Lady Wesley's Salon

Caz and Miranda have sold me on this one!

I've read this book several times; it's one of my favorite Heyer titles. Very funny, with plenty of romance. The audio version, narrated by Barbara Leigh-Hunt, was good, but I had a few problems with it. First of all, Ms. Leigh-Hunt is over seventy years old, and her voice sounds, well, . . . old. Too old, for the heroine, who is about thirty as I recall. She does a very good job with Miles Calverleigh's voice, however, giving him just the right ironic tone. Another problem -- and really it's my problem and not hers -- is that I kept hearing Lady Catherine de Bourgh, a role she owned in the 1995 BBC-version of Pride and Prejudice. That was distracting.

If, like me, you adore this book, however, I recommend listening to it. Miles Calverleigh is simply one of my favorite romance heroes anywhere.

17 July: At last! Another new title from one of my favorite authors. Fingers crossed that I'll get an ARC.

3 Aug: So pleased to get the ARC from edelweiss!

11 Aug: 3.5 stars rounded up, just because it's LLG. I'll post a full review in October.

I adore Loretta Chase's books. However, I do not adore: stories set in India, stories set on the high seas, and stories where the mystery overshadows the romance. Consequently, I did not adore Viscount Vagabond.

British actress Phyllida Nash does a wonderful job voicing the many characters in this book -- one the the best of Heyer's catalogue. Highly recommended.

Lovely, romantic story! The hero and heroine are original and well-drawn characters, and we get to see lots of the Duke, Duchess, and all of the Windham siblings and grandchildren. Lots of fun!

At the publisher's request, I won't post a review until October.

Thanks to netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC of this book.

3.5 stars.

I mostly enjoyed this book and found the hero and heroine to be quite interesting and not at all stereotypical. I simply could not, however, accept the idea of a gently bred young woman falling into bed with this virtual stranger, a penniless rake at that, right after her child disappeared. I like plenty of spice in my HR and granted that he was trying to help her, but in this case the story would be better if the sexytimes had been put off for a while.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and netgalley.com for an advance copy of this book.

19 July 2013: Edited to add: I'm pleased to share that this is my debut review on the Romantic Historical Lovers blog. Wheeee! I've always wanted to have a debut!

Wealthy heiress Jane Fairfield is the laughing-stock of polite Cambridge society, and that’s just the way she likes it. She is counting the days until her younger sister reaches her majority, when Jane can liberate Emily from the tyranny of her guardian, their Uncle Titus. Until then, Jane will continue living in their uncle’s house doing everything she can to avoid the attentions of fortune-hunting suitors – draping her Junoesque figure in yards of lace and garish colors, talking too loudly, and oh-so-politely insulting people to their faces. (“What a lovely chandelier you have. I wager it would look almost new, if it had been dusted recently.”) Emily suffers from a mild convulsive disorder, and Jane is determined to protect her from the many self-proclaimed healers and downright quacks brought round by their ignorant, overly protective uncle.

Oliver Marshall (son of Hugo and Serena of The Governess Affair) is quite the opposite. After fighting back against the taunts and bullying of boys at Eton and Cambridge, the adult Oliver has cultivated an air of quiet competence and dignity. Oliver is the byblow of the now-deceased Duke of Clermont, who forced himself upon a governess and refused to assist her, but the current duke (Robert from The Duchess War) befriended Oliver at school and regards him fully as his brother.

While aspiring to a seat in the House of Commons, he is gradually making a name for himself in politics as an advocate of voting reform. He gingerly navigates his way between two worlds – the working class of his parents and the aristocracy of his biological father. Oliver is fiercely resolute and quite radical underneath his calm exterior.

Oliver didn’t know his place. He’d spent too many nights seething at the way of things, too long wanting to rise in power, not just so that he might wield it, but so that he might wrest it from the hands of those who abused it. They’d spent years trying to teach him his place; he’d learned through long, hard experience that the only way forward was to keep quiet until he grew so tall they could no longer shove him down.

The politically powerful Marquess of Bradenton holds a personal grudge against Jane Fairfield, and he recruits Oliver’s assistance in publicly taking her down a peg. Oliver doesn’t know Jane very well, but like everyone else he finds her rather ghastly. Oliver is tempted, as Bradenton has offered him political support that could significantly further Oliver’s aspirations. I love the clever way Milan describes the marquess – “like an old farmer, walking the perimeter of his property every day, testing the fences and peering suspiciously at his neighbors, making sure that his side and their side were clearly delineated.” Bradenton is evilly manipulative as he points out to Oliver that “in the end, we all know how this will work out. It’s one annoying girl against your entire future. Against the future of voting rights.”

Although Jane was born a lady, it was widely known that her mother’s husband was not her father. The mother had died when Jane was ten, and when she was thirteen, a man she had never heard of died and left her an immense fortune. Her legal father then abandoned Jane and Emily to molder in the country, with no governess, no companion, no playmates, and no education suitable to their station. Upon his death, they were forced upon Uncle Titus, who viewed Jane as “the product of her mother’s sin. She was argumentative, crude, unmannerly. She was, according to Titus, a poison in their household, one he only tolerated in the name of the duty he owed his dead brother.”

As Oliver becomes better acquainted with Jane, however, he finds that he rather likes her. Moreover, he sees her as someone like himself – tolerated but never really accepted by their supposed betters. Oliver begins to see through Jane’s charade, to see a woman who is lonely, who can barely breathe under the burden she has assumed.

"I see shoulders that dare not relax, muscles that dare not twitch, lips that dare not do anything but smile. You’re awash in choices, Miss Fairfield, but you know as well as I that the wrong one will bring your carefully husbanded awful reputation to naught."

Finally, Oliver half-guesses and Jane half-confesses the reasons for her pretense, and Oliver tells her of Bradenton’s plot. As they grow closer, an unwanted attraction develops, but both of them know that it can proceed no further. Oliver needs the kind of wife who can advance his political career, and Jane is certainly not that woman. And so they part, and later even after they meet again, admit their feelings, and act upon them, they still go their separate ways because Jane is not cut out to be the wife that Oliver wants.

Courtney Milan has written not just another wonderful romance novel; she has written a breathtaking novel. Full stop. While Jane and Oliver are pursuing their dreams, there are other, smaller but equally engaging, stories. There is Emily’s attraction to an Indian law student whom she meets when she sneaks out of the house for afternoon walks. There are vignettes of Oliver’s relationship with his father Hugo and his little sister Free, a suffragist who wants to go to Cambridge. (Her story will arrive in The Mistress Rebellion.) We again meet Oliver’s cousin Sebastian Malheur, a scientist who has become famous, and reviled in some quarters, for his papers on natural selection that support Mr. Darwin’s new theories, and his friend Violet Waterfield, the widowed Countess of Cambury. (Their story is coming up in The Countess Conspiracy.) There is a vivid picture of the great Hyde Park demonstration of May 1867, which was banned by the government but ultimately went forward because the crowds were so immense that the police and army did not dare to attack. There is even a kidnapping and forced elopement, which is so well done and so funny that I forgive the author for succumbing to the temptation to resort to such a tired old romance trope.

And finally, there is the truly heartbreaking story of Oliver’s elderly Aunt Freddy whose agoraphobia has kept her closed up in her tiny flat for years. She once told Oliver that

“Some people, when they’re hurt . . . they remember the challenge. They grab hold of the fire once, and when they’re burned, they make plans, trying to figure out how to hold live coals. That’s your mother. But some of us remember the pain.” She reached out and patted Oliver’s hand. “You’re like that. You remember the pain, and you flinch. When you were young, I thought you were like your mother—a regular coal-grabber. But no. Now I see more clearly.”

It isn’t a spoiler to reveal that she dies at the end of the book and that the truth about her life brought a tear to my eye. It is her passing that finally jolts Oliver out of his complacency. He realizes that Jane is not wrong for him; she is precisely right.

“I don’t need that quiet wife. I need you. Someone bold. Someone who won’t let me stand back from myself, and who will tell me in no uncertain terms when I’ve erred.”
She didn’t know what to say.
“I’ve needed you to shock me out of the biggest mistake of my life. To make me recognize my fears and to reach into the fire and grab hold of the coals.”

There are so many interwoven themes, such wry humor, and so much beautiful prose in this book that I found it difficult to select the bits to include in this review. In my opinion, though, this is Courtney Milan’s best book yet, and given her track record that alone is saying a lot.

I've read and enjoyed all of the other Carsington Brothers' stories, and this one was just as good as the others. Darius and Charlotte are a fun, passionate hero and heroine. Charlotte's story, in particular, is rather sad, but Darius brings her out of her funk. There is a pretty over-the-top plot twist toward the end, but it's all written so movingly that I can't find too much fault with it.

Review of the audiobook.

There is no way that I could rate any of Jennifer Ashley's Highland Pleasure novels as less than five stars! That said, however, I am not at all a fan of the narrator, Angela Dawe. I've listened to this one, plus my favorite, [b:The Many Sins of Lord Cameron|8563824|The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (Highland Pleasures, #3)|Jennifer Ashley|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1300209650s/8563824.jpg|13432297], but no more!

I quite enjoyed this tale of childhood frenemies discovering one another many years later. Zoe makes for a very lively outspoken heroine. She was kidnapped in Cairo at the age of twelve and spent the next twelve years living in a harem after being married to the sickly son of Yusri Pasha. Because of his infirmities, she remains a virgin and learns to get along with all the ladies of the harem. Finally, she gets a chance to escape and manages to return to England. The press and public are all agog at the return of the "Harem Girl," and truly she has no idea how to behave according to the rules of English Regency society. There are several laugh out loud scenes which send her older sisters and mother into the vapors.

Lucien de Grey, the Duke of Marchmont, has great affection for Zoe's father, who took him in hand after Lucien's parents and brother died. Therefore, Marchmont volunteers to help Zoe gain acceptance by the ton, not realizing what a challenge he's taking on.

Loretta Chase never disappoints, and although this is not her best book (how could she ever top Lord of Scoundrels?), it's a fun read with a touching romance and a bit of mystery thrown in toward the end.

5++ stars!

Once again, Grace Burrowes has created a fascinating couple of characters in Hester Daniels and Tiberius Flynn, Earl of Spathfoy. As with most of Burrowes’ books, it helps to know the backstory.

Hester first appeared in [b:The Bridegroom Wore Plaid|13515289|The Bridegroom Wore Plaid (MacGregor Trilogy, #1)|Grace Burrowes|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1339827063s/13515289.jpg|19071609], when she accompanied her father, sister, aunt and cousin to Castle Balfour in Aberdeenshire, where they are guests of Ian MacGregor, the Earl of Balfour and his family. That book ended like an episode of Love Boat, with the sister, aunt, and cousin all married to MacGregor men. Then, in the novella [b:Mary Fran and Matthew|18046487|Mary Fran and Matthew (MacGregor Trilogy, #1.5)|Grace Burrowes|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1372177391s/18046487.jpg|25326222] Hester's brother marries the lone MacGregor sister, Mary Fran, who has a seven-year old daughter from her first marriage to the no-good Gordie Flynn, Spathfoy’s younger brother. While on the Continent for their wedding trip, Mary Fran and Matthew have left little Fiona in the care of her step-aunt Hester and her elderly step-great aunt Lady Ariadne (Aunt Ree).

Tiberius shows up in Scotland without warning, ostensibly to pay a visit to his niece, young Fiona, but in reality he is there to fetch her back to live with her father’s family. Her grandfather, the Marquess of Quinworth, had questioned Fiona’s legitimacy and never shown any interest in her, but now he has commissioned his son to bring her back. Tiberius decides to wait a few days before taking Fiona, but during that time he becomes enamored of Hester and Aunt Ree. Actually, at first he and Hester do not like one another, but that begins to change the longer he stays in Scotland. In addition, he is charmed by Fiona and begins to feel guilty at the thought of taking her away from the only family she has ever known.

Tiberius is a complex, enigmatic man, quite unlike any other hero in Burrowes’ other books. I sometimes think that her heroes verge on too good to be true and have a bit too much 'feminine side' to their personalities. Tiberius, however, is 100% male, and I found him both maddening and fascinating. His interactions with Fiona are charming. Although the romance with Hester is naturally the main focus of the book, little Fiona is also a star. Burrowes has the knack of writing juvenile characters who are real people and not just cute side characters. Fiona is indeed cute, but she is also maddening, calculating, and stubborn – just like a real kid. (This talent also comes through in [b:Ethan: Lord of Scandals|16099895|Ethan Lord of Scandals (Lonely Lords, #3)|Grace Burrowes|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367615976s/16099895.jpg|21909622]).

This is not a criticism, but we modern readers may find it incomprehensible that the fierce MacGregor clan seems to accept Fiona’s fate once Tiberius reveals his mission to them. The idea that a distant paternal grandfather could just take a child from her mother is rather shocking to us, but it is consistent with the 19th century legal system. It is also a bit difficult to understand why Tiberius is so intent upon following his father’s commands, when it is clear that he has strong reservations about the plan. His motivation, however, becomes out later in the book, so be patient.

As I’ve said elsewhere, I have a love/hate relationship with Grace Burrowes – I tend to love her stories and hate some of authorial tics that afflict her writing (hero brushing and braiding heroine’s hair; tea and cakes in every indoor scene, etc.) Here, however, I found almost nothing to annoy me (she brushes his hair!), and much to admire. This is one of Grace Burrowes’ best books, and I highly recommend it.

Colonel Matthew Daniels, heir to the baronies of Altsax and Gribbony, has accompanied his father, sisters, aunt and cousin to Castle Balfour in Aberdeenshire, where they are guests of the Earl of Balfour and his family. The purpose of the trip is to arrange a marriage between the cash-strapped earl and Matthew's heiress sister. That's the main plot in [b:The Bridegroom Wore Plaid|13515289|The Bridegroom Wore Plaid (MacGregor Trilogy, #1)|Grace Burrowes|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339827063s/13515289.jpg|19071609], the first installment of the MacGregor Trilogy. From that book, we already know that Matthew and Mary Fran fall in love and get married, but since they are secondary characters we don't get the whole story. This novella gives us the details.

Matthew is a true gentleman, unlike his vulgar father, and has until recently served in Her Majesty's cavalry in the Crimea (pre-war). Mary Fran, widow of an English officer, has a strong dislike of all things English. Matthew is immediately attracted to her and she, reluctantly, to him. But Matthew has shameful secrets, something having to do with his military service, and does not consider himself a worthy prospective husband for the daughter of an earl. Mary Fran is not really seeking a husband, however; she is content to enjoy herself in Matthew's arms as a distraction from the burdens of raising her precocious daughter, Fiona, and running the castle as a sort of hotel for wealthy visitors who want to bask in their proximity to Balmoral, which is the neighboring estate. As in the first book, Prince Albert has a cameo role, and Queen Victoria is an off-screen character.

I think that this book suffers from the problem that affects many novellas: there is very limited space to tell the story. Here, that situation is complicated by the large number of secondary characters who pop up and then disappear. Even though I had recently read the previous book, I found this one confusing. And even though Grace Burrowes has a wonderful talent for telling a story and creating memorable characters, I just didn't find that to be the case here. The details of Matthew's scandal and Mary Fran's first marriage left me with many unanswered questions, but to discuss them here would be too spoilerish.

If you liked [b:The Bridegroom Wore Plaid|13515289|The Bridegroom Wore Plaid (MacGregor Trilogy, #1)|Grace Burrowes|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339827063s/13515289.jpg|19071609], as I did, you'll probably enjoy reading this novella, but in my opinion it just isn't as good as the stories that Burrowes usually publishes. There is a nice set-up for the next novel, [b:Once Upon a Tartan|15713729|Once Upon a Tartan (MacGregor Trilogy, #2)|Grace Burrowes|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1366089760s/15713729.jpg|21382136], where Matthew's younger sister is looking after Fiona when the girl's paternal uncle arrives to take her back to her English family. Complications ensue.

3.5 stars.

This is a nice story -- another entry in the must-have-heir trope, which I seem to have been reading a lot of lately. But there's also a mystery going on, and it's fairly well done.

Can I give it a hundred stars? A thousand?

My GR friend Caz opened her review of this audiobook by saying, “It’s absolutely fantastic, so go and buy it immediately!” I can only add that this is an understatement.

I read this book in 2011 and gave it four stars. Although I thought it was a wonderful story, the annoying Quaker heroine kept it from being a five star read for me. Caz's review, however, finally inspired me to take a chance on an audiobook, and I'm so glad that I did.

In the excellent hands of narrator Nicholas Boulton, Maddie-girl goes from annoying to inspiring, and the truly damaged hero, Jervalux, is unforgettable. Mr. Boulton does a brilliant job in capturing the thoughts and halting words of this man whose brain has been scrambled by what we recognize as a stroke but what his family thinks is insanity. And even Maddie-girl's "thees and thous" ceased to bother me. His range of voices is remarkable; each of the many characters is instantly recognizable -- from the dragon aunt to Jervaulx's buddies to Maddie's elderly father.

I simply do not have the vocabulary to convey how wonderful this audiobook is. So I'll stop here and repeat:

“It’s absolutely fantastic, so go and buy it immediately!”

Great story spoiled by a mediocre narrator.

I have read all of the Highland Pleasures series, and Lord Cameron's story is my favorite. I was awfully disappointed by the audiobook, though. Angela Dawe has a lovely voice, but her narration style is sing-songy. She's very weak on male voices, and Lord Cameron just sounded like someone with laryngitis. She used much more of a Scottish accent that the author wrote in the book, and it was hit and miss. And Ainsley, who is supposed to be young and fresh and joyful, mostly just sounded sultry and bored.

Five stars for the story, not the narrator.