The Other Countess

I completely adored this book. Of course, I'm a sucker for period pieces, but, hey, this was definitely a good one, even coming on the heels of Grave Mercy. Ellie is a fantabulous, feisty girl. She is well-educated and doesn't conform to society's expectations of her. If someone tries to take advantage of her or lie to her, she calls them out on it and defends herself. Love her.

Her dad is seriously frustrating. If I were her, I would have left him behind ages ago if possible. She feels a loyalty to him, even though he's always neglected her for his alchemy. On the one hand, I do admire her for this, but it's also sad because she's so strong and commanding when dealing with other men but so weak to her father. No one can mess you up like show more your parents!

Books like this you don't really read for the plot. Obviously, it's about romance and you pretty much know what essentially is going to happen from the opening pages. However, that's no problem if the journey is a good one. And, oh my, but it is. I loved that Edwards added in some serious historical elements, like the religious persecution in Elizabethan England. Plus, I totally dig the Shakespearean flair the romantic shenanigans have.

The story also follows, although slightly less frequently, Lady Jane. Based on her introduction, which has her falling prey to the seduction of an obvious rake, I expected to loathe her. However, I came to like her too. She's no Ellie, of course, but beneath her exterior, she's just a person longing to be loved like the rest of us. Besides, it's no wonder she has become so cold on the surface with everyone after her money and only her awful brother for company.

Apparently, the next book, The Queen's Lady, will continue on with her story. Thank goodness for that, because I was really disappointed not to read her happy ending! Moving on to book two posthaste! show less

This isn't one of my absolute favourite books, but it's quite enjoyable, and soooooo funny. I probably wouldn't have reread it if it weren't for the fact that I found the next book and couldn't remember this one too well, but I'm sort of glad I did. There isn't a ton to this book maybe, but it just leaves me feeling really happy.
And I really needed something happy after Our Dark Duet.

PLOT

I can't really say this is a plot driven book. It's very much a romance, but there is quite a few threads to it, and I like the way they all tie together. This book switches between four different narrators... There's two main ones, but the other two add another layer to the story.
By which I really mean Jane adds another layer to the story, while Ness show more adds a completely unrelated subplot... As far as I can tell it had nothing to do with the other three narrators story. It was a bit odd.

SETTING

This was set in sixteenth century England, and I though it was very well done. The author obviously put quite a lot of research into it, and the setting felt really rich and real.
I love historical fiction set in England... I'm not quite sure why, I just really do. So I really liked the setting.
There was a lot of political stuff going on, which I know doesn't appeal to some people, but I found it fascinating. It really added to the story, and it made the setting feel even more real.

CHARACTERS

I really like the characters in this. They're super great!

- Ellie was awesome. I admit at times she needed saving and whatnot, which annoyed me a bit, but for the most part, she was actually great.
She wasn't strong in the typical YA heroine way. She wasn't really badass, or sassy and sarcastic, or anything like that. She never really fought against the way her life was going. But I thought she was actually a really strong character. She had this quiet strength, and maybe she didn't fight, but she endured. And the thing is, she didn't fight because of her love for her father. She could have ran away, and started her own life, and I don't doubt that she was capable of it, but instead she stuck with her father, because she loved him, and didn't want to abandon him. And I don't think that makes her weak.

-Will was... I really liked him the first time I read this, and I still quite liked him, but... at times I found myself questioning his actions. He had a strong sense of duty at times, and I think it led him to do some unreasonable things.

- Jane was my absolute favourite character. (The next book is about her, and I am SO excited!) When she first comes in, she seems sort of awful, but she's actually so completely amazing! This girl us strong. She doesn't let anything get in the way of what she wants. But she's also an amazing friend.
Her and Ellie have such an amazing friendship, and I love it! I'm so pleased with this book for having such an amazing female friendship. Jane would completely fit the stereotype of the bitchy mean girl. But she isn't. She is so completely there for Ellie, and it's amazing!

- Then there's Nell... I guess maybe she'll play some part in the next book, because I swear she had no point in this one. She was also absolutely awful. You can't root for her, and I sort of hate her. But she's a very well done character.
I just think she was completely pointless.

- James and Tobias were Will's brothers, and wow, I love the dynamic between them. Sure they argue all the time, and James teases Will for absolutely everything, but they are really close, and it was so nice to read about such a loving family. His mother and sister, although smaller characters, were great as well. They were always there for each other, and it made me so happy.
Also the banter. The banter was amazing.

OVER ALL

I really like The Other Countess. I don't think this book is for everyone, but personally, I really enjoyed it, and I'm really looking forward to the sequel, which I am now going to go read. show less

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did -- just the right amount of Elizabethan intrigue, not so much drama as to drive me crazy, and good, likeable characters. Hooray!

"Duty. Passion. Which one will rule their hearts?

Ellie – Lady Eleanor Rodriguez, Countess of San Jaime – possesses a worthless title, but her feisty spirit captivates the elite of Queen Elizabeth’s court – especially the dashing new Earl of Dorset.

William Lacey, Earl of Dorset, has inherited his father’s title – and his financial ruin. Now Will must seek a wealthy bride and restore his family’s fortune. If only he hadn’t fallen for the beautiful but penniless Ellie…

Sparks fly whenever Ellie and Will are together; however, circumstances – and the conniving interference of others – threaten to keep them apart.

Every twenty-first century book love will fall in love with The Other Countess, the first novel in Eve show more Edward’s sumptuous historical romance series set in intrigue-filled Elizabethan England."

As you may have read in previous posts, I love historical romance. So it was no surprise that I chose to review this book. But after I started to read this, I felt like I was stealing away a book and review that was maybe also meant for Bibliojunkie Bel since she enjoys historical fiction so much. The Other Countess ended up being a perfect blend of historical romance AND historical fiction. Eve Edward’s has very obviously done the research to make this historical romance historically accurate in every way she possibly could. She includes everything in this book that we associate with the Elizabethan time period – the Queen’s court, jousts, banquets, ridiculously uncomfortable clothing, loveless marriages, etc.

This ended up being much more than just the Lord and Lady falling in love. There was plenty of intrigue and a number of bad guys all with different agendas. Ellie was a wonderfully strong and saucy female character that even with her strength became a victim of her era on more than one occasion. I appreciated that the author did not make it all rainbows for her. And Will….well Will is great too. Your typical Lord that struggles with making life decisions based on his family needs or his personal desires. And of course Will is hot and says beautiful flowery words that a boy would never say this day and age; at least not believably.

The secondary characters in this book are also strong and surprisingly multi-dimensional. The only thing I found strange was the attention put on Lady Jane’s maid, Nell. Her story seemed to have nothing to do with the others. I can only conclude that she will play a bigger role in The Queen’s Lady which will be released in 2012.

All in all, this was a great read. If you enjoy historical romance and/or historical fiction, I can’t recommend it enough.

~Nat

www.bibliojunkies.blogspot.com show less

I've been waiting for The Other Countess for a long time. Ever since I saw it and its subsequent books come out in the UK, I've been wanting to get my hands on them. Now, I hate to order things from the UK, because of price and long ship times, so when I saw that the series was being released in the U.S., I decided that I should just wait. Then, it showed up at my local library, so I put it on hold -which led to even more waiting. That's when I ended up winning Other Countess through a Twitter contest, tweeting a somewhat clever Tudor dating tip that snagged me the book.
The Other Countess ended up being not exactly what I expected, but it was still very satisfying. The Other Countess tells the story of a group of young nobles in show more Elizabethan England. Young Eleanor, aka Ellie, lives with her eccentric scholar father, who is obsessed with unlocking the secrets of alchemy. Not only is Ellie penniless, but she's half Spanish through her mother's side, a nation widely known for being completely devoted to Rome, the very religion that many members of the Church of England are working to eradicate from their country. Will Lacey, Earl of Dorset, is the only hope of this family. Having fallen on tough times, Will must marry rich to save his desolate family. Though Will quickly begins courting Lady Jane, one of the wealthiest young unmarried women at court, Ellie catches his eye, and the pair fall in love.
It's interesting to see how Tudor mania in the adult historical fiction world is starting to spill over to the YA world. Though Other Countess is set during Elizabeth Tudor's reign, instead of that of her infamous father, the book delivers a plot reminiscent of an adult Tudor romance, but infused with more simplicity and a cleaner approach. I suppose what I was expecting what I picked up this book was more of the adult Tudor romances, complete with heavy doses of political intrigue. But instead, The Other Countess was a simple, sweet romance set against an Elizabethan backdrop. And while I was a little disappointed at first, the book quickly grew on me.
With echoes of Pride and Prejudice, and other classic romantic stories, The Other Countess is a sweet and graceful romance that's honest and pure, complete with a well-constructed historical backdrop. Seemingly historically accurate and brimming with vivid detail, Other Countess is well-written and compelling, though implausible and somewhat fairy-tale like.

For me, though, what really made this novel shine were the characters, especially Jane and Ellie. Ellie is an unorthodox, intelligent young woman who has little regard for tradition, and not only ensnares Will's heart, but the heart of readers who want her succeed despite her difficulties. Then, there's Jane, who, I thought, stole every scene she was in -and even the entire book. Though she's something of a wild, ambitious girl with low moral character, Jane spiced things up on every page and kept the plot from becoming too predictable. I can't wait to the read the second book in the series, The Queen's Lady, which follows Jane's story.
A sweet an elegant romance, The Other Countess is a great romantic escape for readers of any age. Now it's time to start The Queen's Lady (FYI, it's currently available on NetGalley). show less

Sixteen-year-old Ellie Hutton (also known as the Lady Eleanor Rodriguez, Countess of San Jaime, a worthless Spanish title she inherited from her mother) is the daughter of an alchemist obsessed with his craft. He has wasted all the family’s money over the years and Ellie often resents the life she lives as a result of his decisions. Eighteen-year-old Will Lacey, the Earl of Dorset, must solve his family’s financial problems after his late father wasted the family fortune. He hopes that if he can marry a rich heiress with a large dowry, his family‘s problems will be solved. Will and Ellie last met four years ago, when he threw Ellie and her father (who had been sponsored by Will’s father) off his lands after his father died. Will show more blames Ellie’s father for his family’s poverty, as much of the money his father wasted was spent on alchemical research.

It is at the court of Elizabeth I in 1582 that Ellie and Will meet again. Ellie’s father has found another nobleman to sponsor him, and Will is searching at court for a wealthy young woman to marry. Ellie and Will are instantly attracted to each other - and horrified by that fact, as a result of their past history. Their attraction eventually develops into love, but Will is forced by his duty to his family to court the Lady Jane, a wealthy young woman with a large dowry.

The Other Countess is one of my favorite books so far this year. Ellie and Will and all the other characters were very well developed and I liked all of them. I wanted to hate Lady Jane at first, for being an obstacle to Will and Ellie’s love, but she was actually a really sympathetic character and I am looking forward to reading her story in the sequel, The Queen’s Lady, which will be published in February 2011. The historical setting was really well researched and highly detailed. I highly recommend this book to readers who love historical romance or stories set in Tudor England. show less

The Lady Eleanor Rodriguez of San Jaime, otherwise known as Ellie Hutton is the daughter of an alchemist. An Alchemist who has run through money from many people trying to perfect his science. The last time she came across the Earl of Dorset, William Lacey, he was throwing them out of his house for having squandered all of his father's money. Now they meet at Elizabeth's court, William is looking for a rich wife to restore his fortune and she's looking to survive.

It's an interesting story with a lot of historical details but sometimes drags and is a little predictable. Still I enjoyed the read.