As said by other reviewers, a huge amount of historical detail within this novel.........................

I did not finish this book. Although well-written, it was too dark for me, with its undercurrent of marital abuse.

I have mixed emotions about this book. In general, it's not bad however I wouldn't classify it as a laid back and easy read. I love learning about history and I think that was what this book offered the most. Throughout the text we learned about the time period in great detail via the social settings, interactions and country conflict. It helped put into perspective/connect the dots of what was happening there and in other parts of the world during that time.
Amanda is a very simple and uncomplicated character. I didn't find an affinity for her or a dislike for her -- she simply existed. I could easily say that if she weren't the main character of the story, she would be easily forgettable. Other characters like Lady Hamilton stood out far more for her personality and the action surrounding her were unique to her.
Going into this book, I had an idea/expectation of how it would end. That expectation, however, was never realized. I have two feelings on this. The first is that I suppose it was nice for it to not have been obvious on how it would end. But I think I also felt disappointment that the opening story line of love lost was not completed. .When it home as what was happening very, very close to the end -- I was annoyed. I really couldn't believe this was happening. And it turned me off to Amanda and John as characters. After everything they went through, to end up there was really rather disappointing.
I commend the author for what I must assume is extensive research into the time period and incorporating those aspects into her story.

A convoluted tale of a young English girl forced to marry for money rather than love. The author obviously did a lot of research on Lord Hamilton and Admiral Nelson during the period of England's war with France. However, she hit readers over the head with her vast knowledge and did not weave it seamlessly into the story.
The protagonist, Amanda, was an annoying, insipid individual and I found myself rooting against her.

I did not enjoy this book. it was too.... dull. Not finishing this completely was a good decision, could barely make it to half way.

Historical fiction with a hint of romance, set in the early 1790s in England and Naples.

17-year-old Amanda is crushed when her childhood love John ships out to India the day after pledging his love. Beset by money problems, she bows to pressure and marries the aging, sadistic Lord Meynel. Soon thereafter, he whisks his young bride away to Naples, where they set up housekeeping. War with France has begun, and Naples is full of intrigue. When John Purvis reappears as an officer on one of Nelson's ships, Amanda is sure that he has come back for her. But nothing is as simple as it appears.

First published in 1996, and now available as an ebook, this is worth reading. But it is not a genre romance.

The story extended over some years, you see her life as it folds out. She is seventeen, innocent and her mother is greedy. She sells her daughter to Lord Meynel, he is cruel and wants her. She is dreaming of John Purvis her best friend and heart throb. He has to go to sea to earn money for them, so they can marry. Her husband makes her go to Naples, an English enclave. Here she meets the English Ambassador and his wife, Lady Hamilton.. The revolution of France comes about. Then Bonaparte becomes a menace..
I thought the descriptions were great. The characters were inviting and you could see the growth and changing attitudes of those characters especially Amanda and John. So much is going on, I have no idea how the author can keep all the facts straight. She has a well written, smooth moving and epic tale..

I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Loved this book and hated it all at the same time. It was heartbreaking to read through the horrible marriage the heroine faced. Yet the author's ability to give the information without horrible details was clever and allowed me to keep going. I loved Amanda's character. Her innocence was adorable and sad and made her a very real character. While the tragedy of her marriage keeps it from being a favorite, this will definitely be a book I go back to again.

It's been quite some time since I've read a Jane Aiken Hodge novel. One of the things that really struck me is how little was said to thoroughly outline the horror of the main character's situation and yet, I felt it just the same. It clearly illustrates the lack of agency even women from a privileged background had in that era (late 18th century Europe.).

I have also read fewer (possibly no other) novels set during the Napoleonic Wars with a female main character that weren't set in England. It was interesting to see Naples during this period. I enjoyed it and loved the taste of the next novel at the end. (I immediately requested that book via interlibrary loan.)

There is so much history and real drama in this story. From the start the story pulled me in to see what challenge would happen next. It is a full-length story with so many characters to like and dislike at times I was a little turned around. Still, I enjoyed the history, rules, and challenges that were faced in that time. The cover is beautiful. I now need to find more to read from this author.

This is a story about one girl's many bad decisions.
Though I found it quick to read through, it disappointed me at several turns.
The heroine, Amanda, is in love with the boy she grew up with, John Purvis. At her first ball, he gallantly looks after her and keeps her from falling into the clutches of her much older suitor, the despicable Lord Meynel. Amanda and John reach an understanding that as soon as he can make his fortune in the Navy, they will marry. Unfortunately, Amanda's mother, as well as Lord Meynel, have other plans, and Amanda ends up married to Lord Meynel. Her life crashes into a great big pit of despair...partly because she's young and naive and too easily controlled, but still...it sets the story up for much darker themes than I had anticipated. Coercive/abusive marital conditions, adultery, illegitimacy, and so forth. It was a surprising change of mood from the only other book I have read by this author, and it took me aback.
The plot takes place partly in England and partly in Italy, during the years of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Indeed, those events and the details surrounding them take up a little too much room on the page for my liking. I respect the author's intent to add true history and notable people to the narrative, but it felt a bit heavy-handed in this case.
I will read and hope to enjoy some of Jane Aiken Hodge's other works, but for me, this one was a miss.

This was a fascinating story that took place mainly in England and Naples. Amanda Carteret was a young girl easily manipulated by her mother and suitor. Lord Meyner seemed to be a man without any care or morals and John Purvis seemed self serving. There were a number of interesting secondary characters and a good amount of time was spent in and around Naples. The political activities were quite dominant at times, perhaps a little too much. Overall, a most engaging read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.