What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

The Wagered Heart by Rhonda Woodward -- Regency Romance
Julia Allard looks forward to a Season in London with her cousin Caroline until a rakish gentleman accosts her in the street and kisses her in broad daylight! The Duke of Kelbourne claims he made a vow with Dame Fortune to kiss the most beautiful woman he saw that day. Julia doesn't care about vows or wager; all she knows is that she's just been insulted and humiliated in public. Julia is forced to return home to the country in disgrace, where she becomes the subject of cruel gossip. A year later, cousin Caro, newly married, invites Julia to join her in Bath. Julia happily accepts the invitation. The last person she expects or wants to see in Bath is the Duke of Kelbourne. Kel shows up to do his familial duty at the summons of his adored older sister, expecting to be bored, but once he sees Julia, his boredom vanishes. Kel tries to apologize for his insufferable behavior, but Julia feels his apology is shallow and insincere. She wants to humiliate him the way he humiliated her and concocts a scheme of revenge. Her cousin warns her that she might lose her head, but she doesn't imagine she might lose her heart. The plot of this novel is a little bit unconventional since the "meet cute" occurs so early and Julia hates Kel for what he did. The story is paced too slowly and there isn't much plot. I feel like the reader doesn't get to know either of the main characters very well. I think the book could have benefited from being longer so there could be more character development. If I hadn't read Moonlight and Mischief first, I may have liked this one better. Kel and his friend Lord Haverstone appear so different in that book than this one. Moonlight and Mischief is a spinoff of this book but is superior in plot and character development.

The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson -- Historical Fiction/Romance
In Vienna, Austria in the 1920s, Karl Berger, professor and Zoology, and his wife Leonie are raising their daughter Ruthie to be intelligent and curious about everything. When Leonie's step-sister's son Heine, the piano virtuoso comes to live with them, young Ruth falls madly in love and Heine decides that Ruth is his starling, like the starling Mozart kept in a cage to sing for him. Quinton Sommerville, a young paleontology/zoology student comes to visit and is captivated by Ruth's recitation of an English poem. After Quin leaves, however, he returns to his work and forgets about the little girl but not about his kind host. Years later, when Quin is offered an honorary degree back in Vienna, he accepts because of the kindness of Professor Berger. However, the Nazis have taken over peaceful Vienna and the Bergers have been forced to leave Austria. Ruth was supposed to join her family in England, but was left behind. Wanting to help, Quin offers Ruth his protection. He finds it more difficult to get Ruth out of Austria than he realized and decides to offer Ruth a morgantic marriage based on the concept of the morning gift. After the wedding night, the husband absolves the bride of all marriage rights and her children will not inherit. Ruth reluctantly agrees, knowing it is the only way to get out of Austria. She believes they will be able to get an annulment or divorce easily, Heine will join the family in England, become a celebrity and she will marry him and live happily ever after. However, things don't go as smoothly as hoped and circumstances bring Ruth and Quin back together, this time, as student and teacher at Thameside University. Ruth quickly becomes a top pupil and a favorite with the other students and professors, all except the daughter of the Vice Chancellor whose goals include being the top student and marrying the wealthy Quin. Quin has no intentions of marrying anyone or producing an heir for his ancestral home. He's happy with his work and his experienced lovers, or so he thinks. The ending is a little surprising but not all together unpredictable. World events take a backseat to the romance in this novel, unlike some of her others, which is nice. I really liked the romance until 3/4 of the way through when the story gets rather melodramatic. I also didn't like the ending very much and would have done it differently. This is basically an update of the Regency novels I usually read. At first I was bothered by the double standards but soon ignored them as I got caught up in the romance. In order to love this novel, you have to overlook some really stupid behavior on the part of the characters and the beautiful, good, doe-eyed heroines Ibbotson likes to write about. I was able to do that and was so absorbed in the story I couldn't put the book down. This is a good read for adults and older teens who like sweet romances.

Magic Flutes (also known as The Reluctant Heiress) by Eva Ibbotson -- Historical Fiction/Romance
Found on the docks at Newcastle-upon-Tyme, Guy is a foundling who spent his earliest years at the Foundling Home fighting any perceived insult or injustice. At the age of 6 he was adopted by the widow Martha Hodge, who saw his potential and loved him unconditionally. Guy worked hard to please Martha and turned his energy to his studies. After attending University in Vienna, Guy came home changed and determined to make millions. Now, in 1922, he has become a multi-millionaire and is rich enough to buy a castle. He decides to buy Pfaffenstein castle to woo back his lady love who rejected him years ago when he was poor. Tessa was born and bred the Princess of Pfaffenstein but is now a republican and working backstage at a Vienna opera company for free because she loves music so much. She encounters Guy backstage when he comes to hire the opera company for his engagement house party. She is struck by his kindness to her but knows he will go away and she'll never see him again. When the opera company is engaged to perform Mozart's Magic Flutes at Pfaffenstein, Tessa is torn between her duties to her station and her heart. Should she marry Maxi, a prince who lives in a damp and crumbling home or can she help patronize the arts? Will Guy actually marry the spoiled beauty he believes he loves? Those are the questions that kept me turning the pages long into the night. This is a typical Ibbotson romance novel with a doe-eyed virtuous heroine who tried her hardest to please everyone and an older man of the world. The book is filled with beautiful descriptions and historical details of pre- WWII Austria and a number of quirky characters. This is a sweet, funny and charming romance novel for teens and adults.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

The Third Sister: A Continuation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility by Julia Barrett
The central character of this novel is Miss Margaret Dashwood, now seventeen and the right age to have suitors, yet there are no eligible young men available in Devonshire and Margaret spends most of her time playing nursemaid to the unruly Middleton children. She sees her sisters infrequently and longs for the happiness they have discovered. Visitors to Barton Park bring a new friend for Margaret and a potential suitor. Though Margaret longs to accept Mr. DuPlessy's flirtations, she can't help but remain cautious in light of what happened to Marianne. A trip to Brighton brings more new friends and another potential suitor for Margaret. She must determine whether sense or sensibility will win out. Meanwhile, Elinor and Edward Ferrars deal with domestic drama when Edward's mother pays an unexpected call and Marianne and Col. Brandon grow ever fonder of each other and try to help their family and friends the best they can. This is a slow moving novel that is supposed to be in the tradition of Jane Austen, yet I couldn't get into it. The plot borrows from Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion but doesn't come close to matching the charm and liveliness of the originals. Margaret never fully develops as a character and she comes across as boring and weak. There are too many subplots and too many new characters to keep track of that I found myself getting confused. I do not recommend reading this sequel.

My Lady Nightingale by Evelyn Richardson -- Regency Romance
Lord Christian Hatherleigh returns home battle weary after five years fighting in the Penninsula, looking forward to seeing his family again but feeling as if all beauty and ideals have gone out of the world. On a visit to his brother's townhouse, Christian overhears a beautiful lady's voice singing opera as he's never heard it before. Christian is intrigued by the voice and accidentally intrudes on the lady's vocal practice session. Lady Isobel de Montargis, daughter of French emigrees, is governess to Christian's beloved young nieces. At first Isobel is angry at the interruption, then alarmed by Christian's charming manner. In Isbobel, Christian sees a saviour, one who has lifted him from a place of darkness and brought back the light. In order to thank her, he decides to help advance her musical career, a favor which Isobel is reluctant to accept. Isobel is determined she will advance her career on her own without help from anyone. Christian uses his connections to get Isobel the opportunity to study with a great master and though she is grateful for the opportunity, she is angry at Christian's interference. Though she is grateful for his help, she stubbornly refuses to admit that Christian's attention means anything to her. Her dreams are on the verge of coming true, but soon, she faces greater obstacles to her happiness than her own stubborn pride, and she may loose all she holds dear, including love. This is a very well-written novel. The plot unfolds slowly, though the character's backgrounds are revealed early on. There is also a unique family drama subplot and a heartbreaking scene towards the end that had me practically in tears.I sobel and Christian become friends and he respects and admires her rather than lusts after her. He truly wants to help her career and slowly realizes he loves her as the story progresses. Isobel is a really admirable character. Like all of Richardson's heroines, she's proud and independent but I feel that she is the best developed. I couldn't help but fall in love with Christian myself. He's deeper than your typical rakish hero but still gets tongue tied with the woman he loves. He understands Isobel and understands what's best for her versus his personal interests. All of the above combine to create Richardson's very best novel. As usual, Richardson includes almost too much historical background information, but it doesn't affect the plot. Also, her heroes tend to turn into stalkers and Christian is not exception but he's slightly less creepy than some of the others. There are a few unrealistic points, like Isobel wanting to be an opera singer in the first place, but if you don't quibble and accept the story, you won't be disappointed.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

A Lady of Talent by Evelyn Richardson -- Regency Romance
Years ago Sebastian, Earl of Charrington purchased a painting of a young woman in a print shop and the young woman in the painting quickly became his confidant and true companion and has in fact ruined any other woman for him. He's spent most of his adult years in business, working to regain the fortune his father lost. Now he is affianced to his mentor's only daughter, the beautiful Miss Barbara Wyatt. Barbara and Sebastian could not be more different: Barbara enjoys flirting and parties and longs to be part of the ton while Sebastian is more interested in intellectual pursuits. He feels that in a marriage of convenience, it doesn't matter much if the partners are not soul mates. As a betrothal gift, Sebastian hires a painter, C.A. Manners, whose paintings he admired at the Royal Academy, to paint Barbara. He is shocked to discover that C.A. Manners is a Miss Cecilia Manners and the woman in his painting! Cecilia loves painting more than anything and works hard at painting portraits to support her brother's expensive habits and to reclaim some of the cachet they lost when their father gambled away everything. Cecilia and Sebastian quickly become friends and confidants, discovering rhe passion and love that they've never known. However, Sebastian is engaged to Barbara and Cecilia is too proud and independent to rely on a man's help to solve her problems which of course creates more problems! This is not the best of Richardson's novels. Sebastian comes across as creepy and kind of stalkerish. The young woman in the painting was only 12 at the time she painted herself and Sebastian fell in love with her picture! He didn't even try hard to find out who she was or whether she was really his ideal companion and when he did find her, he kept intruding on her privacy and trying to help her when they barely knew each other. They confide in each other too quickly and the solution is so painfully obvious that I didn't even really care about how it came about. Like all of Richardson's heroines, I admired Cecilia though she was more weepy and less independent than some of the others. Unlike most of Richardson's novels, this one doesn't get too bogged down in historical details which is a plus. Unless you feel compelled to read all her books, skip this one.


Hellie Jondoe by Randall Platt -- YA Historical Fiction
Helena Smith alias Hellie Jondoe has lived most of her life on the streets with her brother and their gang of Street Arabs. She likes her life just fine the way it is, but she's growing up and soon she won't be able to pretend to be a boy and for girls on the streets, there's only one option which Hellie is absolutely not interested in. Hellie's brother Harry has the solution to the problem - the Orphan Train. Hellie refuses to go west to be adopted by strangers but Harry thinks they can hop off the train anywhere they want and start over. Harry becomes involved in a struggle with another gang member and Hellie is forced to make her way on her own. Her street sense and tough talking ways make life difficult on the closely chaperoned Orphan Train but she is befriended by the lady photographer/journalist Amanda Collins and makes her first friend in the disfigured girl Lizzie. At the end of the ride Hellie, Lizzie and baby Joey with the club foot are taken to live with a wealthy woman on a large ranch. It's there that Hellie finally meets her match in the tough Scholastica Gorence! An unexpected visitor and a tragedy force Hellie to figure out where she belongs. Hellie is who she us and is unapologetic, which makes her an interesting character. She's also quite funny. Hellie speaks in street slang but the author makes it easy to understand from the context. I had a lot of sympathy for Lizzie but wish her story had been told in more detail. I had a pretty good idea of how the story would end but getting there was the fun part. This book is so well written and can be enjoyed by teens and adults alike. This is a great self-discovery story without being corny or moralistic. My biggest complaint was the alternate narrative but it became clear why that story was necessary by the end. I also thought the ending was rushed and I'm hoping for a sequel!


The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction
Tally is content with her life in London attending school with the nuns and living with her loving father and doting aunts. She feels safe there, despite the fact that the Nazis are on the march and war is imminent. In order to keep Tally safe, her father has the opportunity to send her to boarding school in the country. Tally refuses to leave at first and is terrified by her cousin's horror stories of life in boarding school, but she soon discovers that her school, Delderton, is quite different. Delderton is a progressive school where the staff are kind and the children do pretty much whatever they want. Tally soon comes to make new friends and love the school, especially the great cedar tree standing for centuries in the courtyard and hands-on, all-hours biology lessons from the mysterious Matteo. Tally's dream is to make the world a better place, starting with a folk dance festival held in the little country of Bergania, where the proud and brave king refuses to give in to Hitler's demands. Tally and her classmates enjoy befriending the children of other European nations, while Berganian Prince Karil watches wistfully from his bedroom with a telescope. Young Karil wishes he were an ordinary boy, free from the rules and restrictions his strict governess places on him. Karil's world changes in an instant and it's up to Tally and the other children to save his life and help him become free. The plot is entirely unpredictable and I could never figure out where she was going with it. There is an epilogue that provides that "what happens next" for anxious readers who need to know. The book does borrow elements from her adult novel, A Song for Summer but the plot is mostly different and much more innocent. Tally is a bit of a do-gooder but she's so sweet and innocent, you can't help but love her and want to assist her in saving the world. Karil is a complex character and his story really shows how difficult it is to be a young royal and the troubles of ruling a nation in the 20th century. I loved Delderton and wish I could have gone to a school like that. The quirky characters who populate the school are lots of fun and the children's stories are developed well. The descriptions of Bergania, probably based on Austria where Ibbotson grew up, are so lovely they make me want to go there immediately! Eva Ibbotson blends historical fact and reimagined history in this compelling story. This is a great read for all ages. The dust jacket of this novel warrants mention for it's beautiful blue tones and shimmery dragonflys. It attracted my eye and drew me in immediately.

The Rogue's Bride by Paula Roland--Regency Romance
The book opens with 26-year-old, twice-widowed Lady Alexandra Redcliffe walking down the aisle in the wedding of the Season, however the bride and bridegroom are not in attendance! Lexie is standing in for her best friend, Dulcie Winford, who has had the misfortune of contracting measles before the big day. It doesn't matter to Dulcie because she has never met the groom, Major Brandon Clive, nor wishes to marry him, but it means a lot of her father who arranged the marriage. After muddling through the ceremony with an elderly vicar, Lexie discovers she inadvertently signed the marriage license on the wrong line and is now the legal wife of Major Clive! Lexie does not wish to be married again and immediately plans for an annulment. She allows Papa Winford to handle things and escapes to Bath with Dulcie to visit Dulcie's kind aunt and see Lieutenant Daniel Symington, the bridegroom stand-in, whom Dulcie is determined to marry. Major Clive is furious when he discovers the mix-up. He fears being saddled with an old wife and/or a fortune hunter and heads to Bath to track down Lady Redcliffe. In Bath he is mistaken for his older cousin, Mr. Peyton Clive! He goes along with the masquerade once he discovers that his bride is actually young, charming and witty! Brandon is determined Lexie shall be his true wife and she is determined to avoid marrying anyone ever again! Dulcie has other ideas though and is determined to rearrange everyone's lives to suit her romantic notions. The rest of the plot involves the usual silly and pompous suitors, jealous rivalry, a scheming teenage girl and romance. There are some love scenes but they are discreet and can be skipped easily. The author seems to be trying to copy Georgette Heyer in tone but fails miserably. The plot is silly and the characters behave too modern for the Regency era. I didn't like or care anything about any of the characters but couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know how it would all be resolved. I would not recommend this book to those who enjoy the excellent writing of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen. This book earns a letter grade of C from me.