The Songbird's Seduction

The Songbird's Seduction by Connie Brockway

Rising operetta star Lucy Eastlake has gotten used to making do.  Disowned by her great-grandmother as a child due to the sins of her own mother and grandmother before her, she was shunted from family member to family member for years before landing right back at Robin's Hall, but this time into the unexpectedly welcoming arms of her great-aunts.  Of course that didn't mean she still didn't have to make do.  Thanks to some unwise financial decisions by her great-grandfather, Robin's Hall is now in ruin and not even her meager earnings on-stage are enough to keep the creditors at bay.  But there is hope.  The anniversary of her of an Indian siege her great-aunt lived through is upon them, and with it a bounty of wealth for the last remaining survivors.  All they have to do is travel to a small town in France to claim the prize.

Anthropology Professor Ptolemy Archibald Grant is about to achieve a greatness his colleagues could only dream about: a directorship at a highly respected university.  To seal the deal he is planning on proposing to the woman who has made it all possible.  Too bad he would much rather be out in the field than behind a desk.  In spite of the upcoming interviews for the position, Ptolemy agrees to accompany the woman his grandfather has always loved and never forgotten to a remote French town in order to claim a prize due to the survivors of pact made fifty years ago during an Indian siege.  Unfortunately, the plans of mice and men are not always in sync, and he ends up accompanying the woman's niece on a crazy adventure too big to even believe possible.  Could this journey end in happy ever after?  Or his ultimate ruin?

This wonderful tale takes place a few years before the time period of a little show that you might be familiar with (*cough* Downton Abbey *cough*).  Thanks to this point of reference many readers might squeal with delight when they hear phrases or descriptions of clothing right out of the show.  It is obvious that Connie Brockway has paid diligent attention to detail, possibly to appease the eagle-eyed readers who, thanks to the show, now know so much about the fashion and lifestyles of the time.  However, this is not the first book into which she has put such care into the detail, so I believe that it is simply her pleasure to do so.

The story line of the book is a great mix of heart-warming romance and the cold reality of the times.  The obstacles that both the main characters and their elders have had to face are very realistic, and sometimes almost painful to contemplate.  To say that society "back then" was unfair is a gross understatement, but the reality is that this story takes place a century ago doesn't divert from the fact that, in many circles, society is still unfair.  After all, less than a century ago a king was forced to choose between his crown and the woman he loves; today, should the current Prince of Wales ascend to the throne, his wife will not.  While this story has a happy ending, like all romances must, there is still a sense of bittersweet awareness in it.

The characters more than make up for the bittersweet nature of the book by being the most lively, colorful, and effervescent people that you will ever have the pleasure of reading about.  The hero is a conundrum right from the beginning, being the perfect mix of flustered gentleman and energetic wanderer.  The heroine is a delightful flurry of motion and whimsy that just keeps rolling with the punches.  The supporting cast keeps the main characters on their toes (not that they don't do that to each other) and keeps the reader laughing throughout the whole ride.

If there are any faults in this book at all, they would lie in the complicated back story presented for Lucy that can at times be hard to follow.  But this blemish is minor and easily moved past.  Overall, this book is beyond delightful.  It is not just a love story, but an invitation to fall in love with the whimsical stylings of this fantastic wordsmith.

Continuity/Flow – 4

Sex – 4 

Characters – 5

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5