A victim's journey!
The Spitfire (Wicked Wallflowers #5) by Christi Caldwell
A well tuned story about a young woman's strength and ability to reverse her role from that of victim to entrepreneur.
Having rebuffed the advances of a wealthy patron Clara Winters, daughter of a famous London actress, had subsequently been refused employment as an actress or singer. Clara's only way forward was to become a whore then a Madame. Now she's part owner of a proposed music hall where maltreated women could regain there self respect. Her partner is Regina (Reggie) Killoran whom we met in The Governess.
A chance witness to a stranger being beaten and stabbed in an alley in St. Giles has Clara tending the injured man, only to discover he's a peer, Henry March, the Earl of Waterson. Henry is a, "leading MP, determined to see a universal constable force throughout the whole of England." He has been researching some of the more dangerous parts of London. But for Clara, he'd have end his days face down in a puddle in such a place.
Well lines of course are crossed and recrossed. When the Music Hall is deemed to be in violation of the Morality Act, Clara finds herself assisting Henry's sister Lilia, a victim of the Peterloo Massacres, in exchange for his political help to ensure the opening of the venue. However nothing runs smoothly.
An enjoyable addition to series that does keep one guessing, although I had trouble seeing Clara as a Wallflower. A Phoenix maybe! Meanwhile, I feel there's more to come from Lila some day.
A Montlake Romance ARC via NetGalley
****
Having rebuffed the advances of a wealthy patron Clara Winters, daughter of a famous London actress, had subsequently been refused employment as an actress or singer. Clara's only way forward was to become a whore then a Madame. Now she's part owner of a proposed music hall where maltreated women could regain there self respect. Her partner is Regina (Reggie) Killoran whom we met in The Governess.
A chance witness to a stranger being beaten and stabbed in an alley in St. Giles has Clara tending the injured man, only to discover he's a peer, Henry March, the Earl of Waterson. Henry is a, "leading MP, determined to see a universal constable force throughout the whole of England." He has been researching some of the more dangerous parts of London. But for Clara, he'd have end his days face down in a puddle in such a place.
Well lines of course are crossed and recrossed. When the Music Hall is deemed to be in violation of the Morality Act, Clara finds herself assisting Henry's sister Lilia, a victim of the Peterloo Massacres, in exchange for his political help to ensure the opening of the venue. However nothing runs smoothly.
An enjoyable addition to series that does keep one guessing, although I had trouble seeing Clara as a Wallflower. A Phoenix maybe! Meanwhile, I feel there's more to come from Lila some day.
A Montlake Romance ARC via NetGalley
****
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