Though I would recommend reading the first Daughters of Bainbridge House, A Necessary Deception (read my review here), first for continuity and background – this is one of the rather rare instances that very little is going to be spoiled by reading them out of order. So, the choice is yours on reading my review and summary of A Flight of Fancy before having read A Necessary Deception.
Cassandra Bainbridge does not consider herself a great beauty – certainly nothing like her sisters, especially when she is wearing her spectacles. She’s actually rather odd in comparison to other ladies. She has no strong interest in balls, but would much rather spend time reading and pursuing her scientific passion. And figuring out how to create the best balloon for flight!
Yet whenever she is near her betrothed, Geoffrey Giles Earl of Whittaker, her harebrained ideas (which he isn’t too fond of, possibly his only flaw) are replaced by an ardent passion and attraction to him. An attraction that is met equally by the Earl, causing them both to be anxious for their wedding.
However, when a shockingly sudden accident occurs just days before their wedding, Cassandra ends their engagement while recovering from her terrible injuries. It breaks her heart, but she knows it’s the best thing to do.
Geoffrey doesn’t seem to agree, though, and when Cassandra is healing herself physically and mentally by chasing her ballooning dreams and imagining herself an intrepid aeronaut, he slips back into her life.
But Cassandra knows deep down that she can never be his wife – the extent of her wounds remind her of that every day…
A Flight of Fancy provides an interesting personality for Cassandra. It’s refreshing to have a scholarly, scientific-minded lady as our protagonist. I’ll admit that the considerable events early on in the novel, which alter everything, were much unexpected!
I absolutely adore the Regency period – particularly because of my love of all things Jane Austen – but in the case of A Necessary Deception and A Flight of Fancy there is a nice period feel, yet without that specific language that sweeps me to the time, I have a hard time really sinking into the story. That was my only problem here with A Flight of Fancy.
Nevertheless, there is solid romantic element in A Flight of Fancy and a cool, English intrigue plot that makes for a stimulating mystery. These things helped to make the novel stronger as it went on. So, despite my earlier feelings of slight tedium, I began to feel that A Flight of Fancy was better than I initially thought.
And now I really want to read it again! Because by the end, which sadly felt a bit rushed but still, A Flight of Fancy ended up being a very good read that I think a pair of fresh eyes would really enjoy! Hopefully someday in the future I’ll have those less-tired eyes and get a chance to re-read A Flight of Fancy and enjoy it more thoroughly from start to finish.
This also means I’m more than willing to follow the series to the next book, whenever it comes out!
Side note: As a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, I couldn’t help but get a moment of delight when we hear a mention of a “Rupert Giles” later on in A Flight of Fancy!
*Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
*I received a copy of A Flight of Fancy from the Baker Publishing Group. Their generosity in no way influenced, nor sought to influence, my opinion of the novel.
*To read more reviews from the Bibliophile Support Group or comment on them, simply click on my Amazon profile and find a link there. I'd love you to check out my blog, where I post new reviews every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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