Dear Author » Richard-and-Rose

REVIEW: Hareton Hall by Lynne Connolly

Jayne — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:49 +0000

Dear. Ms Connelly,

At this point, I think writing a review in this series would be hard to do and still manage to avoid spoilers so, though I’m going to try, I can’t guarantee anything. In “Hareton Hall,” you have Richard and Rose plus their daughter Helen and Richard’s brother Gervase, journey to Rose’s childhood home in Devonshire, all done up now, to witness two marriages. But by the time it’s all said and done, the smugglers from book two will make another appearance, a frightening disease will strike down a beautiful young woman and someone from Richard’s past will begin a plan of revenge.

Though there are still things I enjoy about this series, I’m beginning to wonder if it hasn’t gone stale for me. The care you take with getting the historical details correct is a joy to me. Imagining Rose’s gorgeous new clothes and sumptuous jewelry is great fun. Reading about men who positively delighted in wearing lavender evening coats, powdered wigs and smallswords makes me swoon. And I’d love to witness some of Richard’s practiced, polished public moves: taking snuff, disposing of the skirts of his coat or making a magnificent leg to the lady of his choice.

It’s nice to see Rose’s family again and watch them settling into their newly redesigned old home place now made grand for James’s new Earldom. I see that it hasn’t changed his wife Martha’s practical nature nor her concern to be sure Rose is truly happy in her grand society marriage. I also like that Rose hasn’t forgotten those who were kind to her while she was growing up or that she’s not above a bit of Ladying it over those who snubbed her. She’s only human after all.

But there are some issues in the story and with the characters that didn’t work for me. The biggest is the way in which Richard deals with, or rather doesn’t deal with, the villain. I can see why Richard wouldn’t want to hand him over to the authorities but this is someone who threatened Rose – on more than one occasion, was willing to use germ warfare – which has affected the life of another young woman for life and which could easily have spread far wider, and who obviously isn’t going to reform. Just saying that he’ll have the person watched until that person’s inevitable downfall doesn’t cut it.

Since there is so little conflict between Richard and Rose, it all must come from others and frankly the whole smuggling subplot got boring. When I had finished the book and began thinking back, it hit me that it all just seemed to go on endlessly and meant nothing to me. The bit about their old enemies the Drurys also basically went nowhere until suddenly Stephen gets hauled front and center for a short act then dropped just as quickly. I also wanted to see a bit more about Lizzie and her fantastic wedding only to end up getting very little of this.

The Kerres have seen Richard’s love for Rose and now her family gets a taste of it. Rose has had her chance to do the “Lady Strang” thing in Exeter so I would hope that this will lessen in scope for any future novels. As well, despite the fact that Richard is *so* private about his feelings for Rose, he’s let them show so damn much that the whole country ought to know of them by now. Just get them the matching tattoos done and T-shirts to wear and drop this.

But my major disappointment with this book is the romance I’ve been awaiting for Gervase. Finally, finally Richard’s brother finds true love. After suffering heartache as a young man, then self banishing himself to India after which he returned and watched his twin find love with Rose, Gervase has been one I’ve wanted to see get his own HEA. I had an idea of who might turn out to be his love interest and wasn’t wrong. Yet, you don’t show him falling in love. Gervase simply confesses to Rose whom he loves and Rose finds out that the love is reciprocated and, ta-da! it’s over. Wha…t Where’s the suspense? Where’s the conflict? Nowhere and I felt cheated to have waited 5 books for this.

I’m not even sure that you plan further adventures for Richard and Rose though the ending of this one sort of leads me to believe there will be more books. After all there’re villains to deal with and one pissy younger sister of Rose’s to sort out plus an heir for Rose to produce. I just hope that Rose makes some more progress in becoming the grand lady and that I don’t have to read too much more about Richard’s public displays of his private feelings. C

~Jayne

Book Link | Kindle | nook | Sony| All Romance eBooks

REVIEW: Eyton by Lynne Connolly

Jayne — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:20:46 +0000

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

At last, at last. The continuation of the series faithful fans have been waiting for. It all started years ago with “Yorkshire,” “Devonshire,” “Venice” and “Harley Street” as we watched the aristocratic Richard Kerre, heir to the Earldom of Southland, and Rose Golightly, daughter of the gentry, fall in love at first sight then battle for the right to marry. Everyone said it would fail, that rake Richard would never stay true to quiet wallflowerish Rose. But these two knew their own hearts and found in each other that which most married couples didn’t even bother to look for: true love.

Now Rose has finally given birth to their first child. I say finally not because it’s been so long since R&R were married but rather it’s been so long since the last book in the series, “Harley Street,” when Rose announced her “interesting condition.” What was it? five years? Not even elephants stay pregnant that long! [G] Anyway, the Kerre family is gathering to celebrate the birth of young Helen (I totally agree with Rose’s reaction to the name suggestions Richard jokingly made) and love, theft and murder are in the air. Can R&R further the cause of true love, discover who’s got the light fingers, solve a murder and keep scandal away from the family?

I love the snapshot of the mid-eighteenth century presented in these stories. Your history is definitely not wallpaper but detailed, in depth, well researched and integrated into the fabric of the plot. R&R discover that the theft of a necklace ties in with the murder of one of the victims but to do this requires learning about the working class victim, his duties, his opportunities, his past and who might have directed his actions. This allows us to see a comparison between the aristocratic world of the Kerres and that of their working class servants.

But when the crime seems headed in the direction that would hit close to home with the Kerre family, Richard, who has a passionate interest in seeing justice done, is caught in a dilemma. Does he let nature take its course and risk a scandal for the family or does he work behind the scenes and do what’s right but not necessarily legal?

The eighteenth century world doesn’t seem that much different from today in that the masses avidly read about the rich and famous and are just waiting for the great families/famous celebrities to flub up. And you make quite clear what flubbing up for the Kerres would mean – difficulty in making advantageous marriages, weakening the power of the Earldom and wrecking the chances of Gervase who is standing for Parliament.

I like how you also use this subplot to point out the first bit of contention between Richard and Rose. Raised in the gentry, Rose is bothered by Richard’s decision to not only not tell the constable the truth but to actually lead the man’s investigation astray. Up until now, the personal differences R&R faced were seemingly minor and easily overcome by their love for each other. But here’s something that will present Rose with a major division between her old life and her new one. This showcases one of the strengths of the series – that it portrays the evolving relationship between these two characters as would be expected in any marriage.

In the previous books, Rose is seen to be struggling a little to find her way in her new world. In “Eyton” I’m glad to see that her confidence, or at least her public acting ability, is increasing. She’s not just aping the great lady anymore but we see that she’s slowly becoming one. She’s also a new mother, dealing with the changes that brings to her station and to those who, up until now, had stood closer in the line of succession to the Earldom.

As well, she’s worried about how motherhood might change her relationship with Richard – which surely all new mothers must feel. Richard is a champ in this department, displaying his love for his wife and new daughter to their family and in some cases to the masses. I have to admit that I got tired of having the point driven home about Richard’s public mask of aristocratic hauteur and how he sometimes lets it slip to show his real feelings for Rose. I recall it from the previous books and didn’t need a reminder every other chapter.

And now for the questions. You know I always have questions about your books. Is Eyton based on any particular stately home? Were international marriages among the aristocracy common? How did the Kerre family silver avoid being melted down to support the King during the Civil War? Are there prospects for Georgianna? And of course I’m still “Waiting for Gervase.”

Though new readers could actually start the series with this book, I would suggest beginning at the beginning to catch all the references and see the evolution of Richard and Rose’s relationship. I’m thrilled to see the series continuing and eagerly waiting for the next installment. B for “Eyton.”

~Jayne

This book can be purchased at Samhain.

CONVERSATIONAL REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Yorkshire by Lynne Connolly

Jane — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:00:46 +0000

When Jayne and I first began reading ebooks, one of the first epublished authors we read was Lynne Connolly. Actually, it was Jayne, being adventurous, who paid $17.00 to obtain a paper copy of the book. Jayne recommended it to her friends. Jan picked it up next and after all the chattering between Jayne and Jan, I bought it as well. Today, Lynne Connolly’s Rose and Richard series is finally being re-released through Samhain Publishing. Angela James has offered up 10 free copies of the first in the series, Yorkshire. The following is a recreated chat that Jayne, Jan and I had many moons ago about the series. I tried to edit out much of the spoiler information and keep the discussion primarily to Yorkshire, although, there is some overlap. Please drop a comment if you are interested in a free copy.

We’ll let Jayne start out with her plot summary:

What we get is a period (Georgian) detailed look at two people falling in love against some pretty tall odds. Richard Kerre is a handsome lord who could have his pick of women. Rose is frankly amazed that he seems to love her. And Richard is floored to have finally discovered his soulmate when he least expected her, and when he’s in no position to make her an honest offer. He’s contracted to marry a society beauty and in those days, a signed marriage contract was legally binding and if broken, could lead to expensive legal payouts and being shunned in society.

Rose’s family also has doubts about Richard’s true intentions. He’s known as a seducer and worldly man. Why would he choose a plain, twenty-five year old, on the shelf, provincial nobody? To add to that, there is an old scandal involving Richard’s twin brother and a possible one if the identity of a killer is not determined. Though it was originally listed as an out of niche romance/mystery, the mystery actually takes second place to the romance though there are already two more books in the series and perhaps they contain more of that element.

Connolly has done her research and I felt I was in the 18th century. The characters don’t act like transplanted 21st century people. Richard has a habit of glacial aristocratic hauteur that can depress the most forward social mushrooms. There is no sign of hobnobbing with the servants and everyone knows his place in society. It’s a fascinating world to look in on but one that has its moments of unease for a 21st century reader.

I think societal rules were a bit more relaxed than what we’re used to in historical regencies. Plus Richard was an aristocrat and Rose was gentry so they could bend them just a bit if they wished and took precautions to mollify the sticklers. I do love how Richard and his family use their consequence to kind of get their own way at times. And though all are polite to servants and underlings, they never, ever indulge in democratic flights-of-fancy of any degree of equality nor do the servants expect it.

From Jan:

I wasn’t sure what to expect of these, because to be honest from Connolly’s online posts I always felt she cared more about historical detail than what to me was important in romance, a great story with emotional resonance. But boy was I wrong. Once I started reading them I literally couldn’t put them down.

Richard and Rose were more real to me than most characters I read in romance, and I felt along with them. They were very romantic. And while they acted of their time, they didn’t behave like they had to constantly be proper and within the confines of societies rules (what I’d expected). To the contrary, they both see what they want, they examine the consequences, then accept them and go for it. I liked that. I liked the honesty between the two, and how Connolly never resorted to misunderstandings or TSTL heroine actions to further the plot. All of this served to create a romance I could really believe it, which made it all the more effective.

I enjoyed the settings, because she drew them carefully, the first book more so than the second. She made the time feel more real than it often feels in romances. She doesn’t always supply a lot of detail and lush prose, but she supplies all the necessary detail, and it makes you feel like you’re in the manor having dinner with the characters. It’s really a wonderful piece of worldbuilding. And accurate. I thought I’d caught her three times and she was correct each one.

RE: the first person story telling

Jayne: Richard is a great hero and I never felt like I was in the dark about his thoughts after that first little bit in Yorkshire when Rose is still trying to figure out what’s going on. Remember, he loved her first and it took her a bit to get over her awe at his appearance (I love the way he uses that to control what people think about him).

RE: Richard

Jan: I felt that way about all the characters really, that I understood their motivations and emotions despite the fact that we never see inside their heads. It seemed skillfully done to me.

I loved Richard’s use of awe too. He’d planned and used his status so well to keep everyone at bay. It made the times when his mask slipped so much more meaningful. And I also loved the fact that he used his advantages ruthlessly, just as a man of the times would, without PC interferences.

Jane: Richard is a spectacular hero. I loved his uppityness and how Rose couldn’t change him if she tried, but it was clear over the course of the books that love was changing him – making him more open, perhaps even more trusting.

RE: Gervase, Richard’s twin:

Jane: Gervase. Fabulous and heartbreaking. Connolly did a great job of turning conventional thinking on its head with these twins. Gervase was observed by outsiders as the match for Rose and not the popinjay. Connolly reinforced the idea through small touches such as the horse, the clothing, even the mannerisms, that Gervase was the masculine, hearty one while Richard was the snuff pinching, makeup wearing, bewigged dandy.

Jayne: “Waiting for Gervase!” He just has to get his own love interest or I’m going to explode with frustration. He’s really a great character.

RE: Societal conventions

Jan: I think the rules were looser then too. But what I liked so much was that they took the rules into consideration, then made the very difficult decisions they did, knowing what the consequences would be to themselves and their families. It made their passion seem much more real and overwhelming.

Jayne: And I like that Lynne makes sure the readers know exactly what those consequences would be. Not only for R/R but for their families as well.

RE: The sex scenes

Jayne: Lynne really has been able to slowly but realistically show their growing love and comfort with it and each other. The love scenes were hot. None of this “no sex please, we’re British!”

Jan: Oh, no kidding they’re hot! That was another thing I noticed. Normally in romances the first sex scene is all that the writer really concentrates on, and after that it’s kind of “then they had sex again in another position”. Here, as their intimacy grows in other ways, it grows in the sex scenes as well, and they are more and more fulfilled as the series progresses. Which is how it really is in good relationships.

This book can be purchased at Samhain.

REVIEW: Yorkshire by Lynne Martin (aka Lynne Connolly)

Jayne — Tue, 29 May 2007 18:00:27 +0000

This was originally posted last August. The book, however, was not in print anywhere as the author had moved publishers. I received notice that this is now available from Mundania Press in both print and ebook form. This is a favorite series of Jayne and mine and one of our first introductions to epublishing. Who knew it could be so good?

***

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

I had often heard you mention your books at the yahoo Regency chat site but when I first decided to try them, there were very few reviews out there. So I pretty much had to take a big ($17.00) gamble on this one as at the time I wasn’t reading ebooks. I’m glad to say it paid off nicely. Though it’s listed as an out of niche romance/mystery, the mystery actually takes second place to the romance. I’m glad to hear that the whole series, as well as two new books, will be available again in ebook and print form from Mundania Press.

Unfortunately, you do resort to some standard plot devices to tell your otherwise unusual story and parts of the book could have used a touch more editing. It’s told in first person and perhaps you were trying for a more natural sound but there are some awkward sentences. Typos, though not many, add to some sloppy typesetting that I hope your new publisher will improve on. But despite those problems, I was pulled into the story and wanted to know how things would work out. I felt I was getting a glimpse into a different era. This is, I believe, your first or second published book and one that I’ll give a qualified B. The next books in the series are Devonshire and Venice which follow Richard and Rose’s path toward matrimony. I’m glad the series will be out again and hope that readers who missed them the first time around will check them out.

~Jayne

PS, when your new publisher gets your new cover art set, we will upload it.

REVIEW: Harley Street by Lynne Martin (aka Lynne Connolly)

Jayne — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 21:00:41 +0000

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

Even if I have to wait for the next two new books about Richard and Rose, I’m so glad that Mundania will be releasing the entire series to some new fans. “Harley Street” takes up where the third novel in the Richard and Rose series, “Venice,” left off. The series follows the courtship, marriage, honeymoon and now first months of married life back in London of Richard Kerre, Lord Strang, heir to the Earldom of Southwood and Rose Golightly, a young woman of no great distinction from Devonshire, England.

In book one, “Yorkshire,” the two met and fell instantly in love much to the distress of their families. Richard was a well known rake and philanderer while Rose was a provincial nobody. Add to that fact that Richard was betrothed and Rose had a young curate who fancied her as a step up in their society and you can see why neither family was pleased. But the couple persevered and we watched the lead up to their marriage in “Devonshire” and their honeymoon in “Venice.”

All along, they’ve had to deal with a society who thinks Richard will soon begin to cheat on Rose, family members still unsure of the match, society eager to witness any faltering and the two poisonous people with whom our hero and heroine were first matched. Julia, the wealthy heiress to whom Richard was betrothed and Steven the young and handsome curate who cold blooded wanted to use Rose. They have joined forces against our young couple and are determined to make life difficult for them. In “Harley Street,” the battle is brought back to London and involves some episodes from Richard’s dark past which have come forth to haunt him and test the strength of their love. While Rose begins to navigate her new life in Georgian high society, she and Richard must see that a murder is solved, an old wrong is righted, and escape the nets of viciousness with which Julia and Steven try to entangle them.

If you got anything wrong in your research, it didn’t stand out. The love scenes are passionate without being purple and the characters well drawn. I got a real feel for being in Georgian London, presented at Court, living among the ton and having to watch my back to avoid the more dissolute members of that world. I enjoyed watching Rose gain confidence while she moves into her new life and both gain strength from their love for each other. The secondary characters are nicely done though some are more in the background of this story as befits the fact that Rose is moving on into her new life.

Where the book falters a bit is in the fact that I’m getting a little tired of the two villains and their schemes for revenge. I would have thought that Richard and his family would have had enough power and means to squash these two by now. Perhaps we won’t see them in book five or six.

I do like the fact that you have the gumption to allow a secondary character to have a fate that is more in keeping with the times and not forced into a Cinderella Happily Ever After. You’ve done some things with your stories which I don’t think conventional publishers would have allowed and it’s a refreshing change. This one gets a B. While I think that readers could probably pick up any of these books and enjoy them without having read the previous ones, it definitely enhances the experience to know what has happened before. I know that you’ve already written books five and six in the series. Dare I hope for more?

~Jayne

REVIEW: Venice by Lynne Martin (aka Lynne Connolly)

Jayne — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 13:25:03 +0000

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

Forget anything I’ve ever said about British authors not writing enough sex scenes. In VENICE, you’ve finally gotten your two protagonists married and they’re off for their bride trip to beautiful, golden Italy. Only they have a slight problem. Two actually. Someone is trying to kill them and impostors have stolen their identities.

From the back blurb:

The third book in the Richard and Rose series shows Venice in all its glittering magnificence as well as its dark side.

When their wedding day nearly turns to tragedy by an assassin’s bullet, Richard takes no more chances with his beloved Rose. They will travel incognito to Venice.

Venice is as full of knaves as London. Two of the villains mark Richard and Rose as their particular quarry. Do they hold the key to the assassination attempt or are they playing a deadly game of their own?

Once again we can see that you’ve obviously done your research into everyday life of the Georgian period and it’s displayed so nicely one is never even aware of it. When they discover the impostors, Richard and Rose decide to have some fun stringing them along and take the personas of a middle class wine merchant and his wife. Thus we can see the subtle nuances and differences in the two social stations in life. I love how you show this in the aspect of clothes. Dresses Rose would once have considered perfectly acceptable she now knows are far below the quality of those Richard provides for her.

In addition, your love for the city of Venice shines through on each page. In the afterward, you mention it as being one of your favorite places and its golden beauty wraps around one while reading.

And I did mention this is a bridal trip? Richard and Rose get to explore the full depths of their physical love for each other and since they’re staying in a small (by aristocratic standards) apartment, little of this is hidden from anyone. Just one more thing for Rose to accustom herself to in her new life as a beloved wife of a powerful and wealthy English peer.

There are some nice secondary characters, many of whom we’ve seen in previous books and as I’ve mentioned in other reviews, the characters don’t act like modern people in side hoops, knee britches and wigs. If I wondered a bit about the villains of the book and their powerful desire for revenge, it was made up for by the fascinating view of a distant world and two people deeply in love. B

~Jayne

Edited to add: the first four books in the series plus two new ones are supposed to be released by Mundania Press. The releases were to have started already but have been held up due to health problems of the editor there.

REVIEW: Devonshire by Lynne Martin (aka Lynne Connolly)

Jayne — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 09:00:46 +0000

“A wedding… or a funeral?

Rose Golighty and Lord Richard Strang anticipate their long-awaited wedding. But dark whispers reach Richard’s ears of smugglers threatening the county’s peace. Events escalate until Rose’s life is threatened. Richard knows he must act to save her and her friends from disaster. Even if his bride has to trade her wedding gown for widow’s weeds.”

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

You’ve given us a strong sequel to your first book in this series, Yorkshire, which follows the on going romance between Richard Kerre, Lord Strang and his love, Miss Rose Golightly. We watched these two fall in love at first sight in Yorkshire and now, six
months later, they are counting down the last weeks until their marriage.

We get to see Rose triumph at the Exeter Assembly when she arrives with her beloved (and very handsome) fiance. Shy Rose had suffered many an evening there passed over by the young men and it was a joy to see her blossom. We see the county gentry being convinced by the obvious love between the two that this is no rash marriage and that Rose really has gained the heart of this notorious lord. We see the dark side of the rampant smuggling that was commonplace in the seaside counties of England during the 18th century. And we get an ending that was one of the most viscerally satisfying that I’ve read in a long time.

I will warn possible readers that some unsettling things happen to Rose during parts of this story. And that she and Richard do take their revenge and see to justice, even if it isn’t totally within the law.

I’m not sure if you had got into your writing stride in your second R&R book or if I just got used to your style. You do have one slightly off putting habit of sometimes having two people speak within the same paragraph. And Novelbooks still needed a little more editing and better type setting but that’s water over the dam with them.

But this is a darn good story. You’ve done your research and I felt I was in the 18th century. The characters don’t act like transplanted 21st century people. Richard has a habit of glacial aristocratic hauteur that can depress the most forward social mushrooms. There is no sign of hobnobbing with the servants and everyone knows his place in society. It’s a fascinating world to look in on but one that has its moments of unease for a 21st century reader. Brava for that.

One thing that does get slightly repetitious is Rose’s frequent wondering if Richard will stay faithful and how she managed to win his love. I guess after 25 years of being the plainer sister she is entitled to her doubts and she does gain in self confidence but (to give some slight spoilers) I’m glad the wedding convinced her and she dropped that line of thought.

Their story is continued in Venice, the third novel which should rereleased later this year This one is a B for me and I look forward to the new ones in the series.

~Jayne