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jeanos's review against another edition
1.0
This is the worst book I've read in a very long time. There's a sentence somewhere in the middle "Bonhomie reigned." I don't ever want to read a book that uses the sentence "Bonhomie reigned" without a trace of irony. My main complaint is the writing style, but there's also the fact that the main character basically just comes across as an idiot.
stacyroth's review against another edition
2.0
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
Isabel Bilton grew up in an army town, the oldest of 3 daughters. She has always dreamed of becoming a dancer in London, and now she is making that dream a reality. She loves dancing at the Empire Theater in the evenings and then socializing at the Corinthians Club at night. When Belle meets William Dunlo, the two fall quickly in love and decide to marry. Williams dad, 4th earl of Clancarty, disapproves and will do everything in his power to keep the two apart.
I just could not get into this book. I did not particularly find any of the characters likable, and thus, I didn't care what happened to them.
Isabel Bilton grew up in an army town, the oldest of 3 daughters. She has always dreamed of becoming a dancer in London, and now she is making that dream a reality. She loves dancing at the Empire Theater in the evenings and then socializing at the Corinthians Club at night. When Belle meets William Dunlo, the two fall quickly in love and decide to marry. Williams dad, 4th earl of Clancarty, disapproves and will do everything in his power to keep the two apart.
I just could not get into this book. I did not particularly find any of the characters likable, and thus, I didn't care what happened to them.
krismcd59's review against another edition
2.0
My review of this book appears in Historical Novels Review Issue 85, August 2018.:
O’Connor is a celebrated Irish author who lives near the Clancarty estate that was occupied by the “Peasant Countess,” Belle Bilton, in 1891. The best part of this novel of Belle’s life comes at the end when she finally arrives, after many tribulations, at the ancestral home of her husband, Viscount Dunlo. O’Connor clearly loves the Irish countryside and has a gift for nature description. However, the bulk of the novel takes place in the cafes and shops of bohemian London, where Belle endures years of delay in her quest for marital bliss.
It’s a story that would only work if we were convinced that Belle was a woman of grand passion and artistic ambition, neither of which are evident in her music hall celebrity status or her dogged loyalty to a bland, underage viscount. Historical fiction is a broad-minded genre; its heroines don’t have to (indeed, shouldn’t) be perfect. The heroine of Becoming Belle is lovely and feisty but incredibly naïve, not overly principled (think Scarlett O’Hara, but without her spine of iron), and maddeningly incurious about anything but clothes.
There’s little in the way of social drama to involve the reader as Belle effortlessly seduces and secretly marries Dunlo, only to see him packed off to Australia by his tyrannical father. Her passivity in the face of adversity is frustrating at first and becomes infuriating as the tale drags on. Her fixation on the befuddled William is inexplicable (graphic descriptions of their sexual activity are meant to convince us of their compatibility), and the climactic court case brought by the viscount’s father in an attempt to divorce them is presented as little more than a dry transcript. Bilton did indeed have an eventful life, but in this novel, it all comes too easily to her and leaves her with little to do but fret over her own feelings.
O’Connor is a celebrated Irish author who lives near the Clancarty estate that was occupied by the “Peasant Countess,” Belle Bilton, in 1891. The best part of this novel of Belle’s life comes at the end when she finally arrives, after many tribulations, at the ancestral home of her husband, Viscount Dunlo. O’Connor clearly loves the Irish countryside and has a gift for nature description. However, the bulk of the novel takes place in the cafes and shops of bohemian London, where Belle endures years of delay in her quest for marital bliss.
It’s a story that would only work if we were convinced that Belle was a woman of grand passion and artistic ambition, neither of which are evident in her music hall celebrity status or her dogged loyalty to a bland, underage viscount. Historical fiction is a broad-minded genre; its heroines don’t have to (indeed, shouldn’t) be perfect. The heroine of Becoming Belle is lovely and feisty but incredibly naïve, not overly principled (think Scarlett O’Hara, but without her spine of iron), and maddeningly incurious about anything but clothes.
There’s little in the way of social drama to involve the reader as Belle effortlessly seduces and secretly marries Dunlo, only to see him packed off to Australia by his tyrannical father. Her passivity in the face of adversity is frustrating at first and becomes infuriating as the tale drags on. Her fixation on the befuddled William is inexplicable (graphic descriptions of their sexual activity are meant to convince us of their compatibility), and the climactic court case brought by the viscount’s father in an attempt to divorce them is presented as little more than a dry transcript. Bilton did indeed have an eventful life, but in this novel, it all comes too easily to her and leaves her with little to do but fret over her own feelings.
annarella's review against another edition
3.0
It was not my cup of tea.
Even if the main character and the plot sounded interesting I had difficulties in relating to them.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC
Even if the main character and the plot sounded interesting I had difficulties in relating to them.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC
stelly68's review against another edition
3.0
This book went from being a great book to a good read. It felt like a historically great story and about 2/3 in it dipped into harlequin romance but I enjoyed it.
traci1974's review
3.0
I had a bit of trouble getting into this one, but I ended up liking it for the most part. I felt like the characters were pretty well developed, and the story itself was enjoyable. It didn't always hold my attention, but overall it was one I'd recommend.
vita_s_west's review against another edition
3.0
While I enjoyed the feminist themes, but this book was both overwritten and underdeveloped. This was a fault of both the editor and the writer. For example, at the beginning, there was a paragraph describing Belle's father convincing her to take the stage and replace her mother, and then dialogue "You must take the stage. You simply must!" That was in one of the first chapters and it never broke this mould. Aside from descriptions and dialogue being overdone, I felt like Belle and her sister were dreadfully underdeveloped. This went for all the other supporting characters as well (except for William, but that took until the trial to get any proper traction). This book was well researched and the themes were mostly thought out but characterization was dismal, especially in a book that is supposed to be about an impressive historical woman.
annarella's review
3.0
It was not my cup of tea.
Even if the main character and the plot sounded interesting I had difficulties in relating to them.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC
Even if the main character and the plot sounded interesting I had difficulties in relating to them.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC
theinstantreader's review
4.0
As a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced readers copy. I shall give an honest review of this novel. Based on a true story, Becoming Belle was exactly the novel I needed during Victober as it not only was set in the Victorian era , but told the experience of a woman who was a head of her time. I enjoy Victorian novels, and those with a female progtagonist whose goals, and beliefs were not to her time ex. relationships, class-structure, gender equality.The novel tells the story of Isabel Bilton, the eldest of three daughters from a middle-class military family. The novel follows her experience living in a provincial town to her rise as a bohemian actor living in London. This rags to riches story invokes the romantic aspect to what many consider Victorian, and creates a meta environment in which we the reader may associate in their world a la authors, plays, etc. As many rags to riches story this tale examines a Victorian woman’s ambition and her experience despite gender, socio-political differences to create the world around her by her choice in the matter.The authors' prose was comfortable, easy to follow and delightfully intriguing. I finished this book in four days using my kindle, and audiobook from my local library as a guide. The novel was interesting and was pleased to learn it was based on a true story. I am intrigued to learn more about Isabel Bilton after learning her experience in Becoming Belle and look forward to sharing this book with friends and family. I recommend this book to those who enjoy Victorian literature, rags to riches stories, and show the merit of what strong women can do despite which era you live in. I gave this novel four out of five stars on good reads.