Can Isobel escape her past? Or will she always be seen as a scarlet woman?
Dublin, Ireland, 1880. Tired of treating rich hypochondriacs, Dr Will Fitzgerald left his father’s medical practice and his home on Merrion Square to live and practice medicine in the Liberties. His parents were appalled and his fiancée broke off their engagement. But when Will spends a night in a brothel on the eve of … their engagement. But when Will spends a night in a brothel on the eve of his best friend’s wedding, little does he know that the scarred and disgraced young woman he meets there will alter the course of his life.
Isobel Stevens was schooled to be a lady, but a seduction put an end to all her father’s hopes for her. Disowned, she left Co Galway for Dublin and fell into prostitution. On the advice of a handsome young doctor, she leaves the brothel and enters domestic service. But can Isobel escape her past and adapt to life and the chance of love on Merrion Square? Or will she always be seen as a scarlet woman?more
* Previously Reviewed for Books & Benches
A powerful Irish love story!
The moment I saw the cover of Lorna Peel’s novel, A SCARLET WOMAN, I knew I had to read it. Ms. Peel is a new-to-me author and she didn’t disappoint with this fabulous tale set in Ireland. She nicely blended her characters and Irish history together to create a captivating love story. I really enjoyed this introduction to the Fitzgeralds of Dublin series; what a beautiful surprise! I simply could not put it down and I will surely watch for her next novel.
Set in Dublin, Ireland in 1880, A SCARLET WOMAN tells the heart warming and touching story of Dr. Will Fitzgerald and Isobel Stevens, two beautiful souls trying to escape a difficult journey of ups and downs. Will left his father’s medical practice to offer his help in the Liberties, a poverty-stricken area of Dublin. Isobel is a sweet young woman abused by the men in the past and who had to work in a brothel if she wanted to survive. Then one day, Will, the doctor, and Isobel, a scarlet woman, meet and their lives will forever change for the best. Upon Will’s advice, Isobel finds work as a parlour maid where she is happier, but still very much afraid of getting hurt again. Still, they correspond by letters and their new friendship evolves to a loving and caring relationship. However, a series of dramatic events will occur and disrupt their lives. Can their fragile love survive? Is it strong enough to give them a second chance? Will and Isobel are so beautiful together that I could not help myself from loving them and wishing them all the happiness in the world. Yes, I’m a romantic!
I’m so glad to have discovered this author! I love her style of writing, and her words flow off the pages and ignite the imagination. A SCARLET WOMAN is a real page turner, and I have no doubt that lovers of Irish tales will adore this story!
—3.5 Stars—
Although this book came with a warning label, I had no idea it was going to be at this level of material. I still felt overwhelmed. I’m not sure you can prepare yourself to be exposed to this kind of content. I was truly shocked and surprised to read such disturbing passages and even had to skip over several lines as it was very uncomfortable to read. I consider myself to be quite modern and accepting of all equalities – but this is totally something else. My reviews don’t contain spoilers so I don’t want to go into too much detail, but let’s just say even HBO would have blushed.
I liked that this book took place in beautiful, picturesque Dublin, Ireland in 1880 during the Victorian Era. The author does a beautiful job describing the area and time. I truly felt transported and immersed in the culture.
I love the in-depth amount of research the author did while constructing this book. It was clear she was very familiar and well-versed on the culture, customs, and traditions of Ireland in the 19th Century. The author provided so much detail and such vivid descriptions it made the scenes easy to picture.
For the most part I liked the characters, I just didn’t find them believable or realistic. There also wasn’t much depth or character development to them. They had a story/past, but it just felt flat and their involvement together seemed unlikely. I would read the passage and be like yeah that would never happen – it’s unnatural.
I liked the idea of the character arc for Isobel. I liked her wanting a better life and Will wanting to help her achieve that. I liked the fight Isobel had battle to keep striving to reach that better life. We see over the course of the book just how damaged Isobel is and it gives even stronger meaning to her recovery. However, she has just too many bubble gum and cotton candy unrealistic fillers that don’t make sense or seem unlikely, over-dramatic and inappropriate scenes, and a puzzling overly excess amount of explicit content that is not needed to fulfill her character demands. It ends up getting messy, hurts the story, and loses respect for her as a character.
There is a lot thrown into this book and a lot of roller-coaster emotions. There are very graphic explicit scenes that are so extremely detailed – it’s beyond overshare. It felt inappropriate and uncomfortable.
This book does touch on betrayal, survival, passion, suspense, trust, love, second chances, friendships, romance, drama, self-discovery, mystery, intrigue, and so much more!
There are some predictable scenes. However, there are still a few unexpected twists and turns that you won’t see coming!
All in all, even though it wasn’t my favorite book, I still enjoyed reading it, and I would still recommend it – as long as you are OVER 18 and okay with explicit content!
**WARNING!!** Please note that this novel contains sexually explicit and sensitive content and is intended for readers aged eighteen and over.
**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**