The Devilish Mr. Danvers by Vivienne Lorret

My Experience:  C
Synopsis:  For the first time in her life, Hedley Sinclair holds the keys to her own future. She's inherited the crumbling Greyson Park, but the disrepair does nothing to dissuade her. No one will ever lock her up again or attempt to take away what's hers. No one except Rafe Danvers—the charming, fiendish man from Fallow Hall. He's determined to claim Greyson Park, but if Hedley isn't careful, he'll claim her heart as well.
Rafe has every intention of ridding Greyson Park of the conniving Sinclairs once and for all. The last thing he expects is to find the beguiling Hedley—the younger sister of his former fiancée—standing in his way. With drastic measures called for, he plans to marry her off in order to regain control of the estate. The only trouble is, he can't seem to stop seducing her. Even worse, he can't help falling in love with her.

Not Quite Sleeping Beauty - Not Quite Cinderella

or

Not Quite a Devil - Not Quite Prince Charming

This is my first read by Vivienne Lorret.  IF the sample of the next book lives up to my curiosity about Montwood, I will probably read that one. I am going to need more than the teaser provided at the end of this book to entice me.  TSTL heroines and the heroes that kiss them make me vomit.

Despite an overused concept of bachelors wagering to be the last man standing alone and the fact there were enough plot holes to drive an eighteen wheeler through, I DID enjoy this book.  I felt it was worth the "come try this author" price, the premise of the book was intriguing and most of the secondary characters were of more than two dimensions.  The villains were so over the top I could hear the cackles of Snidely Whiplash.  Sometimes, obvious villains just make my heart happy, this was not one of those times.

Wisdom from precocious children used to disguise conflict provocation didn't work for me at all.  They reduced Caliope, who had intrigued me at first, to a cut-out that doesn't induce me to part $ from my pocket for the first book.  The pacing was well balanced, the grammar and structure lovely and though the descriptions of Greyson Park, Fallow Hall, and the village, etc, were a bit skimpy, what was there was adequate to give a sense of perspective if not a feeling you are there.  Historical accuracy and attention to the societal strictures was played with, considerably.

**spoiler alert** 

Most of the following review is a spoiler, I won't apologize for that. I like spoilers mostly because they are seldom what I expected.  Besides, some peeves, plot formula annoyances, and narrative jarring might be another reader's favorite thing.  I found two good books last month in just this way. So, Read at your own risk or come back to share your thoughts after you've read the book.

**spoiler alert**

The Haberdashers Tales by Sue London

Fortune Said
My Experience:  A
Synopsis:  When the earl’s valet falls desperately ill with a fever the household isn’t sure what to do, until one housemaid steps forward to care for him. 
Sissy Devonport has known her share of grief. Her family was laid low by a fever that only she survived. Now a member of her new household appears to be suffering from the same illness and she is the only one sure she can care for him without falling ill herself. 
Whit Whitman is a known flirt. A clever man who prefers to tease and gossip rather than do anything of substance. To his surprise, his illness has upset the household. And garnered the attention of one woman he thought he could never have.

Common Christmas
My Experience:  A
Synopsis:  A young woman, desperate to have one last lovely Christmas, brings the spirit of the season to the Harrington household. 
Grace Ashman has lost everything: her mother five years ago, and now her father and her home just a week before Christmas. She lives on the streets until one kind man invites her inside for a meal before the holiday. What she couldn’t know is that his kindness will change her life forever. 
Joshua Dibbs has been the butler at the Earl of Harrington’s London town home since 1809. If there is one thing Dibbs is known for, it is doing things properly. At least until now. Alas, when the earl arrives unexpectedly, the butler is reliant on help from a homeless woman to keep the household running until the staff returns!

I must admit, I do not normally read “holiday stories” and I generally avoid novellas as well, so it was out of character for me to choose these two books to read in the first place.  I haven’t read any of the Haberdashers or Sue London but Fortune Said caught my eye as I was searching for a book I'd read long ago, then I found myself also purchasing the one that comes before, Common Christmas.  Yes, of course, I read them out of order - that is typical of me.  It isn't essential to read them in order or have any knowledge of the larger series to thoroughly enjoy these tales.

Author’s Note is important here: This story isn't about the Haberdashers per se, but rather about some of the employees in the Harrington household … while the Haberdashers books are hot (explicit), the Haberdashers Tales are sweet (just kissing). Would hate to have anyone going between the two and surprised that they were so different.  

A Dangerous Madness by Michelle Diener

My Experience: A
Synopsis:  The Duke of Wittaker has been living a lie... He’s been spying on the dissolute, discontented noblemen of the ton, pretending to share their views. Now he’s ready to step out of the shadows and start living a real life...but when the prime minister of England is assassinated, he's asked to go back to being the rake-hell duke everyone still believes he is to find out more. 
Miss Phoebe Hillier has been living a lie, too... All her life she's played the game, hiding her fierce intelligence and love of life behind a docile and decorous mask. All it's gotten her is jilted by her betrothed, a man she thought a fool, but a harmless one. But when she discovers her former fiancé was involved in the plot against the prime minister, and that he's been murdered, she realizes he wasn't so harmless after all. 
And now the killers have set their sights on her... The only man who can help her is the Duke of Wittaker--a man she knows she shouldn't trust. And she soon realizes he's hiding behind a mask as careful as her own. As the assassin steadfastly vows he acted alone, and as the clock ticks down to his trial, the pair scramble to uncover the real conspiracy. And as the pressure and the danger mounts, Phoebe and Wittaker shed their disguises, layer by layer, to discover something more precious than either imagined–something that could last forever. Unless the conspirators desperate to hide their tracks get to them first.

This was my first exposure to Ms Diener’s writing, it won’t be my last.  Her brisk and crisp style appealed to me from the first paragraphs of the sample pages.  The stark narrative was compelling and the details fascinating.  Her attention to details is obvious, her hand with dialog steady and her use of humor, both dark and light, delightful.  Characterizations were well done, you learned about Phoebe and James as they learned of each other and responded to their discoveries during the investigation, not in dreary info dumps.

Alphabet Regency Classics by Kasey Michaels

I was in the mood for Classics this summer and I indulged fully.  Part of my indulgence was some of the Alphabet Regency Classics by Kasey Michaels.  No, they aren't written in alphabetical order, but the titles are alliteratively amusing.  Originally published in the 80's and early 90's these books would more properly belong on Back in the Day Reviews if they had not been re-issued by the author beginning in 2011.

These books are not only fun, the omniscient narrator is completely charming.  If asked what I miss most about the good ole days, this must be up there in the top ten: a narrator that was a character whispering Great Secrets only the reader was privileged to know.  It was such a brief period (to my aging hindsight) between the inscrutable hero that had no thoughts except those the heroine misinterpreted and the years of romance being all about the lust at first sight that neither hero nor heroine really bothered to control since of course, romance without sex isn't *real*.  Best of all, these books have secondary characters that amuse, annoy and enchant.  I adore heroines and heros that don't exist surrounded by cut outs barely shading their glittering days.

I've listed the title/ pub date/ synopsis of each behind the cut with my comments on the ones I enjoyed the most.  Keep in mind, these are classic/ traditional romances.   The plots are all tweaked with humor, the writing allusion without over-dramatics and the angst so low key you'll need to have a squint to find it.  I have only read one of Ms. Michaels newer books and it wasn't to my taste but when a friend mentioned these I took a chance on Ms. Michaels once again.  I'm so glad I did!

A Quote Worth Reading

No longer confined to The Library - a lifetime of lives is as portable as our ability to re-charge the battery.  Since we can also enlarge the font when our eyes grow weary, I can take comfort in the words below as well.

"It has often been said that we have but one life to live; that is nonsense. If one reads fiction he or she can live a thousand lives, in many parts of the world or in outer space. One can cross a desert, climb the Himalayas, or experience the agony of defeat, the triumph of victory, the pangs of starvation, or the choking thirst of the desert, all while safely at home.

The book has been man's greatest triumph, his most profound success. Seated in my library I live in a Time Machine. In an instant I can be transmitted to any era of history, any part of the world, even to outer space. Often I am asked in what period of history I would have preferred to live, and I wonder that they do not see, for I have lived in them all. I have listened to Buddha speak, I have marched with Alexander, sailed with the Vikings, or in their double canoes with the Polynesians. I have been at the courts of Queen Elizabeth and Louis the XIV; I have explored the West with Jedediah Smith and Jim Bridger; I have been a friend to Captain Nemo and have sailed with Captain Bligh on the Bounty. I have walked in the agora with Socrates and Plato, and listened to Jesus deliver the Sermon on the Mount.

Above all, and the most remarkable thing, I can do it all again, at any moment. The books are there. I have only to reach up on the shelves and take them down and live over again the moments I have loved. Surely, we live today in the greatest moment of history, for at no other time have books been so readily available, in the book stores, in the public libraries, and in the home."
- Louis L'Amour, p.262, The Sackett Companion

Reviewis Interruptis

Real Life does demand attention now and then - go figure!  It's been a a longer stretch than I expected but ah well, so it goes.  I have drafts of reviews in the wings to post as Life returns to normal [or what passes for normal].  In the meantime, be advised, I have deleted my facebook account.  If interested in a brief explanation, you can click on the If Dreams Were Thunder tab above, if not ... thank you for your patience while I dig out.
kKm

Miss Fellingham's Rebellion by Lynn Messina

My Experience:  A
Synopsis:  Twenty-four-year-old Catherine Fellingham keeps a low profile—in society and in her family. A practical young woman, she leaves the spotlight to her beautiful younger sister and prefers quiet pursuits such as reading. But all that changes the moment she learns of her mother’s very excellent scheme to keep the family out of debtors’ prison. The scatter-brained Lady Fellingham has been selling commissions in the king’s army, and Catherine must shake off her indifference in order to save her family from a potentially ruinous scandal. Lady Arabella, her mother’s partner-in-crime, readily agrees to abandon the plan but only because she finds a more absorbing project: nabbing a husband for Catherine. 

Catherine pays no head to her ladyship’s lavish claim that she’ll have her engaged by the end of the season, but that’s before she overhears Arabella instructing the handsome nonpareil, the Marquess of Deverill, to flirt outrageously with her and bring her into fashion. Mortified, Catherine resolves not to be taken in by the charming marquess's cruel game—and even implements a very excellent scheme of her own. This sensible young lady seems to have everything well in hand. Or is she about to learn that her heart is a great deal less practical than her head?


I *love* late bloomer romances.  Add in a family that excels at unremarkable thoughtlessness, understandable irritability with foibles and I am a happy reader.  Miss Fellingham's Rebellion fit my craving for a fun, sensitive read quite nicely.  The first paragraph of the sample snagged me and I didn't bother to read more just hit "purchase with 1 click."  I was not disappointed.

Swept Away by Vanessa Riley

Note:  Reviewed for Romance Reviews Magazine
My Experience:  C+
Synopsis:   Charlotte Downing, the Duchess of Charming, wants what she wants. Today, it's a fine pair of lacy slippers crafted by the renowned Ella's Establishment. To be picture perfect for her presentation to the queen, Charlotte will survive crashed ceilings and falling bricks. Yet, has she met her match in the conservative merchant, whose autumn-colored eyes make her pulse race, especially when he says no? 
Caught between the glittering world of the ton and the respectable profession of selling shoes, Edwin Cinder can't understand the lady's persistence or the fire lighting her blue eyes when she's challenged. With his lack of pedigree, there's no chance for this common God-fearing man to win her hand, but he'll risk all to save the duchess from the ravages of a London gale.

"Swept Away is a Regency retelling of Cinderella with a twist."

Overall, I believe many weary evening readers will enjoy this short fairy tale.  Swept Away follows the [by now] familiar pattern for inversion of gender stories.  We all know how hard authors work to make sure heroines are strong, independent, fully functioning beings with beauty unsurpassed.  That is, they don't *really* need anyone; therefore it takes a fairy tale, or incredible sexual prowess, to make everlasting love believable these days, snuggling with your stuffed bear and / or eating too many M&Ms is optional.

The Other Harlow Girl by Lynn Messina

Note:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
My Experience:  A
Synopsis:  A woman in the British Horticultural Society! The very idea horrifies everyone, including ardent horticulturalist Lavinia Harlow, whose own name has been put forth for membership by the provoking Marquess of Huntly. He does it as a joke, of course, to get back at her for an imagined slight—well, to be fair, she had insulted his writing—and Vinnie, older sister to the infamous Harlow Hoyden, is far too sensible to rise to his ridiculous challenge.

Determined to head off further scandal (her name has already been recorded in the betting book at Brooks's!), Vinnie dashes off a polite note refusing the honor—which she has every intention of sending. Really. Only she can't help but chafe at the way everyone keeps demanding that she decline at once, even the marquess. Oh, especially the marquess, whose perfection she finds intolerable. Who ever heard of a gentleman being so handsome and so intelligent and so well informed about foreign flora? Clearly, the man needs to be taken down a peg, and somehow, despite all twenty-four years of faultless propriety, Vinnie is just the hoyden to do it.

I enthusiastically recommend this book both as a follow up to The Harlow Hoyden and even as a stand alone.  You do not need to read the first to appreciate the second but you’ll want to.  Definitely a Keeper.

But first, I must confess....

Summer Break is Over

I enjoyed my relaxation and recreation ... did lots of nothing and napping and, darn it, working and now, it is back to routine.  Reviews to be posted next week ... stay tuned.

Devil in My Arms by Samantha Kane

My Experience:  A
Synopsis:  Even though she is starving and destitute, Eleanor Enderby’s quiet beauty strikes Sir Hilary St. John speechless. He expects the woman he’s searching for to be skittish and plain. Instead he finds the picture of bravery—and willfulness—in his quarry. She gives away little, but Hil can see something is terribly amiss. And though he cannot say exactly why, he is determined not to let her come to more harm than whatever it is she has already survived. 
Six months later, Eleanor believes she has finally found safety from the tyrant she risked her life to escape. Thought to be dead by society, Eleanor is ready to be reborn as someone new—someone whose life will never again be tied to the fate of one man. But her smoldering savior seems unwilling to leave her unprotected for an instant. Despite the threats he thinks he sees coming, the real dangers Eleanor faces in Hil’s arms are unmistakable: temptation, seduction, and maybe even love.

Third in a series, a review intrigued me and the sample pages hooked me, so of course, I'm reading these out of order.  I was easily able to follow the connections but as soon as budget allows, I'll read the other two for sure!

Silver by Kristen Lynch

Originally posted at Romance Reviews Magazine
Note:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  
My Experience:  A
Synopsis:  In 1867, news of the vast silver veins in the new Idaho Territory exploded and lured men the world over with promises of wealth and power, bringing those who were starry-eyed, silver-drunk, and desperate for more. But when miles of underground chambers were breached between two of the largest working mines, the results became deadly. 
Smart but naive, Miss Adelaide Johnston is in over her head in Silver City. 
Hundreds of feet below the peak of War Eagle Mountain, battle lines have been drawn and fingers from both sides are itching to pull triggers down in the depths of hell, where their war cries were kept hidden from the ears of Silver City. That is, until the town's pretty schoolteacher/news reporter gets wind of more than silver being mined; war is being waged and unless Miss Adelaide can temper the flames with her news-breaking column, Silver City's sheriff may be facing a raging bloodbath. 
Will the handsome Sheriff Forrester be able to stop the madness before all hell broke loose or will they be digging more than rocks out of the Owyhee Mountains? 
Based on the documented events of "The Owyhee War," Silver pulls back the pages of the Old West and reveals a hidden chapter of the mining boom, recounting a period when the frontier lay open for the taking and the mountains offered riches beyond compare – if you were willing to sell your soul.

I admit, I'm jaundiced about Westerns these days.  Too often they're more about re-writing history than they are about telling the story.  Ms. Lynch was all about the tale.  Silver is a delight to savor.  It's more fun when you read it out loud - tryit!