I'm not much for the Queen Victoria era when it comes to my historical fiction likes, but Vanquished (Victorian Romance) by Hope Tarr could change my mind.
Tarr tells the story of romance set against the Women's Sufferage Movement in England, in the 1890's. Hadrian St. Clair is an up and coming photographer who has no business gambling--a few bad hands have put him deep in debt with a local thug. Hadrian literally runs into Caledonia ("Callie") Rivers, one of the faces of the sufferage movement, and the attraction is immediate. Callie is known as the "Maid of Mayfair" because of her purity of cause and soul, unreproachable in any way because she's not a man hating, morally bankrupt suffragette. But when the thug in question reminds St. Clair of his debt, begrudgingly giving a reprieve of two weeks or lose body parts, that attraction gets put away in a mythical drawer while he tries to find a way out of the predicament. However, a "benefactor" of sorts comes in the form of a member of Parliament who wants to derail the movement and a bill in Parliament giving women the vote. And he will pay Hadrian five thousand pounds if the latter will produce evidence by way of a risque photograph of the Maid of Mayfair.
The book doesn't get preachy about Women's Rights, although there are scenes of injustice and the characters do get involved. The story pulls no punches, especially a chapter that deals with the young Hadrian--known as Harry Stone in his youth--that got a bit uncomfortable for me; I was very attached to that character by then and the scene hurt to read. But the bulk of the story is not about history, it's about these two characters as they play their "cat and mouse" game of attraction with each other. The romance is set up quite well and plays out within the Victorian ambiguity.
There are a few historical inaccuracies, but if you're willing to suspend disbelief and just accept the story for what it is, nothing glares out at you. The pacing of the events are natural. The characters are well presented and I couldn't help myself but get involved in their lives and with them. I liked Callie and Hadrian together; they are quite a handful and perfectly suited to each other. My favorite is Callie's Aunt Lotte who sees far more than she tells and has her divine and lovely way about setting things in motion when the two stubborn lovebirds refuse to see it for themselves.
It's not a deep read, but it's a good one. And a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Ms. Tarr has a way with stories that will keep you hooked and entertained, focusing on the characters and using the history as a background for them. I definitely recommend this book.
Vanquished (Victorian Romance) is available in ebook format and mass market paperback through all online booksellers.
**If you enjoyed this article, make sure you click on the "Like" button above, and subscribe to the column to have notices emailed to you; so you don't miss an article.**
Comments