REVIEW: A Love Once Lost (The Bridwells’ Grand Tour Book #1) by Jennie Goutet
They chose separate paths, never imagining fate would offer them a second chance.
Amy Bridwell reluctantly accompanies her family on a Grand Tour of the Continent–the very trip her former sweetheart proposed they take as newlyweds. Receiving no suitable marriage offer in the six years since, and with her heart still guarded by regret, Amy has no choice but to go along with her widower father and younger sisters to ensure their travels go smoothly.
James Fletcher is building his practice as a physician in the fashionable resort town of Spa. Though he came with a wounded heart, seeking distance from Amy’s rejection, he’s managed to build a respectable life and is now engaged to a woman who will ensure his professional future. If only he could be sure that his betrothed’s heart is truly his.
When the Bridwells arrive at their first destination, Amy is stunned to encounter James again and to find him promised to another. As old feelings resurface, Amy must confront the choice she made six years ago and face the possibility that her heart has never truly moved on.
Dear Ms. Goutet,
I must confess that the lovely cover for this book got me to look into it and after reading the blurb, I asked to give it a go. There are things I like and times when the pace got too stately or I wanted to loudly urge two people to do something!
Six years ago, James and Amy were in love (though we don’t get to see much of this) and hoping to marry. But James’s father was appalled at the thought of him marrying into the Bridwell family and Amy’s eccentric father was ready to make an public announcement of her betrothal to an older man. “Surprise, surprise, surprise!” as Gomer Pyle used to say. Things did not end well all around. Now years later the two meet again in the town of Spa where James is establishing himself as a physician and Mr. Bridwell has come for treatment for his rheumatism. But now there is something, or rather someone, else standing in their way. Will these two ever get a romantic break?
One thing I truly enjoyed is the attention to detail in describing the manners, dress, and habits of 1770 Spa. Yet at times, especially at the beginning, I felt that maybe too much detail was included. There were things that Amy and her family or the other visitors to Spa see or do that seemed to be there just because research had turned up the places, things, or events. This brought the action to a standstill a few times.
Our two main characters – Amy and James – are lovely people but are also supremely passive in the face of good manners. Yay to period manners but yoke them to two people who are willing to put aside their happiness and wave goodbye to love and I sighed loudly. I mean honestly James is practically forcing himself to stay true to a woman he knows he doesn’t really like much less love and she’s a piece of work of whom the less said the better.
Meanwhile Amy is a martyr heroine who has set herself to honor her dying mother’s wishes and see to her batty father as well as her two younger sisters. The sisters are fine and in the end they set Amy straight about what she owes the family and her own happiness. Mr. Bridwell reminds me of every eccentric historical romance father who needs to have a knot jerked in him.
The road to a happy ending takes a while and winds a bit but things do pick up in the second half of the book. As well there are some wonderful secondary characters such as James’s former military friend who finds his own relationship and happiness, James’s physician mentor, and the Russian Princess.
It was nice to learn about Spa, Belgium (then the Austrian Lowlands), see two nice couples finally get up the gumption to go for who they want, and one villainess get what she deserves but it seemed to take a while to finally get all this. C
~Jayne
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I agree that the cover is lovely, Jayne, but does it seem that the woman wearing the hat is covering her face?
@LML: I think the hat is just tilted in a way that covers the side facing us. If you look at Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, her hat is also very tilted and would cover her face if looked at in reverse of how the painting was done.
Lovely review, Jayne. I’m always interested in historical romance that’s set in a different era and country other than Regency England. I was very tempted to purchase it, despite the C grade, but $15.99 Canadian (Kobo) is a bit pricey, especially for on a new-to-me author. :(
And yes, that cover is lovely!
@Suzanne: It looks like there are several of her books available through Kobo Plus if you have that. You could try her for free. And no, I doubt I’d pay that for a new-to-me author either.
@Jayne, it appears the author isn’t in the Kobo (Canada) Plus program, which is unfortunate because I do have a subscription. Still, the VIP price of $13.67 is not a price I’m willing to pay.
(Just an FYI, and not complaining, the Kobo link on DA must have taken me to the US Kobo site the first time. It usually takes me directly to the Canadian site.)
@Suzanne: Well, durn. I haven’t read any of her other books to try and give you a rec for a less expensive book either.