A Precious Jewel
by Mary Balogh
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mary BaloghEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-11-24
ISBN: 0440244633
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Dell
Book Reviews of A Precious Jewel
Book Review: "Pretty Woman" Regency Style
Summary: 4 Stars
An entertaining and unusual regency romance about a gentleman and a fallen woman.
Plot Summary:
Down-on-her-luck Lady Priscilla works in a brothel until she meets Sir Gerald, a baronet who sets her up as his mistress.
Pros:
Very interesting premise of a prostitute falling in love with nobility. Not a typical hero, Gerald was average looking, slow-witted, insecure and boring in bed. Except for the elephant-in-the-room prostitution thing, Priscilla was a typical heroine, petite, sweet, pretty, loving and lady-like. The pace was fast and I read it straight through, stopping only to sleep. The plot relied heavily on misunderstanding and assumptions. And the ending was a predictable romance novel ending, but the journey was extremely entertaining.
Nit Picky Cons:
My con list is very nitpicky and writing specific and for most won't detract from the enjoyment of a very good story.
On p. 107 "...'She would prefer to earn her bread by _____' He completed the sentence with an obscenity." Balogh bends this sentence into a pretzel and uses an underline to avoid writing the "F" word that rhymes with "trucking" when it is not only appropriate, but essential to finish the quote. I can forgive the next omission on p. 109 because it is how Gerald is thinking, but to drop a word from a quote was distracting and frankly, absurd. Did the writer and editor think their readers couldn't handle an F-bomb, but would be fine with the very premise of the book: Hello, prostitution! I mean, really, prostitution isn't offensive, but the F-bomb is? Please.
There are four POVs to the story, though Miss Blythe and Severn are only used once. The last chapter's POV is a little confusing as it alternated by paragraphs between Prissy and Gerald.
Overall this was a highly entertaining romance with an unusual premise and interesting characters. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.
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