Review: ‘Frosted’ by M.C. Frank
I like to read books from different genres, for example: YA sci-fi, historical romance, contemporary NA, retellings of classic stories and legends, but I rarely encounter an author who feels comfortable in all of them and creates equally wonderful stories, no matter if they’re set in the past, the future or in our era. Well, M.C. Frank does. Each new book she publishes is an unforgettable adventure, full of emotions, romance, complex and relatable characters, and important matters bigger than them. Her newest novel: ‘Frosted’ is no exception and I adored it from the first sentence to the end of the Author’s note.
Set in the Regency era, ‘Frosted’ is a story about the ice-cold lady Stella DeWinter, hiding all her secrets (and herself) behind the closed doors of her house, and Captain Timothee Vaughn - a pirate with the face of a Greek god. What these two could possibly have in common? 5 years ago they were engaged, but the wedding never happened. Now Vaughn is about to get married against his will, and he’s in a desperate need of a miracle - that’s when Stella reappears in his life. Is it true what they say, that a line between love and hate is very thin?
First of all, I loved how this novel was constructed. The author throws us right into the centre of events, just before Vaughn’s wedding, and only when we’re dying to know what happened between Stella and Timothee 5 years earlier, she takes us back to show us how these two met and fell in love. And what a lovely story it was! Whenever Frank writes about two people falling in love, it’s always deeply moving and beautifully written. But, as it usually is, they have to go through a lot before they’re allowed to be happy.
Both Stella and Timothee are loveable characters, perfect in their imperfection, and each of them goes through a major transformation. I’ve become really attached to both of them and reading their story was an emotional journey - I felt their pain, I cried with them, my heart was breaking along with theirs and I wished for nothing more but to see them happy, because they deserved it after all the suffering life has brought them. But don’t worry - it’s not all sad, there are funny bits as well. One time I almost laughed out loud in the bus while reading. And you shouldn’t think that this novel is boring just because it belongs to the historical romance genre - it’s not all ballrooms and high-society events, but it also has its fair share of action, dangers and pirate ships ;)
I’ve always admired M.C. Frank not only for her amazing writing skills and her wit, but also for the natural way she manages to weave into her stories matters that are vital to her, like her faith or her Greek heritage. From this novel I’ve learned about the Greek Revolution, resulting in Greeks winning their independence from the Ottoman Empire, and I’m really grateful for this history lesson. It looks like Greece and Poland have more in common than I thought.
I could go on and on, but I’ll try to make it short: read it! Especially if you’re a fan of Jane Austen or Bridgerton, and you’re looking for a new heart-wrenching novel to stay in your heart for long.
