Book Beginning: Unforgivable by Joanna Chambers

Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.

“You are not fond of poetry? I thought all young ladies adored poetry. Poets are such romantic creatures, are they not?”

“I am afraid I must be a philistine,” she replied. “As soon as I hear a rhyming couplet, my eyelids begin to droop.”

Waite laughed. It was a warm laugh of genuine amusement, and at the sound of it, Rose felt her heart flip-flop in her chest. Such an odd feeling! She wanted to grin like an idiot. And stare. She wanted to stare and stare until she could remember every inch of him.

Unforgivable by Joanna Chambers 

Rose Davenport, 17, has just recovered from a near-fatal illness. She is waif-like and has a few spots on her face and definitely not beautiful at this stage. Her father tells her about her marriage being arranged with Gil Truman and makes her meet him, she is pleased by kindness and warmth towards her. Till that moment, Gil is unaware of any such arrangement. He is informed by his father that due to gambling debts, their estates in danger of being lost, unless he marries Rose. Gil has always been in love with Tilly. By the time, he marries Rose, he has been filled with resentment towards her

After the wedding, Gil takes Rose to a remote estate and just about consummates the marriage without much thought about her feelings. Rose is hurt when she realises that Gil did not wish to marry her.But by the time Gil leaves, she tells him that she hopes she never sees him ever again.

Five years go by. By this time, Rose has regained her looks, her health and her confidence, and she decides to travel to London and confront her philandering husband. She arrives at a masked ball and Gil finds himself besotted by her. They spend a passionate night. Rose has every intention of letting him know but some things he says, concerning his wedding, prevents her from revealing herself to him. She disappears from his life and he is unable to find her.

After a few months, he gets a letter from Rose, which makes him run post haste to her. Till that time, he had ignored all the letters she had written to him. What makes him change his mind?

Rose is more sinned against than sinning,and she is definitely no martyr. She comes into her own by managing her husband’s estate and doing it rather well. She gives Gil what he deserves. He is a cad blaming her for everything but she shows him the mirror. And yes, she has a sarcastic streak which is not lost to Gil.