A Game of Patience

Patience Ballard has been in love with Pip since she was a young child. Now she's an adult, ready for her season, but Pip is already engaged to another. She resolves to find some way to win Pip's attention, to give herself a chance before Pip is snatched from her forever. The adult Pip is beautiful, purely sexy, and attacks life with a joy that makes everything a game. Still, does Patience really want everything to be a game, especially love? Patience's other childhood friend, Richard, is everything that Pip is not--steady, dependable, and thoughtful. Yet, Patience learns that Richard is also secretly in love--apparently with a married woman. What is a girl to do? Author Elisabeth Fairchild does a wonderful job depicting that odd moment in history known as the Regency Period. Aristocrats party while the masses go hungry and everyone is concerned about reputation and the risk of being ruined. Patience begins as a flighty aristocrat but gradually sees beneath the surface of society, becoming a more complete person--and a person capable of an adult relationship. Still, can she learn the difference between passion and love--before it is too late?

Elisabeth Fairchild's "A Game of Patience" reminded me quite a bit of Shirley Kennedy's "Lady Flora's Fantasy" -- there're both Regencies about young women who fall for a golden illusion that is not rooted in reality, while ignoring the real hero who happens to be in-love with them and to be right under their noses. However, that's as far as the similarities went: somehow "A Game of Patience" turned out to be a more poignant read, and was really about a lot more than Patience Ballard's idealized hero worship of her childhood friend, Philip Yorke (Pip), the Earl of Royston; and her other childhood friend, Richard Cavensdish's unrequited love for her. It is also about friendship, and the particular bond that holds Patience, Pip and Richard together. And it also about growing up, and the giving up of childhood-girlish dreams in order to realize better, more mature ones.Patience Ballard decided when she was 8 years old that she was going to grow up and marry her childhood playmate, the fun loving and flamboyant Pip Yorke. A grown up 17 year old Patience however discovers that her dreams are not so easy to accomplish, for Pip instead of waiting to discover that SHE is the woman for him, has gotten himself engaged to a rich society beauty. Now, however Patience is in London for her own Season, and it is her devout hope that somewhere along the way, Pip will discover his 'real' feelings for her. Patience hopes are further bolstered by Pip's odd behavior: he seems not to spend very much time with his fiance, and doesn't seem to be very interested in her either. But Pip seems to show very little interest in Patience as well (aside from being pleased that an old friend is in London at the moment). Patience soon finds herself treading a very fine line between euphoria and depression; and if it were not for her other childhood friend, Richard, Patience is sure that she would be quite sunk in despair. Dear, sweet, dependable Richard, who bolsters her ego and who is always taking care of her. What would she do without him? And then Patience discovers that Richard is hopelessly in love with someone who does not reciprocate his love. Patience cannot understand anyone not returning Richard's love, and is saddened for her friend's plight. But this also causes her to examine what her life would be like without Richard. As Patience slowly comes to realize the impact that Richard has had on her life, she also comes to see that she must more carefully consider the ties of friendship and affection that bind her to both Pip and Richard, and decided what (and who) it is she really wants...What I liked about "A Game of Patience" most was that there was no standout villain. Everyone was slightly flawed in some way or the other; and not everyone behaved very well either. So that I couldn't find it in me to outrightly disapprove of any one character (save Richard's elder brother, Chase) very much. For example, I was unable to feel irritated with Patience over her obsession w

Patience Ballard had grown up with Philip "Pip" Yorke, someday to be the Earl of Royston, and Richard Cavendish, a second son in the nobel Cavendish line. From the age of eight Patience thought of golden haired Pip as the handsome one she would someday marry. She considered dark haired Richard to be her most dependable, reliable, and closest friend. At seventeen, the way she viewed them had not changed. From the beginning, I, as the reader, knew of her feelings. I also knew Richard had loved Patience all those years without her ever suspecting. He hid it well. Being only a second son, Richard felt he had nothing to offer a wife, especially since his older brother was so irresponsible. Thus a love triangle was set up. Having read many such plots, I worried that this meant the heroine would be a spoiled, empty headed lady that I would want to strangle and the hero would be someone I would want to slap sense into before directing his attention to someone much more deserving. However, I was only around chapter three and recalled how much I enjoyed this author's previous books. So I decided to give it just a few more pages. That is the last thing I recall thinking to myself until I had finished reading the entire book! "The game we call Solitaire in the United States has been known in England for many years as Patience, the virtue most required for successful play." The story opened with that quote and I could not get it out of my mind during the whole book. How witty of the author, Elisabeth Fairchild! How delightful for me!Patience was NOT the idiot I thought she would be. She was just blinded by her childhood dreams. Many people have been that way over someone or something before. Instead of hating the book, I LOVED it! Be warned, if you HATE blind devotion, avoid this plot! Otherwise, enjoy! As for myself, I am happy I kept reading. I found myself reading the last chapter several times because of how marvelous it left me feeling. I plan to tell everyone to read this story!