Review and Giveaway winner announced: A Precious Jewel by Mary Balogh

 

 

A Precious Jewel: A Novel by Mary Balogh

My rating: 3.75/5.0


First - the winner of a copy of A Precious Jewel by Mary Balogh is:  Dixie - I have emailed you for your address to pass on to the publisher.  Congratulations - I think you will enjoy this book.

This was a very enjoyable historical romance, it read fast and I truly enjoyed watching Gerald and Prissy fall in love. I also loved the secondary character of Miles.

I loved the character of Prissy - she is a no-nonsense do what she has to woman. She also has her own pursuits that once she is a mistress instead of a woman in an upscale brothel she gets to pursue. She is her own woman. She does not delude herself that she is falling in love with Gerald, though she does try to remain practical about it and remain what she was hired to be. She was an amazing character to watch during the book and I loved everything about her.

Gerald is a good character too, he is obviously a troubled hero, and different to me because he is not exceptionally smart or good-looking (though I have no problem with the handsome part - we all find something different beautiful in people. He has trouble forming relationships due to his mother's death and circumstances behind it and a father that was never pleased with him. His one relationship is with his best friend, Miles, the Earl of Severn. I enjoyed watching Gerald grow in the book and try to become a better man and learn about loving. That part was good, but his high-handedness with Prissy and his constant reminders that she is his mistress were my main fault with the book.

The romance is beautiful once it takes off and I enjoyed seeing things from both Prissy and Gerald's point-of-view. I also loved Miles, he was a true gentleman and a definite good addition to the whole storyline.

This is my second book about courtesans in a months time and it's a whole new world for me in historical romance. I have never read this plotline before but I must say I enjoy it. Especially when the man overcomes the social stigma to go after the one he loves for the inevitable happy ending that romance books provide.

For more information about the book and the author see my tour post.

Thanks to the author and Pump Up Your Book Promotions for sending me this book for review and allowing me to offer a giveaway.

Thanks also to all of you who are followers and those who tweeted!