William Dunford inherits a barony out in Cornwall. He also inherits an unexpected ward, not that he knows this when he arrives. Henry, his ward, is a spunky hoydenish tomboy with a plan. She’s going to convince London bred Dunford, the new Lord Stannage, that country living is not for him. While putting into place a series of cockamamie schemes to get rid of Dunford, Henry finds herself falling for his sweetness and kindness. Midway through the first act, they call a truce and form a friendship.
We learn as the novel progresses that Henry is embarrassed by her boyish behavior and dress off the farm. She frequently refers to herself as a freak. This rightly so, displeases Dunford immensely. In fact he’s so enraged by her self-deprecating nonsense that he forbids her to call herself that again. The midpoint of the book is where Dunford finds out that Henry is his ward and that all his lusty thoughts and behavior are completely out of the question.
The story takes a turn for the worst when he brings Henry to London for an Eliza Doolittle makeover. He plans to turn her into a lady, give her a dowry, and help her find a husband. The process makes him cranky, makes her feel even more insecure. Coupled with the unnecessary plot twist at the end with Dunford’s former mistress, the book fairly tanks. It held such promise too. The former mistress twist drags the book out beyond bearing and proves that Henry is the biggest obstacle to her happiness and that of Dunford’s. The poor man has had to put up with a lot.
Best thing about this book hands down is the pet name, Minx, given by the hero to the heroine. Minx is by far one of the most original pet names I’ve seen in literature or heard in real life. Very cute and fits the story perfectly.
The worst thing about the book was this phrase and its variations: “I’m Henrietta Barrett, but call me Henry; everybody else does.” Completely overused. Yuck. On top of that Henry is so boyish it’s hard to get behind. I much preferred Dunford’s further shortening of her name to Hen, sadly he only uses it a few times.
Rating: 4 Stars before the midpoint and 3 Stars by the end.
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Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer is enchanting and will assuredly transport you to another world. Georgette Heyer, praised to be the new Jane Austen, was born in 1902 and her tales are quite old but hold the same classic feel as any one of Austen’s novels. I can picture the whole novel as a movie and am surprised that I’ve not seen it made into one. Of course I haven’t checked in at IMDB so I could be quite wrong about its silver screen status.
This is my first time reading Heyer and such I found it tough to start (as such it’s affected my rating). The writing while at first difficult to read and to get into because of the level of vocabulary and particular word phrasing which is unusual for today’s standard’s. However it gets easier the more you read. By the end of the book you’re practically flying through the pages trying to get to the end of the story and see the leads get their happily ever after.
In the true spirit of a Regency novel, this novel includes a secondary romance to entertain us. Neither romance goes to the bedroom, in fact the first and only kiss mentioned is at the very end of the tale. My one fault with the story was there was much too much time spent on ditherings going on around the leads and not nearly enough time focused on them. They were more thrown together in the beginning when Dominic kidnapped poor Mary than later.
Mary Challoner is determined to save her sister from scandal and intercepts a letter from Marquis of Vidal to her sister Sophie arranging an illicit tryst. A daring scheme to take her sister’s place and fool Vidal comes to her and Mary rushes through with it, barely thinking out the consequences.
When Vidal finds out he’s most upset and assuming her to be like her untoward and loose sister, Vidal forcibly takes her the rest of the way to France. Once there, Mary is able to make her true nature known and flummoxed Vidal is forced to do the one thing he never thought to do – propose marriage. Imagine his surprise when Mary refuses! What’s a Marquis to do?
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Originally posted 2008-09-02 05:43:56. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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The costumes are absolutely gorgeous. Cuffs are seriously sexy. Taylor Swift is a beautiful woman with a wonderful voice. She’s a country music singer. When I saw this on Youtube I just had to share with everyone. The song is about a young girl’s love story (Romeo and Juliet). What I like best is the contemporary / historical dynamic and the play on the inevitable also known as the soul mate factor. You can find Love Story on her latest cd, Fearless.
I love to see the aesthetics of romance novels come alive and this is certainly better than the WTF Smart Bitches found…
Shine on Me by Chris Dane Owens:
Shine On Me’s video is like romance on crack. It has horses, fantasy, princess, knights, sword fighting, split screens, an elf like hero trying to be Orlando Bloom from LotR, spin off of Princess Bride, and 80s hair/music. Seriously scary. The kind of scary where you don’t want the prince to rescue you in the end.
What other music videos have you found on youtube that include the romance novel aesthetic?
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This is a book I really enjoyed. Chantal Thibaudet is a princess, but leading an unhappy life. Her marriage was loveless (and included physical abuse, so be warned) but she is now widowed with a four year old daughter. Her in-laws are power hungry, including a pre-nup that basically holds her daughter captive while forbidding her to remarry. The world sees her as glamorous, which she is, and doesn’t see the negatives.
But life is about to change. Returning home by airplane in very rough turbulence she is befriended by Demetrius Mantheakis, who has been hired, unbeknownst to her, to be her bodyguard because her life has been threatened. The plane goes down; they begin an affair; she finds out he was hired — and her life is in danger.
How are they going to protect her from a crazy person — who might even be one of the inlaws?
He takes her to his private island where the villagers are completely loyal to him, and he is able to ensure her safety until they get a better handle on the enemy.
How is she going to keep her love for Demetrius, who also loves her, without losing her daughter in light of the pre-nup.
All’s well that ends well. Love finds a way.
I rate it 3.5 stars.
Writing reviews are easy! Submission guidelines are simple enough, contact me if you have any questions!
Originally posted 2008-09-01 05:16:42. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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I took great pleasure in reading this novel. It wasn’t a typical romance though it held many of the typical pieces you would find in a romance. Atypical you ask? Yes! The heroine for instance was raised by the Dakota, or Native American Indians. She had to return to England to pursue the rest of her destiny and avenge her dead mother. The banter was particularly snappy between the leads. The sex too was pretty phenomenal on the scale of none to steamy. I read this in about a day and half; I would put it down and couldn’t wait to get back to it as soon as possible.
The cover on this novel is hysterical, at least my version which is pretty old. My sister-in-law picked it up thinking a boob was sticking out, flagrant nipples and all, but realized upon closer inspection that it was simply a circular diamond pin stuck to the front of the dress. To me the models look like they are wrapped up in a sleeping bag decorated in some ancient Regency pattern. For being raised by the Dakotas in America, she’s certainly pale, no sign of a tan at all – on the cover or in the book. I wonder why that is? Could it be because society would have been shocked down to their slippers and boots?
Christina Bennett is the crème de la crème. The moment her dainty foot hit the first ballroom, London society gasped and capitulated at her feet. She finds it silly and they call her Princess, even though her father has lost his kingdom, even though she’s never met her father in person. With pale white hair and the deepest sky blue eyes, Christina is a lioness. Her arrival to London was predicted by a shaman’s dream and her destiny was to seek out justice for the crimes against her and her mother.
Is it any wonder when she’s introduced to the Marquess of Lyonwood that she was shaken from her stupor? The man looked fierce and vulnerable at the same time. He held himself like a warrior and bore a warrior’s scar down his cheek. To Christina, he looked positively virile and masculine, a far cry of the fops and dandies she’d met again and again from ballroom to ballroom. He was like a lion too, lithe and predatory. When he pursues her, part of Christina wants to give in and part of her fears doing so because she could learn to love him… worse he could learn to love her and her stay with the English was only ever meant to be temporary.
With tempting kisses and secret trysts, Christina’s head swims with the heady sensations of newly experienced passion. She begs him to marry her in one unguarded moment and the scoundrel declines. Lyonwood sees her proposal as a sign of her scheming ways, not realizing that Christina’s eager passion is unrehearsed. He plans to seduce her not knowing that she’s virginal until it’s too late…
Rating: 4.5 Stars
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What makes a perfect hero? Is it his dashing good looks, his heroic deeds, or his charm? Third in the series Lessons in Love by Suzanne Enoch, England’s Perfect Hero, delves into the challenge of defining a hero.
Lucinda and her two best friends, Georgiana and Evelyn, create three separate lists on how to be a gentleman of high caliber. Each one is highly personal and defines what each girl feels about herself and what she looks for in a mate. On Lucinda’s list there are four items she wishes to teach a certain dashing gentleman, also known as Lord Geoffrey Newcombe, about being a gentleman.
Only her lessons are getting the attention of a different man; another soldier and nobleman whose past is a mystery and whose character is mysterious. Robert Carroway, brother to Dare, Georgiana’s husband. All she knows about Robert is this: he was at Waterloo, he came home from war injured, his experiences in war have made him withdrawn and edgy, and her father doesn’t like him.
Robert Carroway for his part has lived in a personal hell for three years. The darkness threatens to claim him, chew him up and spit him out. If only it would kill him so he didn’t have to live in silent agony about what had been done to him. The only ray of pure sunlight in his whole existence is Lucinda whose cheery disposition and sweet nature draw him like a moth to the flame. If helping her snare the husband of her dreams could also pull him from the darkness he would do it, or so he told himself. What he really wanted was to be the husband of her dreams.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Originally posted 2008-08-27 05:01:49. Republished by Old Post Promoter
His Wicked Kiss is the seventh installment of Foley’s Knight Miscellany series. The novel was quite exceptional from the steamy romance scenes, the tender moments, and the insecurities that flared between Eden and Jack. His Wicked Kiss flirts with the tried and true plot of what you thought you wanted and what you get.
Dr. Victor Farraday, botantist, scientist, and certified loon resides in the jungle of the Amazon with his daughter, a small contingent of locals, and Connor their hunter and protector. Connor has had his eye on Eden Farraday since she was sixteen, but Eden does not feel the same way about him. She dreams of London and the sparkle of society and balls and handsome town dandies that will court her and dance with her. So when Victor tells her that they’re moving deeper into the jungles, toward certain death, Eden is desperate to make an escape.
Eden meets Jack as he is sailing down the river with a small crew to meet up with his ship, the Winds of Fortune, off the coast out of the Spaniards reach. Jack thinks the creature sitting up in the trees snipping orchids is beguiling and gorgeous with red flaming hair. Her offer of tea is not resisted, but he is bitterly disappointed to learn that she wants him to take her back to England with him.
Successful entrepreneur and black sheep of the family, Jack Knight is the second son of a duke and is more than used to people wanting things from him. He had hoped Eden would be different, but even if he wanted to, Jack could not take Eden along with him due to the nature of his mission helping the rebels. He would not put her life in danger. That doesn’t stop her from putting herself in danger though-Eden sneaks onboard his vessel.
Jack captures his little stowaway and so begins their romance. Being second has shaped Jack and how he approaches business. As his past is revealed Eden and the reader are drawn closer to him. The more trusting Eden is with Jack, the more she slips past his heart’s defenses. Soon Eden is all he can think about.
The one flaw with this novel is that Eden and Jack change from the fabulous characters we get to know while on his ship for most of the duration in England. Luckily, they both find themselves and each other again before they’ve lost each other for good.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Originally posted 2008-08-20 05:53:02. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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What is regency romance and how does it differ from historical romance?
You may well recognize Jane Austen as a regency romance writer. She is best known for works such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.
So what makes a regency romance?
Well if you look at Pride and Prejudice you can see quite clearly the basic setup of a regency romance. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet stir the hearts of readers as they bicker and dance around each other, but a key element to the novel is that their romance is not the only one. Miss Jane Bennet and Mr. Charles Bingley also fall in love in this classic tale, though perhaps with fewer hindrances on the characters’ part.
To break it down:
Regency romance is based in the early 19th century and will normally revolve around a comedy of manners. The romances are very chaste and do not include conversations about sex between the main characters. In several cases, there will be a side romance to the main one.
The monarchs you will find in regency romances are George IV and William IV. Some novels may be included in this genre, even if George III is ruling, though technically speaking he is not part of this era. George III is before the regency era. The period starts when he was declared insane by the Parliament Regency Act and his son was placed on the throne as acting king. The regency (and post-regency) period ends prior to Queen Victoria’s reign.
Time Frame: 1810-1820, generally speaking.
Historical Romance on the other hand is considered to be everything prior to WWI in history. Contemporary attitudes usually color the writing enabling the female lead to be more educated, witty, or relatable. There are many sub genres to this type of romance including but not limited to pirate, colonial United States, and western.
In conclusion, regency romance is included in theme of historical romance as a separate genre.
Originally posted 2008-06-11 05:27:41. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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Sarah from Smart Bitches and Jane from Dear Author are co-hosting another contest. The prizes are pretty sweet and well worth the time to get involved.
First things first, what contemporary romance started this contest?
The answer to that is Victoria Dahl’s debut novel Talk Me Down. The heroine in this novel, Molly Jenkins, is an erotica romance author. She publishes under a pen name, not because she’s ashamed of writing erotica, but because she knows how awkward it would be for family and friends. Molly Jenkins leaves city life to return to her small home town after some unpleasant activity with her law enforcer ex-honey/stalker. A small inheritance makes moving back home easy, but Molly is stuck. She’s not inspired to write again until running into an old high school hunk, Ben Lawson, now chief of police.
Sarah says this about the sexual interactions within this book: “This, folks, is realistic sex. Gritty sex. Passionate pent-up sex. And most of all? FUN sex.” While the Romantic Times reviewer labeled the heroine “as a dog in heat.” In response to the RT comment Jane says, “I’m not going to even try to rebut it because that’s one of the things I liked best about this story.” Based on these different reviews, the conclusion to be drawn from this is that the sex is frank, up front, and enjoyable if you like your sex in romance novels to be frank and up front.
Now contest information:
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When reading romance novels about English gentry and nobility I always wonder about the rankings. I know diddlysquat about this subject, mostly because I am American. I decided to do some digging to see if I could sort the matter out. Luckily there are a lot of resources on the matter.
The first thing I was determined to find out was the order of the rankings. I always thought an Earl was as noble as a Duke or fairly similar. An Earl is far less substantial than you might think. In fact they seem to be quite plentiful; perhaps that is why so many romance novels include an Earl. A Marquis, on the other hand was more substantial than I gave credit. For some reason, I always assumed it was on similar footing as a Viscount. Whoops– social faux pas, anyone?
Baronets and Knights are not peers. A baronet is a hereditary knight. The title of Sir goes down through the generations. His wife is referred to as Lady.
The rarest rank of nobility is the Duke with his dukedom, making Barons by their rank far more abundant.
About the only thing I got right was the order of the Viscounts and Barons.
Did you know there were several peerages?
The isles of Britain and Ireland had in total five different peerages. Those of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom! No wonder the country has so many names in history! Also, a noble man could belong to more than one peerage!
Labels of Address (loosely):
This doesn’t include salutations of correspondence. The first bit is how to do the introduction on the different levels of nobility followed by how to address them in formal speech.
Duke/Duchess: His Grace/Her Grace (insert title); His Grace/Her Grace
Marquis/Marchioness: Most Honorable (insert title); Lord/Lady
Earl/Countess: Right Honorable (insert title); Lord/Lady
Viscount/Viscountess: Right Honorable (insert title); Lord/Lady
Baron/Baroness: Right Honorable (insert title); Lord/Lady
Originally posted 2008-08-07 05:39:59. Republished by Old Post Promoter
Let Sleeping Rogues Lie is as scintillating as the title sounds rolling off the lips. Sabrina Jeffries weaves a tale of deception, half-truths, and omission. Sordid pasts litter throughout the story, many alongside the main characters, and a few directly related to the main characters. The only thing to watch out for is the mention of child abuse, which was inflicted on the male lead and drives him in ways he’s only beginning to discover.
Anthony Dalton, Viscount Norcourt, never thought to be titled. He was after all, the second son. His father must have bemoaned the facts of his heir and spare, a simpleton and rogue respectively, but no more than Anthony bemoans his dead brother’s idiocy. Dying and leaving his daughter without a guardian was quite possibly the worst move imaginable on Wallace’s part. Now poor Tess is being held by Anthony’s aunt and uncle, the Bickhams.
The Bickhams, Eunice and Randolph, are without a doubt the worst people in all of England. Becoming parents of one biological offspring did not make them kinder. Cruel to their own daughter, their offenses against Anthony as a young boy, still give him nightmares. Anthony can’t stand the darkness, the loneliness of the night. Perhaps, this is why Anthony is such a rakehell, filling his nights with the company of willing widows and whores. Only delving further into his character will tell.
Determined to win custody of his niece, Anthony fights for respectability. He quits his partying, and his lascivious behavior, even going so far as to curb his drinking of strong spirits. Now he must gain Tess a school, to prove the advantages of money and title against those of a seemingly stable home life. Unfortunately, it is coy Miss Madeline Prescott that gets in his way by helping him.
First he’s offered up as an expert in rakehells and rogues to the headmistress of Tess’ new school. He must show his responsibility by showing up promptly every day for two weeks and teaching the young misses about fortune and virtue hunters. And in offering her help, Madeline wants Anthony to do her a favor. She needs to clear her father of scandal with the testimony of one man, a man known to be in Anthony’s wild party circles. Anthony curses his rotten luck even as he yields to the temptation that is Madeline Prescott. On her part, Madeline is just as affected by Anthony as he is by her.
Can a love built on deception last? Would the truth break the fragile bonds growing between them or make them stronger? Only trust and faith will tell.
Rating: 3 Stars
Originally posted 2008-08-14 05:29:14. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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It is always a treat to read one of Madeline Hunter’s books. They are very well written with compelling plots and historical subplots as well as wonderful characters. Secrets of Surrender is the third book in the Rothwell Series about a family that is declining socially.
Roselyn Longworth has come down almost as far as possible. Her respectable family has been impoverished for sometime but after her parents’ death, her brothers became bankers. Adding to her distress, her older brother has been killed as a freedom fighter in Greece her younger brother fled to Paris, after his embezzlement of bank funds was discovered, absconding with roughly 100,000 pounds (about $10,000,000 today). Her cousin’s husband, Lord Hayden, has tried to repay all those affected but there is still a great deal of resentment, most notably from Lord Norbury. Unaware of his connection with her brother, Roselyn has agreed to be Lord Norbury’s mistress thinking that he cared for her, but his attentions are anything but romantic.
In the opening scene we find her at a house party hosted by Lord Norbury. This is not a respectable affair. The only attendees from society are men, the women they are escorting are not their wives or mistresses but common prostitutes. She tells Lord Norbury that she will not continue with this affair, but he is unwilling to let her go and indicates that he will hold her by force.
Kyle Bradwell is a local boy who has risen up in the world thanks to the patronage of Lord Norbury’s father. He is an architect and arrives thinking to discuss some business with Lord Norbury. When he discovers that there is a house party in progress, he intends to leave as soon as his business is competed. Lord Norbury invites him to stay long enough to have dinner with the rest of the guests whom Kyle has not yet met.
Entering the dinning room Kyle is offended by the company, but he is dazzled by a beautiful, graceful woman across the room and soon realizes that she is here with Lord Norbury. During dinner Lord Norbury rises and addresses the company. He tells his guests that Roselyn no longer chooses to be his mistress and that he is glad to be rid of her because she is so cold and unskilled, although he does list some favorable and intimate physical attributes. He wants to be compensated for the money he has spent on her so far and he offers to auction her to the highest bidder. Kyle is horrified by these proceedings and realizes, when looking over the men that are bidding, that Roselyn is in grave danger. They are not nice men regardless of their standing in society. The bidding starts at 50 pounds and proceeds with several gentlemen in the running. Kyle wastes no time and bids 950 pounds. The room is silenced and Kyle leaves quickly with an ungrateful Roselyn who is unaware of his honorable motives.
What follows is a beautifully written story of two kindred spirits on the outskirts of society who find love, completeness, home, security and acceptance with each other. Adding depth and interest is an historical backdrop dealing with the English justice system during the Regency period and the inequities of justice for titled gentlemen vs. the common man and men vs. women.
4 Stars
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Originally posted 2008-08-12 05:42:06. Republished by Old Post Promoter
The Perfect Wife by Victoria Alexander follows not one but three couples on their journey to love. Luckily two are more peripheral and have overall less air time in the novel. The main couple is Sabrina Winfield and Nicholas, Earl of Wyldewood. The other couples are Sabrina and Nicholas’ offspring from their first marriage, and Sabrina’s friend with Nicholas’ sister.
Sabrina has for the last ten years a life of total propriety. She has been prim, poised, controlled, tame, and dull. She misses the adventure from her past—the intrigue, the thrill, and the illicit nature of her work. She could command the loyalty of men, change fortunes, and guide her own affairs. With her young daughter about to wed, Sabrina yearns keenly to let loose and be free of society’s demands. When she hears about her late husband’s last gamble and subsequent winnings, Sabrina ransacks her London home.
Having found the French letter with instructions to legendary gold buried in Egypt, Sabrina packs and sets off to reclaim herself and to change her fortune. Unfortunately, her daughter’s finance’s father seems to think it’s his business to keep her out of trouble. The annoying Earl of Wyldewood, a politician with a streak of rakish charm a mile long, is determined to unearth Sabrina’s secrets. She is terrified of revealing them, for her past could land her in prison. Under the guise of helping his son, Nicholas is following Sabrina to Egypt with the intention to protect her. However, if he were honest with himself, he would have followed her anyway for underneath her prim exterior, Nicholas suspects that Sabrina may just be the perfect wife.
Rating: 2.5 Stars
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Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer is one scrumptious romp of trouble after the next. It all begins when Miss Charity Steane was found wandering the hillside, luggage in one hand and very sore feet. She is picked up by Viscount Ashley Desford and whisked away in his curricle as blasé as anything you please. He knows he can’t convince her to return to her miserably wretched aunt and so must take it upon himself to see that she is taken care of.
Cherry (Charity) is of course pleased beyond measure that he is not putting her through a lecture and more than willing enough to carry her the rest of the way to London. She has high hopes of running down her grandfather and begging him to take her up. Even if she has to resort to another menial position like the one she held at her aunt’s inside his home.
But the pickle of it becomes when Cherry and Desford find out that her grandfather is not in town. The neighbors do not know his direction, and the sole man inside the home refuses to speak about his master. Desford immediately sets about getting Cherry off his hands and into some more respectable ones. He doesn’t want to damage her reputation and as a single bachelor he can’t feasible continue to keep her in his care. So he settles her at Lady and Miss Silverdale’s home.
Miss Henrietta Silverdale and Desford were once a long time ago thought by their fathers to be an excellent match. They of course both knew better. Now Henrietta is entertaining new suitors and Desford seems to have his eye on Cherry. He is certainly gong well above and beyond the call of duty to locate her grandfather and find her a respectable situation.
What will happen when Desford confronts her grandfather with the charge of his granddaughter? Will Cherry remain in the good graces of Lady Silverdale? Will Henrietta’s brother, Charles, whisk Cherry off to call his own? What will Henrietta’s suitor think of the whole affair? Full of messes as well as larks, Charity Girl will have you alternately tutting like an old hen and giggling like a schoolgirl over all the crazy shenanigans.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
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Abigail Reynolds writes Pemberley Variations. For the uninitiated this means that she takes the classic story of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and plays a what-if scenario. For instance in From Lambton to Longbourn the what-if is what if Darcy and Elizabeth disclosed their feelings before parting ways after Lydia’s fall from grace? The characters in this what-if scenario all bear the same names, and read fairly familiar, but ultimately are recreated and reintroduced. Attraction is played up and scenes Jane Austen would never write appear involving kissing – great kissing, but a staunch Austen fan will probably feel that even this small break in propriety is too much.
Elizabeth finds out to her dismay how deeply in love with Mr. Darcy she is when the news of Lydia’s foolishness breaks. How could she in all good consciousness expose his sister to her family? She worries a lot about Darcy’s good opinion of her and how the current affairs will certainly provide him with enough ammunition to dislike her from hereafter. To her surprise, Darcy is not at all inclined to think ill of her. He wants her to keep correspondence with his sister, Georgiana, as it his only way to communicate with her. He would marry her tomorrow, no today, if only he could be certain of her regard.
Some provocation on both their parts leads to them sharing their first kiss, part comfort, part passion. One kiss melds into the next and then the worst happens – Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle discover them! Elizabeth does not want to trick Darcy into a connection with her family and he is once again unsure of himself in her affections. This happens a lot actually throughout the novel as they go along their tangent journey toward love and ultimate happiness.
Their insecurities are a little over the top, but ultimately are not distracting from the tale. Reynolds has a way with words and I look forward to reading another Pemberley Variation soon.
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars
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Kathryn Caskie spins a delightful tale in How to Engage an Earl. My only complaint is the hero’s name. I mean really, Laird? I can’t decide if I am supposed to pronounce it like Lard, Lord, or L’AIR-ed. Apparently, Laird is a Scottish name, if that helps anyone else figure out how to say it.
So after Laird, Caskie gives us a much easier name to pronounce: Anne Royle. Anne is one of three Royle sisters; Mary was married off in How to Seduce a Duke and Elizabeth is younger than Anne. I figure that makes Anne the middle child. She’s very pale in coloring; white skin, flax hair, gold eyes, red lips. She’s also used to not being noticed. In fact, Anne is so unnoticed in crowds that she can literally steal the goblet that they are drinking from right out of their hands.
Of course, this is how Laird MacLaren first notices her and maneuvers her to try to steal his glass. Anne distracts him and manages to escape… with his drink, back into the crowd. That was not the last time Laird saw her that night however. Anne is set on the mission of finding the letters that will prove her heritage as a daughter of the Prince Regent. These letters are rumored to be in the Earl MacLaren’s bedroom. Thrilling and sexy, Anne’s presence in the master bedroom is only topped by Laird’s, who had gone up earlier to sleep off the brandy.
Not five minutes after her discovery by Laird in his bedroom than the rest of the ton finds out. The scandal was only narrowly subverted by his friend, Apsley, who claimed that she was in his room because Anne was Laird’s betrothed. Thrust into the center of attention, Anne is shocked speechless and highly uncomfortable. All Anne wants is out!
The next day Laird agrees she can end the engagement only after she helps change his character in the eyes of the ton. Laird wants to marry Constance Henceforth, but she will only have him if he’s changed. After all who would want a rake?
Rating: 4.5 Stars
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Roberta was a laughing stock. The Rambler’s Magazine portrays her as a deformed mono-brow sickly girl next to her father the Mad Marquess, who is on his knees with his arms raised high pleading with God for a match for his daughter. Roberta of course is far from deformed, ugly, or possessing any disfigurement, but she can’t escape the reputation that clings to her when she’s around her father or his poetry. She’s had it, she has. Roberta will marry a sensible man, one who won’t make a fool of himself or spout poetry. The Duke of Villiers is just the right man, but he was notorious for not caring about scandal and sleeping with most of the women in the ton. She would have to trick him into the parson’s mousetrap.
Damon is also a notorious rakehell and while he and Villiers share that reputation they are as night and day. Damon possesses an honorable streak and finds himself drawn to Roberta when she comes to his sister’s home in an effort to be brought out properly into society. The more she spurns him the more he desires her. Some of the sultriest scenes are stolen moments where he convinces her to show him what she knows of kissing. But even as they exchange kisses, Roberta stands steadfast in her self-declared love of Villiers and desire to marry him. There had to be some way to win her heart, to prove to her that Villiers was the wrong rakehell and he was the right one.
). What I like best is the contemporary / historical dynamic and the play on the inevitable also known as the soul mate factor. You can find Love Story on her latest cd, 
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’s video is like romance on crack. It has horses, fantasy, princess, knights, sword fighting, split screens, an elf like hero trying to be Orlando Bloom from LotR, spin off of Princess Bride, and 80s hair/music. Seriously scary. The kind of scary where you don’t want the prince to rescue you in the end.
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and plays a what-if scenario. For instance in From Lambton to Longbourn the what-if is what if Darcy and Elizabeth disclosed their feelings before parting ways after Lydia’s fall from grace? The characters in this what-if scenario all bear the same names, and read fairly familiar, but ultimately are recreated and reintroduced. Attraction is played up and scenes Jane Austen would never write appear involving kissing – great kissing, but a staunch Austen fan will probably feel that even this small break in propriety is too much.