Rane Aria

Once again Louise Allen has fascinated me with the period of history that I've never read before in any regency with Napoleon's occupation of Egypt. LA capture the terrible hardships to the stunning beauty of the Nile.
While the history was amazing again the characters made me swung between impatience to anger.

Cleo has put up with many types of abuse in her life, from her father to her husband. They never broke her will or spirit and now a widow, she finds herself with a sick man at her feet that she feels is hiding as they travel along the Nile in order to find safety. I felt a great affection for Cleo who held such a quiet strength about her. I found myself though very impatient with her trusting nature toward Quin who she felt she couldn't fully trust and time again. Instead of turning her back on him she gives him the belief of the doubt instead of tossing him out the nearest window!

 Time and again the saying "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" rang in my head when it came to Quin. Quin wanted to prove himself that he was a better man then his disinterested father and his biological father. While he thought his intentions where for the best for Cleo he railroaded her time and again into corners she herself had to get out of. I truly dislike Quin's blindness to Cleo's plight and while he made things right for Cleo I felt it was a to late in the book to make much of a stronger impact.

The history was beautifully done but sadly the characters left me wanting a little more..