The Footman

Excellent read .
A different read than what i normally delve into as this is social standing castes , which is a taboo for the day / time this story is set.
All the characters are strong and very very interesting . Each has his or her secrets and sacrifices made. The question though , for our hero, is this ….was the laid out revenge plan worth it?
I recieved this as an arc and this is my opinion freely given . I loved itMinerva Spencer

This was my first book by these 2 authors and I must say I’m thoroughly impressed with it.. Once I started I’m glad I honestly stuck with it.. I definitely look forward to reading the next book in this series and trying out more from this author..

A life remade

—>>> Fifteen years spent plotting revenge has been the only thing on Ian/Stephen’s mind and in his embittered heart. Having remade himself into someone with power and fortune, he sets out to right the life-changing wrong done by one impulsive and selfish aristocrat when he once had served as her newly minted footman.

The story describes the fullest and richest details from that moment in time until the present circumstances in which the much more worldly Elinor finds herself. One thing which has not changed, unfortunately for Stephen, is the increasingly magnetic pull of those large silver-gray eyes on his heart, body, and soul and coming to terms with the woman she has become. Looking forward to reading more of this series as intriguing secondary characters were introduced (e.g. Doctor Venable) in this first installment!

What cost, Revenge
I really liked The Footman. There were times I was tempted to take a peak a few pages ahead something I rarely do no matter how good or bad the story is. In this case it was very good. Lain Vale at age fifteen was having his first day as a footman. The same day that Lady Elinor age sixteen was having her betrothal ball to the Earl of Trentham. On what I perceived as a girlish whim and a small act of rebellion Lady Elinor kissed Lain. Which set off a horrible chain of events for Lain. When they meet again Lain has transformed himself into Stephen Worth and risen above his hardships to became a very successful, wealthy man. But his hatred and thirst for revenge against those who wronged him have been his constant companion. He was so arrogant and eager in his quest to make Elinor pay for her part in what happened to him he couldn’t see that things were not quite as he thought they were with her. Unbeknownst to Elinor, having finally found some happiness after suffering at the hands of her late husband, she was on her way to a suffering of a different kind. Although what Elinor did all those years ago was the catalyst for Stephens quest for revenge, she forgave his actions too easily for me. Stephen finally let go of his anger, of course it was after he took his revenge. But he didn’t let go of it right away. He was still blaming his troubles, the ones he was creating himself on everyone else. His revenge cost him more than his money too bad it couldn’t buy his redemption. If only he had listened to Jeremiah. Had I been Elinor I would have told Mr high and mighty, self pity to kiss my arse and married Jago. In the end after so much heartbreak and secrets two people finally found love. This is book one in The Masqueraders series book two will be Jago’s story. I hope Fielding get his story as I am curious to know what sort of revenge he serves up and why.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is a story filled with pain and strong emotions. Lady Elinor is now a widow who is not looking for love. She has endured enough with an arranged marriage and the memory of an ill-fated kiss with a handsome footman. The only item of importance to her is to rebuild her life and keep it empty of men.

Stephen Worth has spent 15 years on his plotting for revenge against the girl who kissed him and ruined his life. At the time, he was a fifteen-year-old footman. The girl was the spoiled child of an aristocrat and pledged to be married to a horrible man. Stephen lost everything because of her foolish impulsive actions. But with a great deal of effort, he has since changed his circumstances and is ready to seek revenge from everyone who wronged him back then. Will he get the vengeance he has wanted for so long? Or will the years and experiences show him another side to the person he had been angry with for so long?

I discovered S.M.LaViolette/Minerva Spencer recently, and have been looking forward to reading this book, and I have to say it did not disappoint!

I love a good underdog/outcast winning-through story, and this delves into the implications of youthful impetuousness, its severe consequences and their outcomes. I really liked both Elinor and Iain/Stephen, they are realistic characters, and I enjoyed the progression of their relationship growing from ‘initial’ meeting (as adults) through mutual respect towards love, via various meetings, events and witty conversations.

There was a neat plot twist (can’t say more because spoilers), which I initially thought was a typo/continuity error – so that really caught me out! And I particularly like the starting and ending symmetry of the scenes of Elinor’s arrival, doors slamming, once at her house and then at his – I thought it neatly book-ended the whole story and the relationship’s progression and changes.

The supporting characters were well portrayed (Elinor’s maid, Beth, leapt off the page), and overall I was quickly inhabiting the world in and around Trentham, whilst the story easily switched between the ‘current’ time and the back story in London 15 years before.

As well as the main love story, the book considers the nature of revenge, and whether it can be a truly satisfactory course of action, as well as some underlying themes around poverty, the status and nature of women, the power of wealth (both for good and bad), which gives the plot and actions depth and substance.

The next story with Doctor Venables is clearly trailed, but I am really hoping there will be further book about John Fielding as he’s such a great larger than life character, and what has been said about his story so far looks very intriguing!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The Footman, by S.M. LaViolettle. Well, this was a true romance story, stripped from the bottom and build backup. This story had my emotions going this way and that way. At times I was screaming at Elinor to stop being a dummy and accept Stephan back. Actually it should be Elinor asking for Stephan to forgive her.
What’s that saying? What goes around comes around. Well Elinor, the good Lord was looking out for you. While reading Stephans and Elinor’s introduction after their tragic meeting, its like you could feel the anger and the suffering that they went through by the telling of their story. At points I questioned, would they be able to survive from the pure torture?
What would they be like if they did? Would they be bitter and hate the world? As I continue to read the romance story, I could see S.M.’s talent really shining through the telling of this heartbreaking love story. One moment in the story your like, yeah the hero will come and save the day and then the next moment your saying, what a prick he is. At the same time your yelling at Elinor to, “wake up”.
Stop sulking and woman up! I liked that Stephen had John at his back. For all what these two had endured, they needed each other as two brothers would need one another. Elinor had Beth. Beth being their for Elinor, was truly Elinor’s blessing.
If Beth wasn’t their to help light a fire under Elinors girdle, who knows how things would have turned out. Let’s discuss how Stephan and Elinor meet shall we. The romantic couple meet at a young age during a betrothal dinner. Young Elinor has set her site on the young Stephan whose minding his own business. Well someone just couldn’t help herself, and decides that she needs a little taste of the footman.
What’s this we have here?, said would be future groom. Before you know it two people are in the throws of fisticuffs. Blood is flying everywhere. Frantic screams and cursing slurs are just part of the horrific attack.
And when you thought that was the end of it, oh no you diehard readers. To save face and value from the ton, someone is accused of a heinous crime and thrown in jail. The betrothed wedding must go on, they say. Years of hate, torture, crimes, and the strong will to survive just to seek revenge, collides Stephen and Elinor together years later. Stephen had one mission, destroy the people who destroyed him.
Elinor, suffering instilled in her to become a doctor, to help the weak and helpless. Stephan is swept off his feet by Elinor. Elinor is a bit weary of Stephen, but she’s willing to give him a chance after Beth nearly had to forcibly push her over that self doubt cliff. Before you know it, Stephan and Elinor come together in the throws of passion. Then the challenges of being in love really happens.
I recommend this book book with two snaps and a, can everyone just choose one name and stick with it? Until next time my fellow readers… read on! I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.

A revenge plot…yes! I love revenge plots and this one is so good it kept you on your toes throughout the majority of the book. What was Iain/Stephen going to do next? There is a lot of angst and frankness in this story. Angst is definitely up my alley and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. All of the characters are portrayed in a way that you feel sorry for the way their lives turned out and it lifts you up when things start going in the right direction for them. And the side characters are just as interesting as the main characters. This is a really great story that I cannot say enough about.

I received a complimentary copy from Booksprout.

The Footman is book One written by S.M. LaViolette (Minerva Spencer) of The Masqueraders Series, and it is a brilliant story about revenge and love. Stephen Worth is man on a mission. After a 15-year-year absence, he returns to England as a wealthy businessman. Lady Elinor, a widow, desires to rebuild her life—without a man in it. The writing is superb, and the plot is a two-sided coin with lust on one side and deceit on the other side—with one purpose: destroy the very men responsible of ruining Stephen’s life—Elinor included. There are plenty of wooing and sensual passion, and cold-hearted secondary characters like the mysterious John Fielding whose presence plays a vital role in helping Stephen carry out his revenge. The Footman is a masterful tale from start to finish, and what makes S.M. LaViolette a successful writer is her meticulous attention to details in all her stories.

Elinor & Stephen’s love story is a tale of revenge and redemption. This is not a sweet tale. It is instead gritty and difficult to read at times. Elinor’s simple, yet scandalous action has far reaching consequences. Yet through all her suffering, she manages to grow into a caring adult. Stephen, on the other hand, spends 15 years with only revenge on his mind. He has a great deal to learn about the destruction revenge causes to both parties. I was not a fan of the way the back story evolved over the course of the book. Skipping between current and past events every chapter or two was distracting. But the back stories needed to be told, so I tried to ignore the distraction. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.