Tom Jones Review

When a writer is looking for inspiration, they often look to works from the past. The issue is that some of these stories may contain characters or narratives that are archaic, outdated, or just plain offensive.

The new 4 part Masterpiece/PBS miniseries, Tom Jones, is based on the 1749 novel, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, by Henry Fielding. The title character, Tom Jones (Solly McLeod) was found as a newborn by Squire Allworthy (James Fleet). A widower without children, he raises Tom as if they were flesh and blood.

When we meet Tom at the age of twenty, he is like most of us at that age. He wants to do the right thing, but his efforts don’t always go as planned. He is also not anti-social when it comes to the opposite sex.

Nearby, Sophia Western (Sophie Wilde) is an heiress and the bi-racial granddaughter of a local landowner, Squire Western (Alun Armstrong). She is expected to walk in the footsteps of previous generations of women and “marry well”.

Their childhood friendship turns into adult affection and love. But he is considered unworthy of her. The only way to reach their happy ending is to fight for it.

I have to admit that I have never read the original text. This review is solely based on the television adaptation.

I enjoyed the first episode. The tale is compelling and the characters are fully drawn. I like that Sophia was reimagined as bi-racial. It highlights the issues that are still not fully dealt with. It also creates a bond between our young lovers while adding layers of conflict. Both are key to keeping the audience engaged and hanging on until the (hopeful) happy ending.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Tom Jones airs on PBS on Sunday night at 9pm.

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ARC Review: The Duke’s Secret Cinderella

Cinderella is one of those stories that is part of our culture. Though the bones of the tale can seem archaic, that does not mean that modern writers can try their hand at making it accessible for the present-day audience.

The Duke’s Secret Cinderella, by Eva Devon, is out today. Rafe Dorchester, Duke of Rockford, is told that it is high time to marry. His title and fortune have marked him as one of the most eligible bachelors in the country. But Rafe is not interested in marrying for the sake of producing an heir and a spare. He wants a love match and a true partner.

Charlotte Browne is an orphan. Her stepfather’s version of being a dutiful parent is forcing her to earn her daily bread as a household servant. Cruel and cold, he is not above cutting corners when it suits him. Her only solace is her friendship with her stepsister and the comfort she receives from the other household staff.

Their meet-cute is completely unexpected. He thinks that she is a lady. She cannot tell him the truth. Their first kiss opens a door to passion that cannot be contained. Charlotte accidentally drops a blue ribbon as she leaves, knowing that revealing the truth would endanger her stepsister’s chance of a good match. Despite the mystery that lies before him, Rafe is determined to discover the woman who has conquered his heart.

I don’t read books of this nature very often because it gives false hope and teaches the wrong message about what a woman should look forward to.

That being said, I loved it. Rafe and Charlotte’s chemistry is on fire from the first time they meet. She is intelligent, independent, and caring. She is also a little jaded, which I think has been missing from previous adaptations. Rafe could have been the standard “prince charming“. But he is real, human, and fully aware of the privileges that life has afforded him. In my experience, there are very few male romantic leads in this genre that believe in social justice.

I also appreciated that Charlotte’s stepfather is not just there to be the antagonist. Though his motives and reasoning might be a bit questionable, he stands on his own two feet as a character.

The narrative is a descendant of Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998). I don’t know if the author purposefully chose this path or if it slowly came about as the tale developed. Either way, it is the perfect homage to the only version of Cinderella that I think is worth watching.

I could not stop listening to the book. From the first chapter, I was immediately hooked. There were several points when I had to stop what I was doing and just listen. It is that good.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

The Duke’s Secret Cinderella is available wherever books are sold. Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy.

P.S. I loved the twist. I did not see it coming at all.

A Lady for a Duke Book Review

I hope and believe that anyone’s greatest wish is to love and be loved in return, regardless of who they are.

Alexis Hall‘s new regency romance novel, A Lady for a Duke, was published last month. Up until Waterloo, Viola Caroll hid her true self. When it appeared that she did not survive, she took the opportunity to become the woman she knew she was inside. But there was a price to pay for being herself.

Among her losses is her best friend Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. When they reunite years later, Gracewood is a shadow of his former self. Relying on alcohol and other substances to dull the pain, he has become a recluse who is living in the past.

Doing everything she can to bring back the man she knew, new feelings of both the physical and emotional kind bubble to the surface. Viola wants to tell Justin the truth, but doing so may cost her everything she has fought for.

I love that the cover is giving me Beauty and the Beast vibes. I also love that the heroine is transgender. It was a lovely change to a genre and a narrative that many of us know all too well. The problem is that the spark between the main characters is missing. While the author does a great job of keeping us in Viola and Justin’s heads, the all-important “will they or won’t they?” question is missing. I badly wanted to root for them. But the chemistry that should have pulled me in was simply not there.

Do I recommend it? A highly disappointed no.

Summerland Movie Review

Sometimes, life can throw changes our way. We may not initially like that change, but we may end up surprised by the results.

Summerland (2020) is a BPD that takes place on the coast of England during World War II. Alice (played by Gemma Arterton as a younger woman and Penelope Wilton as the older Alice decades later) is a prickly writer who lives alone. She does not care for company and is seen as an oddity by her neighbors.

As the war rages on, children are being evacuated from the cities to the country. Frank (Lucas Bond) is a young boy who needs a temporary home. Begrudgingly, Alice takes him in. As they start to grow on one another, we flash back to Alice’s past and her relationship with Vera (Gugu Mbatha-Raw).

It’s a really sweet story about love, acceptance, and opening your heart to someone whom you never expected to. The casting is top-notch and the film is entirely watchable. It is also a reminder that love is love is love, regardless of gender or sexual identity.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

The Cook of Castamar Review

Cross-class romantic relationships are one of the basic narratives with the romance genre. The key for success is for the narrative to stand out from the pack.

The Cook of Castamar premiered recently on Netflix. Based on the book of the same name by Fernando Muñez, it is the story of unlikely love. In the early 18th century, Diego de Castamar, Duke of Castamar (Roberto Enriquez) is a widowed aristocrat who lost his pregnant wife when her horse threw her over. Spending nearly two years grieving her unexpected death, he is brought back to life by the exquisite meals of his new cook, who he starts to fall for. Clara Belmonte (Michelle Jenner) has a talent for creating food that memories are made of. She is also agoraphobic and still reeling from her father’s execution. It is an attraction that neither saw coming.

The concept this series was impossible to ignore. I loved the idea of court intrigue, sex used as a tool to gain or maintain power, and a blossoming love that is not exactly welcomed. I also appreciated that the extra narrative layer created by the female lead’s mental illness. It is rarely seen in this genre. Unfortunately, it did not live up to it’s promise. I was waiting for a Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester spark which never materialized. After watching a few episodes, I gave up. The slow burn was too slow for me.

Do I recommend it? Not really.

The Cook of Castamar is available for streaming on Netflix.