Review: Arden’s Act
Arden’s Act
Elizabeth Thomas
Synopsis: Arden dreams of two things: To be an actress on the stage, and to be free of her abusive, Puritan step-father. When the latter proves more difficult than originally thought, Arden turns to Lord Robert Courtenay, and the specific kind of protection he offers. With a new career, the threat of her step-father looming over her, and a life that is nothing like she expected, Arden is forced into an existence of searching for safety, security and people she can trust.
Rating: R- For sexuality and some harsh language
SENSITIVITY WARNING: Sexual Violence
Hey you. Yeah, you. The one binge watching Bridgerton for the third time in a row. Yeah, I see you. Check it out. I’ve got a book for you!
Seriously though, if you were a fan of Bridgerton, you will also enjoy Arden’s Act. It has all the steamy chemistry you need, with a side of drama and enough suspense to keep you on your toes.
I had a really hard time writing the synopsis without giving anything away! The plot just twists and turns all over the place! But it flows very well. It doesn’t jump around or anything, it’s very easy to follow. It’s not all fairy tales though. This book is full of the harsh realities of being a woman in the 1600s. Arden has little ability to defend or protect herself. She is highly dependent on the goodness of others, as any woman of the time was, even one who desires her independence as strongly as Arden does.
Overall, I really liked the character of Arden. She is strong willed, bold, and does what she thinks she must. There were a couple of times that I wanted to scream, “What are you doing!? All you have to do is_________”, while at the same time recognizing, I have no clue what I really would have done were I in the same position.
I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of the early relationship between Robert and Arden. It kind of goes from 0 to 100. I love an instant connection for sure, but it would be nice to have a LITTLE more foundation there.
This is definitely one of those “can’t put it down” reads. It was SO easy to get completely wrapped up in, and in certain areas, completely stressed out by. Side note: when you get to the last say 80ish pages, just go into a room by yourself and don’t come out until you’re done. Avoid chatty children, and other responsibilities. Maybe “go to bed early”, or fake food poisoning and stay in bed. Call in sick to work. Whatever it takes. Just trust me on this one. You can thank me later.
A sometimes whimsical, sometimes incredibly stressful, and all over great novel. It’s not for the faint of heart in terms of sexuality though. There is a lot of sex scenes, as well as sexual violence (though, thankfully, it’s not highly detailed/graphic).
Arden’s Act is a well written, and compelling novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.