The country home of the Earl of Westlake is about to be
invaded by a very unexpected party... upon his arrival from
India, he intends to wed again. The staff at Somerton
haven't had notice and peer doubtfully at the tiger rug,
gramophone and other modern luggage. Worse still, the
Earl's spendthrift nephew is in residence and his
inheritance will be jeopardised by the wedding.
Young Rose, whose mother is a housekeeper, hasn't seen such
excitement in all her sixteen years. The new ladies' maid
imperiously orders the distribution of the luggage and the
staff knuckle down to very hard work. Arriving stiff and
weary from travelling in a carriage, Misses Ada and
Georgiana, who used to play with Rose, bring a marriage
proposal already. In need of a maid, the young ladies are
assigned Rose, giving her an advance in status. But with
her rough, red, housemaid's hands, and lack of experience,
can Rose do the job justice? And given that her mother is
harbouring a secret, it seems her life will never be
straightforward. Miss Ada too keeps a secret....
I loved this book from the start. CINDERS AND SAPPHIRES is
a clear allusion to Cinderella. In this tale however both
young Rose and bookish Miss Ada are overwhelmed by the
stylish, fast-moving, motor-driving Templeton family the
Earl is making his own. The world is changing and Mrs
Templeton's bored son and modish daughter are subtly rude
and speculative as they assess the worth of the estate.
"It really was a little much for your father to expect you
to go directly from the jungle to the ballroom," remarks
the young lady.
"I know it looks bad to be expelled, but Rugby was so
stuffy and boring. I can't believe they made so much fuss
about a mere fire."
A nervous young Indian maid accompanies the family, so kind
Rose tries to look after her. Cook screams at the sight of
Priya....
Descriptions are concise and excellently visual. The
settings, the society wedding and clothing, all spring to
life so we move among the crowd, watching, listening,
giggling behind our fans... With CINDERS AND SAPPHIRES
Leila Rasheed has created a 'The Remains Of The Day' for
young adults, intelligent, witty and beautiful, which
deserves a wide readership.
Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new
mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats
Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially
now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position
of ladies’ maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a
place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can’t help but
wonder what her life might have been had she been born a
lady, like Ada.
For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned
to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But terrible
scandal has followed Ada’s beloved father all the way from
India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness
and her family’s honor. Only she has the power to restore
the Averley name—but it would mean giving up her one true
love . . . someone she could never persuade her father to
accept.
Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton
series introduces two worlds, utterly different yet
entangled, where ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction,
and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles and
glittering jewels. All those secrets are waiting . . . at
Somerton.
I can't wait to read this book! It is exactly the kind of book that I love. Thanks so much for the excerpt and review. (Sandie White 2:00am April 22, 2013)
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy