The Lost Letter

Charmant en meeslepend verhaal in een prachtige schrijfstijl die doet denken aan de romantische klassiekers à la Austen.

Ook al is de plot vrij eenvoudig en niet erg origineel, de historische details en de manier waarop de auteur met weinig woorden toch de kolkende onderstroom van emoties voelbaar kon maken hielden me zo in de ban, dat ik het boekje in één keer uit las.

A lovely way to start a new year of reading. Enjoyed this beauty and the beast adaptation quite a lot. Listened to the audiobook for #romanceopoly; Memory Lane. Narration by Justine Eyre was really great.

Other than Jane Austen and the Bronté sisters, there are very few Victorian romances that I have read. I have been put off by romance novels for quite some time now; probably age has made me think of them as frivolous. But I do pick them carefully now, ones which have a little more than just romance. I was not disappointed with this book as it dealt with one of the themes that I really like reading about – Second Chances.

Sylvia was a baronet's daughter and quite popular in society with lot of suitors but her heart only belonged to Colonel Sebastian. He too felt the same but they never did communicate their feelings and ultimately got separated. It's been three years, Sylvia is working as a governess after her father's suicide and Sebastian has been scarred brutally by the war in India. When his well meaning but meddlesome sister Julia decides that it's time they marry, both of them are thrust into each other's company unexpectedly. What follows is a tale of past memories, betrayals, paranoia and unforgettable first love. Will they be able to reconcile with their past and love each other again?

This is a well written book with a heart touching love story. It shows us again that we should all give each other a chance before making our own assumptions and wallowing in misery. The book is also sized like a novella and can be finished in a single sitting. A nice read for a bright and sunny day along with a hot cup of coffee for company.

PS: I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.