Someone to Romance

Someone to Romance by Mary Balogh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thirteen years ago, Gabriel Thorne fled England for Boston out of fear, falsely accused of rape and murder. Now he has returned to claim his title before he's officially declared dead and his odious cousin Manley is named the Earl of Lyndale in his place. It's been nearly seven years since his uncle, the previous Earl, died, and Gabriel had been happy to let everyone believe he was dead as well, until a letter arrived from the one person in England he still loved--his aunt's sister--informing him that the would-be heir was planning to evict her from her home, leaving her destitute. So he turned over his prosperous business to his trusted business partner and boarded a ship. But if Gabriel hopes to make things right, he's going to need help. And an aristocratic countess.

Lady Jessica Archer, sister of the Duke of Netherby, has a court of admirers, none of whom have ever tempted her--even the slightest bit--into matrimony. Suddenly, though, at the advanced age of twenty-five, she realizes she no longer wants life to pass her by, no longer wants to punish herself for surviving her family's Great Disaster unscathed, no longer wants to remain unmarried. On the road back to London, she concludes this will be the year she chooses a husband. She just never imagines it'll turn out to be the rich cit she first encounters in an inn when her arrival deprives him of the private dining room he'd already paid for. To win her hand, though, he must prove he sees her, not just her aristocratic persona.

I love these books so much. The characters suffer real, painful hardships, yet the overall atmosphere of the stories is that of being surrounded by warm, loving family. Well-intentioned matchmaking generally goes awry, but everything comes out right in the end.

This delightful series should be read in order, if only to help keep track of the dizzying array of names and titles in the extended Westcott family. The large family tree printed in the beginning of each book comes in very handy, and bookmarking it can be useful if it's been a while since a reader spent time with these characters.

For readers' advisors: character doorway dominates the first half of the book, and then story doorway comes to the fore. References to rape, murder, and attempted murder, but nothing at all depicted in any detail. A handful of mild swear words. Two sex scenes that are steamy but not terribly explicit (mostly description of the removal of the many articles of clothing). The setting is almost entirely London, England, in 1819.

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Not Quite a Wife

Not Quite a Wife by Mary Jo Putney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Laurel married James when they were very young and madly in love. He was her brother's best friend from the Westerfield Academy, and they met when he visited her home. After an extended honeymoon of bliss, they returned home to London. Before she could be introduced to the rest of his friends, she witnessed him kill an intruder with his bare hands, and the sudden violence frightened her so badly, she fled to live with her brother, wanting never to see her new husband again.

A decade later, James has a malarial attack in Bristol and is robbed by thugs while delirious. Good Samaritans bring him to the local infirmary and leave him in the care of the nurse on duty...Laurel. She recognizes him right away, and realizes that his fever isn't due to his injuries, so she treats him with Jesuit's bark. While hallucinating, he clutches her, reigniting the passion kept tightly banked for ten years. However, the next morning, Laurel lets James believe it was just a dream, and they part ways again, believing it to be forever.

A few weeks later, Laurel realizes she is pregnant, notifies James, and he jumps at the chance to be part of her life once again. For the sake of the baby, they agree to tell people they've reconciled, dividing their time between Bristol, where Laurel runs her brother's clinic and the connected battered women's shelter, and London, where James is a spymaster for the British government. But Laurel's traumatic memories are not easily eradicated, despite all she learns about the extenuating circumstances of that night, and she doesn't know whether she'll ever be able to put it behind her.

I've never witnessed my husband do anything violent, so I have no personal experience with which to compare, yet I groaned in frustration many times while reading because Laurel was so quick to panic and so slow to listen--a common trait among teenagers, and one I really thought she should have grown out of in the intervening years. Also, even once she knew the full story, the mitigating circumstances barely made a dent in the walls she'd built around herself.

Nonetheless, the story was absorbing, the characters felt like real people, and I stayed up way too late reading because I had to know how James was going to catch the kidnapper. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which tells Laurel's brother Daniel's story.

For readers' advisors: character and story doorways, as well as setting (i.e. Napoleonic War era in England). I'd almost characterize it as "Christian Fiction," given the critical importance of Laurel's faith to the story, but there are some sex scenes--albeit not terribly explicit--which you don't typically find in books labeled "Christian Fiction." It's the 6th book in the Lost Lords series, and it's best if they're read in order because the characters from all the other books show up in this one.

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Four Nights With the Duke

Four Nights With the Duke by Eloisa James
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Negative 500 stars, really.

I give up. I struggled to listen to 19 chapters' worth, but I simply can't take it any more. This book is AWFUL!! The narrator's breathy, sleazy voice exacerbates the Ick Factor so badly that I almost didn't make it past the first chapter. In retrospect, I kind of wish I had given up right away and not wasted my time listening to such a wretched travesty of storytelling.

Mia is secretly a popular author of ridiculous Gothic romance novels, but when she's jilted at the alter a month before the deadline her deceased brother imposed on her to marry in order to remain guardian of her nephew, her money doesn't help. She resorts to blackmailing the son of her father's lover into marrying her right away. Their parents caused scandal with their 20-year relationship and more scandal by dying together in a fire at an inn, and further association with the Carrington family is the last thing Vander wants, so he's pretty livid. Stupidly, he doesn't read the letter she leaves with him explaining the terms, which include dissolving the marriage as soon as Charlie's safety is assured. Instead, he burns that letter but does NOT burn the one she also leaves with him that proves his mentally ill father was also treasonous. (Yep, bafflingly moronic decision.)

I'm still not sure why she felt she had to resort to blackmail instead of just telling him the truth and asking for his help. If he'd understood her predicament and met Charlie at the beginning, not to mention the sociopathic uncle scheming to control Charlie's inheritance, perhaps he wouldn't have been as furious or nasty or a complete and total jerk to her. They could have worked together to thwart her uncle and uncover the truth of what happened to her father, brother, and fiance. THAT would have been a much more interesting story for Ms. James to tell. Not to mention actually romantic as they got to know each other and gradually fell in love.

Instead, Ms. James wrote a story in which an a$$hole lusts after his new wife but treats her like garbage and still expects her to be an enthusiastic bed partner. He's controlling and vicious--his only redeeming quality is that he's nice to Charlie. Mia is supposedly independent and brave, but other than her initial determination to follow through with the blackmail, she's a spineless ninny who completely believes she's ugly and has no worth. All scenes between them were excruciatingly painful to listen to and usually resulted in me rolling my eyes, gagging, howling, grinding my teeth, and/or shouting, "THAT'S NOT HOW THAT WORKS!!!"

Case in point: every time Vander was cruel to Mia and then grabbed her, manhandled her, forced kisses on her, or in any other manner sexually assaulted her, and she went from being devastated/furious/anguished/heartbroken to instantly turned on and responsive. WHAT?!?! It's like Ms. James wished to invalidate the trauma of thousands (millions, really) of rape victims by saying, "Oh, it's OK--I know you SAID you didn't want him to touch you, but once he did, you loved it."

I so wish I could prevent Eloisa James from writing another book until she took every single one of Alison Armstrong's PAX workshops. Every. Single. One. Perhaps repeatedly, until the lessons really sunk in.

So what kept me listening through 19 dreadful chapters? I wanted to know whether Mia's uncle had murdered, bought off, or abducted her fiance on the way to the church, and whether he'd set the fire that killed her father. I can't remember how her brother supposedly died, but it wouldn't surprised me if her uncle had killed him off, too. In fact, if anyone reading this review knows the answers to these questions, I'd be grateful if you'd tell me in the comments section below!

I did like the character of Vander's drunken uncle, Sir Cuthbert (Chuffy? hard to tell with an audiobook), and I liked little Charlie. Also, I was amused at the references to Julia "Quiblet" (a.k.a. Julia Quinn, one of my favorite historical romance authors) and Lisa "Klampas" (a.k.a. Lisa Kleypas, another historical romance author).

Unless you wish to alarm your fellow drivers by shouting and gesticulating angrily at invisible people, I'd say skip this audiobook entirely. (If you do wish to freak people out during rush hour, then by all means, download this book.)

For readers' advisors: setting doorway (i.e. England, circa 1800). Swearing and sexual content. Abusive relationship.

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Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's Christmas time, and Jane Austen, her sister Cassandra, and their mother are on the way to visit their brother James and his family for the holidays. They have a mishap enroute, thanks to their brother's parsimony, and end up meeting a handsome stranger on his way to the home of mutual friends, which eventually leads to an invitation for the whole family to join the house party at The Vyne. Unfortunately, a young man dies while they are visiting, and Jane determines it was murder.

She's not alone in her sleuthing this time, for the handsome stranger turns out to be Raphael West, an artist and government agent, and the two of them work together to solve the crime. Jane isn't completely sure she can trust Mr. West, despite their mutual attraction, but she has few options, especially when a second person dies under suspicious circumstances.

I loved all the historical details in this volume--from James' wife Mary's hypochondria to the 12 outfits Cassandra and Jane sewed for their niece's doll as gifts for each of the 12 nights of Christmas. These elements really made the story come alive for me. If Stephanie Barron's Mary Austen is anything like the real Mary Austen was, it's a miracle no one smothered her in her sleep. She is so utterly self-absorbed, she makes for good comic relief, though!

Unfortunately, I struggled to keep straight the names and relationships between a few of the secondary characters, and it slowed down my reading tremendously when I had to stop and go back to look up their connections to each other. This was partly due to my only having time to read during lunch breaks, which wasn't Ms. Barron's fault at all. However, since those characters ended up being central to the mystery, it made for some rough going some of the time.

The other thing that frustrated me was that Jane seemed to ignore some rather obvious clues, which is unusual for this series. I kept wishing I could be like Tuesday Next in the Jasper Fforde Eyre Affair series and jump right in to the book and talk to the characters. I felt like Jane could have wrapped up the case faster if she had paid more attention. On the other hand, the resolution felt somewhat hasty and unsatisfying, albeit realistic.

Bottom line? It's a fun historical cozy mystery, worth the read, but not the best in the series. Still, I'm sad that there can't be many more of these books to come, given that Jane died in her early 40s.

For readers' advisors: setting and story doorways. No sex, bad language, or onscreen violence.

I originally was approved to read a free eGalley copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, but I didn't download it soon enough, so in the end I checked out a copy from my library. Same review, though. :)

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Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord

Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lord Nicholas St. John has been hounded by matchmaking mamas and their devious debutantes ever since a popular women's magazine published a ridiculous article touting him as a "Lord to Land," complete with silly instructions on the best ways to do so. When a friend from his school days approaches Nick seeking help locating his missing sister, Nick grabs at the excuse to leave London far behind.

Lady Isabel Townsend is struggling to keep her young brother's estate afloat after their father, the "Wastrearl," abandoned them, died, and left them penniless. Their home is actually a secret refuge for battered and beaten women and unwed mothers, but if they can't find a way to fix the leaking roof (among other things) and raise enough money to send the young earl off to school, "Minerva House" might be forced to shut down.

Nick and Isabel's paths collide when Nick tracks his school chum's sister to the village near Isabel's home. Isabel has read the infamous article, but what she gleaned from it was that Nicholas is an antiquities expert--exactly the sort of person she requires to assess her prized collection of statues in preparation for selling them off to raise the funds they so desperately need. She invites Nick and his friend to come evaluate the sculptures, planning to simply prevent him from ever meeting her brother's new governess, knowing that the two have likely met before and would recognize each other, but unaware that he's only there because he is actually searching for Georgiana.

Although both have sworn off marriage and love, sparks fly amongst the ancient statues, and secrets cannot be hidden for very long. It was a decent idea for a plot; my reason for only rating it 3 stars (which is quite generous) is that Isabel turns from a strong, independent woman into a ninny when Nicholas is present, and that is a TERRIBLE foundation for an ongoing relationship. (For more on that topic, see http://www.understandmen.com/ ) I felt like the characterizations weren't consistent and believable, and given the constraints of the time, the sex began absurdly early.

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, character & setting secondary. The story takes place in 1823 in England. There are a number of fairly explicit sex scenes.

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The Season

The Season by Sarah MacLean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Best friends Alexandra (Alex), Eleanor (Ella), and Vivian (Vivi) are about to experience their first Season, but none of them is terribly eager for matrimony just yet. Neither are Alex's three older brothers and their close friend Gavin, who have been pressed into service as escorts to a variety of society functions. Still, they are teenagers, and flirting is inevitable, as are misunderstandings, jealousies, hurt feelings, and, of course, True Love.

Gavin is still trying to adjust to his new role as the Earl of Blackmoor, and he is unconvinced that his father's death was really an accident. Vivi and Alex think Ella is being overly dramatic when she tells them of a clandestine conversation she overheard in a garden, but then when they learn Gavin's house has been burglarized, they start to wonder whether someone is indeed spying for the French to aid Napoleon, and whether Gavin might actually be in danger.

This YA novel was her first published book, and it's pretty good for a debut novel, although I did wish an editor had cut the excess descriptions of how someone laughed, smirked, etc. Sometimes the dialogue can really just stand on its own! "Impishly smirking" and whatnot is overkill.

For readers' advisors: story and character doorways. Lots of kissing and angst, but no actual sex. I think there might have been a couple of swear words.

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The Tailor's Daughter

The Tailor's Daughter by Janice Graham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Veda Grenfell comes from a prosperous tailoring family, but her brother longs to be a scholar rather than take over the family business one day. Veda, on the other hand, loves tailoring and has a knack for design, but is stymied by her gender and the societal restrictions of 1860s London. A series of tragedies plague her small family, including the illness that leaves Veda deaf. She struggles against the overwhelming isolation that causes, determined to find a way to communicate and make a life for herself. Love and marriage seem unlikely in the extreme when society equates physical disability with mental incompetence, but hope is hard to extinguish, despite cruel disappointments and heartbreaking betrayals.

My aunt and uncle recommended this book to me, and I am so grateful! It's a very character-driven story, where I felt immersed in Veda's life and the strangeness of her silent world. I agonized alongside her when she lost loved ones, and I cheered her on as she fought to make those who remained understand and communicate with her. My heart broke for her many times, and I KNEW she was not told the truth when she was in France.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary; setting secondary. The relaxed pace might frustrate those who read for story, although the end gets much more exciting. There is no onscreen sex or bad language.

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The Wicked Wager

The Wicked Wager by Anya Wylde
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy from the author herself. Thanks, Anya!

While sneaking out of a window to avoid being trapped into matrimony, Lord Richard Hamilton encounters Miss Emma Grey cursing inventively in the darkness and immediately falls in love with her. Because her uncle, the Duke of Arden, has his doubts about the match and wishes them to wait a year to marry, the young lovers agree to Richard's harebrained scheme to disguise himself as an elderly gardener so he can follow Emma to the duke's home and find a way to somehow compromise her, thereby forcing the wedding date to be moved up. Unsurprisingly, nothing goes quite as planned, and soon Richard's best friend is called in to pretend to be Richard, while the real Richard tries to avoid being blackmailed by the duke's widowed sister. Emma's cousin is dismayed to find herself pursued by Emma's supposed fiance, and he is horrified to find himself pursued by another of her houseguests.

I enjoyed this light historical-romance-turned-murder-mystery. It was fun, and the scene with the mouse in the breakfast room made me laugh out loud. The novel's tone reminded me often of Noel Coward plays: bordering on farcical. Willing suspension of disbelief is required, for there is simply no way an earl in 1800s England could ever hope to successfully masquerade as a duke's head gardener, not even to win a ridiculous wager. Ask anyone who's ever seen Gosford Park or Downton Abbey--servants had their own hierarchy, rules, patterns of speech, and customs, and no earl would ever have been able to fool any of them for a moment.

Still, the silliness was a breath of fresh air during a gloomy week in February, and thankfully Ms. Wylde didn't spend too much time describing the canoodling couples, as those sections often made my eyes roll.

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, setting is secondary. There are no real sex scenes, and only mild period swearing.

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Dark Angel/Lord Carew's Bride

Dark Angel/Lord Carew's Bride by Mary Balogh
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book would have scored a much higher rating in my mind had it not been for the sex--or rather, rape--scenes toward the end of each novella, particularly the first. I do not care if "exercising marital rights" is historically accurate; doing so while your new bride is sobbing and thinks you publicly humiliated her in order to trap her into marrying you will DESTROY YOUR MARRIAGE. It will not "save" it!! Even the character himself admits it feels like rape. Yes, that's because it IS rape! You do not have her consent. She hates you, and even if you are super gentle with her and make her body respond a little bit, that will just make her hate you even more!!

I really like Mary Balogh as an author, but these early novellas of hers should have been rewritten first or never seen the light of day ever again.

Dark Angel was a 4-star novella until the rape scene, and then it dropped to -10 stars.
Lord Carew's Bride was also a 4-star novella until the bordering-on-rape scene, and then it dropped to 2 stars.

The two novellas have intersecting characters, particularly the heroines who are cousins. Both start out imagining themselves in love with the same man, who turns out to be a total slimeball. I will not bother to summarize the plots. Goodreads and the back of the book do that well enough. I just want to be done with this book and move on. I'm so disappointed! They were so good at first....

For readers' advisors: story and character doorways, but skip this one in favor of her other works.

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A Christmas Bride/Christmas Beau

A Christmas Bride/Christmas Beau by Mary Balogh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is not often that a novella--at least, not in the romance genre--delves into the darkness and pain of the human soul. Then again, both of these novellas are nearly full-length novels, and both are written by Mary Balogh, whose recent works have dealt increasingly with more complicated characters and situations than are the standard fare. It makes for a refreshing, absorbing change, albeit not quite the escapist literature I had thought I was checking out from the library.

In "A Christmas Bride," wealthy merchant Edgar Downes has promised his father he will, as the title suggests, find a bride by Christmas. Not just any bride though: a Lady, preferably with a title. This is no easy task, given the social stratification and attitudes of 19th century Britain. Still, his sister did marry a peer, so she can introduce him to eligible young ladies. The problem is, his attention is captured by a widow his own age, who on impulse takes him home with her for a one night stand, which both regret the next day. Lady Stapleton has spent the past dozen years or so frozen in an emotional prison, trapped by self-loathing stemming from a terrible mistake she made during her marriage. She lives her life in the shallows, convinced she does not deserve happiness. Fate and the magic of the Christmas season conspire to upend her orderly existence, however, and soon she finds herself unhappily betrothed and in the midst of a jolly Downes family gathering. Edgar's challenge is to break through Helena's defenses and discover what horrible secret has been haunting her all these years, lest her despair consume them both.

"Christmas Beau" opens with the return of Judith Easton to London society. Her year of mourning for her husband is officially over, and she's not eager to spend another Christmas with his family and their drunken card playing. She is intending instead to enjoy a quiet holiday with her two young children and her sister-in-law, Amy. Within days of her arrival, however, she finds herself the focus of the Marquess of Denbigh's attention. Eight years ago, Judith broke her engagement to the Marquess by eloping with another man, leaving her unhappy parents to break the news of her flight. Since she never knew he was in love with her, she had no idea how badly she crushed his heart. Now he is determined to exact revenge. She doesn't trust him, and never has, so he must be clever and deliberate if he is to convince her his intentions are actually honorable. Only some seismic shifts in perception will avert disaster and heartbreak for both.

These novellas were originally published in the 1990s--much to my astonishment, as very few romance novels/novellas written before the late '90s are any good, in my opinion. They tend to be cheesy and, well, I have a whole theory/rant about that, but anyway, these stories are actually good! All four main characters would have a LOT of work to do to maintain happy marriages, yet I feel like they might have the depth to pull it off.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, story and setting secondary. There are a couple of sex scenes, but I don't remember any swearing.

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Bedding Lord Ned

Bedding Lord Ned by Sally MacKenzie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars, really, because I really liked the novella that came after the end of the novel.

Ellie Bowman has been pining for her neighbor and childhood friend, Lord Ned Valentine, for years, but he fell in love with and married her best friend instead. Four years after Cicely died in childbirth, Ned has decided it's time he found a new wife. Unfortunately for Ellie, it hasn't occurred to Ned that the perfect second wife is right in front of him, so Ellie resolves to look elsewhere, with the help of Ned's mother, the "Duchess of Love."

Given the genre, it should surprise no one that the Duchess is secretly plotting to bring her son and Ellie together, although outwardly she has invited two other eligible gentlemen to her annual matchmaking house party. Sir Reginald, the Duchess's thieving housecat, aids the plan by stealing the scandalous red drawers (a.k.a. underwear) Ellie brought with her by accident and repeatedly leaving the garment in Ned's bedroom. When Ned figures out they belong to sedate, frumpy Ellie, his mind suddenly starts picturing her in them, shaking the foundations of his image of her.

I actually thought the ice skating mishap was far more effective a device in opening Ned's eyes to the depth of his regard for Ellie. And I agree with other reviewers who have said that the ending was rushed, rendering it far less believable. If MacKenzie had taken a little more time developing the subplots and her character development, the book would have been much more satisfying. I read this one because it was on Random House's list of top romances for 2012, and I don't think it belonged there. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't have included it on that list. Still, different things appeal to different people, and this one struck the right chords with the reviewers who made the list. I am more interested in the story behind Ned's brother Ash's estrangement from his wife!

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, setting is secondary (19th century England), and character is trailing along behind. There is a sex scene, and some mild historical-style swearing.

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The Proposal

The Proposal by Mary Balogh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not all wounds are visible.

Lord Hugh (Emes) Trentham has spent the past several years healing from the emotional trauma incurred during the Napoleonic Wars while leading the charge on a "Forlorn Hope"--what would today be called a suicide mission. His body came through unscathed, but as any veteran could tell you, his mind did not. As a reward for his heroism, he was given a title and transformed from the son of a wealthy merchant into a peer of the realm. Now that his year of mourning for his father is over, he is faced with the intimidating task of finding a wife who can guide his younger sister through the Marriage Mart. But Hugh is NOT good with the ladies. His scowling face scares most of them away before they ever have a chance to meet the person inside.

Enter Lady Gwen Muir, widowed for the past seven years and seemingly content with her peaceful life on her brother's estate. She goes for a long walk on the rocky shore to escape her obnoxious hostess and slips on a gravel slope, severely twisting her ankle only feet away from where Hugo sits hidden from view on a ledge. He reluctantly rescues her; she reluctantly lets him. Time and proximity work their magic over the next week, slowly splintering the preconceptions each holds dear. Nonetheless, the chasm between them is wide, and neither is sure they wish to cross it.

It's a refreshing novelty to read a historical romance novel where the hero and heroine are not only in their thirties but also actively dislike each other at first and come from widely differing backgrounds wherein the heroine has the higher social status. Their first impressions of each other are not favorable and do not improve for quite a while, although their budding physical attraction intensifies relatively early on. I really appreciated the gradual development of their relationship as each struggled with personal demons and societal prejudices. As in real life, nothing was simple.

Other reviewers have pointed out that Gwen's story was originally supposed to have been part of a trilogy that began with One Night for Love ...so I now need to go re-read that one! And maybe A Summer to Remember as well.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, setting secondary. There are a couple of sex scenes.

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Jane and the Canterbury Tale

Jane and the Canterbury Tale by Stephanie Barron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OK, I am wimping out on writing this review. I can't think of anything clever to say right now. The book was really good. I did guess the murderer quite early on, but there were enough twists and turns and red herrings that I wasn't at all sure I was right until the very end.

Barron did another excellent job of making it sound as though the book were written by Jane Austen herself, which I appreciate. And I love that she did the research to set her novel in the actual location where the real Jane was at the time the story takes place.

For readers' advisors: story, setting, and language doorways; no sex or onscreen violence

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Crystal Gardens

Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When Miss Evangeline Ames awakens with the realization that an intruder is in her rental cottage, the only place to which she can flee is her landlord's dangerous Crystal Gardens. Inside the Gardens, the plants themselves glow with an eerie paranormal light, and her murderous prowler does not survive the encounter. The attempt on Evangeline's life gives Lucas Sebastian an excuse to indulge his attraction to his intriguing tenant, but he does not foresee how inviting her into his home will permanently overturn his bachelor existence. Evangeline not only isn't afraid of his dark talents, she is counting on them to keep her safe. Suddenly instead of two solitary men virtually camping out in a couple of the rooms, there are servants and family members filling a whole wing of the house, cleaning everything in sight.

This was a fun, quick read, full of the usual silliness about "heated eyes" and "raised [paranormal] senses" that substitutes for the solid foundation of a romantic relationship in Quick/Krentz/Castle's books. It follows her usual formula: strong, independent (...and yet somehow vapid) woman is irresistibly drawn to the dark, tormented, but honorable (and rich) gorgeous hunk of a man whose powerful attraction to her leads him to protect her from the Great Danger threatening her life, and through their teamwork they solve the puzzle, thwart the bad guy(s), and discover how her unique talents will heal the particular damage jeopardizing his psyche.

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, setting (late 1800s England) is secondary. Several semi-explicit sex scenes. (Ooh! Alliteration!)

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A Night Like This

A Night Like This (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #2) by Julia Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Curse you, Julia Quinn! I stayed up two hours past my bedtime because I could NOT put this book down until I finished it! I read on breaks and lunch. I read at the doctor's office. I even read while walking between my car and my library building (occasionally pausing to look for cars before crossing the streets) just to squeeze in a few extra minutes.

Eight years ago, Anne foolishly believed the lies of a handsome boy and was cast out for her mistake. She became a lady's companion and then a governess--eight long years of hiding from the young man and his vow of revenge, not to mention the unwanted attentions of her employers and their male relatives.

Three years ago, hampered by too much alcohol, Daniel, the Earl of Winstead, accidentally shot his friend, Hugh, in a duel and had to flee the country to escape the thugs hired by his friend's enraged father.

They meet on the night Daniel returns home (assured by Hugh that the threat is over), and sparks fly, but as his cousins' governess, Anne knows very well that he is out of her reach and therefore dangerous. Daniel refuses to believe that and persists in finding ways to sneak time with her, to Anne's delight and despair. Then an attempt is made on their lives...but which of them is the target?

For readers' advisors: story and character doorways are primary, but with the witty dialogue and historical (19th century England) setting, language and setting are secondary.

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Death Comes to Pemberley

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

On the eve of the annual Lady Anne Ball at Pemberley, an hysterical Lydia Wickham arrives by coach, sobbing that her husband and Captain Denny are lost in the woodland and possibly shot. Mr. Darcy and Captain Fitzwilliam mount a small search and rescue mission and discover a drunken Wickham kneeling over Denny's body, saying he's killed his only friend. They return to Pemberley and summon the magistrate and constables. But is Wickham really guilty of murder?

James does a pretty good job of summarizing Pride and Prejudice and keeping faithful to the original characterizations. The chain of events seems plausible for the world of Jane Austen, although James' use of the term "police" seems out of place for the time period. (The word existed, but did the "police force" exist as such?)

The epilogue to this book is quite unnecessary, however. The superfluous explanatory scene feels like it should have been put at the end of the original Pride and Prejudice instead (or cut entirely). It really has almost nothing to do with the murder mystery but rather is a conversation between Darcy and Elizabeth that primarily rehashes their bumpy courtship--a conversation which should logically have occurred during the engagement or honeymoon periods, not 6+ years into a good marriage.

Still, it was an enjoyable read.

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, setting is secondary

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His Good Opinion: A Mr. Darcy Novel

His Good Opinion: A Mr. Darcy Novel by Nancy Kelley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Way to go, Nancy!! So many Austen spin-offs feel as though the author only glanced through the parent book once or twice, but this one really feels like Darcy is telling his side of the (same) story. The dialogue from scenes where Elizabeth is present is taken directly from Pride and Prejudice, and everything that happens when Elizabeth is offstage still feels like Austen herself might have written it (aside from the modern spellings).

Nancy answers so many of my questions, like, "So how DID the conversations between Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam go?" Or, "How on earth did Darcy locate Wickham in London?" Or, "What finally convinced Wickham to actually marry Lydia?" Or, "What was Darcy thinking?" (That one applies to many of his scenes in the original, either voiced with curiosity or while shaking head in bafflement.) And I hope someday she considers writing a sequel featuring Col. Fitzwilliam and Georgiana, who are much more three-dimensional characters in this book.

I bought a copy for my mother, and I will be buying one for myself and another for my cousin. To start with. I may hand them out to all my friends next Christmas, too. :)

For readers' advisors: character and story doorways primary, setting secondary



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More Than a Mistress

More than a Mistress by Mary Balogh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I do so love a romance novel that bothers to show how two people might actually be compatible on a deeper, more long-term level. This one does that. Balogh takes two people who don't know each other and don't like each other and shows them discovering there is more to each than either realized. And more to themselves than they realized, too.

Jocelyn, the Duke of Tresham, is furious when he gets shot in the leg during a duel because he is distracted by the screams of a woman in servant's clothing. Jane Ingleby is furious about losing her job when stopping a duel causes her to be late to work. She demands Tresham write her a note to give to her employer; he refuses and insists she work for him as his nurse as punishment for getting him shot. Jane fears being discovered by her cousin the earl and hanged for murdering his despicable son, so in desperation, she agrees, telling Tresham she was raised in a "superior orphanage." Trust does not come easily to these two.

For readers' advisors: character doorway primarily with story a near second. The setting is Regency England (London, to be specific). The middle portion of the book has some steamy sex scenes.



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Just Like Heaven

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I love Julia Quinn because her books make me laugh out loud. This one is no exception. Honoria and her friends and cousins crack me up! I stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish reading this book, despite being totally exhausted after working all week. This is why I purchase Quinn's books instead of just checking them out from the library.

Fans of Julia Quinn will recognize the Smythe-Smith family from the horrendous annual musicales mentioned in most, if not all, of Quinn's novels. Honoria Smythe-Smith is one of that family's infamously untalented musicians (she tortures ears with the violin), but the difference is, she KNOWS she's awful. However, it is the duty of the unmarried Smythe-Smith women to play in the quartet. Honoria is therefore desperate to get married. (Well, and because she wants a large, noisy family to compensate for her currently too-silent home.)

Marcus Holyrood has promised Honoria's brother he'd watch out for her and make sure she doesn't marry anyone unsuitable. Last Season he scared off a couple of fortune hunters, an elderly hopeful, and a man with a cruel streak, all without Honoria knowing what he'd done. This year, however, the social recluse finds himself in a more hands-on role.

For readers' advisors: it's a tough call on doorways. Character and story are strong, but Quinn's humor also makes language a contender, and the 19th century England time period makes setting a factor as well. Anyone else who read this want to chime in and give your opinion?



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The Secret Mistress

The Secret Mistress by Mary Balogh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Mary Balogh manages to take a young, wide-eyed ingenue and make her interesting, sympathetic, and endearing. Angeline's excitement and restless energy born of her enthusiasm for her first London Season are adorable. She finds everything thing fresh, new, and wonderful, and that makes those around her see the world through new eyes, too.

Likewise, Balogh takes a proper, stiff-necked young man and turns him into a startled romantic. His good manners win Angeline's heart, but her impulsive behavior has him bewitched, bewildered, and befuddled. She forces him to reexamine his perspective of the world and himself. It is an utterly delightful take on a tale older than time.

For readers' advisors: character and story doorways primarily, but also setting, as it's set in 19th century England



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