Carnival of Love by Helen Dickson is a part of Lords and Ladies collection. The novel has all the victorian traits like that of love affairs and illicit relationships. Lets analyse it :

Cover- The cover is of dark golden colour that has three chit chatting over something and sharing something. This cover gives us instincts of a Victorian setups where rich ladies gossip and have drinks together.

Title- Carnival of Love is an appropriate title as it talks about love and is treated as an object.

Blurb- Rescuing Lavinia Renshaw from a Venetian canal ws one thing. Accepting her surprising proposition of marriage was quite another! Maxim Purnell thrived on taking risks, however, his situation was complicated enough without taking a wife. To come into her lagacy, Lavinia needed a husband- but what if Maxim decided to take their marriage of convenience the real thing?

Plot- The story starts with a betrayal by Lavinia’s fiance who has an illicit relationship with her sister. The shocked revealation breaks LAvinia which takes a new turn when she gets attracted to a stranger named Maxim Purnell. Lavinia calls off her wedding with her fiance. But to get her property she has to be married so she propose Maxim Purnell and he readily accepts the offer. But Lavinia is unaware of the dark past which MAxim is hiding. the revealation of the truth can break their attraction which has soon transformed to passion and never ending love.

Helen has constructed a very complicated plot which is understood at the end of the story. This plot construction is the backbone of the novel and has made the readers awestruck.

Characterisation- The art of character portrayal is whimsical and above all, Maxim Purnell is my favourite character. He is the male protagonist in the story and is a complicated character to crack. He seems flirty on same but has a different sad story in his heart. He is a sad man who has a daughter but its hard to claim her since his mistress is not a nice lady. When he comes across Lavinia in a party he instantly falls for her and to add more, when she proposes him, he accepts her unaware of the consequences behind. He behaves a rash, rude man in front of Lavinia but in reality he is trying to save her from his evil mistress.

Lavinia Renshaw is a beautiful lady who is unwillingly marrying the guy chosen for her. But soon he finds out that he is after her money and befooling her with her sister. This breaks her heart and she is furious. Then she comes across Maxim Purnell and feels attracted towards him. She is bold and fearless, as the trials and tribulations she faces as a princess and as a wife is commendable. Her love blooms for Maxim and she loves him dearly inspite of all the misunderstandings.

Style- The style of the novel is complicated as many glittered vocabulary is used. the dialogues are perfect whereas the third person narrative along with vivid descriptions serves as a sweet. The use of poetic diction and jargons enthralls the readers. The length of the novel is appropriate and even it is clubed with another novel by a different author. The novel can’t be completed in one day as the rich vocab forces you to consult your dictionary every time.

Availability- https://www.amazon.com/Carnival-Love-Helen-Dickson-ebook/dp/B007JJEAS8#navbar

About the Author

Helen Dickson was born and still lives in South Yorkshir with her husband on a busy arable farm where she combines writing with keeping a chaotic farmhouse. An incurable romantic, she writes for pleasure, owing much of her inspiration to the beauty of the surrounding countryside. She enjoys reading and music. History has always captivated her and she likes travel and visiting ancient buildings.