Kathy Love: Getting What You Want

Getting What You Want
Series: Stepp Sisters, Book 1
Author: Kathy Love
Original Release: May 1, 2004
List Price: $5.99

Read: December 27-28, 2009
My Rating:


Author Homepage | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from back cover)
In this delightful, heartwarming novel, Kathy Love introduces the Stepp sisters, three women whose lives are about to take a turn for the wild, the unpredictable, and the absolutely enchanting ... Meet Abby.

NOTE TO SELF:

Remind me to have my head examined.

What exactly possessed me to come home to Millbrook, Maine, where nothing changes but the weather? Oh, right. A six-month grant to do genetics research at Rand laboratories. What can I say --- I'm a smart girl. And smart girls get what they need and get out again. Smart girls don't dream, they settle. And smart girls do not get completely tongue-tied while holding a basket of fried clams when they bump into the most gorgeous man they haven't seen in fifteen years: Chase Jordan.

Remind me to have my hormones removed.

Chase Jordan. Town bad boy. Rebel with a cause to show up in my dreams unannounced. Oh boy, this is not good. Not smart. It's like high school all over again. But in a good way. A heart-thumping way. An I-have-no-idea-what's-going-to-happen way. A way that's making me feel like maybe settling for what I have isn't so smart ... but really going after what I want is the craziest thing I may ever do ...

Lorraine Heath: Surrender to the Devil

MY REVIEW

Surrender to the Devil
Series: The Scoundrels of St. James, Book 3
Author: Lorraine Heath
Release Date: June 30, 2009
List Price: $6.99

Read: July 4-4, 2009
Rating:


Author Homepage | Amazon.com

One of the best historical romances I've read this year!!

Surrender to the Devil is the third book in Lorraine Heath's The Scoundrels of St. James series (and overlaps time-wise with the second book, Between the Devil and Desire). I wasn't sure that I was going to like it and IMO the summary written for the book doesn't do it justice: Frannie and Sterling are so much more complicated than the lust-driven characters they are described as!

I ended up *loving* this book and definitely recommend it to all historical romance readers out there. The hero and heroine's relationship is so sweet and passionate, they have great chemistry and are absolutely perfect for each other and seem to really need one another. The supporting characters are terrific (love Feagan's gang!), the mystery of Sterling's problem was engaging (and unusual in the genre, so a nice addition), and there were *several* laugh-out-loud moments.

Although this book is part of the St. James series, I have not read the two previous ones and had no problem following what was going on. Knowing the characters, however, I think the experience is probably richer if you are already familiar with Feagan's gang from the previous books (Luke and Jack's stories).

SUMMARY
Miss Frannie Darling (29) grew up an orphan on the streets of London, the one bright light in her life being her street "family": Feagan (their kidsman), and his "lads" Jack, Luke, Jim, and Bill. (The background I'm about to give is explained in the prologue, so I'm not giving any surprises away). When she was 12 years old, Frannie was kidnapped, sold to a brothel that specialized in virgins, and brutally raped. Despite their young age, Luke and Jack searched out the gentleman who raped her and Luke killed him. It turns out that the man was Luke's uncle and Luke's grandfather, who comes to see the boy who killed his second son, recognizes Luke and arranges for the trial to not occur and for his grandson, along with his friends, to come live with him and be educated by tutors.

Frannie is now a young woman and she finds satisfaction in the bookkeeping she does for Dodger's gaming club and joy in her real passion: her orphanage to help street children. When she meets the Duke of Greystone (Catherine's brother) at Luke and Catherine's wedding, she is completely fascinated and also extremely surprised; though she doesn't fear intimacy or passion, she has never been attracted to nor felt desire for any man ... until now. (Their first encounter at the wedding is very funny - and then very hot, lol). As Sterling determinedly pursues her, Frannie can't help but want to give in to him; she knows he will never marry her, and frankly she dislikes the aristocracy and has no desire to join its ranks, but would it be so wrong for her to take this opportunity to be with the only man who has ever looked at her like she was a desirable woman and whom she desires as well?

Sterling Mabry, Duke of Greystone (28) has been traveling extensively for many years following a terrible fight with his father. His father called him selfish for wanting to go see the world, but Sterling knew this was something he had to do (for spoiler reasons see "Comments") before he settled down and carried out his duty as duke. He has been back in London for four months now and is determined to do what he must: find a wife and produce the necessary heir and spare. Sterling is convinced that no woman can really love him because of his secret problem and therefore wants to find a wife who will give him the heirs he needs and then be content to live her own life, someone self-involved who won't want his love and will not fall in love with him.

When he sees Frannie at Catherine's wedding he is inexplicably drawn to her and decides that before embarking on the marriage mart, he must spend one night with this intriguing woman. Although he starts his pursuit with the mere goal of enjoying himself with Frannie's body, he becomes unwillingly fascinated by the woman herself and wanting only one night quickly becomes wanting much, much more.

Along with the romance between Sterling and Frannie, the story involves Frannie's attempts to save children from the rookeries and bring them to her orphanage. She goes at night searching for children whom she can help and this quickly becomes quite dangerous, since the mean kidsman Sykes is not happy that she is taking his children - and source of revenue - from him. There is also Sterling's private struggle with a hidden problem, which is hinted at from the beginning but only revealed a little into it (revealing it would be a spoiler, so it's in the "Comments" section if you want to know).

FEAGAN'S GANG
I loved Feagan's gang and cannot wait to read the other books in the series. They are extremely protective of Frannie, who was kind of the "mother" of the gang when they were growing up even though they're all around the same age. They have never forgiven themselves for what happened to her so long ago, because they feel like they should have somehow been able to protect her, and as a result, they treat her like she is fragile (one of the reasons she is so enjoys her time with Sterling is he doesn't treat her like that). Their love for her is obvious and the numerous times that they are protective of her and try to warn Sterling off are sweet, enjoyable, and highly entertaining.

MAIN CHARACTERS, Frannie and Sterling
Frannie and Sterling are so great together and they are definitely one of my favorite romantic pairs of the year. I wasn't sure I would like this book at first, since the idea that Sterling just wants to sleep with her and considers himself too good to marry her was unappealing, to put it lightly, but Sterling is *not* like that. He doesn't come off as haughty, just lonely and cynical, and although he does try to stick to only lust, from the very beginning of their acquaintance he feels more for her than just that.

There's a very gentle side to Sterling that we don't see at first, but that is slowly revealed, with what he does for Frannie and the orphans, especially Jimmy/Peter (I *loved* when Sterling paints a fake tattoo on his back for him because he sees Sterling's and wants the same thing). The scenes where he shows Frannie his sketches and later makes several drawings of her are also a treat.

Frannie is a terrific heroine; she is incredibly strong and resilient, yet also gentle, generous, and friendly. She does so much for others and has so much capacity for love, but she is not an annoying do-gooder heroine who is all smiles and sunbeams, don't worry. She is in fact an incredible mix of innocence and realism, both shy and confident, sensitive and brave. Frannie wants to be married and have her own children, but she has pretty much given up on this dream. She's also extremely smart (a whiz with numbers), which is always nice in a heroine.

There was always honesty between Frannie and Sterling, which was a nice change. Neither of them have illusions about their relationship, where it might potentially go, and where it never will (though surprise, surprise, our HEA contradicts that!! I know, you're shocked - sit down and recover). Although they first see each other across a room and find themselves attracted to one another without really knowing each other, this wasn't a book where it's all about lust and not much else. Sterling finds himself becoming lost in Fannie's goodness and optimism, amazed that she can be as innocent, open, and giving as she is, despite all she's been through. Frannie loves how gentle and sweet Sterling is with her, while also being passionate and almost hungry for her, as if she is his sustenance and salvation.

THE SCOUNDRELS OF ST. JAMES SERIES
1) In Bed With the Devil - Lucian (Luke) Langdon, Earl of Claybourne and Lady Catherine Mabry
2) Between the Devil and Desire - Jack Dodger and Olivia, Duchess of Lovingdon
3) Surrender to the Devil - Miss Frannie Darling and Sterling Mabry, Duke of Greystone (Catherine's brother)
4) Midnight Pleasures With a Scoundrel - Inspector/Sir James (Jim) Swindler and Eleanor Watkins (to be released on October 27)

BOTTOM LINE
Read it!! I can't wait to read Jim's story - and meanwhile, I'll read Books 1 and 2 and probably end up rereading this one also.

P.S. Frannie is one year older than Sterling and as much as I hate to admit this, I don't really like the heroine to be older. However, it's only one year and if you're put off by this, DON'T BE!! This book is not to be missed!

Three Karen Ranney Books

I've recently read a few Karen Ranney books and on the whole have really enjoyed them. I think she is definitely a talented historical romance writer and I've ordered more books from her backlist that will hopefully be as good as the ones I've read so far!

MY REVIEW

Title: Till Next We Meet
Author: Karen Ranney
Release Date: April 26, 2005
List Price: $5.99

Read: June 9-9, 2009
My Rating:


Book Page | Excerpt | Amazon.com

Setting: 1761, Scotland

Till Next We Meet is a beautiful Scottish historical romance with a Cyrano twist. The two main characters are excellent - by themselves and for each other - and interestingly complex; their romance is really one that slowly builds, making it completely believable and that much more precious - and the chemistry between the two is fantastic ;-). There were also a few well-executed plot twists and I only really guessed - or rather suspected - one of them before it was revealed, which was a nice change from the books where the villain is so painstakingly obvious.

SUMMARY (from back cover):
"Catherine Dunnan is devastated when her beloved goes off to war - and only his promise to write often can sustain her in her loneliness. And what letters they are, filled with heartfelt emotions that move her to respond in kind. But then the unthinkable occurs. He is cruelly lost to her, and his beautiful words of passion and devotion cease forever.

When Moncrief agreed to write warm and loving missives in a fellow officer's name, he never expected he'd become so enamored of the incomparable lady who answered them, a woman he has never met. Returning to England to assume the unexpected title of duke, Moncrief is irresistibly drawn to the beauty who has unwittingly won his heart. More than anything, he yearns to ease Catherine's sadness with his tender kisses. But once she learns his secret, will his love be spurned?"

MAIN CHARACTERS, Catherine and Moncrief:
The main characters of Catherine and Moncrief are wonderfully written and extremely vivid and the excerpts of their letters to each other throughout the book really add to the novel. This is only my second Ranney book, but in both this one and An Unlikely Governess, there is a real loneliness to the H&H and to the story itself - secondary characters exist and are always interesting and three-dimensional, however the main characters and their relationship always seems very isolated, as if her stories take place in a somewhat cold and harsh world. I'm not saying this as a criticism, but rather just an observation. I will say that either way, it serves to truly highlight the main relationship and to really focus on its development.

OTHER CHARACTERS:
I did not like the character of Glynneth (Catherine's companion) and definitely think she should have been changed. Oddly enough, for most of the book when we're supposed to be unsure of her I actually was fond of her, but how she was in the end towards Catherine, which I think is actually supposed to make the reader feel better - or at least like things are resolved - only made me feel worse.

The evil Dowager Duchess Juliana is an odd add-in because she makes all sorts of trouble at the beginning and then kind of just disappears from the story. (And P.S. out of all the historical romances I have read, the name "Juliana" has rarely been used, however in the instances that it has, the character is always mean/evil/bad ... wouldn't mind reading a HR where my name is used for the heroine or at least a likable secondary character!!!)

CRITICISM:
The final scene wasn't as satisfying as I would have liked, though it's hard to pinpoint why - maybe too much sentimentality, not enough drama, no epilogue to follow-up ... I really don't know.

BOTTOM LINE:
This book is absolutely wonderful and it will definitely be a reread and recommend for me!!

MY REVIEW

Title: An Unlikely Governess
Author: Karen Ranney
Release Date: December 27, 2005
List Price: $5.99

Read: June 1-1, 2009
My Rating:


Book Page | Excerpt | Amazon.com

An Unlikely Governess was a strangely quiet yet wonderfully intense historical romance. The characters were much sadder and lonelier than one usually finds in this genre; even when authors try to make their characters the "loner-type," I don't think they succeed as well as Ranney does here.

SUMMARY (from inside page):
"Impoverished and untitled, with no marital prospects or so much as a single suitor, Beatrice Sinclair is forced to accept employment as governess to a frightened, lonely child from a noble family - ignoring rumors of dark intrigues to do so. Surely, no future could be as dark as the past she wishes to leave behind. And she admits a fascination with the young duke's adult cousin, Devlen Gordon, a seductive rogue who excites her from the first charged moment they meet. But she dares not trust him - even after he spirits them to isolation and safety when teh life of her young charge is threatened.

Devlen is charming, mysterious, powerful - and Beatrice cannot refuse him. He is opening new worlds for her, filling her life with passion ... and peril. But what are Devlen's secrets? Is he her lover or her enemy? Will following her heart be foolishness or a path to lasting happiness?"

NOTES ON ABOVE SUMMARY:
~ There's never a question as to whether Devlen is her lover or enemy: he becomes the former and he's never the latter. Also, he's never untrustworthy - I don't know why they always try to confuse and mislead in the summaries!
~ Robert, the 7-year-old duke who is Beatrice's charge, is actually under Devlen's father's guardianship and he is one of the questionable characters. If Robert died Cameron Gordon would become the Duke and though he may be confined to a wheelchair, he could still be orchestrating the attempts on Richard's life ... so is he?
~ There is also the interesting and tragic (though disturbingly so, you'll discover), character of Cameron Gordon's wife, Rowena.
~ Just my own PS: no major taking-over-the-plot-to-the-point-that-you-want-to-shoot-one-or-both-of-the-main-characters misunderstandings here! (There's a small one at the end, but it only lasts a few pages, is necessary for the plot, and is quickly resolved). Beatrice and Devlen are actually refreshingly honest with one another - it's one of the greatest things about their relationship and this book IMO.

COMMENTS:
For the first 20 pages or so I was not sure whether I would even like the book; I loved Beatrice and Devlen immediately, but their initial interactions were somewhat strange and I wasn't sure I would find their romantic relationship believable or compelling. It was like they were strangers meeting for the first time but they'd known each other their whole lives (if that explains it and doesn't make me sound crazy), which is why I was somewhat doubtful at first. I quickly realized how wrong I was, though, and if anything it only made their relationship more authentically intense; all in all they were absolutely amazing together and perfect for one another.

The supporting characters were very compelling and the mystery remained one until the end - I was never really sure who was behind the attempts on Robert's life. If anything, I would have liked some more clues as to who it was, because the reader ends up being almost too surprised. I was never sure about whether the other secondary characters were "good" or "bad" and of course nothing ended being that simple; they were all very three-dimensional and interesting.

Robert, the young duke, was a wonderful addition to the story and provided several humorous moments. Ranney did a wonderful job of writing a young boy who is wise beyond his years and has had to grow up too fast, feels alone and abandoned, covers his fear and loneliness by acting out, but essentially is a sensitive, perceptive, and clever child. So all in all: FABULOUS HISTORICAL and definitely a reread :-)!!

MY REVIEW

Title: Tapestry
Author: Karen Ranney
Release Date: April 1, 1995
List Price: Retail unavailable - buy used

Read: June 11-12, 2009
My Rating:


Book Page (scroll down) | Amazon.com

I think the story idea for Tapestry had great potential, however this is one of Ranney's earlier books - it was her first to be published but the second one she wrote - and it shows. In my opinion, she just wasn't as good a writer or storyteller as she has now become, because I have absolutely adored the more recent books of hers that I have read.

MAIN CHARACTERS, Alex and Laura:
*SPOILER STARTS* The hero was heartbreakingly wonderful and the heroine's despair when she thinks Alex is dead and then miscarries was poignantly written and extremely tragic. Pre-tragedy Laura was a little too sugar-sweet for me; at the beginning of the book when she undertakes the charade to get into his household, she seems to have real backbone and be very courageous, but once they marry, I found her somewhat boring. *SPOILER ENDS*

OTHER CHARACTERS:
The added character of the evil stepmother was unnecessary in my opinion - Alex suffered SO much before the story takes place and then Laura suffers even more during it, so I felt that there were enough obstacles and tragedies without adding in a cruel, promiscuous, unfeeling backstabbing ... witch. I loved Laura's uncles; Dolly, who is a late addition to the cast of characters, was a treat.

CRITICISM:
I actually (GASP - seriously, this is extremely rare/unheard of for me) found myself skimming through portions of the book in the middle; I can't really explain why, except for I was somewhat bored by the story and didn't really find it compelling anymore - there was nothing to really grab you and make you *need* to read what happens. *Extremely annoying* was Ranney's POV shifts - they were not at all done smoothly and went back and forth so much that I found myself very confused, feeling like I was watching a doubles tennis match with three balls in play.

BOTTOM LINE:
Unfortunately, although it did have some great parts - the beginning and the ending were very strong, compelling, and emotional - it just isn't really worth plodding through. Instead, read some of her more recent books that truly show her talent: Till Next We Meet is fantastic and An Unlikely Governess is highly enjoyable.