Romance Novel Reviews
by Elizabeth Mansfield
The premise: Lady Phillipa Wyckfield is a lady of good sense. She has a deep friendship with Sybil, the daughter of the family she is staying with. Sybil is a bit of a madcap who draws Pippa into all sorts of unwanted trouble. While Pippa finds herself with a couple of suitors (and proposals of marriage), the question remains: do these men really know her, or are they only seeing the insensible woman she appears to be?
The chemistry: I give Pippa and her beau:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: This book was a breath of fresh air. Pippa's mother and step-father routinely travel, so Pippa has lived with the Sturtevants for years, becoming somewhat a member of the family. While she loves them dearly, sometimes she wishes to escape from their poorly managed, wild household. Sybil is a bit of a hoyden and causes endless trouble for Pippa.
Through the story of the Sturtevant sapphire and the wild horse, Salvaje, Ms. Mansfield slips in a romance. But, unlike the typical romance, the reader is NOT told who the hero is to be. You can read the synopsis on the cover if you like, but you will not find his name anywhere. Will her love be the stable, headstrong head of the Sturtevant family, William? Or perhaps she will fall for the classically handsome and fun-loving Lord Basil Oxbrough. You never know. She could just fall in love with Simon, the second Sturtevant brother who has a head for nothing but his light and optic experiments.
I'll tell you right off that I fell in love with one of them and prayed for him to be the lucky man. I was rewarded in the end. After I read the last sentence, I closed the book, held it to my chest and sighed. Yeah. It was that good.
Overall rating:
by Diane Farr
The premise: "Gil Gilliland is a friend--nothing more--to his childhood chum, Chloe. But Gil's mother sees more to their bond. And in a case of mother knows best, what seems a tender trap may free two stubborn hearts."
The chemistry: I give Chloe and Gil:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I'll start with my disappointment with the heroine, Chloe. She is not from this century...at all. She thinks nothing of housing herself and Gil in a deserted house in order to flee the rain...then proceed to strip and sit with Gil in nothing but sheets.
Of course, the two get caught and the parents announce an engagement despite the fact that neither Gil nor Chloe consented to the match.
As one could guess, they eventually realize that they do love each other. Unfortunately for the reader, this discovery comes through the telling, not the showing. The majority of this book focuses on Chloe and Tish's (Gil's sister) relationship with the slimy rake, Lord Rival. Tish is married and is trying to make her husband notice her by falling all over Lord Rival. He is disgusting and everything a woman should hate about men. Yet Chloe finds herself attracted to him.
I don't know what was going through Ms. Farr's head when she wrote this chick, Chloe. I don't like her, I don't care about her and I certainly don't want to read about her.
Overall rating:
by Mary Balogh
The premise: The story of two friends who love the same woman.
The chemistry: I give Alice and Piers:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: It is quite possible that the story was ruined due to the speed at which I was forced to read this book. I had only a week of free time and wanted to get the book done before my next paper was due. I felt the plot lumbered along and never really got a good head of steam going.
Alice and Piers, as we find out toward the end of the book, have loved each other for years. But, since neither gave any clues as to their respective feelings, Alice ended up marrying Web, Piers' best friend. Web is now dead, leaving Alice and Piers to discover their true feelings.
Overall rating:
by Carla Kelly
The premise: Roxanna Drew watched her husband wither away and die for two long years. Now, 6 months later, she finds herself evicted from the parish house and offered a position as mistress (aka "sex kitten") in the home of her married brother-in-law. When this cad petitions the courts for custody of her two daughters, she finds herself relying on the kindness of a divorced man, Lord Winn.
The chemistry: I give Roxi and Fletcher:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: I found this book enchanting and very much a Carla Kelly novel in every aspect.
Overall rating:
by Carla Kelly
The premise: Ellen Grimsley is acutely aware of her inability to study the sciences and literature as she is a woman. James Gatewood, Lord Chesney, is being relentlessly harassed by his family for preferring scholarship over gambling and riding horses. They are a perfect match.
The chemistry: I give Ellen and Jim:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: While there were glimpses of Kelly's wonderful way of showing the inner workings of her character's minds, this story fell flat for me. While I liked the characters and did want them to get together, their story seemed somewhat unimportant, especially when compared to Ms. Kelly's other works. I'm used to stories of long suffering, put-upon ladies who are struggling to keep themselves in a home or from harm's way. Ellen's sole worry was having to marry an intelligent, gentle man who was her match in every way. Oh, poor baby.
When she laments that she refused his proposal of marriage once too many times, I agreed and told her that she deserved to lose him due to her stupidity.
Overall rating:
by Lynn Kurland
The premise: Gillian of Warewick has been beaten her entire life by her large, imposing father. Her brother did his best to protect her. But now that he is dead, her safety has been entrusted to Christopher, Lord of Blackmour. When Gillian finds out she is to marry the rumoured Devil spawn who practices black arts in his Tower and eats maidens for supper, she is terrified.
The chemistry: I give Gillian and Christopher:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: This book was given Desert Island Keeper status by All About Books.
I am shocked.
I have a soft spot for damaged heroes and/or Beauty and the Beast plots. This had both and I was intent on loving it, despite its medieval setting. While the writing is not much above average, I trudged on, enjoying the plotting despite that flaw.
Then Ms. Kurland made a fatal error. Several, in fact. No, make that many, many, many errors. Yes, I understand that Gillian was tormented by her father. She has been physically sheltered from the world and knows nothing but violence and pain. But the chick really needed to stop WEEPING!! Every thing made the girl cry. If she was afraid, she cried. If she was happy, she cried. If she was confused, she cried. If she was content, she cried. If she had to take a piss, she cried. And, if that weren't bad enough, Ms. Kurland turned that treatment onto her ornery, huge, strapping knight of a hero as well. I got so tired of hearing about wetness to their cheeks that I actually skipped the entire middle of the book.
And, if you read it waiting for the writing to get better...it doesn't. Ms. Kurland steadily slips from her medieval voice to a 21st century voice. Even her characters sometimes sound as if they are from Chicago in the year 2005.
If you do read this book, I beg of you. Skip the epilogue. I've never read such saccharine bull poop. Ugh! This plot could have been done so much more competently in the hands of a better writer.
Overall rating:
by Judith A. Lansdowne
The premise: Lady Marston is the widow of a man who beat her and made her life a living hell. The Earl of Hartshire is the widower of a wonderful woman who he loved dearly. In the midst of a mystery, Atticus becomes Fleur's secret protector as she attempts to bring her step-daughter out for a season in London.
The chemistry: I give Fleur and Atticus:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: While I enjoyed the chemistry between our hero and heroine, the story would have been better served as a shorter novel. Too much time was spent on the mystery involving Fleur's step-son and Atticus' brother-in-law.
And, annoyingly, everyone in the book ended up with a significant other. It was one mass hook-up.
But, I have to say that Ms. Lansdowne writes a great hero. Atticus is very tall and brawny with average facial features and huge ears. The poor man thinks he's an elephant and doesn't find himself worthy of Fleur, the daughter of a shipbuilder. His relationship with his son, Will, was just too precious. I wouldn't kick him out of my bed.
Overall rating:
by Nancy Butler
The premise: Sara Cobb, a penniless governess, meets Grenville Martyn in the train on the way to her new assignment as the governess for a spoiled brat of a girl. A quote from amazon.com: "Headed for her new employment, a governess meets a fellow traveler. Despite the ill rumors surrounding her handsome stranger, she falls for him-an affection that will be sorely tested when they reach their destination."
The chemistry: I give Sara and Grenville:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: This has to be the first book I actually thought needed to be longer. It felt as if one or two entire chapters were edited out for some reason. The relationship really needed more pounding out by the author. I wanted to hear more of what was going on in their respective heads.
It was refreshing to read about two people who weren't peers of the realm. And Gren, despite the fact that he was on the grey side of the law, really was a great guy.
Overall, worth reading. I was so glad that this one turned out better than the one before it. I was stuck in the observation unit with one patient and was so bored.
Overall rating:
by Elizabeth Mansfield
The premise: Oliver Fleming, as the head of the family, is appointed as Anne Saunder's guardian. She falls in love with him. As she matures, he falls in love with her.
The chemistry: I give Oliver and Anne:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: This book totally squicked me out. He was her surrogate father, for god sake!
Now, the writing was excellent. Ms. Mansfield writes in first person, as if this were Anne's personal diary. We get a close-up and personal accounting of her life and thoughts/feelings. I completely understand her falling in love with her cousin and protector. Her state of mind was so perfectly child-like...but it was still so at age 18. She did not cease her ridiculously childish thoughts even then! Oliver is engaged to another woman, and Anne cannot bring herself to hate this woman as she is so kind and wonderful. Yet, she still tries to break up their engagement by flaunting a letter to the poor woman that Oliver wrote to Anne.
And, in the end, despite absolutely no evidence, we find that Oliver has been in love with her since she was 16...and got engaged solely to keep him and Anne apart.
What kind of man is this?! Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Overall rating:
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