Review: The Other Countess

The Other Countess by Eve Edwards

Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Genre: YA historical fiction

$17.99 (US hardback)

to be released in paperback 4/10/12

352 pages

What it's about:

Ellie--Lady Eleanor Rodrigueez, Countess of San Jaime--possesses a worthless title, but her feisty spirit captivates teh elite of Queen Elizabeth's court--especially the dashing new Earl of Dorset.

William Lacey, Earl of Dorset, has inherited his father's title--and his financial ruin. Now Will must seek a wealthy bride and restore his family's fortune. If only he hadn't fallen for the beautiful but penniless Ellie...

Sparks fly whenever Ellie and Will are together; however, circumstances--and the conniving interference of others--threaten to keep them apart.

My thoughts:
I found this book last year when I was randomly browsing through the books at Borders. The cover caught my attention and then I found out that it takes place in Queen Elizabeth the 1st time and in one of her palaces and I knew I had to have it. It's not often I buy books that I've never heard of and haven't looked at reviews for, but I did with this one.

And then it sat on my shelves for almost a year.

I finally picked it up and read it not because it was what I was in the mood for, but because the title starts with "o" and I don't have any books in my review section that start with "o." I know, it's a silly reason to read a book but that's why I read it. I'm really glad I did as well. This book was great.

Ellie is the daughter of an alchemist and a bad one at that. He has lost all their money and now Ellie and her father rely on the charity of others. Poor Ellie, through the whole book one bad thing after the other happens to her. The poor girl could never catch a break. Yet she just kept on going, bright smiles and sharp tongue. I loved how strong she was. She didn't let anyone take advantage of her and she never let anyone change who she is. I loved that. There is also Will and the rest of the Lacey family. I loved that family. They remind me a lot of the Darling family in Peter Pan. Chaotic and adorable.

This book is written in third person and at times, that could be a little complicated. At some points it would switch from one person to another in the middle of a paragraph and it would take me a few seconds to make the switch. There was also a whole other story plot going on with one of the servants, Nell, that was completely unnecessary. It never really did tie in, never became important to the story plot, and was a little obnoxious. I did not like Nell, did not care about her, and was miffed that I had to wait longer to find out what was going on with the characters I did like.

If you are looking for a historical fiction book that is seeped in history, this is not it. This is strictly a love story set in a very cool period of time. At times I would forget what time period it was, just because it is not really the focus of the book. But it was fun non the less and I look forward to reading the next two books in this series.

My rating: 8/10