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Book Review By L. Watson
My Sweet Folly by Laura Kinsale

Folie Hamilton began a correspondence with her husband's cousin, Robert Cambourne, who is living in India. The letters eased her loneliness and she found her correspondent charming and witty. Deep affection grew as they wrote each other until Robert abruptly ends the relationship, writing to Folie that he has been unhappily married and his wife has died.

Five years later, Folie's husband has died and Robert is guardian to Melinda, Folie's step-daughter. He returns to England and demands Folie and Melinda live with him. Folie only sees little glimpses of the charming witty man whom she had fallen in love with through his letters. Robert is now embittered, reclusive and paranoid, but when he begs Folie not to leave him and to marry him, she agrees.

She knows that Robert's first marriage was a disaster and makes her wonder if it has driven him mad. But Folie sees enough of the old Robert from time to time that she cannot help but love him even if it seems he is incapable of loving her in return. Robert clings to Folie as the only source of goodness in his life. He must face his guilt and fears about his role in his first wife's death and her incestuous relations with her father before he can love Folie and accept her love.


Plot & Themes
Time/era of story
Inner struggle subplot Yes
Struggle with...
If one lover chases another... - she chases after him

Main Male Character
Profession/status:
Unusual characteristics?

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Misc setting - Fancy Mansion

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related? - 80%
How explicit is the sex? - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - actual description of sex
Focus of story - equally on him and her
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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