Natalie Meg Evans’ award winning first novel THE DRESS
THIEF made a huge impression on me when it first came out in 2014. I bought it during my stay in Paris that same
year. I can still see myself in the late
hours of the night devouring every word of this glamourous tale of a girl who
wants to make it big in the haute couture world during the 1930s and does but
with big consequences. It was the
perfect book for a perfect trip. Fast
forward it to 2016 and voilà, a third novel called A GOWN OF THORNS (Bookouture). It’s actually more of a novella (around 250 pages) but who gives a flying whoop as
long as it delivers the goods, and it does but with a few minuses along the
way.
Our heroine this time around is twentysomething Shauna
who finds herself in the southwest of France in the middle of summer taking
care of two little brats (not really, but never have been keen on children)
while brooding about a perfect biomedical position she had been passed over in
London. While exploring the majestic Chateau
and vineyards of Chemignac, she finds herself in a tower one day where she
discovers and slips into a beautiful vintage silk gown, which unleashes a chain
of events that eventually catches up with her.
Add a hunky master of the vineyards, an English manipulative rival, an ill-tempered
old fool, and a subplot involving the ravage of WWII and you’ve got yourself
one well-written and thoroughly researched treat that also holds a touch of the
supernatural.
The first thing that came to mind while reading this piece
of fiction is how gothic it all played out: an abandoned tower, a presence in
the window, strange noises… Suffice to
say, it got my tail wagging. But what really got me super-excited is the flashback
subplot involving Yvonne, the English spy secretly hidden in that same tower during
WWII’s invasion of the Nazis in France.
Her attraction to Henri the land owner (hunky’s granddad), her
relationship with her wounded colleagues (also hidden) and the discovery of the
pivotal gown make for a far more fascinating read. So much so that she could easily have been
the author’s main heroine. And
fortunately, she does become so during the book second half. Well almost.
We still get to follow all the
drama involving Shauna in the present-day. As much engaging as it is already, it’s
Yvonne’s storyline that really gives A
GOWN OF THORNS its strength.
Moreover, though there is a lot packed into one book
(a hundred pages more would have been just perfect), the overall delivery is as
addictive, if not the perfect antidote to all of those just too long-winded
tales that never give up—sort of like this sentence.
Natalie Meg Evans newest oeuvre is a cross between
Susan Isaacs’ SHINING THROUGH, TV’s Gossip
Girl, and every gothic romance novel of the ‘70s. You’ll definitely want to jump into the story
of love, revenge, and heroism. And as a
bonus, you’ll also get a crash course in wine-making and WWII. So
dig in and ride the wave of past and present settings and discover what it
really feels like to be caught in A GOWN OF THORNS.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance
to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Until next post—Martin
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