Twenty years after being turned down by Viola Kingsley, Marcel Lamarr, Marquess Of Dorchester, meets her again at a country inn. Viola’s world has been turned upside down since she discovered her marriage was illegal, and her children are illegitimate. The pair decide to run away together to escape their current dissatisfaction with life.
Viola is particularly unhappy with her situation in life when she recognises Marcel:
“Now he made her feel old…and weary. As though life had passed her by and now it was too late to live it.”
In general the story moves along at a steady pace. The pair begin an affair, but the heat level is low. There’s lots of emotional depth and self discovery, and long discussions their about their life and feelings. There’s not much tension or conflict.
Both Viola and Marcel have large extended families. There are so many hands thrown into the mix it is impossible to keep track of who is who, or related to whom. There are at least twenty secondary characters, which is just too many to keep a comfortable grasp on at times. In one chapter, I felt like random names were being thrown at me, and I couldn’t put a face to them, or connect them to anyone else.
The second half of the book is full of rambling internal conflict. I became exasperated with both characters as they continued to moan about how they cannot marry, but clung to the excuse that they must do so under duress, for the sake of others. It drags out the plot unnecessarily. I got to a point where I just wanted it to wind up so I could finish the book.
Well written, if meandering, Someone to Care does have some pleasing reflections on life, and human needs and desires. It’s just a bit lacking in tension and action for my liking. However, it is packed with emotional introspection, if you like that sort of thing.
Plot: ⭐️⭐️
Feels: ⭐️⭐️
Sensuality: ⭐️⭐️
Overall: ⭐️⭐️
