~Book Review~ Margaret's Rematch

Margaret's Rematch by Farida Mastek 

fiction/romance/regency 

eBook (PDF) 

Get it from GirleBooks.com 

4.2 of 5 pearls 

Margaret's Rematch is a delightful Regency romp that reminds me greatly of Jane Austen's style of writing. I was amused throughout and at times, laughed outright at a description or two that were just too perfect in their delivery. Farida Mastek definitely has a knack for an Austenesque way of telling a story.

This is a totally CLEAN romance. I would definitely recommend this to any and all who enjoy Jane Austen.

**Disclaimer: I received this eBook from the author for the purpose of providing a review. I was not paid in any way and the opinions expressed here are my own.

~Book Review~ Back in Society

Back in Society by Marion Chesney

My rating: 4 of 5 pearls

~Sixth and final installment in the Poor Relation series~ 3.9 pearls

Lady Jane is titled, beautiful, and the daughter of a peer. However, the abuse she's suffered at her father's hand drives her to the Poor Relation hotel, where she plans to take her own life. In an effort to save her, the owners give her a season. Two suitors vie for her hand; of the two, Jane gravitates toward the one she considers "safe."

As the final book in the series, all the main characters get their happily-ever-afters in this one. Most of the humor in this lies with the owners of the hotel, but it is humorous. Lady Jane's situation is a bit too much to be funny although some of her reactions to the relations are amusing.

All in all, a delightful series and well worth the few hours required to read it. Don't bother if you worry too much about POV switches and "-ly" words.

(In many ways, this story reminds me of Chesney's The Scandalous Lady Wright.)

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Back in Society (The Poor Relation, Vol 6) (Amazon link)
The Scandalous Lady Wright (A Regency Romance) (Amazon link)

~Book Review~ Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue

Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue by Marion Chesney

My rating: 3 of 5 pearls

~Fifth installment in the Poor Relation series~ 3.4 pearls

Colonel Sandhurst, the most dignified and proper elderly gentleman one can imagine, more or less kidnaps a young woman, intending to ransom her for what her father owes the owners of the Poor Relation hotel. The heroine is as sweet and innocent as they come, although we're supposed to believe she's been a tomboy up until right before the story started. I had trouble believing it. Still, the story is amusing, as usual.

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~Book Review~ Sir Philip's Folly

Sir Philip's Folly by Marion Chesney

My rating: 3 of 5 pearls

~Fourth installment in the Poor Relation series~ 3.2 pearls

Another witty book for an entertaining series. The heroine of this book is amusing as she tries to cope with a mother who wants to pass her off as much younger than she actually is. To add some Regency comedy, mother and daughter both want the same man.

As is the case with all the different Regency series that Ms Chesney wrote, much of the focus in this is on the recurring characters. In this series it's the ones who own the Poor Relation hotel, specifically, Sir Philip, whose choice of lady friends offends the rest of the hotel owners.

Warning to clean romance fans: This book is a bit more risqué than most of Ms. Chesney's Regencies, but by no means graphic.

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~Book Review~ Mrs Budley Falls from Grace

Mrs. Budley Falls from Grace by Marion Chesney

My rating: 3 of 5 pearls (reviewed Nov 18, 2010)


~Third installment in the Poor Relation series~ 3.4 pearls

Not as funny as the first two books but still quite amusing with a few laugh-out-loud moments. Marion Chesney continues to be an excellent author to pick up if one is looking for a humorous escape.

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Mrs. Budley Falls from Grace (The Poor Relation Book 3) (Amazon link)

~Book Review~ Miss Tonks Takes a Risk

Miss Tonks Takes a Risk by Marion Chesney

My rating: 4 of 5 pearls (Reviewed Nov 17, 2010)

The second volume in the Poor Relation series, this book is equally innocuous, pleasantly diverting, and a laugh-out-loud type of romance that the first volume is. The hero in this one was especially diverting. Again, an enjoyable way to spend an hour or two.

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~Book Review~ Lady Fortescue Steps Out

Lady Fortescue Steps Out by Marion Chesney

My rating: 4 of 5 pearls (reviewed Nov 17, 2010)

I've read this before and it's a delightful read if you don't care about the whys and wherefores of "correct" writing. If you read strictly for enjoyment, this book is light and amusing, a very pleasant way to spend an hour or two. I laughed out loud more than once. Marion Chesney's books always make me chuckle.

A side note: Although a romance, a LOT of time is spent with characters other than the romantic leads. This is the first book of a six-book series and some time is spent setting up the storyline that stretches through all six books.

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~Book Review~ Rainbird's Revenge

Rainbird's Revenge by Marion Chesney

My rating: 3.8 of 5 pearls


~Sixth and final installment in the House for the Season series~

3.8 pearls


Oh, I'd forgotten how much this one makes me chuckle. The hero is pompous and arrogant and the heroine is vain and silly. Truly made for each other. Their head-butting makes me laugh out loud every time I read it.

As for the servants, upon whom this series is focused, they get their happily-ever-afters. All in all, a satisfying end to an entertaining series.


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~Book Review~ The Adventuress

The Adventuress by Marion Chesney 

My rating: 3.6 of 5 pearls 

~Fifth installment in the House for the Season series~ 3.6 pearls 

Entertaining, of course, as usual. The hero and heroine seem to figure a little more prominently in this book than the heroes/heroines in previous books of the series. This could be due to the fact that the heroine is an ex-servant, pretending to be a gentlewoman. 

In this installment, the servants of the house start to realize their dreams might differ somewhat from what they had previously desired. More dimensions for these quirky characters. 

...and my usual warnings to those who have never read Marion Chesney's older Regencies: Do not read these if you are overly critical about the "proper" way to write. Ms Chesney's POV switches sometimes occur within a paragraph and '-ly' words are abundant. If, on the other hand, you only desire to be entertained, Ms Chesney's books are always that. :o) 

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~Book Review~ Rake's Progress

Rake's Progress by Marion Chesney 

My rating: 4.2 of 5 pearls 

~Fourth installment in the House for the Season series~ 4.2 pearls 

Quite typical "rake and reformer" storyline but with Marion Chesney's uniquely entertaining style. This is one of my favorites in this series and always makes me laugh. It is, however, a good bit more risqué than the other stories in the series and probably more so than a good number of Ms Chesney's books. I still consider it "clean" romance (as does my mother), but use your own discretion. 

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~Book Review~ The Wicked Godmother

The Wicked Godmother by Marion Chesney

My rating: 3.2 of 5 pearls

~Third installment in the House for the Season series~ 3.2 pearls 

Another delightful escape although this one isn't as amusing as the others in the series since the heroine is a bit of an airhead and some of her naïveté is annoying rather than funny. Still, if all you're looking for is a silly romance to kill an hour or two, this is a good one to read.

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~Book Review~ Plain Jane

Plain Jane by Marion Chesney

My rating: 3.4 of 5 pearls

~Second installment in the House for the Season series~ 3.4 pearls 

The best thing about this series is the main characters. Even though each book is a romance, there is a different hero/heroine in each who fall in love and move on. The main characters, namely the servants at Number 67 Clarges Street in Regency Mayfair, are delightfully three-dimensional, probably because they are given 6 books in which to develop. 

(This is only the second book but I've read the whole series before, hence the reason I'm able to make the above statement.) 

As for this book in particular, there were moments of laughter, moments of grrr, and moments of give me a break with substantial eye-rolling. Even so, I love Ms Chesney's way of mocking all the ridiculous foibles of Regency England. Truly entertaining but again, definitely not for those who are overly picky about "correct" writing.* 

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Watch for more of my Marion Chesney reviews in the coming days. Illness makes me crave silliness. lol

*I purchased this book and was not paid in any way for my review.

~Year of the Historical~ May: Mr Malcolm's List

I know. It's July and this review is for my May read for the "Year of the Historical" challenge. Shameful, isn't it? You know what's worse? I didn't even finish a historical for June. 

Title: Mr. Malcolm's List 

Author: Suzanne Allain
www.suzanneallain.com

Genre: Romance/Regency 

Setting: England, 1818 

Rating: 3.8 pearls 

Warnings: NONE 

Synopsis: Mr. Malcolm has a list of requirements for a wife. When one young lady takes offense, she inveigles her school friend, Selena, to play a trick on Malcolm, so he can know how it feels to be judged and found wanting.

My two cents: What an adorable story! I enjoyed the characters' interactions even though I didn't get really attached to them. It's a nice, fluffy story, a pleasant few hours to relax and unwind. The writing style is easy to read and reminiscent of the older, traditional Regencies. This is definitely a story I'd have no problem sharing with my mom or my daughter (when she's interested in romances, that is). Very sweet, G-rated, and fun.

*Review is based on the paperback I purchased from Amazon. The views expressed here are my honest opinions of this work. Making purchases through any Amazon link here will result in me earning a small commission. 

~Year of the Historical~ March: Moonlight Mist

I finished this several weeks ago but have neglected to post my review. It didn't help that I neglected to finish the book within the month specified. My bad. I do apologize for this. 

Title: Moonlight Mist

Author: Laura London (Sharon and Thomas Curtis)

Genre: Romance

Setting: Regency England (early 1800s) 

Pub Date: 1979
Rating: (3.1 pearls)
Warnings: None

This was a solid 3-pearl, just OK read. The heroine was only 17 and rather annoyingly immature for most of the book. I liked the hero but the story didn't focus much on him. It was a little prosy but common for a book published in '79. I enjoyed it but it's not one I would reread. On the positive side, if you are looking for a non-religious romance that is clean, this one definitely qualifies.

What am I reading for May? 

My current historical read is Suzanne Allain's Mr. Malcolm's List. I'm over halfway and while this isn't a book that constantly has me thinking about it and anxious to get back to it, I definitely find it amusing when I am reading it. Look for my full review at the end of the month. (Or early next month, LOL.)

Book Review: The Stranger She Married by Donna Hatch

Title: The Stranger She Married

Author: Donna Hatch

Website: Donna Hatch, Romance Writer

Blog: http://donnahatch.blogspot.com

Series: Rogue Hearts, #1

Genre: Fiction/Romance/Historical/Regency

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

ISBN (paperback): 1601543344

Format: e-book, 352 pages

List Price: $6.00US (e-book)

Reviewed: September 28, 2009

Rating: 5 pearls (4.9)

Warnings: None

Synopsis: Alicia Palmer must save her family from ruin by marrying and marrying well. Her choices, however, leave much to be desired. Enter Cole, Viscount Amesbury, a man with a deadly secret, a secret that could destroy the fragile trust growing between them. Meanwhile, someone is trying to kill off every member of her family.

My two cents: Oh my. I have a new favorite Regency author. I am blown away. Enough of that. Now for the reasons why...

Ms Hatch has a steady grasp of the period and a definite knack for characters, settings, and drama. There were so many times I didn't want to stop reading. Drat the responsibilities of adulthood! I was enchanted with the hero from the very first. All the characters were well-developed and likable--or unlikable, in the case of some. The plot was a rather common Regency theme (the young woman needing to marry to save her family from penury), yet done in such a way as to be entirely fresh and new.

And the twists. Wow. Just when I thought I knew who the killer was, I was proven wrong.

I loved how Ms Hatch refrained from including detailed love scenes and still managed to convey the emotions that ruled these characters. It was a thrilling, lovely, romantic adventure. I eagerly anticipate the next book in the series.

*This review is based on the PDF e-book.

The Stranger She Married can be purchased in paperback from Amazon and The Wild Rose Press, as well as directly from the author on her blog or website. E-books are available for the Kindle in Amazon's Kindle Store and in PDF, MS Reader, and HTML formats from The Wild Rose Press.

Coming soon: An interview and giveaway with Donna Hatch!

Passing Fancies by Elizabeth Mansfield

Title: Passing Fancies

Author: Elizabeth Mansfield

Genre: Romance/Historical/Regency

Publisher: Berkley

ISBN: 0425063356

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 217 pages

List Price: Out-of-print

Reviewed: July 19, 2009

Rating: 4 stars (4.4)

Warnings: None

Synopsis: Lovely Lady Philippa Wyckfield gets drawn into any number of unfortunate situations due to her generous nature. Staying with friends she'd known since childhood, she manages to catch the eye of two of the brothers. One wrestles with his disgust of her supposed madcap nature while the other wrestles with his invisibility.

What I liked: I loved the characters with their varied idiosyncrasies. There is Lady Philippa (Pippa), whose generous nature lands her in more trouble than any normal human can handle; William, the stiffly proper head of the Sturtevant household and oldest child of Lady Georgina; Lady Georgina, air-headed, well-meaning mother and lady of the house; Simon, a scientist whose head is more often cloudy with his work than not; Sybil, only daughter and incorrigible madcap; and Dolly, the youngest son whose madness for horseflesh leads to at least one of the unfortunate situations I mentioned earlier. These characters are fleshed-out rather well despite the shortness of this book. Even the Oxbroughs, the lady and her son who are more or less the antagonists of the tale, have their quirks, making them more believable.

There was something I noticed with this book that struck me as interesting. It is written in third person omniscient. Perhaps this POV was more acceptable in 1983 when this book was written. From the research I've done in regard to publishing houses, this POV is not acceptable now. However, I feel Elizabeth Mansfield pulled it off rather well. While reading, I knew what was happening in each character's head, the POV switches were graceful and hardly noticeable. Considering this book is not a mystery in any way, I see no reason why we should not know what everyone is thinking.

The story was entertaining, light and fun. Love scenes were limited to kissing and even those were few and far between. I laughed more than once and at one point I thought I might cry. All that aside, this book is a good choice if you want a delightful, light read.

The Desirable Duchess by Marion Chesney

Title: The Desirable Duchess

Author: Marion Chesney

Genre: Romance/Historical/Regency

Publisher: Fawcett Crest

ISBN: 0449221563

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 172 pages

List Price: Out-of-print

Reviewed: December 2, 2008

Rating: 4 stars (4.1)

Warnings: None

Synopsis: Alice is in love with Sir Gerald. Her parents orchestrate a break-up and marry her off to the new peer in town, the Duke of Farrant. A talking bird starts off the controversy. Misunderstandings and general nuttiness ensue.

My opinion: Quite an amusing read...the first time. It's still funny, even six reads later, but if it is re-read too soon, it's just annoying. The talking bird isn't even the funny part. The silliness of the main characters and several supporting characters is what induces chuckling.

The heroine is 18 or so when the story starts and seems in keeping with her age, i.e., naive and trusting. The duke is around 30, a veteran of the Peninsular Campaign, and so a little hardened--something that is not really evidenced in the story except for a very few instances when the duke says/thinks something to that effect. Meanwhile, he has some serious problems with jealousy.

Overall: 4.1 stars because I do really like this very succinct story. I like Marion Chesney's ability to stuff an entertaining story into a very small book... :o)

The Devil's Delilah by Loretta Chase

Title: The Devil's Delilah

Author: Loretta Chase

Series: Regency Noblemen, #2

Genre: Regency Romance (traditional)

Publisher: Fawcett Crest

ISBN: 0449218945

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 282 pages

List Price: Out-of-Print

Reviewed: March 20, 2009

Rating: 4 stars (4.4)

Warnings: None

Synopsis: The daughter of a notorious member of Society is determined to stop her father from publishing his scandalous memoirs. To help her in this goal is a bookworm who seems far too muddled to be a proper hero.

My opinion: Not your typical run-of-the-mill romance hero, Jack Langdon is neither dashing nor scandalously improper. Not until he meets Delilah Desmond, that is. She seems to bring out his wild side in a delightfully amusing way. She is the daughter of a man known as Devil Desmond, a man who was scorned by Society for marrying an actress. Having been given the example of two very unconventional parents, she is predictably unconventional herself. And yet, I did not find her to be annoyingly belligerent, or "know-it-all" as so often happens with heroines of her nature. These were two characters I quite liked and found myself rooting for. Delilah's father is one of the best “dark” characters I've ever read.

Overall: 4.4 stars. It is very well-written, with plenty of little historical details. This story is connected to Viscount Vagabond, the heroes being friends, and I found that, while I really enjoyed Jack's story, comparatively it lacked something that I can't quite put my finger on...

Viscount Vagabond by Loretta Chase

Title: Viscount Vagabond

Author: Loretta Chase

Series: Regency Noblemen, #1

Genre: Regency Romance (traditional)

Publisher: Avon

ISBN: 0380708361

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 228 pages

List Price: Out-of-Print

Reviewed: February 22, 2009

Rating: 5 stars (4.8)

Warnings: None

Synopsis: Miss Catherine Pelliston runs away from an unpalatable betrothal and finds herself in a brothel begging a half-naked man for help. He, although being quite drunk and not believing her story, extracts her from the sticky situation she'd managed to land herself in and takes her to his lodgings, later learning of her parentage and offering her marriage to save her reputation.

Characters: Sheesh, Lord Rand made me laugh repeatedly. He was just coming off a 6-month dissipation binge when he met Catherine. For anyone familiar with Chase's Lord of Scoundrels, think Lord Dain but toned-down for a traditionally "sweet" Regency. (Please note, it has been a while since I read LOS, but I remember finding Dain's off-the-wall attitude amusing at times.)

Catherine Pelliston was polar opposite. Cursed with an overactive conscience, she was quite preachy at times. A believable personality, I think.

Together, these two were hilarious. When Catherine preached, Rand always had some odd, quirky response that made me laugh more than once. I have to wonder if two such characters could actually find happiness together, but it is a nice fantasy. :o)

Storyline: The storyline was rather typical, ie, hero proposes to save heroine's reputation, heroine refuses, hero gets to know her better and tries to not fall in love, Happily-Ever-After. The difference is Chase's ability to take this run-of-the-mill storyline and throw in several endearing--and not so endearing--characters with an excellent dose of comedy. A very enjoyable, lighthearted read.

Overall: 4.8 stars

Note: I borrowed the image from Goodreads.com until I get my copy scanned in again...

Her Grace's Passion by Marion Chesney

Title: Her Grace's Passion

Author: Marion Chesney

Series: Three Friends, #3 (unofficially named)

Genre: Regency Romance (traditional)

Publisher: Fawcett Crest

ISBN: 0449217647

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 170 pages

List Price: Out-of-Print

Characters: Duchess of Hadshire, Earl of Torridon

Reviewed: December 9, 2008

Synopsis: Matilda, Duchess of Hadshire is finally free of her abusive husband when he is murdered by his own mistress. She falls in love with the Earl of Torridon, trapped in an unhappy marriage himself. When circumstances lend him his freedom, Matilda's guilty conscience will not allow her to be with him.

My opinion: Ok. This is probably my least favorite of this series but I still really liked it. This heroine was more interesting as a friend of the previous two heroines in this series (The Scandalous Lady Wright & His Lordship's Pleasure) than as the "star" of this tale. The hero was a little of a nonentity although I was sorry for him in his choice of first wife. But, a little over halfway through the book, a new character is introduced. Letitia is over six feet tall and quite clumsy. She is incredibly sweet, however, and incredibly loyal. Her pleasant attitude and amusing antics make the somewhat irritating main characters far more palatable. She was my favorite character. As usual, this is very much like other Marion Chesney books. She succinctly tells a story while dropping tiny little factual tidbits about the selected time period. A light, quick read.

Overall: 3.7 stars