Mary Jo Putney: The Rake

MY REVIEW

The Rake
(Previously published as The Rake and the Reformer)

Sequel to: The Diabolical Baron
Author: Mary Jo Putney
Release Date: April 1, 1998
List Price: Retail unavailable - buy used

Read: July 28-28, 2009
My Rating:


Author Homepage | Book Page | Excerpt | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from back cover)

~ The Rake ~

It was predicted that Reginald Davenport, disinherited and disgraced, would come to a violent end. But fate has given him one final chance to redeem himself, by taking his place as the rightful master of Strickland, his lost ancestral estate. Davenport knows his way around women - yet nothing prepares him for his shocking encounter with Lady Alys Weston.

~ The Reformer ~

Masquerading as a man in order to obtain a position as estate manager of Strickland, Alys fled a world filled with mistrust and betrayal. She was finished with men - yet how could she have predicted that Strickland's restored owner would awaken a passion more powerful than anything she had ever known? A passion that will doom or save them both ... if only they can overcome their pasts and dare to believe in the wondrous power of love ...

SEQUEL
The Rake is the sequel to The Diabolical Baron and Reggie (this book's hero) is apparently that book's villain. I haven't read it, but I feel like it would probably enhance the experience of reading The Rake, since it will make his eventual transformation all the more notable.

MY EXPERIENCES WITH MARY JO PUTNEY BOOKS
Mary Jo Putney is one of the authors who released a book on June 30 - an apparent blockbuster day for the historical romance industry, because at my last count there were 8 books that came out that day!!

Putney released Loving a Lost Lord, the kickoff to her new series entitled "The Lost Lords" and I was really looking forward to the book because I had just recently reread The Wild Child (Brides Trilogy, Book 1) (really great and I highly recommend). Along with most people who read Loving a Lost Lord ... let's just say I was not impressed, and frankly downright disappointed! Seriously, that was one of the worst historical romances I had read in awhile and after joining PaperBack Swap I immediately posted it (and it was immediately requested - I have to wonder how long it stayed in that person's hands after they finished reading it).

I've read other Putney books - Silk and Shadows (Silk Trilogy, Book 1); The Bargain (Regency Series, Book 1); Thunder and Roses (Fallen Angels Series, Book 1) - (just now noticing they're all Book 1s), but since I read these before I started writing down my ratings after reading a book, I could not remember whether I liked them or not. I read about her book The Rake and since it had such great reviews, I decided to use the credit I got for sending out Putney's new book to get this older book of hers from someone else on PaperBack Swap.

REVIEW
So what did I think? ... Absolutely utterly fantastic!! Wow - a definite reread. Completely distracted me from my homework, but it was just so wonderful. I was glad to read a good Putney book after finding her most recent release pretty weak. The Rake, however, is not weak at all, but rather completely 100% great!!!

One of the greatest things about this book was that it tackled the very serious issue of alcoholism extremely well, dealt with it compassionately, and portrayed it very vividly/starkly. I *never* get emotional when I read my historical romances (unless it's extreme giddiness, lol), but there were parts of this book that were utterly heart-wrenching and had me choking up just a little.

The other great aspect of the story was (as it should be) the relationship between Alys and Reggie. It was very well developed and the intellectual/emotional connection between them was wonderfully written. It's a romance, so obviously there is romance and the hero and heroine have great physical chemistry, but the book focuses on much more than just that aspect. They are complete opposites starting off - Reggie is one of the most dissolute and disgraceful rakes that I have ever come across in the genre (that's saying something) and Alys is a hardworking, admirable, very responsible, reserved, and almost-stern woman. They're both extremely lonely, though, and it's great watching them not wham-bam fall-in-love, but see it slowly happen as they come to like, respect, admire, and trust each other and form a wonderful and - dare I say it? it's so corny - beautiful friendship.

NOTE
The heroine is not a virgin, but if you're bothered by this, don't be and don't let it make you skip this book! I'm very embarassed to admit this - I feel like it's anti-feminist and very old-fashioned - but I usually like my historical romance heroines to be virgins. Basically, I don't want the heroine (or hero, for that matter) to have had any strong previous attachments.

If you're like me, don't be turned off by the fact that Alys isn't a virgin - the event which propels her to run away from home is the foundation of her own obstacles that she has to overcome in the book (low self-esteem in her attractiveness and appeal as a woman) and makes her engage in a one-night stand with a drunken man she meets in the inn, right after she's run away. It's not a big thing so seriously, do not be put off by this!

ALCOHOLISM IN OTHER HISTORICAL ROMANCES
Like I wrote above, I thought this book dealt excellently with the issue of alcoholism. I think a lot of times in this genre, books sometimes include serious issues but they don't really address it full or kind of skirt the issue - perhaps out of a fear it will be too much of a downer in what is basically supposed to be a feel-good book.

Either way, although Putney treats the problem seriously - as it should be - it only enhances the story and main characters and in no way detracts. Another great book I've read that features an alcoholic hero who has to overcome the problem is Rexanne Becnel's The Matchmaker (Maker Series, Book 1); it's a five-star read in my book and one of my favorites, so I would recommend to anyone, whether you're looking specifically for another alcoholism-related book or not.

Lisa Kleypas's Again the Magic has a secondary romance between the heroine's sister, Olivia, and the hero's best friend, Gideon Shaw. Gideon is an alcoholic who goes through spells where he has to isolate himself and his developing relationship with Olivia gives him the initiative/final push to make the leap towards sobriety.

Sabrina Jeffries update, comic, and video

I received the latest Sabrina Jeffries newsletter and it was full of goodies!

First ... Just my own personal reminder - if you still haven't read Jeffries' Wed Him Before You Bed Him (Book 6) you're missing out and I highly recommend it (I reviewed it in a past blog entry). It is the last book in the School for Heiresses series and though reading other books in the series will enhance the experience, you don't have to have read any (or all - like me) of them. I had only read two other books in the series previously and I enjoyed Don't Bargain With the Devil (Book 5) (also reviewed), but was disappointed with Never Seduce a Scoundrel (Book 1). The series leads up to the grand finale of Wed Him, since snippets of letters between the hero and heroine of the last book begin each chapter of the first five, with the hero remaining a mystery until his final unveiling in Book 6.

Second ... News about Jeffries' next project!! The much-adored (because he's such a scandalous and outrageous rake/rogue) Lord Stoneville is the star of her next series. There will be five books featuring him, his two brothers, his two sisters, and "one cranky grandmother." Stoneville's book will kick off the series (out March 2010) and the premise is that the siblings' rich grandmother has issued an ultimatum that they must all marry - or be cut off permanently. The second book will be out October 2010 and apparently many Heiress series characters will be reapparing throughout this new series - as yet unnamed.

Third ... Check out this cute and funny comic series, "Will + Jane's Excellent Adventure," that I had no idea she had. The latest comic is posted for your viewing pleasure below.

Fourth ... Also check out this "backseat interview" with Sabrina Jeffries from July 2009. It was done the day before Wed Him Before You Bed Him came out and explains Charlotte's backstory and the book's premise.

Three books coming out July 28 by Duran, James, and Laurens

Tomorrow three new historical romances come out; I wish I could go out and buy all three, but unfortunately this week is the last week of summer classes (graduate from college on Friday, woohoo!) ... and I don't usually read Stephanie Laurens (anymore) ... or Eloisa James (though might make an exception here) ... and I'm not sure I'm going to like Meredith Duran's heroine (just going off the excerpt).

Lol, I promise I'm not trying to be difficult!! ::sigh:: One gets so picky the more historicals one reads (or is that just me?). Anyway, I'm going to post the summaries below and will let you know what the reviews say once they start rolling in!


Written on Your Skin
Author: Meredith Duran
Release Date: July 28, 2009
List Price: $7.99

Author Homepage | Excerpt | Stories Behind the Story | Research Sources Used for the Book | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from back cover)

~ The Society Beauty Who Saved His Life ... ~

Beauty, charm, wealthy admirers: Mina Masters enjoys every luxury but freedom. To save herself from an unwanted marriage, she turns her wiles on a darkly handsome stranger. But Mina's would-be hero is playing his own deceptive game. A British spy, Phin Granville has no interest in emotional entanglements ... until the night Mina saves his life by gambling her own.

~ The Jaded Spy Who Vowed to Forget Her ... ~

Four years later, Phin inherits a title that frees him from the bloody game of espionage. But memories of the woman who saved him won't let Phin go. When he learns that Mina needs his aid, honor forces him back into the world of his nightmares.

~ In Lives Built on Lies, Love is the Darkest Secret of All ... ~

Deception has ruled Mina's life just as it has Phin's. But as the beauty and the spy match wits in a dangerous dance, their practiced masks begin to slip, revealing a perilous attraction. And the greatest threat they face may not be traitors or murderous conspiracies, but their own dark desires ...


A Duke of Her Own
Series: The Desperate Duchesses, Book 6
Author: Eloisa James
Release Date: July 28, 2009
List Price: $7.99

Author Homepage | Book Page | Excerpt | The Inside Take | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from back cover)

Leopold Dautry, the notorious Duke of Villiers, must wed quickly and nobly - and his choices, alas, are few. The Duke of Montague's daughter, Eleanor, is exquisitely beautiful and fiercely intelligent. Villiers betroths himself to her without further ado.

After all, no other woman really qualifies. Lisette, the outspoken daughter of the Duke of Gilner, cares nothing for clothing or decorum. She's engaged to another man, and doesn't give a fig for status or title. Half the ton believes Lisette mad - and Villiers is inclined to agree.

Torn between logic and pasison, between intelligence and imagination, Villiers finds himself drawn to the very edge of impropriety. But it is not until he's in a duel to the death, fighting for the reputation of the woman he loves, that Villiers finally realizes that the greatest risk may not be in the dueling field ...

But in the bedroom. And the heart.


Mastered By Love
Series: The Bastion Club, Book 8 of 8
Author: Stephanie Laurens
Release Date: July 28, 2009
List Price: $7.99

Author Homepage | Book Page | Excerpt | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from back cover)

The men of the Bastion Club proved their bravery secretly fighting for their country. Now their leader faces that most dangerous mission of all: finding a bride.

As the mysterious leader of the Bastion Club known as "Dalziel," Royce Varisey, 10th Duke of Wolverstone served his country for decades, facing dangers untold. But as the holder of one of England's most august noble titles, he must now take on that gravest duty of all: marriage.

Yet the young ladies the grandes dames would have him consider are predictably boring. Far more tempting is his castle's willful and determinedly aloof chatelaine, Minerva Chesterton. Beneath her serene facade lies a woman of smoldering sensuality, one who will fill his days with comfort and his nights with sheer pleasure. Determined to claim her, he embarks on a seduction to prove his mastery over every inch of her body ... and every piece of her heart.

NPR story: Romance Writers of America Conference in Washington, D.C.

National Public Radio (NPR): A Love Affair with the Romance Novel
July 18, 2009

I'm a little late in posting this story - sorry! The Romance Writers of America Conference was a week and a half ago and NPR aired a story about it on it's Saturday Weekend Edition. They interviewed Nora Roberts and Carrie Feron, who is vice-president and executive editor of Harper Collins.

I personally have never read a Nora Roberts or Danielle Steel book, though I know they are very popular. Still, why can't they ever interview Lisa Kleypas or Sabrina Jeffires or Suzanne Enoch?

Either way, I'm very happy to announce that: what genre is selling better than any other form of adult fiction? That's right! The romance novel!!! :-)

UPDATE (July 31): I listened to this story again and I have to say I 100% completely agree with what Nora Roberts says about this genre being overlooked and unfairly disregarded!

PaperBackSwap - recycle your books

I forget how exactly I found out about PaperBackSwap, but I think it was from someone's post on Amazon.com. The site is absolutely fantastic, a wonderful idea, has a great selection of books (especially historical romances), and it's basically free!

Here's how it works:

1. You list a book
2. Someone requests that book
3. You mail it (if it's a standard mass market paperback will cost $2.83 and you can even mail it from home)
4. They receive the book and mark it on the website
5. You get 1 credit
6. And 1 credit = 1 book ... so now you request a book!

When you list your first ten books, you get two free credits, so you can get started right away with your requests without even having to wait for someone to order one of your books. There is also a video/website thing that gives instructions and further details about the program.

Hope you enjoy!!

Great NPR story - a male professor who loves historical romances!

A wonderful story on NPR that features the rare and elusive creature: a male fan of historical romance novels!! Enjoy ;-)

(I've posted the whole thing below for your reading pleasure - sorry for the iffy image quality).

Julie Garwood: Gentle Warrior

MY REVIEW

Gentle Warrior
Author: Julie Garwood
Release Date: December 1, 1990
List Price: $7.99

Read: July 12-13, 2009
Rating:


Author Homepage | Amazon.com

Another great Garwood romance with a fantastic cast of characters, though hero was a little too much at times

Setting: 1086, England

Gentle Warrior is another great Julie Garwood medieval romance. I had to give it four stars instead of 4.5 or 5 because at times the hero, Geoffrey, was a little too caveman-like for me. Actually, it wasn't even really caveman-like - he was just too forceful, angry, badly tempered. Overall, he was generally a good hero though, and the other cast of characters was absolutely terrific. The subplot (was kind of a mystery, but not really) was interesting and as it was central to the plot and how the story develops, it didn't feel like an add-on and detractor from the romance. The resolving it was completely anti-climactic - twice you feel like you'll get some big to-do ... and then don't. Still a good read, though, that any Garwood and/or medieval historical romance fan should at least check-out from the library.

SUMMARY (from back cover)
In feudal England, Elizabeth Montwright barely escaped the massacre that destroyed her family and exiled her from her ancestral castle. Bent on revenge, disguised as a peasant, she rode again through the fortress gates ... to seek aid from Geoffrey Berkley, the powerful baron who had routed the murderers.

He heard her pleas, resisted her demands, and vowed to seduce his beautiful subject. Yet as Elizabeth fought the warrior's caresses, love flamed for this gallant man who must soon champion her cause .. and capture her spirited heart!

THE HERO, Geoffrey (27)
What bothered me about Geoffrey were his actions and thoughts that seemed to be relics of the 80s historical romance heroes, though to be clear there are *traces* of this - not the full-fledged real thing: there are no rape scenes that are supposed to pass as love scenes and Geoffrey never hits Elizabeth nor is he ever physically threatening/cruel, so don't worry about that; if any of those things had happened, regardless of what else was in the book it would have earned an automatic one star from me (or 0 if that was possible). The book was originally published in 1990, though, and I think that's why this hero is so much more borderline than Garwood's other heroes that were written later.

Basically, Geoffrey was a little too ... warrior-like. I know he's this big, bad knight, but normally Garwood's trademark heroes are big, bad warriors - who fall under the spell of some gentle courageous woman and become big teddy bears who can still be warriors in battle. Geoffrey took a little too long (IMHO) to show his teddy-bear side and in the beginning, I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to warm up to him at all - he is so dictatorial, so authoritative, and practically a tyrant ... yeah, basically nothing very romantic, dreamy, or sigh-inspiring.

There are many humorous moments, however, when Geoffrey and Elizabeth clash and as readers we are able to enjoy them all the more since we're privy to both of their thoughts. It's sweet - and at times quite funny - to watch their relationship develop: the confusion they feel over their feelings for one another, the teasing that quickly develops between them, and the battle of wills that takes place between these two strong and stubborn people.

THE HEROINE, Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a standard Garwood heroine - she's strong, courageous/brave, intelligent, gentle, compassionate, affectionate, friendly. One minute she'll be saving her husband's vassal with her bow and arrow and then by jumping into a lake even though she can't swim, and the next she'll be hiding her tears from her husband because he's being gruff or shouting at her or acts somewhat meanly in an attempt to avoid the fact that he's in love with her. Basically: standard Garwood.

Elizabeth isn't too weepy though, and considering that when we first meet her she has recently witnessed the massacre of her entire family (save her baby brother), one can't help but feel admiration for how she acts and the inner strength she displays. Instead of being completely despondent, as would be wholly understandable, she's intent on avenging her family and taking revenge on the man responsible for their deaths, while also doing her best to protect her younger brother, who is in danger since he's the heir to their father's holding and was one of the intended targets of the massacre.

OTHER CHARACTERS
Garwood rounds out her cast of characters with her usual wonderful additions - the hero's soldiers, whom we like almost immediately and treasure for their kindness to the heroine. There is also Geoffrey's vassal, Roger, who adds humor and gentleness to many scenes. Elizabeth's grandfather, Elslow, was absolutely wonderful and I'd be surprised to meet a reader who wouldn't want a grandfather like him - he's funny, witty, so sweet and gruffly affectionate with Elizabeth and her younger brother, and just all around fantastic.

BOTTOM LINE
Overall, Gentle Warrior was a very enjoyable - and often laugh-out-loud humorous - read that I would definitely recommend. Despite my annoyances with Geoffrey, the hero, it will be added to my reread shelf and should not be missed by medieval historical romance fans.

OTHER JULIE GARWOOD BOOKS
Other great medieval historical romances of hers include Honor's Splendour (one of my favorite historical romances of all-time) and The Prize. Garwood also has a wonderful Regency series, "Crown's Spies": (1) The Lion's Lady; (2) Guardian Angel; (3) The Gift (another one of my all-time favorites); and (4) Castles.

Amanda Quick: Mischief

MY REVIEW

Mischief
Author: Amanda Quick
Release Date: March 31, 1997
List Price: $7.99

Read: September 21, 2002; June 29-July 7, 2009
Rating:


Author Homepage | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from back cover)
Imogen Waterstone needed a man, and not just any man: one with an implacable will and nerves of iron. That's why she invited Matthias Marshall, the Earl of Colchester, to her home. For who better than the legendary explorer to help her lure a ruthless enemy to ruin. Yet when Imogen urges Matthias to masquerade as her spellbound suitor - and let it be known that she possesses a priceless treasure map - she never anticipates his electrifying response - or her own. Suddenly, the unconventional lady is in the thrall of true passion ... and vulnerable to a malevolant threat that emerges from the labyrinth of London society.

COMMENTS
Amanda Quick's books are almost always highly enjoyable, and this one book is another example. Mischief isn't one of my favorites, but it is worth reading and definitely a reread. It falls in line with Quick's usual books:

• a spunky, confident, independent heroine who is very unusual and doesn't mind being so
• a hero who is somewhat of an outcast, misunderstood, and viewed with fright (except for by the heroine - of course)
• a uniting interest - in this case, made-up ancient Zamar
  
• some dastardly villain with a mystery subplot that threatens both their lives and has to be uncovered

Matthias was a wonderful hero and I appreciated his irony and sarcasm throughout the book. Imogen was enjoyable, though I found her dictatorial ways at times a little too overbearing, I grew slightly annoyed by her constantly going on about Matthias's "weak nerves," and her unwillingness to face the reality about certain situations and people was at times exasperating ... maybe it sounds like I didn't actually like her, but I promise, I did! Lol. Patricia (Matthias's sister) was extremely annoying and I did not like her - she was childish, immature, gullible, shallow, extremely melodramatic, and I could go on but I won't.

The mystery was good and actually had me guessing (until my memory filled in the blanks - so the first time I read it, it probably kept me guessing for awhile). Quick has a tendency to make this crazed myth/magic-obsessed villains and that was not the case here, so the whole thing was more believable and seemed less over-the-top/melodramatic.

BOTTOM LINE
Not my favorite Amanda Quick book, but definitely enjoyable and one that I will gladly revisit in the future.

Romance Writers of America, 2009 Conference

This Wednesday, July 15 from 5:30-7:30pm in Washington, D.C. there will be an autographing session during the Romance Writers of America conference. It's called the 2009 "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing and will be taking place at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, in the Exhibit Hall. The event is open to the public and free! Proceeds from the event go to charity, so they're asking that people buy books there instead of bringing their own.

A lot of great authors are going to be there: Jacquie D'Alessandro, Gayle Callen, Julia Quinn, Jenna Petersen, Mary Jo Putney, Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Amanda Quick), Lorraine Heath, Sabrina Jeffries, Suzanne Enoch, Gaelen Foley, and more!

New information about Jenna Petersen's October 2009 book, What the Duke Desires

Jenna Petersen has posted new information about her latest book that is due out October 27, 2009. It's entitled What the Duke Desires and is Book 1 in her new series, The Billingham Bastards. A summary (repasted below) and excerpt are provided and from that the book seems very promising!!

I hadn't heard of Petersen before stumbling onto her book Her Notorious Viscount (which I reviewed in a past blog entry and gave four stars to), but she has now been added to my watch-for authors list and I'm really looking forward to seeing what she comes out with in the future.

SUMMARY FOR What the Duke Desires (from Petersen's website)

Simon Crathorne has never felt quite "right" in his own life. Even with his own friends, he never fit. But now his father is dead and he has inherited the Dukedom, and all the responsibility that goes with it. And since his father was always known as a highly moral, upstanding man, Simon has big shoes to fill.

Lillian Mayhew doesn't buy the late Duke's exalted reputation one bit. A lifetime of hearing her father talk about the man's sins and seeing the torment her family endured at his hands has made her bitter and a final secret she discovered as her father lay dying has turned her bitterness to a drive to destroy the good name of the man she feels wronged her. No matter the price.

But when Simon and Lillian meet, sparks fly and passion erupts, leaving Lillian with an ugly choice. Can she abandon her quest for revenge, just as she is on the cusp of fulfilling her duty? Or will she betray a man whose past turns out to be a murky sea of lies and betrayals netiher one could have ever anticipated? A man whose kiss could change her life forever.

Teresa Medeiros: Touch of Enchantment

MY REVIEW

Touch of Enchantment
Series: The Lennox Family Magic Series, Book 2 (of 2)
Author: Teresa Medeiros
Release Date: June 2, 1997 / August 25, 2009 (reissue)
List Price: $7.50 / $5.99

Read: July 8-9, 2009
Rating:


Author Homepage | Book Page | Excerpt | Amazon.com | Amazon.com reissue

Setting: 1254, England and Scotland (most of the book); not-too-distant future, New York City (briefly at the beginning and end)

SUMMARY (from back cover)

~ A Lovely Scientist With No Taste For Magic ~

Heiress Tabitha Lennox considered her paranormal talents more a curse than a gift. So she dedicated her life to the cold, rational world of science. Until the day she examined the mysterious amulet her mother had left her and found herself catapulted seven centuries into the past - directly into the path of a rearing black charger ridden by a chain-mailed warrior.

~ A Fearless Knight With No Time For Love ~

Sir Colin of Ravenshaw had returned from the Crusades to find his castle in ruins, his enemy poised to overrun the land where generations of Ravenshaws had ruled. The last thing he expected was to half trample a damsel with odd garb and even odder manners. But it is her strange talent that will create trouble beyond Colin's wildest imaginings. For everyone knows that a witch must be burned ... but it is Colin's heart that is aflame, over an enchanting woman he must not love, yet cannot live without.

COMMENTS
An absolute delight to read! I'm not normally a paranormals fan and have never read any involving time travel, however I like Medeiros' HR books and so have read two books she wrote involving vampires (After Midnight and The Vampire Who Loved Me - the two books that make up her Kane/Cabot Vampire Series). I bought the two books involving the Lennox family figuring I'd give them a try.

The first one is set in the present time period, so although I definitely plan on reading it, I skipped to the second book, Touch of Enchantment, which is set in medieval times. Since the heroine is the one going back in time, it creates all these fantastic (and hysterical!!) situations, since, obviously, how women are viewed and treated has changed drastically over the past 700+ years.

I just knew this book was going to be entertaining and funny once I read Tabitha and Colin's first encounter. She finds herself transported to this meadow, has no idea where she is, and after having a little confrontation with Colin on his horse, he basically collapses on top of her (he's been injured and is bleeding from the shoulder):

  "Tabitha blinked. She'd never been the sort of woman to fall for a pair of bedroom eyes. His gruff words reminded her why.
  'Whose woman are you?'
  Her dismay erupted in outrage. 'Why, of all the arrogant, politically incorrect, blatantly chauvanistic---'
  He behaved exactly as she would have expected an arrogant, politically incorrect, blatantly chauvinistic male to behave. He clapped a gauntleted hand over her mouth, stifling her words. She glared at him, tasting leather on her lips.
  'I asked you a simple question, lass. Do you belong to any man?'"
(page 36)

Then, when she says no, "his gaze softened, becoming both tender and predatory" and when he leans in to kiss her and she pushes him off (mostly because a past experience makes her afraid she'll turn him into a frog), his response to her accusation of "'You were going to kiss me!'" is: "'I know,' he muttered, eyeing her warily. 'Delirium must be setting in.'" Lol. Those are just a few of the funny exchanges - some of which had me literally laughing out loud (and had my family asking me what in h*** I was reading that was making me laugh so hard).

MAIN CHARACTERS, Colin (24) and Tabitha (23)
Although it's the Middle Ages, Colin as a character is not written too overbearingly or as an extreme version of the alpha-male. He's actually very sweet, honorable, and just completely sigh-worthy. I just loved every interaction between him and Tabitha, who is just as fantastic a heroine as Colin is a hero. Tabitha has felt an outsider for so much of her life; although her parents are wonderful and have always tried to give her the best, she has felt awkward and unusual ever since she was young. She loses herself in her work and doesn't have much of a social life (or any, really) to speak of. Watching the pair fall in love is an absolute treat, so I suggest you go out and buy a copy or check one out from the library, and settle in for a nice long read.

THE LENNOX FAMILY MAGIC SERIES
Although it's a "series," there are only two books that make it up: this one, and Breath of Magic. Breath of Magic comes first and is the story of Tabitha's (this book's heroine) parents, Tristan and Arian Lennox. Their book is a contemporary romance, with Arian coming forward in time (she was born in 1669).

Eloisa James B&N article, "Foreign Affairs"

Barnes & Noble Review features an article entitled "Foreign Affairs" by Eloisa James. Basically, it talks about the clash of cultures that can occur when a couple comes from two very different cultures and backgrounds. She uses her own life as an example - James is married to an Italian man whom she met while he was in the US for graduate school.

James highlights four historical romance books (new and old) that deal with this issue. The first one, Mary Jo Putney's Loving a Lost Lord, I hated (my review can be found on this blog); the second, Samantha James's One Moonlit Night, was absolutely fantastic and I gave five stars; the third and fourth I hadn't heard of before - Jade Lee's The Dragon Earl and Beverly Jenkins's Night Song.

Julia Quinn: What Happens in London

MY REVIEW

What Happens in London
Author: Julia Quinn
Release Date: June 30, 2009
List Price: $7.99

Read: July 6-7, 2009
Rating:


Author Homepage | Book Page | Excerpt | "Inside the Story" | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from back cover)
When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancée, she doesn't believe it for a second, but still, how can she help spying on him, just to be sure? So she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, cleverly concealed by curtains, watches, and waits... and discovers a most intriguing man, who is definitely up to something.

Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He's not a spy, but he's had all the training, and when a gorgeous blond begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. But just when he decides that she's nothing more than a nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And when Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself ...

OPINION
So I finally read Julia Quinn's new book ... and I am happy to say that I think she's headed back in the right direction (though hasn't arrived at the destination yet). I *loved* almost all of her Bridgerton books and the books she has written since then have not even begun to compare in caliber - The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever got off to a great start and then PLUNGED downhill. I didn't read either of the Dukes of Wyndham books, mostly because the reviews were so horrible, but it actually wasn't for lack of trying: I started Mr. Cavendish, I Presume (the second one) and just couldn't even bother to finish it, so I of course left The Lost Duke of Wyndham (the first book) alone.

With her new book, What Happens in London, I was happy to see Quinn return to her snappy dialogue and funny, light characters. I was reminded of why I have (usually) so admired her books: Harry and Olivia are very enjoyable and their exchanges are highly entertaining - and cause you to laugh out loud at times - and it's so refreshing to have a hero and heroine who don't just lust after each other, but whom you feel actually have an emotional and intellectual connection, and have really gotten to know each other by the end of the book.

Why the 3.5 stars then? ... It's actually hard to say. I was measuring it against recent books I've read that I've really loved and have given 4 or 5 stars, and I realized that What Happens in London, while completely enjoyable, was nothing groundbreaking and the whole thing felt a little brief once I'd finished. Everything kind of happened so quickly and although I did feel that Harry and Olivia got to know one another and didn't have the dreaded/hated lust-at-first-sight experience, it was all kind of fluffy and not fully satisfying - like a really tasty appetizer, but when I was expecting steak, delicious mashed potatoes, and a scrumptious desert instead. Make sense?

The random kidnapping about 2 pages before the end was completely unnecessary. It seemed to be thrown in last minute for good measure, as if to make sure there was enough action - which has never really a big component (or one at all) in Quinn's novels, but that hasn't seemed to bother us in the past, so why try to fix something that's not broken? I suppose there is a mystery subplot throughout the book, since that is what prompts Harry to watch the prince and Olivia, but it is so minimal one almost forgets that that is the catalyst of everything. Then, Harry and Olivia are at the Ambassador's party, they sneak off, declare their love for each other, confirm they're going to get married, have sex - and wham! Olivia is abducted. ... Uh, what? I also disliked the proposal scene at the end, it was weird and corny and just ... odd.

NOTE (connection to other Quinn books)
What Happens in London is not part of a series, but it is connected to Quinn's The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, whose hero is this book's heroine's brother. At the end of this book we're given a teaser and told that Mr. Sebastian Grey, possible heir to an Earldom and Harry's cousin (and a great character), will be the hero of Quinn's next book, due out summer 2010.

BOOK TITLES
What's up with the title? There's a part of the book that it comes from, but that was kind of forced and frankly, I think it could have used a better one. Something that incorporated the whole spying-through-the-window episode, which is how Harry and Olivia's relationship starts off, would have been cute. I absolutely love historical romances, but so many times the titles are absolutely ridiculous - either because you can't say them out loud with cracking up / rolling your eyes, or because they have hardly anything (or sometimes absolutely nothing) to do with the actual story.

JULIA QUINN'S WEBSITE
Just want to give Julia Quinn props on her website, because out of all the HR author websites that I have visited, hers has always been supreme. It is clean, colorful, organized, user-friendly - all around great!

For this book, she has a neat "Inside the Story" section that I recommend checking out. It has a bunch of information on various elements of the story, such as the lurid gothic novel Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron, the Cyrillic alphabet, the custom of ironing newspapers, and the famous aria "Hell's Vengeance Boileth in Mine Heart" from Mozart's The Magic Flute.

Gaelen Foley guest blogs to celebrate new release

I found the blog Love Romances & More Reviews and on June 30 Gaelen Foley was a guest blogger, advertising the new release of her book My Wicked Marquess. The entry can be accessed here. She recently switched publishers, from Ballantine to Avon, and I wonder if that may also be a reason for a noted change in the tone of her books. I don't know if anyone else noticed this, but while Foley's books are usually *very* dark - full of rape, murder, pedophilia, incest, basically everything imaginable - the first book in her Inferno series didn't have such pronounced dark overtones. ... Guess we'll see when her second book of the series comes, My Dangerous Duke.

The harsh world of Amazon.com reviews

I've been reading historical romances for a long time and only in recent years have I started to review them on Amazon.com. I'll admit I've become very competitive with myself, wanting each review to be as helpful as possible and get only positive votes. It's a silly enjoyable past-time and just a little thing to do to share my opinion with other HR fans, since I know I always scour other readers' reviews before buying any HR book.

However, I'm starting to rethink the whole "enjoyable" part because of the rude and mean comments written by someone in response to my two recent reviews (for Loving a Lost Lord and My Wicked Marquess). The comments were pretty vitriolic and I was really taken aback. I think it's a newly made-up handle because the person has no history whatsoever, but I don't know who it is, nor why someone would go out of their way to write something so unkind. If you don't like my review, vote that it's unhelpful and that's that!