What I've Read This Week

What I Read This Week  . . .

Silent in the Sanctuary (Lady Julia Grey Mysteries 2) by Deanna Raybourn -- Historical Mystery/Romance

Lady Julia Grey has spent the last few months in Italy visiting with her brothers Lysander and Plum. When Lord March sends a summons to his children to return home for Christmas, Julia knows they must obey. She's worried that their father is upset over Lysander's marriage to the beautiful, hot-tempered Napolitana woman Violante. To soften the blow, Plum invites their friend, Alessandro, Count Fornacci to come to England for Christmas. Alessandro is delighted to spend more time in Lady Julia's company. Julia isn't sure how she feels about the younger man. Upon returning home they find not only the March family in residence but also Julia's poor relations elderly Aunt Dorcas and cousins Emma and Lucy, Lucy's betrothed Sir Cedric and his cousin/employee Henry Ludlow, the roguish new curate Lucian Snow. Also among the house guests are Nicholas Brisbane, newly elevated to the title of Viscount Wargrave and his beautiful, empty-headed fiance, Mrs. Charlotte King. Julia is stunned and hurt to see Brisbane again. He hasn't contacted her in months and now he's in her home. Julia leaves the hostessing to her sister Portia but turns to sleuthing again once she discovers the presence of an eerie ghost. Then, a house guest is murdered in the Sanctuary of Belmont Abbey and cousin Lucy confesses to the crime. Everyone is shocked, none more than Sir Cedric. Lord March commands Julia and Brisbane to work together to solve the mystery and acquit Lucy. A wicked villain tries to kill Lucy, Aunt Dorcas goes missing and Emma and a jewel thief is on the loose inside the Abbey. As Julia tries to find the clues that lead to the truth, she also uncovers evidence that her father and Brisbane have secrets they won't share. It angers her to be left out. She also believes that Brisbane's engagement is a sham since she's busy kissing Plum and Brisbane is prone to kissing Julia in dark corridors at night! Julia is determined not to let any man control her ever again. She figures out what she wants and how she has to get it and this includes Brisbane. The house guests are snowed in and Julia and Brisbane have until the snow melts before Scotland Yard steps in to solve the mystery or the March family will be disgraced and someone else may end up dead. This book is loaded with plots and subplots. The relationships are primary with the mystery coming second. I really didn't like Julia in this book. She was rude to her maid, cruel to her dog, unsympathetic to her poor cousins. Brisbane is still swoony and a bit brooding but less so than in the first book. He tries to keep his gothic secret at bay with hashish and there are some scenes of drug use. Brisbane's stubborn pride is starting to wear thin and I think he needs to just tell Julia how he feels because it's very obvious he cares. Julia too is annoyingly stubborn at times. She goes around collecting clues but in spite of her father's orders, her anger at Brisbane for keeping her out of his life propels her to search for answers without sharing information with him. A lot of disaster could have been avoided if they had confided in each other. The mysteries kept my attention for most of the book. The solving of the murder lacks action and suspense. It was rather a let down. The motive was really lame. The other mysteries are concluded too neatly and quickly. The real heart of the story is Julia's self-awareness but even that is told to the reader at the end. It is not as developed as in the first book. I mostly enjoyed the chemistry between Julia and Brisbane and her stubborn refusal to allow him to wallow in self-pity. I can't wait to find out what they get up to next. 

The Forgetful Lady : A Romance of Regency England by Jacqueline Diamond 

Lady Elizabeth Fairchild is a shy country bluestocking at heart. When her first Season was a disaster, she decided to adopt a new personality: bold, daring and witty. The gentlemen seem to like her new self but mostly as a friend. The one gentleman she loves, Lord Meridan, however, does not have any interest in her at all. At Meridan's fox hunt, Beth tries to impress him by riding a spirited horse. The event ends in disaster when Beth has a dangerous fall and loses her memory. At first Meridan is kind and caring but as Beth begins to recover, he quickly changes to cold and distant. Beth feels that Lord Meridan knows something about her which she can not remember. Beth is dragged off to London for her sister's first season where she becomes intimate with Mrs. Ariadne Sinclaire, a dashing widow who wants Lord Meridan for herself. As Ariadne becomes desperate to find a rich, young husband, she becomes more ruthless and Beth is the target of her anger. Only Sir Percy, a country neighbor remains faithful but his heart belongs to another who scorns him because he is without a fortune. Beth's heart is breaking over Lord Meridan's apparent refusal to believe the truth. Beth's family is furious with her for ruining their reputations. There doesn't seem to be any easy solution. This novel is too full of misunderstandings to appeal to me. The ending is rushed and unrealistic. I really liked Beth and could relate to being a shy bluestocking. I felt so sorry for her. However, I do not know what she ever saw in Lord Meridan in the first place. He's haughty and cruel and what Ariadne says to him about Beth in the end is true. There's no way this story could end happily. There are some mistakes in titles and styles that will make high sticklers not want to pick this one up. 

Rose White, Rose Red : A Romance of Georgian England by Daisy Vivian

The most exciting thing that ever happened to Blanche and Rosanna Montague is when a great bear of a boy came to their house injured, hungry and in need of refuge. He left before the girls got a chance to speak with him and so they dream of adventure still. Blanche is now sixteen and finished with school. She's been chosen to come to London to be a companion to her aunt Lady Sabella, an eccentric widow. Though Blanche's father is a scholar, her sees the value of giving his eldest daughter a chance to find a good husband. The husband Lady Sabella has in mind is her rakish nephew Lord Ravenspur. Blanche likes her aunt and takes to London society right away. She does not like Ravenspur. He dislikes country maidens and has an annoying tendency to tell her what to do. He brings out a bold argumentative side of Blanche she never knew existed. Meanwhile her sister Rosanna chafes at being stuck at school and so runs away wearing boys' clothing. Rosanna gets more of an adventure than she ever bargained for. Along the way she learns of the evil Earl King. The evil man has usurped the title of the MacQuahae, a Scottish lord and is hunting the man. Young Gareth McQuahae, the bear of a boy, is on the run too. He is assisted by Meg of Vinegar Yard, who wants to better herself. They become faithful friends of Lord Ravenspur who is dedicated to the Jacobite cause. Danger and adventure await all the young people when the Hanoverians close in on the Jacobites. The plot is very exciting and I couldn't put it down, however, the author assumes the reader knows English history and who and what the Jacobites are. I should know, but I didn't really remember so I would have liked more explanation. In this story characterization takes a back seat to plot though the characters are all well-drawn. I really liked and identified with Blanche. She grows and finds her true self in London and becomes a young lady who knows her own mind. Though she's young, I liked her and found her courage admirable. Rosanna is a fun character out of the Georgette Heyer canon. She seems much younger than she actually is though and her adventure seems to impossible that some may not like it. Meg is very street rat and some of her dialogue and descriptions may make some people uncomfortable. The author doesn't hold back about life in The Seven Dials but yet still manages to make the descriptions subtle enough not to be too graphic. Ravenspur is a great hero. I rather liked him and wish that his character could have been developed more. If you like Georgette Heyer's alpha heroes, you'll like Ravenspur. The romance is reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice but the ending is so rushed, the romance barely even gets off the ground. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story and want to know what happens to the characters next.

What I Read This Weekend

What I Read This Weekend . . .

Silent in the Grave (Lady Julia Grey Mysteries 1) by Deanna Raybourn -- Victorian Mystery/Romance

Lady Julia Grey first meets Nicholas Brisbane over her husband's dead body - or more accurately, her husband's still twitching body. Sir Edward Grey has finally succumbed to the heart condition which has plagued his family for generations. Julia feels very lost and without purpose. True, her marriage to her childhood friend had not been all that was ideal, but her life had a routine and a purpose while Edward was living. Julia, now a wealthy widow, wonders what she should do now. Surrounded by a loving, eccentric family, she has always craved normalcy but now she thinks perhaps she's more like the rest of the March family than she thought. When Brisbane shows up claiming that her husband was murdered, Julia refuses to accept his allegation and dismisses him. Julia can't put the darkly brooding stranger out of her mind though and when she discovers incriminating evidence she feels she can turn to Brisbane to help her solve the mystery of her husband's murder. Brisbane feels the trail has run cold after a year but Julia remains convinced and Brisbane reluctantly agrees to help her. Julia's youngest brother and her servants are also keeping secrets which may or may not have anything to do with the investigation. Brisbane too has secrets of his own to keep. Brisbane tries to keep one step ahead of Julia and keep her safe while keeping the relationship strictly professional, which confuses and maddens Julia if she stops to think about it. Julia discovers that her husband was entangled in a web of lies that could cost her her life. This murder mystery has many elements that will please any fan of 19th century novels: a dark brooding hero to make the Brontes and Byron proud, a spirited heroine, loyal servants and journeys to various parts of late Victorian London. Brisbane is maddeningly attractive in a Byronic sort of way. He's much more appealing that Mr. Rochester and not as temperamental as Heathcliff though he does bear a strong resemblance to the latter. Julia is an interesting heroine. The first half of the book is mainly about her journey of self-discovery. She's tried hard to be conventional but must determine whether that's what she really wants or not. She's desperate to be noticed but shy of attracting attention. She's a loyal sister, daughter, friend and a heroine to admire. She also has great taste in books. There are references to Jane Austen, the Brontes, Byron and other 19th century writers.  I adored the mad March family though I'm not sure that all of their activities would have been understood or discussed in 1886 but I suppose it works because they're so unconventional. Portia and The Ghoul add many lighthearted moments to the novel. The mystery is introduced about a third of the way through and by that time, I couldn't put the book down. It kept me guessing all the way until the very end. I was able to figure out Edward's big secret that led to all the other secrets and I figured out the secret of Brisbane's heritage almost right away. I did not guess the identity of the villain until just before Julia. There is one secret that is too Gothic and seems out of place in the novel which I did not like. The ending is a bit rushed and foreshadows events of the second book in the series. The romance is very subtle. There's a grand sweeping passion as well as a marriage of true minds but it doesn't come out much in the novel. I got the impression that Brisbane was annoyed and amused by Julia at first and then grew to care about her. She's attracted to him but unsure of her feelings as yet. She's experiencing a sexual awakening of sorts which is quietly explored in her mind only. There is no real graphic romantic content but there is a lot about the sexual activities of a certain character and some characters are prostitutes. The language is somewhat modern, especially the use of a certain word of an item in the last third of the novel but the rest of the book doesn't sound too modern. I would definitely recommend this to those who love Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Jo Beverley and other novels written in or set in the 19th century. I'm unsure whether I will continue the series at this time though.

The Day Dreaming Lady by Jacqueline Diamond -- Regency Romance

Lady Sara Rowdon always has her head in the clouds. She loves to daydream stories out of lurid novels in which she stars as the heroine instead of the meek, quiet young lady she is in real life. No one was more surprised than Lady Sara when the dashing young Captain Kenneth Link offered for her hand four years ago. Lady Sara's parents refused to allow her to marry a penniless nobody. Lady Sara's heart was broken and she knows she'll never love another. However, Lady Sara's parents are pushing her to marry Sir Lindsay Manx who will rescue the family from financial ruin and Lady Sara is a dutiful daughter. Now Kenneth has returned to London and he's inherited both title and wealth. As the Marquess of Broadmoor, Kenneth is the object of ever matchmaking Mama in London. He's certain he doesn't want to marry any of the simpering, silly young misses who have set their cap at him. His tastes run more towards the lovely widow Lady Mansfield who is also after the Marquess for his title.  Lord Broadmoor has one main goal for the Season though - to find the young lady who broke his heart and enact revenge by breaking hers in return. If only he could keep from becoming entranced by a certain pair of dreamy eyes. Lady Sara's mother urges her to keep Sir Lindsay in reserve in case Lord Broadmoor doesn't come up to scratch but Sir Lindsay doesn't seem in any hurry and Lady Sara fears she may lose both her suitors. She finally makes some friends and learns a lot about real life as gossip and secrets spread through the ton like wildfire and just maybe she'll become the heroine of her own story after all. Lady Sara is a unique heroine in the Regency genre. I can totally relate to her daydreaming and I can see myself in her and some of the situations she finds herself in are things I would probably do. I think she deserves much better than the hero who is petty and childish. The secondary characters are stereotypical but provide a lot of drama and some comic relief. There isn't much depth to the story. The romance is mostly told rather than developed through the plot. This book is light and fluffy, just what I needed after reading the above mystery. The story may not appeal to everyone though and there are a few typos and errors in the way peers should be addressed.