Cover Image: Margins of Love

Margins of Love

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Member Reviews

This book was a 50,50 to me, i like the romance itself, the writing and the characters, but there were some religious aspects that i wasn't a big fan of, specially considering that i don't believe in god at all, so the whole marry within religion is a thought is something i don't share or approve, but the story itself is good.

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Margins of Love by Sara Adrien is a Regency romance that opens the door to being Jewish in England. England had no laws against the Jews as did many other European countries at the time, but that didn’t mean they were accepted. This is the story of two such families, who hid their heritage from the ton while trying to become a part of it, or at least do business with it. Fave and Arnold were cousins raised by Fave’s family. This father was a jeweler as was Arnold. Fave was more a jewelry designer. Their current project was a contest for the crown to determine which company would become the royal jeweler. They were looking for an emerald, which caused some amount of difficulty for the hero and heroine.

There was a supreme amount of miscommunication between families in this book. Granted, Fave’s family stayed away from the synagogue but still had a rabbi act as matchmaker. Both Fave and his love interest, Rachel, were supremely ignorant, even more so than many Regency young adults. Rachel’s family had a muzuzah hanging near their front door. Did no one ever notice? There were plenty of lovely passages in this book, well written musings and descriptions and yet Rachel was address as “Ms.” Too many authors try to bring today’s mores into yesterday’s stories. This was a lovely book, for the most part, full of empathetic characters and situations. I enjoyed reading it and it does offer a fresh perspective to a minority in Regency England. Thanks Ms. Adrien!

I was invited to read Margins of Love by Heart Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #HeartPublishing #SaraAdrien #MarginsOfLove

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Margins of Love by Sara Adrien is a historical romance that includes so much more than simply romance. The characters in this book are very well created and the premise of being forced to marry someone not of their choosing but rather for the security and continuation of their families - is well written with plenty of emotion and angst. Then the author adds in the fear of religious intolerance and persecution and the story becomes more than romance - it becomes a story of love & survival.

I enjoyed this story and found Adrien’s writing style to well structured without any plot holes. It did seem like some phrases or sentences became slightly repetitive but it wasn’t enough to make me stop reading.

Overall 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this #book from the author/publisher via #Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher/author for allowing me the opportunity to review. 🦄
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Elusive haute-couture jeweller, Feival ‘Fave’ Pearler, faces an arranged marriage suiting his family’s dynasty while all of London is on the quest for the biggest, rarest gems for the king’s competition. When a gossip catches him with Rachel Newman, he has to fight for the love of his life and the family’s business.
Rachel Newman only wants one season before resigning herself to a wedding her father has arranged, and golden boy Fave is off-limits.
The first in a new series & I thoroughly enjoyed it, the characters have depth, the pace is good & it’s different as both Fave & Rachel have a secret, they are Jews. I found it fascinating how the couple had to adjust their demeanours to keep their secret. Fave & Rachel were perfect for each other but they were the last to realise, I would have liked them to have been more open with each other. An interesting series starter
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

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This beautiful cover is what initially drew me in. But the story kept me reading. Great character building. I was routing for them the whole time. Torn between love and sacrifice... or duty and honor. A grate book with a happy end

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4 stars

The author writes well, especially the sex/lovemaking scenes.

I was uncomfortable with the idea of racial/cultural purity and our hero is a jewish prince so believes that can only marry another person of Jewish heritage....though he can love someone else?. It's an oxymoron that he's a virginal rake but I've seen this trope used before. I think the author also gave us stereotypes, the hero's family were jewellers, the heroine's father was a money lender. The villian was a gentile mean social climbing countess. The heroine's back story was harrowing. At the beginning I felt there was a lot of emphasis on the tradegies and the problems of living undercover. It's the start of a series so perhaps this is only in the first book. Arnold our hero's cousin is a bit of player so perhaps more sex in the next book. Not convinced I'll continue.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Interesting story but I thought it did drag a bit in the middle.

Two Jewish families are trying to keep their identities from London's famous ton - and keep their businesses alive. They are both being blackmailed by the same lady, and invited to her big house party. There the son of one family and daughter of the other family meet and have a moment, but realize they can't tell each other their secret and try to go their separate ways. The storyline follows them and their romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

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Set in 1813 London, haute-couture jeweller, Fave Pearler finds himself having to marry if his family is to gain access to the ton. His arranged marriage will ensure that his family’s dynasty is secure. However, Fave has fallen in love with Rachel Newman, whose family left Switzerland, to escape persecution. Unaware that they are both Jewish, any romance is forbidden between them, an aspect that was apparently common during this time period. I found this story quite fascinating, particularly as I was completely unaware of the racism faced and in understanding this, I could understand the actions of both Fave and Rachel’s families. The romance between this couple was sweet and made even more so due their clandestine meetings. To add to the romance, there is plenty of intrigue and history, coupled together to give a well-rounded story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I think this plot really had a great potential. It was a new type of read for me and I really wanted to like this one, but I just couldn’t connect to the characters somehow. I also felt that some sentences were getting quite repetitive throughout the book, but then the last 30 pages were filled with a lot of activities and it all went a bit too fast and too good to be true in my opinion. There were some great romance scenes, but overall I just found it to be a bit disappointing. I was looking forward to reading the rest of the series, to also give the author / writing style another chance, but I’m not sure yet…

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I loved this historical romance so much! I could not put it down. I enjoyed the writing so much. Would highly recommend

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Margins of Love is such an incredible story of love and strength of character. Fave and Rachel are resigned to marry someone other than their own choosing. Fave knows he must keep his family’s ancient bloodline pure, and Rachel must marry the man her father arranges to keep their family secret hidden. However, once they start developing feelings for each other they risk their secrets becoming known. As Jews living with, yet hiding from, the ton, they know how dire the consequences would be if word got out to the wrong people. As it is, both of their families are being blackmailed and it is starting to take a toll.

Ms. Adrien writes a poignantly chilling depiction of the horror and heartbreak Rachel’s family lived through when ostracized from one community. It is understandable why both families keep up their guard and watch their language around others. The repercussions have long lasting effects.

Margins of Love is the first book by Sara Adrien I have read, and it definitely won’t be the last. The story line grabs you from the start and its hold only increases as the story progresses. Ms. Adrien’s level of detail easily immerses you into the homes and ballrooms of the ton. This love story is well-written, full of romance and intrigue, and the characters are likeable (ok, with the exception of the blackmailer) and believable. If you are interested in a heartwarming story that incorporates Jewish history and traditions, I’m sure you will enjoy this story as much as I did. Thank you to Sara Adrien and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy. I voluntarily read the story and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I’m usually not a huge regency romance fan, but this looked to beautiful to pass up. I am beyond excited to be swept away in this gorgeous romance as well as share my full thoughts and review. Readers are going to love this one as well! I cannot wait to share it with them as well.

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