Bubu's Reviews > A Gentleman Undone

If I want to read a comfortable, fluffy, sweet romance book, Cecilia Grant's books would be the last I would turn to. A Gentleman Undone, especially. I must admit that I was reluctant to write a review.

But it seems that I must have masochistic tendencies, because this book is as painful as it gets. I know, it doesn't sound endearing, but it's challenging.

I won't go too much into the plot. There are other reviews which did a wonderful job explaining it. A Gentleman Undone is for all those who know what it means to make a terrible mistake and pay for it - to the point of self-destruction. So many stories deal with tortured heroines and heroes, but most of the time we're being told, not shown. With Cecilia Grant it's like someone's hit me with a sledgehammer, saying 'This is what pain feels like. Take that!' But, and I mean this as a big but, we're not being treated to a self-pitying whine-fest. Grant's storytelling is way too accomplished and clever for that, her characters way too complicated and well-drawn.

And once again, she's created two lead characters who are not automatically likable. One has to read their journey to understand their pain and motivations, but once the story unfolded, I rooted and cheered for them. That being said, Grant seems to make the hero always a tad bit more likable than her heroines. Will Blackshear, Martha's brother from A Lady Awakened, has all the characteristics of a HR hero. He's honourable, understanding, willing to fight for Lydia. It is only towards the end of the book that we come to understand what lies underneath and it isn't pretty. However, I wouldn't call him morally ambiguous, rather a flawed man who is painfully aware of his mistakes.

Lydia, on the other hand...Oh, Lydia! Hardened by her own mistakes, the following guilt and the life she leads as a whore/mistress.

At this point, I have to refer to the general culture of Historical Romances regarding prostitution. How many times do we read about heroes who keep mistresses or pay for courtesans/whores, and it seems perfectly acceptable to not waste a moment's time on those women who are nothing but a background to the hero's lifestyle before he meets his, mostly virginal, heroine? I know that prostitution existed back in those times, just as much as it does today. What bothers me, though, is the underlying connotation. Prostitutes = meh. Hero paying for sex = fine. Whores are mostly still portrayed as the lesser women. Well, Lydia is one of those women. I know it's been done before and the most recent book I've read with this trope was Unclaimed, but Grant again shows us, not tells us, what it means to be a kept woman. And that's why I found this book so painful to read.

It is heartbreaking to watch Lydia. Lydia is intense, to say the least. Strong, hardened and at times cold, I understood, based on her background, what made her tick. I adored Lydia, for the woman she had become. I love reading about women who have had and lived a life before they meet their heroes, even if it includes difficult topics such as prostitution and infidelity. Again, I have to refer to Sherry Thomas and Courtney Milan who picked up these topics and turned them into wonderful stories, just like Cecilia Grant.

It is an immensely bumpy ride Will and Lydia have to endure to get to their HEA. Their past mistakes, the harsh reality, people who will never let them forget their history. But most of all, they must overcome their own deep insecurities when faced with their feelings for each other. Grant executed these moments extremely well. I am grateful that their HEA reflected the problems they had to overcome. It's not a sigh-worthy, 'all is well' HEA, but I had no doubt that these two were meant for each other.