Sweet Lenora By Ute Carbone
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Airam Velarde
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Official Review: Sweet Lenora by Ute Carbone
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sweet Lenora" by Ute Carbone.]
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Sweet Lenora is the first novella in a series of historical romances written by Ute Carbone. Set in antebellum Salem, we follow the voyage of a young woman who escapes out to sea. Her brave decision might have led her to more stormy seas, but alternately to the arms of the dark, young captain.
The death of Lenora’s father brought more than just grief. Being a young woman of twenty, Lenora is now expected to marry, even if it is against her will. Her father never pressured her to accept one of her suitors. Instead he gave her free range of his library and taught her everything about his shipyard. All of this in preparation for the day she inherited his business. Now with her father gone, her Aunt Louise is more than ever adamant at having Lenora marry. Planned for her is a Mr. George Settle, a widower whose wife’s sudden death sparked rumors of murder, and whose only interest lies in Lenora’s inheritance. All hopes for her seem to be lost until she decides to visit her father’s shipyard. There at the quay, getting ready for her maiden voyage, sat the Sweet Lenora. A ship her father named after her and whose insides Lenora knows like the back of her hand. Her only hope to be free is on board the Sweet Lenora. Who knows what may happen to a stowaway, but Lenora decides being thrown overboard is a far better fate than being thrown into an arranged marriage. On board the ship she encounters the infamous Captain Anton Boudreaux, who reluctantly welcomes the stowaway and protects her from further harm. His bad reputation may be well known, but that means nothing to Lenora when she discovers how fast this man can make her heart beat.
Sweet Lenora is a tender historical romance led by a strong heroine. Set in times when women were meant to stay in their proper place, Lenora’s feisty and strong willed character is refreshing and in no time acquires the admiration of the reader. Her voyage out to sea and the conflicts she then faces, make the plot interesting and fast-paced. Of course, the novella is not just about her adventure, but about the growing romance between our heroine and the dark hero and captain of the ship, Anton Boudreaux. Their romance is centered around sweet encounters and willingness to put their lives on the line for each other. So, if you are specifically looking for steamy, long, love scenes, then maybe this novella isn’t for you.
Because of the novella’s short length, some of the events of the story feel a bit rushed and could do with a bit more of development. Anton and Lenora’s relationship blossoms from their interactions while on board the Sweet Lenora. However, these are only a few and leave a bit of wondering as to how they established the love and devotion for each another. Moreover, other conflicts presented in this tale, such as Anton’s dubious past, are only mentioned a few times but not explored in their entirety. While the story is enjoyable, it could have benefited greatly from being longer, in order to leave more room for both plot and character development.
Taken as a whole, Sweet Lenora is an entertaining and romantic short story that does not fail at keeping the reader interested. Although, as mentioned earlier, the plot at times might seem a bit underdeveloped, the story is still equally enjoyable as a quick read. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a short and sweet romance tale with a side of adventure. For the above reasons, I give Sweet Lenora 3 out of 4 stars.
***
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The death of Lenora’s father brought more than just grief. Being a young woman of twenty, Lenora is now expected to marry, even if it is against her will. Her father never pressured her to accept one of her suitors. Instead he gave her free range of his library and taught her everything about his shipyard. All of this in preparation for the day she inherited his business. Now with her father gone, her Aunt Louise is more than ever adamant at having Lenora marry. Planned for her is a Mr. George Settle, a widower whose wife’s sudden death sparked rumors of murder, and whose only interest lies in Lenora’s inheritance. All hopes for her seem to be lost until she decides to visit her father’s shipyard. There at the quay, getting ready for her maiden voyage, sat the Sweet Lenora. A ship her father named after her and whose insides Lenora knows like the back of her hand. Her only hope to be free is on board the Sweet Lenora. Who knows what may happen to a stowaway, but Lenora decides being thrown overboard is a far better fate than being thrown into an arranged marriage. On board the ship she encounters the infamous Captain Anton Boudreaux, who reluctantly welcomes the stowaway and protects her from further harm. His bad reputation may be well known, but that means nothing to Lenora when she discovers how fast this man can make her heart beat.
Sweet Lenora is a tender historical romance led by a strong heroine. Set in times when women were meant to stay in their proper place, Lenora’s feisty and strong willed character is refreshing and in no time acquires the admiration of the reader. Her voyage out to sea and the conflicts she then faces, make the plot interesting and fast-paced. Of course, the novella is not just about her adventure, but about the growing romance between our heroine and the dark hero and captain of the ship, Anton Boudreaux. Their romance is centered around sweet encounters and willingness to put their lives on the line for each other. So, if you are specifically looking for steamy, long, love scenes, then maybe this novella isn’t for you.
Because of the novella’s short length, some of the events of the story feel a bit rushed and could do with a bit more of development. Anton and Lenora’s relationship blossoms from their interactions while on board the Sweet Lenora. However, these are only a few and leave a bit of wondering as to how they established the love and devotion for each another. Moreover, other conflicts presented in this tale, such as Anton’s dubious past, are only mentioned a few times but not explored in their entirety. While the story is enjoyable, it could have benefited greatly from being longer, in order to leave more room for both plot and character development.
Taken as a whole, Sweet Lenora is an entertaining and romantic short story that does not fail at keeping the reader interested. Although, as mentioned earlier, the plot at times might seem a bit underdeveloped, the story is still equally enjoyable as a quick read. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a short and sweet romance tale with a side of adventure. For the above reasons, I give Sweet Lenora 3 out of 4 stars.
***
Buy "Sweet Lenora" on Amazon
Buy "Sweet Lenora" on Barnes and Noble
"A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor."
~Victor Hugo
~Victor Hugo
Latest Review: "Deadly Secrets" by Robert Boris Riskin
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BookLuv45
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Thank you so much for your review, I found it very interesting, since you give the exact items that any reader needs to either read the book or not. I found this review well written and to tell you the truth I might just give this book a try. I really don't like these type of novellas but you make it sound interesting, so I might just read it. Thanks again.
