Archive for the ‘Victorian’ Category

ST. JAMES SOCIETY #1: THE BRIDE WORE SCARLET
Liz Carlyle
ISBN:  978-0061965760 (Mass Market Paperback)
ASIN: B004LLII2Q (Kindle)
July 26, 2011 (Mass Market Paperback)
July 26, 2011 (Kindle)
AVON / Harper Collins
Historical / Victorian

Behind the elegant facade of Victorian London resides a mysterious secret society, its members are known as  the men of the St. James Society.  However, when a new recruit is motioned forward to take their vow towards becoming a new member, the other members are aghast – the nearly naked supplicant is not a mere man – but a woman!  No one is more stunned than one of the leaders, Lord Bessett who drags Anais out of the room and berates her for even thinking she was qualified.  But. there might be a way for Anais de Rohan to prove herself worthy of joining the secret-all-male society – if she can agree to travel with the enigmatic nobleman on a dangerous mission.   A mission to save a very young girl with a very rare, and frightening psychic gift.   Anais is ready to do anything to join the society she’s trained her whole life for; as for Bessett – he may think he’s on a mission to save a young girl, but who is going to save him from the intoxicating effect of Anais de Rohan.
***  I have always been intrigued by Ms. Carlyle’s work and the premise of this new series shows enormous promise of a accessing a bit of  paranormal in regards to her key players.  Already with the entrance of Bessett and Anais we are introduced to two types of psychic gifts along with the young girl they are sent to rescue.  The author hints at ‘gifts’ that others in the St. James Society have as well, which naturally sparks this readers interest.   I can’t wait  to continue with this series in order to delve deeper into the society, and discover what other ‘gifts’ these people have, and whether they are used for good or evil.

I’ve noticed, having been a longtime fan of Ms. Carlyle’s body of work, she writes with an elegant voice and does an enormous amount of research for all of her period pieces.  Another thing Carlyle succeeds at is making her characters unforgettable.   If you’ve read one of her books and pick up another a year later, which may mention a character from another book, you will remember them as once introduced, they leave an indelible imprint on your mind.

Anais comes across as a modern day super spy; whose martial arts abilities rival any man’s.  She had been trained from birth to take her place in the secret society, never mind that she was a female with a twin brother.  Naturally, she was gorgeous, and of course Bessett was to die for.  Neither was perfect – but the sensuality that came through in the writing, along with the suspense and danger of their mission made for a splendid read and one of which I highly recommend and will definitely follow through to the next volume.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipandkritiques.com

ABANDONED AT THE ALTAR #1: TROUBLE AT THE WEDDING
Laura Lee Guhrke
ISBN:  978-0061963179 (Mass Market Paperback)
ASIN: B005AJY7XM (Kindle)
ASIN: B006QGIAWW (Unabridged Audio)
December 2011 (Mass Market Paperback)
December 2011 (Kindle)
December 2011 (Unabridged Audio)
AVON / Harper Collins / Tantor Audio
Historical Romance / Victorian

Miss Annabel Wheaton had been in love, and knows how much it hurts when it is one-sided.  Having made that mistake once in her young life she is not about to make it again.  When the opportunity to elevate her standing with the snobbish Knickerbocker set of New York who looked down on her Mississippi mud roots, before she inherited oodles of money, she would take it.   She would marry a British Earl knowing full well that he was marrying her strictly for her money.  However, Christian Du Quesne, Duke of Scarborough believes the stubborn heiress to be making the biggest mistake of her life and he is determined to stop her.   When Annabel’s  family offers Christian a very large sum of money to stop the wedding, he is more than happy to oblige!

***  Set in 1904, when wealthy Americans were ready to pay for that elusive title only the British gentry could bestow, it was quite common to marry the title thereby saving said gentry from foreclosure and bringing in that new American money to shore up the falling down castles and manors who could no longer afford to keep them up.  The only thing the titled Brits had left besides moldering rocks were their titles that the Americans were ready to marry for.

Annabel knew that her earl, Rumsford was a womanizer and fortune hunter but didn’t care as long as he treated her with respect.  However the feisty American was not about to be made over into something she was not and Christian knew deep in his heart that Rumsford was a man who would shut her away in the country and live a dissipated life on her money.  Christian knew this, because many years ago, when young and foolish himself, he had done much the same thing, and now lived twith the ever constant guilt.  No, Christian our hero was no angel and that is one of the reasons TROUBLE AT THE ALTAR was such a great read.  Ms. Guhrke let you see right into the heart of both protagonists, scars and all.

Guhrke did it it with both emotion, caring, and some very refined humor.  At first Christian was in this predicament strictly for the payoff -  he never thought to marry again or cause another woman the pain and suffering he had caused his first wife.  I liked that our hero was flawed – he wasn’t perfect but young and foolish with a conscience that recognized the damage he’d wrought.  But as always, love doesn’t take no for an answer, it wraps itself around you when you least expect it and Guhrke directed it with vim and vigor to encase Annable and Christian in a most marvelous tale that I hightly recommend!  Be ready for laughs and a couple of tissues handy for for a joyous ending!

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

TO TAKE HER PRIDE
Anne Brear
ISBN: 978-1908483119 (Paperback)
ASIN: B007I8RSXO (Kindle)
March 8, 2012 (Paperback)
March 6, 2012 (Kindle)
Knox Robinson Publishing / Knox
Historical / Victorian

In 1898 Yorkshire, Miss Aurora Pettigrew was one very fortunate young lady.  Aurora led a comfortable life with loving family, a nice home and generous and loving parents.  The only thing missing from her life was a marriage proposal and once Reid Sinclair returned home, she was hoping that the special friendship they shared would culminate with an offer she dreamed of.  However, Reid’s mother Julia was ruthless in wanting only the best for her eldest son and heir and would do anything to derail their budding romance.  Julia unearthed a family secret that tore Aurora’s world apart.  Not wanting to bring shame upon the family she loved Aurora left behind all her dreams and left on a journey to discover her roots – roots that led her to a world she had never known existed.  It thrust her into a neighborhood with people she would never have mixed with before.  Before the danger she had brought down upon herself came to fruition,  Aurora was saved by the chance meeting of a man from her past that gave her the security through marriage to take her out of the mean streets and into a life more suited for her to raise her, as yet, unborn child.  When tragedy does strike, would Aurora still run from her past or take a chance on a new future with the man she had never stopped loving?

***   All I could think of when reading this marvelously well versed, historically correct, and lovely romance were the likes of another favorite author of mine, the late Catherine Cookson who made it her specialty of writing of the down-trodden inhabitants of her deprived youth in Northeast Great Britain.  Ms. Brear was able to capture this same style and relate it with as much feeling and emotion as the late great Ms. Cookson had.  The other thing Brear did was show the ruthlessness of some of the upper gentry who made life among the common people so hard to bear.   During this reading I would find myself close to tears, or rather clapping with joy for the most menial of achievements each person accomplished.

The characters Brear brought to life were multi-dimensional, and they became real to this readers imagination – real enough that I really cared that they get their just desserts whether it be for good or bad.   Brear’s pacing was outstanding and the pages flew as I just kept telling myself in the wee hours of the morning – just one more chapter – just one more chapter and I’ll get to bed!  

The pages flew and not only with the struggles Aurora had to face, as she came to finally accept the mother that had given her up so that she would be loved and cared for when she knew she could not  provide for her.  But, also to discover that goodness in people was not a class distinction but came in all walks of life, be it the down-trodden or the upper crust of society.  The same held true for Reid, when he discovered his mother’s complicity in interfering in both his life and that of his siblings, and learned a greater truth about his brother and how he played and payed the ultimate price in Reid’s eventual happiness.

Bottom line:  I loved this story.  It was first-rate and something I have come to expect from Anne Brear   aka Anne Whitfield.  Bravo my dear – this was an absolutely stellar effort and I highly recommend this book to be read by all!

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

A LADY’S LESSON IN SCANDAL
Meredith Duran
ISBN: 978-1451606935 (Mass Market PB)
ASIN: B004INH9OK (Kindle)
July 2011 (Mass Market PB)
July 2011 (Kindle)
Simon & Schuster / Pocket Star
Historical Romance / Victorian

Growing up in Bethnel Green, one of the worst slums of London, Nell Whitby has learned how to survive by hard honest work; and alive and untouched by innate street-savviness. In her world there are no dreams bigger than someday finding a decent fellow who will treat you right and earn enough to keep food on the table and a roof over your head.

As a notorious rake of the first order, Simon St. Maur the new Earl of Rushden, spent his youth burning bridges.  Then he inherited the Earldom, with not a penny attached to it!  He knows he has to do something like finding a wealthy woman who might find the lure of becoming a countess as an answer to his prayers.  However, what fate brings him is a young woman padding through his bedroom one night with murder on her mind – his!!!

***  To me this A LADY’S LESSON IN SCANDAL was an amazing story and I loved how the author introduced the two protagonists to one another.   What could be more satisfying than having a young girl dressed as a young lad holding a gun on a naked earl in the middle of the night in his bedroom!  Well, this scandalous rake was in trouble from that moment on – actually trouble Simon was quite intent on manipulating to his own advantage.

Duran employed excellent writing in this engrossing tale of a missing heiress who was solely intent upon avenging her mum from the notorious earl who had used her and tossed her aside. The same evil earl who was her father.  The author gave Nell the motivation of thinking she was a bastard and her mum had been disgraced and tossed aside like garbage the way that the most all of the wealthy looked upon the masses eking out a living in the squalor of the London slums.  However, the one thing her mum had given Nell was a bit of education.  She insisted that Nell learn to read and write.  On top of that Duran gave Nell intelligence – some learned from books, and the rest of how to survive in her surroundings.

Duran put together a well thought out scenario with Simon recognizing the resemblance of his intruder to Lady Katherine (Nell’s sister).  Simon realized, almost at once, that Nell could be the former Earl of Rushden’s kidnapped twin daughter from years past.  The problem would be in proving it and author Duran takes the reader on a humorous, sensual, and sometimes dangerous ride right up to the thrilling and very satisfying end to help him prove it.   Definitely a book I recommend!

Marilyn Rondeau, for ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

UNCLAIMED
Courtney Milan
HQN
September 20, 2011
ISBN-10: 0373776039
ISBN-13: 978-0373776030
ASIN: B005HRPWJU
Historical Romance/Victorian
Mass Market / Ebook

Sir Mark Turner is revered for his book, The Gentleman’s Practical Guide to Chastity. All the attention drives him mad, so he takes off for his childhood home in the country where he hopes to luxuriate in some peace and quiet. Instead he finds his life thrown into even greater turmoil, all at the hands of Jessica Farleigh, a woman who tempts him beyond reason.

Jessica isn’t the genteel widow he believes her to be, but rather a courtesan, desperate to buy her survival at a steep price: Mark’s virtue. In order to finally be free of a harsh life as a courtesan, she will have to seduce Mark, a bargain that seems easy at first. However, as she comes to know Mark, she must make a difficult choice between a secure future or an impossible love.

Courtney Milan made me an instant fan with PROOF OF SEDUCTION. With UNVEILED she cemented a place on my favorite author list, and now, with UNCLAIMED she has secured an entire shelf of my coveted keeper books.

I loved the unique twist on the usual rake and virgin stories, even though I have to admit to initially being a bit wary about how it would all play out. However, within the first few pages, Ms. Milan put all my hesitance aside, and I found myself devouring the pages, desperate to know how Mark and Jessica were going to work out the massive conflict between them.

The fact that Mark is chaste in no way takes away from his masculinity. He knows his way around the female form, he just prefers to keep his impulses in check. For this reason, the dialogue between Jessica and Mark is some of the best ever written, it absolutely sparkles. Jessica is Mark’s perfect match in every way and I loved the fact that Mark pushed her to be better despite her checkered past and her belief that she didn’t deserve to have better.

UNCLAIMED has a lovely quietness about it that just grabs you by the heart. It is a beautifully written book, brilliant in its execution and I loved every minute of it. Mark is definitely one of my favorite heroes, and the glimpse of Smite that we got in this book has me eagerly awaiting his story.