Monday 15 May 2017

Book Review: Rebel by Cheryl Sawyer

Title: Rebel
Author: Cheryl Sawyer
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Publication Date: 2017 (2014)
Pages: 367
Format: eBook - PDF
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: ARC via NetGalley



Having taken care of the homestead since her father’s death, the brilliant and beautiful Viviane de Chercy rebels against the man who is about to take away her home, her fortune and her freedom.

The man, Jules, the Comte de Mirandol, has returned from the war in America to the very place where he first knew love, and lost it, years before.

Desperate to escape her fate and the confines of Jules, Viviane stows away on a ship bound for the New World. Once there she falls in love: first with the city of her dreams, Philadelphia; and then, when Jules joins the buckskin-clad Virginian Riflemen at the Battle of Brandywine, another kind of revolution takes place in her heart.

Their story plays out against the backdrop of real events in France and America in 1776: France's secret arms deals with Congress, diplomatic conflicts at Versailles, the campaigns of the continental armies and some of the key battles of the early American Revolution.
(Goodreads Synopsis)



Rebel was a delightful read from start to finish. Though prone to whinging at the start, Viviane grows into a compelling and likeable heroine. Meanwhile, Jules is an excellent, brooding Byronic figure. The setting of the tale against the backdrop of the American Revolution worked well. Having read much on the Revolution in recent years, I thrilled to see familiar names, places and events portrayed, including a brief appearance of my much-beloved John André. The story maintained a good pace throughout. My only slight niggle was the subplot with the rake, which felt a bit like an add-on and wasn't fleshed out enough for my liking. But that is a very minor complaint in an otherwise wonderful tale. 4.5 stars.

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