'Becoming Belle,' a true romance with an exciting pinnacle

 

In your lifetime, you’ve kissed a lot of frogs.

Some of them, happily, were downright “ribbeting.” Others made you a little jumpy. One or two made you green, ugh. And then one day, you reached into the pond and smiled and, as in the new book “Becoming Belle” by Nuala O’Connor, the kiss couldn’t come soon enough.

Isabel Bilton could never hope to please her mother.

Mama was an actress and the high-born, cold demeanor she had onstage extended to her home and her daughters. As the eldest, it affected Isabel the most but she was nonetheless a good daughter, caring for her sisters and managing the household while Mama ran her lines.

Once, Isabel took Mama’s place when Mama was ill. She knew all the dialog and moves anyhow, and the audience applauded loudly. Mama insisted it would never happen again but the damage was done and Isabel began dreaming of a life on-stage.

As soon as she could, she left home and moved to London, where she landed a high-paying song-and-dance position almost immediately. It was 1887 and that was not a job for a lady, but Isabel loved performing and her audience loved her. She was beautiful, talented, and craved the spotlight and when her sister, Flo, joined Isabel in London , their sister act was a smash hit. Isabel became Belle – the Belle of London.

But as talented as Isabel was, she was equally naïve. A rogue in a suit seduced her with a tale of wealth and travel and then he left her – broke, ashamed, and “enceinte.” Hiding her predicament, she coquettishly found another man who was besotted with her but she didn’t love him and besides, he also loved other men.

Then, some months after giving birth, Isabel met William Le Poer Trench, Viscount Dunlo, at a local club and that was that. William was the perfect man, tall, solid, just slightly younger than she. He was an elder son, in line to inherit an estate and a title, and he passionately adored her.

Or so he said….

“Becoming Belle” is one of those books that keeps your eyes wide throughout.

Initially, that’s a surprise because it’s really rather slow at the outset. Ten pages feels like 20, but you get a sense that there’s worthiness in staying – which is true. The story picks up and the main character leaves home but then, again, it slows like a hansom cab on a muddy road. This quick-slow-quick pace continues throughout most of this book as girl-meets-boy-boy-boy and there’s some soft porn involved. Without ruining the plot (because – admit it – you’re intrigued now) what starts as a tale of life on the stage becomes a romance with a very exciting pinnacle.

And, says author Nuala O’Connor, it’s based on a true story.

Oddly enough, reality enhances the appeal of this book; knowing its authenticity allows forgiveness for the pace. In the end, don’t hurry through it and you might find elegance, gentility, and scandal – making “Becoming Belle” a book you could leap for.

“Becoming Belle” by Nuala O’Connor, c.2018, Putnam, 371 pages, $25.

• Terri Schlichenmeyer of The Bookworm Sez is a self-syndicated book review columnist. Schlichenmeyer’s reviews include adult and child books of every genre. You many contact her at bookwormsez@yahoo.com