My Sweet Folly

In another genre-bending effort, Laura Kinsale manages again to write a mesmerizing tale of madness, loneliness and betrayal. Robert Cambourne has recently returned from a long military stint in India to his ancestral home in England. His career had been anything but distinguished, his father having purchased his commission rather than have him follow in the employ of the veritable East India Company. Seven years earlier, at the urging of his father, he began a correspondence witha a much older male cousin, newly married, whose only passion was his prized roses. The cousin instructed his young wife to answer Robert and so began an affair of the heart played out in letters that began innocently enough but end in heartbreak. Now widowed,and about to launch her much loved step-daughter, Melinda, into London society, Folie Hamilton receives a letter from Robert commanding that she and Melinda travel to Solinger Abbey for a visit. Circumstances now have it that Robert has become Melinda's guardian and in control of her fiances and future. Folie has never told anyone of her relationship with Robert, based solely on those letters. She only agrees to make the journey because she hopes Robert will assist in Melinda's debut. Their first meeting is heart-wrenching - Folie initially believes that the dark, sinister gentleman awaiting them is an impostor. He can't actually be her beloved Robert of the letters. These letters are not gimmicks but serve a true purpose in conveying a sense of discovery and longing between two very lonely people. Living in an age of immediate communication, where we can not only talk but see others instantaneously, I found these letters so poignant. They serve as a foundation for a very real flesh and blood relationship. I have only touched upon the basic plot - it's very complicated and I really appreciated it upon my second reading. As with any great book, the secondary characters are wonderful and essential to the story. In fact, Kinsale has made Lander so fascinating, I almost wish she could find a way to continue his story. Whereas,I did not find that this was Kinsale's most sensual book, Folie and Robert's encounters were real and integral to the story. As with all of her books, the sex between hero and heroine is an extension of their conduct outside the bedroom. Robert's incapacity to consumate their relationship is the very real consequence of years spent in an abusive marriage. Folie is a great heroine. Faced with Robert's maddening mood swings, she uses lessons learned raising a petulant step-daughter and tears down his emotional walls with love and patience. My favorite scenes were Melinda's tantrums at the dinner party, Folie and Robert's parting at the bridge, their wedding at Cambourne House, their meeting in the rain and their last letters.I might also add that despite such a dark premise, there are some very funny and witty exchanges that deepen the essence of this beautiful love story. ********

...then you will cherish and delight in this novel. It had all the feel of Bronte's "Jane Eyre;" a dashing-yet-mysterious, seemingly demon-driven man who harbors dark secrets and even darker fears is saved from a rapid spiral into black despair and even madness by his practical, plain, yet brave and generous "Folly" (Folie). I am genuinely perplexed at the handful of negative reviews and would venture to guess that some readers may have expected something more in keeping with what's typically offered in today's "historical romance" genre, and thus were frustrated with Ms. Kinsale's departure from the recipe. Though there are passionate moments of physical intimacy between Robert and Folie, the romantic aspect of the book is much more emotional and visceral and thus more satisfying, in my opinion, than the redundant sexual exploits favored by many authors. There is a strong element of sexual desire, but it is not the sole focus of the book.Kinsale is a superb storyteller. She is, I believe, the only author today who truly presents an accurate portrayal of the Victorian era, its etiquette, verbiage, and complex social mores. This talent of hers is particularly evident in "My Sweet Folly." The characters in this novel are complex, yet endearing, remarkable, yet painfully human, and Kinsale weaves together a story of friendship and love, despair and madness, intrigue and mystery, and even subtle humor into a rich literary tapestry that was a genuine pleasure to read.I beg to differ with the reviewer who was dismissive of the written correspondence between Folie and Robert which introduced the story and was the foundation of their relationship. I found the letters telling and deeply touching; one is able to witness what began as an innocent diversion for two lonely people grow not only into love, but into a lifeline for both Robert and Folie. I felt this method of writing was inspired! Robert and Folie, had they met in person, would never have had the opportunity to know one another on such a personal level, given their circumstances, let alone had the opportunity to fall in love; however, the premise of corresponding to a "stranger" on the other side of the world seemed to offer a certain freedom from inhibition which allowed both Robert and Folie to reveal themselves to one another in a way they never could have - or would have - in society.The tenderness that develops between Robert and Folie in their correspondence is quite moving and romantic, (I re-read the letters several times) but their relationship becomes even more compelling when danger throws them together years after their ink-and-paper relationship ended on a heartbreaking note. It is then that both are confronted with the flesh-and-blood embodiment of their secret hopes and desires, and it is then that what began as a somewhat unrealistic romantic idealism grows into a deep, passionate need that neither foresaw.If you expect more from romantic fiction, if you appreciate exceptional wri

I thought that opening with the love letters was ingenious. I have read many romance novels, and they always follow the same path, frustratingly predictable. In this book you are constantly surprised, and the plot flows through the end of the book, whereas in others in stops three quarters of the way through, and the last part is usually about how deliriously happy the couple lives on, and different places where they make love. This one is definitely a keeper.

This is the only book that I have read by Laura Kinsale, but I am hooked on her style and I plan to read all of her novels. I found that this story was romantic without being trashy, the tension that builds between the couple is incredible. I also appreciated Folie's bewilderment in the relationship, this was a true reaction. So often heroines are brash and decisive, it was refreshing to find a woman who was admittedly confused about exactly where her relationship was going.