GILDED WEB

Fans of Mary Balogh will be so happy to have the classic Gilded Series re-released. In this first of three books we find the sheltered Alexandra Purnell in a mistake of identity, kidnapped from the gardens of a ball and taken to the townhome of the Amberley family and tied to the bed for the evening. Dominic, Lord Eden, believes it is his sister Madeline safely tied up in bed at home, as he believes she is eloping with a scoundrel and arranges the kidnapping to prevent disaster. It is his serious, straight-laced, responsible brother, Edmund Raine, the Earl of Amberley who arrives home and finds the young Alex tied to the bed. He knows he must save her reputation and do the honorable thing, especially because he is in need of a wife anyway, so he arrives to her home the following morning to ask for her hand in marriage. Alex and her brother James have led troubled lives under the strict, sheltered, over-religious, controlling rule of their father, Lord Beckwith. Alex not only has no idea about society and rules of the ton, but also does not know how to express her feelings or show joy or happiness, yet alone passion. Edmund and Alex eventually become betrothed and the story moves to the Amberley country estate where Alex and Edmund are to become acquainted with each other. There the story goes into deep detail of the stuggles between these two very sensitive and deep emotional characters, who at first feel they will never know each other, but eventually learn passion and love. It is a deep, strong story and really shows how the romance genre, which according to this reviewer, feels has become too simplified. The romances written in the past were much more involved and took more time in story development. At times it appears that the newer romance writers seem to have lost this art, and at times the classic romance authors disappoint as we look for something written like the Gilded Series, but instead get a rush in less than 300 pages. What has happened to the epics of Bertrice Small and Virginia Henley? Why must a story and the romance reader's attention span be so short? Bringing back this series proves that romance readers are begging for more in-depth romance epics, and it is a delight! I look forward to the next two reissues, Web of Love and Devil's Web.