Belgravia

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Manufacturer: Julian Fellowes
Brand: Historical Fiction
Brew: Paperback
Steeping Time: 416 pages
Tea Service: Tea and Book Box
Strength:

Synopsis: It is the evening of 15 June 1815, and the Duchess of Richmond has thrown a magnificent ball in Brussels for the Duke of Wellington. The guests include James and Anne Trenchard – who have made their money in trade – along with their beautiful daughter Sophia.

When the Trenchards move into the fashionable new area of Belgravia some twenty-five years later, they are surrounded by some of London society’s most influential families. But something happened that night of the ball, so long ago, that threatens their new status.

Because behind Belgravia’s polished doors is a world of secrets, gossip and intrigue.

Be still, my Downton loving heart.

If the name Julian Fellowes sounds familiar to you, then you might have a deep-seated love of Downton Abbey like I do. Julian is the creator of Downton Abbey and is also the author of Belgravia. He weaves a story from multiple perspectives that follows the characters from the evening of the Battle of Waterloo, to when they meet again some 25 years later. Just as with Downton, there is much drama upstairs and downstairs, and secrets are piling up.

I don’t want to give too much away in the plotline, so I’ll keep my character and story descriptions brief. In a nutshell, James and Anne Trenchard are up-and-comers. They aren’t old money, and naturally, the old money resents them a little for that. James has taken an interest in a young upstart, Charles Pope, and things soon hit a fever pitch when Lady Brockenhurst also takes a keen interest in the young man. Secrets link the Brockenhursts and the Trenchards in more ways than one, and slowly, each one unravels in glorious fashion.

There are so many wonderful characters in this book that you can cheer on.

On the other hand, there are wonderfully written antagonists that you hope with every passing second will get run over by a horse and carriage. Personally, I think those are the best kind. They are so rotten and awful that I can feel my body physically react with a seething anger at every dastardly deed they perform, just the way I like it. To me, that shows how invested I’ve become in the other characters in the book. If I could reach through the pages and punch their enemies in the face, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Overall, I loved Belgravia. I loved the plot, the characters, the twists and turns throughout. I only had one struggle in the beginning, and that was the narrative style. The POV jumps between characters at a swift pace, and for the first 30 pages or so, I had a hard time keeping up. Once I started reading as if I were watching an episode of Downton Abbey, it clicked. I felt like the story’s pacing was bang on, and I never found myself getting bored. In fact, I read the last 200 or so pages in one sitting.

Another thing I adored about this book is how incredibly accurate the scenes are during the ball in the opening chapter.

I did some research after finishing that part because I don’t know much about the Battle of Waterloo. A ball on the eve of battle seemed such a fairy tale, and I wasn’t sure of its accuracy. The ball did happen, and the reason it has stood the test of time is because of that fairy tale quality. A city locked in the jaws of war, people uncertain of what the next day will bring, and a ball, smack in the middle of it, held for the rich and well-to-do to show Napoleon that the English were unflappable. Little did they know that so many men would leave that ball, still dressed in their finest, only to die on the battlefield a few hours later. It truly is the stuff of legend.

Many of the lines said by real-life characters in the book were their exact words on the night as recounted by others that were there. I love it when authors are able to do that. It adds a deeper layer to the story to know that the actual people who lived the event had said those very words. Something about it gets me every time.

If you are a fan of Downton Abbey or Bridgerton, this book is right up your alley. It has all of the same qualities (minus the steamy scenes in Bridgerton), and the drama will keep you turning pages well past bedtime.

Have you read Belgravia? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought about it! Want to read it for yourself? Click here to get a copy of your own.
Cheers,
Lydia