What I Read in February 2015 Part IV

What I Read in February 2015 Part IV . . .

Escapade by Marian Devon -- Regency Romance

Maria, Lady Carlton finds widowhood even more boring than her married life. She's forced to listen to her sister-in-law's complaints and care for Jane's horrid Pekinese, Horatio. She dreams of adventure and attends a balloon launch to see her idol, Madame Blanchard. When some English gentlemen get up to drunken revelry at the launch, it has consequences for Maria. Soon she finds herself in a balloon with the notorious (and drunk) Lord Brett with only Horatio for a chaperone. Lord Brett decides to seize the day when he fears he's about to die and kisses Maria. She is horrified at his actions and even more shocked when an accident forces them to hole up at an inn together with no money and a horrid blackmailer sniffing around for a story. He no more believes she is Madame Blanchard as she claims than Horatio can fly. Lord Brett comes up with an obvious solution, much to Maria's dismay which leads to more unintended consequences.

This is not my favorite Marian Devon book. I couldn't stand the hero. He's a rakehell with few scruples. He stops short of libertine but I disliked his behavior. He's drunk when he meets Maria and takes advantage of her all while claiming he's trying to protect her reputation. Even the obvious at the end doesn't make me like him any better. He's cowardly also and makes light of serious situations. He has a few redeeming qualities but overall I just didn't like him. I did like Maria. She's sensible and puts up with a lot from Lord Brett. The plot moves pretty quickly and has some funny moments and tender moments. I just didn't like Brett enough to buy into the romance. Though he's a rakehell the romance is limited to kisses only and a few mentions of naked bodies and many mentions of "the merchant Venus" and mistresses, illegitimate children. There's a little bit of violence, completely justified and handled with humor.


The Ardent Suitor by Marian Lorraine-- Regency romance

Andrea and Andrew (Andy and Drew) are twins and the best of friends and complete opposites. They reflect the best/worst sides of each other and are each other's harshest critics. When Drew's friend David Newbury, Duke of Kensington lets it be known he's on the hunt for a wife, Drew suggests his younger half-sister Chloe. Chloe is a sweet innocent and Andrea is incensed that her brother would suggest such a thing. That would be the very situation their lovely stepmother, Lady Jane, found herself in when she married the twins' father. Like David, their father was a well-known rake and Lady Jane was humiliated and retired from society. Andrea will die before she sees that happen to her sweet little sister. Chloe also has growing feelings for their neighbor, Jonathan, who is in love with her. When Andrew returns to the army of Occupation and David comes to visit, sparks fly. Chloe is a lovely girl but downright dull compared to her sister who makes David's blood boil in more way than one. He sets out on a scheme to make his little witch marry him - with possible disastrous consequences.

This story was written in the vein of Georgette Heyer. There's a lot of period slang and historic detail. However, the author was not as meticulous and the editor was blind. (is the stepmother's name Ladyjane or Lady Jane and who calls their much loved stepmother Lady anything?) My quibbles with the accuracy are minor: Unmarried ladies and gentlemen did not correspond and could not be friends; a lady who participated in a shooting contest would be beyond the pale and no Duke would ever ask a girl to call him by his first name. That being said, the story wasn't that bad. Andrea's rants got tiring and repetitive after awhile, especially once David proved time and again he has reformed. I wanted to yell at her to shut up. At the same time, I sympathized with her and saw my own temper staring back at me. I know I would act the same way in the same situation. David's pursuit of Andrea also got on my nerves. It went on too long and he was too persistent. There's such a thing as NO meaning no, even in the Regency era.

The characters are OK but none truly memorable. Andrea is firebrand and tomboy. She's a modern woman in a 19th century setting. David, once he reforms, is also hot tempered at times and stubborn to a fault. Even though Andrea did truly love him, I think he rushed things too much and should have SHOWN her what a nice guy he is. Instead he went around courting her sister and arguing with her. It was badly done. Andrew is downright annoying and Chloe is a lovely widgeon, much like Charis in Georgette Heyer's Frederica. Some of the secondary characters had potential, especially David's foppish cousin who came straight out of the Heyer book of best friends.

The book isn't worth tracking down but if you come across it for free, then it's worth checking out if you like couples who fight all the time. A Rake's Reform by Anne Barbour -- Regency Romance

Charles Trent, Earl of Bythorne, is in a pickle. His young ward Chloe has run off to who knows where with whom. The clues point to Hester Blayne, a firebrand feminist writer and speaker who seems to have influenced Chloe into refusing the suit of the respectable man Thorne had picked out for her. Chloe wants nothing to do with marriage, wanting instead to devote herself to the cause of women's rights. After a fiery clash with Hester, Thorne sees reason and invites Hester into his home to take charge of Chloe and convince her to marry. Enter the home of the notorious rake The Earl of Bythorne - NEVER! Except that the sum he offers would solve a number of problems for Hester and allow her to participate in the intellectual circles in London. It's only for a short time after all and of course she need not have much to do with Thorne. Hester is forced into entering the world of the ton and into spending time with Thorne while he wishes to be in the bed of one of his inamoratas. Though his kisses set fire to her body, she knows it's just physical attraction and that a rake like Thorne would never marry for love. Some day soon he'll offer for his promised bride, Lady Barbara Freemantle in a marriage of convenience. Hester believes Barbara's feelings lie elsewhere and Hester feels sorry for the other woman. Thorne's aunt is busy playing matchmaker for Hester and Chole is busy being stubborn. Nothing is happening as it should and worse - Hester finds herself falling for the notorious rake.

I had a lot of problems with this story. I usually like a good reformed rake plot but not this one. The hero reforms too late and I don't believe he's sincere. The plot is very slow and I found myself falling asleep before I was halfway through. There's too much going on in the story to make it flow smoothly. I also objected to the use of the world feminist which did not exist yet in 1817. Hester sounded too modern to be believable for the time period and there are numerous typos in the Kindle edition.

I should have known better than to read about a rake after rereading Georgette Heyer's Venetia. Thorne is no Damarel. Though Hester sees Thorne as a damaged soul, he's a lazy, good for nothing rake. He enjoys spending time in a brothel and considers dallying with a fellow peer's wife. He thinks lecherous thoughts about Hester and has no problems kissing her passionately yet denying his true feelings. I found him disgusting and unlikable.

Hester is a much better character. Hester is not opposed to marriage but opposed to arranged marriages. She believes men and women can be equals. She is dedicated to helping women and helping lower class women make a better life for themselves. I liked the way she handled Chole but I felt with the others she meddled and tried to arrange everything to suit herself and that I didn't like, but mostly I admire her a lot. I did not at all buy into her relationship with Thorne. I didn't see why she loved him.

The secondary characters are pretty poor. There's Chloe who is a spoiled, pampered teenage girl who thinks she would prefer to devote herself to the feminist cause than marry. She comes across as shallow and insincere. Her reactions are immature and get tired quickly. One scene that happened off page and was related by another character shows a different side of her which would have been good to actually see. Her suitor is dull and respectable, therefore she hates him. His character development is unbelievable but I liked him. Aunt Lavinia is a stereotypical female with vapours and is unable to control Chloe. Gussie is a stereotypical Grande Dame type who commands and expects to be obeyed. None of them are memorable.

Though the story is kisses only, it's more sensual than the author usually writes and I didn't care for it. I am glad the library had this one for free.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

Miss Delacourt Has Her Day (Miss Delacourt 2) by Heidi Ashworth - Regency Romance

Having returned to London, Sir Anthony and Miss Delacourt are eagerly planning a small, intimate wedding in the rose garden at Ginny's Grandaunt Regina's home in the country. Ginny is trying her hardest to become a proper lady while Anthony misses his shrew. Then Sir Anthony receives a letter from his uncle, a Duke, stating Anthony's cousin has died and Anthony is now the heir. Dismayed, Anthony rushes to his uncle's bedside where his uncle proceeds to harangue Anthony about his choice of bride. A "mere" vicar's daughter won't do for a future Duke claims the Duke of Marcross. He has in mind someone more like Anthony's former flame, the beautiful, widowed Lady Derby who is now very very willing to accept Anthony (now Lord Crenshaw) despite her earlier rebuff. When the Duke comes up with three impossible tasks for Anthony to do in order to earn the right to marry Ginny, Anthony fears his love is doomed. Ginny fears Anthony's family hates her and they will persuade Anthony not to marry her. Her Grandaunt Regina is almost powerless to do anything. Lucinda and Lord Avery show up to complicate matters. This is a very cute and funny sequel. I loved Sir Anthony in this book for the most part. I loved that he was willing to fight for the woman he loves and willing to stand up for her but I hated that he wouldn't talk to her and tell her what was going on. I really liked how Ginny refused to crumble despite meddling relatives. I hated that she cried a lot and tried to turn into a proper Duchess in the beginning. Like Anthony, I missed shrewish Ginny. Lord Avery and Lucinda add a lot of comic relief to the story. Poor Lord Avery! Lucinda is even MORE annoying than ever before. I giggled a lot whenever they were on the scene. The new characters are stock villains. They complicated the plot but didn't have any depth. There are some historical inaccuracies such as people didn't send engagement notices to the paper. Mostly this book could probably take place any time before World War II. There are a few stand-out things that mark this as a story set in the Regency era. Overall, I thought the book was enjoyable and I liked it more than Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind.

Mistletoe and Folly by Marian Devon -- Traditional Regency Romance

Jemima Forbes is forced to attend her estranged aunt's Christmas house party against her wishes. Her aunt finally took notice of her impoverished relatives and invited Jemima's beautiful older sister Clarissa to visit for the holidays in order to meet a suitable young man. Unfortunately for Clarissa, she has succumbed to the measles just in time for the holidays. Jemima wants nothing to do with her snobbish aunt or stupid cousin Marcus. She doesn't have any interest in marriage either. Jemima promises to hold her tongue and be polite. Sadly, Jemima's patience is tried by a public coach ride, her maid's illness, an accident, a long walk to her uncle's estate and a rude, wealthy carriage driver who splattered Jemima with mud. Her feathers are smoothed a bit by the kind Mr. Baldwin, a neighbor of her uncle's just out of prison. Mr. Baldwin is persona non grata at Lawford Park so Jemima is left to her own devices. The only one of the party Jemima can possibly bring herself to like is her uncle's crippled sister Jane. When Jemima discovers the rudesby who caused the coach accident and splashed her is the guest of honor, Lord Montague! Jemima can hold her temper no longer and vents her anger on Lord Montague, much to the dismay of her toad eating cousin Marcus. When her head clears a bit, Jemima realizes Lord Montague is hiding something. Could it have something to do with the escape of a political prisoner her uncle's secretary is forever going on about? Soon Jemima's quick mind thrusts her into the middle of a secret scandal and another mystery she can only guess at. She's never had so much fun in her life! Though this book bears a lot of similarities to Miss Osborne Misbehaves, this story is very different. The plot is fairly predictable but fast paced and very funny at times. At first I thought the plot was going to take a different direction but I enjoyed the way it went. It was different and lighter than a traditional Regency romance while still being a mystery type story. The romance is very clean. There are a few kisses, mainly under the mistletoe, but no real sensuality. There's a secondary romance that's very sweet too. It was a bit different and I would have liked another story involving those characters because I found them intriguing. I liked Jemima but she wasn't very proper for a Regency lady. She says and does whatever comes into her head and I think some of her behavior would have caused her to be compromised, much to her aunt's dismay. The dialogue is very witty and amusing. It sounds rather modern at times though. None of the book is from Lord Montague's point-of-view, we don't even know his first name, but one can guess at what he is thinking and feeling. I can only imagine what his internal dialogue must be. His conversations with Jemima tend to be rather amusing on the part of the observer and exasperating on his part. The rest of the characters are all culled from the typical Regency canon: the stuffy, snobbish aunt and party guests and the foppish cousin. Not too interesting there. The villain, if you can call that person a villain, is interesting and a different type of character. It's not someone you would peg as a villain. There's no back story there but I assume this person has their own best interests at heart. This story is a lot better than Miss Osborne Misbehaves. It's similar to other light Regency books like the Miss Delacourt books and other older Regency writers. There's not a lot of substance to the story but it's a nice, light read.

What I've Read This Week Part II

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

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella -- Women's Fiction

Lottie goes out to lunch with her long-time boyfriend dreaming of a romantic marriage proposal. What she gets is an awkward lunch where her boyfriend fails to propose and even balks at the suggestion. Lottie is left with a broken heart but to save face, she pretends SHE broke up with HIM in order to focus on her career. Then an old flame from her gap year in Greece calls and when Lottie meets Ben again, the sexual tension sizzles between them. Lottie wants this relationship to succeed so she decides to do the opposite of what she's done with her previous boyfriends... NOT sleep with him until they're married. Great but Ben can't wait and neither can Lottie which leads them to registry hall and a honeymoon in Ikokos in Greece where they first met. Lottie's older sister Fliss is going through a bitter divorce. She can't let go of her ex's failings as a husband and father. He unceremoniously dumps their seven year old son Noah on her during a busy moment in her career. When she learns of Lottie's planned elopement she knows it's one of Lottie's Unfortunate Choices that typically follows a breakup. Fliss is determined to stop Lottie from making the biggest mistake of her night even if it means sabotaging the honeymoon, at least until she can arrive and talk sense into her sister. Fliss heads off to Greece with Noah in tow and discovers that she isn't the only one stalking the newlyweds. Ben's friend Lorcan is also headed to Greece to keep Ben from selling his company to an unscrupulous businessman. They're joined by an unexpected person who has their own reasons for wanting to find Lottie and Ben. Meanwhile Lottie and Ben are hampered by sexual frustration (warning: this book has some very raunchy moments) and a longing to return to their youth. So what if there's a lot that Ben seems to remember that Lottie doesn't. That year changed her life forever and she knows that she made the right decision. The plot of this novel kept me guessing. I couldn't put the book down. At first I thought I knew what was going to happen or what I hoped would happen. Then I wasn't sure. I changed my mind a few times on how I wanted it to end and I was mostly satisfied with the conclusion. I preferred Fliss's plot to Lottie's though. Lottie is downright crazy. She has issues and needs to see a therapist. I giggled a bit at her antics but really, I didn't like her very much. She's 33 years old but acts a lot younger. Fliss too has issues but her plot is better developed and more mature than Lottie's. I liked her a lot, probably because I am a big sister. However, I wouldn't go about ruining my sister's life the way she does! My sister is an adult. She didn't listen to me, made her own decisions and now she has to live with them and I thought Fliss needed to realize that early on. She also needs to see a therapist about her divorce and her son's issues. Noah made me laugh a lot but I felt sorry for him and worried about him. I liked Lorcan. He comes across as a Mr. Darcy type and the beginning of his relationship with Fliss is sort of about pride and prejudice. His development happens too suddenly though. It's tacked on at the end and so his plot is concluded rather more quickly than I would have liked. I was hoping for a slightly different ending but the way the characters failed to develop, they need to work on their issues more. (Yes I know it's fiction). I hated Ben from the beginning. His character doesn't really develop much. I liked Richard the best, however, I felt that he was a fantasy created by a woman and didn't seem very realistic. I thought that the concept was more mature than some of Sophie Kinsella's earlier books. The plot offered some interesting social commentary on marriage and relationships. I'm not married and maybe I'm reading something into the book that wasn't intended. It does have some more serious undertones than the Shopaholic series. It's also a lot longer than her earlier books. I liked the book a lot but it's not my favorite of Sophie Kinsella's books.

Miss Osborne Misbehaves by Marian Devon  -- Regency Romance

Miss Eliza Osborne is traveling on the Brighton stage - alone - the folly of which Mr. Garrick Slaughter demonstrates to Eliza on more than one occasion. Mr. Slaughter has just been released from Newgate and is traveling in Eliza's direction. After the journey together, she's certain she can trust him. When she discovers from her aunt that Mr. Slaughter is the illegitimate son of Lord Wenham and was imprisoned for stealing her ladyship's diamond earrings, Eliza is certain Garrick was framed. Who framed him? Could it be his younger half-brother, a crippled young man who stands to inherit everything except a freehold willed to Garrick? Perhaps it was Lady Wenham who has always been jealous of her husband's attention to his older, perfect son; or maybe it was her mother, Lady Cheselden, a cantankerous old lady who tries to bully Eliza. Eliza won't stand on ceremony with any of the Wenhams. Her uncle-by-marriage is a poor relation and her family is respectable. Eliza's hot temper and quick tongue may get her into trouble with her elders but it earns her the friendship of the Wenham brothers. Then the lovely Juliet appears and both brothers seem to be in love. Garrick thinks Eliza is perfect for Jared but his mother has him practically engaged to Juliet. Eliza is bound up in a tangle of mysteries, romance and prejudice. She feels it's up to her to untangle the knots, but where does she fit into the story? High sticklers beware. Eliza is a very modern heroine. I didn't really like her very much. I thought she was rude. I would never dream of speaking that way to anyone outside my family even today. There's no way a well born girl of the 19th century would lose her temper the way Eliza does. She spends a lot of intimate moments alone with Garrick (in an innocent way) and again I wouldn't ever behave the way she does with a virtual stranger. In the beginning she doesn't have much choice but once she arrives in the country, she spends a lot of time alone with one brother or the other. It's perfectly obvious who the villain was and perfectly stupid that anyone would believe Eliza over that person. That didn't make much sense. None of the characters actually behaved the way they should. Lord Wenham is given an excuse for his behavior and we also learn about Lady Wenham's motivation. The behavior of the characters just didn't seem period correct and ruined my enjoyment of the story. We learn a lot about the Wenham brothers. We see Jared's real personality first hand but Eliza and Jared are told something important about Garrick second hand that shapes his character. Even though he's sort of enigmatic, I liked Garrick and I felt bad for him. As usual, the period details are delightful. I especially liked the description of the smells and the grime that make it realistic. There's rather too much of a scene set at a boxing match but again it shows the author's attention to detail and research. The story made me chuckle a bit at times but I just couldn't love this one. It's not Marion Devon's best.

What I Read This Weekend

What I Read This Weekend . . .

An Early Engagement by Barbara Metzger -- Regency Romance

Lady Emilyann Arcott and Viscount Stokley were engaged on Emilyann's christening day, shortly after the death of her Mama. The Duke waished to protect his precious only daughter, an heiress, from his scoundrel brother. Stokley's Papa From then on, Emilyann became Stokley's to cherish and treasure. From climbing trees to fishing and other unladylike pursuits, Emilyann followed her beloved "Smokey" anywhere. Before Emilyann is old enough to come out, her Papa unexpectedly dies leaving her a fortune and in the care of her ne'er do well uncle, his Puritanical wife and her idiotish son Bobo. When Emilyann's uncle threatens to marry her to Bobo, Emilyann knows she needs to escape but where and how? Smoky is off fighting the French with Wellington and who knows when or if he'll return. As luck would have it, Emilyann learns from Smokey's younger brother Geoffrey that Stokley is in London at that very moment. Emilyann runs off to her Smokey who promises to help. Emilyann adds the condition that after Stokley returns from the wars they can get a quiet annulment. Stokley agrees with the condition that Emilyann not spend her fortune on his run down estate. Never one to listen, Emilyann does exactly as she pleases. Emilyann, Geoffrey and his silly sister Nadine head off to London to take the ton by storm. When news of his wife's social success reaches Stokley in Brussels, he dashes off to London to take control of his family. Instead of the parcel of unruly children he expects to find, he discovers his wife is a lively, confident, caring, beautiful woman and he wants nothing to do with any annulments! Emilyann is a bit unsure of her husband so Stokley sets out to woo her. A series of unusual accidents makes Stokley reluctant to leave his bride's side. Alas, Napoleon is on the run and it's back to war for the young Earl. Will he ever win his bride? Will Emilyann ever get to cherish her hero as he has cherished her all these years? Not if Emilyann's uncle has anything to say about it. This story is vastly different from the usual marriage of convenience plot. Most of the book is dedicated to exposition. The exposition is cute and funny at times but goes on too long. The subplot involving Emilyann's uncle and his family is far more entertaining. For all he's a villain, her uncle is a comic villain. His wife, Ingrid, and stepson Bobo provide a lot of the humor in the story. Stokley's aunt and sister also contribute to the comedic aspects of the plot. Since the exposition is long, the story feels really long and doesn't have much time to develop the relationship. Emilyann is very young, spoiled and headstrong. She grows up nicely and becomes an appealing character towards the end. Stokley is hardly in the story at all except as a minor character looking back on their childhood games and then in the last third of the novel. When Stokley appears, he's busy lusting after his bride instead of actually trying to woo her he tries to seduce her. The two are NOT the same thing. I didn't really like him much but there wasn't a lot of opportunity to get to know him. I preferred his brother Geoff. This isn't my favorite Barbara Metzger novel. It's cute and sometimes funny but the lack of relationship between the h/h turned me off. That and Pug, the dog, doesn't play a major role in the story and only appears or is mentioned in a few scenes. Lady Cheyne (My Lady Innkeeper) is mentioned in one scene but doesn't appear on page.

A Heart on His Sleeve by Marian Devon -- Regency Romance

Miss Emeline Sedley despairs of being stuck in the dower house on her cousin, Lord Blakley's estate. If it weren't for Blakley's selfish mother and her feud with Emmy's Grandmama, Emmy would be making her come out in London. Her mean cousin refuses to allow her to live in the manor or meet his gentlemen friends. Her only companion is her best friend Andrea Prior who is staying with Emmy while her father tries to recover his finances in France. St. Valentine's Day is fast approaching and Emmy has discovered all manor of old folk ways to find her husband. Her prayers seem to be answered when her cousin's friends come for a hunt. As much as Blake tries to keep the gentlemen away from the ladies, he is unsuccessful. He's busy having a tryst with a village woman and trying to keep his old nemesis,  the radical Zach Cannon from turning the farmers against their landlord. Andrea is glad not to have to socialize with the cold and trying man who tormented her throughout childhood, but when she finds herself alone with her, he can't keep his lips off hers. Andrea's traitorous body responds to the rake's kisses but she knows he's not sincere. She would be better off going to her father in France and teaching English to French children than staying in England where she's in danger of losing her heart. By St. Valentine's Day, someone will find their ideal mate but will it be Emmy, Andrea, Blake's mother, or Blake's friends? This short novel has some potential but it never quite lives up to it's promise. Emmy is young and silly. I couldn't relate to her desire to find a husband NOW. She does some silly things which I probably would have done in my salad days though. Her judgement is not the best and she never really grows or changes. Andrea is the main character of the story and it's all from her point of view. I wish we had Blake's point of view because it would be a far more interesting story. He seems to be a superficial rake but some scenes reveal there's more to him than meets the eye. He seems to be a man of a lot of depth but it never really comes to the surface because we see him as Andrea sees him. The kissing scenes are ridiculous. There's not much else between Andrea and Blake. They don't really know each other very well and I don't see their attraction to one another beyond physical sensation. The story isn't laugh out loud funny and there are a few moments of humor but nothing really great. This is not Marian Devon's best novel.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction

Abilene Tucker has been riding the rails and wandering around with her Daddy Gideon her whole life. Now she's 12 Gideon is sending her to the small town of Manifest, Kansas where he spent time as a boy. Manifest is a dry, dusty town hit hard by the Depression. Abilene wonders what the town was like when Gideon lived there and searches for answers in old newspaper columns from 1918. She uncovers a cache of letters from a boy named Ned to a boy named Jinx all those years ago in 1918. Abilene searches for connections to Gideon and tries to understand why he left her. She makes the acquaintance of a host of quirky characters, including the diviner Miss Sadie. From Miss Sadie she hear a tale of hope, joy, love and loss in a small Kansas town in 1918. Abilene helps her adopted hometown unbury the mysteries and tragedies of the past and learns how her father's past has affected her present and will affect her future if she doesn't bring old secrets to light. The story is told from the point-of-view of Abilene, who is a typical down-on-her-luck Depression era kid common in children's literature. Her story alternates with the story of Manifest in 1918 as told by Miss Sadie and through Ned's letters. Manifest was a town driven by greed, fear and prejudice, all of which factor prominently into the story. The reader comes to know and care about the inhabitants of Manifest in 1918 more than in 1936. The characters come to life not only for Abilene for for the reader as well.  The story in Manifest in 1918 gripped me and sucked me in until I had to finish the book. I guessed at some of the mysteries shortly before Abilene did but that didn't stop me from wanting to know what happened. The plot has plenty of funny moment to counterbalance the sad ones. Abilene's best friends provide much of the comic relief. The writing is really good and the author stays away from heavy-handed lessons. This is one of those books that can be read and enjoyed by anyone ages 12 and up. I enjoyed it a lot but I did not think it was the best book I've ever read and I'm not sure I would have chosen it as the Newbery winner.

Miss Armstead Wears Black Gloves by Marian Devon -- Regency Romance

Miss Frances Armstead refuses to marry her childhood best friend, Bertie Yarwood as her uncle and his father wish. Instead, she plans to run off to Gretna with his older brother Evelyn when she comes of age. In order to get her uncle to stop pressing marriage with Bertie, Frankie decided to invent a secret fiance. She chose Lord Grenville Wainwright, whom she had briefly met at her Aunt Maria's house party. Lord Grenville was an easy choice for he was away at sea. When Lord Grenville was presumed drowned, Frankie found a convenient excuse to avoid marriage. Now Lord Grenville has returned in the flesh to settle on his estates and take up his duty as his grandfather's heir. Poor Frankie is in a pickle. She hopes she can bluff her way through the next six months when she can run off with her beloved. However, Lord Grenville is most uncooperative. He brought a beautiful lady from London which causes the neighbors to gossip. If that weren't enough to mortify Frankie, he refuses to listen to her explanation and threatens to expose her as a fraud. To avoid scandal, Frankie's Uncle Matthew sends her to Aunt Maria in London where Frankie discovers Lord Grenville living next door and still deeply angry over Frankie's scandalous plot. Fortunately for Frankie, the Yarwoods are in London too. Charming Evelyn manages to make a conquest out of every woman he meets while Bertie and Frankie attempt to save the Yarwoods from ruination. Frankie often runs afoul of Lord Grenville and shocks him with her plain speaking. Interestingly enough, Frankie discovers that she is after all, not the object of a scandal for Lord Grenville has not yet exposed her secret. Could it be that he's waiting for the right time or is it that he actually likes Frankie and finds her schemes amusing? This story is a poor imitation of Georgette Heyer's tried and true teenage heroine plots. Frankie is very young and immature and does not know what she wants yet. She invents one crazy scheme after another, barely escaping ruination. Lord Grenville is a typical stock character of the hot-tempered proud Lord. The story is not told from his point-of-view so the reader only seems him through Frankie's eyes and learns his story when she shares it with the reader. All of the secondary characters were pretty stereotypical: the impecunious rake, the young foolish guy pal, the greedy widow and the kindly old gentlemen. None of the characters seemed real to me or appealed to me. My favorite character was Bertie. The plot is rather incredible and I was hoping for a different outcome. This is not one of my favorites, but I'm not fond of silly teenage heroines. If you like Georgette Heyer's Spring Muslin, Arabella or April Lady you will probably enjoy this book.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

A Season for Scandal by Marian Devon -- Regency romance

Lord Dalton's father, the Earl of Rexford, makes him promise to stop his carousing and find a bride before the Earl's imminent death. Dalton is furious at his father's demands. His father wants him to marry the daughter of one of the famous beauties of the Earl's day. Dalton feels like he can't refuse his father's dying wish so off he goes to Almack's to view his potential bride (along with all the sons of his father's peers). Jenny, Claire and Sylvia are cousins, daughters of the four famous sisters who captivated the ton with their beauty 21 seasons ago. This next generation fails to live up to the expectations of the ton: Jenny is too tall and too outspoken and Claire is too plump. Only Sylvia can rival their mothers' famous beauty. None of the cousins wants to make their come out this Season but they are happy to be together though they don't know each other very well. Lord Dalton decides to marry Sylvia but Jenny feels that a rake would not be a good husband for her sweet cousin and decides to deflect his attention. Unfortunately Dalton can't stand Jenny and Jenny's sharp wit. Jenny also makes an enemy of the sharp tongued Mr. Roderick Chalgrove, the successor to Beau Brummell. Plump Claire worries about her weight and a family secret that everyone seems to know expect her. She finds an ally in an unexpected place who helps draw her Claire out of her shell. Sylvia remains a mystery but she's loyal to her cousins. The cousins take Society by storm and find love where they least expect it. This is a charming, sweet novel in the tradition of Georgette Heyer. It's fun and funny and there are some plot twists that were entirely unexpected. There was great character growth not usually shown in Regency novels of this type. I really liked the depth of the characters and how they changed each other for the better. It seems to be well researched but high sticklers beware for Jenny is not your typical 19th century miss. This is one of the better Regency novels and I highly recommend it to fans of the sweet Regency style novels. 

With the Might of Angels : The Diary of Dawnie Rae Johnson (Dear America) by Andrea Davis Pinkney -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction

During the 1953-1954 school year, Dawnie is a normal 12 year old African-American girl living in the small town of Hadley in Virginia. Her town is strictly divided along color lines. She's forbidden by her parents to go to Ivorytown the white section of town but that doesn't stop her from dreaming about the brand new school there. Dawnie dreams of becoming a doctor and she knows that the stinky, falling down school and ancient tattered textbooks of her school won't help her achieve her dream. Dawnie keeps her dreams to herself, writing them down in her precious diary, a birthday gift from her autistic younger brother. Dawnie finishes 6th grade at the top of her class and spends the summer jumping on her Pogo stick and playing baseball but come fall, her life changes forever when the Supreme Court decides schools must be integrated. Dawnie has passed the competency exam proving she's smart enough to compete with the white kids so her parents give her permission to integrate. Dawnie hopes to share this experience with her best friend Yolanda and another child from their class, but only Dawnie's parents approve of integration. The decision to attend an all-white school causes a lot of stress for both Dawnie and her family. They meet with opposition from both the white and black communities. A young minister from Alabama visits Dawnie's church and encourages non-violent resistance and Dawnie learns that she can write down all her rage and hatred in her diary while studying hard to stay on top. Finally, she finds an unexpected ally and they challenge each other to pull through. This is a remarkable story of a fictional girl based on real life people and events that took place not that long ago. It's really eye opening to read the comments coming from the white community regarding their ignorant assumptions about African-Americans. Even more surprising was the opinions of many of the members of Dawnie's community who didn't believe in integration. It's really hard to believe this story takes place less than 100 years after the Civil War and just over 50 years ago. The writing is lively and entertaining as well as thought provoking. The author includes many historic events that occurred during this time as well as the usual historical note and information about her own life which inspired the novel This book is a must read for all ages.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

The Spinster and the Wastrel by Louise Bergin -- Regency Romance
Miss Annette Courtney is the impoverished spinster daughter of the former vicar. Her life has been dedicated to doing good works and hounding the notoriously stingy Sir Nigel Montfort for money to improve the lives of the poor. When Sir Nigel dies and the will is read, Annette learns that Sir Nigel left all his wealth to her! Sir Nigel's nephew, Gerard is left with the estate but no money to run it. Gerard is angry with his late uncle who had little love for the boy he raised or the man that Gerard has become. What's worse is that Sir Nigel, believing his nephew to be a wastrel, libeled him to Annette. Annette wishes to open a school for the village children, secretly hoping it will fill a void in her heart. Unbeknowst to Annette, Gerard has had to live by his wits, his charm and his luck his whole life and has always longed to be part of society. When he learned his uncle died, he visited a moneylender in order to celebrate. The celebrations was premature and now Gerard is in debt and the moneylender is hounding him for money. Gerard also wants to do what's best for his tenants but needs Annette's money and she stubbornly refuses to give up the money without a fight. As they get to know each other, Annette and Gerard become friends and share an attraction to one another but pride and money matters nearly keep them apart. The story moves very slowly towards the usual conclusion without much plot. I wanted to like Annette because she is a bluestocking but she was too self-righteous and I found her annoying. Gerard is a charming hero once the reader gets to know him. I would recommend this one for fans of Christian romance and those interested in reform.

My Lady Gamester by Cara King -- Regency Romance
Richard Stanton has recently come home from the wars and inherited the title Earl of Stoke after the deaths of his father and older brother. He wasn't bred for the role and isn't used to civilian life. He has difficulty controlling his younger brother's actions and fears that Edmund will end up a hardened gamester like their father was before them. One night when Stoke enters a private drawing room gaming club to extricate his brother from the clutches of a card sharp, he encounters a beautiful green-eyed, gold-haired lady holding her own against said card sharp. Stoke is enchanted by the lady and feels the need to protect her and sits down to cards with her in the hopes that she'll lose and learn her lesson. Instead of losing, she wins quite a bit of money from the bewildered Stoke. What Stoke doesn't know is that Miss Atalanta James is a card sharp herself. Five years ago her father lost everything in one card game with the previous Earl of Stoke and two other gentlemen of the ton; a card game in which the other gentlemen cheated. The loss precipitated Atalanta's father's decline and subsequent death. With their mother run off with a younger, wealthy man, Atalanta takes on the responsibility of caring for her younger stepbrother and half-sister. Atalanta and her younger sister are unhappy living with cruel relatives who blame the children for the family's loss of money. Atalanta and Stoke become friends, sharing intimate details of their lives and hopes and dreams. Stoke tries to apologize for his father's win, but he doesn't know the whole truth or that Atalanta plans to ruin her father's enemies, avenge his death and provide for her family's future. As her feelings for Stoke develop, she wrestles with her conscience and shares her plans with him. Both Atalanta and Stoke must weigh family pride against doing the right thing before they can come to an understanding. Both Atalanta and Stoke's stories are revealed slowly over the course of the novel which makes their behavior believable and understandable. All the good characters are developed and easy to like and the bad are stereotypical villains. The plot kept me turning the pages until the conclusion. This is a good, well-crafted novel.

Rake's Ransom by Barbara Metzger -- Regency Romance
Seventeen-year-old Jacelyn Trevaine has been indulged by her scholarly father and allowed to run wild and free. She is a dedicated animal lover and continually runs afoul of the local Squire whose passion is fox hunting. The Squire informs Jacey's father that she needs to be controlled and her father promises to think about Jacey's future a little more. The Squire has a party of London friends and relatives coming for a hunting party and to ensure that Jacey doesn't ruin his party, he arrests and jails her dog as a public nuisance. Angry, Jacey decides to fight blackmail with blackmail and decides to kidnap Squire Bostwick's nephew, Lord Arthur Parkhurt, a London dandy. The plan goes off without a hitch, or so Jacey thinks, until she learns that she has kidnapped the wrong man! The man shut up alone with Jacey is Leigh, the Earl of Claibourne, just returned from the wars and a notorious rake! With a kiss to ruin her reputation and inspire previously unknown feelings, Jacey is in a real pickle when the rest of the Squire's party discover what Jacey has done. The Squire pressures Lord Trevaine to force Claibourne to marry the girl. Claibourne is willing for he needs money to run his estate and has truly been captivated by Jacey's unschooled manners, but Trevaine doesn't want to push his daughter into anything she doesn't want. Jacey agrees to a pre-betrothal promise from Claibourne and a London Season co-sponsored her her aunt, Claibourne and his elderly aunt. Jacey takes London by storm and charms her way into society but there's only one man she wants and she believes he doesn't love her. Meanwhile, Leigh's uncle, left crippled and bitter over an old family feud, is determined to prevent Leigh from ever marrying so his own son will have the title as well as fortune. Leigh's cousin Percy isn't very bright but he's determined to succeed with rather unexpected results. A series of adventures brings the novel to the inevitable conclusion. Too much time is spent on Leigh's uncle's revenge so the ending happens very abruptly leaving me wondering "Is that all?" The beginning of the novel is funny and Jacey is a great character but I lost interest early on when it became one of those misunderstanding plots. Still, the familiar plot is better than most of it's kind because of spunky Jacey and her adventures. There are some passages of passionate kissing and descriptions of Jacey's feelings that may not please fans of traditional Regencies. Overall, this book is not a bad read.


A Loyal Companion by Barbara Metzger -- Regency Romance
Sonia Randolph, called Sunny by her loved ones, has always been the apple of her father, the Squire's eye. Unlike her proper elder sister, Sonia loves to romp about the country visiting the tenants and lighting up her father's life. Her maternal grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Atterbury, thinks Sonia is a hoyden and is determined Sunny will make a match worthy of the family name so when Sunny's oldest brother marries and sets up his nursery and Sunny's father decides to remarry as well, Sunny is sent off to London for her come-out. In London, despite her grandmother's best intentions, Sunny remains her usual cheery and kind self. Always at her side loving her and protecting her is her faithful dog Fitz. Fitz gets lost and causes a chain of events resulting in a broken leg. Major Darius Conover, the Earl of Warebourne, brings Fitz home and mends the broken leg. Fitz is cheerful company for Darius' three young nieces, recently orphaned and left to his care. When Fitz is well enough to find his way home, he introduces Sunny and the Major. Sunny instantly feels sorry for the wounded war hero and tries to befriend him. Unfortunately, her most prominent suitor, Lord Ansel Berke, brings up an old scandal about his sister and Conover which had resulted in Conover's being shunned by polite society. Sunny doesn't believe the old scandal and continues to see Conover, growing ever closer to him and his nieces but old scandals die hard and the path to Sunny's future happiness is bumpy. Through it all, her dog Fitz narrates the story, contemplates the odd mating behavior of humans and tries to help Sunny find her life mate. Fitz is an intelligent dog who questions philosophical issues such as whether there is a heaven, why humans only worship one god, and of course, human social behavior. I'm a huge dog lover and I am all for literate dogs but Fitz is well read in Greek and Roman literature, which I am not, so I found it hard to follow and hard to relate Sunny's story to Fitz's favorite stories. A third person omniscient narrator shares the telling of the story with Fitz which is a little confusing. Sunny is a fun heroine, much like Jacey in Rake's Ransom. I think the two of them should get together and take London by storm! Darius isn't very well developed and I never got a sense of why Sunny loved him other than her instinct to take care of him. The ending drags on way too long but ends satisfactorily.

On the Way to Gretna Green by Marian Devon -- Regency Romance
Twenty-seven year old spinster Claudia Wentworth interrupts a late-night debauched bachelor card game to demand that Lord Thornton provide her with assistance or conveyance to catch her niece and his younger brother who have eloped to Gretna Greene. Thronton takes Claudia in his barouche but quickly hands her the reins while he falls asleep! That is the beginning of their adventures which continue in London where Claudia and her sister have come to stay with Thornton's merry, matchmaking aunt. Claudia must confront her feelings for her former fiancee, decide whether or not to publish her novel and figure out the exasperating behavior of Lord Thornton. That's enough to drive any girl crazy, but Claudia remains mainly steady and calm through it all and doesn't let go of her good sense. She is a very likable heroine. Thorn is a rather unconventional hero but he's very funny and kind in a teasing sort of way. I found him rather appealing and laughed at his unusual approach to dealing with Claudia. This is a fun, light comedy of manners romance bound to please fans of Jane Austen and traditional Regency comedy/romance novels.