What To Read This Winter

 What to Read this Winter

Are you STILL snowed in or rained it? Are you tired of the terrifying news? I have just the book to take you on an escape from the crazy world we live in. Another gem from Regina Scott! 

Never Court a Count by Regina Scott-- Traditional Regency Romance 

Thank you to Regina Scott for the advanced copy of the e-book. All opinions expressed in this review are all my own and not affected by the giveaway.

Lady Calantha Dryden, middle daughter of the Duke of Wey, feels invisible. A shy wallflower, she has no interest in fulfilling the vow she made with her sister and friend to find suitable and loving husbands by harvest. It's her third season Out and no one even seems to know she's alive. This leads to Callie spending a great deal of time behind potted palms and even people holding private conversations right in front of her! On one such occasion, as she's hiding behind a plant, Callie overhears two men plotting to threaten to the Batavarian King's plans to regain his lands. As Callie's sister Larissa is engaged to the Crown Prince, this directly concerns her family! Fritz, Count Montalban, younger son (by 15 minutes) of the King of Batavaria enjoyed being the Captain of the Guard, the invisble younger son. Now he has been elevated, he's perusued by young misses and matchmaking mamas- the horror! If only he could make himself invisible again! When Callie reveals what she overheard, Fritz wants to jump into action but he needs Callie to help him identify the suspects. Unfortunately for Callie, her father comes upon her speaking privately with Fritz and demands Fritz call on him the next day. Gulp! Neither wants to marry but for Callie to discover the men behind the plot, she needs to be able to hear them. For Fritz to stop the threat, he needs to identify the men and for that he needs Callie. They agree on a sham engagement as long as it takes to find the villains and stop the threat. It should take only days or weeks, right? Then they can go their separate ways once the Season ends. Fritz is determined to support Callie in her efforts even if she is unsuccessful and soon, his feelings for Callie begin to deepen. How can he marry with no money, no home and dark secrets in his past? Callie soon realizes finding a villain is harder than she thought, especially as she is not allowed in all male bastions like the House of Commons. Then someone starts nasty rumors about Fritz and even the King believes them! Can Callie summon her inner strength to protect those she loves? Loves?! Surely not! Even so, why would a strong, active man like Fritz want to marry a shy, invisible wallflower like her?

This is another winner from Regina Scott! The slow burn romance is very sweet and builds nicely. I didn't roll my eyes once or think feelings were developing too quickly. Nor do their feelings come on suddenly at the end or the plot conclude with a kiss. This story is more romance than Georgette Heyer style Traditional Regency romances. The mystery of the villains is secondary to the romance but it still kept me turning pages. I had to take a break to charge my laptop and run Windows update but that worked out for the best because I was able to finish this before going to sleep at night and dream happy dreams. The story does not stand on its own and readers must read at least Never Pursue a Prince and preferably Never Doubt a Duke.

Callie is the best heroine! She's shy, socially awkward, says what she thinks- sometimes to the point of awkwardness, prefers animals to people and has exceptional verbal recall. If she were a young lady of today, she would be diagnosed with non-verbal learning disorder. I can say this for a fact because's she a younger, 19th-century version of me. My world is much larger so I can not recall voices after only hearing them once (for example, right now the radio is on in the basement and I can hear voices but can't distinguish them). Callie, on the other hand, is fortunate enough not to have distractions in the form of radios and TVs and too many people talking to her. She remembers EVERYTHING she hears. EVERYTHING! I thought she was charming when she was little and blurted out everything she heard. I certainly cringe to think about doing that so she probably wouldn't want me to mention it. Callie's memory is a curse and a blessing. Because she's so shy, people say things around her she isn't meant to hear. Once she hears something, she can't unhear it. It's also a blessing because she remembers important things too, like threats to her family and friends. As the story goes on, Callie grows so much! She starts to come out of her shell with Fritz to support her. By the end, she's willing to stand up for those she cares about even if it means not being invisible anymore. I love her character growth and think it was done exceptionally well. It's not an overnight thing or even a day or two. Her growing is done throughout the novel as she gains confidence in herself and her abilities. Identifying a villain helps too.

At first I wasn't sure about Friz. Fortune didn't like him so that seemed to be that. However, Fortune came around and so did I. Callie liked Fritz from the moment they met. They sparred but that means he SAW her and she didn't fade into the background eclipsed by Larissa and Belle. They had discussions on books and shared a passion for animal welfare. Getting to know Fritz in his own story, he is a more well-rounded man than as seen from his brother's point-of-view. Fritz is fiercely devoted to his country and his family. He's Batavarian in his heart and is frustrated and unhappy being an exile. Yes he's a man of action, quick to jump in and protect his family but in his heart, he's as much as a wallflower as Callie. He craves calm and quiet, open spaces and animals. Fritz has a big secret he hasn't even shared with his twin. It's given him PTSD which he considers a shameful secret. Callie is good for him and helps him when he needs it, just as Fritz helps Callie grow and blossom. His secret is not shameful. It's understandable but as a soldier, he feels he let down his family and his country. Callie helps him become the hero everyone thinks he is.

We see more of Callie's family in this book. Larissa doesn't have a large role. She seems to be letting Callie do her thing without interference. Belle, on the other hand, still clings to their silly vow. An extrovert, Belle doesn't understand Callie's feelings and Callie, an introvert, can't bring herself to let down her younger sister. The Duke of Wey appears more in this novel than ever before. He is a very strict father. His daughters' behavior reflects on the whole family and as he is a Duke, everyone must be beyond reproach. He can't see how damaging that is to his children. Larissa felt too much pressure to live up to expectations and Callie can't socialize in groups because of her crippling shyness. Callie is happier socializing one on one but because of the ridiculous rules of Society, there's a lot she can't do, like be alone with a male friend of the family even if he will soon be her sister's brother-in-law. The Duke comes down too hard on Callie, especially the second time. He should have more faith in Callie and trust that Callie has faith in Fritz. She's a very good judge of character and even Fortune approves of Fritz- now. Thank goodness for Jane. Jane is a lovely breath of fresh air. Formerly a soldier's wife, Jane is practical but she's not no-nonsense. She's an amazing mother and all the scenes with her playing games with her children are so wonderful and unlike anything else in any other Regency novel I've read. Jane has the ability to soothe Alaric's temper and help him see reason. She doesn't care for silly rules and understands the art of compromise. Young Thal has the heart of a typical mischievous schoolboy but feels the pressure of being the heir to the Dukedom and the frustration of being smothered by doting family who see him as sickly. Only Callie understands Thal's frustration and knows enough not to fuss over him. Her quiet personality leads her to observe things and when she has her own children, she can use that skill wisely, along with the love and laughter and open door policy Jane brought into their home. Peter is still very young and unaware of his sisters' activities but has strong opinions about kissing- as most 8 year old boys do LOL!

Not family but just as close as are Tuny Bateman and Julian and Meredith, now Lord and Lady Belfort. Tuny is wise beyond her years most of the time but inexperienced in love. I think she protests too much about a certain gentleman. The art auction is very telling and I do believe Belle is right. She could be right about the motivation behind the auction battle but have the wrong motive. I can't wait for Matthew to hear about THAT! Hopefully Charlotte can keep him from going ballistic and scaring away Tuny's would-be suitors. Julian has grown on me now he's less obsessed with the advancement of his career. Meredith is still pretty cool and detached, much like a cat. Fortune may be old but she still knows her due and woe betide anyone who doesn't appreciate her as they ought to. The old girl still knows a good man from a bad one. The Dryden family butler is also a good friend. He's almost like a grandfather to the girls and rooting for Callie.

Fritz's family doesn't have much to do here. Leo pops in and out but doesn't do anything. The King os off trying to get his country back. Instead of family, Leo is surrounded by his Guardsmen and the Lord Chamberlain. Lawrence, the Lord Chamberlain, is an overly fussy man. He's agasht at Fritz's unorthodox behavior. Turn down vouchers to Almacks? The horror! He doesn't share Fritz's feelings for animals. Someone is leaking rumors to the gossip columns and it HAS to be Lawrence! Who else knows they spurned Almacks and who else would complain about the treatment of servants? Is he a traitor too? Wyss, second in command to Fritz, is funny. He's almost like a brother to Fritz. While he's willing to lay down his life for his country, but not so much a petty duel. Even though he's technically subservient to Fritz, he can still tell it like it is. Wyss sees Callie's worth. Tanner is a character. All the guardsmen at least see Callie as a beautiful woman and Wyss understands she's clever.

Who are the enemies threatening to destroy the Batavarian royals plans for regaining their country? Mr. von Mandelsoh, from one of the embassies, is a sneaky, oily sort of man. He does not seem trustworthy. Jane can sense it, Callie sees it but is he the man they're after? What about Lord Wellmanton? He seems suspicious but claims not to know anything about any plots. He may be lying but I think he's innocent of wrongdoing. He doesn't seem very clever and as he points out, he doesn't have much motive. His wife, on the other hand, has reason to hate Callie and want revenge. I'd be looking more closely at her. What of their son, Robert? He's evasive and when we finally meet him, he seems like a typical young man about town who thinks highly of himself but isn't very worthwhile. He comes across as stupid and lazy. I think Callie is chasing the wrong men. The MASTER might be LADY Wellmanton, hiding behind her husband or son. Or is the villain Herr von Grub who the ladies suspected all along? My money is on Lady Wellmanton. She's the biggest gossip in London, has the motive to want to ruin Callie and possibly the Batavarians as well. Her family has the means and opportunity too. Never trust a gossippy older woman to behave fair and square.

Meredith, Julian and Fortune all play a secondary role in this story so probably begin with Always Kiss at Christmas. The other Fortunes' Brides characters are mentioned with only Matthew Bates (Never Vie for a Viscount, Never Kneel to a Knight) having a walk-on role. You might also want to read Secrets and Sensibilities, Art and Artifice and The Artist's Healer but it isn't necessary. Characters from those books make an appearance through their artwork instead of in person. I was happy to see Lady Emily (now married, happily I assume) get the recognition for her battle painting she so deserved. Hannah, too, gets the success she deserves. Abigail is unknown to me.

I loved this story so much! I appreciate seeing a heroine with my exact learning disability. It's rare and no one ever talks about it because verbal=high funtioning in terms of school. Poor math skills? Oh she just doesn't like math because it doesn't come easy. Clumsy? She needs to pay more attention. Can't dance/modern day equiavlent? She just needs to practice. I feel for Callie and I know as she matures socializing will become easier but she'll still need to go home to the country with her books, her pets and her husband to recharge. The story is interesting and sweet as well. It's just the right sort of soothing story to read before bedtime on a winter's day when the world outside has gone crazy! Historically correct police may nitpick some of the details and one major action scene but I enjoy this series for what it is- nice escapism from reality. I bet Callie would agree that Sir Walter Scott's books are the same for her.