Once Upon A Tower

Once Upon A Tower By Eloisa James

Gowan Stoughton of Craigievar, Duke of Kinross, has no time for romance.  That is not to say he is not romantic, but when you are in charge of one of the largest and most prosperous estates in Scotland, you need to prioritize.  Time is money, and any time spent on “useless” pastimes is completely wasted.

Lady Edith Gilcrest’s world revolves around one thing, and only one thing…music.  To her, any time spent not playing her cello is completely wasted.  In fact, she even travels with it.

The minute Gowan sees Edie at her comeout ball he knows that she is the one he will marry.  Dancing with her only cemented his resolve, so he expediently bargains for her hand and checks that off of his to do list.  Problem is…she isn’t exactly what he bargained for.

The back and forth between these two throughout the book is pure gold.  From the letters at the beginning to the groveling at the end every word drips of genius and wit.

As usually is the case, James does include some wonderfully written subplots about supporting characters that not only move the story along, but make you wonder which hero/heroine you are cheering for more.  Not many authors could manage this feat without drowning or stalling the storyline, but James handles it like the master that she is!

I loved the Shakespeare references (fitting, as James is a Shakespeare professor), and cheered madly at the end when a certain character got what was coming to him in spades (no spoilers, but if someone hadn’t hit him I would have been very well put out).

Overall, the story was delightful and heartbreaking at the same time.  To know that you are trying your hardest at something and not succeeding is the worst feeling in the world, but then to have the person you love turn around and lay you bare by throwing it in your face is everyone's secret and darkest fear.

Oh, and did I mention how much I loved the Julia Quinn collaboration for this book?!

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 5

Sex – 5 

Language – 4

Storyline – 5

Historical Accuracy – 3

Overall – 5