December 5th, 2009 — 4 Stars, A-C, Comedy of Manners, Great Britain, Historical Romance, Mistaken Identity
Secrets of a Proper Lady is a tale of deception, mistaken identity, and double... double crosses, all in the name of love. Victoria Alexander weaves a delightful story all about the comedy of manners and if it wasn't for the delightful bedroom scene could be considered a Regency romance. The scandalous and amusing misconceptions are definitely worth reading.
Miss Sarah Palmer is being most scandalous in her behavior. On the behalf of her employer, distant cousin, and good friend she is stalking Mr. Sinclair's secretary, a Mr. Warren Lewis. It is imperative that Lady Cordelia know all about the man her father is forcing her to marry. Mr. Sinclair could have bad breath, loose morals, or worse still be a total bore. Warren Lewis, looking out for his employer and good friend, finds his conversation with Miss Sarah Palmer to be most engaging and informative... at least about Sarah herself.
The more Sarah meets with Warren to learn about Daniel Sinclair, the more she wants to spend time with him. Time not spent talking strictly about Lady Cordelia's assets or Mr. Sinclair's. She wants to get to know Warren. He isn't wealthy, but then again Sarah doesn't care about that. She is looking to marry for love and she could quite easily come to love the honest and upright Warren Lewis.
Unfortunately for Sarah, she is really Lady Cordelia. Warren Lewis is not her intended, nor the man she is supposed to get to know. But his kisses are intoxicating and his eyes mesmerizing. How can she reveal to him that she is not Miss Sarah Palmer, but the woman his employer is going to marry sight unseen. He would surely despise her! And her father would be most upset because his business would fail without the elder Mr. Sinclair's money and connections, maybe not immediately, but it would fail and the family would be in ruin. Cordelia has wanted to be considered an adult in her family for years, and here was the opportunity to achieve that; for even spoiled princesses must make sacrifices. If only Warren were the prince she needed, or a knight that could find the treasure and rescue her from her fate.
Warren Lewis is just as conflicted as Cordelia, though he doesn't know that the woman he loves is his employer's future wife. He needs a wealthy heiress as all his business dealings and prospects in America are sure to dry up and disappear without a sudden and heavy influx of money. Sarah is a woman whose affections a man should not play with unless he intends to marry her. Warren Lewis can not marry Sarah, because he is really Daniel Sinclair and the heiress he suddenly needs is the woman he's been avoiding; Lady Cordelia Bannister. How on earth is he going to confront the sweet and charming Sarah Palmer and tell her of his deceit and his intentions to marry another woman? He can't, he just simply can't. If only Sarah was wealthy in her own right, or his father's money wasn't tide up in preparation for dealing with Lady Cordelia's father... why then everything would be perfect, he could tell Sarah he loved her and wanted to marry her. If only.
Rating: 4 stars
Buy: Secrets of a Proper Lady
Originally posted 2008-12-06 06:10:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 26th, 2009 — About, News
This is the perfect day to give thanks and without further ado here is what I am most thankful for about romance:
- Billionaires. Like Harlequin, I am thankful for billionaire heroes. Can you imagine an arrogant, brooding, and handsome Harlequin man not being the CEO of his own company? The horror! Shudders. Category romance would not be the same without them!
- Vampires. I love vampires in my romance. I have loved them since I picked up Guilty Pleasures
, my first Anita Blake Vampire Hunter book, and the loving hasn’t stopped. Thank you Joss Whedon for making Buffy The Vampire Slayer
and giving us Angel
! To Stephenie Meyer also, because now I have Angel and Jean-Claude and Edward Cullen.
- Dukes. Historical romance, especially Regency romance, would languish without these handsome brutes. They do plenty of things real dukes did not like become spies for England on a regular basis, but that’s what make them so sexy. Don’t we all want to seduce a duke?
- Blind leads. I love blind leads and I’m thankful for each and every romance book out there that has one and for every author that wrote one! You make my day every time I find a novel with this character flaw. There are never too many!
- Authors. I am extremely thankful to romance authors. Without you, my bookshelves would be empty and my time filled doing something else other than reading, and as reading is my favorite thing to do that would be very sad indeed.
- Publishers and Publicists. Without you I would not have heard of, found, or read many of the wonderful books you sent to share with me. Thank you for that and thank you for your generosity with my readers!
- Bloggers. To my fellow romance bloggers, you are all wonderful and extremely talented, kind, and entertaining! I love reading your blogs and I would miss you if any of you decided to quit blogging.
- Readers. To each and every reader of my blog, I am thankful for you too! I am so happy to have you here and enjoy reading all of the comments you leave. I hope to continue to earn your trust and friendship in the months and years to come.
What about romance are you thankful for?
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November 23rd, 2009 — 3 Stars, Book Review, Comedy of Manners, Counts, Marquis, Viscounts, Dukes and Earls, Georgette Heyer, Great Britain, Guardian/Ward, Heiress, Regency
Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer is loosely based on the premise of Pride and Prejudice. I would not go so far as to say it's a retelling of the classic tale, but there are elements of this Regency romance that bring to mind the farce that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet went through before getting out of their own way to declare love for one another.
For instance, Lord Worth is the Mr. Darcy character of this little drama. While not despised to the extent of Mr. Darcy by his heroine, Lord Worth is on the brunt end of a lot of negative criticism from his ward Miss Judith Taverner. He can do nothing right and is as cold an aloof in presence as Mr. Darcy appeared to be. His manners and arrogance nettle Judith beyond the telling many times throughout the novel.
So how did Judith and Peregrine get to become Lord Worth's wards?
Their father wrote in his will that they would be placed under the fifth earl of Worth until coming of age. Of course he meant to direct them into the hands of Julian Audley's father, the fourth earl of Worth but confused the matter and bungled it entirely. Julian finds the matter tiresome and can't wait to be rid of them fast enough though maybe not for the first reasons that come to mind. He tells them to stay in the country.
Of course Judith and Peregrine disregard this and the novel starts with them en route to London. They stop overnight in the village of Grantham, where a fight is about to occur. Peregrine is ecstatic and decides they must stay longer in order to see it. Of course the room they wrote ahead to let has been given away because of the crowd swarming the village. Distressed, Judith presses on the innkeeper to make amends. However it is not the innkeeper but a charming stranger that gives up his room for them.
Similarly later that day before the day of the match, Judith and Peregrine are wheeling about the country in search of ruins when they happen upon another carriage speedily racing down the lane in the opposite direction. A near accident occurs, nobody is hurt, but the horses are startled and the stranger driving is unaccountably rude. Both Judith and Peregrine take exception to the man's behavior and write him off as a bad sort indeed.
Shortly thereafter, Judith and Peregrine recognize their estranged cousin as the kind stranger at the inn and formally establish the acquaintance.
Once in London, the siblings look up their guardian and are dismayed to find the nasty aristocrat from Grantham is their keeper.
Add a dash of mystery - who wants Peregrine dead?
Peregrine as heir to the Viscountcy is being attacked left and right. The attacks are not always obvious; they come in many forms upon his person. Sanguine and completely obtuse, Peregrine does not notice them for what they are. Even Judith, usually kept in the dark on some of her brothers less savory ongoings, sees a pattern and admits her qualms to Worth who prevails upon her to keep her suspicions to herself.
The question becomes who will profit most from Peregrine's death. His sister will receive even more money for her dowry, making the current 80,000 pounds seem paltry. But Judith loves her brother enormously, it can't be her. It must be the man who vies for her hand... Julian Audley, Lord Worth, their guardian or Mr. Taverner, their cousin. Each man lays the blame on the others feet, but Judith trusts them both. What's a girl to do?
Locales: primarily London and Brighton.
Real famous people who appeared in the book: Beau Brummell, Prince Regent.
This novel has a sequel in An An Infamous Army
.
Overall I found it focused less on the romance and more on the mystery. I almost wished Brummell was the lead male because he and Judith found teasing and comfortable conversation between themselves on many occasions.
Rating: 3 Stars.
Buy: Regency Buck
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Originally posted 2008-11-24 05:43:45. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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September 28th, 2009 — 4.5 Stars, ARC, Counts, Marquis, Viscounts, Duchess, Countess, Marchioness, G-I, Great Britain, Guest Reviews, Regency, Rogues and Rakehells, Sports
by Susan Sigler, guest reviewer
A Marquis to Marry exemplifies the very essence of what a romance novel should be. It was superbly written and I’ve added Amelia Grey to my list of top authors. This is a novel I’ll read time and time again!
I recommend this book to every romance lover, regardless of their favorite sub-genre. This was a happy, witty, feel good romantic tale I know you’ll love.
A Marquis to Marry is book 2 of Grey’s (The Rogues’ Dynasty Trilogy). It completely stands alone, and you do not need to read book 1 A Duke to Die For in order to follow the story.
The Marquis (Alexander Mitchell Raceworth) is absolutely stunned, when a young Dowager Duchess by the name of (Susannah Brookefield ) accuses him of having “her” grandmother’s Talbot pearls. The very pearls “his” grandmother (Lady Elder) left to him in her will.
Susannah travels from Chapel Gate to London, with the misconception that all will be resolved quickly. What she didn’t foresee was that Race would be so stubborn! It seems she’s not the only one after the pearls; there are 3 men who also covet them. When the pearls are stolen, it’s a race against time to find the thief and recover the pearls.
Susannah has a lot to accomplish: retrieve the pearls, resist Race’s handsome good looks, convince him the pearls belong in her family not his, and re-enter London’s Polite Society despite her tarnished reputation of youth.
Every time Race calls the Duchess by her Christian name Susannah, it made my heart skip a beat. Grey has you feel the emotion & want, that emanates from the hero.
Things I enjoyed:
- Race’s shock when Susannah invites him to her bedchamber
- The camaraderie between Race, his cousins, and their older friend Gibby
- How Race pursues Susannah
- His informal notes to her
- The way Grey expertly transitions you from reader to character, you’ll feel every emotion as Susannah and Race fall in love
I didn’t grant this book the full 5 stars because of the pugilist (boxing match). It stole time away from the main characters, time I wanted for Susannah and Race.
A Marquis to Marry was absolutely beautiful! I’m eager to read book 3 An Earl To Enchant, which is set to release in April 2010.
Rating- 4.5 Stars
Buy: A Marquis to Marry
Regency Romance, ARC, Trilogy, Sourcebooks, Inc., Casablanca, October 2009, Print Pages 359.
ISBN-10: 1402217609 ISBN-13: 978-1402217609.
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September 25th, 2009 — About, Dukes and Earls, Great Britain, Regency
Regency romance is overrun with Dukes, but how can you snag one for yourself? With this guide to help, I'm positive you will come up with the right combination to snare a Duke for yourself.
Before we begin you must ask yourself why you want a Duke.
If you're looking for a quick flirtation or to keep him long term this guide will help you obtain that.
If you're looking to gain a Duke's wallet or advice on the stock exchange I would suggest you look elsewhere for your advice!
- Cross-Dress. Of course he’s terribly confused and upset about his attraction to a boy, but when he discovers your true identity he’ll be most relieved and eager to be with you.
- Be in Distress. Nothing makes a Duke feel more powerful and masculine than helping a lady in distress. He’ll get to show off his strength and protectiveness at the same time and that will help you win his heart.
- Refuse Him. A Duke never hears the word no, so be bold and brave and different and tell him firmly that you’re not interested. He’ll pursue you all the more readily to prove to you and himself that you desire him.
- Challenge His Authority. In addition to refusing him, tell him he’s wrong. Nothing baffles a surefooted Duke than being told he is mistaken. Again he’ll endeavor to prove you wrong thus giving you more time to lure him with your charms.
- Wound His Ego. A Duke’s pride and arrogance will get in the way of your seduction so be sure to prick his masculinity, but don’t destroy it. He won’t forgive you that.
- Call Him Out on His Exaggerations. I would have used a more impolite word here, but a successful seduction relies on well-bred manners and a plucky attitude.
- Sneer at His Wealth. A Duke is used to his wealth opening doors and subservient behavior. Don’t give it to him. That’ll get his interest!
- Dismiss His Rank. If wealth doesn’t attract the bevy of ladies in society to him, his rank will so you must be sure let him know that his being a Duke is completely irrelevant to you and your dealings with him.
- Love Books over Clothes and Gossip. If books aren't your thing, anything unusual will do to set you apart and gain his interest in what makes you tick.
- Undress. The simplest thing you can do of course is disrobe; he is a man after all.
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September 16th, 2009 — 2 Stars, Georgette Heyer, Governess / Companion, Great Britain, Guest Reviews, Regency, Spinster, Virgin Heroine
by Zarabeth, guest reviewer
The Nonesuch is a regency romance between a "top-of-the-tress Corinthian" and a noble-turn-governess. Already I'm upset.
This was my first, and last, Georgette Heyer and I maintain that I simply cannot follow her style. I have intense difficulties understanding the language and keeping pace with the conversation. More than once I was so frustrated with myself and this disconnect that I simply had to put the book down. However, I am giving it a 2 out of 5 because despite my frustration's I always picked it up again, eventually.
So, to the story itself: our older, reformed, very rich, and very handsome male lead has arrived with his noble cousin to a country scene where he has recently inherited a dilapidated estate. They are forced to enjoy what little enjoyment the local social scene has to offer and meet an array of interesting and insipid characters. Among them are 2 main females of interest: the unrivaled beauty, a very very young soon to come out debutante and her cool governess.
Our cousin takes an instant interest in the beauty and the begins to court her. The Nonesuch and the governess are therefore thrown together again and again. Over the course of many mortifying events the courtship dies but something has begun for the governess and the Nonesuch- as unlikely and scandalous a pair they might be! (Exclamation points are found at the end of almost every sentence that's spoken.)
It's a fine enough plot with intriguing characters but I can't get past the style!
Rating: 2 Stars
Buy: The Nonesuch
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September 9th, 2009 — Erotica, Guest Blogger, Paranormal, Regency
by Susan Sigler, guest blogger
Confession time! I’ve been harboring a secret wish. A hope that someone, somewhere will give me a satisfactory reason to venture outside of my comfort zone.
I’m very content you see. Here in my dark paranormal genre. There’s shapeshifters at every turn and vampires with seductive brooding qualities. In paranormal we can boast about our alpha male werewolves and how they succumb to their raw animalistic sexual needs. During your journey you may even discover psychic abilities you can tap into. With all this power, immortality and raw sexual need; why venture out. Well, maybe I want more power. (LOL) Actually, I’m curious if I’m missing all the fun with all my doom and gloom.
My bookshelf is chock full of paranormal and erotica. (I say this proudly, of course) Yet, dare I believe the grass may be greener on the other side.
Book reviewing recently gave me a metaphorical calling card. I accepted and realized to my utter amazement I now enjoy, dare I say it out loud? I peeked over the paranormal fence to realize; I enjoy regency romance. Hell’s bells, what else have I been missing? If you read other genres, please tell me what exactly drew you in as a reader. I’m still on the fence regarding Inspirational, Young Adult, and Historical just to name a few.
While I wait for your kind input, I’ll be flossing my fangs and deciding which party to attend to in London. What is happening to me? Can a reader really spread their love to extend all genres, much like a mother extends her love to all her children?
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August 25th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, ARC, Cursed Lead, Estranged, France, G-I, Gentry, Gothic, Great Britain, Italy, Jane Austen, Paranormal, Regency, Seas, Travel, Vampire, Virgin Heroine
Amanda Grange picks up where Pride and Prejudice ends. Jane and Elizabeth are getting ready for their double wedding, both eager and anxious about the life spreading out before them. On the way to the wedding, Elizabeth experiences a brief foreboding chill but shrugs it off as wedding nerves. The ceremony goes smoothly, Darcy’s vows stirring deep emotions in both.
It’s when they leave the reception that things start taking a turn for the worse. Through the reflection in the glass of their carriage Elizabeth spies a flash of torment crossing Darcy’s features, but a quick look at the real man shows smooth features. Elizabeth believes she has imagined it… unexpectedly he changes their wedding tour plans and routes them from the Lake District to a direct route to France over the channel.
Elizabeth is unconcerned about this change, but wholly concerned with Darcy. She can’t help but compare her expectations to the reality of her marriage to Darcy. He does not visit her bedchamber the first night or the next or the next. When they are together during the day Darcy is everything attentive, kind, and devoted, but at night he disappears.
As Elizabeth struggles to find reasons for this strange behavior, she meets a dizzying array of friends, family, and strangers over the continent. Some people and places inspire a great deal of trepidation in Elizabeth and she spills her worries to Jane in a series of letters.
It’s not until the last one hundred pages that things really begin to unravel and Darcy’s mysterious behavior is revealed. I was surprised by how flawless the transition was from Austen’s Regency romance to Grange’s Gothic flavored romance. Grange has a talent with words and uses this talent to create a believable paranormal filled with stunningly chilling atmosphere and mystery.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Buy: Mr. Darcy, Vampyre
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April 14th, 2009 — Comedy of Manners, Defining the Genre, Great Britain, Historical Romance, Jane Austen, Regency
What is regency romance and how does it differ from historical romance?
You may well recognize Jane Austen as a regency romance writer. She is best known for works such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility
.
So what makes a regency romance?
Well if you look at Pride and Prejudice you can see quite clearly the basic setup of a regency romance. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet stir the hearts of readers as they bicker and dance around each other, but a key element to the novel is that their romance is not the only one. Miss Jane Bennet and Mr. Charles Bingley also fall in love in this classic tale, though perhaps with fewer hindrances on the characters' part.
To break it down:
Regency romance is based in the early 19th century and will normally revolve around a comedy of manners. The romances are very chaste and do not include conversations about sex between the main characters. In several cases, there will be a side romance to the main one.
The monarchs you will find in regency romances are George IV and William IV. Some novels may be included in this genre, even if George III is ruling, though technically speaking he is not part of this era. George III is before the regency era. The period starts when he was declared insane by the Parliament Regency Act and his son was placed on the throne as acting king. The regency (and post-regency) period ends prior to Queen Victoria's reign.
Time Frame: 1810-1820, generally speaking.
Historical Romance on the other hand is considered to be everything prior to WWI in history. Contemporary attitudes usually color the writing enabling the female lead to be more educated, witty, or relatable. There are many sub genres to this type of romance including but not limited to pirate, colonial United States, and western.
In conclusion, regency romance is included in theme of historical romance as a separate genre.
Originally posted 2008-06-11 05:27:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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March 25th, 2009 — Links and Challenges, News
It's past midnight - that makes it the next day right? I just couldn't wait to share these amazing blogs!
Get your pointer fingers ready to click on some great sites. I fully expect you to spend a few hours getting sucked into their blog posts. Don't forget to bookmark!
Without further ado here's the next ten blogs in our countdown of the Top 50 Romance Blogs:
- Much Cheaper Than Therapy- No, they're no psychologists, they're a group of authors blogging for our enjoyment.
- Night Owl Romance- Book reviews, excerpts, chats, and more. Be sure to check out the main site also!
- Racy Romance Reviews- Reviews, reflections, and commentaries on the genre. Jessica tends to write with a slant toward feminist ethical criticism.
- Ramblings on Romance-
Katiebabs Kristie is like me addicted to reading, reviewing and writing. lol 
- Reading Adventures- Marg enjoys lots of genres but mainly Historical Fiction, Romance, Cozy Mysteries and Young Adult fiction
- Reading Romance Books- Written by lovers of the romance genre who like to read and give their opinions.
- Rip My Bodice- Reclaiming the term bodice ripper one book review at a time!
- Risky Regencies- The original, riskiest, and forever friskiest Regency Romance Blog.
- Romance Author Buzz- A romance reader's musings about books and authors.
- Romance Bandits- Stories that will steal your heart. Viewpoints from a number of 2006 Golden Heart finalists on life, love, romance, the writing industry and various forms of chocolate.
I've been getting some good recommendations from readers - keep them coming! I'm going to build another list out of your favorites that didn't make the original Top 50 list!
Top 50 Continued:
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