Romance Novel Reviews
by Amanda Quick
The premise: Miss Harriet Pomeroy, avid fossil collector and on-the-shelf bluestocking, summons the lord of the land, Gideon (the Beast of Blackthorne Hall), to help her in stopping a band of thieves using her caves. Gideon, six years earlier, was assigned that appellation when he called off his engagement upon finding out his fiancée was with child. Shortly thereafter, the girl shot herself and Gideon was accused of ravishing the girl then abandoning her. When Gideon arrives, he and Harriet end up in a compromising position and become engaged themselves.
The chemistry: I give Harriet and Gideon:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: While well written, I had a hard time warming up to both of the main characters. Harriet was truly annoying with her fossil obsession and her penchant for ignoring common sense. Gideon appeared, to me, to be overbearing and disinterested in anything and everything. This was one of those books where the heroine falls in love with the hero nearly at first sight. And, why, I couldn't say. Gideon may have been a tortured hero, but we never see him journey through the pain and into light. He just kind of shows up happy one day. And I never got the feeling that he really cared about Harriet, despite what he tells her.
Overall rating:
by Deborah Simmons
The premise: Caught in a completely accidental compromising position, Jane Trowbridge (aka Plain Jane) and Deverelle Fairfax (Viscount Raleigh) marry. In order to be happy, Deverelle needs to get over his indifference to Plain Jane, and Jane needs to get over her distaste for the dandy Viscount.
The chemistry: I give Jane and Raleigh:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: Jane struck me as too cold. Deverelle struck me as too frivolous. That would be considered a good thing, as that was the writer's goal. However, their relationship fell flat for me. I didn't really like either of the main characters. And, perhaps I've seen one too many horror films, as I really thought that Mrs. Graves, the housekeeper, would have turned out to be a specter instead of a flesh and blood human. I was let down by the explanation of the presence of the old servant.
Overall rating:
by Christina Dodd
The premise: It is difficult to summarize this book without giving away the turn in the first chapter. Essentially, Hannah Setterington is hired to tend to Dougald Pippard's (Marquess of Raeburn) elderly aunt. They have a history together and violently hate one another. Yet, love prevails.
The chemistry: I give Hannah and Dougald:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I was surprised at the number of grammatical/typographical errors in this book. I've read worse (one of the Buffy novels). I do remember from her last novel, however, that she writes in a disjointed style that reflects the way language works in her head...but this is not how the majority of people understand the written word. I had to reread a few passages several times, and never did understand the meaning of them.
These two characters hated each other violently throughout the bulk of the book. And I have to say, I do not enjoy reading angry sex. Dougald was so unlikable, I had to finish reading just to see how Ms. Dodd would redeem him. Apparently, Miss Setterington's sprained ankle was enough to do the trick. <insert eye roll> "Oh, yes, now I see that I have loved you all along. Now, let me get you some ice for that." Obviously there were some aspects of this book that kept me reading until the end. At this moment, I can't remember a single one. Even the mystery of the string of dead Lords was ridiculous. I really shouldn't give away the ending, but suffice it to say...not rational at all.
We were led to believe that Hannah's long lost grandparents were stodgy, loveless people. But when she finally met them, they were nothing but love, hugs and kisses.
I have read reviews of books where the reviewer complains that the historical aspect was simply "wallpaper" and the book could have easily occurred in modern times. This book feels as if it were written as a modern novel, then converted to a historical on a whim. The dialogue is decidedly more modern than it should be and gets worse exponentially as the page numbers increase.
I just can't point out any redeeming qualities to this book. I was very surprised it was rated a Desert Island Keeper at All About Books.
Overall rating:
by Laura Kinsale
The premise: The Duke of Jervaulx, a man in his prime, suffers a terrible stroke that affects his speech center. Unfortunately, we are in the 19th century, and medicine is not familiar with this affliction. Christian is therefore sent to an insane asylum. By chance, Archimedea Timms recognizes him and becomes the only person who realizes that he is not mad, just maddened by his inability to understand and produce speech.
The chemistry: I give Maddy and Christian:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: By page 53, I had proclaimed this to be the best book ever written. Despite Maddy's overbearing preoccupation with her Quaker upbringing, therefore causing me to not see the Chemistry between the two, I was in love with this romance from the beginning. Christian's desperation to stay out of the asylum tore at my heart and made me want for nothing more than a happy ending for him. Ms. Kinsale depicted Christian's fears very realistically as we got to hear how words sounded in his head due to the stroke.
The last third of the book became tedious and hard to read as Maddy and Christian drift apart due to financial and religious reasons. But the end had me crying like a baby...something I had yet to do with a novel.
While I could see why he loved her so, I had a hard time believing she loved him. She continually called him a wicked and bad man. And, what's worse, she believed it. How could you possibly fall in love with a man who you do not believe is righteous?
While I do not rate the chemistry very highly, I gave the book high marks for its wrenching emotional impact.
Overall rating:
by Teresa Medeiros
The premise: The superstitious townspeople sacrifice their only virgin female to the Dragon of Castle Weyrcraig. Once inside, Gwendolyn learns the truth about the town's illustrious history and its "Dragon".
The chemistry: I give Gwendolyn and Bernard:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: At first, I just read this like a fairy tale, not taking it very seriously. I was truly enjoying it. But then it just disintegrated into a cliché Historical Romance and I grew bored. And I have to say, nothing quells a romance to me than a man leaving a woman because he doesn't want to "hurt her" (or vice versa). Bleccccchhhhh!
Overall rating:
by Anne Gracie
The premise: Elderly Lady Cahill kidnaps her orphaned goddaughter's daughter (Katherine Farleigh) and takes her to live with her grandson (Mad Jack Carstairs). Jack has recently returned from war with a scarred leg, face and soul. Katherine brings with her the baggage of a ruined reputation.
The chemistry: I give Kate and Jack:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: This was rated a DIK at All About Books. Um, no. The writing is sophomoric at best. There is absolutely no sense of the environment or facial expressions. There were many humorous scenes, but they were largely ineffective due to lack of writing skill on Ms. Gracie's part. The beginning reveals to us Jack's reasons for hating himself and the world he lives in. I tend to believe that these things are better told toward the middle of the book, as that lends some suspense and intrigue. Ms. Gracie lays her cards out on the table for all to see and it's a bit boring. Nevertheless, this was an interesting read.
Overall rating:
by Jessica Benson
The premise: Gwendolyn has been betrothed to Bertie since she was weeks old. Imagine her surprise when, on her wedding night, she discovers that she did not wed carefree, dandyish Bertie, but his serious twin brother, Harry.
The chemistry: I give Gwen and Harry:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: This book is written in first person, from Gwendolyn's point of view. While this POV can be tedious and even pretentious, I found it quite charming. Ms. Benson has a unique way with humour that can easily be missed if you are not paying quite enough attention. Her characters have serious attitude and are not just cookie cutter Lords and Ladies. The dialogue had me laughing out loud, even when I was aching inside for poor Harry and Gwen's awful situation.
The thing that put me off, though, was The Secret. Why did Harry marry Gwen instead of Bertie? And why does her family all know that Harry is pretending to be Bertie, but no one will tell her? It's a great mystery. One that usurped far too much of my time as I just had to read to the end. But, in the end, The Secret really wasn't all that mysterious. I kept waiting for the real reason to be presented.
And the other thing that really bothered me was the casual use of adultery. Everyone and their in-laws were schooping someone other than their respective spouses. That goes right against my value system, and therefore made me a bit nauseated.
Overall rating:
by Carla Kelly
The premise: Having lived her life as the perfect poor relation for so many years, to her own misery, Jane Milton begins to listen to her friend, Mr. Butterworth, when he tells her speak her mind and do something for herself once in a while. When she does this, amazing things happen.
The chemistry: I give Jane and Scipio:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: This is the reason I started to pick up romance books in the first place. Had I realized that what I was looking for was actually available, perhaps I wouldn't have been so frustrated. This book seems to me to be a true story. It is a true love story, not fraught with subterfuge and lustful, stolen moments of passion in the shadows of the terrace. These are real people. Jane was raised in a workhouse and unable to see her mother but once a week. Once her mother died, she was taken in by her well-off relations, and promptly put into servitude. She has just watched her cousin die a horrible death and is quite melancholy. She has raised her cousin's child, Andrew since he was an infant and has to protect him from the terrible rumors that his father was not really his father. Mr. Butterworth, a man in his mid-forties runs a mill many towns over, yet remains living next door to Jane's family. He is a kind, gentle man who becomes Jane's salvation. They share laughs, walks around the lake and aid each other when help is desperately needed.
Despite the lack of passion in the story (a series of loving kisses is as far as Ms. Kelly ventures), I found myself emotionally invested in these two finding their way to the altar. When Jane's heart hurt, mine ached. When Scipio cried, I cried.
My only complaint was the last 15 pages or so. Everyone's secrets came out in those few blocks of text. It felt a little forced. But I have to say that I was not expecting all those twists. In fact, I was so involved in Jane and Scipio's romance, that I completely missed the clues as to the main twist. Well done, Ms. Kelly. And when it was over, I turned right back to the first page and read again.
If you read romances for the unbridled passion, this book is not for you. But if you relish a tender love story, then why are you just sitting there? Go buy this book!
Overall rating:
by Carla Kelly
The premise: Lydia Perkins lives in painful obscurity with her abusive mother, invisible father, and empty-headed sister. She begins to find a purpose in her life when she visits the war wounded soldiers stationed in the local church. While the ton finds visiting these poor, suffering creatures fashionable, Lydia finds that she cannot help but feel for them and she quickly becomes their caregiver and champion. When her actions cause her mother to kick her out of the house, she is more or less forced to accept the ludicrous proposal of marriage from Lord Laren, Samuel. You see, Samuel was required to marry in order to secure his inheritance from his aunt. In the middle of a hopeless battle, he invented a wife, and eventually a child. Now that the war is over, Sam finds himself in the position of needing to find a wife...and quick.
The chemistry: I give Lydia and Sam:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: Unfortunately, these two seemed to make great friends...and that's it. I felt very little in the way of romance pass between these two. And the one thing that really irritated me was when the newly married couple went to the local orphanage and adopted a 17 month old. It was so spur-of-the-moment. Lydia's immediate love for the little Maria lacked sincerity and made me exclaim out loud, "Oh, please!"
I did enjoy Lydia's journey from little mouse to confident, self-sufficient woman. Ms. Kelly wrote this convincingly and lovingly.
Overall rating:
by Victoria Alexander
The premise: Miss Philadelphia Effington, married only 4 days to Charles Wilmont, has become a widow. What she doesn't know is that her late husband was a spy trying to glean information from her during his flirtations. What she also doesn't know is that her new butler, Gordon, is really the Viscount St. Stephens, colleague to Charles. He was placed in her home by the agency to protect her.
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: The historical background to this novel was just that...background. For this time period, Delia was a true tart. Uck. Her desire to become a "woman of experience" really took me out of the time period and made me dislike her. Otherwise, I daresay I would have rated this book higher.
Now, Tony, on the other hand, I loved. Heck, I even loved "Gordon".
One aspect of Ms. Alexander's writing that bothered me was the examination of Delia and Tony's feelings and thoughts...over and over and over again. This book could have easily been three quarters as long and not lost a thing.
Overall rating:
by Adele Ashworth
The premise: Madeleine DuMais, an English spy stationed in France, is called home to England to help Thomas Blackwood with his current case.
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I was expecting much more from this book than it supplied. It is a rare, out of print paperback that costs about $25 when you can find one on eBay. The reviews all rave about this book. Perhaps that was its first strike in my mind. Books and movies never seem to live up to their reviews for me.
The plot Ms. Ashworth concocted never really came to fruition until the last pages. Until then, the book concentrated on the overwhelming sexual desire between these two characters. If my previous reviews show you anything, it's that I adore a love story, not a sexcapade. I nearly stopped reading after the first chapter due to Madeleine's initial reaction to Thomas. She found him shirtless, chopping wood and immediately wanted him in her bed. I'm sorry, but I do not find that enticing reading.
The rest of the book continues in this way. Thomas comes on to her, then insists that they do not become lovers because of their working relationship. I wanted to shout at him, "Make up your mind!" I finally understood Thomas at the end, but it was too late for me by then.
Overall, the writing is descriptive and flows well. My only major complaint is that she tends to switch POV in the same paragraph, which had me rereading many passages in order to gain understanding.
Overall rating:
by Karen Harbaugh
The premise: Parcifal, the shy, black sheep of a titled family, dons a Cavalier costume for a masquerade and finds himself acting heroic and dashing...much unlike himself. Perhaps he is possessed by the ghost of his grandfather who is purported to haunt his home. Whatever it is, he manages to catch the eye of the woman he has loved from afar, Miss Annabella Smith. But she is nearly betrothed to the highly eligible Duke of Stratton. Can a meek man overcome his innate reticence to win her love?
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: Yes, he can. Surprised? Neither was I.
There are two major problems with this book.
1. The writing.
2. The plot.
Not much left to recommend it, is there? Not a page went by when I wondered how this book ever became published. I have read fanfiction for years and noticed several similarities to these amateur pieces of fiction. ("It was Annabella's turn to blush.") In fact, that is the best word to describe this book: amateurish. Ms. Harbaugh uses the same turns of phrase over and over, making them uninteresting. Her writing is not descriptive at all, leaving the dialogue open to the reader's own interpretation. And the dialogue certainly does not feel as if it came from the 19th century. It sounds more like modern-day snobs. And, the coup de gras...if she uses one exclamation point, she uses a thousand! Rather than describe the emotions of speaker, she uses this punctuation! Even the narration uses it! I wonder if Ms. Harbaugh shouts a lot in real life!! If so, that must become quite tiresome!
This story could have been quite cute. The solitary and sensitive Parsifal falling in love with the lovely Bella and finding that she feels the same about him. But the supernatural twist did not work. Additionally, the villain, the Duke of Stratton, was not realistic at all. I'm supposed to believe that a person of education would believe that having sex with a virgin will cure him of an STD? Oh, please. Also, he was way over-the-top evil. I half expected him to start twirling his moustache.
Could these characters possibly blush more? They spend the entire book with red faces. I've never seen anyone blush that much, and I'm a medical professional.
And, finally, the sex. This book remains very clean and proper throughout Parsifal and Annabella's courting. The epilogue has them screwing like rabbits. Now, I enjoy reading a good "roll in the hay" book, but it really should be consistent throughout.
Oh, and before I finish, who the hell is that in the background on the front cover? He's watching our two heroes and scratching his chin. Also, Annabelle never wore that dress to a masquerade. Who drew this cover? Probably someone lucky enough to have not read the book!
Overall rating:
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