Stroke of Genius
Grade : C+

A few years back, there was a rash of historicals in which a rogue taught an innocent young woman the art of flirtation and seduction. It’s a bit shopworn now, but Stroke of Genius by Emily Bryan sort of takes that route. However, it falls short of doing it completely, and instead falls awkwardly into the position of blending characteristics of a few different plotlines.

Grace Makepeace is the heiress to a textile fortune, and she and her parents have come to London from Boston to marry her off to a peer. Part of having “arrived” is to commission a work by Crispin Hawke, a mysterious and rakish sculptor that is hailed as a genius. So her mother arranges to have Hawke carve her hands out of marble. He’s sarcastic, rude, and incredibly handsome, but Grace can match his wit with her own.

Crispin has a secret, though. Actually, two of them. About a month before he met Grace, she appeared to him, nude, in a dream, and instantly engaged his mind and spirit. He immortalized his dream muse in a portrait -- one that would certainly ruin Grace’s reputation if it ever were released. Second, he’s the bastard child of a prostitute, with the only clue to his paternity an embroidered, monogrammed handkerchief. Because this is secret, he has been partially accepted by the ton for his artistic skill. He wants Grace, but isn’t the marrying kind. Nor does he have the social stature her family hopes her to catch in a fiancé. Regardless, he offers her help in finding a suitable match. But as the two become closer, it gets harder and harder for either of them to imagine her marrying anyone else.

The story is, ostensibly, about the lessons he gives her in courting and the parallel between his creation of her in art and his molding of her as a sensual being. However, it’s done minimally and ineffectively; it would have been better to have left that part out completely. The “lessons” are only there for convenience of the author. The rest of the book is just the two of them sparring and Grace’s entrance into the London social scene as an outsider. And that’s okay; there doesn’t always need to be a plot device to drive a story along. But that’s just how it came across-- a device, not an organic part of the story between these two characters.

Crispin and Grace were both good and interesting characters, but Grace never seemed to be exactly what the book said she was. She was well matched with Crispin, but I wish there had been more of an emotional connection rather just a physical one. Speaking of which, the prose definitely was on the purple side. Crispin’s cock was so personified, it had its own range of emotions.

The book wasn’t bad. It kept my interest, had a few good plot twists, and gave us some romantic moments. However, the prose, characterization, and plotting could have been polished up to make it a more enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Jane Granville
Grade : C+

Sensuality: Hot

Review Date : July 3, 2010

Publication Date: 2010/06

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