Romance Novel Reviews
by Jessica Benson
I began several months ago with this book. How or why I chose it is a forgotten fact by this point in time.
The premise: Quite simply, a rake is bet that he cannot convince a bluestocking spinster to marry him.
The chemistry: While I barely remember the book at all (I suppose that does not speak well of the book in question), I do remember that it contained no actual sex scenes, yet was quite stirring.
I give Lord Stanhope and Calista:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: The author was very witty and provided some truly humorous moments. I got a bit irritated with all the misunderstandings and the length to which they went.
Overall rating:
by Gabriella Anderson
This book began my 3-week reading spree, and I must say it is my favorite thus far.
The premise: Lady Ivy St. Clair is sent to the home of the “Monster Earl” on an unusual errand. During her forced stay at his home, the disfigured Earl of Tamberlake learns that he’s not as monstrous and unlovable as he had thought.
The chemistry: I give Ivy and Auburn:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I loved Auburn despite his obvious flaws. I wasn’t thrilled with the notion of a proper English woman having relations with a man as a “one-night-stand”. But then again, I’m on the prudish side.
Overall rating: I give this book the elusive:
by Julia Quinn
The premise: Daphne Bridgerton would rather not be on the marriage market, yet must put up with her loving mother’s unfaltering goal to marry off her first born daughter. Simon, a notorious rake, who earned about one quarter of his reputation, finds himself at the mercy of dozens of “Ambitious Mamas” as they try to reel him into marriage with their daughters. The two strike a deal to keep the mothers at bay – they fake a courtship.
The chemistry: I give Daphne and Simon:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I have to say that this book made me fall in love with the Bridgertons. Regardless of what ratings other readers have given the other books in this series, I will be reading this series in its entirety. My favorite “scene” was the moment when her elder brother, Anthony, caught her in a compromising position with his old friend, Simon. The book’s pleasantness took a downhill turn from there, culminating in nearly the worst “scene” I have ever read between a drunk Simon who refuses to have children and a scheming Daphne who desires a large family. I will not go into details, but I nearly stopped reading after that.
Overall rating:
by Jacquie D’Alessandro
I really thought I would like this book due to the premise. I was wrong.
The premise: The Earl of Wesley, away at war, missed the opportunity to prevent an abusive marriage between her sister and a man their father arranged for her. He then goes on to rescue brides who are forced to wed men they do not wish to marry. When he accidentally kidnaps Sammie Briggeham, he must return her.
The chemistry: Chemistry? What chemistry? Sammie is plain and boring and no match for a gorgeous, witty man such as Eric. I found absolutely no reason for either of them to fall in love with each other. I give Sammie and Eric:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I forced myself to read the last half of this horrid book. The writing was awful as well, lending itself more to conversational rhythms than written. Plus, Sammie’s mother’s name was Cordelia. I’m sorry. Cordelia will always be a stuck-up, rich, beauty queen from Sunnydale, CA in my mind.
Overall rating:
I
give this book and will
dutifully avoid the author.
by Kat Martin
The premise: Kathryn was locked away in a mental institution by her scheming uncle. When she escapes, she winds up at the mercy of Lucien, Marquess of Litchfield, who finds her stowed away in his carriage.
The chemistry: I had a hard time with this book. Lucien obviously has no respect for women, which is strange for a hero in a book written by a woman, FOR women. Why she would fall in love with him, or him her, I’ll never understand. And when he finally does fall in love with her, it was too sudden and forced. I give Kathryn and Lucien:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: Despite my dislike for the hero, the plot was quite entertaining, and the writing pleasurable.
Overall rating:
by Candice Proctor
This was my first book that took place outside of England.
The premise: Jesmond Corbett, daughter of an English landowner in Tasmania, comes to know an Irish, convict worker, Lucas Gallagher.
The chemistry: I give Jessie and Lucas:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: The author took her history seriously in this book, as you can tell from her author’s note at the end. I learned quite a bit about Tasmania and am now planning a trip there in the not-so-near future. The one thing that bothered me about the writing was the extensive descriptions of the scenery/environment. I found myself doing a lot of skimming.
Overall rating:
by Mary Jo Putney
The premise: Takes place in Wales. Clare Morgan, daughter to a Methodist minister, confronts the Gypsy Earl, Nicholas Davies, in an attempt to improve the conditions of the town mine. He agrees if she will ruin her reputation by posing as his mistress for 3 months.
The chemistry: I give Clare and Nicholas:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I do not have many good things to say about the writing. Putney has a habit of repeating facts over and over and over again, making the reader feel as if she is not expected to remember what happened earlier in the book. Nicholas may have had redeeming qualities, but overall, he was a true rake. Even though he cared enough about the town to help on his own, he repeatedly refused to continue helping should Clare leave his home. He made me sick with his overt attempts at bedding a religious woman who only wanted to help her people. Even worse, he was proud of his actions! Sure, in the end, it all worked out, but the change in his MO was too abrupt and left me with a sour taste in my mouth. I did not like Clare either. She was too preachy and whorish at the same time. What daughter of a minister would allow a man to take liberties on her person even though she had just met him? And what she did know about the man was damning.
Overall rating:
by Julia Quinn
The premise: The second Bridgerton daughter, Eloise, begins a correspondence with Phillip Crane, the widower of her cousin, only to find herself with her seventh marriage proposal a year later. She agrees to meet with him in order to decide if they will suit.
The chemistry: I give Phillip and Eloise:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: While I adored the Bridgerton family interactions in this book, I had a hard time finding chemistry between the two main characters. Phillip is a large man with poor manners and even poorer fathering skills. His main goal in marrying Eloise is to find a wife to manage his house and a mother for his two devil twins. As with any romance novel, he falls in love with her in the end, but I did not care for his treatment of his new wife. As newlyweds, he spends all day in seclusion, gardening, and spends the rest of his time having sex with his wife. This bothers Eloise as she wants passion to be an aside, not the whole basis of the marriage. When finally confronted with this information, Phillip tells her about his horrible first marriage to a seriously depressed woman who never allowed him into her bed once the children were born, then proceeded to kill herself. His response after telling her the story, “until you lived through what I’ve lived through[…]don’t you ever complain about what we have.” Needless to say, I never warmed up to old Phillip Crane.
Overall rating:
by Candace Camp
The premise: Marianne Cotterwood, a woman trying to make the best of a bad lot in life by turning to a criminal life, is caught by Lord Lambeth as she scopes out a house . Amidst several attempts on her life by an unknown villain, they manage to fall in love with each other.
The chemistry: I give Marie Anne/Mary/Marianne and Justin:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I think I'm getting bored with the same idea over and over: a man of the English aristocracy, who denounces love, learns how to love through the efforts of an extraordinary female. Blah, blah, blah. Plus, authors never seem to make be believe that an intelligent woman would instantly fall in love with an arrogant man with no outwardly redeeming qualities. Also, why is it that characters in these novels have absolutely no self-control when it comes to sexual desire? I can't remember a time I was close to a man for whom I harbored a physical attraction and actually engaged in intercourse in the most inappropriate place and time.
Overall rating:
by Julia Quinn
The premise: In this Cinderella-esque story, Sophie Beckett, the bastard child of a noble man, falls in love with the second Bridgerton son, Benedict. He struggles with the social implications of loving who he thinks is a common servant.
The chemistry: I give Benedict and Sophie:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I truly enjoyed this book and love how Ms. Quinn began to weave Colin's own romance into Benedict's storyline. I didn't like, however, that all it took for Benedict to finally decide to wed Sophie was a simple nudging from his younger brother. This exact same event happens during Francesca's story.
Overall rating:
by Julia Quinn
The premise: Notorious rake Anthony Bridgerton, convinced that he will die at the same age his father did, decides to procure himself a wife. He sets his sights on Edwina Sheffield, but Edwina's sister, Kate, refuses to let this unacceptable man take her sister's hand in marriage. It doesn't take long for Anthony and Kate to become attracted and end up married after being caught in a compromising position.
The chemistry: I give Anthony and Kate:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: At first, I agreed with another review I read that questioned Kate's ridiculous fear of electrical storms. But once you understand why, I felt that it was perfectly plausible. That being said, I still felt that Anthony and Kate both overcoming their overblown phobias together was a bit forced and Polly Anna.
Overall rating:
by Julia Quinn
The premise: "Determined Bachelor" Colin Bridgerton finds himself seeing his homely childhood friend Penelope Featherington in a different light. In the meantime, Lady Whistledown's identity becomes the topic of much debate, leaving the Bridgertons looking within the family.
The chemistry: I give Colin and Penelope:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I won't disclose the identity of Lady Whistledown here, but I have to say it was perfect plotting. I went back and read some of the LW columns from previous books and had a right giggle. To me, the romance took a back seat to the issue with LW. I didn't really feel any sparkeage between the two. Oh, sure I could see why she would fall in love with him, but it was Colin's feelings I couldn't quite understand.
Overall rating:
by Judith Ivory
The premise: Sir James Stoker, recently returned from Africa, is considered England's grand hero. Everything in his life is looking up. He's even looking at an Earlship in the near future. His world is turned upside-down when he falls in love with Nicole Wild, a notorious Parisian courtesan.
The chemistry: I give James and Coco:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I was actually more invested in the plot involving Philip, James's boss and mentor, than I was in the romance. James's searing jealousy interrupted the flow of the book while serving only to tarnish his image in my mind. I never warmed up to Coco. And while I did not feel much Chemistry between them, the romantic interludes were hot. Also, while Ms. Ivory attempted to define this as a Sleeping Beauty parallel, I didn't quite get it. Lastly, Ms. Ivory's writing in itself confused me as it was wrought with fragments and run-on sentences. I had to reread several passages before I understood the meaning. I doubt I would read another book from this author.
Overall rating:
by Julia Quinn
The premise: Michael Stirling fell in love with Francesca Bridgerton...just 2 days before her wedding to his cousin, John. When John dies 2 years later, Michael is so wracked with the guilt of taking over John's title and property that he can't bring himself to take John's place in the one way that he would like to: as Francesca's husband.
The chemistry: I give Francesca and Michael:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: Some reviewers found Michael's guilt a bit tiresome. I felt it defined Michael as a man. Yes, this book is darker than the rest of the Bridgerton series, but that is not a negative. I found the novel enticing and fullfilling.
Overall rating:
by Shelly Thacker
The premise: Celine Fontaine is mysteriously sent back in time from 1993 to 1300. All the world mistakes her for Christiane Fontaine, the woman ordered by the King to marry Sir Gaston Varennes. As Christiane is the ward of Gaston's arch enemy, he has nothing but distain and distrust for her.
The chemistry: I fail to see how a 20th century post-feminist movement woman can fall in love with a typical medieval male chauvinist pig. I began to warm up to Gaston nicely in the beginning, but that was before he met Celine/Christiane and opened his mouth. I also fail to see how a 14th century man could possibly fall in love with a head strong, opinionated 20th century woman. I'm sure it can be done, but not by this author. I give Celine and Gaston:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: While I assumed I would enjoy the fantasy aspect of this book, I found I didn't. There needs to be a certain amount of suspension of disbelief, but the author completely disregarded her own rules for time travel at the end of the book. It left me scratching my head wondering where that came from.
Overall rating:
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