"Marie-Ange leant against the gates and pressed her hands against her throat to fight a wave of nausea. She wasn't Malleval's guest any longer. She was his prisoner".
Angel of the Lost Treasure by Marie Laval is a historical romance aventure. You can see how the author has been influenced by the French historical fiction - Alexandre Dumas, Juliette Benzoni, Sergeanne Golon and others.
Marie-Ange Norton, a young widow of a British Naval officer, living in England, is invited to Beauregard in France, the home of her ancestors, to collect her inheritance in person (the stipulation is non-negotiable, she has to travel to claim it). The invitation comes from Monsieur Uxeloup Malleval, the current owner of her mother's childhood home. Before the revolution her late mother's family, the Beauregards, were the wealthiest landowners in the whole of Beaujolais.
Her own manor house in England is crumbling and requires major renovations, but there is no money. Malleval had promised a substantial legacy from her mother's family estate in Beaujolais. Marie-Ange is also hoping that her French inheritance will be enough to help her younger brother-in-law to buy a commission to join the Navy.
To help Marie-Ange travel to France, Malleval sends a travelling companion to meet and accompany her. Capitaine Hugo Saintclair appears haughty, arrogant and condensending, but needs must. France is on the eve of Napoleon's return from exile, and travelling alone for an unprotected female is out of question.
Malleval assured her in his letter that Saintclair would be the most reliable escort. He is definitely that, but he's also misogynistic. Boasting to his companions, he talks of women with derision, "Women are like kittens. A few caresses and they purr in your arms, they just can't help it". Marie-Ange is appalled by his attitude. The Capitaine thinks that all women are "false, easy to seduce, and unable to be faithful. Well, what did he know. She would remain true to Christopher for the rest of her life".
Thus their relationship has started on the wrong foot. But the more time Marie-Ange spends in Saintclair's company, the more she gets to know that he's not one-dimensional. He's loyal, brave, dependable and passionate.
When Marie-Ange finally arrives to Beauregard and meets her mysterious relative, she realises that Malleval had lured her to France under a false pretence. He seems to be fascinated with the Beauregards' past history and their connection to the enigmatic Count Saint-Germain, who was an extraoridnary man, a philosopher, a mystic and a scientist. He was also Marie-Ange's mother's godfather who has bequeathed her an antique piece of jewellery with a hidden message.
Malleval expects Marie-Ange to help him locate the Cross of Life, a sacred relic hidden during the times of the Knights Templar. The coded manuscripts hint that the Beauregards' family is connected to the mystery. Marie-Ange might know more than she realises, and her life is in grave danger.
She becomes a virtual prisoner of Malleval and his macabre shadow, Dr Karloff. The only person who can help her escape this prison is Saintclair. Hugo poses another kind of danger, as their mutual attraction is not just a flame which can be easily put out.
To make the situation even more complicated, Marie-Ange sees a stranger who she's convinced is her missing husband.
Marie-Ange is a beautiful and head-strong heroine. She reminded me of Angélique, whose incredible adventures I enjoyed many years ago, in high school. She is courageous, spirited, and can stand up for herself and those she cares about (the highway robbery scene is quite phenomenal).
Angel of the Lost Treasure is a combination of historical romance, adventure, magic realism, with elements of Gothic horror, which transports you on a turbulent romp through the nineteenth-century France.
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Angel-Lost-Treasure-captivating-romantic-ebook/dp/B08TX52MWK/ref
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/angel-of-the-lost-treasure
Author Bio
Originally from Lyon in France, Marie has lived in the Rossendale Valley in Lancashire for the past few years. She writes both contemporary and historical romance. Her novels include best selling contemporary romantic suspense novels LITTLE PINK TAXI and ESCAPE TO THE LITTLE CHATEAU, which was shortlisted for the 2021 RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Suspense Awards, as well as A PARIS FAIRY TALE and BLUEBELL'S CHRISTMAS MAGIC. Her latest novel, ANGEL OF THE LOST TREASURE, was released in February 2021. Marie also contributes to the best selling Miss Moonshine's Emporium anthologies together with eight author friends from Authors on the Edge.
Social Media Links –
https://www.facebook.com/marie.laval.9/
https://twitter.com/MarieLaval1
This post is part of the blog tour for Angel of the lost treasure. Many thanks to Marie Laval and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!
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