Review: An Independent Woman by Frances Evesham

 

An Independent Woman by Frances Evesham

Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Published June 11th 2014 by Wild Rose Press 

My Source: I received a copy in exchange for an honest review

Description: With nothing left from her childhood except a tiny portrait of a beautiful woman, some skill with a needle, and the knowledge of a dreadful secret, Philomena escapes her tormentor, Joseph, and the dank fogs of Victorian London, only for a train crash to interrupt her quest for independence and freedom.

Trapped between the upstairs and downstairs occupants of a great country house, Philomena hears whispers of the mysteries and lies that lurk in empty corridors and behind closed doors. Her rescuer, the dangerous, enigmatic Hugh, Lord Thatcham, wrestles with his own demons and makes Philomena’s heart race, but she must fight her passion for she can never marry.

Haunted by her past, Philomena’s only hope of happiness is to confront the evil forces that threaten to destroy her.

My Review: The story started out with quite an adventure--Philomena has to escape her home quickly and does so by trying to disguise herself as a boy. She was in a terrible train accident right before Christmas and was rescued by Lord Thatcham, who assumed she was a boy. When her secret is discovered, she finds herself trapped in a world without hope for escape.

I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the reason why Philomena is running. It seemed to be a gradual mystery and culminated in the end in some surprises. It was refreshing to read a story about someone who isn't of the Ton, yet isn't solid working class. Philomena is a survivor and does what it takes to support herself. Lord Thatcham is a man who knows what he wants and goes after it--until he is devastated beyond repair.

I think this is a personal issue, but I had a hard time with the insta-love. Hugh (aka Lord Thatcham) thinks that Philomena is a boy, yet within 48 hours of discovering that she's not, and knowing that she's lying to him, he's ready to proclaim his love for her. I had a hard time believing that two days could produce these types of feelings, with minimal interactions and feelings of distrust-- "Philomena knew beyond all doubt that without Hugh, life would never be more than a sad, desperate battle. She would find no peace." I'm not a fan of adultery and was surprised to find that Philomena wasn't able to marry, even though she was head-over-heels in love and started acting on that feeling.

All that aside, it was an entertaining story. There were moments when I forgot all of the above and found myself really engaged in the story.

Content: mild language; mild-moderate violence; moderate romance--kissing, vague talk of intimacies and even a disturbing threat (forcing someone to engage in intimate behaviors while someone watched on), a girl being forced to marry way too young. Technically clean.

 

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