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jackiehorne's review against another edition
3.0
When I requested this ARC from Netgalley, I didn't realize that DEARLY BELOVED was a reissue of a previously published title (and one that I'd already read!). Originally published in 1990, the book has a second copyright of 2019, which suggests some updating was done for this reissue. But I didn't have a copy of the first, and so couldn't make a comparison.
The story seems very much in that transitional Mary Jo Putney vein: her old-skool hero, Gervase, does something at the start of the story that today's readers will mostly find irredeemable. Such actions were not uncommon for 70s and 80s historical romance heroes, alas. What Putney does is give the hero psychological background and baggage to explain said behavior, to make him more sympathetic to readers. In the 90s', that technique worked. In 2018, post #metoo, not so much.
Our heroine is Diana, a widow who rescues a woman from a winter storm, a woman who turns out to be an ex-courtesan. After a year of living with Maddy, Diana gets up her courage and asks her about how she came to be a "woman of ill repute," and what it was like to live such a life. It's clear that Putney has drawn on actual historical accounts (Harriette Wilson makes a cameo appearance in the story), as Maddy talks about both the upsides and downsides of the profession, especially the influence some mistresses of higher ranked men wielded, and the intellectual atmosphere of their salons. Diana, whose past life & scandals we don't hear much about, except that "even the most modest of respectable marriages was out of her grasp," is intrigued by the idea of going to London and seeing if she can find a modicum of power herself, since all of her life she's been the victim of men. She isn't vengeful, though; no, what she wants is to find "one man, one who would love and protect her in spit of her past, one who could initiate her into the profane, earthly delights that Madeline had described." I remember being pleased by how sexually curious and accepting of sexual longings Putney was when I first read this book, back in 2010, and I still appreciate that aspect of the story.
In London, during her first night on the "market," Diana meets Gervase, and the two are immediately drawn to one another. In wonderful Putney style, the two spar verbally as Gervase attempts to convince Diana to become his mistress, and Diana insists on getting to know him before taking any such step. And Gervase accidentally encounters Diana's young son, and becomes friends with him. The problems come when each of their pasts comes back to haunt their burgeoning romance, and each (especially Diana) responds in ways that aren't likely to endear them to readers, never mind to one another.
I applaud Putney's efforts to tackle issues of sexual trauma, and to evoke empathy for both its victims and its perpetrators. But this storyline feels better left back in the 1990s than brought forward to 2019.
The story seems very much in that transitional Mary Jo Putney vein: her old-skool hero, Gervase, does something at the start of the story that today's readers will mostly find irredeemable
Spoiler
he rapes (or, in older terms, inflicts forced sex on) Mary, the young girl into whose inn bedroom he mistakenly fumbles and is forced to marryOur heroine is Diana, a widow who rescues a woman from a winter storm, a woman who turns out to be an ex-courtesan. After a year of living with Maddy, Diana gets up her courage and asks her about how she came to be a "woman of ill repute," and what it was like to live such a life. It's clear that Putney has drawn on actual historical accounts (Harriette Wilson makes a cameo appearance in the story), as Maddy talks about both the upsides and downsides of the profession, especially the influence some mistresses of higher ranked men wielded, and the intellectual atmosphere of their salons. Diana, whose past life & scandals we don't hear much about, except that "even the most modest of respectable marriages was out of her grasp," is intrigued by the idea of going to London and seeing if she can find a modicum of power herself, since all of her life she's been the victim of men. She isn't vengeful, though; no, what she wants is to find "one man, one who would love and protect her in spit of her past, one who could initiate her into the profane, earthly delights that Madeline had described." I remember being pleased by how sexually curious and accepting of sexual longings Putney was when I first read this book, back in 2010, and I still appreciate that aspect of the story.
In London, during her first night on the "market," Diana meets Gervase, and the two are immediately drawn to one another. In wonderful Putney style, the two spar verbally as Gervase attempts to convince Diana to become his mistress, and Diana insists on getting to know him before taking any such step. And Gervase accidentally encounters Diana's young son, and becomes friends with him. The problems come when each of their pasts comes back to haunt their burgeoning romance, and each (especially Diana) responds in ways that aren't likely to endear them to readers, never mind to one another.
I applaud Putney's efforts to tackle issues of sexual trauma, and to evoke empathy for both its victims and its perpetrators. But this storyline feels better left back in the 1990s than brought forward to 2019.
hookedbythatbook's review against another edition
2.0
Here we meet Gervase Brandelin, with a terrible secret, and Diana Lindsay, with secrets of her own. Diana is tired of hiding away and wants to experience passion with a man. She meets a woman who is a courtesan, and decides to take up this lifestyle to find her freedom. Gervase meets her at her first public appearance, and immediately decides that he must have her. And in the midst of their budding relationship, Gervase is searching for a notorious spy.
This book has quite a shocking start and does not give a very good first impression of Gervase Brandelin. And to be honest, I didn’t really warm up to him further on either. He is quite cold and reserved, except when he is with Diana. She brings out a different part of him. That more passionate part just wasn’t enough for me to redeem the rest of him. He is constantly shifting moods, and Diana never really knows how he is going to be at any specific time. He is also suspicious of her and generally thinks the worst of her actions before he realizes his mistake and tries to make amends.
Diana has already experienced a lot in her life until she made the decision to become a courtesan herself. But she is very naïve about this new world she finds herself in. She did however take her time before succumbing to Gervase’s charms.
The unfolding relationship between Gervase and Diana was interesting to read, and kept me wondering where all of this is going. I enjoyed the writing style, but really couldn’t find myself liking either Gervase or Diana very much. The bulk of their relationship was built on a lie. And when Diana finally revealed her secret to Gervase, it felt a bit too late.
This book has quite a shocking start and does not give a very good first impression of Gervase Brandelin. And to be honest, I didn’t really warm up to him further on either. He is quite cold and reserved, except when he is with Diana. She brings out a different part of him. That more passionate part just wasn’t enough for me to redeem the rest of him. He is constantly shifting moods, and Diana never really knows how he is going to be at any specific time. He is also suspicious of her and generally thinks the worst of her actions before he realizes his mistake and tries to make amends.
Diana has already experienced a lot in her life until she made the decision to become a courtesan herself. But she is very naïve about this new world she finds herself in. She did however take her time before succumbing to Gervase’s charms.
The unfolding relationship between Gervase and Diana was interesting to read, and kept me wondering where all of this is going. I enjoyed the writing style, but really couldn’t find myself liking either Gervase or Diana very much. The bulk of their relationship was built on a lie. And when Diana finally revealed her secret to Gervase, it felt a bit too late.
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
4.0
Good book about two emotionally wounded people. It opens with a young Gervase who, in a moment of drunken idiocy, compromises a young woman. He retains enough of his gentleman's code to marry the girl but also takes revenge for what he sees as entrapment. Devastated when he realizes the truth, he takes steps to care for the girl, yet also to avoid ever having to see her again.
I will say that Gervase did not endear himself to me in these opening pages. He was selfish, thoughtless, and cruel. I wasn't sure that he was at all redeemable. He is rightfully haunted by what he did, which drives him to find ways to ease his conscience. When the story resumes eight years later, Gervase is back in England after inheriting the title and continuing his service to England. He is emotionally closed off, allowing no one past the walls around his heart. So he is surprised and dismayed by the strength of his attraction to London's newest courtesan.
When we first meet Diana, she and her son and a friend live in a cottage in Yorkshire. It is the middle of winter, and during a vicious snowstorm, she rescues a woman who was a former courtesan. After nursing Maddy back to health, they become friends. Diana discovers that the stories Maddy tells appeal to the restlessness she feels. Something tells her that if she takes up that life, maybe she will find the love that she craves. But the man she is most drawn to is the least likely to give her what she needs.
The development of the relationship between Diana and Gervase is a rollercoaster of emotions. Both are wary of the strength of their attraction and the depth of the connection they feel. Gervase is a man whose trust in women was destroyed long ago in a most devastating way. He is determined to protect himself and uses that distrust like a shield. Though part of him wants to believe in Diana's goodness and the happiness he feels when he is with her, his skepticism is never far away. Diana is frequently overwhelmed by the strength of her feelings for Gervase, but also fears that giving in to those feelings without an equal return will cause her to lose sight of her own needs.
This is not a fast-paced romance. Instead, Gervase and Diana spend time together over many months, both in bed and out of it. I liked seeing Gervase slowly begin to exhibit his emotions. I especially enjoyed his connection with Diana's son. There were some pretty sweet scenes between them. However, Gervase's demons still made frequent appearances, most notably in his outbursts of jealousy. Diana is not free of her own issues. There are parts of her past that she needs to share with him, but she's afraid that it will drive him away. The longer she puts it off, the harder it becomes. When matters come to the points where both reveal their pasts, it is just as bad as she feared. Both of them frustrated me because of their attitudes. Diana made some excellent points about Gervase's actions, and I liked that he accepted the truth of them and sought to make changes. But she wasn't free of guilt herself, and the way she revealed her past only made things worse. Everything she said ran up against Gervase's fears and beliefs, causing him to believe the worst of her. I wondered how they could ever get past the things that were said and done.
Gervase did his usual shove everything he didn't want to think of behind a locked door in his mind and tried to lose himself in work. On the other hand, Diana still didn't give up hope that they could overcome it all and have that future she dreamed of. I enjoyed her arrival at the house party, and the after-dinner scene was marvelous. I loved how she handled herself and turned things her way. I still wanted to shake Gervase for his blindness and loved seeing his cousin tear into him. But it took nearly losing her for Gervase to finally let down his walls and allow Diana into his heart.
Running through the book was also an element of suspense. As a spymaster, Gervase actively works to help Britain in its efforts to bring down Napoleon. There is one particular French spy that he is determined to stop if he could only get the proof needed. This particular spy also has an unhealthy interest in Diana. The depth of his depravity and his determination to have Diana are another element of tension throughout the book. The final confrontation with him was a nail-biter and I genuinely feared for the safety of both Diana and Gervase. The way the spy was brought down was poetic justice and extremely satisfying.
I will say that Gervase did not endear himself to me in these opening pages. He was selfish, thoughtless, and cruel. I wasn't sure that he was at all redeemable. He is rightfully haunted by what he did, which drives him to find ways to ease his conscience. When the story resumes eight years later, Gervase is back in England after inheriting the title and continuing his service to England. He is emotionally closed off, allowing no one past the walls around his heart. So he is surprised and dismayed by the strength of his attraction to London's newest courtesan.
When we first meet Diana, she and her son and a friend live in a cottage in Yorkshire. It is the middle of winter, and during a vicious snowstorm, she rescues a woman who was a former courtesan. After nursing Maddy back to health, they become friends. Diana discovers that the stories Maddy tells appeal to the restlessness she feels. Something tells her that if she takes up that life, maybe she will find the love that she craves. But the man she is most drawn to is the least likely to give her what she needs.
The development of the relationship between Diana and Gervase is a rollercoaster of emotions. Both are wary of the strength of their attraction and the depth of the connection they feel. Gervase is a man whose trust in women was destroyed long ago in a most devastating way. He is determined to protect himself and uses that distrust like a shield. Though part of him wants to believe in Diana's goodness and the happiness he feels when he is with her, his skepticism is never far away. Diana is frequently overwhelmed by the strength of her feelings for Gervase, but also fears that giving in to those feelings without an equal return will cause her to lose sight of her own needs.
This is not a fast-paced romance. Instead, Gervase and Diana spend time together over many months, both in bed and out of it. I liked seeing Gervase slowly begin to exhibit his emotions. I especially enjoyed his connection with Diana's son. There were some pretty sweet scenes between them. However, Gervase's demons still made frequent appearances, most notably in his outbursts of jealousy. Diana is not free of her own issues. There are parts of her past that she needs to share with him, but she's afraid that it will drive him away. The longer she puts it off, the harder it becomes. When matters come to the points where both reveal their pasts, it is just as bad as she feared. Both of them frustrated me because of their attitudes. Diana made some excellent points about Gervase's actions, and I liked that he accepted the truth of them and sought to make changes. But she wasn't free of guilt herself, and the way she revealed her past only made things worse. Everything she said ran up against Gervase's fears and beliefs, causing him to believe the worst of her. I wondered how they could ever get past the things that were said and done.
Gervase did his usual shove everything he didn't want to think of behind a locked door in his mind and tried to lose himself in work. On the other hand, Diana still didn't give up hope that they could overcome it all and have that future she dreamed of. I enjoyed her arrival at the house party, and the after-dinner scene was marvelous. I loved how she handled herself and turned things her way. I still wanted to shake Gervase for his blindness and loved seeing his cousin tear into him. But it took nearly losing her for Gervase to finally let down his walls and allow Diana into his heart.
Running through the book was also an element of suspense. As a spymaster, Gervase actively works to help Britain in its efforts to bring down Napoleon. There is one particular French spy that he is determined to stop if he could only get the proof needed. This particular spy also has an unhealthy interest in Diana. The depth of his depravity and his determination to have Diana are another element of tension throughout the book. The final confrontation with him was a nail-biter and I genuinely feared for the safety of both Diana and Gervase. The way the spy was brought down was poetic justice and extremely satisfying.
nicolesa's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jen2499's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy of the book from the publisher through goodreads.
Like others there are conflicting emotions for the book. Parts of the books are very dark & it is a story of redemption for the hero & how the heroine has been able to let go of hatred. I also like how she dealt with seizures for a child.
Like others there are conflicting emotions for the book. Parts of the books are very dark & it is a story of redemption for the hero & how the heroine has been able to let go of hatred. I also like how she dealt with seizures for a child.
freemajo's review against another edition
1.0
This book starts off with the "hero" drunkenly raping the 15 year old heroine, and culminates in her (9 years later) telling him that she knew he couldn't have been a bad person because their resulting child was so sweet along with a declaration that she's glad that he raped her and wouldn't have changed anything about their initial encounter.
TRASH.
TRASH.
lianareadsblog's review against another edition
5.0
Over the years i’ve read more than 20 books by the author and of course I had to read this one as well.
As usual, the story is so engaging that you won’t want to put it down till you finish reading it. Yes, it’s old school and of course there are things happening that we don’t agree nowadays but bare in mind that it is a historical romance story and it does touch the time settings with everything that happened then.
I loved the writing as always, I loved the characters and moreover because they weren’t high ranking and their love story deserved the time and heartbreaking moments because no real love will go untouched by obstacles and heartbreaking past or situations.
I always recommend the author’s books to my friends.
As usual, the story is so engaging that you won’t want to put it down till you finish reading it. Yes, it’s old school and of course there are things happening that we don’t agree nowadays but bare in mind that it is a historical romance story and it does touch the time settings with everything that happened then.
I loved the writing as always, I loved the characters and moreover because they weren’t high ranking and their love story deserved the time and heartbreaking moments because no real love will go untouched by obstacles and heartbreaking past or situations.
I always recommend the author’s books to my friends.
ohthesheenanigans's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 Stars)
Title: Dearly Beloved
Author(s): Mary Jo Putney
Character(s):
― Diana Lindsay: 24-25 years old, Brunette, Blue Eyed
― Gervase Brandelin: 31 years old, Gray Eyed
Setting: London, England
Tag(s): Romance, Historical
Content Rating: R
POV: Third Person
Smexy Level: Hot
Favorite Quote(s):
― “A woman as beautiful as you could become truly powerful if she chose to.”
Overall Opinion:
An overall pleasant experience reading this historical romance filled with twists and turns I wasn't expecting and it was definitely worth the read. The characters were well executed and the storyline had me interested from the get-go. The only downside to reading "Dearly Beloved" was how long the read was and how it could have easily ended sooner than it original had but that didn't taken away from the read.
taisie22's review against another edition
4.0
Diana Lindsey is raising her young son in the countryside of Yorkshire when she rescues a woman lost in a snowstorm. It turns out the woman is a courtesan; her lifestyle intrigues Diana who feels that being ruined doesn't allow for a future marriage. They go to London where Diana meets Gervase Brandelin, Viscount St Aubyn, and current spymaster for the English against Napoleon. She becomes his mistress, but they are both harboring deep secrets. And there's danger from a French spy who wants to destroy them both.
This is a reprint from 1990, one of Ms. Putney's older books. It's a very dark book with rape, incest, and other scenes that will disturb some readers. It's also a story about redemption for two damaged souls. It is hard to like both characters at first. I didn't really get Diana's need to become a courtesan, and Gervase is a hard man, cold and unlikeable. As the book goes on, the reader realizes that Diana is driven by a strong belief in fate. Gervase unbends, though it takes him quite a while.
The story is a bit soap-opera ish (the villain especially), but Ms. Putney is a compelling writer who takes the reader into the story, even if one's stomach is a bit queasy in places.
This is a reprint from 1990, one of Ms. Putney's older books. It's a very dark book with rape, incest, and other scenes that will disturb some readers. It's also a story about redemption for two damaged souls. It is hard to like both characters at first. I didn't really get Diana's need to become a courtesan, and Gervase is a hard man, cold and unlikeable. As the book goes on, the reader realizes that Diana is driven by a strong belief in fate. Gervase unbends, though it takes him quite a while.
The story is a bit soap-opera ish (the villain especially), but Ms. Putney is a compelling writer who takes the reader into the story, even if one's stomach is a bit queasy in places.
emmalita's review against another edition
1.0
Someone decided it would be a good idea to re-release Mary Jo Putney’s debut novel, Dearly Beloved. They were wrong. It was not a good idea. This book should be put in the archives and only brought out as a bad example. I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is dark and full of spoilers.
Content warning – rape, sexual assault, internalized misogyny, verbal and emotional abuse
Here is the plot, with spoilers. Gervase Brandelin, Viscount St. Aubyn is at an inn in Scotland. He drinks too much. He thinks he is going to an assignation with a bar maid (who had invited him) but ends up in bed with a young woman named Mary. Mary’s father bursts in on them and forces them to get married. Gervase then rapes his new wife, who is terrified. He decides she is probably a simpleton rather than a whore, but abandons her anyway, leaving her with directions to apply to his banker for an annual income and a threat that if she ever comes to London or tries to contact him, he will rescind his financial support. He feels bad about the whole thing, so he runs away to India. Years later, the most beautiful, innocent looking woman in the whole of England, Diana Lindsey, is raising her son out in the country. She decided to go to London to be a courtesan, because she is bored and wants her son to be around more people. Her friend the retired courtesan introduces her to the courtesan scene. On Diana’s first night out, she meets Gervase and they are instantly attracted to one another despite the fact that his face is the one she sees in her nightmares, and he thinks she’s a whore. Diana is Mary, her father had drugged her and she had no idea what was happening that night at the inn. Diana enters into a sexual relationship with her husband/rapist/father of her child without telling him that he is any of those things. He is randomly sneering and suspicious of her because he thinks she is a whore and distrusts all women. When he finds out that she is his wife/victim/mother of his secret child, it confirms that she was the deceitful whore he had always suspected. They have more than one altercation in which no matter what Diana does or says, Gervase is angry and verbally abusive. Another man tries to rape and murder Diana and Gervase suddenly realizes he does trust and love her after all. Diana’s love was so pure it fixed everything.
Gervase Brandelin is emotionally and verbally abusive. The normalization of his behavior is awful. The message that the Diana’s love and gentleness could overcome Gervase’s scorn for women and turn him into a gentle and trusting partner is gross and dangerous. Gervase thinks of, or calls, Diana a whore a lot. I didn’t count, but it happened A LOT. He lashes out at Diana at the merest hint that she is untrustworthy. Why does he lash out? Because he is in pain – his mother sexually abused him, and he carries terrible burden of guilt he feels for raping his teenaged wife. Over and over again, his pain is used to excuse his behavior. When Diana gets angry at him, as any normal human would, not only does Gervase use her anger as a weapon against her, she views her anger as evidence that she herself is not perfect. Everything Gervase does should be considered a red flag and a deal breaker.
This is one of the books people who don’t read romance are talking about when they are surprised by consent in romance. Dearly Beloved was originally published in 1990. I read it sometime between 1990 – 1992, when I was in college. It was not my favorite book, and I wasn’t a fan of rape as a plot device, but I don’t think I recognized how deeply problematic it is. The idea that a woman would fall in love with and cure a man who was so deeply wounded that he lashed out in anger seemed normal to me. It seemed reasonable to believe that if you just loved them enough and never gave them reason to distrust you, it would fix their emotional hole and they would return your love and trust. A lot of women believe this. A lot of women find this story-line romantic. The book is full of so much angst and pain, but we also see how happy they can be together if Gervase would just accept that Diana truly is a paragon.
This book is founded on the idea that Gervase is a good person despite that little spot of rape and abandonment and all the emotional and verbal abuse. Diana (and the author) accept as true that Diana’s deception and the anger that she has held on to, are comparable to Gervase raping her, abandoning her, attempting to control her, and his constant jealousy and suspicion. The rotten cherry on top of this fetid sundae is the reason that Diana forgave Gervase – her pregnancy cured her anger.
All kinds of women have found themselves pregnant after being raped, and I’m sure they have felt many different ways about the resulting pregnancy and child. But this, this is bad. So far this book has made the abusive hero a forgivable rapist, conflated protecting one’s boundaries with violently violating another person’s boundaries, conveyed the innocence of an infant to it’s father. None of these messages are ok. None of them.
Romance is a part of pop culture, and pop culture will always reflect who we are – good and bad. Dearly Beloved won a RITA for best debut novel, and it is on many people’s classics of the genre list. Even in 1990, this book should not have won an award, nor should it have been well regarded. It was and it will probably be loved and defended by people who read it now. I am grateful that I have evolved and no longer find misogyny romantic. The genre has evolved and I am so grateful that I have so many options when it comes to romance without rapist heroes or abusive heroes.
Content warning – rape, sexual assault, internalized misogyny, verbal and emotional abuse
Here is the plot, with spoilers. Gervase Brandelin, Viscount St. Aubyn is at an inn in Scotland. He drinks too much. He thinks he is going to an assignation with a bar maid (who had invited him) but ends up in bed with a young woman named Mary. Mary’s father bursts in on them and forces them to get married. Gervase then rapes his new wife, who is terrified. He decides she is probably a simpleton rather than a whore, but abandons her anyway, leaving her with directions to apply to his banker for an annual income and a threat that if she ever comes to London or tries to contact him, he will rescind his financial support. He feels bad about the whole thing, so he runs away to India. Years later, the most beautiful, innocent looking woman in the whole of England, Diana Lindsey, is raising her son out in the country. She decided to go to London to be a courtesan, because she is bored and wants her son to be around more people. Her friend the retired courtesan introduces her to the courtesan scene. On Diana’s first night out, she meets Gervase and they are instantly attracted to one another despite the fact that his face is the one she sees in her nightmares, and he thinks she’s a whore. Diana is Mary, her father had drugged her and she had no idea what was happening that night at the inn. Diana enters into a sexual relationship with her husband/rapist/father of her child without telling him that he is any of those things. He is randomly sneering and suspicious of her because he thinks she is a whore and distrusts all women. When he finds out that she is his wife/victim/mother of his secret child, it confirms that she was the deceitful whore he had always suspected. They have more than one altercation in which no matter what Diana does or says, Gervase is angry and verbally abusive. Another man tries to rape and murder Diana and Gervase suddenly realizes he does trust and love her after all. Diana’s love was so pure it fixed everything.
Gervase Brandelin is emotionally and verbally abusive. The normalization of his behavior is awful. The message that the Diana’s love and gentleness could overcome Gervase’s scorn for women and turn him into a gentle and trusting partner is gross and dangerous. Gervase thinks of, or calls, Diana a whore a lot. I didn’t count, but it happened A LOT. He lashes out at Diana at the merest hint that she is untrustworthy. Why does he lash out? Because he is in pain – his mother sexually abused him, and he carries terrible burden of guilt he feels for raping his teenaged wife. Over and over again, his pain is used to excuse his behavior. When Diana gets angry at him, as any normal human would, not only does Gervase use her anger as a weapon against her, she views her anger as evidence that she herself is not perfect. Everything Gervase does should be considered a red flag and a deal breaker.
This is one of the books people who don’t read romance are talking about when they are surprised by consent in romance. Dearly Beloved was originally published in 1990. I read it sometime between 1990 – 1992, when I was in college. It was not my favorite book, and I wasn’t a fan of rape as a plot device, but I don’t think I recognized how deeply problematic it is. The idea that a woman would fall in love with and cure a man who was so deeply wounded that he lashed out in anger seemed normal to me. It seemed reasonable to believe that if you just loved them enough and never gave them reason to distrust you, it would fix their emotional hole and they would return your love and trust. A lot of women believe this. A lot of women find this story-line romantic. The book is full of so much angst and pain, but we also see how happy they can be together if Gervase would just accept that Diana truly is a paragon.
This book is founded on the idea that Gervase is a good person despite that little spot of rape and abandonment and all the emotional and verbal abuse. Diana (and the author) accept as true that Diana’s deception and the anger that she has held on to, are comparable to Gervase raping her, abandoning her, attempting to control her, and his constant jealousy and suspicion. The rotten cherry on top of this fetid sundae is the reason that Diana forgave Gervase – her pregnancy cured her anger.
I hated you until I began to feel my child move inside me. It was such a wondrous thing that there was no more room for hatred.”
She opened her eyes. “And to hold my son in my arms . . . it was a miracle. I decided then that any man who could father so sweet a baby couldn’t be all bad. Yes, you’d behaved wickedly, but that didn’t make you a wicked man.”
All kinds of women have found themselves pregnant after being raped, and I’m sure they have felt many different ways about the resulting pregnancy and child. But this, this is bad. So far this book has made the abusive hero a forgivable rapist, conflated protecting one’s boundaries with violently violating another person’s boundaries, conveyed the innocence of an infant to it’s father. None of these messages are ok. None of them.
Romance is a part of pop culture, and pop culture will always reflect who we are – good and bad. Dearly Beloved won a RITA for best debut novel, and it is on many people’s classics of the genre list. Even in 1990, this book should not have won an award, nor should it have been well regarded. It was and it will probably be loved and defended by people who read it now. I am grateful that I have evolved and no longer find misogyny romantic. The genre has evolved and I am so grateful that I have so many options when it comes to romance without rapist heroes or abusive heroes.