A Flight Of Fancy by Laurie Alice Eakes, Book review

Publisher: Revell
ISBN-13: 978-0800734671

Synopsis:

Cassandra Bainbridge may be a bit of a bluestocking, but when Geoffrey Giles is near, love seems a fine alternative to passion for Greek and the physics of flight. With his dashing good looks and undying devotion to her, the earl of Whittaker sets Cassandra's heart racing with his very presence. It seems his only flaw is his distaste for ballooning, the obsession that consumes so much of her thoughts.

When a terrible accident compels her to end her betrothal, Cassandra heads for the country to recover from both her injuries and her broken heart. With time on her hands and good friends to help her, she pursues her love for ballooning and envisions a future for herself as a daring aeronaut. But when Lord Whittaker slips back into her life, will she have to choose between him and her dream?

My thoughts:

I will admit the mention of a woman ballooning in the early 1800's was the sole attraction to this title. Or perhaps 'Her head is in the clouds, his feet are planted firmly on the ground. Can love cover the distance?'
Many marriages have been built on such relationships and I will vouch at least for one of these...

Seriously, Laurie Alice Eakes never disappoints in her careful choice of subjects that attracts attention if only for their very outlandishness. Ballooning in 1812 was hardly the accepted entertainment for any female, particularly a young Society woman or even a lady of the Ton. Under Laurie Alice Eakes' penmanship we see however Cassandra reaching her dream just like Madeleine Sophie Blanchard!

Following Book # 1 of 'The Daughters of Bainbridge House', 'A Necessary Deception' (see review here) Laurie brings us 'A Flight of Fancy', yet another light romantic tale of English Regency period. Sprinkled with a few French expressions and interesting chemistry ( i.e. the use of birdlime) and set against the backdrop of ballooning pioneers and the Luddite rebellion , it made the story (almost) intriguing!
Together these facts makes 'A Flight of Fancy', in itself lukewarm and on the insipid side, palatable.

Neither Cassandra or Geoffrey Giles gives any performance I would deed entertaining. There is something lacking in their constant 'Yes, No' attitude which couched in much guilt - the less said about that, the better - leaves me no option but to say I had a hard time to concentrate on the plot. Not even the sub protagonists help in the matter!

Is it or is it not? Will they or will they  not?

Sigh...Perhaps you should give it a try though...(Just be sure to have an extra large box of sweets!).

3 Stars!


About the Author:

Laurie Alice Eakes is the author of Lady in the Mist, A Necessary Deception, Heart's Safe Passage, and several other novels. She won a National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency in 2007 for Family Guardian. Laurie Alice writes full-time from her home in Texas, where she lives with her husband and sundry dogs and cats. 

I received this book free from BAKER/REVELL as part of their blogger review program.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.