What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .


Miss Darby's Duenna by Sheri Cobb South -- Regency Romantic Comedy
Now that Harry Hawthorne has inherited his father's title and estate, he feels it's high time he takes a wife. He chooses his childhood pal, Olivia Darby, because she's a mild-mannered girl who won't stand in the way of his pursuit of pleasure. Olivia feels it's too soon to marry and wants to have a London Season before she settles down. Harry isn't happy with that idea but he can't override her decision. Harry's younger sister, Georgina wants to marry the local vicar, but Harry, sensing this his sister is in the throes of a school girl crush, decides she should go to London with Olivia and have a Season. Olivia's mother accompanies the girls to London while Harry avoids the social scene and oggles opera dancers. Harry's rival for a popular actress, Lord Mannerly, seeks revenge for his hurt pride and decides to make Olivia his prey. Olivia finds Mannerly charming and insists on seeing him though Harry forbids it. Harry feels he has no choice but to masquerade as his own grandmother in order to properly chaperon Olivia! Harry's sister isn't fooled and Lord Mannerly is suspicious but Olivia misses the absent Harry and draws closer to Mannerly. Harry's charade causes some gossip belowstairs and the faux Dowager attracts the attentions of an old flame. This story has all the makings of a screwball comedy but for me, it fell flat. There wasn't any chemistry between Harry and Olivia and Harry was boring and rude. I couldn't understand their attraction to one another and the reader is only told how Olivia used to worship Harry when they were children. Their feelings seem to come out of nowhere. The relationship between Mannerly and Georgina showed promise but the dialogue wasn't quite witty enough to charm me. Overall, this book failed to meet expectations and I was sadly disappointed.

Elizabeth And The Major by Lynn Collum -- Regency Romance
Miss Elizabeth Fields left off her hoydenish ways when her mother died three years ago and has become the model daughter and a mother to her younger siblings. Elizabeth's father encourages her to accompany her shy best friend, The Honorable Julia Powers, to a house party where Julia is one of several young ladies who may inherit the estate from her eccentric cousin Esme. Elizabeth is hesitant to leave her family but realizes that Julia needs to get away from her domineering mother for awhile and agrees to go off to the country with Julia. While in the country, Elizabeth and Julia meet the other two young ladies who are Esme's prospective heirs; the flirtations society girl Myra Bradford and Miss Imogene Shelton, a silly schoolroom miss. Imogene is accompanied by her handsome older half-brother, Major Roderick Shelton, who is home on leave after being wounded in the Peninsular Wars. Roderick is a doting brother who wishes to see his sister's future settled before returning to war. He must make his own way in the world though he is heir to a Viscountcy. When Elizabeth first meets Roger, she's embarrassed by her unladylike behavior but thinks he's the most handsome man she's ever seen. Likewise, he's physically attracted to her but worries about her behavior. As they get to know each other, Elizabeth and Roderick discover they share common interests, including a dislike of the fashionable fribble Sir Gordon, Esme's greedy cousin who has crashed the party in hopes of slandering the women and gaining the inheritance for himself. When someone seems to be trying to scare off Imogene, the major believes the worst with nearly disastrous consequences for everyone involved. The plot summary on the back of the book is misleading. I expected an amusing romp with witty dialogue and over-the-top situations. I couldn't find any of the aforementioned in the plot of this novel. The story moves slowly and isn't very interesting. There isn't much character development and when there is, it's tossed in and then glossed over. I didn't find the romance believable at all because of the lack of characterization. The plot was entirely predictable from beginning to end and I just didn't feel anything for the characters or care what happened to them. Some of the situations were funny and I liked Julia and wished she were the main character. Overall, I found this to be a mediocre story and won't read it again.

Rumors: A Luxe Novel by Anna Godbersen -- YA Historical Fiction/Romance
Picking up two months after The Luxe left off, this book continues the story of the Holland sisters. Elizabeth has faked her own death to head west to find her boyfriend, Will leaving Diana to deal with the societal pressures of finding a husband and navigating the sticky situation with Henry Schoonmaker. The plot of this book is far more contrived and soap operaish than The Luxe. It features star-crossed lovers who do forbidden things that are entirely unrealistic for that time and place. The book also continues the story of the former maid, Lina, a scheming social climber who is determined to be a society lady aided by Penelope Hayes. I felt like I was watching a CW (TV) teen drama while reading this book and I was very disappointed in the way the characters behaved given their situations. I sympathize with Elizabeth but I also feel she was selfish to leave Diana alone. Diana is very young and silly and I didn't like her as much in this novel as I did the first. I'm not sure I am going to continue with the series. I'm not really into melodrama.