A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant

January 19, 2012

Hot Diggidy Dog!  
I just love writers who can write!
http://ceciliagrant.com/

Somehow, and I don't know how, A Lady Awakened slipped by my radar. A word to debut authors - insist your publisher release your book before the end of the year so you can make the "best of" lists. And, if I had read this book last year it would definitely have been on my "best of," but I'll save it for the end of this year. 

Cecilia Grant - remember that name, because she is a really an amazing author. The way she blends her words together was a pleasure to read. I even have a favorite sentence from this book: "He ought to have stayed.  He thought his attachment to Sussex had only to do with his attachment to Mrs. Russell, and he'd left when that tale had come to its end.  But was he no more than the sum of his sentiments?" What a lovely sound that last sentence makes..."But was he no more than the sum of his sentiments?"  And, this book was chock full of delightful words. Yep, that Cecilia Grant is one humdinger of a word put together-er. Heck, there's even a plot.

Now, the plot is something that's "been there, done that." You know the one I mean - a widow, Martha, needs a baby and she needs the baby n-o-w so she can save the sheep, lambs, pigs, cows, peasants, servants, teacher, preacher, land, kitty-cats - oh just everyone. Well, who should stumble into her range of vision but the ne'er-do-well, rascal, studly, scoundrel but misunderstood-heart of gold rake, Theo and his Timothy Toad. Of course, he agrees to stud duty (he is a man after all) - and we are off on another romance story. However, and this is a big however, in the hands of Ms. Grant this story is anything but run-of-the-mill. These two characters were amazing. And, for once in a romance book we actually get to watch them grow into better people. We are not told, we are not given a rush job, we get to read e-v-e-r-y gritty moment of their coming together. Now, I will admit, in the beginning Martha is not the most lovable of heroines...but she grows on you. Theo is an appealing rake right from the beginning, but he also has a lot of growing to do.  The best thing is, we get to watch his transformation into a better man.

Let's talk about the s-e-x in this book. The sex was almost a secondary character in A Lady Awakened. Unlike other novels, the first time was not mind-blowing-better-than-ever-orgasmic-over-and-over sex...it was dreadful. And, it may have been some of the worst sex I ever read in a romance book. Unlike other romance books, the heroine does not explode every time Theo's around. In fact, she hates even the thought of a dangling, ugly, smelly Mr. Toad coming anywhere near her. Martha was a tad bit rigid you see, just a tad. The sex, just like Martha and Theo, goes through some wonderful metamorphosis, until finally these two people grow to love each other and then we have some really sensual hot scenes. I loved watching the changes.

Now, was this a perfect book? No, there were times when I thought the opinions, desires, saving of the land-people-lambs-etc. was just a little too modern. And there was a gathering around a table to give the bad guy his comeuppance scene that was a little silly. However, none of these minor quibbles could distract me from totally enjoying this wonderful book. This is an author and a book you don't want to miss.  Remember Cecilia Grant and her debut book, A Lady Awakened.

Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality Rating: Hot