Taming Eliza

Rating:
Summary: Mixed feelings; Strange, nasty characters
Review: At times sections of this book were interesting and amusing. I read it in one day so it must have captivated me. But ... the characters (Eliza and Darrin) were nasty, mean and manipulative people and neither matured or changed during the storyline. Let's start with Eliza. She was spoiled, bratty and mean. I am sure she behaved more like the real nobility during that age than our romanticized version normally does so I did not find that difficult to imagine. Our earl turned out to be manipulative, authoritative and totally unfeeling which again was most likely the norm. But this is fiction and I would liked to have seen some maturing that never occurred.

Indeed, our spoiled widow spends a few harrowing days at the "miserly" Earl of Darrin's "castle" carrying coal, heating water and making toast. Hardly a life altering experience. There was a moment when a lamb dies and suddenly we feel a little sympathy. But Eliza accords more tears for the lamb then when she finds out her own young maid has died due to the rough cold trip to the Earl's home. (Oh she did pay for her care at the inn where the maid was abandoned at and she paid for a soon to be forgotten grave).

The miserly Earl turns out to be a wealthy and sophisticated man, who, in cahoots with Eliza's arrogant and equally spiteful cousin Miles has concocted a scheme to bring Eliza down a notch or two (taming?). Hence a pretense of a country bumpkin in a run down manor house when Eliza comes to visit. Eliza's father, hoping to marry her off to Darrin who is the son of a friend, had sent her off to visit Darrin's mother (now widowed). Much later, back in London, Darrin browbeats Eliza into a hasty marriage after she realizes she is pregnant. (Yes, they found something to do in the country besides birthing lambs and cooking stew). He controls everything about their life including a ball they are going to give. Even the menus are brought to him after Eliza looks at them. And he WONDERS why she gives him the cold shoulder.

Of course in the end, they come into accordance and love - all the while he is thinking of "punishing" her because she "ran" away from him and back to the country. And there she is looking so sweet in her calico dress and bare feet. A bit too contrived! Good for a quick read but others by Barbara Hazard are much better.