What I Read in June 2016 Part III. . .

What I Read in June 2016 Part III. . .


Exile for Dreamers by Kathleen Baldwin (Stranje House #2)--Young Adult Historical Fantasy/Young Adult Regency Romance

Ever since arriving at Miss Stranje's establishment, Tess has been running - running to keep away the dreams- the nightmares that predict terrible things for good people. She runs to keep away the madness that killed her mother and grandmother. She has an affinity for the woods and for the animals; Miss Stranje's school is also a place of refuge. When some thugs try to kidnap Georgie and kill Lord Ravencross, Tess steps in to save her friends. She denies Lord Ravencross is even a friend, despite what others and what Gabriel himself might think. Tess feels Daneska and the Iron Crown are behind the attacks and they must plot a strategy that will outwit Napoleon and save the country. Assisting the girls is Mr. Andrew Sinclair, the unusual American engineer and nephew of Robert Fulton. They must hide him from the Iron Crown and help him build a steam powered ship that can travel underwater carrying an explosive. It's not an easy job but Miss Stranje's girls up are to the task. Then news from home means Tess must make a difficult decision while her loved ones try to convince her not to follow through with her plan in a variety of creative ways.

I loved this book even more than the first one in the series. The story pretty much answered the questions I had about the background of Miss Stranje and her school. There's plenty of action which starts in the beginning and causes the story to be very tense. I had a hard time putting the book down. I had to know what was going to happen and I was quite surprised at how some of the events transpired. In addition to action/adventure, this one has a heaping dose of romance to make the reader more invested in the characters and what they're fighting for. There are hints at Jane and Sera's future romances as well. I liked learning about steam power, something I wasn't interested in before I started my current job where we talk about steam power. I knew what the French were missing to make the paddlewheel run but I didn't know how Andrew could make it work underwater while carrying explosives-not to mention a crew. This book ends with a cliffhanger and I'm dying to know how it all works out. On the negative side, I found the romantic nobility/self-sacrifice plot a bit too wearying until about halfway through the book.

I liked Tess the best in A School for Unusual Girls so I was eager to read more about her. She did annoy me a bit in the beginning with her refusal to acknowledge her feelings and her self-sacrificing attitude, but I can see her concerns. Her character development is excellent though a bit heavy handed at the end.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series! I'm very interested in Sera's story.


Forever and Forever: The Courtship of Henry Longfellow and Fanny Appleton by Josi S. Kilpack--Historical Romance

While Fanny Appleton is on her Grand Tour with her father, older sister and beloved cousin, she makes the acquaintance of Henry Longfellow, a poor professor and writer. Though she liked his book, Fanny isn't so sure she likes the man. She does like the way he looks at her and notices her as no one else has ever done. He has some radical views on slavery and women's education that interest Fanny but he is so poor, and a grieving widower. Fanny longs for romance and to be someone's one and only true love. She wants to go to parties and dances and have fun befitting her youth, but Mr. Longfellow does make her think. Henry Longfellow is on his second tour of Europe before starting his professorship at Harvard. He hopes to turn the institution around with his teaching of modern languages as well as continue to write. He feels lost and lonely without his wife but when he meets Fanny, she makes him feel alive once more. She's so passionate about learning and literature, but she is also so young and has experienced so much loss. Should he tell her of his feelings or try to move on? How could someone as young, wealthy and intelligent as Miss Fanny ever want to marry an old man like him?

This is a very very slow story. It took me forever to read it because nothing really happened. There's a lot of dialogue about literature and language, which I liked, but a lot of nothing which I did not like. There's some Christian content towards the end where Fanny becomes introspective with the help of her stepmother. I'm not sure this is specifically meant to be a Christian book but it seemed like it could be.

Fanny is not an appealing person. She's spoiled, selfish and really really nasty to poor Henry for most of the book. Henry has the sensitive soul of a poet; he's romantic and worships Fanny. Any woman would swoon to have him in love with her and Fanny doesn't appreciate him. I tried to make allowances for her age and her sorrows but she didn't improve much as she got older. I found myself uninterested in her and thinking Henry could do better.

I liked the author's notes on each chapter. As a New Englander, I can't help but be familiar with the famous poet (I was born on the day after the anniversary of Paul Revere's ride "that famous date and year" and I'm told I've been to the Wayside) but I didn't really know much about his personal life. I was more interested in the historical notes and the author's sources than the actual story.

What I Read in June 2015 Part IX

What I Read in June 2015 Part IX ...

Audacity by Melanie Crowder  --Young adult historical Fiction

A novel in verse about Clara Lemlich, a young female labor leader who organized the female garment workers' union and helped coordinate the history strike of 1909. The story begins with her childhood in Russia and her undying thirst for knowledge. Clara dreams of being a doctor but only boys study books in the shetl and her father protests against antisemitism by not allowing Russian language in the home. Clara protests by teaching songs and trading small favors with friends from the village to get access to books. Following a devastating pogrom in a nearby village, the family immigrates to New York where young Clara finds work in the garment factories, learns English and moves ever closer to her dream of becoming a doctor. Her family disapproves of her actions but the fire burning inside her won't be stopped and when she's blacklisted for speaking out against unfair working conditions, her fire burns even stronger.

The plot is very slow moving at first, but then gets better once the family gets to New York. I as more interested in how Clara came to be form the union and her work with the strike. The story disappointingly ends before the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire. It really needed that to show just how important Clara's work was and how the fire changed workplace rules. The blank verse poetry isn't really my thing but some of the unusual forms are nice. The author's note and interview with family members are far more interesting.



A School for Unusual Girls (Stranje House #1) by Kathleen Baldwin--Young Adult Historical Fantasy/Paranormal Regency Romance

Georgiana Fitzwilliam's parents are banishing her to Miss Stranje's school for unusual girls all for the little matter of burning her father's stables and half the neighbor's orchard. Georgie resists the banishment, arguing she was only trying to find a formula for invisible ink in hopes of saving the lives of soldiers. It's too late to save her older brother Robbie but if she can prevent more families from experiencing that pain, she will. Unfortunately for Georgie, the fire was the latest in a long list of unusual accomplishments and her parents are only too glad to be rid of her. Georgie is terrified of Miss Stranje and her torture chamber of horrors. Attempting to run away brings her face to face with the bold and teasing Sebastian, Lord Wyatt who makes her blood boil in more ways than one. Soon Georgie discovers all is not what it seems and she must trust in her own abilities and work with Sebastian or the world will be plunged into chaos in Napoleon's wake.

This book is sort of a fantasy/speculative hybrid. It's an alternate world where one split second decision can change the course of world history. It's not so much a gothic fantasy as it sounds but there are fantasy elements. That's really my only big complaint about the novel is that there's not enough explanation. Who is Miss Stranje? What exactly is her school and who are the other girls? There's very little characterization of the secondary characters - they'll get their own books, but there should have been more. What are Tess' nightmares and why are they taken for fact? What is her unusual affinity for animals? Why does Maya blend in and what is so special about her voice? Is it paranormal or just something natural? That isn't explained. The exposition goes on a bit too long. I knew there had to be a villain working for Napoleon because there always is. That person appears a little late in the story and the showdown comes much later than it should have. Too much time is spend on Georgie's experiments. I don't have a scientific brain so maybe it was just that all that was lost on me. The romantic plot/s were typical of the YA genre. I believe the author must love Anne of Green Gables because Georgie has red hair and a bit of a temper and Sebastian likes to tease and flirt much like Gilbert. Yes the romance is rather unbelievable but it's common for YA stories and I liked it though I was MORE interested in the adult romance - what's the story there?!

Georgie is a prickly character, a lot like Triss in Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic series. Red hair + hot temper + brains = prickly heroine. I don't mind because I can relate to that sort of heroine better than one like Lady Jane or Myra who are very nice. Georgie has a lot of weight carried on her shoulders and she likes to wallow in self pity but I see a young woman in a time of great change coming into her own and learning how to value her own abilities and how to trust others to help her make decisions. She's certainly very intelligent, which I value highly. Sebastian is brooding one minute and teasing the next. He's a typical selfless YA hero who wants to fall on his sword instead of falling in love. He's a curious character with a tough backstory that's shaped him. He wants to be noble but he's only human and can't help his feelings. I love that he is not the hero of the story.

My favorite secondary character is Tess. She's also prickly like Georgie but tough. She's used to being rejected and it hurts but she's comfortable in her own skin. She has some mysterious stuff going on and a seriously intense love/hate relationship. Her sparring partner is also a favorite character but he's not a likeable one. He's actually a jerk to Tess and awkward around women. I'm sure he will get more backstory in the next book because I found him intriguing for his faults. Miss Stranje is strange indeed and if I knew more about her, I would really like her. I like what I know about her anyway and commend her for what she does. The villain is a little cardboard. The villain has a backstory but I wanted a bit more to add more depth to their plot. This isn't a book where you guess who the villain is going to be. The characters know from the outset but there's not much to go on except a few facts.

This is a fun book for YA fans and Georgie's exposition plot shows newcomers to the Regency era what a young lady should and should not be like. There's a sneak peak of the next book and I want to read it NOW!

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

Waltz With A Rogue by Mona K. Gedney, Kathleen Baldwin and Lisa Noeli -- Regency Romance

This book of short stories contains three stories by well-known Regency authors. The first, The Highwayman Came Waltzing by Kathleen Baldwin, follows a very different plot line from the usual Regency story. It's loosely based on the poem "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes. In this story, Elizabeth Claegborn is the long suffering heroine, living with her aunt, grandmother and cousins on the estate of her cheapskate uncle. The family has a very unique way of earning money. When Elizabeth's childhood sweetheart Trace, Lord Ryerton returns from the wars, he's determined to find the highwaymen robbing his stepfather's guests and put a stop to those rogues once and for all. He also wants to rekindle the relationship with Elizabeth but she hides a terrible secret that could force her true love to choose between his duty and his heart. She's certain he'll choose duty but will he? This is the best of the three stories. It's well written and has a slightly Gothic air but is also funny and sweet at the same time. Elizabeth comes across as a bit of a Mary Sue but her big secret prevents her from actually being so bland. She and Trace have great chemistry. The story was suspenseful enough to really hold my interest though it bears little resemblance to the poem.

In The Rebel and the Rogue by Mona Gedney, Vivian Woodruff tries to avoid being married off to her odious stepfather's youngest brother. Her stepparents yell and threaten but Vivian will not give in. She will marry for love or not at all. When she encounters the dashing and dangerous Anthony Mallory, she decides to use some secret knowledge she has of him to blackmail him into helping her. Anthony is amused and intrigued by the young lady and can't believe the trap he's fallen into but he agreed to help after all, and maybe he's enjoying himself more than he ever has before. This is a predictable story about a hardened rake who meets his match in a naive young girl. The writing isn't bad but not as great as Georgette Heyer or some of the other authors who have tackled the same plot.

Dance with Me by Lisa Noeli features a Lord in disguise as a dancing master. Neville Dunsleigh knows he will find his bride when he dances with her, but all the ladies he meets are the same old boring fortune and title hunters. In disguise, he'll have the chance to meet his true love at last. He hadn't counted on his clients flirting with him or being fired because he refused to flirt back. He also didn't know just how painful it could be when a lady steps on his toes. When a chance encounter with a beautiful woman comes his way, he just knows she's the one. However, she disappears and makes it difficult for him to reach. Penelope Spencer also has a secret. She's the daughter of theater performers raised as a gentlewoman. She thinks she loves Neville but she isn't sure and will he love her if he finds out her secret? This is the lightest of the three stories. It's almost a fairy tale it's so unrealistic. It's sweet and charming and if you can overlook the rapid advancement of the romance and the unlikeliness of it all, you will enjoy it.

What I Read Last Week

What I've Read This Week Part II . . .

Lady Fiasco by Kathleen Baldwin -- Regency Romance

This is the first book in the trilogy featuring Aunt Honore. The other two being Mistaken Kiss and Cut From the Same Cloth. In this book Tyrell, Earl of Westmont has returned home from the wars to take up his duty upon his father's death. His mother is determined it's high time he marry and give her a grandson. Tyrell is angry at the world for he feels that he should still be on the battlefield in Spain and not in the ballroom. He's determined not to even look at any of the young ladies his mother forces on him but then he encounters his childhood playmate Fiona Hawthorn. Fiona was always an adorable elf and Tyrell soon discovers that the little elf has grown into a beautiful minx. Fiona tries to warn Tyrell of her reputation for disaster. The villagers all think she's cursed and even her stepmother doesn't want to be around her. Tyrell cares little for curses and pursues Fiona. However, Tyrell refuses to be leg shackled and when he always gets carried away with Fiona he storms off in anger. Fiona's Aunt Honore comes to the rescue and brings Fiona to the attention of the ton first in Brighton and then in London. Aunt Honore's eccentric ways and Fiona's accident prone nature make Fiona the belle of the ball. Soon Aunt Honore's stepson Marcus becomes jealous of Fiona and is determined that her reputation will keep him in his inheritance. Tyrell soon follows Fiona to London raging with anger and jealousy. He's determined that Marcus should not have Fiona but he doesn't seem to want her himself - or does he? Obviously this is a romance novel and the plot is pretty obvious. It follows a bit of a different path though since the hero and heroine already know each other. Fiona is likable enough and I felt sorry for her that everyone thought she was cursed. I loved Aunt Honore in the previous two books I read. She's outrageous and shocking but in this first novel she's not quite as funny. I did not like Tyrell at all. He's hot tempered, jealous, brooding and uncontrollable. We never really learn his whole story and he never talks to Fiona about why he refuses to be married. I do not like heroes with anger management problems. This is an average read. The other two books are better, with Cut From the Same Cloth having the most depth. Each book stands alone so you do not need to read them all or in order. 

Town Bronze by Kate Huntington -- Regency Romance

Christopher Warrington spent the last eleven years in hellish prisons in France. Now he has returned to England and to the rule of his autocratic grandfather, the Viscount Adderly. Christopher's grandfather wants Christopher to marry Cassandra Davies, the Viscount's ward and the sooner the better. The lady objects to the match and Christopher also wants nothing to do with the sharp tongued young girl, but the Viscount remains adamant. Christopher is not about to exchange one prison for another so he hares off to London without a moment's notice. Grandfather and Cassandra soon follow. Cassandra is thrilled to be in London where she will be able to do the Season at last. Her miserly guardian has hitherto not allowed her to have a Season. At two and twenty Cassandra is a bit naive but she's not so naive to know that when she next encounters Christopher, he has acquired a great deal of town bronze. Christopher arrives in London thinking he'll take his time to find a bride and get reacquainted with London. He becomes friendly with the fashionable widow Mrs. Benningham who helps him when he is in need. At first Cassandra has the time of her life in London. She enjoys the attentions of Lord Whitby, an Earl's heir. Christopher despises Whitby and tries his hardest to keep Cassandra out of harm's way. His jealously does nothing to endear him to the lady but perhaps she isn't the awful creature he has always believed her to be. Cassandra loves London but she can't help but feel like something is missing. This is a typical Regency story that contains slightly different plot elements. Christopher's plot is interesting and unusual, especially. Cassandra's plot feels very realistic and the interaction between Christopher and Cassandra is wonderful. There are some amusing moments but little actual romance. Cassandra's character is a bit stereotypical at first. She comes across as mercenary. She becomes well-developed as the story progresses and I liked her more. She's naive but not stupidly innocent. She has spark and fire and she knows what she wants. Christopher is charming and witty but he has a nasty temper that I'm not fond of. He's much kinder than many Regency heroes, however, and others may love him. The end of the story seems a bit rushed but it's funny and sweet just the same. I really enjoyed this book. It's well-written, realistic (as much as a Regency novel of this type can be) and a cut above the average Regency novel.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week  Part II. . .

Mistaken Kiss by Kathleen Baldwin -- Regency Romance

Willa Linnet has lived with her bachelor brother and his best friend for as long as she can remember. She's been educated in classical Greek philosophy and mathematics. She is able to work out any problem in her head and considers herself quite logical. When her brother finally realizes that she's now a woman, he balks at the expense and discomfort of giving her a Season in London. His best friend, Sir Daniel Braeburn, proposes a solution: he will marry Willa and they will all go on comfortably as they always have. Willa, however, does not find this solution very appealing. She longs for some excitement and romance in her life and she is certain that Sir Daniel is not the one who will provide her with what she wants. She decides that the only way to learn whether she would marry Sir Daniel or not is to kiss him. Willa heads out to the orchard where she believes she sees Sir Daniel resting. She removes her spectacles (she's very nearsighted) and begs for a kiss. The kiss ignites the passion she always knew she had in her, the only problem is, she discovers that her passionate kisser is not Sir Daniel at all! Alex Braeburn, mostly asleep, has a delicious dream in which a young lady demands he kiss her. He's happy to fulfill the lady's request but when he wakens, he finds it was not a dream and he has just kissed the rector's younger sister. Alex, being the black sheep of the family, is not considered a suitable companion for Willa, even if he wanted to marry her, which he doesn't. It's a good thing he'll be gone in the morning. Poor Willa completely lost her heart to the wrong man! She knows she can never marry Sir Daniel. When next Willa and Alex meet, she attempts to stop a prizefight between a neighboring farm lad and a London champion. Alex knows a fight is no place for a lady but Willa won't take no for an answer. Being just as determined as Willa, Alex attempts to stop her and is thanked for his efforts by being poked with an older lady's umbrella. The lady is the Countess de Alameda, or Willa's Aunt Honore. Aunt Honore takes a liking to the girl and sees how attracted Willa is to Alex. She offers Willa the chance to come to London and "hook" Alex (like a fish).  Willa wanst to have an adventure and to see Alex again so she reluctantly agrees. Aunt Honore does her best to push Willa at Alex and make the young man jealous. Willa become a big hit among the young gentlemen of the ton but Alex doesn't seem to be one of them. Alex admires the strong-minded young lady but he's determined to think he's not the right man for her. This is a very light, pleasant read. The plot is entirely comedy of manners with no villains or other adventures. Aunt Honore is totally crazy in this book but she doesn't provide as many laughs as in Cut From the Same Cloth. This book takes place before that one and after Lady Fiasco but can be each can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend this to those who like screwball comedy Regency romance style.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week Part II . . . 

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction/Fantasy

It's 1803 and 12-year-old Kat Stephenson, the youngest daughter of a country rector, has cut her hair, disguised herself as a boy and sneaks out of the house . . . only to be busted by her older sisters. Kat's whole reason for running away was to help her brother Charles avoid debtors prison and to keep eldest sister Elissa from making marrying an older man who was rumored to have killed his wife. Kat thinks that as a boy, she could make money in London to send home to help her family. Elissa, always willing to do the right thing, just doesn't understand! Neither does second sister Angeline. She has her own plan for avoiding a disastrous marriage for her sister and her plan does not involve Kat's help. It does, however, involve magic! Kat finds herself in disgrace with her sisters and her step-mama. Step-mama is always telling Kat to behave like a lady and forever complaining that Kat's mother was a disgrace to the family because she was a witch. Jealous of her sisters'  memories of their mother and Angeline's budding magical talent, Kat sneaks a peek at her late mother's magical artifacts, hidden away by disapproving step-mama, and discovers she has a secret magical destiny inherited from the mother she never knew. Elissa is pursued by both the wicked Sir Neville and his kind younger brother while Angeline finds an unwanted suitor of her own. Kat is determined to avoid her destiny as a mysterious Guardian and continues to stubbornly seek out a magical solution to her family's dilemmas, all in her own way.Kat is an irrepressible, incorrigible young heroine who will make you laugh with her crazy ideas. She really makes the reader want to befriend her to either join her on her adventures or keep her from carrying out her plans. The characters are a bit two-dimensional but I found the Stephenson sisters very likable and interesting, especially Angeline, the fiery tempered sister. The villain's motive could probably be easily figured out by an adult but I was too tired to really figure it out and I think a child in the target age will enjoy learning it the moment Kat puts all the clues together. This charming book is a good introduction to the Regency genre for younger readers and a good fun diversion for older readers as well. I look forward to reading more about Kat in the future!

Cut From the Same Cloth by Kathleen Baldwin -- Regency Romance

Valen, Lord St. Clare's father is dying and makes Valen promise to find a wife who will fill his heart. Easier said than done when Valen despises all the members of the ton for their snooty ways. His mother was common born and his noble grandfather made her life miserable. Valen gives his father a half-hearted promise and heads off to London to stay with his Aunt Honore. Lady Elizabeth Hampton is in London to find a rich husband. With her father and older brother missing in America and her twin brother not mature enough to save the family, Lady Elizabeth decides she must do the right thing and sacrifice herself to rescue the family finances. Elizabeth revels in creating eye-catching dresses out of beautiful, unusual silks. Her creations have caught the eyes of a few suitors, most notably Lord "Pointy-Nose-But-Has-Thirty-Thousand-a-Year" Horton, a would-be poet. Unfortunately, her unique style has also caught the attention of Lord St. Clare, who delights in creating lurid articles of clothing from the same cloth as Elizabeth's dresses. Lord St. Clare's jokes do not amuse Elizabeth and she takes delight in telling him off. He also happens to be her brother's old friend and when Lord St. Clare and Lady Almaeda invite the twins to stay at Lady Almaeda's, Elizabeth finds herself arguing a lot more with Lord St. Clare than she ever wanted to. Valen sees though Elizabeth's ploy. He also sees the spirited girl underneath the prim and proper young lady., but Valen vows he won't be caught in Elizabeth's schemes. He thinks he's safe because he isn't rich enough but if his Aunt Honore has anything to say about it, Valen and Elizabeth will be at the alter in no time at all. The story takes a dramatic turn and Valen has to prove to Elizabeth that he is not just a fashionable fribble and she must show him that she has a heart after all. This is an excellent, light, funny romance. Aunt Honore is my favorite character with her outrageous comments and carefully designed ploys to bring about a match between her favorite nephew and his friend's sister. The book had me laughing out loud in many places and balances the dramatic events with humor quite nicely. I could have done without the drama but it was necessary for the romance and character development. This is a nice reversal of the Pride and Prejudice plot and an original, refreshing plot which hasn't been used before. There is some brief, mild sensual language but mostly the book is kisses only and the sensuality is handled with humor and charm. Though it's not quite at the level of Georgette Heyer, I loved this book and highly recommend it for fans of the genre.