Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Suraya reviews Before The Dawn by Georgia Rose

Today’s book review comes from team member Suraya, find her at http://www.thestorymint.com

Suraya chose to read Before The Dawn by Georgia Rose

Before the Dawn

By Georgia Rose

The story begins with a staff briefing by Trent, which was really background to the story. The author could have set the scene using narrative and we would have seen/felt/smelt the landscape as well as understood the situation. It makes for a slow build up.

In his briefing, Trent was only able to describe the politics and the danger the estate was under due to the activities of Russian criminals. We learn that, although the estate bred and trained horses, it was really a front for MI6 and so Emma finds herself caught up in an intrigue that leads to the estate and its workers being in serious danger.

By starting her novel with what is essentially a speech it takes a while for the reader to get involved so there is a slow build up. I would have liked to see more of Crowbridge than I did. I also wonder if Alex will make an appearance in the third novel as he does in the second. In a way, he is used to expose Trent’s possessiveness but Emma also hints at having fond memories of him and regrets his betrayal. Alex and she share a common grief and she is quick to remind Trent of that at the child’s graveside.

So Georgia Rose has left the reader with plenty to think about.

There is also something about Emma’s childhood that has me wondering. Did her parents really die in a car crash for example?

As others have remarked there is a slow build up and I always prefer well-written narrative to pages of dialogue. There were times when the dialogue felt strange. I could not imagine anyone using words like – equable, curtailed and so on as they speak.

Things really come alive when the estate comes under attack. The descriptions are wonderful, full of energy, and crisp. The pace is excellent and we are involved as we want Emma to be there for Book Three. Of course, she saves the day and she is brilliant, brave and becoming less defensive about needing to be self-sufficient. So she is evolving which is good..

However, the story is essentially about the continuing romance between Trent and Emma with a slight hint of threat posed by her first husband Alex.

Four stars

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com