Someone to Cherish

Someone to Cherish by Mary Balogh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Harry Westcott has done a lot of healing, both physically and emotionally, the past four years since he's been back in his childhood home, alone except for the army of servants. He is content with his life and has regained his happiness. But on the cusp of turning thirty, suddenly his contentment is threaded with a bit of restlessness. Maybe he does need more in his life?

Lydia Tavernor has lived alone in her tiny cottage opposite the gateway to Hinsford Manor for more than a year, since she bought it and moved in after her husband drowned saving a young boy from the village. Her husband had been a beloved vicar, ardent in his faith and dedicated to his parishioners. What no one knows is that he was a benevolent despot as a husband, dictating every aspect of her life, eschewing both physical contact and humor. After grieving the loss of her husband for the full length of her mourning period, Lydia is learning to find herself--her true self--again, a person she lost track of in the 20 years since her mother died when she was eight and her father and brothers wrapped her in metaphorical cotton wool to protect her from the Big Bad World. Now that she's had a taste of freedom, she never again wants to hand it over to a man. Still, living alone can be lonely. She just doesn't realize what a can of worms she will open by asking her handsome neighbor if he ever gets lonely, too.

The outcome is never in doubt--I mean, it IS a romance novel--but the journey these two take to get there is interesting. They have been acquaintances for about 4 years by the time the book begins, and yet Harry has never truly noticed Lydia, ever, even while chatting politely with her at social events. She, on the other hand, has built up a fantasy version of him based solely on seeing him interact with their neighbors, and he has become literally the man of her dreams.

My favorite parts of the novel were when they were engaged in quiet conversation about things they'd never told another soul. The reason I am rating the book--and I wrestled with this--three stars instead of four is because I think there needed to be an additional scene or two where they maybe had a moment or two to converse privately while in public view (or even not in public?) and do a better job of building the foundation for a relationship. To me it felt like Balogh was skirting too close to the "insta-love" trope by having them fall in love on the basis of so little.

The second reason for my lower-than-usual-rating for a book in this series is that I really think Lydia capitulated far too quickly. She is initially so strong and determined, I think it would have made far more sense for her to resist marriage until she got a closer view of the relationships between spouses in the Westcott family. She needed to see in action that husbands don't necessarily dominate their wives and dictate all their choices. She needed time to begin building relationships with Harry's sisters, cousins, and mother. There really was no "Aha!" moment of growth where her change of heart would make sense.

Also, I wished the characters of Jeremy and Mrs. Piper had been fleshed out more. They were rather two-dimensional.

Otherwise, though, I loved the book!

For readers' advisors: character edges out story doorway as primary, setting (Regency England) is secondary, though I realize my complaints about the book are about deficiencies in characters. There are some makeout scenes and a couple of sex scenes. The occasional mild swear word appeared. One scene depicts a solid punch being thrown.

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Someone to Trust

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

This leisurely paced, delightful tale of a couple finding the courage to buck societal norms and say yes to love is a perfect cozy winter read. Elizabeth is nine years older than Colin--a fact which would be unusual but no big deal in modern society but which was practically unheard of in upper class Regency England. Since this is book #5 in the series (reading in order is recommended, as the many characters reappear in all books), I was cheering as two of my favorite secondary characters got their well-deserved HEA together.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an eGalley ARC copy!

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Someone to Care

Someone to Care by Mary Balogh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Viola Kingsley spent more than two decades as Viola Westcott, Countess of Riverdale. It was a loveless marriage, but she did come out of it with three children. As it turned out, that was ALL she got out of it--upon the death of the Earl, the entire Westcott family discovered that Viola and Humphrey had never been legally married, since his unknown first wife was still alive at the time of their wedding. Overnight Viola went from being a wealthy widow to a penniless pariah. The Earl's title transferred to a very reluctant Cousin Alexander; the Earl's money went to his sole legitimate heir: Anna, his daughter from his first marriage.

Several years later, Viola's life has stabilized: instead of being rejected by her family, the entire Westcott and Kingsley clans have gone out of their way to enfold and support her. Camille, her eldest daughter, has made her a grandmother. Anna is impossible to hate and absolutely insisted on giving Viola's home and dowry back to her and to her youngest daughter, Abigail. Viola worries constantly about her son Harry, back with his regiment and fighting Napoleon's forces, but he says he's having the time of his life. She should be content. And yet....

Just after her grandson's christening, Viola snaps. She has been suppressing her true self for a quarter of a century, and at 42 years of age, she no longer knows who she is and desperately needs to be alone to figure it out. She makes her escape in a hired carriage, which breaks down in a small village in the middle of nowhere, stranding her temporarily at the sole inn. Because Fate has a wicked sense of humor, she's not the only traveler stranded there that day. Marcel Lamarr, Marquess of Dorchester, the only man to ever tempt her to break her marriage vows, is already in the main dining room when she arrives. It's been fourteen years since she sent him away....

Marcel has a well-earned reputation as a gambler and cynic, a long list of former mistresses, and a history of avoiding family responsibility. He's in no hurry to return to his estate and deal with the various relatives living there, including his own children. In fact, he's successfully avoided dealing with them more than a few brief times a year since his wife's fatal accident almost 17 years ago. When he spies Viola, he makes the impulsive decision to send his brother away with his carriage, intending to test his powers of persuasion...and is delighted when she doesn't turn down his offer to escort her to the village fair. He's even more delighted when she agrees to spend the evening with him...and then to run away with him to his remote cottage.

What starts out as an impulsive fling evolves into a far more complicated relationship as the weeks go by, eventually becoming impossibly tangled once they are discovered by their respective families. For it turns out that responsibilities are not shed quite as easily nor permanently as Marcel had talked himself into believing, and to his astonishment, he's no longer sure he wants them to be.

This fourth book in the Westcott series is my favorite so far, and not just because the protagonists are only slightly younger than I am (a nice change from twenty-somethings who are magically as mature as people a decade older). Ms. Balogh is known for her character-driven romances, and this is one of her best, in my opinion. Viola and Marcel bring lots of baggage to their relationship, and the journey they make toward reconciliation and healing, particularly Marcel in his broken relationships with his children, is an absorbing story to read.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, setting (1813 England) is secondary. There is no violence, but there are sex scenes (not overly explicit) and some mild swearing (mostly variations on "damn").

Many many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC ebook I received in exchange for my honest review.

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Someone to Wed

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

Alexander Westcott unexpectedly inherited an earldom and a struggling estate last year but not the fortune to go with it, making him an excellent candidate for Wren Hayden's husband search. She plans to snare a husband with her fortune in order to overcome the impediment of a marred face and hermit lifestyle. Wren fails to take into account his social responsibilities and large close-knit family, however, and quickly changes her mind. Sparks of interest, though, are not so easily extinguished....

I really liked that the heroine was slightly older (about 30) and had a big purple birthmark on her face instead of being 20 and conventionally beautiful. (OK, so other than the birthmark she was beautiful, but still.) Wren probably should have struggled a bit more in overcoming 20 years of hiding her face behind a veil after 10 years of being locked in her room--had a few more setbacks, perhaps--which really makes my rating more like 3.5 stars, but I so enjoy the Westcott family, I'm rounding up.

I also liked that despite her fear of showing her face to the world and not being taught to read until she was 10, Wren was a savvy, successful businesswoman. Additionally, her blunt, brave honesty saved herself and others from so much anxiety and heartache. I hate when characters avoid saying things because the truth is hard or they fear the answer and think silence or a polite lie will be easier, and then they end up causing MORE pain due to uncertainty, confusion, misconceptions, etc. I hate when this happens in real life, too.

I liked that the romance grew a bit more slowly, although the final scene's dialogue sort of tries to make you think otherwise to a degree. (I didn't buy it, and it was better the other way anyhow.) Alexander and Wren grew to respect each other, which I appreciated.

For readers' advisors: character and setting doorways are primary (Regency England during the Napoleonic wars). There are a couple of sex scenes but not terribly explicit. Occasionally a mild swear word. No violence.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

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Merely a Marriage

Merely a Marriage by Jo Beverley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When Princess Charlotte dies in childbirth, it sends British society into a tailspin of mourning and reminds Lady Ariana Boxstall just how fragile life can be. Although she has been firmly "on the shelf" since a disastrous coming out season when she was only 17, she is desperate to have her younger brother marry and start a family, ensuring their family name and fortune will never fall into the hands of their drunkard uncle. The siblings make a grudging bargain: Norris will marry if Ariana will. To Town they go, in search of spouses they can each both tolerate and persuade quickly into matrimony. To Ariana's dismay, this means she suddenly finds herself frequently in company with the same man who broke her heart 8 years ago. However, he isn't the same man he once was, any more than she is the same girl she was back then, and maybe, just maybe, hearts can be healed.

Took me a little while to get into this story, but I grew to like the characters and wanted to know what would happen to them and what had happened in the past. Might have gone with 4 stars, but I have some issues with the plausibility and internal (in)consistency of the ending, which I can't fully discuss without spoilers. Still, it was a fun read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, setting (right after the death of Princess Charlotte) secondary. A bit of mild swearing, some kisses, and one not-at-all-descriptive sex scene.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

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A School for Brides

A School for Brides by Patrice Kindl
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The eight young ladies of the Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy came to attend the school through disparate circumstances and harbor a wide range of goals and dreams, yet they share one thing in common: the understanding that finding a suitable husband is infinitely more difficult when one lives in a tiny village virtually devoid of potential candidates. This doesn't perturb Miss Rosalind Franklin, who would much rather devote herself to scientific studies, but it greatly alarms the other seven, including those too young to be in immediate danger of spinsterhood. Fortunately (for the ladies, anyway), their prospects improve when a young, handsome, injured traveler takes up temporary residence in the school's guest room and is visited by his young, handsome friends. Toss in a mysterious admirer, a scheming governess, and a giant sheepdog, and life in Lesser Hoo is anything but dull.

This was a light, fun read. I very much enjoyed the humorous, vaguely Austenesque style of writing and the creativity of the names. I did have difficulty on occasion, however, keeping the characters straight, so I was thankful for the Character List at the beginning of the book--I referred back to it often.

For readers' advisors: language and story doorway are primary, setting secondary. No sex, violence, or bad language. A few characters from Keeping the Castle reappear in this book, but it's not really necessary to have read the first in the series in order to enjoy the second. Although several of the girls are engaged by the end, the book comes across more as historical fiction than historical romance, since you never really delve deeply into any of the romantic relationships--the development of friendships between several of the girls is just as (or more) important.

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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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The Sum of All Kisses

The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Hugh Prentice got drunk and challenged his friend Daniel to a duel over a card game, the repercussions rocketed through not only his life but the lives of their family and friends. Hugh, for example, although recovered from the initial wound and near-death experience, now walks with a permanent limp and is in constant pain. Daniel had to flee the country for three years until Hugh managed to force his father to stop trying to kill Daniel in retribution for Daniel accidentally shooting Hugh in the leg. (To be fair, Hugh had accidentally shot Daniel first.) And Lady Sarah Pleinsworth, cousin of Daniel Smythe-Smith, was forced to delay her come-out and therefore missed her chance at a Season when not one, not two, but FOURTEEN eligible men proposed (and were presumably married) to eligible young ladies. Lady Sarah has never forgiven Hugh for either injury.

Fate, however, has a perverse sense of humor, as an extended house party encompassing two large weddings forces Hugh and Sarah into close proximity where they learn that first (and second and third) impressions can be misleading.

As always, Quinn's books make me laugh out loud. In this case, the dialogue between Sarah's sisters provides most of the humorous moments. I hope we get to see more of Harriet, Elizabeth, and Frances in later novels.

I appreciated that the characters were flawed and had a chance to grow and change over the course of the book. My one quibble with the story is that Sarah's horror at learning Hugh's method of subduing his father seems too extreme. I didn't think it was as big of a deal as she makes it out to be, and I felt at times like I must have missed something. The solution she comes up with works, but the whole end felt a little melodramatic. Still, it was a fun read.

For readers' advisors: character and setting doorways are primary, story secondary. Some sexual content and mild historical swearing.

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Nowhere Near Respectable

Nowhere Near Respectable by Mary Jo Putney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars, really.

When Lady Kiri Lawford accidentally overhears her potential mother-in-law insulting her and her mother, she is so furious, she "borrows" the best horse in the stables and sets off alone for her brother's house in London. Not the smartest plan in the world, as it turns out, because while still far from home, she stumbles across a group of smugglers who capture her, chain her up in a cave, and then begin debating the merits of raping & killing her versus holding her for ransom. She is ultimately freed by a combination of an honorable customer of theirs and her own skills, including using her diamond ring to saw through the manacles and her knowledge of hand-to-hand fighting.

Her rescuer turns out to be Damian Mackenzie, friend and former classmate of her brother's, owner of a fashionable gambling establishment and the illegitimate brother of Lord Will Masterson. Even though Mac is not really suitable marriage material, he appeals to Kiri's rebellious side, and she can't quite make herself stay away from him once they are back in London. One night, she and a friend sneak out and go masqueraded to Mac's club under the pretense of repaying him the money he spent rescuing her. They see it as a great adventure, but the adventure turns serious when Kiri notices a young woman being abducted and charges into the fray. The kidnapping turns out to be part of a much larger conspiracy, and soon Kiri is going undercover, using her unique perfumer's talent of identifying scents to locate the culprits.

The reason this novel didn't rate a full four stars (or more) from me is that it requires more than the usual amount of willing suspension of disbelief. I could believe that Kiri's childhood was unusual enough to have afforded her training in a particular type of Indian hand-to-hand combat, and I could even believe that she'd been trained as a perfumer. My own husband has an incredibly strong magnetic pull on me, so I could just barely stretch far enough to believe in the power of her attraction to Mac. But I had a hard time swallowing the concept that her brother the Duke, her stepfather the General, or her mother the Hindu princess would have ever allowed her to move into a boardinghouse for spies and go out unchaperoned, dressed as a doxy, looking for traitors and criminals!

Still, the story was highly engaging, and I enjoyed the historical thread regarding the state of the British royal family during the Regency period. It was a fun read.

For readers' advisors: story, character, and setting doorways. Some sex and swearing.

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Sometimes a Rogue

Sometimes a Rogue by Mary Jo Putney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

More like 3.5 stars. I'd say four, if it weren't for the slightly-too-easy escapes from disaster. And the fact that Mariah going into labor in the opening scene was a bit too sudden and dramatic. Not that water breaking and things going awry isn't likely, especially in that day & age, but as someone who is currently waiting for labor to start, I can tell you that water breaking--as the first sign of labor--is almost certainly not followed seconds later by second stage labor (i.e. the pushing phase), no matter what is portrayed on tv or in movies.

Still, I really enjoyed the story of Sarah Clarke-Townsend and Rob Carmichael. She's the identical twin of the pregnant Duchess of Ashton; he's the Bow Street Runner and friend of the Duke of Ashton who races to rescue her from the kidnappers who've abducted her by mistake. Sarah is no fragile flower, though, and Rob's admiration for her intrepid spirit grows by the hour as they struggle to evade capture throughout the Irish countryside. A near-death calamity leads to Sarah claiming, for expediency's sake, to be his fiancee, which turns out to be the best thing for both of them as they turn pretense into reality.

This is a great series for keeping oneself entertained and distracted. I seem to have accidentally skipped book #4, however, so I do need to go back and locate that one now.

For readers' advisors: story and character doorways, primarily, but also historical setting (Regency England). Several sex scenes later in the book, but thankfully not especially explicit. Some mild swearing, particularly on the part of a young girl who's spent an unfortunate two years with her crude and abusive grandfather.

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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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Shades of Milk and Honey

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars, really.

Plain-looking Jane Ellsworth has resigned herself to being a spinster. Well, almost resigned. She plans to help her beautiful younger sister marry well so that she might live in her sister's household someday after their father dies. Melody is eighteen and has let her beauty carry her through life, never working to cultivate lady-like accomplishments such as those in which her elder sister excels. Friction begins to creep in to their relationship when both women develop crushes on the same man, and their mutual jealousy creates a painful barrier between the sisters. When Jane attracts the attention of not one but two eligible gentlemen in the neighborhood, Melody seeks solace in the arms of a man who is neither available nor honorable. Jane must use all her skills to keep the situation from exploding into a full-blown disaster.

I received a copy of this book from a good friend, and I was really excited to read it. There are a number of very positive reviews. I think, though, that it would have been better had I not been under the impression the author was "Austenesque." Yes, the setting is roughly like that of Jane Austen's novels, magic notwithstanding, but the comparison of the two authors isn't all that apt. Kowal has none of Austen's biting wit nor social satire. The characters felt like she'd taken Austen's originals, put them in a blender, and came out with an odd mish-mash of personalities and flaws. I kept getting flashes of scenes or situations, and then was confused or reminded to reign in my imagination when what actually happened was different.

Melody really was just a pretty face hiding an immature, selfish temperament. Captain Livingston is Wickham, Frank Churchill, and Willoughby all rolled into one--how did no one predict his bad behavior? The neighbor's 16-year-old sister whom Jane befriends (and whose name escapes me at the moment, as I left the book at home) starts out sweet and reminiscent of Georgiana Darcy but then turns into an irrational shrew by the end. Likewise, the girl's older brother begins as a mixture of Mr. Darcy, Col. Fitzwilliam, and Mr. Knightley and then devolves into impetuous behavior that feels inconsistent with his character. I'm all for character development...but this didn't come across as creating depth.

Since I read for character as well as story, it didn't help matters that I found the budding relationships to be...thin? Weak? I wanted there to be more of a foundation for Jane to fall in love--with either of her suitors, both of whom seemed interested in (or hostile towards!) her merely for her skills at "glamour" (i.e. magical illusions).

I am still debating whether to read the next two books in this series. There is potential for a lovely historical fantasy series, if only Kowal can break free of Austen's shadow and just focus on doing her own thing.

For readers' advisors: setting and character doorways. It's a pretty slow-moving story until the very end. No sex, and I can't recall any real swearing.

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Keeping the Castle

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Keeping the Castle is rather like Jane Austen's Emma meets Cinderella but without any dead mothers. A beautiful but impoverished teenager makes naive, clueless attempts at matchmaking in an effort to save her family's crumbling home. Since her single-minded drive to keep poverty at bay has blinded her to the feelings and preferences of most of the parties involved, her machinations don't turn out quite as she'd planned. And thank goodness!

I enjoyed this light, frothy story. There is very little in the way of character development, but it's a quick read.

For readers' advisors: story doorway. There is no sex or language. Indeed, even a marriage proposal is accepted with a handshake!

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Loving Miss Darcy book giveaway contest

My friend and fabulous author, Nancy Kelley, is giving away a copy of her new book, Loving Miss Darcy!  Enter to win here.  Hurry--the giveaway ends in 5 days, 22 hours...which equals approximately January 21, 2013, give or take a few hours.  This new book features Georgiana Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam of Pride & Prejudice fame.

The Ugly Duchess

The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

The Duke of Ashbrook informs his son, James, that James must woo and marry the duke's ward, Theo, or they will lose everything. The duke has already embezzled a sizable amount of Theo's dowry, and if her mother finds out, she will have him arrested. James is livid but is forced to agree to the plan, on the condition that upon their wedding day, his father signs the entire estate over to him to prevent any more financial disasters. James and Theo have been raised as siblings and are best friends, so when he begins to court her, both are shocked to discover their feelings are deeper than either knew. Two days after the wedding, however, Theo learns the truth and banishes both James and the duke from the house. She never hears from her husband again until the day of the formal ceremony in the House of Lords to declare him dead.

I was going to give this one five stars...until the last third of the book after James returns and is a total jerk. 1 star for that section. He's known all along that he betrayed his best friend and will have to work really hard to rebuild her trust in him and convince her he actually does love her, not her dowry, yet when he finally bothers to come home, all he does is humiliate her and run roughshod over her life, stripping away her freedom and autonomy. I HATED him for that. For not listening to her. For not ever really apologizing or demonstrating that he understood the vastness of her pain. James swaggered in and treated Theo like a possession, not a person, and never ever truly LOOKED at her to see the person she had become or what she had accomplished during those long years alone. Even while he was working to overcome her revulsion at all things sexual, all he did was lie to her and trick her. (And really, under the circumstances, she re-learned to enjoy sex WAY too quickly.)

This book made me so very very angry. I have enjoyed Ms. James' books in the past, but this one.... James (the author as well as the character!) needs to attend some of Alison Armstrong's workshops, especially the one called "Understanding Women"! Particularly the part about The Rage Monster and the proper (and only effective) method of apologizing to a woman.

Oh, and it's loosely a re-telling of the Ugly Duckling fairy tale.

For readers' advisors: story, character, setting doorways. Steamy sex scenes.

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The Duke Is Mine

The Duke Is Mine by Eloisa James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Olivia Lytton has been raised since birth to be a duchess. Her father and the Duke of Canterwick were schoolmates who pledged to betroth their first-born daughter and son, respectively, so Olivia has always known who she'd marry. However, her fiance is a few bricks shy of a load and five years younger than she to boot, so she takes refuge in bawdy wit, to the despair of her mother and twin sister.

After an embarrassing encounter forced on the pair by their parents, Rupert heads off to war, determined to bring glory upon his family name before he marries Olivia. For her part, Olivia becomes Rupert's champion as she learns to appreciate his sweetness and realizes he had been deprived of oxygen at birth. With Olivia's future settled, she and her twin sister Georgiana head to the country where Georgie is auditioning for the role of duchess to Quin, the Duke of Sconce. (In other words, they attend a house-party hosted by his mother).

Unlike the frequently irreverent Olivia, Georgiana would make an ideal duchess, and the dowager agrees. Problem is, Quin cannot keep his eyes or his attention away from Olivia, and the feeling is mutual. What a tangled web!

I loved Olivia's sense of humor. Were I in her shoes, pledged to marry a man who could never be my intellectual equal and who would require a lifetime of care, I likely would become clinically depressed, but Olivia chooses to make herself laugh instead, and I admire that.

I also loved that you get to know and understand the characters better over time, which makes them more human and sympathetic. For example, Georgie may be perfectly behaved, but she longs to go to university, in an age where women simply weren't allowed access to higher education. Even the obedient child has a bit of rebel in her.

The overall story is a re-imagining of the Princess and the Pea fairy tale, and I enjoyed how Ms. James played with those themes. Apparently, though, the ending was also a tribute to The Scarlet Pimpernel...although it's been too long since I read it to catch those allusions.

Based on other reviews I've read, this is a book you either love or hate, and I loved it. Zany fun, and great for a day cooped up indoors with a nasty cold.

For readers' advisors: character and story doorways are primary, setting secondary. Some steamy sex scenes set in Regency England.

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Dark Destiny

Dark Destiny by Mary Jo Putney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The final book in the Dark Mirror trilogy opens where book two left off: Tory's 17th birthday party. Allarde and Mrs. Rainford get a vision of Napoleon invading England, so the Lackland students return to 1804 to stop this from coming to pass. They successfully thwart one major incursion, but soon Britain's magical defenses are stretched to the breaking point, and the Irregulars realize they will need help from their twentieth century friends if they are to prevent the French from landing on British soil.

There are romantic subplots, as everyone but Elspeth has a romantic interest that grows and develops over the course of the trilogy. Putney hints that Elspeth's love will appear later--perhaps another book? However, the various romances are not the focus of the story, which means a refreshing lack of angst. All the couples will face uphill battles in their relationships: Cynthia and Jack are from different classes, Nick and Rebecca are from different faiths, and Tory and Allarde face disinheritance. Should Putney choose to continue the series, I would be very interested in reading how they all overcome their various obstacles.

The second book is still my favorite of the three, but this one is very enjoyable as well, albeit less exciting. (Things move along slightly too easily somehow.)

For readers' advisors: character, story, and setting doorways. No sex, just a fair amount of kissing and heavy petting. I don't recall any swearing.

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A Kiss at Midnight

A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Kate Daltry's father died only months after marrying his mistress, Kate was left alone with a tyrannical stepmother and Victoria, her sweet but dimwitted half-sister. The new Mrs. Daltry blackmailed Kate into staying on for years as an unpaid servant by threatening to dismiss any or all of the estate's servants and tenants. When one of Victoria's tiny Maltese dogs bites her in the lip and causes her face to swell, Mariana threatens to evict the vicar's widow and children in order to force Kate to pose as her sister and convince a prince to let Victoria marry his nephew. But Kate is nothing like Victoria, and the prince, who is betrothed to a Russian princess he's never met, is captivated by her lack of reverence for his title and his person. However much he desires Kate, though, he must marry an heiress in order to support his large household full of his elder brother's cast-off retainers.

This witty retelling of the Cinderella story, set vaguely in Regency England, is great fun, full of quirky, flawed characters I enjoyed getting to know. Might have to add this one to my Christmas wish list!

For readers' advisors: character and story doorways, with setting & language (great dialogue) secondary. Some racy sex scenes.

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When Beauty Tamed the Beast

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When the nobility decide that Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, has impregnated Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne (he hasn't), she is an instant outcast from Society. None of her protestations of purity persuade anyone otherwise, particularly once she appears at a ball wearing an unfortunately designed gown and is seen being rejected by the Prince. What's a father to do but find a duke with an impotent son who would love an heir with royal blood, and marry the two off before anyone finds out she's not actually pregnant? Which is how Linnet comes to find herself accompanying a Duke in a carriage traveling to Wales to meet her betrothed, Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchbank, known for his brilliance as a diagnosing physician and his horrendous temper. But Piers hates his father and has no intention of marrying, no matter how perfect the bride.

Ms. James freely admits she based Piers on the character of Dr. Gregory House from the tv show "House." Thankfully Piers has a bit more human kindness buried in his soul and doesn't resort to the mean tricks House uses on his friends and coworkers.

For readers' advisors: character and story doorways, with setting secondary. Some steamy sex scenes.

Oh, and I'd rate it 4 stars for the story, but negative 5 for the gag-inducing cover. What idiot designs these things anyway? I would not have read it if I'd seen the cover before I put the book on hold at my library. Sheesh! Whatever happened to "know your audience"?

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The Lady Most Likely...: a novel in three parts

The Lady Most Likely...: A Novel in Three Parts by Julia Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lady Carolyn Finchley believes a house party will be the perfect way to find her horse-obsessed brother Hugh, the Earl of Briarly, a bride. Trouble is, other gentlemen keep falling in love with the women on her list of potential countesses. Hugh may just have to take matters into his own hands and convince the woman he secretly loves to take a chance on him despite her poor opinion of matrimony.

Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Connie Brockway do a splendid job of weaving together three novellas into one virtually seamless story. Each author focuses on a different romantic pair meeting and falling in love at the same house party, with transitions between told from the viewpoint of their hostess. I picked the book up because Quinn is one of my favorite authors, and I was delighted to discover that James and Brockway are similarly witty.

For readers' advisors: character and story doorways, with setting secondary (Regency England). A bit of swearing and some increasingly steamy sex scenes.

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