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The Slightest Provocation – Pam Rosenthal
Penguin,
September 2006
ISBN-13: 978-0451219473
ISBN-10: 0451219473
Reviewed by Mary
January 2006
In the southeast corner of Derbyshire, Mary Penley, daughter of a wealthy brewmaster, and Christopher “Kit” Stansell, younger son of the Marques of Rowen eloped rather than fight the animosity their feuding families held for one another. Both young and carefree, the first year of marriage was all fun but then the passion and lust dimmed as misunderstandings, affairs, quarrels and their defiant and restless natures caused them to separate. Nine years later a chance meeting (skillfully arranged by the dowager Marchioness) would see Mary and Kit rekindle the embers of their long ago passion. Older and wiser Kit had proven himself on the field of battle and now looks toward a responsible future in the home-office. Mary had surrounded herself with the intellectual and reform side of society so once again they are aligned on opposite sides. When a political plot is uncovered threatening the government and foundations of their society, they work together to put aside their differences in averting a catastrophic fallout. Quite possibly learning that compromise could be the catalyst to granting them a second chance at love.
When looking for originality and elegance of writing, look no further as Pam Rosenthal is going to deliver that in spades in her very stimulating THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION. Utilizing some very deep character studies, she doesn’t sugar coat the protagonist’s actions but displays all their human frailties including adultery, gambling, drinking, drugs, and affairs on both sides. It was emotionally sad to see the Mary’s disillusionment as Kit bowed to peer pressure and went along to living a conventional ‘ton’ marriage by gambling and running around with his cohorts.
Mary after putting up with the rumors and consequences of Kit’s affairs, thought to pay him back by getting caught sleeping with his best friend. So began the separation that lasted nine years. During that time both had time to grow so that when at last they come together, they had both grown enough to recognize the substance of each other along with rediscovering the lust, and the attraction that still burned bright enough to re-ignite old flames that never died.
Being older and wiser, they weren’t quite ready to surrender all at once but Rosenthal’s brilliant pacing let them find each other in a well-crafted erotic dance that was positively stimulating in her lushly detailed politically charged historic backdrop. Additionally, Rosenthal populates the story with engaging secondary characters, uses her trademark elegant prose, and gives you a hearty helping of some beautifully raw sensuality.
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