Customer Reviews

Something Dangerous

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4 star:		(3)
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Something Dangerous is the second book in the Spoils Of Time Trilogy by Penny Vincenzi. The first book is No Angel and the third book is Into Temptation.

In No Angel, the novel mainly centered around Lady Celia and Oliver Lytton and how their story began but in Something Dangerous the saga continued with the younger generation in the midst of war with Germany. Many of the characters you will see are Giles, Venetia, Adele, and Kit who are the children of Oliver and Celia. Barty, the woman that Celia took in as a child, Jay their nephew, and Izzy, the daughter of their prized author. Through these people you will see affairs, love, marriage, children, and death. What more could you ask for?

I am sure many of you have never heard of Penny Vencenzi before but if you are a fan of the big family sagas then I would highly suggest you give her a try.

This is my favorite of the "Spoils of Time" trilogy, covering the Lytton family's story from the 1930s through World War II. Watching characters you've become familiar with in "No Angel" respond to the Depression and war is really intriguing, especially since Penny Vincenzi is so good at putting them into interesting tight spots.

Vincenzi writes the Rolls Royces of the big, juicy, substantial family saga, packed with believable characters, excellent historical detail, and complex plotting. After "Something Dangerous," you'll be so thoroughly hooked on the Lyttons that the release date of the third book will seem unbearably far away.

Something Dangerous is a follow up to No Angel and is the second in the trilogy of The Spoils Of Time, which is full of surprises, wonderful expectations and anxious moments.

This is a long story so if you are like me and like fat books, this one is yours.

Centered around the Lytton Publising House in the UK, we are introduced to the owners of the business; husband and wife Celia and Oliver Lytton.
Celia is the perfectionist and fault- finder while Oliver who is more approachable and less difficult, is in fragile health now after the first war but still has the last word in the firm.

Something Dangerous focuses on the offspring of the Lyttons as the Second World War and the rise of Nazi Germany come into play. You will meet Giles, Celia's eldest son who having never done well in the family business goes off to war much to his family's delight for at least he will make something positive of his life. Also the twins Venetia and Adele who were born with silver spoons in their mouths come into adulthood just in time to experience first hand the ravishes of war, as food is being rationed and the lovely things which were taken for granted are now not within their grasps. Venetia falls into an iffy marriage while Adele moves to France where she struggles to bring up two kids as a single parent; and Barty Miller who is in a category of her own as Celia and Oliver's adoptive daughter.

Circumstances change however when Barty longing for a bit of independence, requests a transfer to the USA Lyttons in New York , and it is in that city that she is truly transformed as she links up with one of Oliver's nephews, and this link as simple as it looks leaves the English company to either sink or swim when it falls into financial trouble and almost goes for broke.

Something Dangerous will be followed by Into Temptation the last in the trilogy.

I happened to pick up a copy of "No Angel" -- just because it looked interesting. I had never heard of Penny Vincenzi and this was strictly a case of judging a book by it's cover. It didn't take long to get totally engrossed in the story, and I hated to see it end. At that time I didn't know it was part of a trilogy. "Something Dangerous", the second book, is just as good-- the characters are all interesting and easy to relate to-- the Lytton family and their friends live a lifestyle unknown to most people, very rich, but they have the same problems as everyone else. Without reading "No Angel" first, however, some things in "Something Dangerous" are left unexplained, and it makes one wonder why Lady Celia is the way she is. Oh, well. It's a wonderful book, and I can hardly wait for the next one

Something Dangerous by Penny Vincenzi is the second book in the Lytton family trilogy. This book follows No Angel and in some ways I thought Something Dangerous was a better read than No Angel.

This book begins in 1928 when the Lytton children begin to make their way both socially and in workplace. Some go to work for the families publishing empire while others find themselves as mothers or working elsewhere. When war breaks out they find themselves serving in the military or living behind enemy lines. I enjoyed this book which described events leading up to and during World War II through the eyes of members of this prestigious family.

This is the second book I read by this new to me author but certainly not the last. I have always been a sucker for family sagas and in thetradition of Barbara Taylor Bradford and others, Penny Vincenzi is one of the best writers of this genre. Now I am looking forward to reading the third title in this series, Into Temptation, as I slowly collect all of her older books.

This story is a continuation of 'No Angel'. I loved the many plots and subplots all of them intertwining seamlessly.The author's writing style is terrific. She has a magnificent way of complicating a situation or ending a section dramatically to add suspense.
The author's ability to paint her characters is fantastic. Lady Beckenham and her daughter Celia seem to be of the same mold. They both have a get-on-with-it approach to life (784). Venetia and Adele undergo significant change from the spoilt brats they were to being very capable and responsible individuals. I did think though that the characters of Luc Lieberman and Laurence Elliott were a bit too similar.
The story is loaded with historical facts, helping to make it believable. It was an interesting and beautifully written novel.

The second in the series "the spoils of time" about the Lytton family.
I would love to be able to write like that. Highly recommended

Yes, this book is HUGE and not available on kindle but so worth carrying
around! It's such a guilty pleasure. I love Penny Vicenzi and her
novels that engross you and totally take you to another place and time!
The writing, the characters, the setting, the plot, all well done! I can't wait
to read the 3rd in the series.

Having read No Angel, you will be pleased to discover the existance of the second addition to the Trilogy.

Please note that Something Dangerous does not quite pick up where it left off from No Angel, the main focus in this novel is on Celia and Oliver's children. However I grew as interested in them as I was in Celia Oliver LM Robert and the like. I would even venture more to say that Venitia Adele Giles and Barty's lives have even thicker plots that their parents.

Needless to say there's still quite a bit to be read about Celia and Oliver, secrets in the form of fruits sewn in No Angel are now reaped at the most unexpected time in Something Dangerous.

I look forward to the no doubt thrilling next edition.

Another great one from Penny Vincenzi! I read NO ANGEL and was hooked. SOMETHING DANGEROUS was also an
"i can't put it down" novel which continued with the story of the Lyttons. I found all of the characters to be
individually interesting and unique. Lady Beckenham and Lady Celia are my two favorites because they have
what it takes to endure a not always easy life. Both are strong women who exude an attitude of non defeat.
I found the twins entertaining even as adults and their offspring charming.

I'm off to read the third in the trilogy, INTO TEMPTATION.