‘A FLIGHT OF FANCY,’ by Laurie Alice Eakes

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‘FLIGHT OF FANCY,’ by Laurie Alice Eakes. Review of the 2012 Christian historical fiction novel. All text © Rissi JC

Stories set in the regency era usually hold my attention without much effort. Unfortunately, A Flight of Fancy falls short. The reason(s) why, I cannot put my finger on but something about the novel doesn’t allow me to “connect” with it. Here’s how the story plays out.

STORY: Cassandra Bainbridge has all her heart desires. After broken promises, she is again betrothed to the man who sends her heart racing, Lord Geoffrey Whittaker, the younger son no one ever thought would have a title. Following the death of his elder brother, the job is left to Whittaker to accept the role and after a brief estrangement, he and Cassandra are only a week away from marriage.

With unrest in the looms his family owns, Cassandra is injured in one of the riots, leaving her legs severely burned and scared. Now, again Cassandra breaks their betrothal and takes up an interest in the science of ballooning. What Cassandra doesn’t realize is that for all her dismissal of Whittaker’s confessions of love, t, she still wants to say “yes” to his proposal, but she also knows that with her hand is a dowry would help Whittaker’s finances. Her own heart won’t allow for a life of anything less than true love and that is what she cannot have.

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A Flight of Fancy, Laurie Alice Eakes | Book Review


REVIEW: Novels set in the regency era or anything similar usually have the ability to make me giddy. This novel isn’t so fortunate. I’m constantly on defense, being more critical than I otherwise might have been. It starts out rough with misplaced, misused dialogue and though it evens out several chapters in, by then the disillusionment is in full swing. There’s too much left wanting in the “heart” of the story to repair the opening chapters though it improves. The characters also don’t inspire me; Cassandra is a lady ahead of her time, but wishy-washy emotions grow tiresome. In all likelihood, I’ve forgiven this element in prior stories but I cannot get past it here.

It’s not easy for me to be critical about books because most of them aren’t “bad,” they just vary in their degrees of strengths and flaws. For me, this one is on the low end of the “flaw” scale and it never seems to right itself, barely evening out. Cassandra’s interest in ballooning is cute and actually surprisingly, a clever quirk. But this doesn’t redeem the scope of the story and in fact sometimes comes across as “obsessive.” Anyone who’s fond of Jane Austen-esque novels or the BBC adapted North & South, will find A Flight of Fancy is likely your cup of tea.

IN CONCLUSION: Cute romantics to end the novel don’t save the early start that fizzles.

About the Book:

Author: Laurie Alice Eakes
Publisher: Revell
Publication Date: 2012
Series: The Daughters of Bainbridge House, book 2
Genre: Christian Fiction, Historical
Shop the Book: Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Rating: 3 ½ out of 5

With thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book for reviewing purposes

About Rissi JC

amateur graphic designer. confirmed bookaholic. bubbl’r enthusiast. critical thinker. miswesterner. social media coordinator. writer.

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