Lady Farquhar's Butterfly

By Beverley Eikli

Myshelf Review   

Lady Olivia Farquhar is somewhat notorious, being regarded as an adulteress and a racy one to boot. She has been separated from her son Julian on instructions from her late husband, and now she wants him back. Julian is being looked after by guardian Max Atherton and Olivia hopes to show him that she is a fit mother, and that her husband's allegations were wrong. But she has not reckoned on falling in love with Max…

This reads rather like a Victorian melodrama rather than a standard Regency romance and therefore is rather fun, and something of a surprise. We have the wronged, beautiful heroine, her wicked husband, a sinister clergyman, a stolen child and a hoard of missing gold. Instead of following Georgette Heyer, Ms Eikli has gone for a very different sort of story in another tradition. There are clichés in here of course, but they rather add to the enjoyment and I felt that I was reading the sort of story that the heroines of 19th century novels would have enjoyed. I remember being pleasantly surprised by this author's debut Lady Sarah's Redemption (also reviewed on this site) and can say the same for this book too.

(REVIEWED BY SANDRA HYDE.)

LADY FARQUHAR'S BUTTERFLY

Review from Coffee time Romance

“I thought the revelations and struggles Olivia goes through to rediscover her independence was written wonderfully. It makes you as the reader relate to her suffering, pain, and growth as you see her go from a shell of a woman to someone who should be proud of all she has survived. Ms. Eikli tells a story that shows a woman who is absolutely controlled and manipulated by all those around her. Max is shown as a man who has great faith in who Olivia is until her unselfish actions are shown in a wicked light. This is a good novel with a nice storyline.”

BOOKS MONTHLY  - “Charming Regency romance that rivals Georgette Heyer, although it has a slightly more serious tone than Heyer's romances. Olivia is a perfect heroine, and the plot is dizzyingly simple but effective.”

Long and Short Reviews - 4 1/2 Stars

"Sweet with heat and hard to beat, Lady Farquhar's Butterfly gains momentum as it builds to a terrifying climax....

Beverley Eikli’s concise, smooth, and subtle writing reveals characters and their motivations with a style that makes Lady Farquhar's Butterfly fascinating—a thoroughly enjoyable, page-turner of a tale."

RED ROSES FOR AUTHORS gave me 5 Stars, a Red Roses for Authors award and this lovely review.

LADY FARQUHAR’S BUTTERFLY

BY

BEVERLEY EIKLI

This Regency romance is staged in the year of 1816. Lady Olivia Farquhar had been married unhappily to a sadistic rake, who had made her act in a way that had both disgusted and terrified her. To please his lustful friends and entertain them ,she was made to dance in very flimsy clothes and display a butterfly which she had tattooed in a very private place. Her only friend and confident seemed to be her husband’s religious mentor the Reverend Kirkman, who treated her with care and tender understanding. He was the only person she felt she could turn to, when beaten and abused by her cruel husband.

Now that she was widowed she still had no peace, her husband had condemned her in his will as an adulterous wife who was not fit to bring up her young son Julian, so he had willed the little boy to be brought up by his cousin Max Atherton. Max was a war hero back from the peninsular campaign and knew nothing of Olivia, except what his cousin had said of her, as they had never met.

Unfortunately the Reverend Kirkman seemed to take it for granted that now Olivia was a widow she would marry him and under his protection she could regain both her son and her place in society. But he had changed since her husband’s death he had become very possessive and demanding and Olivia was frightened of him, fearing that life with him would be just as terrifying as it was with her late husband, or even worse.

Olivia’s aunt Eunice Dingley, who had known how bad Olivia’s marriage was to Lord Farquhar, knew that to marry the Reverend Kirkman would be a dreadful mistake too, was trying to persuade Olivia to pretend to meet Max Atherton accidently, by falling off her horse on his land.

Reluctantly Olivia agreed to carry out her aunt’s plan and while riding on the land belonging to Mr Atherton, a bad storm suddenly raged and her horse was frightened she fell in the field. Luckily Max found the frightened horse as he rode to his house, so he began search for the rider. Finding her semi conscious he jumped down from his horse and bent over her. A sudden clap of thunder sent his own horse bolting for home and he was forced to carry Olivia to his home.

Max was very concerned for Olivia and obviously attracted to her and if she only dared to tell him the truth maybe he would believe her story, but she dare not trust him and so a web of lies began to be spun.

Will Olivia be able to trust Max before it is too late? And if she does will he believe her, or will the Reverend Kirkman win and make her his wife. So many lies stand between Olivia and happiness ,can true love really happen for her against all odds. Have fun reading this Romance and learning Olivia’s fate, I am sure you will enjoy her story. I award this book.5 red Roses.AS