The Lady's Companion - Carla Kelly

A Compromising Position


Miss Susan Hampton was a lady born and bred. She never imagined that she would have to make her own way in the world. But that was before her feckless father gamed away the family estate. That was before her odious aunt turned her into an unpaid servant. Now Susan had fled that tyranny--only to wonder if she had leapt out of the frying pan into the fire.

In a remote country manor, Susan took the post of companion to the Dowager Lady Bushnell, whose fiery temper made a dragon seem sweet. But even more dangerous was the dowager's boldly handsome bailiff, David Wiggins, whose blood was red, not blue, and who was everything a man could be except a gentleman. Desperately, Susan told herself that he was totally unsuitable as her suitor--even as this infuriatingly irresistible man awoke her as a woman and made her forget she was a lady...

Carla Kelly is usually a hit and miss author with me but I always grab her books with some expectation. I had no idea what this book was about but I couldn't resist getting it because she usually writes about different characters. This story was no exception...

Susan Hampton is a young lady of a good family. Her father, however, is a gambler of the worst sort and has ruined his family. There is no money for Susan's dowry and eventually they have to go and live with a relative. Seeing as she will be treated has a non paid instead of a family member Susan decides to find a proper job and support herself. That is how she finds herself living in the country with the dowager duchess of Bushnell and her bailiff, Daniel Wiggings among other interesting characters.

Susan is not exactly a success at her new job. She has no experience and Lady Bushnell is a fiercely independent woman who doesn't want the companions her daughter-in-law likes to send her. As soon as they meet Susan is fired but eventually Lady Bushnell gives her another chance and Susan has to find to best way to be useful and keep her job.

What I liked most in this story was how everyone felt so real in their reactions to pain and sorrow. How Lady Bushnell was strong and wanted no pity for the tragedies that she suffered in the past, how she elicited such protective feelings from Daniel and, later, Susan and how. Daniel, bit by bit ends up telling Susan his whole story, how he was a soldier and a thief and was saved, both literally and from a life of crime, by Lady Bushnell and her family. He bears the weight of quite a few secrets and doesn't mind keeping them not to disturb an old lady. And Susan, a special king of courage is needed to break society's barriers. Susan ends up doing it twice, when she leaves her family to find employment and when she accepts Daniel's proposal, and both times she does it with her eyes open. Fully aware that there will be consequences and that she will be made to pay the price. I really couldn't help admiring all of them and loving their story!

Grade: 5/5

Regency Christmas Wishes - Anthology

The Regency Christmas Wishes is my last entry for the Winter Holiday Reading Challenge. I found these short stories very pleasant reading material and I think this is my favourite Christmas Anthology for this year.

The Lucky Coin by Barbara Metzger

A funny story about a penniless gentleman who is offered a magic coin and all his wishes become real. He falls in love with the niece of his banker and has to win her uncle's approval and his own fortune back by wishing the right things to come true.  Grade: 4/5

Following Yonder Star by Emma Jensen

8 years ago Alice was left behind when the man she loved ran away to make his fortune and see the world. Now he is back and wants her forgiveness... but still has plans to leave again. I thought Alice forgave him a little too soon and while the story was nice I think she deserved better. Grade: 3.5/5

Merry Magpie by Sandra Heath

A couple became estranged after the lady found out the husband had a mistress but now he decides he wants her back and sets out to win her love. There's a very clever magpie in this story and while I don't usually like when animals behave like people I didn't mind what this one did to bring them together. Grade: 4/5

Best Wishes by Edith Layton

This one was a lot of fun to read. The main couple are newlyweds with very different personalities and both want to spend Christmas their own way. They decide to spend half the time with the hero's friends and half the time with the heroine's family but both solutions will have their own problems and maybe they needed to grow up a bit too. Grade: 4/5

Let Nothing You Dismay by Carla Kelly

Another really nice story about a barrister who blames himself for a past tragedy and his niece's teacher who spends Christmas with them and has some fears of her own. I thought this was a lovely story about family, love and forgiveness. Just right for this season. Grade: 4.5/5

A Regency Homespun Christmas - Anthology

It is a sad thing when one starts a new anthology thinking it will be full of new stories and then realises you've read them all. It was nice to revisit them but I would have preferred new ones.

The Wexford Carol - Emma Jensen

This one was a really nice story about a woman who is trying to keep her ancestral home in order and good repair despite the fact that it has been sold by the cousin who inherited it and the man sent by the new owner to oversee the property. Some funny secondary characters helped keeping this a light story. Grade: 4/5

Mistletoe and Folly - Sandra Heath

A pair of young lovers meets again after 5 years. The hero had his heart broken by the heroine when she left to marry another and now that they meet again he is engaged to be married. A rival for the affections of his current fiancee creates a misunderstanding to have their engagement broken which leads to an explanation of what really happened 5 years earlier. I liked this story, it had an unusual plot, a bit more mystery than you usually find here and an unexpected ending for some of the secondary characters. A 4/5.

An Object of Charity - Carla Kelly

Captain Lynch unexpectedly finds himself taking charge of his dead first mate niece and nephew. He plans to return home to visit the mother and brother he hasn't speak with in 20 years and develops a fondness the Sally Partlow, the mentioned niece. I found this the best story of the book mainly due to the hero who was wonderful. I have two complaints though, Sally is at first shown as a very young girl when she is in fact 25 years old and as in all of my previous Kelly reads I wanted a bit more emotion. Grade: 4/5

Amanda McCabe - Upon a Midnight Clear

This story has an original heroine, a Jamaican girl who makes soaps and perfumes. She has come to England to accompany a childhood friend. Then she meets a British naval officer who thinks he is unworthy of love because of his scars and they fall in love with each other. Grade: 3.5/5

Anthology grade: 4/5

A Regency Christmas Carol - Anthology

Hark, the herald angels sing as five of Signet's favorite Regency authors bring you a melodious collection of stories to make the season even brighter. Lush with the magic of the holiday, the stories in this Christmas Regency collection capture the true spirit of this special time of year--the giving and receiving of love. This exquisite treasury will warm you with Yuletide cheer and makes the perfect gift for you and your loved ones.

Mary Balogh – The Bond Street Carolers
A moving story where music and children bring two lonely adults together. Balogh is very good at creating believable character s in short story format and this one is no exception. Lord Heath doesn’t like Christmas ort children but he does love music and upon meeting a young singer he can’t help being attracted to his mother.
Grade: 4.5/5


Edith Layton – The Earl’s Nightingale
Another lovely story with a hint of magic. A young woman pawns a cage as she needs money for an emergency but plans to get it back. When she goes back she discovers it has already been sold and as she approaches the buyer they start a quest for the cage and fall in love in the mean time. A fairy tale like ending for this one.
Grade: 4/5


Elizabeth Fairchild – Mistletoe Kiss
A governess and her charges go visit a man known as the Devil to bring him some happiness and succeed in making a lonely man seek other people. I thought his devilish side was a bit overdone making is a darker story than the others but it was nice to watch their interaction with the children and his final dialogue trying to convince her to love him.
Grade: 3.5/5


Carla Kelly – Make a Joyful Noise
I’m starting to think Carla Kelly works better for me in short story format. Charged by his mother to form the Christmas choir Lord Wythe finds a new singer in the Wetherby’s poor relation, Rosie. Rosie is a widow, is pregnant and soon will have no house to live in but Lord Wythe won’t let that happen. As usual it’s the hero who has center stage.
Grade: 4/5


Anne Barbour – Melody
Lovely story, an American who finds himself an English earl and is emotionally wounded meet a young ladies's companion who is physically damaged by a facial scar and they both heal each other forming a special connection through music.
Grade: 4.5/5

Anthology grade: 4/5

A Regency Christmas Present - Anthology

The gifts of Christmas are priceless -- good cheer, warm hearts, and happy times with friends. And now five bestselling Regency authors have made a special present to you--five brand-new stories. High-spirited and humorous, heartwarming and romantic and full of the fun and flavor of the holiday season they're the perfect present to share with friends and loved ones. And in each delightful story you'll find that there's one Christmas present that lasts all year round--the gift of true love.…

Heart's Desire - Allison Lane
Emma Fairlawn is a widow and she is travelling back to her father's house when she meets Craig Curtiss, home from the war to inherit the title after the death of his brother. He has a veritable dragon of a grandmother who plans to order his life and Emma gives him the courage he needs to face his grandmother.
Grade: 3/5

Christmas Wish List - Barbara Metzger
A Lord Boughton changes his life for his sick child and does what he can to get a rare breed kitten for her. Unfortunately for him his first encounter with owner of the kittens, Geraldine Selden, didn't go very well and she is determined not to give him one. He thinks of so many plans to get that one kitten that the story almost resembles a farce and misses on the romantic element.
Grade: 3/5

An Object of Charity - Carla Kelly
Captain Lynch unexpectedly finds himself taking charge of his dead first mate niece and nephew. He plans to return home to visit the mother and brother he hasn't speak with in 20 years and develops a fondness the Sally Partlow, the mentioned niece. I found this the best story of the book mainly due to the hero who was wonderful. I have two complaints though, Sally is at first shown as a very young girl when she is in fact 25 years old and as in all of my previous Kelly reads I wanted a bit more emotion.
Grade: 4/5

A Christmas Canvas - Elizabeth Fairchild
This was a strange story. Maitland, a painter is sent by his uncle to paint his fiancée and while there falls in love with the girl himself (I wonder why as she was a rather strange girl) and realises her brother is a villain (I didn't understand his motives but he was a bad apple) and decides to elope with her. Enter the uncle who says he never asked the girl to marry him, he just wanted them both to be together and he just knew they would suit. Say what?
Grade: 2/5

The Last Gift - Edith Layton
Rewriting a classic children's tale is not always easy and Layton attempts here to do that with Sleeping Beauty. Lord Cameron wants an old fashioned bride and when he goes to spend a few days in a Scottish cottage he finds an old house with a sleeping girl he rouses with a kiss. I found it too unbelievable, there were many loose ends regarding Mirabelle's story and little of holiday cheer.
Grade: 2/5

Grade: 3/5

Mrs McVinnie's London Season - Carla Kelly

MISCHIEF IN THE MARRIAGE MART

Jeannie McVinnie was young and lovely-but she was also a widow with no intention of marrying again. And if she ever did, it certainly would not be to the high-handed, hot-tempered Captain William Summers.

The swashbuckling Summers was a naval hero who found himself at sea in the London social swim and demanded that Jeannie help his pretty niece take the plunge into the London Marriage Mart. With her innocent charge in tow, Jeannie sailed into action--trying to steer a safe course in a whirlpool of romantic intrigue… and trying to keep herself from being swept away in a wild storm of love...

Although I came late to appreciate Carla Kelly, I did love the latest books I read by her. I was naturally eager to read this Mrs. McVinnie but I'm afraid I had a hard time with the heroine.

Jeannie McVinnie receives a letter inviting her to move to London and play nanny to the niece and nephew of captain Summers. Although she knows that the letter is not in reality for her but for her father in law's sister (who has died) she sees it as a way to stop being a burden to her father in law and she thinks she can play nanny as well as the original Jeannie McVinnie.

Of course, things don’t exactly go smoothly and as soon as Jeannie arrives, she is confused with a seamstress and when the truth is revealed not only she has reached the conclusion that she doesn't want to stay but also the captain is furious at the deception.

Jeannie eventually decides to stay, the captain is in obvious need of a hand to help him (and control his temper), his niece and sister in law are frivolous and snobs, his nephew is craving attention and a young illegitimate child that lives in the house doesn't even speak.

Although a Scottish countrywoman Jeannie eventually manages to teach everyone a lesson about what's important in life. She manages to be a success with Beau Brummell despite a trick Larinda and her friends were planning, she transforms Edward into a healthy young boy, takes him about in London, and with her Clare finally starts to speak. In addition, in the middle of it all she and the captain do fall in love.

I think my main problem with this book was that I found the heroine too perfect for my tastes; she never had a bad word about anyone, never a less than pleasant retort (except for the captain) despite Larinda being very deserving of one. It was too much perfection, I love flawed characters and despite her early deception Jeannie McVinnie is a candidate for sainthood except when she is with the captain or with Brummell.

One thing that Kelly usually does well is to show the hardships of daily life. In fact I think she even favors that over any accuracy matters. Her characters are usually found bending much of the rules of polite society ( Summers and Jennie spend much time together alone in the middle of the night...), unfortunately my lack of interest in Jennie stopped me from enjoying her attempts to make everything right for everyone and I wasn't even very moved when her past problems were revealed.

Grade: 3.5/5

Libby's London Merchant - Carla Kelly

MAN OF MYSTERY

Beautiful Miss Elizabeth Ames, better known as Libby, knew little about the man who invaded her country manor. Only that he was Mr.Nesbitt Duke, a London Merchant who had had an accident on the road. Soon she knew even less. For it quickly became clear he was not who he claimed, and was not in her house by accident at all. But that was not the greatest mystery. For Libby found out she had no idea of the secret longings of her own heart--and no clue what to do when passionate love took her by shocking surprise . . .

I was quite surprised when I picked up this book. At first glance, it seemed to have many things I don’t particularly like romance, the first of which is a love triangle, but it the end Kelly convinced me again. I wasn’t as enthusiastic as with the previous one I read by her but it was a satisfying read, especially because the right man won in the end.

So, Kelly starts off with something that is not that original. Two drunken friends, one asks the other to go and check if the fiancée his father arranged for him is ugly as sin, we can almost see the friend falling for the girl, etc etc… but that’s not how Kelly tells it.

Instead of the fiancée, the friends find her cousin, a sensible and beautiful girl. He is injured in an accident and spends some time at her house being tended by her and the doctor. The doctor is a clumsy big man who is also in love with Libby but whose lack of social graces and general clumsiness make him the butt of jokes.

The friend (a duke in disguise pretending to be a merchant) and Libby proceed to fall in love but when he plans to offer Libby’s cousin tells him she has no dowry and is the daughter of an unequal marriage that lead to her father being disinherited. Unable to face social disgrace the duke pretends he had a less than honourable intentions, which leads to Libby refusing him. It’s a huge deception for her and the tragic part is that the duke is not that bad a person, he will eventually realize his mistake.

In the mean time Libby becomes closer to the doctor, she gets to know him better, to appreciate his qualities, not the less of which is how he treats her brother, a boy who is a bit slow but who Libby loves dearly. I was a bit worried because Kelly does make Libby a bit too undecided; in fact, she stays undecided about which suitor to favor almost till the end. However, considering this was not your standard regency romance and I like originality it worked very well that way.

When I think of the book as a whole, I realize many different subjects are brought into this plot. None of the characters is black and white, there’s mention of physical wounds and brain damage, the relationship of fathers and sons, the social rules and behavior of polite society and the contrast of those of the common people, alcoholism, she creates a very vivid world and that is very attractive. In the end, I closed the book with a deeply satisfied sigh but I realize that readers who prefer standard regency plots might not be as happy with this one.

Grade: 4.5/5

Miss Chartley's Guided Tour - Carla Kelly

THE BETRAYED BEAUTY

When lovely young Omega Chartley was left at the altar by the man she loved, her life turned from a dream into a nightmare. Penniless, she had to find employment far below her station. Heartbroken, she could not think of ever trusting love again.

When she again met Matthew Bering, the man who had betrayed her trust and shattered her life, Omega had every reason to despise his handsome person, dismiss his outrageous explanations, and reject his amorous appeals.

And she had no reason whatsoever to do what she did when she fell under his spell -- a second time.

After a few so so reads, I think I finally saw the light with this story by Carla Kelly. I will certainly pay more attention to the other books I have by her in the TBR pile.

When the story opens Omega Chartley has just been left at the altar by the groom, that scene is told by said groom’s point of view but we don’t know why.
Fast forward 8 years and Omega’s circumstances have been reduced and she is travelling to a new position. Unexpectedly she finds a young boy on the run from a wicked uncle and being chased by a Bow Street Runner. Decided to help him Omega runs away with him and on the way they meet Hugh Owen (an ex-soldier who has lost a hand at Waterloo) and Angela, a Spanish orphan who his young charge. They travel together to a nearby estate where Jamie, the boy they are trying to save, hopes to meet his maternal uncle who might save him from his guardian.

When they arrive, Omega realizes that Jamie’s uncle is none other than her ex fiancé. They are both surprised to see each other and since Jamie’s presence is the main thing explanations are left for a later date but those past events are discussed by them. I thought the explanation for what happened 8 years earlier could in fact have made Matthew run away from his obligation but honestly I feel he should have gone back and explained after a suitable period of time to gather his wits. The fact that for 8 weeks he left Omega the subject of evil gossip, not to mention heartbroken makes him a bit of a coward in my view.

To solve Jamie’s problem Matthew joins forces with the Bow Street runner who was following him and as the action develops we feel that the world is really small as the loose ties are binded and everything starts to make sense.

I think Kelly managed to do a wonderful thing with this book which was to mention difficult subjects in a light way. This is not a sad story despite the fact that it deals with such different things as the poverty of the lower classes in London, thievery, child prostitution, greed that leads to murder, the problems the soldiers coming home from the war faced, war orphans... . These are the sort of social injustice that usually doesn’t make an appearance in romance because, let’s face it, there can be no happy ending for those involved but Kelly doesn’t shy away from them.
She also does write wonderful characters, Omega, Hugh and Angela, Jamie… they were all real, fun, believable and likeable. Matthew was also a good one but with the problems I mentioned earlier. I can’t wait to start my next Carla Kelly book and see if it’s as good as this one.

Grade: 4.5/5

Miss Whittier Makes a List - Carla Kelly

Miss Hannah Whittier was a most proper young lady, but now she found herself in a most improper position. Not only was she the sole female on a British man-of-war, but he ship's commander, Captain Sir Daniel Spark, seemed to feel she owed him far more than gratitude for fishing her out of the sea.

This overbearingly arrogant officer was all that Hannah found infuriating in a man--and it should have been easy to repulse his advances… if only he were not so handsome… if only he did not know how to be so charming… if only she did not find that the salt air worked a sea change on her senses… as powerful currents swept her far from familiar shores into unknown waters where the compass of conscience could not guide her on a course that was headed for the shores of scandal and rocks of ruin…

Hannah Whittier, a young Quaker girl, is traveling to Charleston to be married. To her dismay, her ship is first attacked by the British, whose Captain forces a young American boy to join his crew, and later by the French who kill almost all the passengers and destroy the vessel. The young woman manages to escape and is saved by the same British crew lead by Captain Sir Daniel Spark.

What went wrong for me in Miss Whittier Makes a List? The two main characters, Hannah and Daniel. I normally don't mind very young heroines but here it was almost a torture to follow this girl's adventures. She is naive beyond belief and sometimes plain silly. I couldn't relate to her in any possible way and if some of her attitudes were supposed to be funny or refreshing, that didn't work for me at all.

Unfortunately, the hero was not much better. When he first meets the heroine, he appears as a ruthless and quite arrogant man, but right after he seems like a complete different person and shows a huge amount of patience with Hannah who is constantly in everyone's way. Suddenly to make up for all her faux-pas, there she is making extraordinary coffee for the captain, or giving him her support in a difficult moment…

I never believed not for a second that these two had feelings for each other. First him, a man well on his 30's suddenly claiming he is deeply in love with a 17 year old girl who he barely knows. And when he declares his love, it's her who shows some sense, but not for long. I just couldn't picture them together, there was no spark, no attraction whatsoever. I even started to think he was marrying her for her coffee…

After suspending my disbelief for so long I finally gave up, making of Miss Whittier Makes a List my first DNF of the year.

Grade: DNF

Reforming Lord Ragsdale - Carla Kelly

The Rake's Progress

Emma Costello owed a debt of honor to one of the most dishonorable lords in the realm. The infamous Lord Ragsdale was as rich as sin, as sinful as he was rich, and as heartless as he was handsome. But he had saved Emma from a fate worse than death when he stopped a lecherous brute from buying her as an indentured servant.

It was Emma's turn now to save Lord Ragsdale from his wicked ways. She had to find a way to stop his drinking, his gaming, his wild revelry. She had to make him break with his mistress, the superbly sensual Fae Moulle. She had to make him a suitable suitor for the ideal wife that the prim and proper Lady Clarissa Partridge would be. And above all, she had to keep his lustful eye from lingering too long on herself--even as she struggled to keep her own growing desire from undoing all her hard work in the unmaking of this irresistible rake…

Carla Kelly is a well known author in the traditional regency genre and although I’ve already read 2 or 3 of her books I have yet to find one that satisfies me completely. This Reforming Lord Ragsdale was no exception.

The storyline is a bit different from your average regency. Ragsdale saves Emma from being gambled and lost in a game of cards by his young cousin and buys her indenture. Despites her being Irish and him hating all Irish because of losing his father and his eye he can’t help interfering in such an appalling situation. Since he then owns her he feels somewhat responsible for her and tries to discover what happened to her in the past to make her a servant when she is clearly someone educated in polite society.

As he tries to understand and help Emma so does she try to help him become a better man and eventually in winning the woman he decides he wants to marry. In fact she is determined to get her indenture back and not feel in debt to him so she decides she will save him from himself as payment to him.

I loved how Kelly wrote a true rake, very unlikeable in the beginning till we slowly start to understand him and appreciate him. We go through that process at the same time that Emma does in fact, we discover that there are more layers to him and what’s inside is so much better than what is on the outside. It’s very interesting to see them become aware of each other’s virtues and see them slowly changing towards the other.

However I think Kelly’s way of writing is too rational and although I understand everything perfectly I would prefer more emotion, more angst, so I could feel everything too. For instance Emma is always so rational and composed that I never felt any empathy with her, it was easier to feel for Ragsdale who had strengths and fragilities, mood changes and an evolution as character to someone worthy of loving and being loved in return.

Grade: 4/5