Not entirely likeable. The hero was a bit too much of a rake, the heroine too colorless. My favourite character was Henry, who died before the book began. Not a good sign.. ( )

Judith Ivory offers here what seem to me a pair of very original characters that allow her to deftly play with many of the conventions of genre and romance, unraveling fictions within fictions that are interesting to tease out. It is mostly for this reason that I liked the book. Such metatextual convolutions come about partly through the heroine, Submit's own foray into authorship, and the hero Graham's grappling with invented identities in his search for something genuinely himself - he's a celebrity in this Victorian society, a renowned "rake" plagued by the stereotype and his wild past. He's been brought into the public eye through, among other venues, the stage, the law courts, and the pages of magazine serials. Submit, though practically Graham's opposite in her absence from society, is also something of a creation herself, having been married at a young and malleable age to a much older man, an academian who was as much mentor as husband. She's widowed at the outset of the book, and her husband remains a shadowy, ambiguous figure forever a forceful, sometimes disturbing presence in the narrative, haunting both hero and heroine in their numerous, sparring encounters.

Graham is also involved with his mistress at the outset - a colorful character who's so much more than "the other woman." I thought she was one of the most interesting, sympathetic aspects of the book, and really got the short end of the stick. I couldn't help thinking, a bit uncharitably, that Graham wasn't good enough for her anyway.

As for the main characters themselves, they are human in the fullest sense of the word - flaws and all. I didn't necessarily *like* either of them, but for the purposes of enjoying the story, I don't think that really mattered, as strange as it sounds. They are both drawn with such depth that their developments and struggles are fascinating to follow (though Graham and his personal growth is more the focus than Submit's.) I was kind of angry at one plot contrivance at the end - it made me almost hate Submit and question whether either of them had really worked free of the forces shaping and manipulating them in their search for self-determination, with love as the reward. (But then again, maybe Ivory wanted to eschew such a pat ending?) Despite this qualm, I'd say Black Silk is a very well written romance. Judith Ivory has delivered another complex, compelling story that leaves me thinking long after I've read it. It's a different kind of romance, but don't let this deviation from formula deter you. This was a very rewarding read, and I only wish the ending had been a little different. ( )

~ Convoluted and meandering story that left me unsatisfied; hero and heroine were great together but couldn't save the book (2 stars) ~

Judith Ivory is an interesting historical romance author who writes books that are different from many of the other ones you find in the genre; she by no means follows the traditional cookie-cutter plot or character-cast. I found that though BLACK SILK had redeeming qualities - the hero and heroine characters and their relationship - they were not enough to save the book (a good romance doesn't make up for 446 pages of a book when most of those pages feel unrelated to the central love story). Note it's not a regency romance and takes place in 1858.

CONS:
I found the age gap of 43 years between Submit and her dead husband disturbing. I know relationships like that do occur and not always for gold-digging reasons, but the fact that she married Henry on her 16th birthday and they started having marital relations then ... it just didn't sit well with me. (If you're wondering, when the book takes place Submit is 28 and Graham is 38). I was also bothered by Graham's (non-existent) relationship with his two children, whom we only learn of on pg. 206 (in addition to the fact that he was previously married) and discover are 13-year-old twins on pg. 286.

The plot was convoluted and could have been so much better if there was more focus on Graham, Submit, and their developing friendship/attraction. There were random components of the book (children above being one example) - items, histories/pasts, characters - that were brought in but didn't contribute anything, were not fully explored, or were dispensed with easily and quickly while leaving you wondering why they were included to begin with. The book was like a ball of yarn full of knots that you're trying to unravel; every time you think you have it all sorted out you find another knot, every time you think you've found the beginning piece, you pull it out to find that it's just a scrap, disconnected from the rest of the skein. The last contrivance involving Gerald Schild was completely unnecessary and the ending - or rather how it was written - was not very satisfying.

PROS:
Ivory excels at writing great chemistry and this is one area in which she didn't fail here. Graham and Submit don't have their first physical encounter until close to the end of the book, but their relationship up till that point still sizzles and there is a definite rapport between them. Their developing friendship and romance is what makes me so disappointed to have to give this book such a poor rating; I looked forward to each of their interactions and found them so enjoyable - the kind that make you reread some of the lines or page back to read the scene over before continuing on with the book. There weren't enough of these scenes though, which added to the letdown. Also concerning the two main characters, I'm a sucker for books where the heroine is unusual and not necessarily beautiful, but the hero sees in her something that most others do not.

NOTE about Graham's lover:
Rosalyn Schild is Graham's (married) lover; they've been together for about 6 months and have a relationship throughout almost all of the book. I absolutely hate infidelity - in real life and reading about it - and normally don't even like to read historical romances where a character has had a happy marriage before, so it surprised me that her inclusion didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Know that the character does exist though, for any of you who might consider this a turn-off.

BOTTOM LINE:
Don't waste your time unless Ivory decides to do a rewrite. Instead, read THE PROPOSITION by Judith Ivory, which is one of my *favorite* historical romances of all time (and since I've read about 300+, that is definitely saying something)!!!

(http://historical-romance-heaven.blog...) ( )

Didn't finish it ( )