THE TEMPORARY WIFE - MARY BALOGH

The Pernicious Proposal

Miss Charity Duncan had no illusions when she said yes to the marriage proposal of Lord Anthony Earheart. This arrogant aristocrat made it painfully clear what he wanted of her. Would Charity agree to be the wife he needed to enrage the father he hated? Of course. Would Charity then depart from his life in return for the money she and her family desperately needed? Of course. Was Earheart as heartless as he was handsome and as remorseless as he was rich? Of course.

It was only when Charity entered into this mockery of a marriage that she discovered that things were not as simple as they seemed. For when the libertine lord took her in his arms, it was not only her marriage contract that threatened to be broken--but her heart as well...

Where do I begin?! Why is it so hard to write a review about a great book? I know I won’t be able to make it justice, but I shall try nonetheless… Because this is one of my favorite books ever, one of those Desert Isle Keepers, like our friends from *all about romance* use to say…

This is, first of all, a story about 2 people falling in love in a marriage of convenience. Yeah, not so original, but me thinks this is one of the best attempts on making work a relationship of two people who have just met and have to share their lives. The hero, Anthony Earheart, Marques of Staunton, heir to a dukedom, a young man who 8 years ago chose to leave his home and family because he couldn’t live any longer in his father’s house, makes an advertisement in the papers that he looks for a governess. His real reason for it is to choose a very insipid, plain and boring wife from the list of “to be governesses” in order to spite his father who, finally, has summoned him home. He is the typical arrogant, cold, cynical *don’t believe in love*romance hero. The heroine, Charity Duncan, comes from a large, impoverished family, she chooses to work in order to help her brother to pay for the family’s needs. She is also very used to managing her brothers and sisters lives, to speak her own mind and also to care for the people around her. So, as destiny would have it (or just the author :)), she applies to the hero’s ad for a governess, is chosen because of her *brown mouse* appearance and accepts to be his temporary wife for a few weeks, in exchange for financial security. Together they go to the hero’s home, where he can flaunt, in front of his father, his lower born wife.

And now the magic begins…

We enter the world of a very unhappy family, caught at a very difficult moment and we meet His grace, the duke of Willingsby, the most cold, arrogant, toplofty duke from Balogh’s ever-growing list, and by far, the most interesting character of this book. Maybe because he remains almost an enigma throughout the book, maybe because he first appeared as the villain who caused the hero’s pain, or just that the human nature will always have more shades of gray instead of the simple black and white of good or bad characters, the Duke impressed me a lot.

The hero is another interesting character, after 8 years he returns home and has to deal with serious problems, some of them caused by youth folly, some by immaturity, some by miscommunication, and all that is added to the fact that he falls in love with his heroine, a process that is quite visible throughout… Another interesting thing about the hero is the fact that, although 28 and quite independent from his family, he still has a lot to grow up, especially emotionally and in terms of accepting his family ties and his heritage.

And now the heroine… I usually don’t like main female characters, they are either too stupid for their own good, or too sassy, or they try to appear independent, or are portrayed as wounded souls, etc., etc. But in this case, Charity is a charming person, very level-headed, decided, correct, taking everything that happens at it’s face-value, but most of all, she is a very nice character, who’s impossible not to love.

No matter how much or how little I say about this book, I will never make it justice… This book just has to be read, especially if you like good family stories, great characters, a wonderful love story and why not, drama and hurt made well until the end.

Grade 5 / 5

A MATTER OF CLASS - MARY BALOGH

Reginald Mason is wealthy, refined, and, by all accounts, a gentleman. However, he is not a gentleman by title, a factor that pains him and his father within the Regency society that upholds station over all else. That is, until an opportunity for social advancement arises, namely, Lady Annabelle Ashton. Daughter of the Earl of Havercroft, a neighbor and enemy of the Mason family, Annabelle finds herself disgraced by a scandal, one that has left her brandished as damaged goods. Besmirched by shame, the earl is only too happy to marry Annabelle off to anyone willing to have her.

Though Reginald Mason, Senior, wishes to use Annabelle to propel his family up the social ladder, his son does not wish to marry her, preferring instead to live the wild, single life he is accustomed to. With this, Reginald Senior serves his son an ultimatum: marry Annabelle, or make do without family funds. Having no choice, Reginald consents, and enters into a hostile engagement in which the prospective bride and groom are openly antagonistic, each one resenting the other for their current state of affairs while their respective fathers revel in their suffering.

So begins an intoxicating tale rife with dark secrets, deception, and the trials of love - a story in which very little is as it seems.

The new book by Mary Balogh… longer than a novella, but not quite a novel either. Although not a traditional Regency book, it does deserve to be reviewed here, on the blog, because of the theme and also because of Mary Balogh (who will always be a trad writer, even if her stories tend to be a little unconventional)

The difference between the two classes: the very highborn and the industrial class, has been depicted in many books, even Mrs. Balogh has a few more titles with this theme (A Christmas Promise comes to mind), so it’s not easy to come with something new. I confess I was very skeptical about it, and maybe with a good reason, but lucky me (us) I was wrong. This book was quite unique, in writing style and in the way the author managed to twist the theme.

First of all, for anyone who reads this review and hasn’t read the book yet, I want to warn you that there will be spoilers, this being the type of story that will get spoiled by a review no matter how carefully written. Actually, what is best about this book lies in exactly that – the power of surprise and it would be a pity to know in advance about what’s going to happen. My advice is simply to read the book – because it’s well worth it, and only after that to comment upon it…

*** SPOILER ***

That being said, I want to mention that the writing style is a little different than what we’re used to. You get one chapter in the present (after the scandal that ruined Annabelle’s chances of making a good marriage) and the next is in the past, so you get to know how everything came to this happening, glimpses of the past with Reggie and Annabelle meeting, forming a tentative friendship and falling in love...

I have to say that I didn’t have a clue about the secret arrangement between the two characters until I was way into the second part of the book, so I got to enjoy almost fully the double-entendres, the little surprises and the fact that the hero and heroine who remained almost throughout the whole book a mystery...

The book is quite dynamic, it doesn’t dwell much on inner emotions (because it can’t :)), some of the scenes are very funny (one of the best proposal scenes ever!!) and it has one of those rare qualities – it makes you want to start all over again as soon as you finish and it’s even better on a second read.

As for what I didn’t like about this book, then it has to be the scene where the hero and heroine have sex. Okay, Mary Balogh’s sex scenes have never been her forte, so I don’t expect much anyway, but I expect at least that it made sense, that the plot requires it, that is not forced… So to me it felt like the publisher asked for a love scene and the author wrote one, but it wasn’t well done, it didn’t make sense and I just passed through it hoping it wouldn’t last much...

In the end, a very nice read, uncomplicated and funny in parts, the type of book that leaves you with a warm, lovely feeling.

Grade: 4.5/5.

THE DUKE’S WAGER – EDITH LAYTON

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

Lovely Regina Berryman was pursued by two men--the two most attractive and infamous bachelors in London.

One was Jason Thomas, Duke of Torquay, whose skill and success in seduction had made him a legend of lordly licentiousness. The other was St. John Basil St. Charles, Marquis of Bessacarr, the devilish duke's only rival as the foremost rake of the realm.

These notorious gentlemen had made Regina fair game in a competition where all was considered legitimate strategy in winning her affection and capturing her virtue. And Regina's only chance of preserving her honor and protecting her heart was to turn the tables on her titled tempters--and change the dallying way Regency London played the game of love ...

The duke’s wager, the book that was published the month I was born – so that makes it as old as I am… :) Okay, except of that, this is also one of my top favorite books ever. And why is that, since the plot written above doesn’t state anything exceptional: 2 rakes trying to win the love of a beautiful innocent and also quite poor little miss … blah, blah. Well, it’s not as simple as that, especially since we’re talking about Edith Layton, who is quite well known for her in-depth character description and for her gift of truly immersing the reader in the world she’s depicting.

The heroine, Regina, begins the book as the very beautiful innocent, with absolutely no relations in the beau-monde, with very high morals, she also becomes destitute quite early in the story. And so, these are the reasons why she is to become the object of a wager between 2 infamous rakes. She is not very interesting at the beginning, quite common in fact, but as the story progresses we see her learn so many things about life, about right and wrong and how these can change so quickly, about what is moral and what is human, she will learn that life has more shades of gray and it’s not simply black or white, on the whole, we see her gain a lot of depth to her character, something that will become surprising to the reader and irresistible to the hero, who is not a simple character either.

The hero is something special too. Maybe it was just me not having read many romances at the time I first read this book, but I have to confess that I did not guess WHO the hero was, between the 2 main characters mentioned in the blurb, until very late in the story. So I won’t say anything about him, just that he really is one of the worst rakes ever, not a fake, misunderstood or exaggerated one. Nope, he is the real deal (even if the reason for it is a little romanticized). Another thing I liked about him is that he doesn’t invite pity, he has a crystal clear view of his life and the choices he made that lead him to what he is now, he accepts himself and doesn’t try to hide behind fancy words. He is honest, he doesn’t lie, to the world, or to the heroine. He is a cynic, but not the “my momma didn’t love me so I must go out and make everyone else to feel as miserable as I do” type, no, he is more refined than that, maybe a little cruel sometimes, but in the end, very human. The flawed character by excellence.

There are some other interesting characters depicted in the story, although I couldn’t say that any of them is a villain. Like always in Layton books, the secondary characters are very well drawn and maybe take too much space from the main ones. On the other hand, as a reader, you get a much better picture of the whole story, so the journey gets very enjoyable.

Pfiew… it seems I did it :) I wrote the review without mentioning anything about the plot! Since I enjoyed it so much, word by word, especially on my first read, I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else…

Grade: 5/5 with congratulations :)

A Regency Christmas III - Anthology

Bringing together five all-new Christmas stories by some of the most highly
acclaimed Regency authors, this rich collection celebrates the joys and
traditions of the holiday season. These are stories that capture the essence of
Christmas - the generosity and goodwill, the love and longing, the hopes and the
heartbreaks. Filled with romance and that joyful spirit that comes only once a
year, this wonderful collection will delight readers all year round.

Ana's review:

I'm not much of an anthology reader except at Christmas. Ever since I found the
Signet Christmas anthologies I've been collecting them and reading a few every
Christmas. This one has 5 stories by well known authors.

In Sandra Heath's MISTLETOE AND FOLLY a pair of young lovers meet 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.

In Mary Jo Putney THE CHRISTMAS CUCKOO a misunderstanding leads the wrong man to be invited to spend Christmas at a farmhouse by the heroine. Although misunderstanding plots aren't always easy to believe in I really liked this one. Not only it worked well as the main characters were really likeable people. A 4.

In Mary Balogh's THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER a young child, mute since her mother's death, wishes for a new mother for Christmas and believes she got it when the heroine arrives to the house party the next morning. The hero and the heroine have a past together and it will take them a while to solve things between them. I found the thoughts of the child regarding her mother very emotional. An 5.

In Melinda McRae's HOME FOR CHRISTMAS a man returning from America finds his parents house empty except for the servants and the children's governess. This was a sweet story but the weakest of all as there is not much back story or explanation for the characters feelings. A 3.5

In Edith Layton's THE DARK MAN a young lady newly betrothed has doubts about her fiancé's feelings and ends up breaking up with him. It will take him a while to discover his true feelings and go after her. I did like this story that had a really nice set of secondary characters like the heroine's parents and the hero's friend trying to matchmake. The Duke of Torquay is mentioned briefly and that was a nice touch. A 4.

Grade: 4/5

Ioana’s review:
After having neglected my Regency reading for such a long time, I thought to start anew with a Christmas book, to put me in the mood for… Christmas (catching the Ana bug – who only reads Christmas books in December :) ). So I chose this book, starring 3 of my favorite authors, it should have been palatable :)
And I have to say that it was quite good, well except for the first story, which almost made go back to my not-reading Regencies status…
But let me begin with the review. Oh, I won’t describe each story, I see that Ana did it already, I’ll just say how I liked them and why.

“Mistletoe and Folly” by Sandra Heath was quite bad in my opinion (sorry Ana :)). I’ve never been a fan of misunderstandings, even if I do admit they can work sometimes… But NOT when you have only 70 pages to write a story that brings the spirit of Christmas, a story that should make the reader feel warm inside, and not confused on who does what and why and annoyed because everything is so rushed. Also, the very beautiful heroine, who sacrifices herself for her family and suffers greatly in her arranged marriage with a cruel man, is so hated and misjudged by the hero at the beginning of the story and then SNAP! hero finds out the truth and he is so much in love with her again! Puh-lease! A 2.

“The Christmas Cuckoo” by Mary Jo Putney was my favorite (yeah, even before Mary Balogh’s). It’s such a funny, cheerful story, with some wonderful characters. The hero is to die for! Anyway, he gets to spend Christmas with a very nice family that mistake him for a friend, and in between almost drowning, baking mince pies and decorating the house, you get romance, Christmas cheer and some trepidation about what will happen when the truth is revealed! A 5!

“The best Christmas ever” by Mary Balogh. It was a nice, warm book, I can’t really complain… but I am! What it had best was the little girl, and not the hero or the heroine… he seemed a little dense and she – a long suffering victim… Oh, okay, it was a 4.

Melinda McRae was a new author or me, so I didn’t know what to expect. “Home for Christmas” wasn’t quite bad, but it felt like an empty story: it brought the sense of Christmas (and that was great), but it lacked a lot on the romance level. The two main characters were perfect strangers at the beginning of the story, and did not seem a lot different by the end of the book. And to believe that any sane woman would choose to accompany a man, who she has just met, to a foreign land, in the middle of nowhere, it’s a little too much for me. Yes, romances let us dream about things that can’t really happen in real life, but I will never dream about being insane… Still, it was better than the first story, a 3.5.

“The dark man” was a nice end to the anthology, it showed in very few pages why Edith Layton was such a great author. It was quite an introspective book, with a serious theme, maybe not really fit for Christmas, but a nice touch nevertheless… Anyway, I won’t say more, just that it’s worth reading, especially if you like your characters well explained :) even if I will say that the book deserved a lot more pages… A 5.

Grade: 4/5

DARING MASQUERADE - MARY BALOGH

BETWEEN TWO FIRES

Beautiful young widow Katherine Mannering vowed that no man would ever possess her. Her brief but brutal forced marriage left her with profound distaste for what went by the name of love.

But that was before she met Nicholas Seyton, a devilishly dashing highwayman who kidnapped her person and stole her heart. And that was before she met the infuriating yet attractive Sir Harry Tate, whose manner made her blood boil yet whose touch lit flames of passion.

The outlaw and the lord... Katherine knew so little about either, except that each taught her a different lesson in love -- and presented her with a more and more difficult choice....

Who could have been the author to tempt me to finish my break in reading traditional romances?! Mary Balogh, of course… I don’t know why, but I was never tempted to read this book, and I had it for quite a while… I think it was the suggestion of masquerade in the title and the fact that the hero passes himself for 2 different persons that put me off…

Anyway, I read it and I’m glad of it. Something about the plot: well, you have the heroine, who works as a companion for the daughter of an earl who is terrified of highwaymen (the daughter, that is). The heroine, Kate, has been married to a somewhat nasty character who choked on a bone and died (yes, I don’t know why that’s funny, but it is) and she claims that she doesn’t want nothing from men from now on! On the road to the family’s estate, she, her employer and her brother, are held up by a highwayman, who abducts Kate believing she is the daughter of the earl.

The highwayman is of course the hero. Nicholas Seyton, wearing a mask and a wig. He has been wronged by the earl and asks for some answers – hence the kidnapping. He doesn’t get too fierce in his role and somehow manages to tell Kate all about his life and sufferings, she believes him and offers her help. They meet now and then, he is always using his mask, and they start and affair and concludes in a one memorable night of smuggling and making love!!! That’s fine of course, it could happen in romances , but exactly the next day the hero arrives at the earl’s estate as a different man, Sir Harry Tate. A very interesting character, actually the best in the book, and my personal opinion is that for him only it’s worth reading it. The heroine doesn’t recognize him and every time they meet, sparks start flying. He is quite obnoxious, really . Anyway, the rest is for you to discover…

It was an entertaining read, sometimes funny characters, not such a clever plot, but the strongest point were the nice dialogues. As a proof of that, I really have to show here, one of my favorite scenes, with Kate and Harry:

“G-go away then!” Kate said crossly on a shuddering inward breath. “I am not looking for your sympathy. And I would not be crying now, sir, but that I had a sleepless night and have not been feeling quite the thing today. I never cry.” She blew her nose loudly in the handkerchief and glared at him out of reddened eyes.
“Hm,” he said. “Quite disgusting. Your nose and your eyes vie over which are the redder. I do believe the nose wins because it also shines”
“Oh!” Kate stamped her foot crossly. “I might have known you would not have an ounce of gallantry for a poor female in trouble.”
“Now, think a moment, Mrs. Mannering,” he said on a sigh. “If I had taken you in my arms and held your head against my shoulder and crooned soothing inanities into your ear, do you not think you would still be bawling? As it is, your emotion has been converted to anger, and your chin and cheeks have perhaps been saved from the same fate as your eyes and nose”

In the end, it is worth reading for fans of the genre, but only if you’re willing to ignore the big white elephant in the room – the fact that the heroine has an affair with 2 different men, never knowing it is actually one single person.

Grade: 3.5/5

THE NOTORIOUS RAKE - MARY BALOGH

The Lady and the Libertine

Lord Edmund Waite was everything that Lady Mary Gregg despised in a man. He was lewd, lascivious, mocking---the most notorious and successful rake in the realm. Happily, Mary had nothing to fear from this lord of libertines. A bluestocking like her could never tempt a man whose taste ran to pretty playthings for his pleasures.

How startled Mary was to find herself the object of Lord Waite's determined desires. But even more surprising was her reaction to his shocking advances. How could she remain a lady with this man who knew so well how to make her feel like a woman.

To my eternal surprise, this is a traditional romance and not a shorter version of a historical. Why do I begin by saying that? Because it needs to be said, I think it’s the most interesting feature of the book – the hero and heroine having sex at the beginning of the book has a tremendous impact over the way their relation develops throughout the story.

Usually I am not that fond of reading about sex scenes at the very beginning, especially when we’re talking about the Regency period and considering that in most books the hero and heroine meet for the first time at the beginning of the story. How can it ring true that the heroine would be that much sex starved to be willing to have sex with a stranger? In 1800 something? Or am I too narrow-minded?! Okay, nevermind that, Mary Balogh sometimes does this kind of plot, and even if I don’t like the excuse she used (heroine terrified of storms finds only one way to fight her fear and that is through sex!!!!! yep, pretty unbelievable), the fact that there was sexual intercourse between hero and heroine makes for a very special developing of the story.

For example, their dialogues are simply great – in my opinion, the best asset of the book. And they couldn’t have been so open and free in speaking if they haven’t had that scene. Another example are the hero and heroine themselves. As said in the blurb, they really are different, at least outwardly. There would have been little chance for them to begin a relation if it weren’t for that particular sex scene. And because it happened then it rings true that Edmond could try to persuade Mary, even harass her a little, just because he wants their affair to continue – they were after all, very compatible in bed.

These were the goodies… sadly there are also some parts that, even if I did not dislike totally, they were a little boring. Like the theme of the rake who is not actually a rake, or the hero’s conflict with his family that gets solved in the end. They were not badly written, but by the time I read the book, I had already read some other great books by this author with these particular themes.

Grade: 4/5

THE DEVIL'S WEB - MARY BALOGH

REKINDLED DESIRE

The last time Madeline Raine had seen James Purnell, she had been but a chit of a girl, and at his mercy. Purnell had held her helpless in his arms - but protectively above the abyss of her own dangerous hunger for him.

He had left her then, not taking her innocence but taking her heart, as he vanished from England. Since then Madeline had reigned as society's most dazzling and heartless beauty, making all men pay for one man's rebuff of her.

Now James was back, more handsome and arrogant than ever. And Madeline steeled herself not to fall under his spell again. But she soon discovered that the melting power of passion ignited by love would not easily die…

What I did not like: people who know me, also know that I love Mary Balogh, she is one of my favorite authors, most of her books are at least readable, but most of the time very enjoyable. There was one book that I truly hated (“tempting Harriet”, and no, you won't catch me writing a review on that) and I never thought I will find another one to equal it, and even surpass it! But there it is! The devil's web!
For those who don't know, this is the last book in a series of three, and we have had glimpses of Madeline and James's love affair all through the series. It's one of those love and hate relationships, that honestly, need a lot of skill to be believable.

I've seen through the series that James has all the ingredients that make a tortured hero, so of course my interest is piqued. Why do we love tortured heroes?! Most of the time they only whine about their sufferings and make everyone near them feel unhappy?! And when we finally find out the reason for their “torture” it proves to be something that could be solved very easily by a few words of the heroine! But there you have it, the torturing syndrome got me again! And here we have a very fine example of it! James is absolutely impossible! I kept reading because I could not believe it, because a jerk like that was never found by me as a hero in a Balogh book. So I could not stop and just abandon the book, I had to keep trying, and maybe, there will be some explanation, some excuse, SOMETHING to atone for all the bad behavior of the hero toward the heroine. Because his excuse was rubbish for me - he did not feel himself capable of showing love (HA! Love! What about some decency at least and common courtesy. What about just treating your wife like she is a human being!) to the heroine because in his youth he knows himself to have impregnated the girl he loved and was not allowed to wed her himself – so he feels guilty.
Shortly, the hero and heroine are very attracted to each other, but they never seem to at least be friendly. Despite this, they decide to get married – and basically the reason is love – even if not acknowledged aloud in front of the beloved. And now begins the nightmare!
I honestly don't have anything against the heroine, it's obvious that she really tries to make her marriage work. She is not the boring type of heroine, she is active, full of life and very nice and patient with the hero, tries to understand him, tries to avoid discussions, but sometimes, out of nowhere, without any apparent reason, he strikes again. This is what I disliked the most – there were no reasons for what he does to her. They seem to have a good scene, and from nothing he gets prickly like a hedgehog and tells her something hurtful. Just like that! And that was a surprise honestly, because usually marriages in Balogh world, even those of convenience, are very polite, they sort of have some rules, and the hero treats the heroine with respect. Always! So it was very difficult for me to adjust to this new type of hero, who was also very unpleasant. And on top of everything else, he is also very possessive, distrustful and gives orders without explanations!
In the end the hero finds out that the reason for his “torture” was not a valid one (of course) and he finally talks with the heroine and after one last hurtful thing to say (like: oh, are you pregnant?! And is it mine?!), although, apparently, he had come to make peace with her. But they do acknowledge their love for each other in the very last pages of the book and decide to make their marriage work. Like anyone in his right mind would believe their marriage will ever work!

What I liked: there are some little things that I liked to read, or better, that ringed true. First, the first sex scene between the hero and heroine – it is one of the few where the heroine actually finds it a not so pleasant experience. Not that I'm glad for the poor heroine, but really I'm sick of reading about orgasms on the first time, especially when it takes place outdoors, on the hard ground!
Another thing I liked was to see that the hero does not escape his heritage. With a very cold and morose father he did not turn out to be a carefree, outgoing person. That's another thing that does not ring true to me in many romances – characters that come from very troubled parents, with very troubled childhoods, always overcome anything and get to be these beautiful persons with no flaws at all. Like they are not human!
I might have disliked immensely how the hero treats the heroine, but the truth is that it kept me on my toes. I read the book all anxious to find out how everything turns out to be. And that is something I have to admit :) grudgingly...

Grade: 2/5

The Seventh Suitor - Laura Matthews

“I fear we should not suit, sir!” said Kate.

As the fifth young man to offer for her hand that afternoon revealed his purpose and his "prospects," even Kate had to laugh at the absurd prank her brother's friends were playing. But once years ago, she remembered, she had refused such a proposal, and there had been sad consequences. Now all she had to remember that suitor by was a legacy--one, her haughty neighbor Lord Winterton felt, no lady of honor would accept.

“The Seventh Suitor” is one of the very best books I've read this year, and from what I've read by Matthews until now, my definite favorite.
Having said that, let's see how I motivate my statement :) First, the blurb is not very clear, I have read the book and I understand how anyone else could... The book begins with Kate, the heroine, receiving 5 wedding proposals, all in the same afternoon.

But why “the seventh”? Except for these 5 prank suitors, there was a first one, years ago, the brother of the Earl of Winterton, whom Kate has also refused. Nothing extraordinary about that, but the trouble was that Carl, this first suitor, did not take well the refusal and threatened to blackmail Kate into accepting him, or else she would be blamed for his joining the army and putting his life in danger. Of course the worse happened and he died. Noone blamed Kate, but Carl also left her with an inheritance (that he begged to be accepted as a sign of forgiveness for his bad behavior).
So, the presumptive seventh suitor, the Earl of Winterton, Carl's brother, who was never aware of the reason why Kate accepted the inheritance, has always been very annoyed with Kate for being so hypocrite as to accept the inheritance after refusing the marriage proposal. And these are the markings for the *best enemies* relation they develop.

I won't get into detail about how the plot develops, there have to remain a few surprises to discover :) But I have to mention a few wonderful scenes, like the one where the hero is left unclothed in his mistress's house, and the one to discover and help him is Kate. Or the lovely scene at the hero's house, in the hero's bedroom, with the hero having ... measles :) Also, there is also a nice secondary romance.

As for the characters, imagine a Kate who is a lovely mixture between Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Woodhouse (she does try to manage everyone's lives), and the hero Lord Winterton, the classical dour faced hero, with a very correct behavior and occasional glimpses of tenderness. Plus he is made fun of in a very grand way from time to time.

Grade: 5/5

LOVE IN DISGUISE - EDITH LAYTON

TWO FACES OF LOVE

Miss Susannah Logan felt very fortunate to have not one man but two gentlemen shepherding her through her first London season.

One was the cynical and brilliant Mr. Warwick Jones, whose wit and wealth gave him free entry into society and whose pretended scorn for women was matched only by the sensual intensity of his passion for them.

The other was the handsome and honorable Julian, Viscount Hazelton, whose fierce desire for an unobtainable beauty had led him to financial ruin but could not mar his irresistible good looks.

Warwick Jones and Julian were good friends until they took the inexperienced Miss Logan in hand... each leading her on a different path of love and passion toward a decision that threatened to intoxicate her flesh... and yield her ripe innocence to the one man whose tantalizing nearness she could no longer resist...

Ana's review

After having read the second in this trilogy thinking it was the first I just had to pick this one up and see what I had missed. I'm starting to think Layton used these books to stretch some boundaries. In the other book we had a hero who had been king of the underworld and in this one we have a heroine who comes from trade being disputed by 2 gentlemen. Once more it's all about the hero!

I can see why I. says Warwick it's her favourite hero of the 3 (even if I'm still partial to Arden). He is powerful and strong, but also sensitive, caring albeit too subtle to demonstrate all that. Julian, Viscount Hazelton is more open and is described as the most attractive man, a blond god of a hero he is totally in love with a woman he can't have. This book is about a love triangle, the back blurb of the book doesn't even allow you to understand who will be the hero. It's plain from the beginning that both Julian and Susannah have some growing up to do but while Susannah needs to understand her feelings better Julian will have some disappointments to deal with. Going in the opposite direction is Warwick who becomes more vulnerable as he falls for Susannah and I think he is the true star of the book. He never changes, is always supportive towards Susannah, is a friend to his friends and tries to protect everyone around him. Susannah's falling in love with him is more about her realising and understanding her feelings than Warwick doing anything to conquer her. There's a lot of introspection especially on Susannah and Warwick's part but I wouldn’t call it a slow book as there a little mystery added and even a villain to bring some excitement.

There were some things I found hard to believe like Julian being a Coachman because he was penniless, Susannah living in the same house as 2 gentleman she was not related to (even if with a chaperone), and Lady Marianna Moredon who kept being called Lady Moredon ! But in the end that did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Grade: 4/5

Note: Terrible cover and totally wrong for the story told in the book.

Ioana's review

What can I say? I've always cherished books with a strong male character, someone really interesting. And in this case, Warwick became my favorite Layton hero. A little cold and aloof towards people around him, very intelligent and funny in his own way, he is considered an excentric, but proves to be a faithful friend to the few who gained his trust. He has some traces of Dain's complex of “unbeautifulness” (and I'm talking of the more known character of Dain from Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase) – a rather ugly child that grew up near blondy-sparkling foster brothers and sister, developed a sort of obsession for blond people (really, I would have wished that Susannah was not blond, because it feels a little weird, honestly). But he is by far the most interesting character in this book. His love for the heroine is presented in a very nice way, it's impossible not to fall for him when you read about his self-considered impossible love. Pure tortured love, but sweet at the same time :)

Julian is the second hero in this book, a little immature, but charming in his own way. Although I read some years ago on Edith Layton's website that the reason why she began this series was a nocturnal ride in the park with a young and blond coachman that caught her attention, and from this we could assume that he is a central figure in the book, actually he is not. I see him there just to put Warwick in the spotlight, because it's obvious who has the most qualities.

Susannah. She's okay I guess, I'm not overly enthusiastic, but she does grow up during the course of the book. From the first infatuation for the godlike Julian to the more mature way of understanding the difference between infatuation and long-standing love.

The writing. This is Edith Layton. Who knows her style knows what I'm talking about. Who doesn't, then you will encounter many descriptions, many point of views (everyone has one, the florist, the cook, the passerby), she gets into everyone's lives and you get a very detailed view of the whole picture.

The book does have some flaws I suppose, but they don't come to mind right now and are quite minor. But the cover is one of them. Although usually the Signet covers are really nice and true to the book inside, in this case the hero's picture has nothing to do with reality. I regret that it's not available anymore a certain drawing on Edith Layton's old website that showed the author's image of Warwick. It showed a somehow haunted face, not beautiful by any stretch of imagination, but very interesting and unforgettable. That remained Warwick in my own mind.

Grade: 4.5/5

DANCING WITH CLARA - MARY BALOGH

A Lady Without Illusions

Miss Clara Danford had no illusions about Frederick Sullivan. She knew that this magnificently handsome gentleman was a rake whose women were legion and whose gambling debts were staggering. She also knew why he wished to wed her. It was not for the beauty and grace she did not have, but for her fortune, which would rescue the dazzling wastrel from ruin. Should she refuse and lose her one chance to have such a splendid mate? Or should she accept a proposal made with lips that lied as skillfully as they kissed? One thing was sure. Clara might have no illusions to lose--but she would have to be careful not to lose her heart.

I have to begin by saying that I really love this book, it still amazes me, after having read it a few times, that from such poor premises – Poor Little Plain Cripple Rich Girl meets Best Rogue in Town Prince Charming, they get Married, and Every Problem / Character Flaw is solved and they live Happily Ever After. I honestly didn't believe a book like that could work, and I only read it because it was written by Mary Balogh and because the heroine was crippled – something not so often encountered in romances.
But hey, this time I was proved wrong! The heroine did NOT inspire pity and the hero did not abandon his rakish ways after spending 5 minutes in the heroine's sainted company.

So, the heroine, Clara, is a girl who spends all her time in a wheeled chair because of a grave illness that left her with very little power in her legs. The lack of knowledge at the time about this type of affliction caused an aggravation of the problem, and she is presently incapable to walk. On top of it, she doesn't boast of the best of looks, she's very pale and ill looking. Not a beauty. But lucky for her, she has money. So, when the very beautiful rake of a hero comes her way, she takes the opportunity and accepts his proposal of marriage. She knows he has not even warm feelings for her, he is a gamester, a drunkard now and then, he is even lying in her face when proposing, there is nothing to recommend him except for his looks. But this is exactly why she wants him, she wants a little beauty in her life, she is conscious of her needs as a woman and intends to act upon them by marrying this handsome man. That's something I really liked in the heroine - she treats all this like a fair trade: she gives the money he needs for his debts and she receives a little of his time and company.

The hero is not quite such a blackguard as we are let to believe. I could not see him as a villain even in “Courting Julia”, but it's true that he does not behave in a gentlemanly way, he sort of knows it, and he's ashamed of it. I think this is the central drama of the book, and the story is more about him, than about the heroine (despite the title). He was once just a careless youth who started living a little too wild, started having many debts, and tried to solve his problems by doing something he should not have (can't write about it, it would be a spoiler for “Courting Julia”). And now, because he is basically decent at heart, he suffers for it, thinks of himself as a villain, and keeps living in a wild way. So I see the story as the classical plot – Redemption of the Rake, but done in a very nice, believable way. Freddie is in a deep pit, and the process of redemption is quite slow, and evolves in a credible way. He does not abandon his ways at first sight of the heroine, and not even after they get married, he keeps drinking, playing cards and he is even an adulterer (which by the way, seems to be quite a taboo in romances, and I don't why since extra conjugal sexual relationships were in full bloom in that period!). But he does get better eventually, and to witness it step by step is truly a nice reading experience.

Grade: 4.5/5

Under The Mistletoe - Mary Balogh

This book has 4 of Mary Balogh's old novellas and a new one.

In the new story, A Family Christmas, a young couple who have been married for a year and estranged for more than eleven months meet again at a family Christmas and are given the chance to start over.

In The Star of Bethlehem a betrothal ring is first broken and then lost. It symbolizes a broken marriage, about to be ended. But along comes a child in the form of a little chimney sweep, and along comes Christmas, the time for gift-giving, and soon there is hope for both the ring and the marriage.

In The Best Gift, three ill-assorted, lonely adults—na aristocrat, his niece, and a teacher hired as her chaperone--are brought together for a Christmas two of them are determined not to enjoy. But then a child is foisted upon them, and somehow the magic of the Season begins to Wrap itself about all of them.

In Playing House an aristocrat and his daughter, who seem to have everything, become unwillingly involved with a young woman and her young siblings, who seem to have nothing. But as Christmas draws near, it becomes less clear which family is rich and which is impoverished.

In No Room at the Inn an assortment of unhappy travelers are stranded by rain and mud at an inferior inn on Christmas Eve. But love finds them there after a young couple arrives just as their baby is about to be born--and are put in the stable because there are no rooms left.

Ioana's review:

I usually don't enjoy reading novellas, I always found them lacking in depth – after all, how can you describe well the developing of a relation in just 70 pages? And how can it be possible to make a story so short believable? I don't think I have read from beginning to finish more than 3 anthologies in my entire life.

Saying that, I chose this anthology because IT IS Christmas and because it's Mary Balogh, my favorite author in this genre. Apparently, only the first novella is new, all the others have already been published in different anthologies. Since Balogh has written quite a lot Christmas short stories, I suppose these 4 must be the best of the best – after all, they've been chosen for this special anthology. And I have to say now, after I've read them, that they were not a disappointment, I even enjoyed reading them. I couldn't say how good they were, I don't have many to compare with, but they passed as believable, and they also succeeded in bringing the warmth and special joy a Christmas book should bring.

Now, what makes them believable in my opinion?! When I read a book, I need to believe that what happens there, can somehow have a chance at happening in reality. And to my delight, I discovered these short stories to pass muster. Three of these books deal with couples that have already had a history together, with the major problem of lack of communication. So they are surprised in a moment when, because of the spirit of Christmas, they lower their guard and really talk with each other, and discover their true feelings. It's quite simple when you think of it, but even a simple story can become rich and entertaining when written with a skillful hand.

The first, “A family Christmas” is the story of a young couple with a little baby – she from an aristocrat family, he from a merchant family. They've been apart for almost a year, and now they are together for Christmas, among her relatives. This is the only story with a villain – a villainess in this case, the heroine's mother, who encourages their separation. The spirit of Christmas brings them together and they begin to know each other better, and of course, they start loving in earnest.

The second, “The star of Bethlehem” is another with a young couple that also because of misunderstandings and lack of communication, has grown to quite dislike each other. They are brought together by the care of a child who arrives in their house as a chimney sweeper.

“The best gift” is my favorite – the story of a school teacher who is for the first time celebrating Christmas, a viscount, and his natural daughter.

“Playing house” is another where the hero and heroine has known each other when they were younger, have been separated by circumstances, and now, at Christmas, they are brought together again, and surrounded by 3 children, they discover their feelings once again.

The last story is a little more special, with not the usual Christmas entrappings – like mistletoe, pine boughts, Christmas puddings and geese, etc. The author just tries to recreate the original Christmas as a setting for another love story. And she does a really good job, let me tell you.
In the end, it was really a good book, and worth reading during Christmas time, with the smell of pine in the air and listening to traditional songs...

Grade: 4/5

Ana T.'s review:


The new one is A Family Christmas. This is a story about a couple already married and I usually like those. And I liked this story, it had all the good ingredients of a christmas story - a family house party, greenery gathering, snow ball fights, caroling - but the main characters were a bit cold. They do resolve their differences in the end but I wished they would have done it sooner. They were being kept apart but the heroine's mother who believes the hero, a cit, is beneath her. Grade: 4/5.

The Star of Bethlehem is another story about a married couple and I must say this was my least favourite. The heroine was too childish and the hero to stiff and jealous. They seemed to be screaming most of the time. Also the child being a thief didn't help, I know it's probably closer to how things really happened but since the main couple didn't really work for me to have this sad part of reality showing up annoyed me more than moved me. Grade: 3.5/5

The Best Gift was a story I quite liked. I think that happened because it's mostly about the heroine and what her dreams and desires were. Some people might say that a viscount marrying an illegitimate girld would be very unlikely but for me it worked as the ultimate fairy tale. To bring happiness and love to someone who has none!
The heroine is an orphan who has lived first in an orphanage and then at a ladies school and is now a teacher. She is invited by the hero to spend the holiday season at his house to be his niece's chaperone. Grade: 4/5.

Playing House disappointed me a bit because I felt the hero was too bitter and desilusioned. It took him a long time to see the heroine in a positive light and by the time he did I just wanted him to get over it. Poor Lilias was actually a really nice person and he just kept seeing her a scheming and mercenary woman. Grade: 3.5/5.

I quite liked of No Room at The Inn about the miracle that the birth of a child at christmas can do for a group of total strangers who are stuck in a country inn for Christmas. Since there are so many characters in it none of the romantic stories are well developed... so I just took it as a Christmas story, not as a straight romance because then I would have wanted to know more. Grade: 4/5.

Anthology grade: 4/5

Faro's Daughter - Georgette Heyer

THE HIGH STAKES OF LOVE

Lady Mablethorpe was aghast. Her young son Adrian was marrying Miss Deborah Grantham -- a gambling club wench! Thus she sent her trusted nephew, the vastly wealthy, clever, and imperturbable Max Ravenscar, speeding to the faro tables to buy the hussy off. To Ravenscar's surprise, Deborah turned out to be remarkably handsome, witty, and--he could scarcely believe it--well-bred. Nevertheless, he expected she'd be grateful far the price he offered to give up the young lord.

It's so good to know there are still books out there, waiting to be read – this is the feeling I get whenever I think of the Heyers that I have not read yet. And “Faro's Daughter” proved to be one of the very best.

Now, how to describe it?! I really can't! I've been trying to write this review for over a week now, and I still don't think I can do it justice... So, What I liked: I will say only 3 things: funny, funny, funny!
No, I'm joking:
1.This is one of the best “hate turned to love” books I've ever read! The reasons for the mutual dislike the hero and heroine feel for each other at the beginning is quite obvious and well founded. And although the process is not smooth and clear, it is also very obvious why, at the end, they find they can't live apart.
2.The best kidnapping scene ever! I'm not saying more, you have to discover for yourself!
3.It made me embarrass myself by laughing out loud on the bus!
I also liked the fact that the heroine worked in a gaming house. That's something not so usual to see in a regency romance. And it was something really not acceptable in the polite world. The husband of a woman with a history like that would not have a peaceful social life after marrying her... So, more congratulations for the author that she was able to make a believable happy end out of it!

What I did not like: This is tough, but since I'm not giving it a full 5, I shall give it a try. Although the book was perfect in itself, I have to add here that this perfection applies only when you enjoy this type of writing style. Heyer has many characters, many details, so the focus is not so much on the main couple. I guess this is my only complaint – that I wish there was a little more romance.

Grade: 4.5/5