Tokens of Love - Anthology

Now if you've been visiting this blog for a few moths you probably know that I love the Regency Christmas anthologies and that I read a lot of them in December. Since they stopped publishing them and I am in risk of being left without reading material I decided to try another anthology by some of the same authors but with a Valentine's Day theme. The short stories are:

Mary Balogh, "The Substitute Guest."
A young lady is invited to a house party during St Valentine's. It's actually a rendez vous for lovers to meet but when one of the women declines the invitation a vicar's sister is invited in her place and wins the heart of the gentleman selected to court her for the weekend.
It was a nice story the hero was a bit bland, either we needed a stronger hero or a bigger story. B-

Margaret Westhaven, "Saint Valentine's Eve."
A second chance at love story when lovers separated 10 years before meet again. It's set in India which his different and the heroine was a young girl shipped to Calcutta for find a husband (I was curious to know if indeed this was common). A pleasant story but nothing to make it stand out. B-

Carol Proctor, "The London Swell."
Hero travels to the country to court and propose the girl he wants to marry. There he meets an eccentric young girl who mistakes him for someone else and speaks about how she is going to marry the London gentleman that is due to arrive. Not badly written but the heroine was too childish. C+

Sheila Walsh, "Dear Delight."
Another second chance at love. The hero and the heroine were separated 10 years before when her father rejected his suit and he left without telling her why so she things he abandoned her. They meet again at a christening of one of her nephews but there's a woman determined to separate them again. It was nice and the strong point for me was that the author cleared the misunderstanding pretty early. B

Sandra Heath, "February Falsehoods."
And the anthology ends with another second chance at love. This time the heroine has jilted the hero after finding out he had a mistress and her friend and her beau (the hero's friend) try to bring them together again. Not bad but nothing memorable. B-

Grade: B- with the Balogh and the Walsh being the favourites. Although nothing really stands out this is the kind of anthology I save for a rainy day, a comfort read.

The Wood Nymph - Mary Balogh

One of Mary Balogh's older titles and one I knew little about before starting and I'll admit I was a bit worried after reading a few chapters.

Heartbroken at the loss of Elizabeth in A Chance Encounter, William Mainwaring retreats to his country estate and meets the unworldly Helen Wade in the woods one day. She soothes his soul until he flees in panic after seducing her. He then faces the almost impossible task of redeeming himself in her eyes.

Lady Helen Wade and William Mainwaring came together in the woods and forge a relationship without knowing much about each other. Helen, or Nell as she tells him, is attracted to a man who seems to understand her and share her love for poetry. William finds her refreshing and is warmed by her interest in him while he tries to mend his broken heart.

They end up being intimate without really talking about who they really are and William, upset with his feelings for someone whose innocence he used and he doesn't feel he can give a whole heart to (not to mention that he believes her to be a village girl), leaves for his scottish estate. Helen, totally in love with him and planning to tell him the truth of who she really is, is left alone without understanding exactly what happened except that the man she idolized has abandoned her after using her.

In Scotland William can't forget Nell and decides to go back and offer for her but first he goes to London to meet old friends. That's when he finds Nell again, in town with her family for the season. He is shocked when he finds out who she is and wants to do the right thing and marry her but Nell is too hurt by his betrayal and behaves atrociously towards him and his friends.

While their behaviour and problems is certainly a proof of their lack of maturity when Nell finally has a revealing conversation with William's friend I was almost in tears because of how she must be suffering knowing he could be the solution to her problems but unable to accept him because of what she felt was his despicable behaviour.

It couldn't have been an easy choice to know that to restore your honor you must marry the man who ruined you and disappointed you in the first place and I think Balogh shows that inner struggle of Nell very well. If you love intense and poignant reads I think this one fits in that genre very nicely.

Grade: 4/5

The Cockermouth Mail - Dinah Dean

Was she a fool to believe in miracles?
Miss Dorcas Minster waas penniless and without prospects. She had no choice but to acept a position as governess in Cockermouth, a remote town in the English Lake District.

Resolved to make the best of her bleak future, Dorcas was not surprised when the stage-coach she was travelling in was waylaid by an accident. She and her fellow passengers were forced to seek refuge in a nearby inn. So much did she enjoy the assorted company, the she found herself wishing to be stranded forever.

One passenger in particular, the dashing Colonel, Sir Richard Severall, was of special interest to Dorcas. And it seemed as if she was of special interest to him. Date had delivered her into the hands of love. If only she could be certain Sir Richard returned her affection.

Another traditional regency this time from a new to me author - Dinah Dean.

I'm very happy to say that I found it an enjoyable read too. It's true that it's a bit different from what we are usually used to in a regency but I found it very refreshing to know about the lives of common people who have to work and travel by coach instead of the usual debutante versus the nobleman.

Well Sir Richard Severall is maybe not so common but he is unable to use his own coach so he finds himself travelling in the passengers coach where he finds Dorcas Minster, a young lady fallen on hard times and whose father Sir Richard knew. Their attraction is mutual from the beginning and it's very interesting to see how two people get together while respecting society's rules and still behaving in a very proper manner. I liked how Sir Richard woo Dorcas by getting to know her and lending assistance when needed (ok and stealing a kiss or two) and how she fought to maintain a proper and dignified behaviour even when she was terribly worried about going to work as a governess in an unknown house. The whole book revolves about them and their relationship with each other and the other passengers as they are first closed together in the coach and after an accident with the coach closed together in an inn where they spend Christmas.

It's a sweet old fashioned romance that I very much enjoyed reading!

Grade: 4/5

New Additions to the TBR pile

I had a very good week, 4 of the books were belated christmas presents (thank you girls!), The First Princess of Wales was sent by the author and the Langes were suggested to me as nice reads for someone who likes Balogh's earlier books.

Mary Balogh - Heartless
Elizabeth Chadwick - The Greatest Knight
Elizabeth Chadwick - The Scarlet Lion
Gayle Feyrer - The Thief's Mistress
Karen Harper - The First Princess of Wales
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles - The Founding
Jane Jakeman - The Egyptian Coffin
Emma Lange - The Irish Rake
Emma Lange - A certain Reputation
Emma Lange - The False Fiancee
Emma Lange - A Second Match
Emma Lange - The Irish Earl's Ruse
Ian McEwan - Atonement
Anita Mills - The Duke's Double
Sharan Newman - Death Comes As Epiphany
Philip Pullman - Northern Lights
Andrea di Robilant - A Venetian Affair
Suzanne Robinson - Lady Valiant
Joan Wolf - A Double Deception

Oh and I'm really curious about The Founding, it's a huge series so if I like this one I'll have many more to read!

Hidden Inheritance - Emily Hendrickson

I've been in the mood for regencies lately, traditional regencies! I have a few Georgette Heyer books arriving soon and in preparation I've been grabbing every trad regency recommendation I have wrote down in the past months. One of them was this Hidden Inheritance...

Beautiful Vanessa Tarleton realized the risk of accepting a position in the household of Nicholas Leighton, Earl of Stone. She knew very well his lurid reputation.

But Vanessa's father had gambled away her family fortune, and she desperately needed employment. She told herself that she could evade whatever snares Nicholas might set. All she had to do was recall his record as a wanton womanizer and remind herself that marriage to her was the last thing on his mind.

Then Vanessa arrived at the earl's isolated country estate--and discovered that though she was forewarned about this infamously attractive man, she was not forearmed.

In a way I was expecting something a bit different. Right in the beginning we have a scene where Lord Stone speaks about hiring Vanessa and I thought there was some mystery involved, it made me think this might be some sort of gothic story. And that Vanessa would spend sometime evading Lord Stone's advances.

However it didn't evolve that way. Vanessa, whose hobby at home was to restore the family tapestries, goes to work for lord Stone when her father looses everything and then dies. She has to find employment and since Lord Stone needs someone to restore his tapestries it seems the perfect arrangement. From the beginning Vanessa isn't treated like a servant and her behaviour is more like a member of the family. Especially when she starts helping Stone's sister loosing weight and taking care of her skin to conquer her beau. That part was nicely done and realistic - it takes time and patience. I never quite understood why Stone was so set against it though. He is mentioned several times as a rake but the truth is that he always behaved very correctly and his relationship with Vanessa only develops a bit when they are both attracted to each other but he has to marry for money and Vanessa is penniless.

While working on the tapestries Vanessa notices some lumps but she never finds the occasion to mention it to Lord Stone. At the same time she starts to distrust the housekeeper who seems to be trying to gain some money on the side. They'll have to face a perilous situation that brings them closer together and in the end it's Vanessa who finds the hidden inheritance and solves Lord Stone's problems.

It was a nice and interesting story but I think it lacked some little detail to make the action move forward a bit and make the characters show their emotions. And the story of the hidden inheritance could have been an interesting mystery to counterpart the love story but instead was relegated to the last chapter.

Grade: B-

Holiday!!!!

A good day to attack the TBR mountain...

Me and Mr Darcy - Alexandra Potter

I've decided that life is too short for me to waste it on books that don't do anything for me... unfortunately this was one of them!

Dreams come true in this hilarious, feel-good fairy tale about life, love, and dating literature's most eligible bachelor!

After a string of disastrous dates, Emily Albright decides she's had it with modern-day love and would much rather curl up with Pride and Prejudice and spend her time with Mr. Darcy, the dashing, honourable, and passionate hero of Jane Austen's classic. So when her best friend suggests a wild week of margaritas and men in Mexico with the girls, Emily abruptly flees to England on a guided tour of Jane Austen country instead. Far from inspiring romance, the company aboard the bus consists of a gaggle of little old ladies and one single man, Spike Hargreaves, a foul-tempered journalist writing an article on why the fictional Mr. Darcy has earned the title of Man Most Women Would Love to Date.

The last thing Emily expects to find on her excursion is a broodingly handsome man striding across a field, his damp shirt clinging to his chest. But that's exactly what happens when she comes face-to-face with none other than Mr. Darcy himself. Suddenly, every woman's fantasy becomes one woman's reality. . .

I didn't much like the heroine, since the book is in the first person that was an immediate problem. But things were going more or less well till suddenly Mr Darcy appears out of the blue. THE Mr Darcy! And suddenly she is looking everywhere for him... Instead of bringing me into the story I found it too unbelievable...

Grade: DNF

Lessons of Desire - Madeline Hunter

First of all I would like to say that Madeline Hunter is one of my favourite authors. I LOVED her medievals and have been faithfully following her ever since even if she left the medieval period behind.

Handsome, suave, and carnal as the devil, Lord Elliot Rothwell awaits readers in Lessons of Desire, bestselling author Madeline Hunter's latest book in the Rothwell series and her most provocative novel to date. A man used to getting what he wants, Elliot is every woman's most secret fantasy in the living flesh.

He first appears beneath her prison window as her saviour—a sinfully attractive man whose charm and connections have ensured her release from an unjust arrest. But author and publisher Phaedra Blair quickly learns that the price of her “freedom” is to be virtually bound to her irresistible rescuer. For Elliot Rothman didn't come solely on a mission of goodwill. He came to extract a promise that Phaedra won't publish a slanderous manuscript that could destroy his family's name, and he's not above bribery, threats, or bedding her to get his way. And with each erotic encounter raising the stakes between them, Elliot discovers he's ever more reluctant to lose this sensual game…or the one woman who's every bit his match.

The problem is I feel the magic is gone. Hunter still writes a very competent story with nice and interesting characters, with an intriguing plot, sometimes, like here, with a different setting, everything that should make it worth a stay on my keeper shelf. But somehow I know I'll forget about Phaedra and Elliott, she managed to write well yes but nothing really stands out for me. I'll admit that this is the sort of story, with a very strong heroine, that doesn't always work for me and that might be one of the problems. I liked Elliott though and once again I liked the interaction between the brothers. But I wanted more; I'm greedy I want her to write more medievals! In the mean time I'll get myself ready to read book number 3... I may complain but I can't resist getting them and I especially want the big brother's story!

Grade: B

Which Mary Stewart Novel Should You Read?

I just requested my first on on BM which was Madam Will You Talk... If I like it I'll look for this one.

Which Mary Stewart novel should you read? Your Result: The Ivy Tree   Mary Grey had come from Canada to the land of her forebears: Northumberland, where Hadrian built his wall nearly 2000 years ago. There she meets one of the angriest, most threatening young men Mary had ever seen. His name was Connor Winslow, and from his spate of words Mary discovered that he thought she was his cousin--a girl supposedly dead these past eight years. Alive, she would be heiress to an inheritance Con was determined to have for himself...
Airs Above the Ground
Wildfire at Midnight
Touch Not the Cat
Nine Coaches Waiting
Madam, Will You Talk?
This Rough Magic
My Brother Michael
Which Mary Stewart novel should you read? Make Your Own Quiz

Found this on Ro's blog!

An Offer From a Gentleman - Julia Quinn

Continuing with my Bridgerton rerads, this time it was Benedict's story!

The Bridgerton family is wealthy, well born, and universally admired. And with six of the eight Bridgerton children already mingling with society, it's no wonder they're mentioned so frequently in the most popular (and accurate) source of social news, Lady Whistledown's Society Papers. But not even the mysterious Lady Whistledown can identify the masked maiden who completely captivated the Bridgerton second son, Benedict, at his mother's masquerade ball -- a silver-clad beauty who vanished on the stroke of midnight. It was a magical night for Sophie Beckett, orphaned, illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Penwood. Attending the ball was a beautiful dream, sharing the evening with Benedict Bridgerton was the stuff of fantasy -- and returning home to her role as unpaid servant to her father's cruel widow and stepdaughters was a nightmare. Then she lost even the small security of that position, and things went from bad to worse. By the time Sophie met Benedict again, she was in truly desperate straits. He made her feel precious, even in rags, but Sophie had grave reservations about accepting.

More on the level of TDAI than TVWLM. An Offer From a Gentleman tells the story of Benedict yes but especially the story of Sophie Beckett. Slightly different in tone from the previous books - there's less attempts at humour - because this pretends to be a Cinderella story.

I actually enjoyed the beginning with Sophie going to the party in disguise and Benedict falling for her (even if a bit too suddenly) but I had trouble with the rest of it. Sophie going away, then meeting Benedict again and he never recognising her but them starting a relationship again. There are a number of problems as Benedict believes Sophie is a servant and that he can only make her is mistress not marry her and Sophie's evil stepmother and stepsisters (absolutely awful in the first chapters) come back to torment her but eventually the happy ending arrived.

I felt Sophie should have told him the truth of who she was much sooner and I was a bit annoyed at Benedict who kept asking her to be his mistress even after he took her to work in his mother's house.

On the whole it seemed to me that Quinn didn't succeed in making this one as light and funny as is usually her style but it also didn't live up to the darker feelings that the situation evoked. The last scene with Mrs Bridgerton in jail trying to save Sophie seemed more like a farce being played on stage. One wonders if it wasn't for Mrs B wether Benedict and Sophie would have had their happy ending.

The book ends with a huge cliffhanger - Lady Whistledown decides to stop her column writing and actually live her life. I'll be reading Colin's story soon just so I can relive all that.

Grade: C

New Additions to the TBR pile

A few books this week including 3 new to me authors: Frazer, Gifford and Howatch!

Anthology - Tokens of Love
Mary Balogh - Christmas Belle
Margaret Frazer - The Novice's Tale
Diane Gaston - The Vanishing Viscountess
Roberta Gellis -Bull God
Blythe Gifford - The Harlot's Daughter
Susan Howatch - The Wheel of Fortune
Jean Plaidy - The Reluctant Queen
Suzanne Robinson - Lady Defiant

Take a Chance On Me - Susan Donovan

This was my first book by Susan Donovan and I found it a really enjoyable story. In fact, for a while I thought It was going to be a keeper.

They've Got Nothing In Common...
For animal behaviorist Emma Jenkins, romance has been at the bottom of her daily "to do" list since making it through a messy divorce. But everything changes the day six-feet-of-gorgeous Thomas Tobin walks into her office with a quivering Chinese Crested named Hairy, a canine that looks more like an underfed rodent than a dog. Sure Thomas is sending her mixed signals-but that charming smile just sent Emma's dormant sex drive through the roof...

But Animal Attraction-
Thomas isn't looking for a fling. In fact, he wants nothing to do with women. He just wants to know if Hairy witnessed his owner's murder. But something tells him that asking Emma to help him with the case will spell nothing but trouble-trouble in the form of serious temptation.

And the Willingness To Take A Chance On Love
Thomas knows that relying on Emma's expertise-and her soft touch with a weird dog that has somehow become his-may be a crazy way to track a killer. Especially when Emma's down-home warmth makes him want to believe that anything is possible-even true love.


I really liked Emma and Thomas! I especially liked Emma from the start; she was smart, funny, made no excuses for being what she was and even after a lousy divorce was ready to give it a try. When she first asked Thomas for a date I thought this is my kind of girl!

Now Thomas, I liked Thomas but in the beginning it was easy to see he had been hurt and was still carrying that hurt as a shield. He was attracted to Emma but he wasn't planning on taking that anywhere. Fortunately when he did the wrong thing he finally realised how he was letting the past affecting him and decided to go for it and try to win Emma. It wasn't easy after his first bad move but I was glad he didn't give up.

What really stopped this from being an A read was Emma's ex-husband. I wasn't really interested in his story and I would have preferred to spend more time with Emma and Thomas. I see that he was needed because of the mystery part but I really would have been happy with the book just being about those two.

One final word about the dog! I was really worried at first about reading a story with a dog that talked. Sometimes authors go for cutesy and it doesn’t work for me. Well this dog did! He was really funny and had some really insightful observations. Too bad Emma and Thomas couldn't hear him.

Grade: B

Fires of Winter - Roberta Gellis

I am a big fan of Roberta Gellis medieval romances. Although she is better known for her Roselynde Chronicles whenever I find one of her books I always feel pretty happy and save them for a rainy day.

Melusine of Ulle, daughter of Scottish nobility, is given in marriage to Bruno of Jernaeve, who secures her land for his sovereign, King David. Born enemies, the pair has an inauspicious beginning when Melusine attempts to kill her new husband on their wedding night. But what makes this more than just a story of two people's rocky relationship is Gellis's wonderful style. Alternating chapters are written from the perspective of husband and wife, the work is historically accurate, and the narrative is sensitive and insightful. For Gellis fans, the fact that some characters appeared in Tapestry of Dreams makes this work all the richer.

This story is set during Stephen de Blois' reign and develops during its ongoing war with the Empress Matilda. The first half of the book is dedicated more to the relationship between the hero and the heroine. Growing up as the daughter of a noble family for her and as an illegitimate son of a noble man for him. They meet in less that happy circumstances as Bruno, a knight in King Stephen's entourage, is invading Melusine's keep as her father and brother have turned traitor. The King and Queen Maud decide a marriage of convenience for them and one could say that this more romantic side of the story continues till they come to terms with each other.

The second half is about the fight for power and the political movements of the period. How Stephen alienated his brother's support who went to Matilda and how after Matilda and Robert of Gloucester invaded Germany and eventually fought till they imprisoned King Stephen. He would end up being released when Queen Maud imprisons Robert of Gloucester planning and exchange between them but it led to Henry, son of Matilda, being sworn heir to the throne of England after Stephen's death. Bruno follows King Stephen's actions on the field and shares his imprisonment and Melusine stays in attendance of Queen Maud thus presenting different perspectives of what’s happening around them. The book has one particularity I have not seen often, each chapter is written in the first person but alternating between Bruno and Melusine. This means we have their different views regarding what's happening, sometimes their different views on the situation they are in.

Gellis is really good at delivering interesting, true to their period, characters and in immersing her story in history. It made for a very interesting read!

Grade: B

Also posted at Historical Tapestry

How To Make a Handbag Out of a Recycled Book

I found this link on the BM forum. Not sure if I should be amazed at their creativity or horrified by seeing the book destroyed...

The Keys To Your Life

The Keys to Your Life

Anything good in your life comes from your ability to play and be free. The best way for you to solve a problem is to let go of it. Anything bad in your life comes from sinking to the level of those around you. Remember to lift people up, and refuse to participate in anything petty.

The Keys To Your Life

Uneasy Lies the Head - Jean Plaidy

After having read Victoria Holt in my teens and having heard rave reviews of Jean Plaidy's historical fiction novel I finally tried one - Uneasy Lies the Head is the story of Henry VII. The man who defeated Richard III at Bosworth, united the Lancaster and York Houses and spent his ruling years getting rid of potential rivals to the throne.

In the aftermath of the bloody Wars of the Roses, Henry Tudor has seized the English crown, finally uniting the warring Houses of York and Lancaster through his marriage to Elizabeth of York. But whilst Henry VII rules wisely and justly, he is haunted by Elizabeth's missing brothers; the infamous two Princes, their fate in the Tower forever a shrouded secret. Then tragedy strikes at the heart of Henry's family, and it is against his own son that the widowed king must fight for a bride and his throne...

I liked Plaidy's voice although at first I was a bit confused with the different point of views. I also would have preferred if the story had started a bit earlier. Henry VII acceptance as a king was a in part due to his marriage to Elizabeth of York and it was a bit odd seeing her so dependent of him when she must have been an important part of the day's politics.

But mostly the book is about Henry's political moves to guarantee his power, to prevent rebellions by York claimants. He had to deal with two fake pretenders - Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck - and kept a tight hold on the ones who might be a potential danger like the young Earl of Warwick. He comes across as cold, scheming and a detached murderer. He has no strong feelings - love or hate - towards anyone but he doesn't hesitate to murder, or better said convict with fake charges, the one's who might threaten his power. Unavoidably part of what bothers him is to explain the disappearance of the prince's in the tower in a way that doesn't make him look guilty.

Another important thing is the begetting of heirs to strengthen the dynasty. Having had the fragile Arthur, Henry and Elizabeth keep having more children and next come Margaret, Henry and Mary and a few other babies who didn’t survive. Their children are also an important part of the book and we follow the negotiations for Arthur and Katharine of Aragon's marriage and the early years of the princess's stay in England. The author also develops a bit of the future Henry VIII personality, presumably to set us on the right path for the next books.

All in all an enjoyable read which follows the historical facts closely but gives them a lighter and fictionalised approach.

Grade: B

What Your City Walk Means?

I actually took this test because I'm always saying I should walk more and I never do... in the end the test is not about walking but about the personality...

What Your City Walk Means

You are thoughtful and contemplative. You enjoy spending time alone with your thoughts. You are quite introverted and maybe even a little shy. You prefer to interact one on one with people. Money is fairly important to you. You aren't super greedy, but you enjoy spending money on yourself. You tend to be organized, logical, and methodical. You're so efficient, people often wonder how you get so much done.

The City Walk Personality Test

The only thing I question is point 3, it seems I spend a lot more money in books that in me! :-)

Lady Gallant - Suzanne Robinson

I had this book in the TBR pile for a very long time. I heard very good things about it but at the same time I was unsure about how I would feel as I'd also heard the hero behaves very badly towards the heroine. I'm happy to say this was an A read!.

The ladies of the palace called Nora Becket "mouse". But beneath her shy, artless ways hid the heart of a lioness. A daring spy in Queen Mary's court, she risked her life to rescue the innocent from a terrible fate. Yet it was Nora who needed rescuing when cutthroats attacked her - and when Christian de Rivers, a lusty sword-wielding rogue, swept her out of harm's way...and into his arms. As magnificent and mesmerizing as a hawk, Christian both frightened and excited Nora, even as he pursued her with a single- minded passion that left her longing to be caught. Yet soon she would discover that she had reason to be frightened. For the dashing nobleman had his own secrets to keep, his own enemies to rout - and his own brand of vengeance for a wide-eyed beauty whom he loved only too well...

I think one of Robinson's strong points is how well she conveys the atmosphere of the period and bloody Mary's reign. I found myself nodding in agreement while I read her historical note in the beginning and how she understood the politics of that time. She manages to express that in the story's setting and background.

Kit and Nora could not have been more different but it's easy to see how she would be attracted to him and what attracts him to her. The story flows very nicely and Kit and Nora seem set for a happy ending when he believes he has found proof of her betrayal. Those were not easy times to be trusting when that might mean a horrible death. Till he can be sure of her actions he treats her as a traitor whose intentions are to spy on his family.

Those scenes are particularly intense. Kit's abuse is hard to read about as he plays with Nora's insecurities and uses them against her. Knowing from the beginning whose side she is on only makes it more painful for the reader.

He does eventually find out the truth and goes back to her to ask for forgiveness, But the strength that Nora could not find on her own she finds when she feels she needs to protect her little page. Kit grovels for while but Nora is inflexible and while I enjoy a good grovel scene as much as anyone I'm glad that Robinson didn't use it to end the story. Kit and Nora needed to get to know each other better and eventually change which does happen in the course of the last chapters. Nora stops being the mouse she used to be and starts demanding (and getting) respect, and Kit learns to trust her.

One last word of praise for how she wrote the characters. They are interesting, complex and attractive. We can feel their pain and their sorrows. And in the end, their happiness.

Grade: A-

New Additions to The TBR Pile

Quite a few more once again:

Sarah Bird - The Boyfriend School
Roberta Gellis - The Kent Heiress
Philippa Gregory - The Constant Princess
Karen Harper - The Stone Forest
Anita Mills - Hearts of Fire
Anita Mills -The Fire and The Fury
Anita Mills -Fire and Steel
Anita Mills -Winter Roses
Anita Mills -Lady of Fire

I really must read faster!

Lady of The Knight - Jackie Ivie

I can't remember anymore why I put this one in the TBR pile. I don't particularly like "girls in pants" stories (with the exception of These Old Shades) but something must have been good in other's recommendations for me to add it to the pile.

A passionate, emotional, action-packed story set against the violent and volatile backdrop of 14th-century Scotland. When her family is wiped out by Clan FitzHugh, Morganna KilCreggar makes a vow to gain justice. Tall, fit, and a weapons expert with formidable skill and perfect aim, Morganna becomes the "lad" Morgan and squire to her enemy, Alexander, the youngest FitzHugh. When desire breaks through Morgan's secret and she and Zander becomes lovers, he surprises her by surpassing all her dreams

However I was very disappointed in it. The truth is that it started rather well. The hero captures the heroine on a battlefield thinking she is a boy and decides to make her his squire. The girl wants revenge on who killed her family and thinks the hero might be close to the one she wants to kill. There's the usual tension between the 2 and the hero starts to believe he has feelings for a boy and can't understand what's happening. So far so good! I always have trouble believing they can be fooled about the girl's sex as they live together but I usually suspend my disbelief. The problem is that it takes too long for that tension to be solved. There are chapters and chapters of the hero speaking of how he loves the squire, some scenes of him kissing his squire and then deciding he is going to get married to solve his problem...I found the whole scenario a bit disturbing to tell the truth. And it just took too much time, so long that I lost interest!

Grade: DNF

The Viscount Who Loved Me - Julia Quinn

1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, This Author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London's most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry. And in all truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better...

-Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1814

But this time the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn't just decided to marry-he's even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended's older sister, Kate Sheffield-the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate's the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams...

Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes to not make the best husbands-and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate's determined to protect her sister-but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony's lips touch hers, she's suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself...

The first time I read the Bridgerton series Anthony and Kate's story was my favourite. On my reread I find it a vast improvement on the previous The Duke and I. It's still funny and full of laughable moments but that humour doesn't seem as forced as in the first book. And the Bridgerton brothers (especially Colin) come across as more endearing than domineering. Anthony is by far the Alpha Male of the pack, he is domineering, controlling and decided to rule his heart as he rules his businesses. With reason and no feelings. He can't seem to stop his attraction to the sister of the woman he plans to marry though and since they are always bickering with each other there was some funny moments there and some scenes are used to emphasize that - the fall into the pond, the Pall Mall game... but nothing would have been achieved if they hadn’t been forced to marry. After that the book looses some of its funny undertones but it becomes more interesting (to me) as Kate and Anthony try to deal with each other and heal each other's wounds.

Quinn has a knack for writing the secondary characters that are Anthony Bridgerton family. I ended the book thinking of picking the next one immediately because of how well she made like them.

Other people have mentioned to me how their favourite scene in the book is the Pall Mall game and Anthony ending up with the pink mallet while Kate has the Mallet of Death. That's a funny one to be sure but my favourite scene is when Anthony rescues Penelope from Cressida Cowper's meanness. That was so hero worthy!

Grade: B

At Risk - Patricia Cornwell

I mistakenly bought this book thinking it was part of the Scarpetta series. When I found out it wasn't I was a bit curious to see Cornwell's voice with another character. So far I had only read her Kay Scarpetta books.

For decades, Patricia Cornwell has demonstrated her extraordinary ability not only to entertain and enthrall but to surprise as well. Beginning in January 2006, The New York Times Magazine will serialize a brand-new Cornwell thriller, a book filled with all the chilling suspense, rich characters, and trademark forensics that have made her an international phenomenon. But what she does with those ingredients is a revelation.

A Massachusetts state investigator is called home from Knoxville, Tennessee, where he is completing a course at the National Forensic Academy. His boss, the district attorney, attractive but hard-charging, is planning to run for governor, and as a showcase she's planning to use a new crime initiative called At Risk-its motto: "Any crime, any time." In particular, she's been looking for a way to employ cutting-edge DNA technology, and she thinks she's found the perfect subject in an unsolved twenty-year-old murder-in Tennessee. If her office solves the case, it ought to make them all look pretty good, right?

Her investigator is not so sure-not sure about anything to do with this woman, really-but before he can open his mouth, a shocking piece of violence intervenes, an act that shakes up not only both their lives but the lives of everyone around them. It's not a random event. Is it personal? Is it professional? Whatever it is, the implications are very, very bad indeed . . . and they're about to get much worse.

Sparks fly, traps spring, twists abound-this is the master working at the top of her game.

I didn’t enjoy it as much as the Scarpetta books. I found it a bit uneven. I had trouble getting into the story and understanding who was doing what. There was an old case being investigated with new DNA methods and soon becomes apparent that the choice of the lab involved and this new investigation is not an accident and other interests are being pursued. The second half seemed better to me, more paced and interesting. Especially after the violent attack that leads one of the main characters to rethink what is going on and where are going from there. The story is quite short (comparing to her other books) and was first published as a serial in a newspaper. That might explain why it seemed a bit uneven and why I never felt I really knew the characters and what make them move.

Grade: C

Rosario's Spinach and Chickpea Stew

Rosario sent me a new recipe this week and yesterday we tried it for dinner. It was a winner Ro! We both loved it!

Spinach and chickpea stew

Serves 3 - prep time 10 mins, cooking time 30 mins

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 level teaspoon chilli flakes or chili powder

Couple of cloves of garlic, chopped

400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
400 g tinned chickpeas
150 spinach (baby leaves preferred, but could be regular spinach)
salt and ground black pepper

to serve:
Yogurt (thick set if possible)
Warm Middle Eastern flatbread (like pita)

Pour the oil into a medium lidded saucepan and gently cook the onion for about 10 mins, covered, stirring periodically to prevent burning. Add the cumin, coriander, chilli and garlic and cook for a minute longer, stirring.

Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 5 - 10 mins, until reduced, stirring periodically so it doesn't burn.

Rinse the chickpeas well then drain. Add them (and some boiling water, if necessary, if too reduced) to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for some 10 mins longer.

Add the spinach in stages (torn into smaller pieces if not baby spinach), so that you make room for more as it wilts. Stir it in as you add it.


As soon as all the spinach has wilted, serve warm with a dollop (or more, to taste) of yogurt and warm flatbread.

Autumn's Flame - Denise Domning

I couldn't resist picking this one up as soon as it arrived having enjoyed the first three books in this series. And I was even more curious because the heroine's son is a secondary character in book nº 3 and he made me curious about his mother.

Released from an unhappy marriage when her husband suddenly dies, Lady Elyssa of Freyne hopes for a better life, until she is put under the care of the notorious sheriff Geoffrey FitzHenry, whom she vows to resist at any cost.

When her second husband dies leaving her with a 12 year old son and pregnant Elyssa believes she will be finally free of men and able to live as she wants. However the king makes her son the sheriff's ward and she has to go live with them to be close to him. Soon it is obvious that Elyssa and Geoffrey have very different ideas about how to educate Jocelyn.

I thought this book had a lighter tone than the previous stories. First because although Geoffrey has had a difficult past and his scars lead people to call him the devil he is not bitter or rash, only sad that he can't go close to his daughter. And despite seeming a bit cold and intimidating at first once he decides Elyssa is what he wants he pursues her in a rather sweet way, totally at odds with his reputation. The book is centred in them and their feelings and maybe because of that there was less "medieval atmosphere". There isn't exactly a mystery in this book although it takes Elyssa some time to pry the truth about his first wife's death out of Geoffrey and a villain is working in the shadows against her well being.

I found this really curious information about the plot on the author's website:
The rest of the story came out of a wonderful reference book by one N.J.G. Pounds entitled "The Medieval Castle in England and Wales; A Social and Political History". Did you know that the Medieval sheriff is required to take into his custody all pregnant widows (at least those with property) and witness the births of their babies? Sensible, when you think about it. After all, a greedy widow might try to substitute a peasant's healthy child for her own stillborn baby in order to have control over her dead husband's property. Or, some unscrupulous relative might try to kill the newborn new heir. And there it is in a nutshell--the plot of Autumn's Flame.
I had no idea and I found it really interesting...

Grade: B+

Surrender to Love - Edith Layton

The third book if the trilogy it's also all about the hero but in a very bad way. It's even more striking the difference when he appears side by side with Warwick and Arden.

Julian Dylan, Viscount Hazelton, has come a long way, literally, since his debut in Love in Disguise. Then he was an impoverished nobleman who had to drive a coach on the Brighton Road to earn his livelihood. Now he's come home from across the Atlantic to help a young girl he'd befriended in The Game of Love. But Miss Eliza Merriman is no longer a young girl and wants much more than his friendship. She knows how difficult it will be to capture him. For now Julian is not only the handsomest lord in England but also wealthy, a prize women would do anything to win.

There are many obstacles in Eliza's path. Her captivating cousin Constance, aristocratic society's most celebrated beauty, and her sensible friend Anthea, who was everything that a man could seek in a wife. There is a race to see if Julian can discover his heart, as well as overcome the very real obstacles on the Brighton Road that threaten to thwart him at the last.

Julian comes across as irresponsible (he stops Eliza's wedding but only pretends to be her fiancé), vain and conceited (he thinks it's normal that every woman tries to get his attention), inconstant (he considers marriage to all 3 girls) and basically an idiot for letting Anthea intrude on his honeymoon and not being strong when he should to stop her from having expectations. In the end I was actually hoping Eliza would kick his butt and wait for a real hero like Arden or Warwick!

Can you tell I'm very annoyed?

Grade: C-

New Additions to the TBR pile

A nice selection this week, other than the Domning they are all new authors to me...

Alessandro Baricco - Silk
Joanna Bourne - The Spymaster's Lady
Denise Domning - Autumns Flame
Melanie Rawn- Dragon Prince
Dorothy L. Sayers - Whose Body?
Rosy Thornton - More Than Love Letters

Lady Whistledown...

Continuing with my plans to reread old favourites I am now in the middle of The Viscount Who Loved Me.

One of the things I loved the most about Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series was the news that Lady Whistledown wrote and how we were kept guessing at her identity on the first books. Whatever flaws I may now find in Quinn's work with Lady Whistledown she managed to create in her readers such a big expectation that I remember when the several groups I was a part of at the time were all trying to guess at the lady's identity and if it would be revealed in the next book. I never came across such enthusiasm again!

In TWLM Lady Whistledown begins by writing about the nature of rakes:

The topic of rakes has, of course, been previously discussed in this column, and This Author has come to the conclusion that there are rakes, and there are Rakes.

Anthony Bridgerton is a Rake.

A rake (lower-case) is youthful and immature. He flaunts his exploits, behaves with utmost idiocy, and thinks himself dangerous to women.

A Rake (upper-case) knows he is dangerous to women.

He doesn't flaunt his exploits because he doesn't need to. He knows he will be whispered about by men and
women alike, and in fact, he'd rather they didn't whisper about him at all. He knows who he is and what he has done; further recountings are, to him, redundant.

He doesn't behave like an idiot for the simple reason that he isn't an idiot (any moreso than must be expected among all members of the male gender). He has little patience for the foibles of society, and quite frankly, most
of the time This Author cannot say she blames him.

(...)

This Author Thinks... Not.

LadyWhistledown's Society Papers, 20 April 1814

I could not agree more! I have a soft spot for Rakes you see but I just can not abide rakes! And I can't wait to get to her book and read about how she is found out once again!

What a Gentleman Wants - Caroline Linden

I was a bit unsure about starting this one after not having enjoyed the first one but I must say this one was an okay read and despite having a plot that forces you to suspend your disbelief it worked quite well.

Marcus Reece, duke of Exeter, doesn't need a wife, let alone one he didn't choose. Hannah Preston wouldn't have chosen him, either, if she hadn't been tricked. But in each other, they'll both discover everything they never knew they always wanted …

I was a bit incredulous how the brother could sign his marriage certificate with his brother's name and the marriage be valid. Or that someone would prefer to perpetuate that lie instead of telling the truth to his family. But once that part was over I went on to enjoy Marcus's and Hannah's relationship.

And that relationship was what made it work for me. I really liked how she portrayed both characters. Marcus always proper, respectable, discreet and responsible and Hannah, who shares much of the same characteristics but has the added worry of having to support her daughter. With those temperaments and finding themselves living a lie it's easy that their tempers occasionally clash but also that they start feeling attracted to each other.

In fact I think I would have preferred if we're just to focus on that instead of having the added mystery. I wasn't too surprised to discover who the villain was but the twists and turns of that plot were a bit lost on me.

Grade: B-

The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde

When I first heard of this book I was really curious about it. I love Jane Eyre and the idea of someone entering the book and actually talking to the characters seemed a fabulous one. It was original, interesting and, for fans of the story, absolutely irresistible.

In Jasper Fforde's Great Britain, circa 1985, time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection. But when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Brontë's novel, Thursday is faced with the challenge of her career. Fforde's ingenious fantasy-enhanced by a Web site that re-creates the world of the novel--unites intrigue with English literature in a delightfully witty mix.



The problem was that I started the book and other than some short references to Rochester there was no Jane Eyre in sight. The book first introduces us to Thursday Next, our heroine, who lives in an alternate reality with a very confusing family and a job that took me awhile to understand. I must admit that the fact that I was a bit lost for the first 200 pages didn't help one bit. I could see that Fforde has a huge imagination and lots of ideas that I liked but I'm afraid I couldn't keep up with him for most of the book. References to the Crimean War left me completely lost (was it easier for UK natives who probably heard about it a lot more than me?) and I'm also not familiar with Wordsworth works to understand what Thursday's aunt was doing on the poem nor with Dickens's Martin Chuzzlewit to really appreciate the changes in the story. I can only guess how many other references escaped me... I thought the discussion on who wrote Shakespeare's plays was fun but the conclusion was a let down.

Fortunately after 200 pages we reach Jane Eyre! I loved it how Thursday entered the story in search of the bad guy and ultimately changed it to the ending we know and love. This part was really interesting and fun. All the things I thought the whole book would be and wasn't. Besides why is this called The Eyre Affair if only the last third of the book deals with Jane Eyre? It's like there were less loose ends in this last part and more of a continuity.

Grade: B- (just because I loved the Jane Eyre part so much)

Love In Disguise - Edith Layton

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!

Miss Susannah Logan felt very fortunate to have not one 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 honourable Julian, Viscount Hazelton, whose fierce desire for an unobtainable beauty had led him to financial ruin but could not mar his irresistible, godlike 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.

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: B

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

Agatha Awards - 2007 Finalists

I really like Agatha Christie's books and I have one shelf filled with them. So when a L. shared the finalists for the 2007 Agatha Awards it has ocurred to me those titles might be something I would enjoy. Here are the finalists for 2007:

Best Novel
* The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews
* Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
* Hard Row by Margaret Maron
* A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
* Murder with Reservations by Elaine Viets

Best First Novel
* A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch
* A Real Basket Case by Beth Groundwater
* Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
* Prime Time by Hank Phillipi Ryan

The only author I've read before is Donna Andrews but I do have Deanna Raybourn's books in the TBR pile. All the others are new to me authors but if they write in Agatha Christie's style they might be worth trying...