∎ Download Gratis Prelude for a Lord Camille Elliot 9780310320357 Books

Prelude for a Lord Camille Elliot 9780310320357 Books

Download As PDF : Prelude for a Lord Camille Elliot 9780310320357 Books

Prelude for a Lord Camille Elliot 9780310320357 Books

I read Prelude for a Lord several years ago and enjoyed it, so was glad to find it for Kindle at a cheap price. I guess, though, that your literary tastes change as you age just like everything else. I got about halfway through the book and was just bored. Camille Elliot repeats a lot of the same information, such as how valuable Alethea's violin is and how Alethea feels odd around most people, especially women, because of her unconventional interest in music.

Don't get me wrong. I like that about Alethea. I could identify with that because I have some unconventional interests for my time period, and a somewhat unconventional way of relating to people/societal expectations. But I beg of you Camille, and other authors, show me what I need to know. Don't sum it up for me. You're cheating me out of getting to know the characters and their world when you do that. The same is true for Lord Dommick/Bayard (that's another thing; I couldn't keep up with these names). Having a titled baron, who also fought in a war, with PTSD, is a great idea. But again, please show me.

Overall, the premise of this story, and the outline of the characters, are interesting. I kept reading and reading, wondering when I was going to get to the meat I used to enjoy. But well, I think I just grew beyond this style of storytelling. It's fine...I just wanted a lot more.


Tags : Prelude for a Lord [Camille Elliot] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Bath, England 1810 At twenty-eight, Alethea Sutherton is past her prime for courtship; but social mores have never been her forté. She might be a lady,Camille Elliot,Prelude for a Lord,Zondervan,0310320356,Christian - Romance,Christian fiction.,Regency novels.,American Light Romantic Fiction,Christian fiction,FICTION Christian Historical,FICTION Christian Romance,FICTION Christian Romance General,FICTION Romance Historical Regency,Fiction,Fiction - Religious,Regency novels,Religious & spiritual fiction,TOPICAL Christian Interest

Prelude for a Lord Camille Elliot 9780310320357 Books Reviews

Let's get it out of the way- it is not a stellar book. It is not really exceptionally historically accurate and both the characters and the situations they are in feel a little too "off" to be a true stand out novel. That said, if you going in knowing it is going to be a Romance novel, you will enjoy it.

It is a romance, but it is all Good Clean Fun, no hanky panky, really (which, hey, makes sense given the time period). The inclusion of music added a fun element to the story and the characters were likable and engaging. There was some plot points that were very clearly there only to Keep The Lovers Apart and Lengthen The Story, but it mostly was an interesting mystery. To its merit, there were also several nice scenes where women's friendships/relationships and their development were the focus, which was delightful. I do think the traumas both main characters had endured could have been a bit more fleshed out, but on the whole it was a fun, light read.
This tale really is about two people with different griefs and sufferings finding one another. Alethea and Dommick discover they can help one another heal, because each of their sufferings is a private embarrassment to themselves, Dommick especially. How did you treat a man with PTSD in 1810? When the nightmares began after he returned from fighting Bonaparte, what did his family do? They didn't know what else to do with him and so he was labeled the Mad Baron because he did not know how to face the horror he saw in battle. He is a strong man with a fierce countenance and a determined loyalty to his family, but he only views himself as weak because of the nightmares that attack him at any given time. He does not live up to societal expectations and so his entire family's reputation is at risk because of that "weakness."

It's hard living up to the expectations of others, but even harder when those expectations go contrary to our own nature. Alethea loves to play the violin. It is the height of her pleasure, her purest moment of joy, the time when she feels the most liberated. Yet it isn't proper for a young woman in 1810 to play the violin because it requires so much physical movement that draws improper attention to the body.

Alethea must stand firm against the tide of judgement that threatens to wash her away. There is nothing improper in her behavior. She is absolutely proper, just a trifle odd according to societal standards.

It is an exquisite theme of healing and understanding the pain of others.

Every single lead character has become family to me. I grieved with Dommick on the most intimate levels, feared for Alethea and Clare's (Dommick's sister) safety, laughed at Lord Ian's antics, and experienced a yearning in my secret soul to know a man like Lord Ravenhurst. Dommick's mother, Alethea's aunt, little obnoxious Margaret who is Alethea's cousin, everyone spoke to me in some way. There isn't a single lead character that I disliked, and that for me is absolutely rare.

But let's start with Alethea. She is like a sister to me because we are like one another. I have felt the same uncertainty she feels because she is just different enough to be socially unacceptable. I love who I am, the interests I have, the views I hold most dear, and the habits I maintain. But I am different from other women in their early 30s and there are times when I quail with fear because I know that I am different and wonder if I should change. The answer, of course, is no. I am who I am, with my strengths and talents, and the Lord loves me for them. Why should I change them? Alethea is the same, with her love of the violin and long energetic walks, and her determination to cling to the things she loves most. Her vision for her future alters after she meets Dommick, of course, but he does not change her. And I love that.

As for Dommick, I adored him. His relationship with Alethea took the entire book to mature. It did not suddenly leap from mild irritation to passionate adoration. It was slow and gentle, just as one would expect to happen with love. He is strong in his protection of his mother and sister, values Lord Ian and Lord Raven as his dearest friends, and finds his way back out of the darkness that threatens to engulf him in this novel. He felt real, authentic, more real than any other male lead I've encountered in this past year. I feel like I know him, the innermost part of his heart and mind, the strengths and the weaknesses. It is a marvelous feeling.

Now on to Lord Ian and Lord Raven. Aww, Lord Ian. Such a foolhardy madcap of the first order, and yet endearing all the same. He is the daredevil, the one who flirts with anything in skirts, and the one who leaps into action. He is charming and fun and crazy, and I like him, but it is already Lord Raven that has captured my heart. It is Lord Raven who supported Dommick during his hardest times. It is Lord Raven who observes and supports quietly, all while fully prepared to unleash his dry wit upon friends and family. He is calm and cool, and yet at the same, full of yearning for something. I even anticipate a conflict between Lord Ian and Lord Raven in regards to Dommick's sister Clare in a future book. Lord Raven keeps his feelings close, unwilling to share them with just anyone, but I sense his attraction to Clare. He may just be too late. He is the ideal Regency hero, somewhat like Mr. Darcy and yet not, if that makes any sense at all.

Camille Elliot is masterful at her craft. I would not change a single thing in all of Prelude for a Lord unless it were to draw it out even longer. I wanted to never emerge from her powerful prose. Every time I picked up this book, after 2 or 3 pages, it was like I sank between the covers and was there, in Bath in 1810, knowing and loving these people. Now that is the epitome of powerful writing!

I told one of my Goodreads buddies that this book felt like coming home to an old friend I hadn't seen in years. I LOVE it that much! And if you've been following my reviews for awhile, you know that I don't say that unreservedly very often. But I do LOVE THIS BOOK. Every moment captured me in new ways, and I love how I couldn't predict the events as they unfolded. Everything was a surprise, and that enabled me to sink into this story with my entire being.

Thank you, Camille, for this book. For this series! Because I am so far over the moon at knowing you're writing an entire series! You're giving me Lord Ian's story and Lord Raven's story and I suspect even David's story even though he wasn't a character in this particular book. You are marvelous in every respect, and I now have to actually buy Prelude for a Lord because it has become such a huge part of myself!
Prelude for a Lord by Camille Elliot was so, so good! I'm in love with Regency era novels! This book had amazing characters, tender romance, intrigue & suspense, deep emotions, authentic faith, and a generous musical theme. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Lord Dommick was certainly a "Mr. Darcy" type character, which I loved! ^_^ I also loved Alethea Sutherton, our other POV character. Such a stirring, poignant tale. The parts about violins and soulful music were captivating. The faith theme came more at the end, but it built up to it throughout the book, and reached a beautiful crescendo - so meaningful.

There were a couple kisses exchanged, a bit about a marriage of convenience, and some mentions of scandals. I would recommend to 18 and up.

Overall, this read was so worth it! I eagerly wait to read more by Camille Elliot! I dearly hope Prelude for a Lord is not the only book in this series, THE GENTLEMEN QUARTET. Write stories for Ian and Ravenhurst, please, Camille! *smiles*
I read Prelude for a Lord several years ago and enjoyed it, so was glad to find it for at a cheap price. I guess, though, that your literary tastes change as you age just like everything else. I got about halfway through the book and was just bored. Camille Elliot repeats a lot of the same information, such as how valuable Alethea's violin is and how Alethea feels odd around most people, especially women, because of her unconventional interest in music.

Don't get me wrong. I like that about Alethea. I could identify with that because I have some unconventional interests for my time period, and a somewhat unconventional way of relating to people/societal expectations. But I beg of you Camille, and other authors, show me what I need to know. Don't sum it up for me. You're cheating me out of getting to know the characters and their world when you do that. The same is true for Lord Dommick/Bayard (that's another thing; I couldn't keep up with these names). Having a titled baron, who also fought in a war, with PTSD, is a great idea. But again, please show me.

Overall, the premise of this story, and the outline of the characters, are interesting. I kept reading and reading, wondering when I was going to get to the meat I used to enjoy. But well, I think I just grew beyond this style of storytelling. It's fine...I just wanted a lot more.