A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott

This is another one of those books where I was reading and reading and reading…And it was so nice and warm and I made the mistake of lying down and…Zzzzzzzzz. Seriously, though, do not judge this book by its ability to put me to sleep.

I know what you're thinking--ANOTHER ROMANCE NOVEL? But wait, who's that author? Louisa May Alcott?! What is going on?

Well, apparently she wrote this really sensational obsessive love story in 1866, even before Little Women and that whole series. Publishers thought it was too…Explicit? Lurid? Bold? Shocking? So it wasn't published until the 90s. The 1990s.

Basically, sweet innocent  Rosamond is whisked away--quite literally--by the semi-dashing, semi-devious Philip Tempest. He kidnaps her and luckily (?) is talked into marrying her, but after a year of marriage, Rosamond learns some secrets about her husband that are just too dark to bear. She runs away to escape his sins and deceit, and the chase is on!

It's REALLY good. I can't believe this is the same author who wrote about poor Jo and her annoying sisters…Actually, on second thought, maybe I can. There is that same sense of up-front honesty from and about the characters--specifically the females--which is really necessary in this story for it not to become too unrealistic in tone.

The big difference I feel between the two works is that this is written in a bit more flowery style. Alcott is almost mocking beautiful, traditional love stories with her lengthy, soft descriptions of the main characters and their (initial) sweet, roundabout dialogue. There is nothing roundabout about kidnapping someone, though! And certainly nothing roundabout about what follows!

I encourage you to try this one out if you feel like reading an older, "sensational," dark romance. It will at least satisfy your literary itch if not awe you with its intrigue.

~7/10~