The Captain's Daughter
The Captain's Daughter
Jennifer Delamere
Bethany House
When a series of circumstances beyond her control leave Rosalyn Bernay alone and penniless in London, she chances upon a job backstage at a theater which is presenting the most popular show in London. A talented musician and singer, she feels immediately at home and soon becomes enthralled with the idea of pursuing a career on the stage.
An injury during a skirmish in India has forced Nate Moran out of the army until he recovers. Filling his time at a stable of horses for hire in London, he has also spent the past two months working nights as a stagehand, filling in for his injured brother. Although he’s glad he can help his family through a tough time, he is counting the days until he can rejoin his regiment. London holds bitter memories for him that he is anxious to escape. But then he meets the beautiful woman who has found a new lease on life in the very place Nate can’t wait to leave behind.
I can't help but admit that I was drawn to The Captain's Daughter because the heroine finds herself involved in a production of The H.M.S. Pinafore, and I've never read a novel centered on that. Indeed, the most intriguing thing about this book is easily its theater setting. Also, the idea that the series will follow three sisters who grew up in George Müller's orphanage added interest to the story as well. However, despite these promising elements, I couldn't help but feel this book fell short of expectations.
First of all, while I wouldn't say that the characters are fully dislikable, I didn't really like them, either. I didn't connect with them at all, and the added conflict of a highly unnecessary and distracting love triangle could have been cut to instead focus on the romance between Rosalyn and Nate, which ended up falling flat. *SPOILER* Also, I found it unlikely (or at least unbearably naive) that Rosalyn -who had just escaped another man's unwanted interest- couldn't tell that Tony was interested in her; his attentions just seemed painfully obvious to me *END OF SPOILER* While I think the slow-moving plot could have been saved by dynamic and endearing characters, ultimately the lack of both pulled this book down for me. I did enjoy the glimpse of the backstage of a Victorian theater, but sadly, as a whole, the book didn't win me over.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you for taking time out to post and letting us know about this novel. I am sure since you have posted it, it must be a great book to read for everyone. Love your posts.
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