Born of Pursuasion by Jessica Dotta

Born of Persuasion by Jessca Dotta

Let’s begin with the summary:

The year is 1838, and seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston’s position has never been more fragile. Orphaned and unmarried in a time when women are legal property of their fathers, husbands, and guardians, she finds herself at the mercy of an anonymous guardian who plans to establish her as a servant in far-off Scotland.

With two months to devise a better plan, Julia’s first choice to marry her childhood sweetheart is denied. But when a titled dowager offers to introduce Julia into society, a realm of possibilities opens. However, treachery and deception are as much a part of Victorian society as titles and decorum, and Julia quickly discovers her present is deeply entangled with her mother’s mysterious past. Before she knows what’s happening, Julia finds herself a pawn in a deadly game between two of the country’s most powerful men. With no laws to protect her, she must unravel the secrets on her own. But sometimes truth is elusive and knowledge is deadly.

And now, my review:

I enjoyed this story. The characters were well-developed, so they were fun to follow. The novel is written in first person, which I also enjoy. I did find some POV missteps, as well as tense issues in the ARC version.

As I read through my comments I see a lot of the word “wow” in my Kindle. The story kept me engaged and reading. I found an instance that didn’t seem fitting for one of the characters, and at times I did feel a little lost in the story line as if certain information was kept from the reader. Unfortunately, that was confusing. 

One of my frustrations with the heroine was her passive nature. Perhaps that is very fitting for the time, but a passive heroine is frustrating to read at times.

Overall, I recommend this book and look forward to checking out the others in this series.