What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

A Rake's Redemption by Susannah Carleton (Book 4 of "The Six")-- Regency Romance

Theo Middleford, Viscount Dunnley has a reputation as a rake. Sure he has a healthy appreciation for the pleasures that women can provide, but he never dallies with innocents or married women. After an incident with a so-called widow, he decides to give up willing widows which means he needs to find a wife. He wants a wife who is not just a hostess or a "brood-mare," but someone who will be a friend and companion as well as a lover. He doesn't have far to look, being fond of the new wives of his cousin George and George's friend Elston. Theo decides to look more closely at Beth and Karla's friends and decides to pursue Lady Sarah Mallory, the reserved Welsh beauty. He understands that Sarah's musical talent shows that she has a passionate nature underneath her reserve. Already in her second Season, Sarah vows to find a husband before the end of the Season, which is a rather daunting task for someone who is shy. When Dunnley begins to pay attention to her, Sarah feels nervous and quivery and doesn't understand why she feels so disconcerted around him. Sarah also receives attention, of the wrong sort from "Nasty Ned" Simpson, which makes her afraid. Dunnley is all that is kind and considerate, helping rescue Sarah from unwanted attention. Dunnley feels he can better protect Sarah if they are married or at least betrothed, but the problem is breaking down Sarah's reserve and convincing her they belong together. This is a sweet romance story that's a little on the short side. I liked Sarah and could relate to her reserve, but sometimes the author made Sarah a bit too melodramatic with her reactions. I was also confused as to how the cool, reserved Sarah of previous books turned into the shy, nervous Sarah of this book. I wouldn't label Dunnley as a rake. He behaves more like his cousins than a typical Regency rake. He's someone I could see any sensible girl falling in love with. I like the way the relationship between Dunnley and Sarah develops. I think it's very realistic. I loved the family reunion scene though it was kind of long and unnecessary. This is a quick read and the kind of book that makes you feel warm and happy inside. It isn't entirely necessary to have read the previous books in the series, but it would help.

Miranda's Mistake by Jenna Mindel -- Regency Romance

Prequel to Kiss of the Highwayman and Miss Whitlow's Turn Miranda, Lady Crandle, agrees to leave the comfort of London and travel to the country to help her dearest friend Lady Beatrice Rothwell entertain a house party during the Quorn hunt. The real purpose of the house party is to bring eligible gentlemen to the notice of Lady Beatrice's daughter, Artemis, who refuses a London Season. Artemis is a tall, gawky tomboy who prefers horses to men but Miranda sees more to Artemis than meets the eye and is determined to help the young lady gain confidence in herself and find the love match she deserves. Lord Rothwell's first choice of a husband for his daughter is the handsome Evan Langley, Earl of Ashbourne. Evan arrives at the house party eager to find a wife and mother for his future heirs. He does not expect to run into Miranda, the woman who jilted him seven years earlier. Miranda is not prepared for the emotions that seeing Evan again brings out in her. He is bitter and angry at her for choosing to marry a man three times her age just for his wealth and title. Evan knows little about the true reasons for Miranda's decision and the regret she feels. Evan is determined to punish Miranda for breaking his heart while she is determined to win his love once again and prevent young Artemis from making the same mistake she did. This story is the best of the three, but it's not fabulous. Evan is a very bitter and angry man and I couldn't understand why he couldn't just accept Miranda's reason for jilting him and let her go. I also couldn't understand his reasons for not wanting to accept Miranda's love a second time. Miranda is one of those typical widows who was trapped in an unhappy marriage but she doesn't weep or whine about it, for which I admire her. She realizes she made a mistake and recognizes her true feelings for Evan, which is a little unusual for this genre but a nice change. I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness throughout the story and I think it could have worked as a comedy of manners rather than a tragedy of unfulfilled passion.

What I Read This Weekend

What I Read This Weekend . . .

The Marriage Campaign by Susannah Carleton -- Regency Romance
This book takes place simultaneously with A Scandalous Journey and contains many of the same passages and spoilers for the plot of the previous book. It is second in a series of 6. Robert Symington, the new Marquess of Elston, friend to Lord Weymouth and Beth Castleton, is dealing with the loss of his father and all that it entails. Robert also has another problem to deal with: a codicil in his father's will which states he must marry a woman of his father's choosing within a year or face unknown consequences. Elston feels that it's important to marry for love, but he is willing to get to know the ladies on his father's list. As he sets out for London, he decides to pay calls on the families of the ladies he doesn't know well. He hopes to become reacquainted with a childhood friend, Karla Lane. Instead of Karla, he's forced to be entertained by her scheming stepmother and silly step-sister. He learns from a neighbor that Karla hasn't been seen in the village for a long time and her friends are worried about her. Elston decides to discover what happened to Karla. During a moonlight smoke, Elston meets Catherine Lundquist, a relative of the first Vicountess who works as an unpaid governess for the younger children. She reveals that Karla's situation is not much different from her own. Elston impresses upon the Vicountess the social consequences of favoring a younger daughter over the elder and forces her to allow Karla a Season. In London, Robert and Karla meet and become friends with a number of musically talented ladies who help Karla face Society though her stepmother insists on belittling Karla. Robert finds himself drawn to Karla but also to Christina and becomes determined to help the young ladies secure their rightful places in Society. Karla worships Elston and worries that he will learn that Catherine is really Karla and fears her deception will ruin their friendship. She also hopes that he will come to her rescue and help her find happiness in a home of her own. The plot of this novel is rather long and drawn out because it also contains bits of the plot for A Scandalous Journey. It also contains too many examples of Rob saving Karla from her wicked stepmother. I didn't like Karla very much, though I felt sorry for her, and I kept hoping she'd stand up for herself and not sit around and wait for Elston to come rescue her. This book introduces the other ladies in "the Six" as Elston searches for a bride and Beth Castleton comes to London. I didn't like this book as much as A Scandalous Journey but it wasn't bad. I really like Elston and wish he had chosen a more interesting bride, especially one who shared his passion for music. If you don't like independent heroines, then this is a nice, sweet romance.

Kiss of the Highwayman by Jenna Mindel -- Regency Romance

This is a sequel to Miranda's Mistake (not yet read) and a prequel to Miss Whitlow's Turn (reviewed previously)

Brian Warren is now Lord Cherrington, the Earl of Cherring after the death of his brother at the hands of highwaymen. Brian is determined to avenge his brother's death even if it means becoming one of the highwaymen himself. Artemis Rothwell, a hoydenish young miss of nineteen, is looking forward to her first Season under the guidance of her stepmother's friend Miranda. She vows to change her behavior and act more feminine, but that vow is tested when she and her mother are stopped by highwaymen on the way to London. Though they have not brought any valuables with them, the highwaymen steal the Rothwell family wedding ring and frighten Artemis's stepmother, so Artemis tries to step in and point a pistol at the villain who is harassing her mother. The plan backfires when the Leader undermines Artie's confidence and a tall, blue-eyed highwayman gently disarms her and leaves her with a kiss. Artie can not think of anything except reclaiming the ring, except for when she's thinking about the highwayman's kiss! Back in London, Brian disguises himself as the foppish Cherry, a fashionable fribble in order to hide his true identity from the highwaymen he is trying to catch. He thinks often of Artemis and the kiss they shared and as soon as she arrives in London, he begins to pay court to her. Artie thinks Cherry is ridiculous but as she comes to know him, she discovers that she has a lot to to learn from him. Finally, there comes a time when Brian must decide whether to sacrifice his relationship with Artie for the sake of catching the highwaymen. It will take all of Artie's confidence and unwomanly skills to catch the villain and earn permission to marry the man she loves. The final confrontation moves pretty quickly, but it is very predictable and nothing really came as a surprise. Artie is a great character. She is full of spunk and stubbornness, but aware of her shortcomings and willing to change. I would like to have Artie as a friend in any century. Brian is a hard character to describe. He is in character for most of the novel and continually leers at Artie. He comes across as kind of gross and annoying though it's hard to tell how much is his real personality and how much is character. We don't really know that much about him, which bothers me. I don't think I like Artie and Brian together, though it would take a very open-minded man to put up with Artie. If I were Artie, Brian would have had a lot of explaining and re-courting to do if he wanted my heart. Despite being silly and predictable, this novel wasn't as bad as I expected it to be and I would recommend it to those who are not too picky.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard -- Teen Regency Romance

On a school trip to England, Callie is miserable and humiliated and determined to impress the mean girls by buying a pair of real prada shoes. Unfortunately for Callie, the shoes are too big and she trips and hits her head. When she wakes up, she is disoriented and confused because the bustle of London is nowhere to be seen, only trees and grass everywhere! She makes her way to a grand mansion where she is welcomed by a young lady named Emily who believes Callie is her American cousin Rebecca. Confused and scared, Callie goes along with it and pretends to be Rebecca, but her very modern opinions earn the displeasure of Alex, the Duke of Harksbury whose home she is visiting and his mother Victoria. Callie is determined to help Emily escape an unwanted marriage and turns Regency Society on its' head. She also can't help but find Alex nice to look at, even if he is arrogant. The longer Callie stays, she learns there are good points to Regency society and that people may be more than they seem. She also can't ignore the way Alex is beginning to look at her with something other than disdain! Callie gains confidence in herself which will help her do the right thing even if it means alienating her new friends. This is a light, fun read, just perfect for summer. At first I had to keep reminding myself that Callie is just a kid and not a historian and has no idea of the rules of society. I can't say that I wouldn't be tempted to speak out and I admire Callie for having the courage to stick to her convictions. The ending is a tad silly but I enjoyed this book a lot.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen : a Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich -- murder mystery

Stephanie Plum is back in this new adventure and this time Lula takes center stage when she witnesses a decapitation and becomes the target of the murderers. She and Grandma Mazur enter a barbecue contest sponsored by the decapitated celebrity chef. Meanwhile, Stephanie returns to Rangeman to help Ranger solve a series of break-ins at the homes of his highest profile clients in exchange for helping Stephanie catch her FTAs . . . and maybe more if Stephanie hadn't sworn off men. Lula and Grandma really shine in this story and their adventures in barbecuing had me laughing out loud. There are also the usual car chases, car explosions and misadventures in apprehension. This is one of the better Plum novels.

Miss Whitlow's Turn by Jenna Mindel -- Regency Romance

Harriet Whitlow has turned down every suitor her father has picked out for her in the last two seasons. Now she's on her last chance and her father wants her to marry the new Earl of Grafton, a most proper gentleman who wants a proper well-bred woman to bear his heirs. Harriet wants only to marry the rake George Clasby, whom she has had a crush on since her first season. She believes he needs her, with some help from God, to reform. George has grown bored with his flings with society matrons and has decided to look for a wife. Because of his reputation, many doors are closed to him so he decides to befriend Harriet who bears a lot of influence in society. Her father disapproves of George but is willing to allow George to call as a friend as long as he doesn't break Harriet's heart. Harriet doesn't want George as a friend and decides to take matters into her own hands to disgust Grantham and make George interested. This book is nowhere near as funny as it sounds. Harriet is dull and sanctimonious. She is very religious and makes her viewpoints known. She needs the assistance of alcohol to become bold enough to make the first move. . Harriet and George don't have any chemistry and I didn't care one way or another whether they got together or not. This is an all together boring novel with dull, unlikeable characters. I wouldn't recommend it for those who love romance and historical details.

The Marriage List by Dorothy McFalls -- Regency Romance

Feeling miserable and sorry for himself after a severe injury at the Battle of Salamanca, Radford, Viscount Evers decides it's time to listen to his mother and find a wife who will bear his heirs. Radford and his friend Lord Nathan Wynter make a list of all the qualities Radford requires in a wife. Feelings and emotions don't enter the list . . . at least not until he meets Miss May Sheffers who storms into his home with her friend Lady Iona Newbury. May and her elderly, infirm aunt are about to be evicted from their home which happens to be owned by Lord Evers. May is a follower of Mary Wollstonecraft and believes she can easily handle the situation without a man's help. She tries to explain how her parents are missing in South America and her uncle has ordered the courts to seize May's money, but Lord Evers doesn't want to listen and doesn't care. May storms out of his home in a rage, loathing Lord Evers but certain she can help herself and her aunt. To complicate matters, May's Uncle Sires wants to marry May off to a man old enough to be her grandfather and take Aunt Winnie home with him in order for her to have the best care. May considers the marriage if only for her aunt's sake but she would prefer to be an independent lady. Her future is further confused by subsequent meetings with and growing attraction to Lord Evers, who woos May with his roguish charm and tender kisses all while courting Iona's sister, the beautiful Lady Lilian Newbury! Radford and May try to remain friends but both feel trapped by the circumstances of their birth and Radford is determined to protect May at all costs. This is a rather complicated story and not a light, fun read. There is a lot of unhappiness before the characters can finally be happy. I'm not really sure I liked the book. The writing is good except for when the author tells us what the characters are feeling (a little more subtly would be nice) and the epilogue is also poorly written. I really admired May who was determined not to rely on any man. Lady Iona is also admirable and the gentlemen are charming. The plot was interesting and kept me reading until the end. I would recommend this to those who like more serious minded stories than comedy of manners.

Her Perfect Earl by Bethany Brooks -- Regency Romance

Miss Esmerelda Fortune (yes, that's her unfortunate name) is an impoverished gentlewoman and a scholar who dreams of opening a school for young ladies to study the classics. She hopes to complete a study of ancient Greek women and win a scholarship prize from Oxford, but first she needs to locate a manuscript in the Earl of Ashford's private library. Esmie takes a position as governess for the Earl's five unruly children in order to search for the manuscript. She quickly realizes the children desperately want their father's love and attention and Esmie is determined to make him love the children. (Sound of Music anyone?) The perfectly imperfect Esmie runs afoul of the perfect Earl when he catches her snooping around his private library, a place where he can go to be alone and forget about the demands of being an Earl. Esmie manages to steal the manuscript while the Earl is busy courting his second wife, the daughter of a wealthy cit. When the manuscript goes missing, Esmie is determined to find it and return it and once again runs into the Earl during her late night wanderings. The pair soon share intimate moments and secrets in the dark. In the daylight, they are determined to get the other out of their heads and focus on their tasks but find it difficult to hide their growing attraction for one another. The children are determined to keep their Miss Esmie and prevent their father from providing them with a wicked step-mother. This story seems like it would be a comedy of manners in the Pride and Prejudice tradition but it's more complicated and serious. I greatly admired Esmie for the most part though she makes a monumental decision that could have changed her life forever and I felt it was out of character and didn't care for two particular scenes. The writing is very good for the most part. There is a bonus epilogue on the author's website which doesn't really add anything to the story but if you want to know what happens to the children, then it's worth a read. I wouldn't recommend this to fans if light Regency or traditional Regency where the hero and heroine share a kiss at the end. This one falls under the category of "sweet sensuality" on the All About Romance scale.

The Heroines: A Novel by Eileen Favorite -- Adult Fiction
Thirteen-year-old Penny Entwhistle's mother runs an inn near Prairie Bluff, Illinois. The inn guests come from all over - including works of literary fiction! Some notable guests have included Scarlett O'Hara, Hester Prynne and Madame Bovary. In 1974, the summer Penny is 13 is marked with change. Penny is in the throes of adolescent angst and jealous of the attention her mother gives the literary guests and angry at her mother for not doing anything to change the stories. When a dashing, determined man on horseback comes riding across the prairie looking for the latest inn guest, Penny finds herself becoming a heroine when the villain abducts her and she ends up in a mental institution for trying to tell outsiders about the heroines. I thought this story would be about the heroines but it's really about Penny and and her current situation with flashbacks to her interactions with literary guests and revelations about Penny's father. I didn't like the first-person past-tense narration because it was difficult to follow what was happening in 1974 and what was in Penny's past and future. I was also not familiar with all of the heroines and their stories so found it difficult to keep up with Penny's thoughts about them. I didn't really care for this book very much. Modern fiction isn't really my area of interest.

The Good Land by Loula Grace Erdman -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction
It has been more than ten years since the Pierce family of The Wind Blows Free settled in the Texas panhandle. Life has been good for the Pierces except for the youngest, Carolyn, who feels that her problems are important yet no one seems to care. Carolyn frets because her family treat her like a baby and feels left out of the family adventures; she's afraid to start high school in Amarillo in the fall and only she knows why her older sister Katie feels so blue after returning home from finishing school. Carolyn makes new friends, helps her sister and learns what it means to be truly grown up in this charming third book in the Texas Panhandle series. Carolyn is an appealing heroine and any adolescent girl can relate to her. These books should truly be classics, like the Little House series and I hope that now they're back in print, they will continue to be read by a new generation of girls.