Indiscretion

by Hannah Fielding

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I had high expectations for this book, which was due in part to its description. I have always been intrigued about stories set in exotic places. One thing that appealed to me about this book was the setting, which was in Andalucía, Spain. Did it live up to my expectations? Well, sadly it did not. Not that I did not like it. Actually, my feelings are mixed, as there were parts of the story I enjoyed, and some not so much. I must admit I was curious to discover how the events would unfold, but the rush to get to the end was not high on my list. A book this size (489 pages) would normally take me on average three days to read, instead it took me over a week.

The story follows Alexandra De Falla, a romance novelist, who never experienced being in love. She left London for Spain to re-unite with her estranged family. However, she never expected her welcome to be frosty. She found herself with a stepmother who hated her, a sister jealous of her and a father who was weak and afraid to stand up for her. Secrets, lies and fight for position drove the De Falla clan. Besides the family drama, she found herself caught up in romantic debacle with her cousin Salvador, the man she never expected to fall in love with. She is embroiled in a situation where deceit, jealousy and feuding reigned supremely. Not only does she have to deal with his ex-fiancee; there is also a jealous mistress in the fray.

What I admired about Alexandra as an individual was her willingness to embrace the unknown. She was not afraid to step out of her comfort zone. She is a woman who enjoys adventure and experiencing new things. Her stubborn trait, however, would either make her or break her. Unfortunately, my admiration did not extend to Salvador. I had difficulty warming up to him and by the time the story ended, I still was not convinced to like him.

I enjoyed the initial set up of the romance, but as the story evolved, it frustrated me. The romance became overly dramatic. This was due in part to the actions of both protagonists. It would appear that he is torn between love and a sense of gratitude and honour, but I thought he was indecisive. I did not appreciate how he treated Alexandra. One minute he was hot and passionate and the next he was cold and urging her to return to England. Her response to his actions revealed her naiveté in the affairs of the heart. She used another man to make him jealous, an action which I found detestable. For a moment, I thought I was reading about teenagers playing at love instead of adults who were truly in love. Because of this, I had difficulty connecting with them as a couple.

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The story started out slow and it maintained that pace to the end. Readers are introduced to the lush beauty of Spain, its history, the customs and its people. I must confess, when I hear the term gypsies I think of Romania, I never knew that they resided elsewhere. Reading this book, taught me differently. They also live in Spain and appear to be a dominant part of the Spanish culture in the 1950s. The author’s descriptive writing style made me feel as if I were present in every scene. However, there were times when I felt the descriptions were a bit too much, which contributed to the story being lengthy. In spite of this, it was actually my favourite part of the story.

There was a particular scene involving Alexandra and her stepmother, which the author failed to follow upon leaving the issue between them unresolved. Gypsies fascinate me, so they being a part of the story was a plus for me. However, I was hoping for more interaction from them, especially seeing that one of their own was intimately connected to the De Falla family. However, the author did not take advantage of this set up, which was disappointing.

Conclusion/Recommendation

This book had potential, but it did not grab me has I expected. I have seen where a lot of other readers enjoyed it more than I did, so if you have no problem with the issues mentioned above then you should give it a chance.