#CINDERS AND SAPPHIRES SERIES#

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#CINDERS AND SAPPHIRES SERIES#

This is an excellent series opener and I look forward to more from Somerton. Betrayals, backstabbing, and blackmail are par for the course as wealthy and poor alike scramble for power. The myriad of scandals and secrets made it impossible to put this books down. This is pretty much an attempt to start a trend in YA literature, and it mostly succeeds in that task. Rasheed successfully showcases the complex relationship between the ruling class and the people who served them. Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed My rating: 3 of 5 stars Probably closer to a 3.5 overall. This deliciously scandalous novel offers a glimpse into the social and political environment of England as the British Empire begins its slow collapse. While rivalries and jealousies among the ladies’ maids threaten to destroy the families they serve, one valet desperately tries to prevent the ruin of his master. Ada is not the only one at the estate adjusting to changes and keeping secrets. Matters are complicated further by the arrival of Lady Templeton, Lord Westlake’s new bride, and her three teenaged children. /rebates/2fip2fAt-Somerton-Cinders-Sapphires-At-Somerton-Hardcover-97814231711712f21102290&. Flexiclaw - Ruby Weapon plunges its elongated claws into the ground once more, followed by Ravensclaw, causing eight cracks to travel in cardinal and inter-cardinal directions just like earlier, except this time, Ruby Weapon will follow-up with Liquefaction or Undermine (whichever was NOT randomly cast beforehand). She has fallen for a man who would make a most unsuitable match and she harbors dreams of attending Oxford. Cinders and Sapphires (At Somerton) by Leila Rasheed Review Check out the summary online by looking up: Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed 1.5 out of 5 stars This is the first novel that I have read from Rasheed, and I am certain that I will not read the sequel/series that comes after this novel. She is currently more concerned with her own scandalous secrets.

Lady Ava is aware that her father, Lord Westlake, has left his government post in disgrace, though she is not aware of the details. The wait has also been eased by reading Cinders and Sapphires, the first book in a new series by Leila Rasheed.Ĭinders and Sapphires (At Somerton #1) by Leila RasheedĪfter nearly a decade in India, the Averley family is returning to England to take up residence in their ancestral home, Somerton. January 6 is practically around the corner (18 days)! I have begun to rewatch the first two seasons, which have just added to my excitement. (Jan.The countdown to the US premier of Downton Abbey season 3 has begun. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency. Scheming and secrets drive a plot with largely shallow players (Ada’s other love interest, Lord Fintan, is an exception), but fans of historical romances like the Luxe series and shows like Downton Abbey will look forward to the next book. British author Rasheed brings a dizzying number of characters and subplots together skillfully in this first book in the At Somerton series, mixing standard upstairs/downstairs fare with clashes involving sexuality, scandal, love triangles, and murder. She also has a new, 16-year-old maid, Rose, a girl with her own secrets as well as aspirations that go beyond her current station.

At Somerton, Ada’s father remarries, and Ada contends with her new stepfamily, including a mean stepmother and rival stepsister. Ada’s first season is approaching, but she dreams of attending Oxford, at a time when the higher education of women is frowned upon. On board, she meets a cute but common Indian boy, Ravi Sundaresan, and they steal a clandestine kiss. In the spring of 1910, Lady Ava Averley sails from colonial India to her family’s English estate at Somerton Court.

Cinders and sapphires