom had caught her in a bad situation. For years now Lady Vladim had been careful. She wanted Nicholas for her own. But Nicholas had eyes only for Fantine Delmere. It was only a matter of time before they admitted their feelings for each other. She got the help of some unsavory people to help her plot the fall of Fantine. *** The story was great and the plot was fascinating. However, I could not help but feel that sections were missing. Areas were choppy to me. I could not get a clear picture on what was going on within Nicholas after the first few chapters. But Lady Vladim was the perfect villain and very well done! In fact, she was the type of villain that readers love to hate! ***
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
good read but characters need a little more depth, December 12, 2001
This review is from: First Season (Paperback)
"First Season" by Gloria Gay could actually be subtitled 'Pride and Prejudice' -- as the plot centers on the prejudices of the heroine of the romance, Fantine Delmere, and the pride of hero, the Earl of Ashcom. Briefly then: for almost a century, the Delmeres have been under the care of the Earls of Ashcom. The current Earl would like to end the practice, but has indolently allowed for things to slide. And then he receives a letter from Mr. Delmere (a wasteful gambler), extolling the beauty of his daughter, Fantine, and asking the earl to foot the bill for her London debut. The earl makes for Evergreen (the estate at which he has installed the Delmeres): it is his intent to put a stop to Delmere's demands, but upon reaching Evergreen, he is treated to Fantine's scorn. Fantine Delmere is truly an extraordinarily beautiful young woman, but she is also a very angry young woman as well. Tired of being dependents of the earl, as well as the rather scornful treatment that her family has always received form the earl's family, and appalled by her father's crass desire to make use of her beauty in order to advance the family's fortunes, Fantine is furious that the earl has fallen in with her father's plans for her, without having given a thought for her needs and feelings. and when she finally meets the earl, she roundly lets him have it -- no holds barred! The earl of course is furious at being told off by a young lady who should by rights be trying to win his favour, and maliciously agrees with Fantine's father to give Fantine her season is London. Fantine is appalled with what her impetuous anger is wrought, and is rightly nervous about having to live under the earl's roof and care while she is in London, esp when, once calmer, she comes to see that much of her anger against the earl is misplaced. But the earl refuses to accept her apologies or to soften his attitude towards her. Can Fantine deal with the shallowness of the haut ton as well as the contempt with which the earl seems to hold her? Can she change his mind about her? Or will the earl nurse his grievance against her for her entire stay? "First Season" is quite an entertaining read. Given that the plot is a rather run-of-the-mill one, it was a shame that the synopsis at the back of the book gave away the one thing that made this novel interesting: the fact that someone wanted Fantine removed from the London scene, and that this person would do anything to achieve this end. Like the reviewer at Huntress Book Reviews, I liked Gay's trio of villains immensely. They were truly brilliant, and reminded me of the kinds of villains one usually reads of in 18th century French novels. I also liked the heroine of this romance novel quite a bit too, esp in the second half of the novel, where she displayed remarkable courage in the face of everything that had happened to her. However this novel did have a couple of flaws that made no sense given that it was a novel about the Regency period in England; for example, Fantine unrealistic impression at the beginning of the novel that either her father or the earl would consult her about her future and her wishes. This, truly rarely happened. Also, the British police force had not yet been established at this time. Another problem I felt was that many of the characters could have done with more development -- in fact, Fantine's character is the only one that is really developed well, while I thought that the earl's character could have done with more 'fleshing out.' And because of this, the romance that develops between the two main characters did not always ring true. It would have made more sense if the couple had spent more time together in the first half of the book, before they realised that they were attracted to and drawn to each other. Other than that, "First Season" was quite the pleasant read. The language is quite modern but, fortunately, not overwhelmingly so. So here's my take: enjoy this novel for it's heroine and for it's trio of villains.
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