Review: An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter

An Inconvenient Beauty, by Kristi Ann Hunter, is the last installment of the Hawthorne House series.  I've been waiting for this title for a long time, because out of all the Hawthorne siblings, I really wanted to know Griffith's story.  He is the oldest sibling, and holds the position as the Duke of Riverton.  Throughout the series, Griffith has been the responsible one who has been looking after everyone or everything that is under his care, including his mother, siblings, ward, tenants, and holdings.  He is also a thoughtful man who thoroughly considers all the possibilities before deciding on what he believes will work out best for everyone involved. 

After observing the matches all the members of his family have made, including his former ward (Amelia Pendleton, nee Stalwood, the present Lady Raebourne, whose story is told in Hunter's A Lady of Esteem), Griffith also desires to find a love match for himself.  He applies logic to choose his future duchess and decides on Miss Frederica St. Claire.  He hopes to gain her hand before the ton's matchmaking mamas realize that he is looking for a wife.  Unfortunately for Griffith, trying to find time alone with Miss St. Claire is proving to be a challenge. More often than not, he finds himself in the presence of her cousin, Miss Isabella Breckenridge, this season's Incomparable.  He is attracted to her, but doesn't want to get caught up in the drama of trying to compete with the rest of the throng clamoring for Isabella's attentions.  He also is resistant to giving up the choice that he made from his decision making process, to the amusement and chagrin of his relations who know perfectly well that Griffith is a goner where Isabella is concerned. 

While Griffith is struggling with his reluctance to set aside his pride in pursuing Isabella, Isabella is struggling with her conscience.  She has come to London for the season to aid her uncle's political efforts, in exchange for financial assistance for her family.  However, their plans require her to pretend and act in ways that conflict with her spiritual beliefs.  By the time Isabella discovers that Griffith is the kind of man that she has always hoped to marry, she realizes that her actions in town will make any genuine romantic relationship between the two of them impossible.   Who will Griffith make into his duchess?  Will Isabella be able to be true to herself, and help her uncle achieve his political goals so that he is willing to help her family?

I like this novel.  I like Griffith.  If you are looking for a lot of stolen kisses, you won't find them in An Inconvenient Beauty...Griffith is a nice and respectful man.  If it helps to draw you in, there is a secret dance on an upper balcony.   In my opinion, Griffith is an attractive alpha male character who displays a satisfying amount of power in being able to solve problems and get things done.  This is enough for me to award him a high swoon factor as a romantic hero.  He's also self aware enough to realize that he can be arrogant due his station and upbringing, and that he needs to exercise his influence with care, so as to not abuse his position as a duke.

I found Isabella to be okay.  She is a pleasant enough character who doesn't let her beauty go to her head.  She cares for her family and is willing to sacrifice her reputation and be thought of as a coquette in order to help them. 

It was fun reading some of the interactions between Griffith, his siblings, and brothers-in-law.  Most of them know him quite well, and tease him over his courtship plans for Miss St. Claire.  However, the love that binds them together is good and light hearted.  It is nice to read about relatives who get along with each other and who try to help each other out.  It was also nice to be able to visit with characters that appeared in earlier novels of the Hawthorne series.

Even though An Inconvenient Beauty is the last of the series, it can be read as a stand-alone book.  In fact, I still haven't read Georgina's and Colin's story (An Elegant Façade) yet, although I have read all the other novels.  I'm glad that I still have one more story to read about the Hawthorne Family.  If you are looking for clean regencies that feature characters who have faith, then you may wish to consider reading books from the Hawthorne series if you haven't looked into them yet. 

Review: Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice by Stacy King, Art by Po Tse

It is a truth universally acknowledged (by my family) that if there's a novel, story, or film with a connection to Pride and Prejudice, I'm going to want to read or view it.  Stacy King has adapted Jane Austen's novel for a manga version, with the art drawn by Po Tse.  This version retains the general story arc from the original version where Darcy's proud demeanor and Elizabeth's prejudice against Darcy present impediments to their romance.  However, being an adaptation, there have been some alterations in the story, most of which I can live with, with the exception of Darcy being a poor dancer.  (Sorry, in my universe, Darcy probably suffered through lessons with a dancing master, and is probably an excellent dancer; but he just doesn't enjoy the activity.)

Some of the language has been modernized, and is not what I'd expect a person living in Regency times would use, but that would be helpful for those who don't want to slog through archaic expressions in order to understand and appreciate the content of the novel.

Generally, I liked the artwork.  The Bennet girls look suitably cute and adorable, Charlotte Lucas and Mary King look sufficiently plain, Bingley has the hair of an angelic choir boy, and Wickham is the best looking man in the crowd.  Darcy does have a handsome and noble mien, but personally, I find that the depiction of his hair in most of the drawings...is a bit of a miss for me.  There are three locks that seem to wing off in different directions.  You kind of have to see it to understand...although I will say:  shades of Dagwood Bumstead.

Like the 1995 BBC televised version of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth, there is a bit of a wet shirt scene in the manga version, although the appearance of Darcy in such a disheveled state occurs at a different point of the story than that of the television series.  The manga is clean, although Elizabeth and readers get to see some glimpses of Darcy's six-pack.  The Darcy fan-girl in me squeaked a bit!  :P

I thought that this was a pretty good adaptation, and I enjoyed reading this book.  I would recommend this for those who enjoy manga romance but don't want to see anything too provocative, and for those who might find it difficult reading the original text of this classic novel.

Review: A Practical Partnership by Lily George

A Practical Partnership by Lily George is a historical romance that was released in February 2016 by Harlequin's Love Inspired line.  It is a sequel to The Nanny Arrangement, which is a sequel to A Rumored Engagement.  The three novels cover the romances of the Siddons sisters, Nan, Becky, and Susannah.  A Practical Partnership is Nan's story about her relationship with John Reed, a man with a roguish past.   It is a tale about opposites who are attracted to each other.

Nan is now the sole proprietor of the millinery shop in Tansley that she had previously shared with her sisters before Susannah and Becky made advantageous marriages of their own.  Nan has always seen herself as being the plainest and most sensible of the sisters, and has resigned herself to the life of a spinster.  However, with the arrival of a new French milliner in town, Nan has been facing competition for business, and is left wondering how she will be able to continue operating her shop.   She desperately wants to avoid being a financial burden to her sisters. 

John Reed has been reluctantly running his family's estate now that his father has passed on.  The whole idea of assuming these responsibilities is simply not fun or enjoyable to him.   However, he is forcing himself to do his duty.  In his eyes, this also means launching his sister, Jane, into her London season, even though Jane has no wish to have one.  When he sees how comfortable Jane is with Nan, he makes an offer to Nan:  come with the Reeds to create Jane's wardrobe.  Nan doesn't really want to leave her shop, but can't stay in Tansley if she is to work on Jane's wardrobe.  However, with dwindling orders for her shop, Nan agrees to take up John's offer, and leaves town so that she can begin working with Jane at the Reeds' estate, Grant Park.

While Nan is at Grant Park, she discovers the reason why Jane doesn't wish to have a London season, in addition to discovering that John has depths beyond that of a debauched, carefree bachelor.   John teaches her to have a bit of fun instead of being serious all the time.  Being with him encourages her to dream of greater things for her life.

John finds himself growing intrigued with a woman who isn't going out of her way to attract his attention.  However, being at Grant Park forces him to look deeply into the reasons why he doesn't want to take on the responsibilities of running the estate and why he is at odds with the Lord.  Spending time with Nan helps him to find faith again.  However, he finds it difficult to reconcile his romantic attraction to Nan with his perceptions about the class of woman that duty requires for him to marry, and unfortunately, Nan doesn't measure up to those demands.  In addition, a situation arises which leads John to feel betrayed by Nan, making it difficult for him to trust her.  Will this practical partnership ever grow into a romantic one?

I found A Practical Partnership to be a safe and clean read.  For a man who supposedly has spent much of his life before in the pursuit of pleasure, I didn't find John to be much of a rogue.  The hints of the romantic attraction between the two leads are dropped fairly early in the book, but John and Nan don't get anywhere near to a kiss until close to the end of the book.  As for his prankster reputation...well...it seemed to be on the tame side.  He came off as a fairly respectable person who might joke around a bit here and there, using a jovial cover to mask the anger that he had deep inside. 

I liked Nan.  She is a sensible and practical person, who has a dash of stoicism.  She needs to loosen up, and John is able to get her to do that.  It would seem that the two of them are able to bring out the best in each other. 

Even though A Practical Partnership is the third in a trilogy about the Siddons sisters, I think that it can be considered a stand alone novel, as it can be understood and enjoyed without needing to read the other books for more background information. 

Review: Accidental Fiancee by Mary Moore

Accidental Fiancee, by Mary Moore, was released in January 2015 by the Love Inspired Historical line.  I've had a few false starts on this book, but I finally finished it a couple of weeks ago.  I actually enjoyed the novel.  It is the story of Lord Weston, Brandon Roth, a marquis who finds himself proposing to Lady Grace Endicott, who is a complete stranger to himself.  The situation is a bit ironic.  Grace finds herself in this mess because she was trying to warn Lord Weston from getting trapped into proposing to a marriage minded miss who wasn't above using scandal to force him into making an offer.  Instead, Grace finds that she has inadvertently forced Lord Weston to offer for herself in order to protect her sister, Lydia, who has yet to make her come out in the upcoming season.  Grace no longer considers herself available on the market, but does not believe that Lydia would be able to weather the scandal and make a suitable match unless she and Lord Weston deal with their problem discretely.

They agree to enter into a fake engagement where Grace would cry off and break the engagement after a few weeks, when the gossip would sufficiently die down, or when Lydia successfully finds a match for herself.   Grace does not wish to be truly married to Lord Weston; he has a reputation of being a great rake, and she is mortified at the thought of even being perceived as one who would stoop so low as to trap the marquis into marriage.  Grace's conscience is also severely tested during this time; she loathes the fact that she is essentially lying to the ton, and is uncomfortable with the realization that she is developing genuine feelings for Lord Weston as they spend more time with each other. 

In Accidental Fiancee, Grace is the professing believer, while Lord Weston is the one who is making the journey towards faith.  He is helped along in this by his mentor, Lord Langley, who had agreed to support the marquis in his endeavours to make reforms in the House of Lords if Brandon sets aside his rakish ways, which he has.  What plagues Brandon is an inability to forget and forgive himself of the mistakes made in his past, which landed him the reputation of being an irresponsible rake.  When Grace shows him, well,...grace...and acceptance in spite of his past, Brandon starts to see himself as more than what he has perceived himself to be up to this point.  In the beginning, when he first enters into the fake engagement with Grace, Brandon is at first relieved that it is just a temporary measure taken to protect Grace and her sister.  However, as he gets to know her and her character, he realizes that he wants to make the engagement real and binding.

Unfortunately, the path to true love does not run smoothly for these two.  Besides Brandon's challenge of trying to convince Grace that he truly wants her to be his wife, our twosome must dodge opposition from a jealous widow who plans to become the next Lady Weston, and opponents to Brandon's work of reforms through the House of Lords.  Will Brandon be able to win Grace in truth to become his wife?  Will he be able to accept God's grace and forgiveness?  The key verse that is imprinted at the start of the novel is from Ephesians 2:8 which says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God...."  I've found sometimes that these verses, which are usually found at the start of all Love Inspired novels, to be perplexing as to why they were particularly chosen, but the verse for this novel is more than appropriate for this novel. 

As I mentioned before, I liked this novel.  I liked the theme of accepting God's grace and forgiveness...something that cannot be earned, but must be received as a gift.  It was nice to read a historical with this inspiring message in it. 

 

Review: The Matchmaker's Match by Jessica Nelson

After months of waiting for a regency to pop up in the Love Inspired Historical line, I found The Matchmaker's Match, by Jessica Nelson, which was released this month.  It's about Lord Ashwhite, a marquis who must marry within three months time in order to keep his estate, according to his father's will.  Helping him is Lady Amelia Baxley, who is secretly running a matchmaking business on the side so that she can maintain her own household and live independently from her brother and his wife, the latter whom Amelia finds difficult to get along with. 

Ashwhite, a former rake, and a new believer, wants Amelia to find him a believing spouse, but as he spends time with her, he discovers that his interest lingers on Lady Amelia.  However, her independent streak reminds him too much of his mother, with whom he has an estranged relationship.  Amelia finds herself attracted to the Marquis, but has been disappointed in love before. She keeps telling herself that she will do better on her own without love, trying to secure enough income so that she can buy a small home of her own.  On top of that, her own practicality doesn't leave much room for God.  That eliminates her from the Marquis' list of prospects...or will God do something to bring these two together?

I really liked Ashwhite; he's a charmer.  He and Amelia first meet when she steps into an argument that Ashwhite is having with a former paramour, but somehow he finagles Amelia into a dance, leaving both being intrigued with the other.  Amelia's life seems to have been quite defined by her Great Disappointment in love, so she has thrown herself into painting and writing letters to the House of Lords over political issues   As I read the story, two questions were raised over Amelia's character.  How would she come to faith in this story?  Would she get over her broken heart and open herself to another love?

As for Ashwhite, would he find someone to marry in time in order to save his estate?  Will he be able to reconcile with his mother for all the past hurts that she has caused him? 

I felt a bit of tension when I read that he was struggling to forgive his mother while Amelia was still searching for the Lord.  I wanted to call him a poor witness, but the truth is that, in reality, forgiveness is often a very difficult thing to do, whether one is a new or seasoned believer.  Besides dealing with forgiving his mother, Ashwhite also has to deal with the fallout of his previous behaviour as a rake.  Will people be able to forgive him of his past?  Or has he irreparably damaged his reputation so that no respectable woman will give him a chance?

There was a couple of confusing things that appeared in my copy of The Matchmaker's Match.  Chapter Four gives details about the will that has created problems for Ashwhite.  His lawyer tells him that he will lose his lands, except for property that will come to him through his mother, and that he will be able to keep the title "as Earl of Hartsacre" (p. 42.)  I suspect that this is a misprint and that it actually should have read, "Marquis of Ashwhite."  Anyways, it makes me wonder if the Marquis was actually an earl in earlier drafts, but that is just speculation. 

As with many regencies, it is a puzzle to figure out what the actual given names are of the nobility, because they are often referred to by their titles, or by the name associated with the title's seat.  It was tough digging for the Marquis' name, but I think that it is Spencer Broyhill.  The name, Spencer, was often used in this book, but it seemed it could have done as either a first or last name.  Anyhow, I found, "Broyhill," which is mentioned only once, in Chapter 2.  This actually led me to speculate about another puzzle in this book.  How long was the Marquis' father the holder of his title?  We are told that the Marquis and Lady's Amelia's brother are old friends, and that she had previously known the Marquis as Mr. Broyhill before he ascended to the title.  That would make sense if his father had assumed the title relatively recently, and with his death, passed it along to Spencer.  However, it seems as if Lord Ashwhite had been raised and trained to know what to do with the marquisate, and there is reference to Ashwhite (property) being the site of the family home, so I suspect that his father had held the title for quite a long time, and that Spencer would more likely have been referred to as Lord Broyhill, or Lord "X" (whatever title he would have been referred to before assuming the title of marquis).  

Now that I've spent two long paragraphs on my musings over those minor points in the book, I would like to say that I did like this book.  I think that Ms. Nelson did a good job in showing how the characters are attracted to each other, and also tied the minor plot lines (some of which I did not mention) quite well into the main plot.  I hope that she writes more regencies.  I certainly plan on reading them if she does.

Review: A Lady of Esteem, a novella by Kristi Ann Hunter

I've been away for over a month from the blog, and although I've been still reading, I've run into a bit of a writer's block, and also because my attention has been zapped by a knitting project which involves a lot of lace.  I'm also operating under a deadline, and this project must be completed by the end of September.  I've been freaking out a bit, because for the first two and a half weeks of this project, I had been ripping out the same series of rows, over and over again.  However, because of this, I've learned to distinguish between different stitches that are required for this knitting pattern, and I've finally passed the halfway mark to the completion of this object.  Lace no longer seems as scary, but I still consider myself a newbie when it comes to knitting this stuff.  We won't even talk about crocheting lace yet. 

In the meantime, I finally feel up to resuming the blog now that I know that I'll likely be able to finish this particular item by the end of September. 

So...(ahem), here is my review of A Lady of Esteem. 

This novella, by Kristi Ann Hunter, was released, free, on Amazon on July 7th, earlier this summer.  It is the story about Miss Amelia Stalwood, who had been raised by the servants of her neglectful guardian, and Anthony Pendleton, the Marquis of Raebourne, a former rogue who is trying to live out what it means to be a new creation in Christ.  They meet when Amelia accidentally falls into his arms after she tumbles off a ladder while dusting in the library of Lord Raebourne's home. 

Lord Raebourne knows that Amelia is not one of his servants because of the craftsmanship of her clothing, but she won't reveal her name.  He only finds out her first name when a maid comes to warn Amelia to make her escape before the cook (a person to be feared in Lord Raebourne's household) finds out that she has been doing the dusting on behalf of her friend, Emma, who is a real servant in this house, but who is too ill to attend to her duties.  Amelia makes her escape in a timely manner, but not without tossing her dusty rag onto the marquis' head. 

Needless to say, the marquis is intrigued with Amelia and wishes to find out who she is.  However, they do not travel in the same circles; Anthony's position in society sets him in highly exalted company, and Amelia's guardian has conveniently forgotten about her existence since sending her to London away from his estate.  She has only the company of her governess and of servants in her guardian's household, and the friends of those servants who work in other houses. 

However, through the intervention of those servants (or by the intervention of the Lord...I haven't quite figured this out yet), Anthony is finally introduced to Amelia at the home of the Hawthornes.  The Hawthornes are a family comprised of the Duke of Riverton and his siblings.  They are Anthony's friends, who introduced him to a believing faith.  Their servants, Raebourne's servants, and Amelia's guardian's servants are friends of Amelia.   These cheeky workers and the duke's sister, Lady Miranda, conspire to throw Raebourne and Amelia together.  Raebourne goes along for the ride until the death of Amelia's guardian leaves her as the ward of the Duke of Riverton.  He has difficulty in believing that he would be the best choice as a prospective suitor for Amelia because of his roguish past.  Anthony decides to step aside so that she can benefit from the elevated company that she will now be exposed to.  Will Anthony ever accept the truth that he really is a new creation in Christ; that the old is gone, and that the new has come?  Will he and Amelia get together?

I really liked this novella.  It was interesting to see whether Anthony works through his doubts about his worthiness, and whether he comes to accept that there is no condemnation for himself and for those who are in Christ Jesus, regardless of their pasts. 

The story also introduces the Hawthorne family, which is composed of Griffith, the Duke of Riverton, Lady Miranda, Lord Trent, and Lady Georgina.  A Noble Masquerade, which is Miranda's story, will be released in September later this year.   There is a three chapter excerpt for the upcoming novel included at the end of A Lady of Esteem.   I will admit that what I read from it has captured my interest, and I'll be looking out for this book when it comes out next month. 

Review: Snowbound with the Baronet by Deborah Hale

In the regency, Snowbound with the Baronet, by Deborah Hale, Lady Cassandra Whitney and her friend, Mrs. Davis, are travelling by public stagecoach during a snowstorm to Noughtly Hall, home of the Viscountess of Moresly, who is Cassandra's aunt.  Even though Cassandra is the daughter of a duke, her father's death has left his widow, Cassandra's step-mother, and his four daughters dependent upon the graces of his heir, Lord Highworth.  Cassandra has taken matters into her own hands and makes an agreement with Aunt Augusta, the viscountess, that she will become the viscountess' companion, in exchange for a Season for her youngest sister, Evelina, and for a housekeeper's position for Mrs. Davis. 

On their travels, they come across a carriage which has thrown a wheel, and are forced to take on the passengers from the carriage.  These passengers include Sir Brandon Calvert, his cousin, Imogene, and their accompanying staff.  The ride becomes quite awkward for Lady Cassandra and Sir Brandon, because they share a past.  Four years ago, he had proposed marriage to her, but she refused him in the belief that her refusal would protect him.  He believes that she played him for a fool, because she had given him the false hope of being accepted.  He can forgive her for refusing him because he could understand their differences in station (he is the aforementioned baronet in the title of the book), but not for the way that she toyed with his feelings into making him believe that he had a chance to win her.

Because of the increasing severity of the snowstorm, the roads are no longer passable.  The travelers are forced to take refuge at the farm belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Martin, who extend their hospitality to virtual strangers.  Being forced to spend time with each other in such close quarters causes Cassandra and Brandon to realize that they still have unresolved feelings for each other; however, Brandon is reluctant to put his heart out there again after getting burned by Cassandra once before, and Cassandra is too proud to reveal to Brandon the real reasons for her refusal in the past.   Brandon also has secrets of his own which he is too proud to reveal, and even though he becomes increasingly aware that he wishes to rekindle his relationship with Cassandra, his own past warps his ability to trust Cassandra and take a chance on a future with her.  Cassandra, for her part, still must wrestle with her pride and concern for her reputation instead of risking humiliation which could possibly help her regain a future with Brandon. 

As mentioned above, the issue of pride appears many times in this story.  It is because of pride and a drive for independence from the new duke that propels Cassandra to become her aunt's companion.  It is hinted by Viola, Cassandra's oldest sister, that pride led Cassandra to refuse marriage to Brandon the first time.  Cassandra finally acknowledges the truth of this later on in the story, and although she humbles herself enough to admit the reasons for her refusal to Brandon, her pride rears up its ugly head again when she refuses to reveal the reason why she is travelling to her aunt's residence.  She does not wish to be thought of as a gold digger, especially after she discovers the nature of Brandon's secrets.  This leaves Brandon to imagine the worst of circumstances that might require her to travel away from the safety of her own immediate family; he thinks that she might be in an Interesting Condition (i.e. with child).

I thought that the plot and central conflict for this novel were well planned out.  I could appreciate the complex reasons why the characters were too proud and afraid to reveal embarrassing and shameful secrets about their own families.  However, as a reader, because I was privy to what the hero and heroine were thinking, I felt like giving them a couple of good shakes to get over their pride if they wanted the other person's love. 

Also, I appreciated that this novel was clean;  only kisses were present.  I thought that the description of the first kiss that Brandon gave Cassandra in this book was satisfying to read.  I would classify this novel as secular, although there is a short prayer made to the Lord at the Twelfth Night meal. 

Deborah Hale has previously written other regencies for the Love Inspired Historical line, which includes the Glass Slipper Brides, a series about a group of childhood school friends who all eventually became governesses.  Snowbound with the Baronet is the first in a series about the Whitney Family.  There will be future stories about the rest of the females in the Whitney family, including Cassandra's three sisters and step-mother.   

Review: The Forfeit by Py Russell-Heath

The Forfeit, by Py Russell-Heath, is a regency that I found off the freebie list at Amazon.  Yes, I'm still in my freebie hunt mode. Plus, on top of that, it was a regency.  I just couldn't resist.  I also loved the fact that on her author page, Ms. Russell-Heath posted a photo of herself decked out in regency garb.  I want my own gown now.  Actually, now that I think of it, if I could get the special man in my life into a frock coat, I think that I'd be pretty estatic, but I'm digressing from the purpose of this blog entry, which is to discuss The Forfeit.

The hero in this story is a stuffy earl, Lord Edmund Spanton, the Earl of Merton, who forgets himself when he crashes into the heroine, the Honorable Miss Regina Carbury, on a staircase at The Withered Rose Inn.  Both are not in their finest frames of mind; Regina is furious with getting knocked over and proceeds to verbally flay Edmund with her words, while Edmund, who is en route to London after an aggravating visit with his sister, responds with boorish behaviour in the face of what he perceives as an attack by still yet another criticizing female.  When Regina tries to pass by him, he refuses to budge unless she pays him a forfeit, which is, of course, a kiss.  Regina leans over to kiss him on the cheek, but sneaky man that he is, Edmund places his lips in the way, and "...her face reflected the surprise that he felt."  I thought that this line was rather Austen-like...it reminded me of the verbal spat between Darcy and Elizabeth when discussing Wickham, or of the meeting between Elizabeth and Darcy at Pemberley, or even when E and D reconciled their differences on their walk to Oakham Mount.   

At this point in the story, neither person knows the identity of the other, and leaves the inn with a bit of shame over their own behaviour, relieved that they will likely not ever see each other again.  That is the case, until they meet at a ball in London when they find out that Edmund is a dear friend of Regina's aunt and uncle with whom she is staying.  Awkwardness abounds.  Edmund is taken so much by surprise that he ends up giving Regina the cut direct unintentionally, which creates a problem for him in his relationship with Regina's aunt and uncle.  He tries to rectify this error by taking Regina out riding the next day, and Regina and he apologize to each other for their abominable behaviour.  However, Edmund becomes stiff and remote by the end of this outing when he realizes that too much attention has been drawn towards Regina and himself that he fears that talk would circulate about a relationship between them.  Regina, realizing that Edmund is not interested in having society gossip about them being together, regrets her behaviour, but stands firm in her resolve to not presume on the earl's acquaintance.  However, she does admit that he is an attractive man.

Regina is in London to find a husband so that she will not inconvenience her brother or his future wife.  Edmund is also on the marriage hunt, trying to look for a wife who will meet the Three B's:  breeding, bearing, and behaviour.  However, neither is on each other's list initially, until it becomes apparent that no other candidate will do except for the person who each had met at The Withered Rose Inn.

I found this novel to be populated with nice people.  It was rather refreshing.  There wasn't much by the way of catty or mean behaviour by many of the characters in this novel, with a few exceptions: Mrs. Tifton, a social climber, Lady Bremond, the diamond of first water who is the frontrunner for the position of being Edmund's countess, and Lord Linley, a marquis who makes some rather unwelcome advances towards Regina.  Other than that, many of the characters appeared to be self sacrificing, willing to do the right and honorable thing, and in some cases, even at the expense of their own personal happiness.  However, Regina was the one who was the one who exemplified this type of behaviour the most in this story.

The Forfeit had its funny moments too. For starters, there were Regina's responses to all the marriage offers that started coming her way once the three top contenders for her hand were refused.  I also found it a bit funny when Edmund's good friend, Lord Matthew Warton, Viscount Neal, decided to throw in his hat and propose to Regina to stir up Edmund's jealousy. Ah, dear Matthew...such a cheeky fellow.

Another funny moment was when Regina realized that the house party that she was attending would have seven unmarried men, most of whom were earls, one of whom might try to offer for her if only to see if he might succeed where a viscount could not.  Why is the girl panicking?  Really, I don't think that I would have if I were in her shoes. 

Finally, there was the time when Edmund persuaded Regina to read through his updated list of requirements for the Countess of Merton.  Edmund was trying to argue that she had the appropriate breeding and bearing, but I had to laugh at the history of how Regina's forefather gained his title. I also found it humourous that he said to overlook the behaviour section.       

I did fear that the novel was going to drag on a bit after Regina's refusal of her second suitor.  The first two refusals took a bit of time in the plot, but the third and subsequent refusals were dealt with quite quickly and the pace picked up.  I did want to rattle Edmund's shoulders for not realizing his feelings for Regina.

The novel was clean, witty at points, and enjoyable to read.  I wanted to find out how it ended. From Ms. Russell-Heath's author page, it appears that she may have another couple of novels in the works.  I hope that Matthew Warton's story will be one of those.

Review: The Mad Herringtons by Jane Myers Perrine

The Mad Herringtons, by Jane Myers Perrine, is a regency romance.  It is published electronically by Beyond the Page Publishing.  I think that it had been previously published in 2002 by Avalon, which had been bought out by Amazon.  Anyways, at the present time, Beyond the Page is selling the Kindle version for about $2.99 US on Amazon.  For the most part, I found the novel to be breezy, funny, and enjoyable to read.  One might describe this as a fun regency romp.  Certainly, it has the feel of chick lit done in regency style. 

Aphrodite Herrington is the sensible and responsible daughter, born into a family whose members all exhibit passionate natures.  They are collectively known to the ton as the Mad Herringtons and include Aphrodite's parents and 12 other siblings.  Her parents have no problem making rather public displays of affection and procreating at such a fast rate and continually increasing their brood (indeed, in this story, there is another on the way). Her sister, Terpsichore, who dresses quite provocatively for regency standards, has established her own townhouse without a chaperone, with their parents' approval.  Her oldest brother, Aeolus, is in Congo, Africa, searching for the source of the Nile based upon his own opinion.  Her younger sister, Athena, is an accomplished flirt, enjoying the company of eligible and ineligible males, particularly in kissing them without thought or concern for her reputation.

Aphrodite is different; she wishes to conduct her life with propriety, without any hint of scandal.  She also desires to be married, but to a husband who is sober, sensible and not prone to frivolity and passion.  She finds herself betrothed to Frederick Horne, who exhibits a similar personality and compatible interests to her own.  However, Frederick's mother is not convinced of Aphrodite's suitability, and so arrangements are made for a house party at Frederick's estate so that Aphrodite has the opportunity to get acquainted with her future mother-in-law.

Included in the house party are Aphrodite's sisters, Terpsichore and Athena, and another brother, Asklepios, who appears at the party under an alias in a scheme to temporarily escape being caught by a magistrate who is looking for the culprit who dug up his daughter's dead dog.  Frederick's cousin, Viscount Thomas Warwick, heir to the Earl of Wharton, is also present to represent his branch of his family.  At least, that's what he is telling himself and others.

Warwick decides that Aphrodite really needs to know what she is getting into if she marries Frederick; she will gain the atrocious Mrs. Horne as her mother-in-law, which would be a fate worse than death.  Really, he's not helping Aphrodite because he can't forget the kiss that he stole from her two years previously, a kiss that he can't get out of his memory. 

We also find out that even though Aphrodite says that she wants the predictable and dependable Frederick, it is the rogish Warwick who catches her eye, but she will not let her heart open to him because she doesn't trust that he would offer marriage to her because of his past dealings with her.

Thrown into the mix is the re-entrance of former suitor of Terpsichore's, Athena's indiscriminate flirting towards the male species, and preparations for a performance of a Midsummer's Night Dream.  Will Aphrodite be able to keep all her siblings from social ruin?  Will she be able to resist Warwick and keep her intentions to marry Frederick?

The novel has a touch of naughtiness in it, but this is expressed by characters other than Aphrodite, who is in all things proper and controlled. For instance, Athena makes reference to to Warwick looking at Aphrodite by saying, "When you weren't aware, he looked at your bosom.  You have a lovely bosom.  I've seen many men notice that," (typical talk from a flighty man-crazy teenager). Terpsichore also makes a couple of outrageous comments about how it would be worth it to be compromised by Warwick should the occasion arise.  Her character appears to live to shock others with her outrageous talk and dress.  However, there isn't really any actual descriptions of sex in this book, other than the implication of something that is to happen between a couple of minor married characters.  By some standards, this novel would probably be considered sweet and clean, but it certainly doesn't match what you would find in a Harlequin Love Inspired novel. 

There was one point in the story where I was a bit confused.  In chapter 1, Aphrodite turns away from the Viscount Warwick, but he is referred to as a Marquis.  At least, I think that the use of the word referred to Warwick, because otherwise, she is turning away from her father, who is known to be a Marquis.  However, she is not dancing with her father; instead, she is dancing with Warwick.The other thing that I found confusing what that Terpsichore had her own townhouse, which I think would be unheard of for a single unmarried woman who would be considered under the protection of her living parents.  However, it is explained in the story that the Marquis and Marchioness had encouraged the whims of their children and permitted Terpsichore to have her own establishment.

I'm not an expert on regencies, but I had a lot of fun reading this, so if there were major historical inaccuracies, I didn't notice them and I don't think that I would have really minded.  This was an enjoyable book.  I wish that there was more to read about the Mad Herringtons.  Maybe Ms. Myers Perrine will write more about this delightful family; after all, there are ten (eleven!) other members that we haven't met yet!

Disclaimer:  A free e-copy of The Mad Herringtons was provided by Net Galley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in this review are mine. 

Review: The Husband Campaign by Regina Scott

The Husband Campaign, by Regina Scott, was released by Harlequin's Love Inspired Historical line.  It is the third and final book of the Master Matchmakers series which is set in Regency England.  The idea linking together the books in this trilogy is that the servants of several neighbouring noble houses are conspiring to find romantic matches for their aristocratic masters. In spite of this book being the final part of a trilogy, it can be read as a stand alone novel.  

In The Husband Campaign, the aristocrats in question are John, Lord Hascot, and Lady Amelia, daughter of the Marquess of Wesworth.  They find themselves coerced into a marriage of convenience to prevent scandal after John finds Lady Amelia taking shelter in an abandoned stable on his property. Neither wishes to marry each other as they are virtually strangers; Amelia wishes to marry for love, while John had previously been burned in love when the woman whom he loved married his brother instead.  John is finished with society now, preferring the company of his horses, even refusing to sell them if he perceives that the prospective client would make a poor master to his animals.

Two of the servants who have supporting roles in this story are Marcus Fletcher, John's veterinarian, who assists him in running his horse breeding farm, and Dorcas Turner, the lady's maid that John hires to wait on Amelia.  Turner ends up being an advocate for Amelia, helping Amelia's efforts to establish herself as the lady of the house, and in Amelia's campaign to win her husband's love when Amelia realizes that she wants more than what she and John initially agreed to when they first entered into marriage.  Fletcher tries to help John realize that Amelia should be more precious to him than the horses that he owns.

Things are moving swimmingly along, until John's ex-love, now a widow, enters their lives. Also complicating the situation is the arrival of Amelia's father, a man who has never shown affection or approval towards Amelia.  He is especially concerned about John's refusal to sell his horses to certain members of society, and threatens to take Amelia away if John does not meet the Marquess' expectations of providing for Amelia's social standing and protecting her reputation from scandal.  Will Amelia and John be able to make their marriage succeed in the face of these obstacles?

I enjoyed reading this story.  For a man who is uncomfortable with  talking to women, John can be quite effective in getting his point across, especially by the end of book.  He reminded me a little of Fitzwilliam Darcy, with his standoffish behaviour towards others, preference for the country, and also from the wording in a letter to Amelia.  You'll know what I mean when you run across it in the book.


I also enjoyed how the lead characters acknowledged the Lord in this book, through their foxhole prayers. There were also a few concluding paragraphs giving us news about the two other couples from the other two books of the trilogy.  I only wish that we could have heard about the story of how the Duke of Bellington (an extremely minor character who we never actually meet throughout the series) meets his bride, but perhaps that story might turn up in one of Ms. Scott's future stories. This was a nice end to the Master Matchmakers.