Have you ever made a mistake that is so monumental you can't bear to repent? Have you ever had a relationship issue so complex that you have no idea how to fix it? This second book in Jennifer Connors' Lesson series, A LESSON IN FORGIVENESS, is a sad one because it involves both of those issues. The title alone should clue you in to the fact that Ginny must learn to forgive, but it doesn't give you any indication about how heartbreakingly difficult this book is to read. Grab your tissue box and put your ringer on silent. I give A LESSON IN FORGIVENESS 4 stars.
After departing her first romance novel life in medieval Scotland, Ginny wakes up in Regency-era England. Her new parents want her to marry and bring her to a house party at the country home of Lord Whitmore, an earl. Lord Whitmore's friend, Lord Clarendon, a viscount, rake, and future duke, is also in attendance. Ginny befriends both Whitmore and Clarendon, neither of whom wants to be tied down by a marriage to her.
Sadly, the friendships dissolve when the characters can't be honest about what they really want. Clarendon sabotages his chance at happiness by devising a scheme that ultimately puts Ginny and Whitmore in a compromising situation. After being discovered by Bethany's father, a forced marriage is the end of the friendship between Whitmore and Ginny, as the new husband immediately abandons Ginny to sow his wild oats in a previously planned Grand Tour of the Continent. Add adultery, swindling, money troubles, and some serious gossip, and you have a heartbreaking story. When all is said and done, can Ginny learn to forgive her new husband, and more importantly, can she forgive herself?
I must say first and foremost that I loved this book, but I must also tell you how difficult it is to read because it is just so darn sad. The reader is made to fall in love with both Whitmore and Clarendon, and then made to hate them both after Whitmore and Ginny wed. The reader can see both sides of the dispute, but the only real solution is the most difficult one – forgiveness. Setting aside the circumstances that brought husband and wife together, the novel provides a realistic view of what happens when there is serious damage to a marital relationship via infidelity and abandonment. Ginny does some soul searching and finally learns the lesson of this particular romance novel.
Aside from the plotline, the pace of the book is nice. I could have used some more time spent showing Ginny's soul searching, especially after the amount of time she spent in heartache. Forgiveness from the heart often takes time and effort to work through. For hurts this deep, residual emotions will linger for a while before true bliss is found. Ginny's forgiveness came too quickly for it to be realistic, but this could be a personal thing. Perhaps the powers that control Ginny's romance novel-hopping life only needed her to understand the importance of forgiveness in any relationship, and if she were to spend more time in this particular novel, residual insecurities would be seen. Regardless, the reader fully understands the lesson in this book.
As for technical issues, this book had some issues with homonyms, specifically with those that sound the same but are spelled differently, e.g., to and too, do and due. Another round of editing with a pair of fresh eyes could take care of those issues.
Overall, I really loved this book. I'm looking forward to the next book and hope for some better times for Ginny.
After departing her first romance novel life in medieval Scotland, Ginny wakes up in Regency-era England. Her new parents want her to marry and bring her to a house party at the country home of Lord Whitmore, an earl. Lord Whitmore's friend, Lord Clarendon, a viscount, rake, and future duke, is also in attendance. Ginny befriends both Whitmore and Clarendon, neither of whom wants to be tied down by a marriage to her.
Sadly, the friendships dissolve when the characters can't be honest about what they really want. Clarendon sabotages his chance at happiness by devising a scheme that ultimately puts Ginny and Whitmore in a compromising situation. After being discovered by Bethany's father, a forced marriage is the end of the friendship between Whitmore and Ginny, as the new husband immediately abandons Ginny to sow his wild oats in a previously planned Grand Tour of the Continent. Add adultery, swindling, money troubles, and some serious gossip, and you have a heartbreaking story. When all is said and done, can Ginny learn to forgive her new husband, and more importantly, can she forgive herself?
I must say first and foremost that I loved this book, but I must also tell you how difficult it is to read because it is just so darn sad. The reader is made to fall in love with both Whitmore and Clarendon, and then made to hate them both after Whitmore and Ginny wed. The reader can see both sides of the dispute, but the only real solution is the most difficult one – forgiveness. Setting aside the circumstances that brought husband and wife together, the novel provides a realistic view of what happens when there is serious damage to a marital relationship via infidelity and abandonment. Ginny does some soul searching and finally learns the lesson of this particular romance novel.
Aside from the plotline, the pace of the book is nice. I could have used some more time spent showing Ginny's soul searching, especially after the amount of time she spent in heartache. Forgiveness from the heart often takes time and effort to work through. For hurts this deep, residual emotions will linger for a while before true bliss is found. Ginny's forgiveness came too quickly for it to be realistic, but this could be a personal thing. Perhaps the powers that control Ginny's romance novel-hopping life only needed her to understand the importance of forgiveness in any relationship, and if she were to spend more time in this particular novel, residual insecurities would be seen. Regardless, the reader fully understands the lesson in this book.
As for technical issues, this book had some issues with homonyms, specifically with those that sound the same but are spelled differently, e.g., to and too, do and due. Another round of editing with a pair of fresh eyes could take care of those issues.
Overall, I really loved this book. I'm looking forward to the next book and hope for some better times for Ginny.
*Original review revised for The Romance Reviews.com http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=10161
