Flight or fight? Darkness and light!
His Runaway Lady by Joanna Johnson
I kept feeling I'd wandered into some sort of Grimm's Fractured Fairytale--possibly a version of Snow White with a dash of Hansel and Gretel.
Sophia Somerlock's abusive mother is the archetype of the wicked stepmother.(Although apparently in earlier versions of some of these tales it was the jealous mother who is the villain. It would seem aspects of this tale harken back to the original version.)
Sophia's mother appears to have been jealous of her daughter's relationship with her husband, and since she was six years old Sophia has not only carried a huge burden around the death of her father, but been reviled for it. She's been told continually, and believes it, that she is a wicked child responsible for what happened to her father and that all are disgusted by her perfidy.
Sophia runs away because her mother is forcing her into a distasteful marriage of convenience. There are hints that the chosen groom is an abusive man, and questions around what happened to his previous wife. Sophia's fear of her future husband exceeds her fear of her mother, although not by much. She's "between the devil and the deep blue sea."
Sophia's journey is interrupted when she's recognized by a fellow coach traveller. She flees into night through the forest. Of course all that stumbling around in fear means she injures herself and is found by the blacksmith Fell Barden. Our quiet, stalwart hero is a man disappointed in love and shunned by his village because he's half-Roma and doesn't know who his father is.
As Sophia recovers, Fell's strength and acceptance helps her to rethink her worth. Similarly Fell, the community outcast is given hope by Sophia's acceptance of him.
When her mother's ghastly loyal servant nearly discovers her, Sophia after a lot of contemplation and awkwardness, suggests to Fell that they might marry, both gaining something they want. Sophia protection, Fell a family and children. This is the beginning to recovery and happiness for both of them although there are quite a few pitfalls in the way.
Although I enjoyed the subtext of this rather unusual story, strangely I found both characters somewhat one dimensional, possibly because we rarely went beyond the blacksmith's forge on the edge of the forest living somewhat in their own bubble. This separation from the community I think might be what perpetuates the fairytale quality of the story, as it is mostly divorced from the real world.
An enjoyable historical romance with very restrained intimacy scenes.
A Harlequin - Romance ARC via NetGalley
***
Sophia Somerlock's abusive mother is the archetype of the wicked stepmother.(Although apparently in earlier versions of some of these tales it was the jealous mother who is the villain. It would seem aspects of this tale harken back to the original version.)
Sophia's mother appears to have been jealous of her daughter's relationship with her husband, and since she was six years old Sophia has not only carried a huge burden around the death of her father, but been reviled for it. She's been told continually, and believes it, that she is a wicked child responsible for what happened to her father and that all are disgusted by her perfidy.
Sophia runs away because her mother is forcing her into a distasteful marriage of convenience. There are hints that the chosen groom is an abusive man, and questions around what happened to his previous wife. Sophia's fear of her future husband exceeds her fear of her mother, although not by much. She's "between the devil and the deep blue sea."
Sophia's journey is interrupted when she's recognized by a fellow coach traveller. She flees into night through the forest. Of course all that stumbling around in fear means she injures herself and is found by the blacksmith Fell Barden. Our quiet, stalwart hero is a man disappointed in love and shunned by his village because he's half-Roma and doesn't know who his father is.
As Sophia recovers, Fell's strength and acceptance helps her to rethink her worth. Similarly Fell, the community outcast is given hope by Sophia's acceptance of him.
When her mother's ghastly loyal servant nearly discovers her, Sophia after a lot of contemplation and awkwardness, suggests to Fell that they might marry, both gaining something they want. Sophia protection, Fell a family and children. This is the beginning to recovery and happiness for both of them although there are quite a few pitfalls in the way.
Although I enjoyed the subtext of this rather unusual story, strangely I found both characters somewhat one dimensional, possibly because we rarely went beyond the blacksmith's forge on the edge of the forest living somewhat in their own bubble. This separation from the community I think might be what perpetuates the fairytale quality of the story, as it is mostly divorced from the real world.
An enjoyable historical romance with very restrained intimacy scenes.
A Harlequin - Romance ARC via NetGalley
***
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