Ada Leverson was an author known for her wit and friendship with Oscar Wilde. He stayed with the Leversons when he went on trial for his homosexuality, as no hotel would accept him, and Ada was there to greet him when he was released from prison. Love's Shadow is her first novel, and the first in a trilogy known collectively as The Little Ottleys.

Edith Ottley is married to the pompous and boring Bruce. His self-absorption and self-importance make for some very funny scenes, with more than a touch of social parody. Edith's friend, Hyacinth, is in love with the handsome Cecil, who is infatuated with the older, widowed Eugenia. Hyacinth's guardian has more than a passing affection for his ward, as does her ladies companion, Anne. Filled with witty dialogue and tongue-in-cheek humor, this was a light, but not frivolous, romp. My favorite character was Anne, with her unrequited, unseen love for Hyacinth and her no nonsense manner. ( )

This is really funny - I'm not sure how I've never come across it before, considering how I like Oscar Wilde and all that. On to the sequel!

Also, the librivox recording of this is quite good. ( )

If it weren't for Bruce Ottley, I would have given it 5 stars. It's light and very funny; in the vein of An Ideal Husband, even sharing the description of a certain piece of jewelry - I don't wonder that they (Leverson and Wilde) shared it on purpose. Bruce Ottley must be the most exasperating character ever drawn. If such a man exists I hope I never meet him. I'm liable to smother him to death in his sleep or poison his food without the least compunction. I was looking forward to reading the two sequels, but I'm not sure how much more of Mr. Ottley I can take. I will read them, however, and continue to hope that Bruce comes to a violent end. ( )

Edith Ottley, a pretty and intelligent young woman, has begun to be bored with her life. Her husband Bruce is pompous, condescending, and unaware of his intellectual inferiority to his wife. Edith's only solace is the companionship of her friend Hyacinth Verney, a young heiress who is living a dashing and unconventional life in London. Hyacinth has just begun to explore the possibility of getting married, and she is strongly attracted to the handsome but aloof Cecil Reeve. But Cecil, in turn, is hopelessly in love with a widow ten years his senior, although she doesn't return his affections. In short, this novel is a comedy of manners about a social circle in which everyone is in love with the wrong person. Amidst all their tangled romances and unrequited loves, can any of the characters find true happiness?

I read this novel a couple weeks ago, and I find that I don't have much to say about it now. The book is quite witty in places, and some of the situations and characters strongly reminded me of Jane Austen. (Bruce Ottley, for example, is a slightly more sympathetic Mr. Collins if ever there was one -- which makes me wonder why Edith married him in the first place!) But this book never really goes below the surface or allows the reader to sympathize with any of the characters. All the conflicts in the book came across as trivial to me, and in the end I didn't much care how all the various romances resolved. If you enjoy stylish, witty comedies of manners, you'll find something to enjoy in this novel; but if you need a strong plot or sympathetic characters, you'll end up feeling frustrated, as I did.

I Started this book 3 or 4 times and could not get into it. Just not my cup of tea. ( )