Review: Intrigued by a romance novel with a blind hero, I picked this up with interest. It was typical of your Regency Romance novel, with only a few things that lifted above mediocrity.
I commend Balogh on how she wrote her hero. Vincent is
blinded in battle at 17, and spends three years recovering at the home of his
friend, a Duke, who opened his home to wounded officers after the death of his
own son in the Napoleonic Wars. Balogh captures the nature of suddenly going
blind well – the PTSD, the panic attacks, the reactions of others to his sudden
disability, and his own character growth. It was well done and at points his
reactions elicited strong emotions from me.
But sadly, this excellence didn’t bring the story much above
ordinariness. Too many titled people, bland sex scenes, and slightly unbelievable
actions on the part of the hero and heroine. Some of Balogh’s secondary
characters had more complexity than one normally finds in romance novels (not
surprising given that most of them star in their own stories later), but others
were like stock romance novel characters.
Overall, this is a mindless read, fun and relaxing, without
anything to sway it towards either good or bad.
Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5
Awards: None
ISBN: 978-0-345-53587-0
Year Published: 2013
Date Finished: 5-22-2017
Pages: 380