Louisa Elliott by Ann Victoria Roberts

Title: Louisa Elliott
Author: Ann Victoria Roberts
ISBN: 0330308777
Publisher: Pan Books/1990
Pages: 792

This novel is set in nineteenth century England and Ireland, speaks of illicit passion, societal censure and strong-willed characters. This is a story about three people - Louisa Elliott and her cousin Edward, and Robert Duncannon, a married man that Louisa falls in love with and elopes.

Louisa, the illegitimate daughter of a York hotelkeeper, helps to bring back to health, a suave captain of the Royal Dragoons, when he lands on their doorstep. After sometime, she works as a companion to a woman where she meets Robert Duncannon again when he comes to see her employer, Rachel Tempest. She is almost raped by Rachel’s dubious father but rescued and finds herself in Robert's bed. Soon after, he sets her up in an apartment in York with him--to the condemnation of Louisa's cousin, Edward. Robert cannot marry Louisa as he already has a wife who is a lunatic and is locked up in the Irish family mansion (Reflection of Jane Eyre?). Robert takes her back to Dublin with him, where he shows her off in society—despite guilt and censure and guilt taking a toll on Louisa's soul. She bears him three children, and suffers his philandering along with his violent brand of love before she returns to York to attend to her dying mother and finally to marry the gentle Edward.

The character of Edward seems contrived. Robert is real enough. Charlotte, who is pursuing Robert, is unreal too. The heroine does has some spark. Like most girls, she falls for the eternal rogue!

Those who bought the book would be disappointed as Louisa was running after an utter cad instead of recognising the abiding love of the ever patient Edward (sic!). I got it as a gift. I have had this book for 5 years now never getting around reading it. When I did start, it took me a long time to finish this. I am going to pass it along. One time read and then give it away! If you do not read it, you are not missing anything.

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