Book Review: The Second Footman by Jasper Barry #Blogtour #rachelsrandomresources

Blogtour – Tuesday 31st July

A big hello to all you followers! Thanks for coming aboard this stop of this fantastic blogtour.

When I opened the ‘jiffy-bag’ to see this book enclosed, my eyes almost popped out of my head!

The vast amount of pages almost had me running for the hills….’how on earth was i going to get through this book in the time that I had between blogtours and reviews that I had scheduled??’

I needn’t have worried though, as two or three chapters in and I was hooked. I love the fact that it is set in 19th century France and enjoyed the rich, deep descriptions which enriched my senses and allowed me to immerse myself completely in the aristocratic world that pours from the pages.

I loved finding out that this book is the first of a trilogy! I look forward to reading more about Max and Armand de Miremont, who despite the differing worlds they occupy, find themselves drawn to one another.

A big Thank you must go to Rachel’s Random Resources and Jasper Barry who invited me on this tour!

Every bit of me wants to tell you what I truly thought of this book, but first lets see a bit about the talented author who brought these characters to life.

The Author

Jasper Barry graduated from Cambridge with a degree in English and has worked in
advertising, then in journalism. Jasper lives in London with too many books and three
obstreperous cats.

Social Media Links –

http://jasperbarry.co.uk

https://twitter.com/jasperbarry2?lang=en

https://www.facebook.com/jasper.barry.1

About the Book

Nineteen year-old Max is the duchesse de Claireville’s second footman, but he does not intend to endure the indignities of service for long. He has a plan-to find an aristocratic patron who will become his unwitting accomplice in an audacious fraud. It is true that in 1880s’ France, despite nearly a century of revolution and social turmoil, the aristocracy is still firmly entrenched in privilege, and the gulf between the salon and the servants’ hall is as wide as ever.

But Max is handsome, quick to learn and confident of his abilities as a seducer of both men and women. Whether ladling soup into noble plates beneath crystal chandeliers, or reading biographies of the great generals in his squalid footman’s dormitory, he is planning his strategy.

He, Max, is the man of the future – ruthless, above morality and sentimental attachments. Yet, when, after a couple of false starts, he at last acquires his patron, he finds himself ambushed by instinctive longings-for friendship, for affection-that threaten his grand plan. ‘Be true to yourself…’ the saying goes. But to which self? And what is ‘truth’?

My Review

This book pulled me in from the very start…from the rich dialogue, interesting characters and fantastic setting, I loved every page that I read. It was deep and beautiful in the way that it was written and I adored the aristocratic feel. Everything about the text was interesting and enthralling. I enjoyed reading about the mysterious Max; delving deeper into his personality as I read further; and I especially love the deep connection he develops with the ‘older’ gentleman, Armand de Miremont.

The love scenes between these characters were delicately done and came across quite sweet as the two characters tried to keep their feelings for one another under wraps. A romance between two gentleman in this era was not unheard of but was most definitely frowned upon and this book touched on the subject with sensitivity. I felt and believed the connection that they had and enjoyed the deep dialogue that was swapped between them both.

I don’t want to give too much away about this book, even though I want to. Lets just say that even though on first sight this appears to be a very long book, then I found I wanted more once I turned the last page. The next of these books will definitely be added to my TBR list! I look forward to seeing how these characters progress.

This was a very beautiful, creative and interesting read. It was heartfelt in its approach and I loved the storyline. I would very much recommend this book.

Conclusion

Put down what you are reading and come and give this one ago! It is a fantastic read and really pulls you deep into the middle of 19th Century France! A Great read!

Rating – 4 out of 5 stars!

Thanks for reading all.

If you would like to see more reviews about this book, please check out the other blogtours below.