Dear Author » Harlequin Historical

REVIEW: Coming Home for Christmas (Anthology) by Carla Kelly

Jayne — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:00:14 +0000

Dear Mrs. Kelly,

I know that when I start a Carla Kelly book, I’ll get a certain number of things. An honorable hero, an unflappable heroine, some idiot secondary characters who may bluster and threaten to cause the hero and heroine some problems but who usually are mainly all hot air and dismissed as the pompous stuffed shirts they are and a gentle love story of two people finding each other – often where they least expected. As this is a linked anthology, here I get this in triplicate which makes sense since all three stories involve the military and we know how much the military, the world over and throughout time, loves its paperwork.

1812 Alta California and stranded Navy surgeon Thomas Wilkie wishes he were home in Scotland rather than in the Spanish held San Diego. Here by the fortunes of war and left here as a bargaining chip when his remaining shipmates finally head north to where they hope to eventually find passage home to England via the Americans in Oregon, he tends the people of the Presideo and surrounding area since he’s the only medical man between there and Tucson. When lovely Laura Maria Ortize de la Garza finds herself ostracized due to her father’s embezzling, Thomas also finds himself in the unlikely position of savior and new husband. Can this unlikely pair discover lasting love from such a beginning?

In 1855 Crimea, widowed Lillian Wilkie Nicholls trusted what she was told – namely that this war would be over in 6 weeks. Two years later she’s still Doing Good in a hospital in Anatolia as she and wards full of wounded soldiers await their return to England. With her is American military observer Major Trey Wharton who has somehow ended up as the administrator of the hospital and who, along with Lily, doesn’t suffer fools or nitwit English surgeons gladly. Their year long friendship will be ending soon – as quickly as the wheels can turn in a military environment. Or will they find the courage to speak up before it’s too late?

1877 Fort Laramie finds Army surgeon Wilkie Nicholls Wharton far from his parents in Philadelphia but finally headed home for Christmas and his long delayed marriage to a fellow Main Line Philadelphian. His hopes for a quiet journey are dashed when he’s asked to keep an eye on lovely Frannie Coughlin who’s also headed East and then has to take responsibility for transporting Nora Powell home from her 13 years of Indian captivity to whatever relatives she still has left in Iowa. Then, just as he thinks he might still get some of his medical journals read, yet another female joins them on the train and precipitates Wilkie and Frannie’s discovery of what they really want this Christmas season.

Paying homage to Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegone denizens, in your novels the women are strong, the men are honorable, and the children are usually cute without being annoying. The “villains” are generally just thickheads and idiots who might have a higher rank but who are usually dismissible from the main action by the hero and heroine who are as incapable of intentionally hurting anyone as they are unable to turn their backs on anyone in need. It’s more fantasy than reality but it’s a lovely fantasy to sit down to and drift into for a while as I forget just how awful the latest blaring news headline is. These are people as I would love us all to be.

I enjoyed the way the stories are varied in time and location with a mix of ages, nationalities and – let’s hear it for – experience. Lily Nicholls, who misses the comforts of marriage, and Frannie Coughlin, who earlier anticipated a marriage that never happened, are frank about their wants which delights their heroes no end. One thing I wish had been expanded was the substory of the young woman being returned to white society despite her wishes. There could be a whole book in this. The delightfully devious Sultan was a fun character and Father Hilario an example of pure compassion.

When I finish reading one of your books, I might feel as if I’d had one too many pieces of sugar sweet sheet cake but I also feel happy. These are people I’d like to meet in real life – real salt of the earth sorts.The time just flew while I read about them. And thank you so much for picking varied backgrounds for the characters and locations in which to set your stories here. I still enjoy reading Regency set anthologies but something different every now and then is a real treat. B for each novella.

~Jayne

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REVIEW: Lawman by Laurie Grant

Jayne — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:00:41 +0000

Olivia Didn’t Believe in Second Chances

She and Cal Devlin had been in love a lifetime ago, before she’d lost everything and been branded a “scarlet woman.” And though she longed for nothing more than to be back in Cal’s arms, their passion could only mean his ruin…!

Caleb had learned that some Texans never forgave their native sons who fought for the Union, but as the new lawman in town, he was determined to prove himself worthy of respect, and win back the heart of the woman he’d left behind.

Dear Ms. Grant,

Of all the bizarre things, it is the cover of this book that made me check it out. I’m trying to remember the last time I saw a romance cover with a mustachioed hero on it. Yep, it’s been a long time. And his eye patch shows. Even when heroes are allowed to be scarred and less than perfect, often the cover won’t reflect this but here – large as life – there it is. And he’s not one of those otherwise perfect, almost airbrushed people either. Neither is the heroine. She’s cute but not stunning. Covers certainly have changed in the past 14 years.

Writing styles have changed too and this one definitely seems more 90s but in a good way. The pace is slower but after I got used to it – again – it seemed like I really got to know Olivia and Cal plus several other characters. Nothing felt rushed or shortchanged. And it definitely feels like a book from before the shorter word counts of today. It might take getting used to but I enjoyed the leisurely way the story plays out.

It’s a post Civil War story though not so much a Reconstruction one. Issues from the War are still there especially since Cal fought for the Union – something that initially causes him grief in his hometown – though Gillespie Springs folk appear a bit more ready to at least forget if not outright forgive. Perhaps his background and reasons for fighting against the South are explored in the previous book but it seemed odd that there is only a glancing mention of any black characters in this book. It’s as if all the main characters in the book have decided to put the past behind them and not think much about it anymore. Anywho, it appears that enough time has passed for tempers to die down and reflection to have taken place. Cal shows the scars of his Army time – at least on the outside though he doesn’t appear to suffer from any PTSD. If the book were written today I’d bet he would though.

Olivia isn’t the Belle of Brazos County anymore either having married and then lost her husband in circumstances which make for an interesting introduction to her character. The whole town thinks she’s a Scarlet Woman who did the deed with her husband’s – who came back from the war with an interesting injury – hired hand. A husband who then murdered the Mexican hired man than killed himself from the shame of what his wife did. Only we soon learn this is far from the truth, Still it’s an interesting background for Olivia and one that’s more truly gutwrenching than I’ve seen in a while. I did wonder if she would ever face what happened to her in terms of a future sexual relationship and was glad that some thought and care is given to this issue.

One thing that stands out is that both Cal and Olivia have suffered in their years apart and still bear the scars of this but Cal at least doesn’t use this as an angst anchor around his neck. He doesn’t whine about how no woman could ever love him or how he can’t bear to risk love and loss again. He’s quietly hopeful that eventually he and Livy can find their way back to the love they once shared and perhaps the marriage that they’d both wished for. Livy is the main one dragging her feet but only because she is living down the shame of what the town thinks she did and doesn’t want Cal to have this burden added to what he’s already got on his plate. Once they get their feelings worked out, they’re both gung ho for love and marriage which is another delightful change.

Cal used to be a preacher so his references to God and the Bible make sense in context with this and the greater emphasis on religion in that day. At times near the start of the story, I almost wondered if it was an early inspie but this is toned down later on – plus Cal swears a time or two. Or three. One thing that might piss some people off is the secondary character Jovia Mendez. It’s not the fact that she’s Mexican so much as the dialect given to her with Mees Livy, eef, and other misspellings used to convey her accent and speech pattern. Faux brogue drives me nuts and I can see this Tex-Mexican having the same affect on readers.

Few things are kept hidden from the reader and everyone’s motives are spelled out clearly early on so it’s just a matter of watching things happen. The villain is known from the start as well as why he’s doing what he is. I kind of liked the fact that this shifts the oomph of the story back on Livy and Cal instead of sidetracking it to what might be planned by said villain.

This is the second book in a trilogy of the brothers but after some initial exposition things settle down and I didn’t feel that I was missing much by not having read the first book. At some point I would like to go back and read “Devil’s Dare” for the background information as well as the fact that the hero and heroine appear to meet under unusual circumstances. Since Westerns are certainly fewer and harder to come by in the past decade, I’m happy that Harlequin has reissued this one though I wish more time had been spent dealing with the aftermath of the War. B-

~Jayne

REVIEW: Fool’s Paradise by Tori Phillips

Jayne — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Dear Ms. Phillips,

I wanted to read this book because of the Tudor time period and the fact that the hero is not only a commoner but a bastard as well. Also, I had heard good things about your Harlequin Historicals of the 90s. It’s slightly bawdy for the time with Dicken doing his share of bodice diving amongst the wenches of the inns and manor houses of England and the heroine takes to public performances like a duck to water but methinks this is a book I would have enjoyed more “back in the day.”

It starts off well enough with Lady Elizabeth fleeing from her piggy wanabe husband after her father dies in mysterious circumstances. She and Tarleton meet and greet and she tells him her tale after which he agrees, for a fee, to escort her to her godmother, the Queen. So far so good. He devises a “Chick in pants” disguise, treats her like an apprentice of the day would be (ie badly) but then clucks and hovers over her at all other times. Even after someone penetrates Elizabeth’s disguise and tells Tarleton it was his mooning over her that gave away the game.

And everyone loves Elizabeth. The fiendish lout who covets her lands, Tarleton – of course, the pot boys they meet along the way, the students at Oxford who save their lives – yes, everyone loves Elizabeth the sweet angelic soul. Just once I’d love to have heard a man look at her, shrug and say, “nope, does nothing for me.”

There are lots of details – the good, bad and ugly about life in Tudor England and life on the road for the po’ folks. Elizabeth gets an eye opening view of life among the rushes and ale houses and at the country fairs. This well done local color is what truly kept me going. That and the image of Elizabeth trying, and failing, to ride a goat.

But the story also circled endlessly while all these events were taking place. Tarleton is soon smitten with Elizabeth but knows that a titled lady with property is as high above his head as the moon. To keep his mind off her and her luscious body and how badly he wants to tumble her, he first jests with her then – when she in all innocence jests back and he gets hard enough to hammer nails – he treats her coolly. And she gets wounded and miffed until the next day when it all cycles. And/or something will happen to frighten Elizabeth and she’ll dissolve into tears and sobs and Tarleton will enfold her in his manly arms and rock her like a baby. Which is definitely not how a master and apprentice would behave. I got so damn tire of Elizabeth boo-hooing over and over I wanted to shake her and snap, “get over it.”

The way the villain is caught and Tarleton finally gets his dream girl is cool and apropos to the times. Points for working the Babbington Plot into the works and initially circumventing the vast difference in status between Elizabeth and Tarleton. But, alas, just when I thought I was home free with a commoner hero, the Queen comes along and changes all that. Sigh. Oh, well, that part was good while it lasted.

I enjoyed parts of this book, am glad I have now read one of your books, liked the detail and the way all was taken care of in the end but the endless loop of Elizabeth’s tears and Tarleton’s, “there, there now, chuck” wore me out. As I said, if I’d read this when it was first published back in the 90s, I’m sure it would have made a better impression on me. But now, it’s a C.

~Jayne

REVIEW: The Dragon and The Pearl by Jeannie Lin

Jane — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:00:29 +0000

Dear Ms. Lin:

I’m thrilled that you are writing this series and thrilled that Harlequin is publishing it and giving us such in-your-face Asian covers instead headless bodies that hint at its Eastern origins. I am not super familiar with this area of history and I read this story more as if it were a fantasy tale instead of historical romance. Not sure if that affected my reading but that’s my perspective.

What I am less thrilled about are some of the authorial choices that were made.

The Pearl is a beautiful and famed courtesan named Lady Ling Suyin. Her honorific title is Ling Guifei which means “Precious Consort.” She is considered to be the late emporer’s favored courtesan because after having her in his bed, he never took another. When he died, she was retired to a manor on the land within the Imperial province of Chengdu where she hoped to live out her life in peace. However, with the new emporer in place, loyalties are being tested and war is rumbling across the land. General Gao Shiming is rumored to be in pursuit of Ling Guifui and this leads to her abduction by The Dragon, Governor Li Tao.

Li Tao commands an army and land in the South. He feels his obligation is to hold the Southern border as commanded by the previous emperor even if this is countermanded by the existing emperor. He knows war is coming and Emperor Shen has not shown the power to unite the military governors spread across the vast China land. Li Tao had considered it an alliance, had accepted Emperor Shen’s daughter as a peace offering but she married another, and thus no alliance was struck. Li Tao not sure what is important about this courtesan but whatever it is, he plans to pull it out of her one way or another.

Neither realize their commonalities. Their past is similar, the holds over their lives, threatening whatever peace they may have thought to have achieved, is similar. What is different, perhaps, is that Li Tao is resigned to death. He has always known that dark hand was near him and therefore what is a doomed battle against the new emperor but destiny?

Ling, however, is willing to fight for her survival. Years of palace intrigue taught Ling to school her features, hide her thoughts, and read others like a fortune teller reads the tea leaves. Her beauty was only one of the tools in her arsenal. Ling and Li fall in love slowly, coming to appreciate in each other the sacrifices that made them who they are today and the need they both had for companionship. They both experienced a very dark time in their life and committed some very bad acts.

In Butterfly Swords, there seemed to be pains taken to show that there were no villians, only people with different perspectives, but in this book there were definitely people who acted villianous and yet the resolution for these people was akin to a stern (or even quiet) talking to. I failed to see the gray in the actions of Gao or the underworld boss, Lao Sou, who used people as if they were things, weapons to be used and discarded when no longer potent.

The defanging of one particular character in the story was troublesome because of how I was asked to see him as some harmless old man in need of loving family when, in fact, he recruited young helpless boys off the street and bound them to him with acts of violence and promises of vengeance.

I felt like some message of peace and tranquility was being delivered, but it was a sermon I didn’t quite understand. I felt cheated in the denouement and while I loved the journey I was taken on, I found the destination disappointing. It’s tough to grade this book because some of it was beautiful and I loved the setting and the richness of the period. I thought Ling and Li Tao were well matched. But there were some big moments of disappointment particularly the as it related to Ling* but mostly how the story was unwound at the end. C+

Best regards,

Jane

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REVIEW: Crusader Captive by Merline Lovelace

Jayne — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:00:41 +0000

“A strategic marriage to a powerful Saracen lord with a penchant for virgins will enable wealthy Lady Jocelyn to keep her fortress home. But at what cost? Her only hope of escaping the depraved lord’s harem is to lose her virginity—and fast!

Captured and tortured knight Simon de Rhys is in no position to refuse Lady Jocelyn’s proposition: his freedom for one night with her. The task seems simple, and deeply pleasurable, until he discovers her secret….”

Dear Ms. Lovelace,

Though I’ve enjoyed many of your military centered contemporaries, it’s actually your historicals which are my favorites – top of the list probably being the older, relatively un-PC “Alena.” In spite of the silly sounding blurb, I find a lot to like in Jocelyn and Simon’s fight for true love in the Holy Land. Ever since I read Elizabeth Chadwick’s “Falcons of Montabard,” I’ve been intrigued by Outremer. The details you include are great and enough to definitely place the book here vs a generic European medieval setting. Plus they leave me wanting to know more about the place and people – which is good sign for me. I like that the specific information augments the story and characters and isn’t just there because it’s cool to know. Also, you don’t hesitate to include details that might make some people squirm such as the heroine’s methods of meting out justice. Her subordinates are just that – they are treated well and taken care of because it’s her duty but there aren’t big group hug moments.

The hero/heroine conflict is real and believable for the time when religion was such a part of daily existence, everyone’s fighting for their lives and land in the Crusader kingdom and it’s pull together or sink. Since parents routinely pledged children to Holy Orders – though it seems usually while said children were young – I can accept this part of the plot. Simon is mad at his father’s pledge but fully believes that his soul as well as father’s are on the line. He’s reluctant but will follow through. He also is well aware that there is just as much greed, avarice and politics in Church as well as outside life. But people believed in oaths to God and in eternal damnation if those were broken and you clearly present it as a powerful enough thing that I can see Simon actually turning away from this wonderful love for it and Jocelyn being willing to give him up.

Jocelyn’s decision to seek out a person to rid her of her virginity is a touch far fetched but no more so than the usual “one night of love to last my whole life” stuff. Here there’s a reason she’s doing this and after it’s done, she’ll submit to the decision of King Baldwin and his mother, Melisande, in their next choice of her, hopefully Frankish, husband. Cue more intricate political workings of the era which are woven into the story. Since Simon is pledged to Temple and Jocelyn is pledged to a desperately needed political ally, neither Baldwin nor Melisande can afford to give into gooey sweet sentiment and let these two have each other without good cause. And the good cause comes in a kickass fight scene that spotlights the horror of warfare of the era.

As the story progressed, I wondered how you’d extricate Simon from his holy vow. It is, after all, a freakin’ holy vow but I guess since he goes along with pledge and initiation rites up til telling moment, he can say he fulfilled his part and marry with free conscience. In regards to the Templer rites – does anyone really know what these were?

So, things are going along well, conflicts are being resolved and a HEA is in sight when I realized there is still a lot of space left. The book finishes with Jocelyn and Simon together – yeah! – and a lot of interesting period info but it all feels rather anticlimactic at that point and, after a little while, a touch draggy.

But I love the presentation of some powerful women – Melisande, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Jocelyn – in an age and place where women actually could be feisty and get away with it. Jocelyn is supposed to be strong – she was raised that way because of her position and expected to be in charge but she’s not a sword swinger, thank God. Simon is her equal, physically and mentally – a strong knight with a leader’s personality and mentally tough enough to submit to his pledge and the initiation for religious reasons as well as strong enough to endure the Templer rite with a final goal in mind. I enjoyed reading their story and returning to a historical from you. B-

~Jayne

REVIEW: The Widowed Bride by Elizabeth Lane

Jayne — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:00:29 +0000

Dear Ms. Lane,

Harlequin Historicals will still occasionally branch out beyond Regencies and I’ve come to look for your books to be among those branchees. I’d started reading in this series two years ago with “The Borrowed Bride,” but will be honest and say that I’d lost touch with it since then. Now, a few books later, the setting of the 1920s and bootlegging grabbed me and got me back on board with it.

“Ruby Denby Rumford endured her monstrous husband’s abuse until death-’by self-defense-’did them part. Now she and her daughters seek a new beginning in Dutchman’s Creek, Colorado, but will her dark past stay buried?

With an obligation to uphold the laws of prohibition and an undercover persona in place, U.S. Deputy Marshal Ethan Beaudry comes to town ready to end a shady bootlegging ring. He doesn’t expect to find beautiful, mysterious Ruby involved-’or be forced to choose between duty to the law and this forbidden passion.”

Wow! A historical heroine who’s offed her husband isn’t something I see every day either. Ruby has faced down the worst in marriage – an abusive husband who threatened her, beat her and would probably have killed her if she hadn’t fought back and killed him first. Not knowing much about the law at this time, I will say I find it slightly amazing that she got off as easily as she did in this era. Ruby has desires and is willing for Ethan to awaken them and satisfy her – still she isn’t sure about marriage again. But she’s also not going to let any man boss her around or treat her badly. She’s got enough nerve to stand up for herself now and not take shit from any man.

They start a sexual relationship early but it felt right. Ruby is trying to overcome her past experiences and Ethan jump starts that process. However, this makes her discovery of the truth behind his presence in town all the more wounding. Was he enjoying what they did or just using her? You give Ruby a real reason to dislike Ethan instead of suddenly turning her missish or having her bewail whether or not he loves her and I liked that.

Both have good reasons for hiding their backgrounds from each other – she faces social stigma for what she did and he can’t let the bootleggers of the area know why he’s there. I found these to be much better reasons then some I’ve read in the past. Each feels guilt over the lies but Ruby is no fool and quickly realizes that Ethan hasn’t told her everything. He is sure she’s hiding something and while he doesn’t immediately think she’s in league with the villains, he’s not going to let her pretty face dissuade him from checking out her background. They discover the truth earlier in the book than I’d expected but I like that even while Ethan is gently coercing Ruby into helping him, he phrases it in a way that saves face for her – helping him will get him out of her hair all the sooner.

Ruby has enough common sense to eventually come around to Ethan’s viewpoint and appreciate that he’s trying to do his job and also protect her from vicious bootleggers. She also neatly turns the tables on the villainous mayor’s attempts to blackmail her. Go Ruby! Thaddeus Wilton truly is an evil character – you make him quite slimy and shudder inducing. Ruby also has enough presence of mind to save herself from Harper. She’s no shrinking violet and can use her head to think her way out of problems. I love to see this in a heroine. Or hero for that matter.

You included many period details that give a great sense of time and place. I especially liked the description of the General Store filled to the rafters will all kinds of neat things. Ethan’s cooking lessons – well needed for Ruby who was used to a house full of servants – were cool too. And thank you for working the details of Ethan’s job into the story, specifically his evidence kit – it ain’t rocket science or modern CSI but it’s moving towards modern forensics as known at the time.

The main problem I had with the story is Ethan’s reasoning for breaking off his growing relationship with Ruby. I can kind of understand it but since I’ve seen this “I’ll never love again or allow my heart to be broken again” kind of stuff in so many books, it mainly makes me roll my eyes now. But even though Ethan’s reason for breaking things off with Ruby sucks, he is honest with her and tells her quickly. Thankfully he soon discovers he’s an idiot and corrects himself. His idiotness is balanced by a nice realization of his feelings once the crisis is over.

Though this is part of a series, I think that readers could just jump in here with no problems. And I hope that they will because I think it’s a good book and I’m always trying to promote the different and unusual. Now I just need to go back and look into the two books I skipped. B

~Jayne

REVIEW: The Admiral’s Penniless Bride by Carla Kelly

Jayne — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:10:34 +0000

Dear Mrs. Kelly,

I see a book by you and I’m like Pavlov’s dogs – minus the barking. And the book then automatically goes on my list of “this will be read soon, if not sooner.” And though each one might not always climb the heights of my best reads for that year, you seldom fail to entertain me or move me.

Sally Sophie Paul is literally hanging on by her last threadbare thread. Widowed five years ago when false accusations against her husband drove him to suicide, she’s eked out a living as a ladies companion until, having spent her penultimate coin traveling to Plymouth, she finds her new job eliminated by the death of the elderly client.

Retired Admiral Sir Charles Bright is desperate when he notices the quiet woman in the corner of the Drake. His years of reading his crew and the idiots at the Admiralty have taught him to be a good judge of character and this woman obviously needs his help as much as he needs hers. Unbidden and unwanted, his two older sisters have decided to take on his marriage as a project – whether he wants to get spliced or not – and the woman to whom he proposed in a marriage of convenience hasn’t shown up. So perhaps this young woman will do.

At first, an incredulous Sally declines the Admiral’s proposal but when there are no jobs to be had and the workhouse looms, she finally agrees. And what starts out as a business arrangement swiftly becomes much more. Each feels amazed that it appears love will bloom where neither expected it but just as they’re accepting their good fortune, a secret Sophie has kept threatens not only their marriage but also Charles reputation.

One thing I must comment on, and I know that this isn’t your fault, is the cover. Charles suffered an injury early in his Naval career which is featured throughout the story yet it’s not pictured correctly. If the cover had been flipped, then yeah it’s fine but usually Harlequin is better about stuff like this. Okay, that’s out of the way.

Charles and Sophie are such dear people, such caring people, such responsible people that it’s a delight to watch them find each other and do good, both in their own household and in the neighborhood. They save orphans from abuse, they rescue people from the workhouse and former sailors from begging on the streets. They visit those who were never visited and bring closure to one who grieved over a lost son for years. They’re practically perfect. And just a touch unbelievable in their perfection.

But then Charles does get to throw a wonderful, thunderous rage when Sophie’s secret comes to light. And based on what he knows at the time, I can totally understand his reaction. However, literally overnight, he Sees the Light, totally believes Sophie’s version of events and contritely tries to regroup and attempt a do-over. Bully for Sophie that she sticks to her guns and follows what she told him she’d do in her letter. Until Charles finally gets his act together and they reconcile. But I guess that’s why it’s called unconditional love – you forgive and forget without question.

You do throw a slight change into the book by having what can be considered “an insider” end up being the villain of the piece. And it is nice to see an older hero and (somewhat older) heroine be featured. I also liked the fact that there is no magical justice meted out for the wrong of five years ago. Life sucks sometimes and here is an example.

But oh my, the crying in this book. If someone isn’t tearing up, crying, or sobbing then they’re sobbing in someone’s arms. I lost count. It got to the point where I was waiting for the blubbering to commence. If the whole household ever gets weepy at the same time, there won’t be enough handkerchiefs in the entire county of Devonshire to mop up the tears. Somehow, I just don’t see a bookful of English – and one French – characters getting this publicly emotional, to this extent, in 1816.

So though I enjoyed how amazing Charles and Sophie are and how much they come to love each other and can see them happily sitting out on their terrace watching the sea, I do have some issues with the book. I liked it, it is what I’ve come to – more or less – expect from you but it has a “same old” feel to it. Long time fans will no doubt lap it up as quickly as I did but they shouldn’t look for anything truly new or different in the tone or style. B-

~Jayne

REVIEW: The Smuggler and the Society Bride by Julia Justiss

Jayne — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:00:04 +0000

Dear Ms. Justiss,

Thank you for sending me a copy of your latest book, “The Smuggler and the Society Bride.” Despite it being the third full length book in the “Silk and Scandal” series, I found that I could jump right in without feeling I was missing vital information or at sea about who the characters from the two previous books are. But while I liked the two leads and enjoyed watching them fall in love, I found the villain to be both too melodramatic and too silly.

Lady Honoria Carlow has discovered just how quickly a young woman of the ton can go from being a Diamond to an outcast. High spirited all her life, she’d tried the patience of her family yet never gone too far. Until the night when her downfall was cleverly and maliciously arranged. Now she’s An Example to other young ladies against meeting a man in the gardens during any ball. Fleeing London ahead of her dictatorial brother’s orders to return to their house in the country, she’s sought refuge with her aunt on the coast of Cornwall.

It’s here that she meets a handsome young Irishman who’s in league with the smugglers of the area. Gabriel Hawksworth is doing a favor for an old military buddy in captaining the man’s ship for 6 months. He’s had fun doing it but not as much fun as when he sees a young woman strip down and dive into the ocean to attempt to rescue a drowning man. Attracted to her from the start, Gabe has no idea what has brought this beautiful and intelligent young lady to the area but knows there must be some scandal in her past since she ought to be in London for the Season. Is there a future for this couple of misfits and can Gabe discover the reason and identity of the unknown person who methodically set out to ruin the woman he’s falling in love with?

I like that Gabe is a gentleman and knows not to go too far with any woman much less a well brought up one. And that Honoria has had enough experience with men in London to know when a man is interested in her and also to know not to trust one too far. She’s been burned by men so her choice to teach the young girls of the village in order to give them a leg up in a world which is stacked against the female gender makes sense. The change in her character from slightly spoiled society miss to one who will be happy living with a ship’s captain as they sail the world is slow yet believable. Ditto the dawning of love for Gabe who’s always enjoyed females yet never, until now, wanted to settle down with just one.

One thing I really like about this book is that Honoria isn’t some ignorant ninny who’s never wondered about sex or the opposite sex. She’s frankly interested, takes the time to check Gabe out when they’re both dripping wet from saving the revenue agent, and doesn’t turn down her aunt’s offer to read “Aristotle’s Masterpiece.” And Aunt Foxe! Whoa, here’s a female relation whom all young Regency misses would want for that “night before the wedding” talk.

Honoria and Gabe seemed to suffer from changes of heart due to plot needs. Honoria starts out, and for the most part remains, angry at what happened to her and mad at her family for not standing by her or believing her innocence. Yet, for a brief time, when she’s telling Gabe the story, she suddenly changes and is all “I can see it from their [her family's] POV.” Then she flips back. While Gabe begins by almost persuading Honoria of the necessity, the almost rightness, of smuggling yet just as suddenly at the end of the book, when it’s needed, he admits that the illegality of it bothers him and he now wants out.

The villain also didn’t work well for me. It’s almost too easy for Gabe to discover who is behind Honoria’s ruin and the confrontation scene, where the villain Tells All and laughs while he does it is cartoonish. With six more books in the series, I know that it will be a long time before the villain is brought to justice and the whole thing is wrapped up and honestly, I can’t summon enough interest to keep going to see it happen.

So, for the hero and heroine’s love story and Honoria’s avid interest in sex, I’d recommend the book. However the flip-flop in Honoria and Gabe’s attitudes and the villain subplot detract from what would have been a more enjoyable book for me. Overall, for me these balance to a C grade.

~Jayne

REVIEW: Marrying the Royal Marine by Carla Kelly

Jayne — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:00:16 +0000

Dear Ms. Kelly,

At last, at last the final book in the Brandon Sisters series. Eldest sister Nan found love with a naval Captain, middle sister Laura married a naval doctor and now it’s youngest – by quite a few years – sister Polly’s turn. But instead of the Navy, the Royal Marines provide our hero this time.

No one is quite sure how Polly Brandon managed to gain passage aboard a naval vessel to Portugal during time of war but one brief conversation with her shows Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Philippe Junot why the midshipmen who had been gathered around her were smitten. She’s not conventionally pretty and wears those wire rim spectacles but once she turns her attention on a man, it’s fixed on him. Plus she’s pluck to the bone and filled with a giving spirit.

Laura Brittles makes it clear that she disapproves of such an older man even thinking of courting her young sister yet her husband Philemon gives him hope with tales of how perseverance won Oliver Worthy and himself their Brandon brides. When a trip inland to help women abused by the French invaders turns into a matter of survival, Hugh and Polly discover that age doesn’t matter when love finally finds you.

This must be one of the most interesting ways to get to know another character – mop up duty after mal de mer – that I’ve ever read. It moves Hugh and Polly smartly past the “nice to meet you” stage and begins to show us the backbone and character of these two people. I must say though that the ‘giving of their water’ by the other Marines is a touch kitschy – plus would they have been allowed to? Give up their total daily supply?

Hugh only has a short bit of conflict about Polly’s illegitimacy but perhaps his older age accounts for that plus the severe stress they were under. That kind of sharpens your perspective on things. Plus Polly, even if illegitimate, is the daughter of Lord Ratliffe, an official “hero.” I like that “Brandon,” as Hugh calls her, never seems to notice the age difference and doesn’t discount herself due to her own age. It’s funny that Laura Brittles disapproves but that adds a touch of realism.

The chemistry between these two is marvelous. They can talk about almost anything, can laugh together, can face death together and still think of the other before themselves. I enjoy the fact that Hugh loves his career – as seen through his stories he tells Polly about India, Canada and Ceylon. Touch of realism – part two: Hugh readily admits to being a man of the world – has used seaport ladies and sees one in Lisbon. I do love how he sees the beauty in Brandon which she refuses to see herself. He sees *her* – inside and out – and loves everything he sees.

Polly Brandon grows as a person. She’s more willing to believe that she is worthy of Hugh and of someone kind falling in love with her. She also realizes that she has much to offer the wounded women who have ended up at Sacred Name convent and does more than her share to keep Hugh and herself alive during their captivity ordeal.

Though this may sound strange, I like that Polly is mad and questions why she and Hugh were put into this predicament. I think someone would have to almost be a saint not to in those circumstances. Hugh agonizes over what he’s forced to do but from what he already knows and what they saw of the priest, it was a blessing for him to be able to do it. And if Laura Brittles ever learns the whole story of what happened, she ought to give thanks for Hugh’s experience because it’s probably his age and wisdom which saves Brandon from rape. “Adventures are never as fun as bad novels make them out to be, Polly.”

When you kick in the realism of war you don’t stint. There’s no way to pussy foot around the issue without trivializing what really did happen. The way you’ve built Polly, I can see how she’d attract a military man – she’s calm, competent, grasps the details of what danger they could be in and faces that danger head on. When the moment of greatest danger comes – during guerrilleros’ attack of French, she reacts naturally for someone who’s never been under fire – she first saves Hugh and then terror hits her.

James Rothschild – even though I’ve seen him and the gold shipments used in other fiction before, namely one of the Richard Sharpe novels, it’s still fun to see it here.

And there’s sex! and more sex in this series. Yes, you can write great sex scenes. Usually “just one night of love” excuses for sex induce eye rolling from me but in this case, with death looming each day, it makes sense and fits perfectly. I totally agree with Hugh’s comic statement “Can you fathom our potential, if we ever get anything to eat?”

Hugh admires her spirit, her intelligence and resourcefulness and Polly cheerfully admits that they will probably disagree on things and squabble at times. “I have a brain; so do you.” But these two have seen each other at their best and at their worst. Have been tried and tested in the flames yet come out stronger for it. I certainly enjoyed the trip and hope to see you back again with further historical adventures soon. A-

~Jayne

REVIEW: Runaway Lady, Conquering Lord by Carol Townend

Jayne — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:00:22 +0000

Dear Ms. Townend,

I’ve enjoyed several of your other books for Harlequin Historicals and was delighted when you contacted me offering a copy of your latest in the “Wessex Weddings” series for possible review. (Note: FTC discloser out of the way!) And the heroine is a Fallen Woman too. Even better. At first I didn’t realize that the hero is the same man used as a decoy in “An Honorable Rogue,” but once I recalled this, it upped the incentive to read the book.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Four years ago, Lady Emma of Fulford would never have thought she’d be sorry to lose her livelihood – washing dirty laundry in an icy cold river – that puts clothes on her back and a roof over her head. But then she also never thought she’d have an illegitimate child or not be living in her father’s noble household. A love affair gone bad has landed her where she is today and that somewhere is desperate to escape the abusive father of her child who has somehow tracked her down.

Her appeal for a job to the garrison commander of Winchester, Sir Richard of Asculf, initially gets her nowhere. They have a bit of a history since he’s a BFF of Emma’s brother in law, Adam, who was awarded her father’s lands. Richard takes a little pleasure in seeing her in such reduced circumstances since Emma apparently made life difficult for them after the Battle of Hastings fallout but he’s also honest enough to admit that she stirs his sexual interest. Not that he’s going to lay a hand on her as Adam would nail him for it.

But with Judhael making threats against her and terrified that he’ll discover the fact that they have a son, Emma is pushed to offer herself to Richard as a mistress with the hope that he’ll take her and her son with him when he returns to Normandy to settle an inheritance. Can these two find love as well as sexual feelings for each other during the journey?

I like a good medieval and am glad to see the subgenre making a bit of a comeback. But for me to be interested in it, I need more than the standard Norman knight (who’s usually a bastard) and willowy Saxon maiden snipping at each other in faux medieval dialogue. I mentioned before how much I appreciate the fact that you avoid this but let me say it again to emphasize how much this means to me. No “mayhaps!” No “tis, twases!” No irate Jayne!

I haven’t read the first book in the series “The Novice Bride,” but I gather that Emma is quite changed since then. Several mentions are made of how her viewpoints on various things have changed since her days as the daughter of a powerful Saxon thane. At this point, she’s taken refuge in an inn with several ‘ladies of the night’ and far from looking down her nose at them, she thinks of them as friends. She’s even tickled pink when they show up after her wedding to wish her well. She’s practical and not above doing what it takes to see to the safety and care of her child.

Richard is shown to be human. He’s a man who can appreciate Emma’s curves and who is also not adverse to enjoying, just a little bit, seeing her pay a bit for her past actions. But his honorable side quickly comes out on top and he goes to great lengths to help her and feels guilty when they succumb to passion. I figured some revelation was coming to explain his nightmares and at first rolled my eyes a little that a big Norman knight would be so anguished at what bothers him but then thought again about how any warrior might take a particular death hard and be haunted by it.

The book is also a bit of a road romance and I enjoyed reading about the journey conditions. Definitely not modern traveling with ‘en suite’ bath included and one can forget having any privacy. You handled some aspects of the story differently than I expected which in this case is a good thing. When a potential wife for Richard is mentioned, I had images of catfights and outraged foot stomping to dread but thankfully this didn’t come to pass. When Emma imagines she feels someone watching her during their trip, I thought of several scenarios involving showdowns between the men. Again, you took a different path.

Emma’s venture towards “please don’t go there” territory alarmed me somewhat. True, she is given one good reason but I would have preferred that she ask before she acted. And let’s be honest, Judhael displays more common sense about her choice of action than she did considering she also has the welfare of her child to consider.

“Runaway Lady, Conquering Lord” – and can’t we just tell this is a Harlequin title? – is a fairly fast read and is quite readable, which I consider to be two different things. It stays away from many of the subgenre’s conventions and features two likable lead characters. I think readers interested in medievals will welcome it to the list. B-

Jayne

This book can be purchased at Amazon or in ebook format from Sony or other etailers.

REVIEW: From Waif to Gentleman’s Wife by Julia Justiss

Jayne — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:53 +0000

Dear Ms. Justiss,

You’ve been writing Regency set stories for years now so by now, I’m sure you’re more than familiar with all the conventions, the standard plots, the trope characters, all the things we’re used to seeing in this historical category. Well, I am too so when I come across something different, I’m liable to sit up, smile and say, “Yes!”

I’m sure that Sir Edward Greaves was, even if only briefly, a minor character in your book, “An Unconventional Match.” Alas, I don’t recall him. Shame on me as he’s a nice guy. As he, himself, thinks, he doesn’t have the lofty title of his friend Nicky Stanhope, the Marquess of Englemere, or the money his financial wizard friend Hal Waterman does but he’s not a bad catch on the marriage mart. So far, his attempts to find a wife he can admire as well as love, and who he thinks would enjoy living with him in the country, have not panned out but hope springs eternal.

In the meantime, he’s intrigued by a little property owned by Nicky. It’s far from Nicky’s other holdings and has currently been run almost into the ground by land agent mismanagement. In these postwar years when crop prices have plummeted and out of work Peninsular War veterans roam the countryside searching for work, it’s hard for even well maintained properties to cover their expenses. When an estate has been as badly administered as Blenhem, it’s almost a lost cause. But for Ned, this “perfect storm” is like a red flag and he offers to buy the property.

Widowed Joanna Merrill is truly destitute when she arrives at Blenhem, late on a stormy night, on foot and half starved. Unjustly thrown out of her last post by his wife after the Viscount got frisky and cornered her in her room, Joanna’s only hope is to find her brother who was managing a small property for their very distant relation the Marquess of Englemere. Only when she arrives, Greville is gone and another man has taken his place.

For various reasons, Ned has decided to take the role of an untitled land agent to allow him to discover just what went on under Greville’s management. He’s immediately attracted to the lovely Joanna but as a relation to his friend, she’s “hands off.” Trying to help her find employment, Ned hits on starting a school for the estate children with Joanna as the teacher. As their interest in each other grows, they attempt to discover what went on at the estate. But will Ned wait too long to tell Joanna who he really is?

For the most part, this is a quiet, country Regency. There is little about ton life in London, no Seasons, no Almacks, no dowagers quizzing young misses. I like that Joanna is a gentleman’s daughter while Ned is a Baronet instead of the usual Duke. And though he is sort of undercover in a way, he’s not a spy for Wellington. The use of the Luddites as a background conflict as well as Joanna and Greville’s experiences at the hands of the aristos is inspired. It’s been years since I saw this aspect of the times used in a Regency.

Ned doesn’t wallow away his romantically broken heart with wine, women and song. No, this boy throws himself into dethatching grass, soil additives, farming techniques and other agricultural improvements. Be still my beating heart. He’s also actually got a good reason for going undercover, as it were, at his new property. He thinks things out and truly wants to do the best for his tenants. What a guy!

I like that Ned listens to Joanna and doesn’t dismiss her concerns and statements about the aristocracy and their abuse of their privileges. He offers considered responses and tries to show Joanna the other side of the coin.

Joanna does get to see the real Ned even though she thinks he’s lower in social station than he is. Ned doesn’t hid who he really is, a man interested in farming and improving the lot of his tenants. While he, in turn, finds out more about her closely held feelings than he would have been able to in more polite, conventional realms. When they do start their physical relationship, I felt that they knew each other and didn’t just jump into lust. I will admit, however, to being slightly tired of the prevalent mental lusting up til then.

When the truth is revealed, at least Joanna doesn’t completely dismiss Ned’s entreaties to listen to his side of things, then to go to London to seek out her many-times-removed cousin the Marquess to see if he can assist her in finding her brother. Then she does listen to Nicky’s wife Sarah – who, thankfully, doesn’t meddle too much – and considers what Sarah, who knows Ned, has to say.

I did notice that Joanna mentions how diligently Nicky appears to work for his tenants at his various properties but then that brings up the question of why Blenhem was allowed to sink so far into disrepair while Nicky still owned it.

Another thing I noticed is when Joanna first arrives in London, she thinks something about how Nicky never offered to assist her. But then, I thought she had dismissed all thoughts of even going to him to seek aid. So is this really his fault he didn’t offer to help a relation who never called on him?

I was glad to see Jesse and Mary have a happy, and believable, ending. Yes, they will be sailing to America but honestly, I doubt that they could have lived in this small village given what Mary was forced into.

I hope readers looking for a slightly different Regency will check this one out. The innovative use of the actual concerns and conflicts of the age – progression of technology and factories, destruction of traditional handicrafts of rural England and fate of wounded soldiers after the Napoleonic wars were finally over, make it stand out. The mental lusting dragged and I had some slight questions about various parts of the plot but overall, I enjoyed it. B-

~Jayne

This book can be purchased at eHarlequin.com or in ebook format from Sony or other etailers.

REVIEW: The Viscount’s Kiss by Margaret Moore

Jayne — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Dear Mrs. Moore,

After I had read “A Lover’s Kiss,” I fell in love with the secondary character of Lord “Buggy” Bromwell, friend to the hero of that book and the ones that preceded it. So when I checked out the August Harlequin Historical releases and realized that this was Buggy’s book, I pounced.

Justinian “Buggy” Bromwell never expected to meet the love of his life in a mail coach traveling from London to Bath. Just as Nell Springely didn’t expect to find her heart’s delight with a man who adores spiders. Still that’s what happens among other things including impersonation of a noblewoman, standing up to one’s parents, fending off nasty, brutish noblemen and traveling around the world in the name of scientific exploration.

Oh, this book started off so well. Buggy and Nell meet and have instant feelings for each other though neither one intends that these feeling should go any further. Nell plays her role of being Lady Eleanor, daughter of a Duke, though she eventually fesses up to Buggy and his mother instead of letting things continue until the end of the book. Buggy’s father eventually comes around and tells his son how proud he is of him, of the book Buggy wrote based on his last expedition and agrees to Buggy marrying a woman of no rank or fortune. And even the real Lady Eleanor doesn’t mind the fact that Nell used her name. We also get updates on Drury and his wife Juliette as well as their friends.

Yet as the book progressed, many of my “oh dear” buttons kept getting pressed. What starts as old, family retainers telling Nell all about Buggy as a young boy turns into servants apparently not turning a hair to find their master’s son in compromising circumstances with a young woman who is not his wife. Buggy and Nell almost trip over each other in their race to outdo each other in Noble Selflessness to the Point of Idiocy. Drury seems to have turned into a mushy, love-besotted husband while Juliette spills her innermost secrets to a woman she’s just met. A noblewoman threatens to leave her husband and, in front of non-family members, tells the reason why. And then there’s the last chapter and epilogue which drag in almost every past leading character in a flood of syrupy excess.

I wanted to love this book. I wanted to give it a sterling grade. Really, I did. But I just can’t. I’m sure readers who want to catch up on these past characters will want to check it out, as I wanted to because of Buggy. And I hope they enjoy it more than I did. Because for me, it’s a C.

~Jayne

This book can be purchased at Amazon or in ebook format from Sony or other etailers.

REVIEW: The Surgeon’s Lady by Carla Kelly

Jayne — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:00:46 +0000

Dear Mrs. Kelly,

I’ve been a fan of yours for years. Back “in the day” when the traditional Regency still ruled and I could look forward to a book a year from your pen – or typewriter or hard drive – I was living the good life. But then came the bad years, the years when that line of books was dropped and we Kelly fans had to content ourselves with slowly doling out the few unread books of yours in our stashes. Then bliss! Three books due out this year and the old song “Anticipation” began running through my brain.

“The Surgeon’s Lady” picks up where “Marrying the Captain” left off. It’s a few months later and Nana Worthy has reached out to her two half siblings – all of them the illegitimate daughters of a true slime ball. But where Nana had a home to flee to when daddy dearest offered her to clear his latest gambling debts, Laura, the eldest, had no one to champion her. She suffered through a marriage from hell which was finally cut short when her much older husband died after years of invalidity.

Laura finally has the courage to read Nana’s letter and, before she can talk herself out of it, decides to visit her new found sister. It’s here that she meets Surgeon Philemon Brittle, son of Oliver Worthy’s sailing master. Phil has seen many wounded people during his career as a Navy surgeon but few as emotionally damaged as Laura. Can he persuade her to take a second chance on marriage even as he turns her into a ward matron at the busy Plymouth Naval Hospital?

After reading the first book, I had the impression that the elder daughter had become some man’s mistress however this was quickly dispelled on page one. But though Laura had been married, she still suffered from her husband’s verbal abuse and physical efforts to get an heir on her. I wouldn’t have blamed her for settling into a well deserved widowhood and enjoying the estate and money left to her.

But Laura wants and needs to feel needed. To know that she’s making a difference. And she is offered plenty of chances once Philemon gets his hands on her – so to speak. She can’t say that she doesn’t know what the job will entail after the first afternoon visiting some of the injured men from Oliver’s ship which sank after a run in with a French ship of the line. Lots and lots of body fluids, near death and the heartbreak of seeing men cut down in their prime by war.

Philemon and his fellow surgeons and mates have to deal with what has plagued military medical personnel to this day – too many wounded, too many dying, too little staff, too few supplies, and a bureaucracy more interested in penny pinching and rank pulling then in helping those who answered their country’s call during wartime. The more things change the more they stay the same.

But it’s Laura who helps ease his mind and heart by listening to his venting, by helping on the wards and by slowly, tentatively, returning his love. If she had immediately fallen for him and jumped into the sack, I would have been crying foul given her marital history. As it is, poor Philemon is a candidate for sainthood for being willing to wait out her fears of saying “yes” much less agreeing to be his wife in all senses of the word. But once she’s over her reluctance, wow do these two enjoy themselves. While never depicted in a sordid or purple fashion, we clearly see that their marital relations are rocking the house.

The medical aspects of the book are realistic without being too gory. And I find myself amazed that anyone could survive the horrific wounds of battle given the state of medical knowledge of the time. As Philemon says, his opportunities to deliver babies are a nice and welcome break from pronouncing death at the hospital even if he pisses Nana off by grabbing a few well earned hours of sleep while she waits for her contractions to intensify.

One thing I wondered about is how easily Laura takes to her new job. Sure she has one or two moments when she breaks down crying over the stress but I can’t help but think of the long delayed PTSD suffered by the medical staff of Vietnam who faced similar situations. Okay, okay, this is a romance and I shouldn’t let Lynda Van Devanter’s biography influence me but it does.

And would all of Laura’s servants have been willing to leave their comfy positions at her estate to nurse, cook for and what-not the sailors? All of them? I’ll be honest and say that at one point, I was convinced that someone had replaced all the hardened Navy tars in the hospital with choirboys. The wounded men were just so sweet and kind and grateful to Laura. It felt way too Disney. Then you tossed in a subplot that dispelled this to some degree. Though I hated to see Laura in danger, it added a bit more realism in an age when captains controlled the tougher elements on their ships with the lash.

But as frightening as this event was for Laura, the worst thing for her has to be what Philemon demands of her when the jolly boats finally bring her face to face with her past. I would have hated him for a moment too. And still think that the slime ball got off too easily. But Laura and Nana are at least at peace now which has to help them finally close that chapter of their lives.

As Nana learned that “everything fits” in the last book so Laura learns that “everything can be washed off” in this one. As well, she discovers that she’s met and married the one man she can trust in a world in which she’s never been able to trust anyone to be on her side. Though Philemon and Laura both come off as too noble at times, watching them champion each other felt like a balm and massage after a hard day. Soothing and satisfying. B

~Jayne

This book can be purchased in mass market from an independent bookstore or ebook format from the Sony Store and other etailers.

Two for One Review: Harlequin Historical Undones

Jia — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:00:56 +0000

The Rake’s Intimate Encounter by Ann Lethbridge

I’m still not sure I completely understand the set-up of this novella. I realize it’s a prologue, so to speak, for Lethbridge’s historical series for Harlequin but even so I felt like I was dumped midway into a story without any map to point me in the right direction.

Anthony Darby has accompanied his friends (the characters of the forthcoming novels, if I’m guessing correctly) to an exclusive club where the ladies of the ton can live out their greatest fantasies. I know I’m probably the least knowledgeable about historicals of any of the Dear Author bloggers, but something about that rings false. Please correct me if I’m wrong. It might have helped to get more background into the club’s existence and its owner, but I can only assume that’ll be explored in one of the forthcoming books.

At any rate, Tony is skeptical about the whole thing and doesn’t intend to indulge himself despite his friends’ encouragement. That is, until he meets Margaret, the widow of a Russian count. Their attraction is instantaneous and they waste no time acting upon it. What makes their rapid capitulation interesting is that it goes against a belief both of them held: no more emotional commitments.

What charmed me most, however, was the ending. One of the ongoing criticisms readers (myself included) have about these quick reads Harlequin offers is that the storylines often don’t work well at the short lengths — plotlines get dropped, characterization is short-changed, and the endings often turn out unbelievable. But for a change, I found this ending believable and refreshing. It might not be what some readers are used to, from a romance story, because nothing is explicitly definitive but I was left with enough optimism to believe that Tony and Margaret will get their HEA. B

The Unlacing of Miss Leigh by Diane Gaston

This novella, on the other hand, is the perfect example of how different a novel is from shorter fiction formats and how a story can suffer when treated like a very, very short novel.

Here we have another Margaret, this time a poor vicar’s daughter who’s answered an advertisement for a lady’s companion. Of course, what she didn’t realize what that the man who’d written the ad was not looking for a lady’s companion — at least not in the sense she’s assumed. He was looking for a mistress. Our hero is Captain Graham Veall, a veteran of the war against Napoleon. Unfortunately, he was severely scarred in battle and has become something of a recluse.

If you think this sounds like a Beauty and the Beast story, you’d be correct. To his credit, Graham corrects Margaret’s mistaken assumption immediately. But to his surprise, Margaret decides to accept his offer. She needs the money, after all, to send her younger brother to school and in exchange for two months of her time, Graham will support both her and her younger brother for the rest of their lives. A small price to pay, right? Of course, Margaret has an ulterior motive. Once she figures out his true identity, she realizes he’s the boy who saved her as a child and for whom she’s carried an unrequited crush ever since.

Where this novella stumbles is during those two months Margaret spends as Graham’s mistress. I think it lasted a paragraph. Maybe two. To say it was glossed over is an understatement.

Novelists have said, both here at DA in the comments and elsewhere, that writing short stories is hard. I have no doubt that is true. A novel and a short story (or novella) aren’t the same thing. There just isn’t the space in the shorter formats to go into the same amount of detail you can get from a novel. Where I’ve grown used to seeing those “shortcuts” is in the worldbuilding or characterization. What I didn’t expect was to see the shortcut in the actual plot.

And for that reason, I actually think this one would have worked better as a full-length novel. Despite the storyline’s strict adherence to convention, Beauty and the Beast stories are among my favorites. I could have done without the care bear epilogue though. C-

My regards,
Jia

REVIEW: Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife by Michelle Styles

Jayne — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:00:49 +0000

Dear Mrs. Styles,

Yeah, finally book two in your Viking series. Or at least book two over in North America. I still don’t understand how Harlequin and Mills and Boon decide when to release what where. Greater minds than mine must be at work here somehow.

Sela and Vikar have a past. A bad past that includes a marriage made for all the wrong reasons and ended for ones just as bad. Vikar needed the political connections from marriage to a powerful Jaarl’s daughter and Sela hoped for a man she could respect and, perhaps, care for. The vicious court life didn’t help them communicate and when Sela had had enough, Vikar never came after her despite her message to him.

Now the tables have turned and Vikar has arrived with his men to avenge a raid made by her father’s men. When Vikar doesn’t find the Bose the Dark in his own hall, he suspects a trick is being played. The man is as slippery as an eel and not to be trusted. If he can get Sela to go for her father, Vikar can follow and nab him. But things don’t go according to his plan and the two end up traveling together through the wilderness to Bose’s bolthole. Will they communicate any better now than they did four years ago?

I was initially worried about the set up of the conflict. Here we’ve got a couple who already dislike each other and now one is a captive – of sorts – and they’re off in the wilderness. Forgive me if I foresaw plenty of Sela stomping her feet, defying Vikar and getting into trouble from which he had to then rescue her all while he acted the alpha male. Blech to that. It was, therefore, with a deep sigh of relief that this never came to pass.

In all your books, I’ve always admired how you manage to work everyday historical facts and details into the story without it appearing to be an info dump of all the neat things you learned while researching the book. For “Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife,” it is the details on the formal surrender of one Vikin jaarl to another, the myths and fairy (for lack of a better term) tales the Vikings had for their culture, and a little of the marriage ceremony – though I read from your author’s note that this is by necessity speculation since so little is known about the actual nuts and bolts of what they did.

Sela starts the book fighting with her father’s men to defend the hall against the invaders. Usually historical women swinging swords makes me grit my teeth but in this case Sela is pressed to do it as her father can’t manage due to his stroke – or as he puts it the witch who cursed him. When things don’t go well, it’s not because Sela doesn’t know what should be done but rather because she doesn’t have command of the young, untried men she’s leading.

Vikar calls Sela predictable after she escapes from her father’s hall in search of him and her son, but as the book shows, despite their years of marriage, neither knows the other all that well.

I like that Sela has some idea of where she wants to go after her father has formally surrendered to Vikar. She’s not just running blindly away from him for spite or as a way to put herself in danger so he is forced to save her.

Children, especially young ones, are another teeth grit for me in most romance novels. Kjartan isn’t actually in the book that much though Sela’s overriding love for him drives many of her actions and takes up a lot of her thoughts. I was glad to see him acting like a child of three and – praise be – not lisping or seeming too old. His jealousy of the man taking his mother’s attention – when he didn’t know Vikar was his father – and his retreat to his mother’s shadow after a show of bravery are so three year old. His intense interest in his toy horses and desire for a real one were nice touches too.

Vikar’s first interactions with his newly found son were deeply moving.

"I am playing with my horses,’ Kjartan said, looking up again. An entreating smile crossed his face. "Do you want to play with me?’

"Yes.’ The one word was all he was capable of.

"You can use this one. He is my favourite.’ Kjartan held out the horse Vikar had saved from the tottr men. "He was a very naughty horse, running away from me, but Mor found him and brought him back. He’s safe now. He’s with me.’

Vikar cast his eyes up to the skies blinking rapidly, but a single tear escaped and trickled down his cheek. With impatient fingers he pushed it away. He doubted if he had ever cried in his life. Not even when he had seen his father’s broken body lying on the ground after the berserker had killed him. But a simple request from his son and he found it impossible to speak. Vikar drew deep on his discipline and regained control.

"I would like that very much.’ He knelt down in the dust with Kjartan and took the horse. He turned it over in his hand and remembered how he given his cloak for it. He was pleased he had done it without knowing who it truly belonged to. He could understand in a small way why Sela had risked her life for the toy. "I have many horses in my house, but none as fine as this one.’

"Real ones?’ Kjartan’s eyes shone. "Mor promised next birthday I could have a pony of my own, a golden-maned one.’

"I am sure that can be arranged,’ Vikar said. Mentally he went through his horses. There was at least one that would be a suitable mount for Kjartan. He would make sure he had the proper training. He touched Kjartan’s hair with a finger. Light, soft and totally like Sela’s. "Should you prove an adequate horseman.’

Kjartan’s green gaze pierced him. "Some day I’ll be a great warrior like my father and I will need a horse.’

"I am sure you will be.’ Vikar barely managed to say the words.

"Mor said you are a great warrior, a great Viken warrior. Do you know him? My father?’

Tears blurred Vikar’s vision. "We’ve met.’

Some people will find Sela’s excuses to hide the existence of his son from Vikar unbelievable but, as she explains it to him, her reasons were entirely, well, reasonable. Since he had told her he didn’t want children, since she didn’t know him well enough to be sure he’d accept their child and since if he rejected the child, there was every chance Kjartan would have been left to die or shunted to an inferior place in Viken society I think she sincerely felt she made the correct decision. Those facts would be enough reasons for me.

By the end of the story, Sela and Vikar have had several chances to finally admit to the other the mistakes they made in their marriage as well as admit them to themselves. Both assumed things, accepted things others told them and allowed their immaturity to decide how they reacted to outside influences. I was delighted to see not only how they began to communicate with each other but also that they were being honest to themselves. Neither is solely the bad guy, both behaved somewhat foolishly but mainly because they saw things differently, went into their marriage for the wrong reasons and – bane of all marriages – failed to talk.

I lmao to see ox-like Ivar offering Vikar advice on marriage and how to keep your wife happy. I wonder if he’ll ever succumb to Thorkell’s matchmaking? Vikar’s final declaration of love to Sela is heartfelt and complete but I had a little trouble believing that this otherwise strong man would bend himself that much – and in full public view of the hall.

I generally seem to include tons of questions about things you use in your stories – which is a good thing since you pique my curiosity. Who or what were the tottr men? How does one play tafl? And the custom of retrieving a sword from a burial mound is something I’m glad to see has fallen from favor in modern weddings! Double blech.

So score another victory for the non-Regency and this one definitely doesn’t have a Duke/spy in it. I hope you’ll continue to be able to write what I guess would be called more ancient historical books along with your nineteenth century ones. B for this one.

~Jayne

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or ebook format from the Sony Store and other etailers.

REVIEW: Scandalizing the Ton by Diane Gaston

Jennie — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:33:00 +0000

Dear Ms. Gaston,

Several years ago, I read your American debut, The Mysterious Miss M, and enjoyed it quite a bit. Unfortunately, its follow-up, The Wagering Widow, did not work quite as well for me, and I’ve not had the opportunity to read any of your other books until this one.

Scandalizing the Ton starts off a bit abruptly, as our hero, Adrian Pomroy, the Viscount Cavanley, encounters a man and woman embroiled in what he at first takes for a lovers’ quarrel in the middle of a London street.

This is in fact no lovers’ quarrel: our heroine, Lydia, otherwise known as the notorious Lady Wexin, is fending off the latest reporter trying to importune her for information. Her late husband, apparently the villain of a previous book, has left Lydia destitute and at the mercy of the scandal sheets, whose reporters camp outside her house around the clock hoping to get a scoop.

Adrian sends the reporter on his way, but Lydia has already sprained her ankle in an attempt to flee. Which necessitates Adrian escorting her back to her conveniently empty house, in fact, to her very bedroom, where the two succumb to their minutes-old lust.

Now, I am often a fan of early sex in romances; I find it creates interesting complications and gets the silly "will they or won’t they" faux-tension out of the way. But in this case, I didn’t buy it. Lydia is one of those heroines who feel instant, overwhelming desire whenever she is around the hero as a way of signaling to the reader that this is True Love. As I’m not a fan of excessive mental lusting, I found this irritating.

This book is obviously connected to at least one previous book, and while I was able to follow along okay, it included more information than I really cared to read about characters from previous books.

My chief problem, though, was with the triteness that infused the plot, characters and prose. There was nothing new or particularly interesting here, and none of it felt real to me. There were very few moments that I did not feel I had read in several historical romances before.

An example: at one point, Adrian visits a gaming hell, the proprietress of which goes by the name Madame Bisou, though she was "born Penny Jones" and the closest she’s gotten to France is drinking champagne.

A minor point, but material like this just makes me sigh. How many fake-French female entrepreneurs have I read of in romances? Too many too count. They are usually modistes; at least this one was slightly different. Still, why? The character is never mentioned again. All the one mention did was remind me of how many times I’ve read of such a character, which in turn reminded me that this book offered nothing original.

The unoriginality of the characters and their circumstances made it hard to care about them. The heroine should have been sympathetic, but she wasn’t given enough depth to allow me to feel for what she had suffered. As a result, her extremely self-pitying and martyrish behavior was just aggravating. She constantly pushed the hero away and insulted him, while thinking that he couldn’t possibly want her. The hero actually showed a lot of forbearance in putting up with her lashing out. In the course of the story, whenever the heroine encounters someone who doesn’t mistreat her because of her reputation, she acts gobsmacked, simply not understanding how these people don’t hate and revile her. It got old, fast.

The secondary characters are all one-note: either unfailingly supportive of the hero and heroine, or cartoonishly evil. The only remotely ambiguous response comes from the hero’s father, who tries to be supportive of his son’s relationship but is concerned about the heroine’s reputation. His character was made less appealing, how, by a rather bizarre and prurient preoccupation with his son’s sex life.

There is a secondary romance, between the heroine’s maid and one of the newspaper reporters who are hounding the heroine, but I found that one even more irksome than the main one. The maid has the annoying habit of referring to the heroine as “my lady” even in conversations with others, and the reporter really behaves abominably: seducing the maid for information while seemingly aware of what a cad he is being. His epiphany at the end that, geez, maybe he is doing something wrong was unconvincing, since it had already been established that he knew he was doing something wrong and did it anyway.

About the reporters: they act much, much more like modern paparazzi than anything that I would expect from the 19th century. Maybe it’s an accurate portrayal (reporters hanging around the heroine’s house day and night, shouting questions to her when she enters or exits the house), but it struck a false note with me.

I really regret having to give Scandalizing the Ton such a low grade. I thought for a while I would at least be able to give it a technically passing C-, but the weight of the cliches and paint-by-numbers, paper-thin characterizations force me to give it a D+.

Jennie

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells or ebook format.

REVIEW: The Lady and the Rebel by Kathryn Albright

Jayne — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:00:09 +0000

Dear Ms. Albright,

Readers usually have to wait for a rare non-Regency but this is a twofer bonus of western with an unusual setting even for that subgenre. “Remember the Alamo!” But what’s with the description at eharlequin? The heroine’s name is given as Victoria Ruiz yet in the book (and in the excerpt) it’s Torrez. Oh well….

From the very start of the story, I wondered if I wasn’t going to be in trouble. Enter our feisty heroine with flashing eyes, tilting chin and raised nose. Her childhood friend, now an officer in the Mexican army, clues us in even more to her personality when he chides her for being outspoken and unwilling to obey her father’s wishes that she leave their ranch as the army of Santa Anna swarms over it. But at least she sees the sense in leaving for safer ground and it’s off to her uncle who just happens to live outside San Antonio.

Victoria initially sees everything in black and white but does mature over the course of the novel to see the shades of gray in life. Still, she’s awfully perfect, selfless, devoted to the care of others, makes soup for the wounded men in the hospital, and sees to the wounds of the hero’s horse. She’s still very proud of her ancestral line back to grandees of Spain but then she has been raised with that for her whole life so I’ll cut her some slack. But what happened to her parents? Esteban mentions something about them fleeing and I wondered if they’d been killed or run off their land instead.

Jake is a scruffy hero – literally with the beard stubble – who has a bad childhood, a chip on his shoulder and a mission in life. Though it doesn’t include sticking around and possibly dying for Texan independence. He has the hots for Victoria physically but knows any more than a kiss would land him in mucho trouble with her uncle Juan and cousin Diego. Plus he knows she’s a lady and does have a care for her reputation from the start. But he will try to get a few kisses if possible. I liked Jake a bit more than Victoria.

Jake restrains himself for a long time but since the book is a Harlequin Historical, I knew a sexual encounter was bound to show up sooner or later. Despite waiting for it, the sex scene seemed rushed and one of these “intimate scenes in an inconvenient time just to get one in the story.” And the whole time, I kept thinking of Diego and the other gentleman outside in the cold. Sorry, not very romantic.

I also noticed that the story seemed shorter than even usual for a Harlequin Historical. In the past, I would think there would have been more time devoted to Esteban and Victoria’s initial flight to Bexar, the conflicts between Jake and Brandon but here they were skimmed over.

I was wondering how you’d use the Alamo setting and still manage to have a HEA as all the Anglo men died there and wouldn’t that have put an end to the romance too quickly? I like that you didn’t include information that the characters wouldn’t have know right then as the action was continuing. However, here was a big buildup to an event that most American’s have at least heard of even if we don’t know all the specific details about it and we get no payoff. We don’t watch the bravery, or sheer survival instincts that kicked in, as the men fought to the death. It’s a problem that I realize there’s no easy way to get around.

The Big Misunderstanding was predictable based on the heavy handed clues dished out about Jake’s views on women. I knew it was coming but frankly was still disappointed in him. There wasn’t even a moment when Jake tried to convince himself that this woman he loved might be innocent. No, he immediately thought the worst of her.

Jake’s black horse is named Fury. Did you watch the old 50s show? Fury, the incredibly intelligent black stallion and the boy – oops – man who loves him! Just curious.

So, I will give out kudos for giving us something different. A western that’s not post-Civil War, not set in the Rocky Mountains, that doesn’t take place on a wagon train and that features a non-Anglo heroine and several other characters. I just wish the hero hadn’t been a knee-jerk reaction kind of guy and the heroine such a standard feisty girl. C+

~Jayne

This book can be purchased in mass market from Harlequin, Amazon or Powells or ebook format.

REVIEW: His Captive Lady by Carol Townend

Jayne — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:00:24 +0000

Dear Mrs. Townend,

When I read the description for your newest book, “His Captive Lady,” all I truly noticed is that it’s a medieval and set in the fens of East Anglia. It’s not until I began reading it that it dawned on me that it’s also a Saxon vs Norman story featuring a Saxon maiden and a Norman warrior. It was with a sigh of relief that I realized it was different from the other 1001 books with this combination of lead characters. For one thing, Erica is an outlaw on the run and despite the fact that Wulf is, yes, a bastard, he’s also half Saxon and more willing to use his head and negotiating skills to bring peace than just randomly hack at things with a sword.

Sweet baby Jesus but Erica was determined to end the generations old blood feud! That might be taking things just a little too far for modern sensibilities. I’m firmly with Wulf on that one. But, having said that, I’ve got to admire her courage for being willing to go just that far. As Guthlac says, she’s a true peace weaver.

As the book progressed, I began to notice that Erica isn’t that great a leader. In fact, it seems that everything she tries – to end the feud, to raise money, to get back to her housecarls, to escape from Wulf – goes terribly wrong. By the point when Wulf yells at her that she’s a fool, I had already reached that same conclusion. She’s certainly willing to try her best but I think that secretly her people will breath a sigh of relief that Wulf’s the one in charge now.

I do like how you bring religion into the book. Claiming sanctuary, the risk to one’s immortal soul for violating it, and the marriage ceremony were all central to the book. I found it interesting that Guthlac, the rebel POS, wouldn’t haul Erica out of the chapel but Wulf would. Would this perceived risk to his soul impact his marriage to Erica or not since they married under Saxon law? And why did Wulf initially make such a big deal about the fact that de Warene wouldn’t give his consent to the marriage if in the end, it didn’t matter so much anyway? Would people of this era have used the word “hell” as a swear word as we do? I’m just curious.

This is the way I like to see past groups/sets of characters revisited. We get to see Rose and Ben are happy in their lifestyle, still doing the things they love – music and sewing – but you don’t have to haul them into the main action of the story. What they do is important to the action of this book and not just an excuse to see them again. Thank you.

The setting and the weather of this book reminded me so much of Ariana Franklin’s “Mistress of the Art of Death” series. I’d love to see the fens. Or have they all been drained now? The whole idea of traveling mainly by boat or skates as an everyday occurrence is fascinating. And then the frozen, bone chilling cold felt immediate – something which is nice with the current heat and humidity of a Southern summer beating me down every time I go outside!

I like how you make the distinction between Saxons and Normans evident by the description of their dress and hairstyles. Erica’s costly silk veils, wonderfully dyed dresses and beautiful arm bands, bracelets and rings show her high status among the cultured Saxons. Wulf’s desire to cut his hair and shave reveal his Norman leanings. I thought it was a nice touch for Erica to be able to determine Wulf’s feelings for his long dead Saxon braider mother from how he treasured what she had made for him.

So, despite the fact that the plot for the book has been told any number of times, you do add enough twists to the cannon to make the story different. I liked that in the end, Erica makes the decision to “cut her losses” and stop resisting the inevitable Norman rule instead of having it forced down her throat. I just wish that you’d picked another name for the hero besides one that so strongly reminds me of Wulfgar. B-

~Jayne

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells or ebook format.

REVIEW: A Most Unconventional Match by Julia Justiss

Jayne — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:00:36 +0000

Dear Mrs Justiss,

“A Most Unconventional Match” lives up to its name. I fear that the back blurb won’t give readers much enticement to choose it over any other Regency set historical though. When I first read it, I thought, “hmmmm, okay. Sounds….nice.” Which I would guess is not the “gotta buy this now!” response you’re looking for from potential readers. Yet, as the story progressed I found myself hoping others will give it a try.

Large, handsome Hal Waterman is a man who stands out in a crowd but one who takes no pleasure from doing so. He has more than the usual Regency hero’s nonsensical reticence to step into the parson’s mousetrap. He actually has a reason. Left fatherless at a young age, Hal had to endure his beautiful mother’s scorn for his awkwardness and stuttering. Then he gets treated to years of her matchmaking with ruthless determination. It’s no wonder he tries to avoid her though I do wish he wouldn’t tar all women with the same brush. I was happy to see him quickly come to his senses about Elizabeth, a woman he had misjudged then and continued to initially distrust, after he has a chance to see beyond the facade of how she looks.

Recently widowed Elizabeth Lowery is a walking example of why women, even today, need to be made aware of finances and money management from an early age. Too bad she wasn’t or she’d have realized just how badly her beloved, late husband had bungled things. I mean, I’d have thought any widow would know that at least there should be a will. And shame on her mother for not making sure she was schooled in household management. Even if it was left to an elderly relative of her husband’s, she shouldn’t have been left totally adrift about when and how to pay the servants and buy household supplies. But I’ll be honest and admit that there are times I put off hard decisions or things I just don’t want to deal with in favor of doing something pleasant.

And so it was delightful to watch Elizabeth come out of her shell and begin to confidently make changes in her life as well as see Hal begin to hope this beautiful woman would see past his abrupt way of speaking. I liked that Elizabeth has good feelings about sexual relations and that she’s the one to finally make the move on Hal, much to his delight. I like that Hal quickly realizes what will give the painter in Elizabeth pleasure and tries to develop her as an artist.

There were times when I was afraid we were headed into Big Mis (or even little mis) territory but thankfully they were avoided in the end. The villain is handled and dispatched – by Elizabeth! – without being dragged back into the plot unnecessarily. You even turn mama’s attempt to matchmake into an opportunity for Elizabeth to display her newfound confidence.

I was disappointed for mama to remain a one note harpy despite what she says in the epilogue though Elizabeth’s defense of Hal is sweet. I also dislike the role played by the late husband – though usually this is given to the heroine’s father instead – of head-up-his-ass idiot who can’t manage money to save his moronic life. I also wondered at the fuss about Elizabeth’s sister’s wedding not taking place in a church. Why is this worthy of space in this book?

But overall, I was very pleased when I closed the book. What are two nice leads who don’t act like putzes, a book that isn’t filled with the almost obligatory Regency slang and Regency references and a sexually aware widow? Bliss. Thank you. B

~Jayne

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells or ebook format.

REVIEW: Innocence Unveiled by Blythe Gifford

Jayne — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:00:17 +0000

Dear Ms. Gifford,

Your name was on my list of authors to try so when I spotted your latest release and realized it was about weavers in Flanders during the middle ages, I decided to try it. Hey, no knights, different setting, middle class, little used historical incident – I’m there. True it has a bastard hero but at least he’s not hooking up with a Saxon maiden after Hastings.

I like that you sprinkle information about women, weaving and the battle brewing between Edward III and Philip of France throughout the novel. No massive info dumps that bring the action to a dead halt is always a plus. I felt I got a good idea about the daily life of an unmarried woman in 1337 Ghent – very restricted – and how this contrasts with the greater freedoms that Katrine has as an agent for her absent father.

Weaving is her life. She takes great pride in it and how good she is at it. She’s managed their shop since her father was interned during his trip to England to try and obtain the English wool that is their lifeblood. This helps me to understand the lengths to which she’s willing to go to get wool from any source she can find and how quickly she agrees to Renard’s proposals.

Renard lives up to his name and all medieval people knew the legend of the wily fox who promises everything but who rarely delivers. Renard knows he’s got Katrine backed into a corner. She’s desperate for the wool needed to keep her weavers busy and willing to allow him into her shop. It’s a perfect place for him to lay low as he scouts the local feelings about the wool embargo imposed by his cousin King Edward III and whether or not this will lead the Flemish merchant class to force their Count to side with England rather than France.

Renard sense Katrine is hiding secrets from him but still feels he can control her. What he’s having trouble with is controlling himself. But as a bastard who’s lived on the outside, subject to the whims of others, knowing he has no land or home to offer anyone, he’s determined to obtain the promised Bishopric dangled in front of him by his cousin. Once he has that, he’ll answer to no man. I like that he’s determined never to father an illegitimate child. He knows the stigma of being a princesses’ love child and won’t do that to any innocent baby.

You did a good job explaining the politics of the plot and showing the wretchedness of a city caught in the cross hairs of two rulers thinking only of their own desires for land and power. What do they care about the people who starve? Even though this is the land of his beloved Queen, Edward is more than willing to cut them off at the knees to defeat France.

I like that Katrine is shown as a smart, capable woman but also one well aware of how her red hair is seen by others – as the sign of the devil and loose women. Religion was so much a part of daily medieval life and you nicely incorporate it so matter of factly into the thoughts, actions and feelings of the characters. Lust and desire aren’t just feelings but also signs of the fall of man and original sin – for which women are held responsible. I enjoyed Katrine’s theological debates with herself and her ultimate answer to Eve’s actions.

What didn’t work so well for me were the repeated misunderstandings between Katrine and Renard. And by repeated I mean the same misunderstandings are reheated and served to us time and time again. Plus Renard’s anger that Katrine withheld the truth pissed me off. He lied to her from the beginning, knew she was not being completely honest with him, has this pointed out by others and yet he’s still in a snit about it. The one note villain who conveniently tells the truth just when it’s needed to save the day was a disappointment as well.

I liked a lot of things in the book and as usual am delighted whenever an author utilizes a different setting. Middle class characters are a boon – we can’t all be lords and ladies. I just wish the conflicts hadn’t been rehashed and the villain’s motivation obvious from his first appearance. B-

Jayne

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells or ebook format.