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The candlelight lent a soft-shadowed clarity to the musicians before him. He admired their satin jackets and their old-fashioned rolled wigs, their hands moving over bows and valves and strings in effortless harmony. Rhys didn’t know the piece they were performing, but it illumed his surroundings as much as the chandeliers did. It was light and loud and complex and simple and...blissful. He could lounge in the satinwood chair all night, hearing it.
It wasn’t particularly bothersome that he seemed to be the only member of the audience in attendance. He thought that perhaps this might be a final rehearsal, something of that sort. He was, Server+ Training after all, a lord; rules were bent all the time for the ton. And it wasn’t as if he didn’t appreciate the artistry, the splendor, of their work.
He leaned back, a half smile on his lips, tapping his fingers against the arm of his chair. The music thrilled on and on, and he thought he’d never been so content in his life.
Just then a movement to his right caught his eye. Rhys glanced over. A woman was taking her seat three chairs down, skirts and petticoats rustling.
Her attention was fixed upon the musicians, just as his had been. She was gentry at least, dressed in a frock of rose damask and cream ruffles to match the hall, a wrap of stiff white gauze framing her shoulders. Light pooled around her; her ringletted hair was very pale, her powdered skin was very pale; compared to the rest of the chamber she was alabaster and shimmer, actually a little too bright to behold. His eyes began to tear.
She opened her fan; he was dazzled by the flash of pink rubies on lace. She lifted it to her face and then turned her head, meeting his gaze from beneath kohled lashes.
He thought she might be beautiful. It was damned hard to tell, what with all the candlelight, but of course she was beautiful. On this stupendous night, in this soaringly exquisite place, how could she be anything but?
She murmured his name. He sat up straighter and offered her civil nod. She was young, and she was fair, and if she knew him the last thing he’d want to do was ignore her, because who knew what the night would bring after the music ended
Her fan lowered. She studied him with eyes of velvety black.
“It’s not real,” she whispered. “You do know that. It’s not real. None of it.”
His mouth opened. He wanted to speak CISSP Training and could not; no sound emerged. His hands gripped the chair but that was all he could do. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe. For one long, horrible moment the entire world went dark. The music played on, but it was different now, it was sly and terrible and crept in tendrils through him, eating away at him like a cancer.
The woman stood. She turned to face him; the wrap slipped down her arms.
“Is this the best of you, then?” she asked in her cultured voice, cool and sensual, a blade of light surrounded by that darkness. “Is this the best I can expect of you? You lazy -bleep-. I’m not going to risk my neck helping you if you don’t even try.”He knew her. He realized it just then. Her name escaped him—he’d loved her once, and he knew her—
Rhys did not wake up. He could not evade those tendrils even now, not enough. He still couldn’t really move. He couldn’t see, or Turn.
But he did manage a single, heaving breath. And it didn’t taste like Soho, or London, or anything civilized. It tasted like cold, wormy dirt. It tasted like death.
And that, Rhys realized, was real.
His teeth were clenched. His jaw locked. His back and legs and entire body were a frozen spasm of rigid agony, and the symphony never ceased.
He tried to shut it out. He reached for the first clear image that flashed behind his lids—light; the bright and unforgiving face of—Maricara of the Zaharen was born an eighteenth century peasant but raised to be a princess. As the hidden leader of the drákon of the Carpathian Mountains, she represents all that is glimmering and elusive in her kind: polished strength, striking radiance...and a will to keep her dragon kin safe at all costs, even if it means she must protect them from herself.
Kimber, Earl of Chasen, is more new to his role as Alpha of the English drákon, but there's nothing elusive about him. He is powerfully, Cisco Training unmistakably male, and destined to rule his tribe. He's also been engaged to Maricara for years—although she doesn't know it
The dragons of Darkfrith believed themselves to be the last of their kind. The revelation of the other tribe's existence—even in far-flung Transylvania—is considered nothing but a threat to them and their way of life. This threat has to be contained, and Kim is willing do whatever he must to achieve that. Even bloodshed. Even war.
There could hardly be a pair of creatures less suited for marriage, much less diplomacy between these two separate, savagely beautiful groups of beings.
Yet Kim and Mari's destinies are about to collide in a very unexpected way. One hot summer night the princess slips into Darkfrith unannounced, bearing some extremely unwelcome news: the sanf inimicus, human hunters of the drákon, have revived their ancient sect, and are beginning to pick off the shapeshifters one by one.
No one is safe. And unless Kimber and Maricara decide to unite after all, it might mean the end of every dragon, in every place.. |
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The candlelight lent a soft-shadowed clarity to the musicians before him. He admired their satin jackets and their old-fashioned rolled wigs, their hands moving over bows and valves and strings in effortless harmony. Rhys didn’t know the piece they were performing, but it illumed his surroundings as much as the chandeliers did. It was light and loud and complex and simple and...blissful. He could lounge in the satinwood chair all night, hearing it.
It wasn’t particularly bothersome that he seemed to be the only member of the audience in attendance. He thought that perhaps this might be a final rehearsal, something of that sort. He was, Server+ Training after all, a lord; rules were bent all the time for the ton. And it wasn’t as if he didn’t appreciate the artistry, the splendor, of their work.
He leaned back, a half smile on his lips, tapping his fingers against the arm of his chair. The music thrilled on and on, and he thought he’d never been so content in his life.
Just then a movement to his right caught his eye. Rhys glanced over. A woman was taking her seat three chairs down, skirts and petticoats rustling.
Her attention was fixed upon the musicians, just as his had been. She was gentry at least, dressed in a frock of rose damask and cream ruffles to match the hall, a wrap of stiff white gauze framing her shoulders. Light pooled around her; her ringletted hair was very pale, her powdered skin was very pale; compared to the rest of the chamber she was alabaster and shimmer, actually a little too bright to behold. His eyes began to tear.
She opened her fan; he was dazzled by the flash of pink rubies on lace. She lifted it to her face and then turned her head, meeting his gaze from beneath kohled lashes.
He thought she might be beautiful. It was damned hard to tell, what with all the candlelight, but of course she was beautiful. On this stupendous night, in this soaringly exquisite place, how could she be anything but?
She murmured his name. He sat up straighter and offered her civil nod. She was young, and she was fair, and if she knew him the last thing he’d want to do was ignore her, because who knew what the night would bring after the music ended
Her fan lowered. She studied him with eyes of velvety black.
“It’s not real,” she whispered. “You do know that. It’s not real. None of it.”
His mouth opened. He wanted to speak CISSP Training and could not; no sound emerged. His hands gripped the chair but that was all he could do. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe. For one long, horrible moment the entire world went dark. The music played on, but it was different now, it was sly and terrible and crept in tendrils through him, eating away at him like a cancer.
The woman stood. She turned to face him; the wrap slipped down her arms.
“Is this the best of you, then?” she asked in her cultured voice, cool and sensual, a blade of light surrounded by that darkness. “Is this the best I can expect of you? You lazy -bleep-. I’m not going to risk my neck helping you if you don’t even try.”He knew her. He realized it just then. Her name escaped him—he’d loved her once, and he knew her—
Rhys did not wake up. He could not evade those tendrils even now, not enough. He still couldn’t really move. He couldn’t see, or Turn.
But he did manage a single, heaving breath. And it didn’t taste like Soho, or London, or anything civilized. It tasted like cold, wormy dirt. It tasted like death.
And that, Rhys realized, was real.
His teeth were clenched. His jaw locked. His back and legs and entire body were a frozen spasm of rigid agony, and the symphony never ceased.
He tried to shut it out. He reached for the first clear image that flashed behind his lids—light; the bright and unforgiving face of—Maricara of the Zaharen was born an eighteenth century peasant but raised to be a princess. As the hidden leader of the drákon of the Carpathian Mountains, she represents all that is glimmering and elusive in her kind: polished strength, striking radiance...and a will to keep her dragon kin safe at all costs, even if it means she must protect them from herself.
Kimber, Earl of Chasen, is more new to his role as Alpha of the English drákon, but there's nothing elusive about him. He is powerfully, Cisco Training unmistakably male, and destined to rule his tribe. He's also been engaged to Maricara for years—although she doesn't know it
The dragons of Darkfrith believed themselves to be the last of their kind. The revelation of the other tribe's existence—even in far-flung Transylvania—is considered nothing but a threat to them and their way of life. This threat has to be contained, and Kim is willing do whatever he must to achieve that. Even bloodshed. Even war.
There could hardly be a pair of creatures less suited for marriage, much less diplomacy between these two separate, savagely beautiful groups of beings.
Yet Kim and Mari's destinies are about to collide in a very unexpected way. One hot summer night the princess slips into Darkfrith unannounced, bearing some extremely unwelcome news: the sanf inimicus, human hunters of the drákon, have revived their ancient sect, and are beginning to pick off the shapeshifters one by one.
No one is safe. And unless Kimber and Maricara decide to unite after all, it might mean the end of every dragon, in every place.. |
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|
The lush green shire of Darkfrith, England hides a sparkling secret: a tribe of shapeshifting creatures who have the ability to Turn from human to smoke to dragon. Fierce, lovely, and dangerous, they've lived for centuries disguised as people, undetected by the human beings surrounding them. Until now.
The sanf inimicus, human dragon hunters, have found the shire. And now members of the tribe are going missing, one by one: a
Security+ Training little girl. A devoted fiancé. And the reckless, handsome youngest son of the Alpha of the drákon: Lord Rhys Langford.
Zoe Lane is only the village seamstress. Her intellect and ice-cold beauty has left her isolated even amid her own kind. Her final chance to fit in among the tribe was the promise of marriage to Hayden James, a loyal drákon scout sent out into the world to help battle the sanf.
When Hayden vanishes without word, Zoe at last lets loose the Gifts she's kept hidden from her clan: the power to Turn invisible. The ability to see ghosts in glass, to hear the voices of the dead. To read thoughts.
She's determined to find her fiancé and bring him home again if she can. But when she reaches glittering, simmering eighteenth century Paris, she discovers the ghost who haunts her every move isn't Hayden, but Rhys.
Her childhood love.
Rhys's world has gone gray and thin; he isn't even certain if he's alive or dead. His existence is focused solely around Zoe, the only spark A+ Training of color and true life left to him. Protecting her is going require all of his drákon skill—even as a ghost—because she's determined to strike a blow against the sanf they won't soon forget.
She's his last lifeline to the living world. And he's the one drákon who ever touched her heart.
Only together can they discover the true fate of their kind, and save them all from the traitor in their midst who would destroy them in a heartbeat.The lush green shire of Darkfrith, England hides a sparkling secret: a tribe of shapeshifting creatures who have the ability to Turn from human to smoke to dragon. Fierce, lovely, and dangerous, they've lived for centuries disguised as people, undetected by the human beings surrounding them. Until now.
The sanf inimicus, human dragon hunters, have found the shire. And now members of the tribe are going missing, one by one: a little girl. A devoted fiancé. And the reckless, handsome youngest son of the Alpha of the drákon: Lord Rhys Langford.
Zoe Lane is only the village seamstress. Her intellect and ice-cold beauty has left her isolated even amid her own kind. Her final chance to fit in among the tribe was the promise of marriage to Hayden James, a loyal drákon scout sent out into the world to help battle the sanf.
When Hayden vanishes without word, Zoe at last lets Network+ Training loose the Gifts she's kept hidden from her clan: the power to Turn invisible. The ability to see ghosts in glass, to hear the voices of the dead. To read thoughts.
She's determined to find her fiancé and bring him home again if she can. But when she reaches glittering, simmering eighteenth century Paris, she discovers the ghost who haunts her every move isn't Hayden, but Rhys.
Her childhood love.
Rhys's world has gone gray and thin; he isn't even certain if he's alive or dead. His existence is focused solely around Zoe, the only spark of color and true life left to him. Protecting her is going require all of his drákon skill—even as a ghost—because she's determined to strike a blow against the sanf they won't soon forget.
She's his last lifeline to the living world. And he's the one drákon who ever touched her heart.
Only together can they discover the true fate of their kind, and save them all from the traitor in their midst who would destroy them in a heartbeat. |
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You remember exactly where you were for all of the important moments in your life. Your first kiss. Your first Dove Bar. And your first Carla Kelly book. For me, it was April 2000. I was visiting my friend Mary, a dedicated romance reader, in Seattle. She offered me a copy of Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand. “I don’t read Regencies,” I said, rather condescendingly. “Try this one, I think you’ll like it,” she replied with a knowing smile.
Within the first chapter, I was hooked. This was not my mother’s Regency with its clichéd rakes and debutantes. Here were VCP Training
fascinating, realistic characters, some less than royal, many down on their luck, all of whom interacted and communicated intelligently. Within six months I had scoured the on-line market for tattered copies of Carla Kelly’s backlist, and was not disappointed with a single title. I still don’t read Regencies, but I make an exception whenever Ms. Kelly enlightens us with a new release. Not surprisingly, The Wedding Journey is a wonderful new entry from this unique author.
Our hero, Jesse Randall, is a Captain in Wellington’s army and an assistant surgeon in Marching Hospital Number Eight, stationed somewhere in Spain. A skilled physician but cursed with a shy disposition, Jesse has been in love with Elinore “Nell” Mason for several years. Nell, the daughter of ne’er-do-well Captain Bertie Mason, helps pay off her father’s debts by assisting with menial hospital duties. Afraid to admit his true feelings, Jesse admires Nell from afar, until a crisis forces his hand. Nell’s mother passes away, and the young woman attracts the unwelcome attention of a lecherous Major who informs Bertie that he will take Nell under his protection in exchange for canceling the Project Management Professional Training man’s numerous debts. Displaying a boldness he never knew he had, Jesse offers to marry Nell before Major Bones can get his hands on her. With his nefarious plan thwarted, Bones takes revenge during a planned retreat by leaving behind the entire Hospital - staff and patients alike.
Now Jesse, his Chief Surgeon, Nell, and a motley pair of Privates are stuck in Spain with the French advancing towards them and the Spanish citizens distrustful allies at best. Can he lead Hospital Number Eight to safety in Portugal? And will he ever be a real husband to Nell, who thinks he has married her out of pity?
The novel’s title is ironic, in that a wedding journey implies a carefree lark. Unfortunately, Jesse and Nell face a much more difficult road. The story is fairly grim, with a significant amount of ugliness and death for a Regency. But this somber setting provides the backdrop for a remarkable display of character, as Jesse, the timid surgeon, comes into his own and displays increasing amounts of courage, cunning and leadership. His charming habit of having internal conversations with Hippocrates, his devotion to his profession and his love for Nell mark him as a true hero who deserves his happily-ever-after.
While much of the book’s point of view is seen through Jesse’s eyes, Kelly occasionally shows Nell’s side of the story. This is the novel’s only weakness. Although the reader admires Nell’s quiet dignity and courage, she lacks the sparkle that animated so many of Kelly’s earlier heroines, notably Lydia Perkins from With This Ring and my favorite, Roxana Drew. She’s not exactly a placeholder heroine, but at times she comes dangerously close. Other secondary characters, especially the two rapscallion Privates who accompany Jesse and prove that right and wrong are not always black and white, stand out with greater distinction.
You can’t fault the love story between Jesse and Nell. With such intense external peril, there is no need for much internal conflict or misunderstanding. As Jesse opens up, he proves to be the hero Nell needed but never realized was close at hand for so many years. As Nell settles into marriage she proves to be everything Jesse had dreamed of and more. Theirs is a sweet romance with a bit more sizzle than the usual Regency because, after all, they are PMI Training married.
Although the novel is not at all light-hearted, there are flashes of humor that prevent it from becoming morbid. Jesse’s unquenchable spirit and dedication to healing even his enemies give the story an inspirational feeling without being preachy or overtly religious.
While I enjoyed last year’s One Good Turn, it was more of a sequel to the earlier Libby’s London Merchant than a stand-alone book, so I consider The Wedding Journey the first entirely new Kelly I have encountered since I was introduced to her almost three years ago. I owe a great debt to my friend Mary for presenting me with a writer of such rare magnitude, and of course an even greater one to Ms. Kelly for producing intelligent books about admirable characters facing complex situations. Go ahead and pick up this small but powerful novel, even if you’re not a Regency fan. You can’t get a better bargain for your five dollars, and you might just find yourself a convert as well. |
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I have to be completely honest and admit that I sometimes wish Carla Kelly didn't write Regency romances. Not because they're not wonderful, but because they are. But I know firsthand, after spending the last eight years working in a bookstore, that there are people that don't read Regencies because they think they want a full-length historical. What With This Ring does in just 240 pages is a delightful treat for any reader. (We'll just have to convince all those unbelievers!)
Major Sam Reed, recovering from a nasty saber wound, was not required to remain with his common soldiers in a drafty Storage Networking Training London church. But as an officer and a gentleman, he could do no less. And, as it happens, Sam is in no real hurry to return to his estate – at least not without the wife his family thinks he's had for years. His faithful lieutenant has been authoring imaginary letters to Sam's family in the guise of his non-existent wife, and his family is expecting him to return home with that beautiful, brave, loyal wife. (Oh, and a baby, too.)
Lydia Perkins' family situation is dreadful: a spineless father, an abusive mother, and a spoiled, beautiful younger sister who treats Lydia as her personal maid. Lydia can only dream of happiness, but with no dowry and a rather ordinary face, her prospects seem rather bleak although Lydia has always managed to keep her wonderful dry sense of humor.
Lydia's life changes the day her mother forces her to accompany her sister to that drafty church, in the hope that her sister will meet some duke or earl. Observing the injured soldiers has become the 'in' thing for the ton to do in London, rather like visiting the animals in the zoo. Just observing -- certainly not helping them -- in fact, Lydia's sister is instructed by their mother to just walk by with a sympathetic look on her face!
But Lydia's kind heart is touched by the poor conditions and the brave and dying men. In her first-ever act of defiance (with the help of Sam Reed and his general), she challenges her mother and returns to help care for the soldiers.
And so you have the scenario: Sam desperately needs a wife and Lydia desperately needs to escape her family. But if you've never read a Carla Kelly book, I should warn you that her plots are never really that simple and her characters never stereotypical.
I can't remember the last book I read with two such wonderful, delightful, human characters. Lydia matures right before the reader's eyes from an abused, retiring, nondescript doormouse into a strong, confident, self-reliant woman in believable stages. And Sam, courageous and compassionate, but occasionally grumpy, is never quite as brave as he thinks he should be.
I have to admit that as the ending approached I became a little worried that Kelly was going with a cliched easy ending. But I should have known better. The ending, like the book , was just about perfect.
So please, please read this Regency and help me pass the word: Carla Kelly's Regency romances are for everyone. Carla Kelly hands her legion of fans a wonderful early holiday present with One Good Turn. Though it’s been several years since her last release, Kelly’s trademark depth of characterization and witty prose are as sharp as ever. And there’s a depth of VPN and Security Training emotion in this story that will leave you reaching for a tissue.
Benedict Nesbitt, Duke of Knaresborough and runner-up to the hero slot in Libby’s London Merchant, is pondering his lonely existence. He’s still in love with Libby, though she’s happily married to his good friend and expecting her first child. Nez hasn’t an understanding ear to turn to, either. His sister Augusta is a shallow, self-absorbed twit. His loyal butler, Luster, is the closest thing he has to a confidant. When an outbreak of chicken pox throws his sister’s home into an uproar, Nez decides to take his eight-year-old niece, Sophie, and head for his country estate. Augusta will join him shortly.
Unfortunately, Sophie succumbs to the inevitable and breaks out in red spots halfway into the journey. Nez is beside himself. He must get her to an inn and find some help, someone who knows about caring for a sick child. When he reluctantly picks up a young woman and a small boy walking along the road in the rain, Nez’s first thought is to simply drop them at the inn and let them take their chances. But Liria Valencia has a magical, motherly touch with sick little Sophie, and besides, Luster is falling ill as well. Nez offers Liria a sum of money if she will stay at the inn and help care for the two invalids until they are well enough to travel.
Liria is happy to agree. She’s nearly at the end of her rope, and the possibility of a mill job in Huddersfield holds little appeal. Liria is a veteran of the war in Spain, and her unhappy circumstances are revealed little by little. I won’t spoil it; suffice it to say that Liria Valencia is much more than she appears, and her proud Spanish heritage has enabled her to surmount a most horrifying brutality with her spirit intact. Now her life’s purpose is to care for her little boy, Juan.
Nez feels a deep empathy with this proud Spaniard, and on impulse, takes her along to his country home where he announces to his enraged sister that Liria is the housekeeper. The story takes on a slightly comic tone as Nez halfheartedly courts a neighbor he’s known all his life, while gradually realizing it’s Liria he loves. The climax is very nearly heartbreaking.
Kelly’s clever prose is a hallmark of her writing, and it’s here in spades. Her style is such that a reader can breeze along, engrossed in the plot, and then be brought up short by a small phrase which reveals a great deal. Take this example, early on, when the hapless Nez observes Liria caring for Sophie:
I am in the presence of female competence, he marveled. God bless the ladies.
Nez has many such epiphanies during the course of this book, as he slowly re-awakens from his emotional tomb. He’s a multifaceted Wireless LAN Training character, and not all the facets are particularly admirable, but when the chips are down he’s a decent and kindhearted man. Call him complex. As for Liria, less time is spent in her point of view, but it’s enough to establish her as an optimist at heart. Life has not been kind to her, but she’s determined to focus on the good things that have come her way, namely her little boy, and not dwell on things she cannot change. Liria’s quiet stoicism shakes Nez out of his self-pity, and once he figures out her past, his sense of shame is nearly overwhelming as he realizes his possible part in her trauma.
The lightning-fast turnaround of Augusta from spoiled shrew to understanding sister didn’t work well for me, and neither did the scene accompanying it. Later Nez makes a promise to Liria that it seems he’s already broken. I couldn’t quite figure that out
The ending is guaranteed to bring a lump to your throat. When Nez and Liria break down the final walls and confront the past, have tissues handy. It’s a masterful piece of writing.
One Good Turn is exactly that, and Regency readers will be overjoyed that the grandmistress of the genre is back. Let’s hope she’s planning to gift us with more of her work! |
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The Grand Hotel is an anthology of stories set in Regency-era England that features a more unifying theme than most anthologies. The Grand Hotel is a new luxury hotel in London, and the five stories written by well-known Signet regency authors involve the hotel staff and guests. In contrast to the pattern of most anthologies, The Grand Hotel uses continuing characters and events throughout which give it a broader scope than is possible with completely unrelated stories.
The first story by Carla Kelly, “The Background Man,” is the best of the five. Charles Mortimer is the temporary hotel manager, substituting for the regular manager who’s recuperating from an attack Proctored Exams for Validating Knowledge Training of gout. He served in India as a clerk with the East India Company but was drawn into battle at Kaitna Ford where he encountered Arthur Wellesley who was to become the Duke of Wellington. He is efficient, diplomatic, and self-effacing. His only activity aside from hotel business is writing a chronicle, Wellington in India.
Miss Millicent Carrington registers at the hotel; she has come to London to seek employment as a governess. Charles is immediately taken with her, and when she has to cut short her stay because she no longer has the funds to pay for her lodgings, Charles finds a way to circumvent hotel procedures and offers her a temporary position with the hotel. Will he be able to transform this into a more permanent relationship?
What’s so wonderful about Carla Kelly’s stories is her characters. They’re so well-drawn by the end it’s as though you’ve come to know a friend. Her heroes are particularly appealing. They’re honest, dependable, and always possess a welcome sense of humor. It’s no wonder Millie falls in love with Charles -- who wouldn’t?
The next story takes up where “The Background Man” ended. “Love Will Find a Way” by Elizabeth Fairchild is the story of a love that began through correspondence. Lieutenant James Forrester had written the letters to Annabelle Grant for his wounded, blinded superior officer, Captain Archie Grant, during his final days. James fell in love with Annabelle through her letters.
James meets the now-widowed Annabelle at the Grand Hotel determined to arrange opportunities for them to be together. Annabelle wants to learn about Archie’s last days. Is she ready to move on with her life? Is there enough time for James to win her love?
This story is in direct contrast to the first. The over-all mood of the story is sad with little relief. While the two main characters are sweet and deserve a chance at love, I can’t help but worry that memories of Archie will inevitably shadow their relationship.
“The Castaway” by Anne Barbour tells the story of Martha Finch who has come to London and the Grand Hotel to claim she is Lady Felicity Marshall, the long-lost granddaughter of the Marquess of Canby, miraculously rescued from a shipwreck. Gabriel Storm, the Earl of Branford, is determined to protect his elderly friend from an imposter. His investigation will reveal secrets she had hoped to remain hidden and lead to a surprise twist unknown to them both.
I’ve never been very comfortable with the lost heir story line. It’s hard to gather much sympathy for a character that’s trying to pull a con on some lonely old man. In addition, the romance between Martha and Branford is unconvincing; I liked him better when he was skeptical.
“The Management Requests” by Barbara Metzger is the most amusing story in the anthology and has a delightful framing device that adds to the fun. The story is divided into sections headed by recommended rules of behavior for guests, such as “No spitting, fisticuffs, or rowdy behavior.” And each rule is violated in the action that follows.
Captain Arthur Hunter, Viscount Huntingdon, has come to the Grand Hotel to oversee arrangements for an Austrian princess and her entourage. Because of wounds received in the war, he is unable to maneuver the stairs to reach his fifth-floor rooms and prevails upon the manager to vacate his ground floor rooms.
When Hope Thurstfield arrives at the hotel in search of her missing fiancé, she mistakes Arthur for the hotel manager. Her room reservation has been given to the princess’s party, but he arranges for her to be given his original room assignment. Arthur’s abilities are stretched to the limit as he tries to juggle the demands of his pushy sister-in-law, the domineering Princess Henrika Hafkesprinke, his pretend role as hotel manager, and his growing affection for Hope.
The only story of the five that could be described as a regency romp, it is simply a delight to read. There is a touch of farce in the complications that arise from the Big Misunderstanding, and the writing is witty.
“Promises to Keep” by Allison Lane is the last -- and least--of the stories. Maggie Adams from Pittsburgh has promised her dying father that she will seek out her English relatives. She meets Marcus Widmer, recently resigned from the diplomatic service, at the hotel, and they discover they are related. They will uncover an old scandal and family secrets that will threaten her life.
For its length, this story is overcrowded with characters. It is difficult to follow who’s doing what to whom and why with so many convoluted relationship to unravel. Inevitably, the romance is relegated to second place. Maggie is a plucky heroine, but she can’t save the story on her own.
I predict that The Grand Hotel will be a welcome addition to countless beach bags and airline totes. The five stories are of varying quality with the ones by Ms. Kelly and Ms. Metzger better than the others, but none is really awful -- an all-too-common problem with romance anthologies. I Sales Expert Training do wish there had been a sixth story that wrapped up some loose ends concerning minor characters, but nevertheless this is a well-conceived and well-executed anthology. I definitely recommend it. Among romance writers, Carla Kelly has few equals. Now that Mary Balogh, Edith Layton, Mary Jo Putney and Joan Wolf are no longer writing "short" Regencies, in this sphere no one else even comes close. That's why the publication of a new Carla Kelly Regency is such an anticipated event among her legions of fans. That includes me.
What do I love about Carla Kelly's Regencies?
I love her heroes and heroines.
They're people of innate goodness which distinguishes them from most of the other characters. They may have wretched beginnings like David Wiggins in The Lady's Companion or experienced some terrible disaster as Emma Costello in Reforming Lord Ragsdale or facing a personal crisis of horrible dimensions as Roxanna Drew in Mrs. Drew Plays her Hand, but whatever the challenges they may face, they face them with courage and compassion.
The admirable characters of her heroes and heroines are clearly delineated, and each of them recognizes the essential nature of the other even if no one else can. Ms. Kelly achieves this even in her short stories.
In "Something New" Major Redpath denounces those who consider a little girl an embarrassment. "It reflects on no one but hypocrites," he declared roundly, "people who are happy enough to have us keep them safe from Napoleon, but who have no charity for the weakest among us, the children of war, whatever side."
In "Make a Joyful Noise," Rosie Wetherby tells Lord Chard, "What you also are is humble, and I think it must be so rare that no one recognizes it."
I love her humor.
I love the way even the darkiest of Kelly's stories are illuminated by flashes of wit. The irrepressibly cheery Hannah Whittier in Miss Whittier Makes a List (my personal favorite!) takes on the entire British military even to the extent of telling Lord Wellington that he wouldn't get so many holes in his socks if he trimmed his toenails. When Lord Ragsdale is on his way to ask for Clarissa's hand in marriage, he is dismayed that a tidal wave hasn't roared in and floated them out to sea before they could arrive at the Partridge home. The newlywed David Wiggins tries to get in a little lovemaking during his busiest season of the year saying, "I'll have you know that old Lord Bushnell himself once complimented me on my organizational skills. Don't just stand there laughing at me, Suzie. Take off something!"
Ms. Kelly's wonderful characters are present in Miss Milton, but this is her saddest, darkest story yet with very little of her unique humor.
Jane Milton is the ultimate Poor Relation. Rescued from the workhouse at a young age, she resides in the home of her elderly cousin, Lord Denby, whose infirmities provide him with an excuse to retreat to his bed whenever his sister Lady Carruthers is around. Jane was first sent to the kitchen to labor as a scullery maid by Lady Carruthers, but even though Lord Denby meant for her to live abovestairs, her position is scarcely any better there. She is downtrodden and over-burdened with the weight of menial duties assigned to her, and she is the frequent target of Lady Carruther's verbal abuse.
Twelve years earlier Andrew, the son of Lord Denby's son and heir Blair, was placed in her arms shortly after his birth, and Jane loved him instantly. When his mother died soon after in an accident and his father frequently absented himself from home, Jane (whom he calls Miss Mitten) became his only loving relation. She became his substitute mother as well as his governess. Now Blair has been dead six months of a wound received at Waterloo after a gruesome lingering illness. Jane, nearly thirty years of age, is still suffering emotionally from the circumstances surrounding his death.
Her only friend is a neighbor, Mr. Scipio Africanus Butterworth, who, despite his humble origins, has become a successful mill owner with progressive ideas that shock the established upper class. Lady Carruthers scorns him for his common birth.
Lord Denby has written a book of essays concerning ethical conduct among the military. Jane and Stanton, the butler, decide that they should hold a reunion of Lord Denby's fellow military officers who were comrades in battle against that ragtag bunch of colonials in the American Colonies in the previous century, and Jane enlists Mr. Butterworth's assistance in issuing the invitations.
Rumors have persisted that Andrew's mother's death was a result of her feeling of guilt over Andrew's not being Blair's actual son. Jane has tried to protect Andrew from the cruel rumors, but in light of his aunt's vicious nature (she's trying to advance her son Cecil as Denby's heir) and even the vicar's acquiescence, Andrew feels animosity from most of the neighborhood residents.
Over Jane's objections, Lord Denby and Lady Carruthers insist that Andrew attend the vicar's Latin school in preparation for being sent away to school. After Andrew suffers one day of verbal persecution from the other boys, Jane turns to Mr. Butterworth to instruct him in Latin. Mr. Butterworth is fond of Andrew and willing to help, but he advises Jane that she stand up for herself.
Lady Carruthers arrives with her son Cecil, a Specialist Training worthless fribble if there ever was one. (Incidentally, I have serious doubts about the possibility that Cecil could inherit Lord Denby's title and any entailed estates through his mother.) For the first time Jane confronts Lady Carruthers who doesn't even recognize her sarcasm.
Mr. Butterworth invites Jane and Andrew to spend Christmas with his sister and her family at his home in another city. Lord Denby orders her to decline, but with Stanton's assistance and the connivance of the local doctor, Cecil and his mother are restricted to his sickroom, and Jane and Andrew escape. The courtesy and congenial treatment they receive from Mr. Butterworth's family is in sharp contrast to what they've known at home. It's during their visit that the depth of Jane's sorrow is explored. But eventually calamity occurs at home, and a letter from Stanton as well as the upcoming reunion pulls them back into their previous situation.
What makes Jane a more pitiful character than other of Ms. Kelly's heroines is that she has suffered emotional deprivation for nearly all her life. She has the inherent goodness of other Kelly heroines but not their spirit. Impoverished origins and a barren present existence have stripped her of any self-confidence and defenses against the cruel treatment by her cousins. Sadly, she believes herself unloved by all except Andrew. In fact, she is loved by two men, but they have not taken the needed steps or spoken the words to show it.
Mr. Butterworth is a complex hero whose humble origins have affected his ability to respond to Jane. He's unable to ignore the differences between them and focus on their mutual needs. His nobility of character makes him the moral superior to many members of a higher social class. But why does it take him so long to help Jane?
Stanton is the most unbutled butler ever to grace a Regency. Virtually the only humorous episode in the entire book concerns how Jane and Stanton manage to outwit Lady Carruthers and Cecil. Stanton's butlerish inscrutability becomes thinner and thinner as he conspires against family members to ease Jane's burdens. Nevertheless, for nearly twenty years Stanton has kept his distance, and Jane has felt isolated in the household.
As you can probably tell, I was disappointed by Miss Milton because it wasn't the story I had been anticipating. My favorite Kelly books aren't going to have to jockey for position to make way for this newcomer. A reviewer, however, doesn't rate a book against the others by the same author but on its own merits among all others within the genre. On that basis, Miss Milton clearly deserves a five-heart rating.
Let me illustrate. Imagine for a moment that you're walking into a room. You're dressed to kill. Slinky black dress, strappy high heels, a discreet display of diamonds. You sail through the door gracefully, elegantly. The room is redolent with luxurious atmosphere and exotic ambience.
Now imagine that you're walking into a room. You're dressed to kill etc. etc. Then you trip on the threshold and land on your nose. Is the room any different? Nope. You blew the grand entrance, but it's still the same room.
So here I am rubbing my bruised nose, but I'm still in the Carla Kelly room. And it's decorated in hearts. All in clusters of five.
I whole-heartedly recommend Miss Milton, but I warn you not to expect it to parallel her previous books. Do expect it to be a moving and engrossing story you won't soon forget. |
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Callaway “Cally” Wilde seems to have it all. She’s young, beautiful, and filthy rich. She has a butler and lives in a huge house with a glorious view. Dig a little deeper and Cally has a seriously dysfunctional family, a hefty amount of emotional baggage, is incredibly lonely – oh and someone is trying to kill her.
After leaving a business meeting, Cally finds herself shooting a crack addict in self-defense. It seems like a run of the mill CRMAM Training robbery attempt, until another incident leads the handsome police detective on the case to believe that someone is out to silence her – probably for her money. Since Cally was the sole beneficiary named in her late father’s will, and numerous claims have been brought forward over the last two years – it appears that one of her nearest and dearest doesn’t exactly wish her well. The question is – who?
I’ve taken to calling certain types of noir/crime/suspense fiction “macho guy books.” You know, books featuring slightly surly heroes who drive fast cars, sleep with fast women and get beat up a lot. Well Loaded struck this reviewer as a “macho guy book” written for women. Shattuck easily portrays the seedy and glitzy sides of Los Angeles, and she gives her heroine plenty of rough edges to work with.
Cally has issues. She has kept everyone in her life at arm’s length for a variety of reasons. She was devoted to her father, and when he died that left her with a mother nicknamed Attila The Mum, a half-brother who loathes her, a needy sister-in-law, and a stepfather who likes her well enough but is married to the aforementioned Attila. As for personal relationships, once she inherited the money, Cally didn’t know what exactly men were after – so she kept things strictly sexual. She’s a hard girl to get a handle on, and while the first person narration helps, it took some time for this reader to really crawl under her skin.
While my uncertainty about Cally held me back for a little while, Shattuck has such an engaging first person narration style, that it’s hard not to get sucked into the story. The suspense angle is also well done – as while it’s apparent early on that a member of her family is somehow involved, the author literally kept me guessing to the end. There are more red herrings floating around in the last one hundred pages than at a mystery writers’ conference.
The secondary players are also well fleshed out. Most notable is Detective Evan Paley who is working Cally’s case – and in most instances Cally herself. There’s enough sexual tension between these two to heat Cally’s expansive home, with some wattage left over to take care of the swimming pool. He’s smart, sexy and best of all – he’s got her pegged from the moment IP Communications Training they meet. The dysfunctional family, the female butler, the best friend stuntwoman, and a slimy lawyer round out the colorful cast.
However the best parts of this story are often the little added touches that swim below the surface. Cally literally changes over the course of this story, as while she is closed off emotionally in the beginning, she’s more open at the close of the last chapter. There are also a handful of references to drug addiction – as Cally is a recovering cocaine addict – that painted vivid images in my mind with only a mere sentence or two.
Loaded marks the first entry in the Callaway Wilde series. Shattuck is also an actress, and if book one is any indication her day job may have to take a back seat to a promising new career as a writer. I didn’t want to stop reading and it kept me guessing – two surefire criteria I use when deciding between “good” and “bad” suspense novels. Loaded is good, and more importantly, it’s different. Readers looking for female characters with some hard edges will want to hop on at the ground floor. You may have to work a little harder than usual to find a copy of Carla Kelly’s collection of historical short stories; it’s published by a university press and not readily available in bookstores. But rest assured your efforts will not be in vain. Kelly’s stellar writing skills are enhanced by her expertise in 19th century American history, gained in part from her job as a Fort Laramie Park ranger and living history demonstrator. The resulting collection includes several short masterpieces that make a surprisingly strong impression despite their brief length.
The nine stories take place in and around various army postings in the West and Southwest during the late 1800s. Some are pure fun, a few are unabashedly romantic and several, especially the concluding story, are full of adventure and derring-do. The one item they have in common is the celebration of that era’s women, largely unsung in history, who braved the elements, toiled stoically and raised their children single-handedly while the men served their country.
Several of the stories in the collection stand out, although all nine are enjoyable. “Kathleen Flaherty’s Long Winter” is reminiscent of Kelly’s The Wedding Journey. A young widow, left destitute when her soldier husband dies suddenly, enters into a marriage of convenience with a quiet Swedish sergeant to avoid the dishonorable advances of the fort’s captain. After her boisterous Irish husband, the taciturn Gunnar Oleson is an enigma to the heroine, but the generous gesture he makes to show his true feelings after Kathleen has reached the end of her endurance is heart-rendering. In “The Gift,” a lonely captain haunted by Network Management Training his Civil War memories makes an effort to give the woman he loves a unique Christmas gift, but the present she receives is not the one he intended to bestow. “Mary Murphy” is a short, haunting tale of the company laundress, a woman forgotten and scorned by almost all, whose quiet strength renders her unforgettable to the story’s narrator. And the book’s finale, “Jesse MacGregor,” manages to be funny, horrifying, gory, romantic and inspiring all at the same time as an army surgeon noted primarily for his practical jokes demonstrates bravery and leadership during an Apache raid.
Several themes run through the stories. Women were scarce in frontier army settings; many soldiers left their wives back East to spare them the hardships. The women who did venture West found harsh weather and long stretches of loneliness while their husbands were sent on off-base assignments. The true dangers were from isolation, tediousness and difficult living conditions, not attack from Indian “hostiles.”
Another surprising issue was the lasting effect of the Civil War. Of course nobody was talking about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in 1880, but some of the book’s former soldiers appeared to be suffering from PTSD symptoms. Staying in the army was probably preferable to assimilating back into a society in which they no longer felt comfortable.
Throughout the stories, Kelly’s economic but heartfelt prose gives life to the characters, even if you spend only 10 pages with some of them. Kelly shows you the real people behind the history, yet the nobility of these everyday heroes is inspiring. If you are at all a Carla Kelly fan or a scholar of American history, you owe it to yourself to track down Here’s to the Ladies. Its stories made me proud to be an American – and a human being. |
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The plot of the sixth Harry Potter book has been a well kept secret. Even those in Canada who were sold early copies were ordered by a court injunction not to reveal anything. Now the speculation has already begun for the seventh book.
The war against Lord Voldemort (a.k.a. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) is not going well. The Muggle world is even being affected. Lord Voldemort’s activities are showing up as mysterious occurrences that Muggles can’t explain. The entire wizarding world is taking precautions. The Ministry has tightened security all over, especially at Hogwarts.
As Harry Potter starts his sixth year at Hogwarts, CCNA Wireless Training rumors of him being the “Chosen One” abound. But Lord Voldemort isn’t Harry’s only worry, after all he still has classes and tests. With their O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) exams complete, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are now in N.E.W.T. (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test) classes.
Like every year there is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. After years of trying, Professor Snape has finally gotten the position. In Potions Harry’s book was previously owned by the Half-Blood Prince, who wrote suggestions and hints inside. Harry’s been using these hints and acing Potions, much to Hermione’s dismay. Who is the Half-Blood Prince? Should Harry use the suggestions of an unknown person
In addition to his classes, Harry’s getting private lessons with Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. The goal of these lessons being to prepare Harry for his final battle with Lord Voldemort. The lessons involve learning more about Tom Marvolo Riddle’s (Lord Voldemort’s real name) past.
Harry, Ron and Hermione are another year older. Like typical sixteen-year-olds, they are in the midst of teenage hormone hell. Crushes, relationships, and jealousy affect the tight trio. Hagrid is still the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, but this time without his three favorite students in attendance. The Weasley twins’ magic joke shop is a huge success with all kinds of funny tricks (like a punching telescope).
Readers learn more about Lord Voldemort than ever before. Lord Voldemort’s family history, his life as child, and his death-eaters are revealed. As are Voldemort’s Horcruxes, items with pieces of his soul, like the book from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. How many horcruxes are there? And where are they?
While it was highly engrossing, this book didn’t quite live up to the action of previous books. Typically, there is one great mystery to solve amongst all the other activities of school. The mystery of who is CCSP Training the Half-Blood Prince took a back seat to the rest of the story. The focus of this book seemed to be the characters and setting the stage for the seventh book.
J.K. Rowling’s writing and creativity make up for the lack of action. In every book her creativity continues to impress. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an entertaining read that all Harry Potter fans will enjoy. Josephine and the Soldier is the sequel to Beverly Jenkins’ Belle and the Beau. It is part of Avon’s True Romance line. The imprint, launched last spring features historical romances for readers 12-18.
Josephine and the Soldier returns to Whittaker, Michigan in 1864. Much has changed in the five years since the events of Belle and the Beau. Belle Palmer and Daniel Best have married. Daniel, his father and father-in-law are part of the colored troops fighting “Mr. Lincoln’s war.”
The women of the Best household, use their skills to earn money while the men are away. Belle works as a seamstress in the area. “Jojo” Best, the pesky little sister of the earlier novel has evolved into Miss Josephine Best. She has completed her studies at Oberlin. She has continued her interest in hairdressing and has established a local shop. Her loyal clientele is growing.
Like other women of Whittaker, the Bests also are doing their part to support the war effort. They are part of the Free Produce Movement and boycott all goods made by slave labor. Mrs. Best is a much sought after speaker for abolitionist causes. And, like their neighbors, they offer support to wounded soldiers and veterans. They read and write letters to and from loved ones. They entertain the men by playing musical instruments and reciting poetry. They also offer smiles and listening ears.
It is during the weekly after-church visits to the soldiers that Josephine catches the eye of George Brooks. He begins to pursue her and she is flattered by the attention. Later, Adam Morgan, a family friend, returns wounded from the war. He, too, is attracted to Josephine. He is also conflicted by his ongoing relationship with the Best family as Daniel’s best friend and his feeling for the new JoJo. Josephine, who has had no time for courting, finds herself with two willing suitors. Whom will she choose?
Older romance readers may find the plot and relationship between the two main characters enjoyable, if not somewhat predictable. After all, this is not a full-bodied Beverly Jenkins’ adult romance. “Less experienced” readers in the target age group are more likely to embrace the novel’s development as fresh and free of the dark drama that often accompanies contemporary CCVP Training young adult fiction.
Like Belle and the Beau, this Jenkins romance will appeal to younger readers for whom a spoon full of sugar still helps the history go down. The book provides a painless opportunity for readers to compare and contrast the 19th and 21st century. The ideals and actions of some of the African-Americans characters presented here during the 1860s and the Civil War mirror those that re-emerged during the 1960s and the Vietnam War and gave rise to the Afrocentric celebration of Kwanzaa. Beverly Jenkins’ sweet historical romance provides a backdrop for discussions about unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, creativity, faith and purpose. At its core Josephine and the Soldier is a tale of the value of community, friendship, education and virtue. However, the author’s light narrative is never text-bookish or preachy. Unfortunately, the bibliography of sources for further reading - a staple of Beverly Jenkins’ work - is missing from this book. It’s a glaring oversight that will lessen the total reading experience for those new to the author’s romances.
For young and older readers, the story helps dispel many misconceptions about the African-American life during the 19th century and about role Blacks played in the abolitionist movement and in the Civil War. The roles and attitudes of African-American women during this period are also deftly examined. Josephine and her brother both studied at Oberlin College. (The Ohio institution was an important part of the abolitionist movement and was the first U.S. college to admit women and African-Americans.) |
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