Books

The Convenient Marriage

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By Georgette Heyer

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When I started my reread on Audible of this old favorite, (one of the few Georgette Heyers I have an actual visual memory of myself opening it for the first time) I was reminded that it is not a favorite of many Heyer devotees whose opinions I not only respect, but usually agree with. With this in mind, I decided I would try to understand that opinion, which seems to mostly stem from a dislike and disapproval of Horatia (Horry) Winwood, our heroine. Besides that, many object to the age gap between Horry and Lord Rule (17 v. 35), her husband, and the fact that he has a few assignations with his mistress, after they are married, before he cuts ties with her.

The story opens with the happy news that the impoverished Winwood family is about to be rescued from, if not ruin, then very much financial discomfort. The very very wealthy Marcus Drelincourt, the Earl of Rule, has offered for the beauty of the family, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, “Lizzy” is in love with Edward, a lowly-by-comparison lieutenant in the Army and younger son she has known all her life. Its in the late 1770s and he is just back from fighting the war in America. Horatia, the youngest of the three Winwood girls, is not about to see her beloved sister marry against her wishes even to save the family. But saved the family must be. In a classic and favorite Heyer scene, She goes to Rule and offers herself up as a substitute. Rule was about to offer for Elizabeth due to her beauty, docility, and suitability. He is 35, his sister has been on his case, and she’s right, it’s time for an heir. That’s all. But when he is ambushed by the unconventional Horry, he sees something special in her. She certainly does not act like a typical demure schoolroom miss. She is straightforward, audacious, and obviously good-hearted. He is amused and rather captivated, especially when in the interest of fair play, she starts to point out her own flaws compared with the divine “Lizzie.” Maybe it would be good not to be bored all of the time. Yes, she is very young and society will be, if not scandalized, at least taken aback. But Rule goes his own way, and he accepts her proposal. His sister is frustrated by his whim, but when she meets Horry, she approves. She loves her brother and realizes that this girl has the potential to touch his formerly untouchable heart.

Miss Horatia, the youngest of the three, had nothing to declare her lineage except her nose. Her hair was dark, her eyes a profound grey, and her brows, nearly black and rather thick were quite straight, and gave her a serious, almost frowning expression. No amount of careful training would induce an arch in them.

After the newlyweds return to London, Horry unexpectedly becomes the rage. She goes about thoroughly enjoying her new found status as a darling of The Ton, rather than the underappreciated and troublesome “other” Winwood. She is no longer the outsider in unfashionable clothes, not very promising looks, and an unconventional manner. She revels in the freedom afforded by not having to worry about money and spends accordingly. And she unfortunately appears to have inherited the Winwood “Fatal Tendency” for a predilection for gambling like her brother Pelham. I think part of this behavior, that many readers don’t like, including me TBH, is a desire to just fit in. And she is carried away by her own unlikely success. Not surprisingly, Rule knows how to handle Horry, and Horry likes and respects Rule. If fact, she is well on her way to falling in love with him, and he with her. But danger looms. There are three people, including Lord Rule’s ex-mistress, who do not have the best interests of him or his young wife at heart. There are plots.

I understand those who prefer Georgette Heyer’s more mature and levelheaded heroines. But after listening to the book with an open mind, I confess I’m still at a loss as to why some feel so much hostility towards our stuttering heroine. Some found reading her stuttering annoying. I just didn’t. It was an interesting quirk to add to the characterization of a girl who is spirited and forthright, albeit with rebellious tendencies. I also did not mind the age-gap, and not only because it was common for the times in which they lived. This time around I was reminded of the very successful marriage of Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline which makes me vicariously happy. Also the age difference is not treated lightly or brushed aside, but is fully acknowledged as a concern from the beginning and throughout the novel. Rule’s own self-doubts over the difference and Horry’s and his sister’s reassurances somehow put aside any concerns I might have had. But it is a reason for their rocky progression towards mutual understanding. AKA, the plot. That said, Horry needs a strong, wise, and mature hand. Someone she can respect and admire. I can’t imagine such a girl marrying a callow 22 year old. Most would be under her thumb from the jump. As for the mistress situation, the two went into the marriage thinking in terms of non-interference and going their own way. A marriage of convenience only. Even though they obviously started falling in love on their honeymoon (which occurs “off stage”), they either didn’t realize it or were afraid to acknowledge it. Rule would have gone back to his normal life out of habit and, reading between the lines, perhaps in denial (or alarm?) over his emerging feelings for Horry. It starts the progression of their relationship from the beginning. Whatever the reason, he cut ties with his mistress very soon. As completely opposite as the two women were, I suspect that once he had one or two encounters with “The Massey” he saw her in a new light and it only cemented his commitment to and feelings for Horry. As far as Horry herself, her detractors call her immature, too frivolous, silly, and even imbecilic. To that, to quote Horry, I say “Stuff!”. Yes, she is immature and frivolous at the beginning. But she does learn and grow. She is genuinely shocked when Rule kindly and calmly confronts her with her bills. When she is manipulated into a compromising position that might cause a scandal, she comes to Rule (sensibly and maturely) with the truth. She cuts ties with Lord Lethbridge (one of the villains) very effectively, despite his cleverness, with subtlety and no attention-getting dramatics. She is so effective that he is forced into desperation. Which she also deals with handily with a poker across the back of the head. Keep in mind she is 17 years old and he is a cunning and ruthless manipulator. Yes, she has a tendency to jump from the frying pan into the fire, but it’s out of fear that she will lose Rule’s trust and good opinion along with the mistaken idea that he still might prefer his mistress. She is unsure of herself and kind of desperate. Of course she is. And from her perspective, she wasn’t wrong to be. And really there are very few heroines (including in Heyer) who never put a foot wrong and always take the wise and sensible path. The defense rests. Ha Ha.

And I loved Rule. Behind his languor and insouciance he was a man of action who was always on top of the situation. He was very acute. Very Scarlett Pimpernel. He never doubts Horry for an instant. I loved his loyalty, the slow build of their romance, and the very sweet and satisfying final scene. I loved the descriptions of the rich Georgian lifestyle for all of its sins. Add in 2 duels, a missing jewel, a highwayman, and the funny antics of Pelham and his cohorts in their mission to rescue Horry, and, for me, this Heyer had it all.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

My Dear Aunt Flora

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By Elizabeth Cadell

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I hope I have this right, but I listened to this on Audible so there is no way I can realistically check my facts. Our narrator, Jonquil, “Jonny” and Phyl grew up together in the same home headed by Aunt Flora along with Phyl’s brothers, George and Hugh. Flora was Jonny’s mother’s best friend and was taken in by her when her parents died. Jonny ended up marrying Hugh, and Phyl married Hugh’s best friend, Tom. Phyl and Jonny both were widowed at the same time due to an automobile wreck, and Jonny was left with two young children. Phyl and Jonny live together and the book begins when they decide to escape their dreary cramped apartment and move to “Rushing” a large but old and dilapidated cottage (it doesn’t even have an indoor toilet!) in the middle of nowhere.

This is what is known as a “slice-of-life” novel, which is a type of novel I read a lot of. It focuses on the largely unremarkable happenings and relationships of everyday life. Gentle humor, unusual characters, and the joy of living are key. At least in the novels of this type that I read. Needless to say, there is usually a satisfactory if understated romance which provides closure and a happy prospect for the characters we have come to feel invested in. Atmosphere and ambiance are key. The ones I read are usually set in the English or Scottish countryside and set at least 50 years ago. True to form, nothing much happens in this one until the previously mentioned George comes to stay at Rushing Farm. It’s not specifically stated what’s wrong with him, but he has been ordered by his doctor to “rest.” So I’m guessing nervous breakdown. George is a famous actor and something of a babe magnet. He is also spoiled, entitled, and a prima donna. The family loves George, but they don’t like him very much. They are confident that as soon as he gets a load of Rushing’s primitive conditions, he will quickly leave for less spartan accommodations far far away.

At first I was somewhat entertained by George and his angry incredulity over what he was asked to put up with at Rushing Farm. The women pretty much just take him in stride. They don’t know how to “just say no” but they are not complete doormats either. They know that George will not be able to stand being in the middle of nowhere for long and are not majorly inconvenienced by George’s whims and megrims. The stage is set on the first day when George confiscates Jonny’s son Paul’s bedroom for his own. To meet his standards, he then hijacks various pieces of furniture and decor from Phyl, Jonny, and Flora’s rooms. When they object, he bosses them and manipulates them into agreeing. But the more George complains, the happier the family is because the sooner he will leave. That is, until Angela ,the aunt of a summer guest of Jonnie’s daughter, comes to visit. She is gorgeous, sweet, down-to-earth and couldn’t be less interested in George, despite his glamor and fame. George, on the other hand, falls head over heels for the first time in his life.

All of the main characters were likable but boring. There are two romances involved, one was a foregone conclusion with no “will they or won’t they” tension to be had. George and Angela’s story had a little more suspense, but Angela deserved better even if the reader comes to understand and be reconciled to George a little more by the end. Jonnie, who I guess is our main character because everything is seen through her eyes, is the most boring of all. Her primary personality traits are competence, quietude, and inarticulateness. Phyl is charmingly lazy and Aunt Flora is wise, no-nonsense, and caring. A romance for Jonnie is threatened but is nipped in the bud by her disinterest. The book just kind of ends with the wedding of one of the characters which is a hair’s breath from ending in disaster. Or what would pass for disaster in this gentle world. There were some unanswered questions which are not my favorite. Why was Flora’s cousin so anxious to talk to her, what secret will he impart that threatens the family’s equanimity? We never know. If there ever was one. There were some amusing bits where I kind of chuckled. The most exciting and funniest part was near the end where Jonnie finally loses her temper. It was all very low-stakes. The quirky characters were not quirky enough. After I read this, I found out this was Cadell’s first book and I readily believed it. It explained a lot. Still it was lovely and charming enough to earn 3 stars from me.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once in a Blue Moon

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By Kristan Higgins

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This was just terrific. So often when an author continues the stories of quirky or unconventional characters, they undergo a transformation in the second book. I guess to make them easier to write about or more fit the mold of a romantic hero or heroine. Not so in this one. Dr. Satan is just as arrogant and obnoxious as ever, and I was turning pages to see if Kristan could manage to make him fall in love and be lovable without compromising the integrity of his personality. She succeeds brilliantly.

After reading Look on the Bright side, I had no real desire to read a book about Dr. Satan aka Dr. Lorenzo Santini. Apparently I was in the vast minority. I was, however, very amenable to revisiting the Smith family and having the boring sensible sister as the heroine. Pairing the two together was perfect. In a family of 3 beautiful and accomplished sisters and a charming handsome brother, Winnie (Windsor) was ‘the other one”: Not beautiful and not brilliant. No one can even remember her name. In a typical KH running joke, Her brother teases her about this affectionately: “Winnebago,” “Winona” “Winster-the-Spinster” “Winipedia,” “Window”, “Winfrey,” “Windmill” “Winnipeg”. … yes, I think that’s all of them. But everyone loves her and depends on her, because she is the most competent person in Christendom. She has made being a “behind the scenes” person work for her.

When her party planning business collapses through no fault of her own, Winnie is hired as the personal assistant of the world renowned surgeon and former fake fiancé of her older sister Lark. He needs someone who can keep his life in order so he can focus on being brilliant. He is intimidating, demanding, cold and is the definition of “arrogant.”

Was he really supposed to go to Whole Foods to buy kale when he could be, oh, saving a life? Teaching future doctors? Writing a paper that would change the way a procedure would be done, therefore raising patient survival rates?… He…didn’t want to have to call the florist himself to order flowers for his mother’s birthday. It was enough that he even remembered his mother’s birthday. Most years, he even called.

Winnie is not intimidated. She knows her worth, and it is not long before Dr. Satan does too. She becomes his right arm and virtually indispensable. She is so good at her job, that Lorenzo realizes that eventually she will organize herself out of his life, no longer having to constantly be at his side to keep his life on an even keel. And that bothers him. He doesn’t know why it bothers him, but it does.

It is a very slow burn romance, and perfectly paced. Dr. Satan (“I’ve been working for you for a month now, can I just call you Satan?”) may start to show some vulnerabilities, sensitivity, and a sense of humor, but then he will do or say something to prove once again he will never quite get off “the spectrum” completely. Things do blow up a few times, (how could they not?) but Kristan never does the predictable thing, to my great relief. Winnie always saves the day with her aversion to drama and unshakeable good sense. I loved her, never more so when she forgets she is the steady predictable one. And yes, she does do that, but only on occasion, and usually under the influence of alcohol.

As always, Kristan’s ability to make you laugh, then touch your heart, make her one of my top 5 favorite authors. One of the few who has never disappointed me the least little bit. This book is described as a novella, but it doesn’t read like one. Her later books are more “women’s fiction” than romance and are great. But this one is unabashedly a romance. And one of her most romantic ones. It is a little shorter because she took a metaphorical red pencil to most of the “women’s fiction” stuff, but somehow left a lot of depth on the page.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Cordelia’s Honor

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(Shards of Honor and Barrayar)

by Lois McMaster Bujold

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I thought, perhaps, when we arrive on Barrayar, and you are free, you might consider staying.” “To visit— where you said, Bonsanklar, and so on? I don’t know how much leave I’ll have, but— sure, I like to see new places. I’d like to see your planet.” “Not a visit. Permanently. As— as Lady Vorkosigan.” His face brightened with a wry smile. “I’m making a hash of this….

How long have you been thinking along these lines?” “It first occurred to me when I saw you in the ravine.” “What, throwing up in the mud?” He grinned at that. “With great composure. By the time we finished burying your officer, I knew.” She rubbed her lips. “Anybody ever tell you you’re a lunatic?”…

“It wouldn’t be an easy life….It would be more dangerous than soldiering— chances of betrayal, false charges, assassination, maybe exile, poverty, death….”You sure know how to show a girl a good time,” she said helplessly, rubbing her chin and smiling.

–Shards of Honor–

“Officers. I recommend that when this conference resumes, you surrender unconditionally upon Lord Vorkosigan’s mercy. He may still have some.” I certainly don’t, was the unspoken cap to that. “I’m tired of your stupid war. End it.” Piotr edged past her. She smiled bitterly at him. He grimaced uneasily back. “It appears I underestimated you,” he murmured. “Don’t you ever . . . cross me again. And stay away from my son.”

–Barrayar–

**spoilers**

I enjoyed this a lot. I have heard for years and years what a great character Miles Vorkosigan was and this is the story of how his parents, Captain Cordelia Naismith and Lord Aral Vorkosigan, two people from different and unfriendly planets came to be a couple. It is an action/adventure/political intrigue story which also sets the scene and begins the world building of the 16 main volumes of The Vorkosigan Saga. Also, a little bit of a love story. Cordelia’s Honor is actually 2 books published years apart but reading as one novel, Part 1 (Shards of Honor)and Part 2 (Barrayar). Barrayar picks up seamlessly where Shards of Honor leaves off: Cordelia and Miles married on Barrayar and Cordelia trying to become acclimatized to a culture so different from her own: militaristic, patriarchal, and old-fashioned. This is complicated by Miles having been maneuvered to accept the regency for the child emperor upon the death of the current emperor, his grandfather, Ezar Vorbarra. This makes the pair powerful and very public figures in the empire. One of the storylines in Shards of Honor is the fate of Ezar’s son, Gregor’s father, the weak and depraved Prince Serg. Gregor will be in the best of hands being raised by Aral and Cordelia.

Cordelia is the main focus of Barrayar as well as Shards of Honor. When she and her unborn child are caught in the crossfire of an assassination attempt on her husband’s life, it results in the antidote for the poison causing permanent damage to the fetus. She has to fight for the life of her son because in the warrior culture of Barrayar anything less than being able-bodied is considered a shame and catastrophe. She even has to fight her former ally and admirer, Piotr, her father-in-law, who wants to kill Miles, his own grandson, for now secure and guarded in his Uterine Replicator. As if things could not get any worse, a right wing faction of Aral’s party stages a successful coup and attempts to kidnap the 5 year old emperor. He escapes but his mother Kareem does not. Cordelia goes on the run with Gregor while her husband fights to wrest the government back from the traitors. It is thrilling adventure of the highest order, made even more intense by Cordelia’s unborn son’s replicator being housed in the captured palace. It is in danger of being held hostage if discovered, or just shutting off without the proper maintenance. With her unborn son’s life a pawn in the battle between the traitors and the resistance, Cordelia will not be daunted from a daring “Mission Impossible,” aided by a small group of loyal attendants.

I loved the humor, I loved the action, I loved the complex political machinations, I loved the details of the culture and the history of Beta Colony (where Cordelia is from) and Barrayar. They are opposites in every way and the good and the bad of each are laid bare. There are some tough things to read in this book. The character building of primary and secondary players is phenomenal be they heroes or villains or something in between. Most of all I loved the relationship between Aral and Cordelia. Despite their differences, I felt no doubt that their loyalty to and esteem for each other would never be shaken. It was the peaceful constant in a sea of unpredictable and unremitting peril coming from all sides.

I am currently well over half-way into The Warriors Apprentice, the first book in the omnibus Young Miles which is the first in the series in which Miles is the main character. It takes place 17 years after The Hugo Award winning Barrayar comes to its rousing climax and hopeful conclusion. I can’t imagine how one could start out with this first book about Miles and really “get it” without first reading Cordelia’s Honor. I really can’t.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Shuttle

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By Frances Hodgson Burnett

This was just a terrific book with an indomitable heroine who should be as famous and celebrated as…well, I can’t think of a universally famous one who is comparable to Bettina Vanderpoel. Not that there aren’t plenty of brave, cool-headed, perspicacious, kind-hearted, and public spirited heroines in literature, you understand. But I just can’t think of one that embodies all of those qualities at once. I reckon Hermione Granger comes closest. Except Bettina (Betty) is also beautiful, charming, charismatic and a gabillionaire. I could compare her with Philippa Somerville of the Lymond Chronicles but Philippa is as unfamous as Betty. Neither would make an official top 10 list of most admirable fictional female characters how ever much they deserve to. If Betty sounds like a heroine who is flawless and therefore not your cup of tea, I wouldn’t blame you. But let me assure you that she is up against a villain so repulsive and dastardly and is fighting for causes so righteous, that you will root for her every step of the way. Not to mention she has to live in a world (late Victorian England) in which the deck was stacked against women who dared to not suffer in silence. I did not begrudge her one ounce of her power whether it came from her beauty, character, or wealth. Because she needed it all. And even then all of her gifts may not have been enough to save a woman of substance’s most precious commodity of that or almost any era: her reputation.

It’s been 12 years since Bettina had seen her older sister, Rosalie, after her marriage to an English Lord, Nigel Anstruthers. Bettina was 9 years old when Rosalie left New York City and went to live in England on his estate and virtually vanished from her and her loving parents’ lives. The first 4 chapters of the book are Rosalie’s. Thank God it wasn’t more, because reading of her life with Nigel was painful indeed. Debt-ridden Lord Anstruthers of course married naive and sweet Rosalie not for love, but for her considerable fortune. He starts to manipulate and gaslight the poor girl on the ship over as soon as she leaves her family’s protection. By the time we mercifully leave her and start to focus on Bettina, Rosalie, systematically crushed and isolated for years, is lying on the floor, a victim of a violent attack, fearing for her unborn baby, and about to lose control of her money to her scheming and merciless husband and his malignant mother.

Bettina never liked or trusted Nigel and had long planned, when she was old enough, to find Rosalie and make sure she was OK. Unlike her parents, Betty never believed that Rosalie had turned her back on her family after she became a grand titled English lady. We get a recounting of Betty’s maturation from a formidable child to a beautiful young woman and her formal and informal education. In addition to being educated at elite academies all over Europe, her father, seeing her intelligence and good sense, had her accompany him all over the United States while looking over his business concerns. She gained an invaluable education from him and he in turn came to trust her judgement and even seek out her advice. So when Betty finally feels she is in a position to rescue Rosy (if she even needs rescuing) she not only has her own gifts at her command but the respect and trust of her father, one of the most powerful and wealthiest men in America.

When Bettina gets to Stornham Court, Nigel’s estate, things are even worse for Rosalie and her disabled son than she imagined. Nigel has taken over control of Rosalie’s money and is living it up in the fleshpots of Europe. Both Rosalie and his estate are in shambles. During Nigel’s lengthy absence, Bettina sets about putting things in order on the estate and in the community at large. Under Bettina’s tender care Rosalie starts to recover her former bloom and what little spirit she had before her marriage. Her sister makes friends with both the high born and low born in the county, and prepares for Nigel’s inevitable return, which I began every chapter dreading. It happens in Chapter 33 (of 50). Now one would assume that Nigel would slither away without a peep in the face of Bettina’s powers. But he is clever, arrogant, entitled and kind of insane. Also he holds some powerful cards in his hands. Not the least of which is his position as a man and a titled one. And Bettina is secretly in love with the poor but proud owner of the neighboring estate, which makes her vulnerable. To extricate Rosie and her son Ughtred (why, Frances, why???) while preserving their reputations and futures as well as those of various innocent bystanders, the battle between Bettina and Nigel must be conducted with subtlety and finesse. A war of attrition rather than a no holds barred onslaught.

In its unabridged form this book is over 500 pages. In addition to the chess game between Nigel and Betty, we go into the background and character of Lord Mount Dunstan, the love interest, their beautiful romance, various country people on the estate or in the village, an American typewriter salesman, society balls and parties, and an outbreak of typhoid fever. Everything ties together and ends in a rousing climax, resolution, and fates well earned. I’ve focused on the plot in this review, but we also are treated to FHB’s descriptive passages and reflections, insights into the Gilded age and dollar princesses, and the qualities of America v. England. America wins. Great movies have been made of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved children’s books A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. I even enjoyed the film based on one of her other adult novels, The Making of a Marchioness. Why not this one? This book has everything. Is it the title? I listened to this book on Audible read by Katherine Brooks who was very good.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

And the Crowd Went Wild

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by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

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I was afraid that Susan Elizabeth Phillips, although all her books except the last one were very entertaining, had kind of lost her mojo. I had given several of her books 4 stars in recent years, but she is an author that had been consistently 5 stars for me back in the day. And in looking back I think some of those 4 star reads had an element of “benefit of the doubt.” My least favorite of all of her books was the last one, Simply the Best, which it certainly was not. It had some good parts, but overall, it just was not up to snuff. There were problems, and I really really did not get on with the heroine’s brother Clint. When I saw that this one was Clint’s story, for the first time in decades, I did not buy her new book, but got it from the library. Mea Culpa. This one was her best book in 15 years. I am so grateful to be wrong. What a comeback!

The heroine is one of SEP’s “bad girls”, Or I should have said, not bad “just drawn that way”? Some of her heroines are likable and relatable from the get go, like Lady Emma or “Neely” Litchfield Case. But every so often she will throw in a gorgeous but very flawed and at first unsympathetic heroine. They might have done lamentable things in the past but have paid the price and when we meet them they are desperate. Add Dancy Flynn to the Sugar Beth Careys and Francesca Days of SEP-land.

Dancy is a washed up former Bond Girl who was married to a Tom Cruise level action hero until he traded her in for a younger model. When we meet her she is a border-line alcoholic whose plan for jumpstarting her career is about to cover her in such shame and humiliation that it is hard to imagine she could ever recover from it. To get out of the public eye, she flees to the only person in her past life that might provide a port in the storm: Her high school boyfriend, Clint Garrett, who is now the star quarterback for the Chicago Stars. So what if she hasn’t seen him since she broke his heart with her bad behavior 20 years ago? She is all alone in the world and he is “Saint Clint of the Gridiron,” a squeaky clean all around Mr. Nice Guy. Although Dancy is new to us, Clint was introduced in SEP’s previous book, and as I said, I was not impressed. But it has been 5 years since the events in that book, and Clint is no longer the whiny immature victim that I found him to be in Simply the Best. I really liked him. He has retreated to his vacation home on Lake Michigan to refocus and prepare himself for the upcoming football season after the last couple weren’t up to his usual standards. The last thing he needs is a troublesome Dancy distracting him from his work. But being the good guy he is, he can’t completely turn his back on the pitiful (but snarky!) mess that she is, so he allows her to stay on his property in an old semi-converted train caboose until she can make other plans. Overnight only. Yeah right.

I really liked both Dancy and Clint. And that’s half the battle to really loving the book. The more I learned about her history and saw how she reacted to things that she was confronted with I liked her more and more. Clint’s admirable character is established from the beginning although he has some lessons to learn as well. They each have each other’s number and give as good as they get as the relationship develops into friendship then love. The back and forth between them was funny and engaging. Dancy forms a friendship with another woman in the community and rescues a pitiful dog. Not one, but two bad villains emerge. Dancy has a bad set back which was so predictable, but she is never a victim.

She stumbled to her bedroom, tugged at her clothes, and got into bed only to stare at the ceiling. Minutes ticked by. She shifted her weight and pulled the covers up only to shove them back down. She didn’t want oblivion. She wanted revenge.

Every time I was going to put the book down there was a twist or a turn or a new character that kept me reading. Of course we also have some more than welcome appearances by characters in Simply the Best.

In the first pages when we learn that Dancy is a washed up mostly B movie actress, I was 89% sure she was going to end up getting an Academy Award by the end. I won’t say if she does or not, but rest assured, her triumph is complete and satisfying. It was a solid 4 ½ star book until the epilogue. I loved it. It wasn’t original: Emily Henry did the same thing to great success in one of her books. This was done just as well and was as cute as could be. 5 stars.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Catch of the Day

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by Kristan Higgins

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I enjoyed re-listening to The Perfect Match so much that I looked for another KH novel I hadn’t read or listened to in a while. This is one of her first books, and one of the first by the author I read. I was surprised to see that I hadn’t already done a review of it. Or maybe Goodreads swallowed it before I could get it on my blog. Although our heroine Maggie is straight out of the Kristan playbook, her hero is one of a kind. Many of her readers would say, “ Thank Goodness!” But I liked him when I wasn’t periodically shaking my head at the same things that drove Maggie up the wall. The two were complete opposites and in some ways served as antidotes to each other. When Maggie got too puppydogish for me, Malone was there to provide balance, and vice versa

Maggie, as many of her heroines are, is a warm and generous “giver.” She cuts her elderly tenants toe nails, she employs a developmentally disabled teen to help in her diner, babysits her niece at the drop of a hat. She pays her head cook more than she, as the owner of a diner, makes herself. She is a good deed doer and she is devoted to her dog. Kristan Higgins never describes her characters’ personalities but shows us what they are about by their words and actions. And almost all of the characters are layered with good and bad qualities like real people. One example is Maggie’s difficult mother. She is very unlikable and insensitive. Yet, she has a kind of endearing malapropism quirk. She’s always full of advice and helpful platitudes: “When the Lord closes a door, a window breaks,” and “A rolling stone gathers no dirt” come to mind. Later we find out there is more to her than meets the eye, although she will always be more Mommie Dearest than Marmee. You can’t hate a person too much who also makes you laugh. And their relationship at the end is in a good place. But I digress.

Maggie is a single 33 year old who longs for a husband and family of her own like her twin sister Christy. Three things have gotten in the way of this. She was rudely and publicly dumped in front of her whole town by her longtime boyfriend after they graduated from college. (Yet Skip and his sweet wife are a happy family with three daughters-so as always, KH doesn’t take the obvious path). The pickings of good eligible men in her home town of Gideon’s Cove are pretty slim. And she is in love with the local parish priest. And unfortunately he is Roman Catholic, not Episcopalian. After a series of disastrous and funny blind dates (which were to become a KH mainstay in her future books), she finally meets her destiny in Malone, “Maloner the Loner”, a local lobster man. This happens not until almost a third of the way into the book. Maggie has lots of other things to talk about to the reader. That’s another of her character traits. She is a blabbermouth. Not a gossip, but an over-sharer who starts to babble when she feels uncomfortable, which is rather a lot of the time. Malone is completely opposite to Maggie: very unsociable, brooding, and mysterious. He gives new meaning to “the strong silent type” hero. Neither Maggie nor the reader even know his first name till the very end of the book. Yet he is a very hard worker, is genuinely respected, even liked by the community, and has a daughter he loves and is seen to unbend with when she visits. Every so often Maggie thinks she detects a quirk in his lips that might be a smile and that he just might have a sense of humor behind his dour exterior. Also Maggie’s dog likes him, and he has come to Maggie’s rescue twice: Once on an 10 mile walk home after a bike crash, and once from social humiliation when she is stood up by one of her blind dates. After that incident, Maggie and Malone finally start seeing each other.

Most of the rest of their relationship consists of Maggie trying to get two words in a row out of Malone. He is very uncommunicative and Maggie has no idea what their relationship really is. The reader is similarly in the dark about what is going on in his head. Meanwhile Maggie is the opposite of that. For the most part, I loved this tension of their completely opposite personalities. Something had to give. Malone was very much an enigma and this fostered a lot of anticipation of what was going on. We know him and his feelings by his actions not his words. At one point, Maggie dresses up as her twin to confront Father Tim about something and no one sees through her disguise except Malone. From across the street.

On this re-read, there were some things that bothered me more than before. I don’t really have a major problem with Embarrassment Humor as such, as long as it’s funny. But there was an incident with Maggie getting drunk and hurtling towards public doom that was really yikes. I didn’t like it when she hears part of a conversation (while sneaking around and eavesdropping no less) and jumps to an insulting conclusion about Malone. She does not handle it well. I really did not like her for this part of the book. But Malone’s reaction when she finally comes to her senses was just as frustrating. I didn’t know which one to be more disgusted with or side with. Another character that bothered me this time was Father Tim. He was described as such a good, kind, and compassionate man and the perfect priest. But he takes advantage of Maggie’s generosity and willingness to volunteer her services to the church in the name of friendship. She wasn’t even an active member. He should have been doing his best to keep his distance, but he did just the opposite. It kind of gave me the creeps at times, although no lines were crossed. In the end, we see his loneliness and it’s a bit sad. Thankfully, although she still had a soft spot for him, her crush on Father Tim was pretty much at an end as soon as she gets together with Malone.

Maggie has a more clear-eyed view of herself and Father Tim by the end of the book. As lovable as she is, Maggie had some work to do on herself as well. As does Malone who has also learnt some things and changed for the better. I thought it was a nice touch that though she is far from religious, she realizes that church may have something to offer her besides a handsome priest. We get a peek at Gideon’s Cove and Joe’s Diner in a subsequent book and all is well with Maggie and Malone.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Beloved Rake

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By  Anne Hampson

 Every so often I have a hankering to read an old Harlequin Romance. I read a review of this one from 1980 and this was described as the “funniest ever” and many other reviewers concurred. For its time, it probably was. It wasn’t until the 90s that really funny authors like Jennifer Crusie and Jayne Ann Krentz became part of the usual lineup in category romances and Harlequin and other lines started to lean into the comedy part of romantic comedy. When this was written, Harlequin (or Mills and Boon) was the only game in town and they hadn’t branched out from straight romance yet. Not to say humor never made an appearance ever.

Serra, our heroine, is a young Greek woman who is about to have her marriage arranged to someone who turns her off. She runs away and sure enough soon meets attractive Englishman Dirk and his nice friend. He needs to marry to get ahold of his inheritance and Serra likes the idea of marrying a Brit (she is half British herself). She has always wanted to go to England where she can “be free” and out from under the strict confines of Greek society and the control of her father and grandmother. I will interject here that Hampson’s portrayal of Greek society is spurious at best even considering the time this one was written. I took it all with a grain of salt. There are a lot of sweeping statements like, “In Greece we trust everybody…people are honest”, “In Greece, a girl must never be seen with a man before her marriage…” or they will be ruined irreparably. Apparently Greek wives back in the late 1970s  never left the house and embroidered all day, and all marriages were arranged. Could be true-ish. I don’t know.

Serra is very sweet, unworldly and naive. Most of the humor stems from Dirk assuming she knows the basics of living in the modern world and has a grain of sense. Well, she doesn’t and Dirk has to come to her rescue whenever she gets into a pickle. And not with any good grace either. In some ways the whole scenario reminded me a bit of Friday’s Child by Georgia Heyer. His friend is much nicer and more understanding. She has no problem with him behaving as if he is still a bachelor as she intends to have a few boyfriends herself. The book has a slow start. The author apparently did a lot of research into the sights and other attractions in Greece and Lebanon and she was determined to make use of her knowledge. If you know what I mean. Things pick up considerably when they get to England and Serra has to deal with Dirk’s mother,  sister, and butler as well as English customs and ways of doing things. Things come to a head when she starts to look for some of her relatives on her mother’s side and goes about it in the most dunderheaded way possible. Unexpected (by Serra only) consequences occur. Aaaaaand it’s Dirk to the rescue again. By the end, Serra wins over Dirk’s family and Dirk, who decides a real marriage, love included, will be best for all concerned. The Butler remains not a fan.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
 

A Fair Barbarian

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By Frances Hodgson Burnett

This early novella by Frances Hodgson Burnett of The Secret Garden and A Little Princess fame, was very much in the tradition of those stories that feature a visitor from afar whose different outlook on life transforms a person, a family, or even a whole town for the better. In the stories (or films) I am talking about, the transformation is not mutual. The visitor remains steadfast, it is the people around her that change. Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter, Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. It’s been compared to Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, but I haven’t read that one. And Maybe Silas Marner by George Eliot. Heck, what about Footloose or Sister Act?

I love the title of this book. Octavia Bassett is anything but a “barbarian.” If a little dashing and open-mannered, she is also well-behaved, kind, beautiful and classy. But she is from America, and in Slowbridge, “It was not considered in good taste to know Americans.” For sure not ones from “Bloody Gulch,” a small mining town in Nevada, where Octavia’s father made his fortune. She is a bit different from the young ladies in the small English enclave: she is self confident and unintimidated by the disapproval she encounters, particularly in the person of Lady Theobald, who rules insular Slowbridge with an iron hand. All of society must bend their behavior to her idea of what is gentile, proper, and correct. Particularly her sweet granddaughter Lucia. When Octavia arrives to stay with her meek and mild Aunt Belinda her effect on the town is much like a “tremor in the force.” Not that she does anything so shocking even by the standards of most of Victorian England, but it is how this town reacts to her. She wears beautiful gowns and jewelry, her hair is worn stylishly (curls on her forehead!), and she doesn’t just speak when she is spoken to but actually tries to have two-way conversations. She is not only seen but heard.

There is not a lot of action. The big climax occurs when a garden party is arranged without Lady Theobald’s blessing. Meanwhile Lucia has found some backbone thanks to Octavia’s example and influence. She has fallen in love with an unsuitable suitor while Lady Theobald is arranging a more conventional marriage for her. Unfortunately her first choice seems to have fallen under Octavia’s inevitable spell. The writing, descriptions, and the Austen-like satiric and humorous tone are the attraction here. I was also reminded of The Miss Buncle Books by D.E. Stevenson.

Satisfactory outcomes were had by all including an unhappy one for Lady Theobald. There was a slightly unexpected twist in the quickly wrapped up end. Or maybe it just seemed too quickly wrapped up because I just wanted more of Octavia Bassett. The narrator, Anne Hancock, of this Audible book perfectly voiced our main character. It reminded me of the raspy distinctive tones an old movie star, Jean Arthur, whose voice, as described by Edward G. Robinson, “grated like fresh peppermint.”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Austen Affair

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by Madeline Bell

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A boy? Mom asks….And what do we say about crying over boys? “‘ Never cry over boys,’” I recite under my breath, wiping my eyes with the pad of my thumb. “We only cry over men, and a real man wouldn’t make you cry.”

You’re living out our dreams, baby, Mom reminds me. If you have to be stuck here for a little while, there are worse places to get stuck. Enjoy what you’ve got while you’ve got it.

This was fun. I am frequently attracted to Jane Austen-based books and movies and frequently disappointed. This one was interesting and well written by first time author Madeline Bell. But more than that, it was funny and a smart way to drop her couple back to Regency times. Experiencing that world is the dream of any fan of regency romances and JA in particular at some point in their lives. It’s ok. You can admit it. The romance was good, and Ms. Bell made the most of her premise.

Tess Bright is an actress who was fired from a popular but critically disregarded American TV series. She has improbably won the role as Catherine Morland in a prestigious British production of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. She must succeed, or “I’ll be lucky if I’m funneled off into the Hallmark-holiday-movie-industrial complex before fading into utter irrelevance.” The fact that she won two Teen Choice Awards does not qualify her for the part as well she knows. In fact, quite the reverse. She is looked at with contempt by her costar Hugh, the scion of a blue blood acting family. And, I must admit, with good reason. Because Tess is a mess. Before she won me over, I felt pretty much the same way about her as Hugh did.

More than twice a month in my childhood, Mom and I would order Chinese food for dinner because it came with its own utensils, and that meant we could put off washing the dishes for one more night. I think the first time I saw the floor of our living room was when I was twenty- three, on the day we started packing to move out….Every flat surface was cluttered with lipstick- stained coffee mugs.

I’m a little messy myself, but that’s not just messy. Yuck! Also, as she tells us, she was fired from her TV series because of unprofessional behavior, and is unlucky in love due to her falling for weak character guys with pretty faces. So not my favorite type of person. She is still grieving her beloved mother’s death (which functions as an excuse for her unprofessional behavior). She knows being cast as the lead in the movie is a chance of a lifetime and an incredible opportunity to redeem herself. Also, she and her mother loved Jane Austen, and she sees her performance as a tribute to her memory. Yet, yet, yet. We learn that she has already gotten a reputation on set as being careless with the expensive costumes and keeping her trailer in a state of disarray. So although she did not make a good first impression character-trait wise, I loved her bright sprightly voice right from the beginning. Her closeness with her Mom, who was also her best friend, was endearing. She is a people pleaser with a vengeance, which is not always a good thing. But when she says at one point, “I can make anybody like me with enough time. I’m a battering ram. I’ll wear her down with kindness.” I couldn’t help but like her attitude. “I will not not be liked.” At least she owns it.

The crux of the story, of course, is what happens when Tess and her disapproving co-star are sucked back to 1815 while filming on location near Jane Austen’s neighborhood which also happens to be the location of Hugh’s ancestral home. They are taken in by Hugh’s family and experience life in Regency times. Much of their adventures mirror scenes in Austen’s books. We have a day trip to Box Hill, the Lucy Steele/ Eleanor/ Edward love triangle, Emma’s ball at the crown Inn (where Tess saves a young lady from a Wickham-like character), and planning a theatrical like in Mansfield Park. Jane Austen herself even makes several brief appearances.
Hugh (who has his own personality problems) just wants to get home (we learn later why), but Tess embraces the situation with all of her heart, viewing it as a miracle.

As they find themselves in many funny and fraught situations, the two actors learn from each other, grow to appreciate each other and tackle their challenges as a team. It was still a bumpy ride but eventually we have lovers instead of enemies. The relationship development was supported and believable. I liked the tension between their struggles repressing their modern language and sensibilities so as not to get “chained naked to a wall” in Bedlam, and how they relax when they are alone together.

“Oh God,” I whisper, almost breathless. “That’s just… that’s just super fucked up, isn’t it?” “You took the words out of my mouth,” Hugh says, tone extremely dry.

You fucking misogynist. You really think I’m stupid enough to fall for Armstrong’s act? And better yet, you think you’re gonna swoop in and warn me just in time. Well, I’ve got a helluva better douche radar than you, and he gives off radioactive levels of toxicity… the most obvious Regency fuckboy this side of Mr. Wickham.

I loved the knowing winks to Janeites, including a reference to the almost universally despised recent version of Persuasion starring Dakota Johnson This is a light romantic comedy with a side of Austen. If this is your cup of tea, and you don’t mind bad language and a sex scene or two, it would be hard to find one better than this.

Rating: 4 out of 5.