Dolly All the Time

August 21, 2026 / Rebekahrox / Leave a comment

by Annabel Monaghan

“Well, hello, Dolly,” says Grant, at the head of a table for eight. If I had a nickel.

And what do you do, Dolly?” asks a woman whose name I’ve already forgotten. “I teach kindergarten in Boston.” “Ah,” she says, resting her hand on the golf ball–sized emerald around her neck. “You two are like Charles and Diana!” It’s a grim comparison to say the least. “Well, sort of. Except he cheated and she’s dead,” I say, and look up at Stewart, who winces a bit. I could have just said nothing. Nothing was the thing to say. I feel a little blush creep up my neck.

There were times when I was reading this that I just loved it. I liked the brand of humor and I was actually a little excited about the similarities with at least one of my favorite and most dependable authors. I really liked Dolly and continued to like her throughout the book. I loved the set up of a romance between two socially and financially unequal partners. It is called the “punching up” trope and is one of my favorites. So many humorous and dramatic possibilities as well as opportunities to develop or reveal character. Some of my favorite authors incorporate this dynamic: Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, and old timey gothics as well as some great rom-com movies including Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, Sabrina, and Crazy Rich Asians,-book and movie. and lets not forget dramas like Downton Abbey, North and South (Elizabeth Gaskell) and Titanic.

Overall, this one did it well. Dolly is a single mother whose father owns the local fish store in the New England tourist town of Whitfield, Rhode Island. She works as a Kindergarten teacher in Boston, but as the novel begins she has been called home to help her father and her mentally disabled brother when the roof of their beloved family home has to be repaired due to a fire. They do not have the money. Yet. While delivering fish to the local “nobility” she comes across the handsome scion of the family stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire. Stewart Whitfield of Whitfield is having a very bad day. His beautiful socialite fiancé has just publicly dumped him and has made him look like a victim in the eyes of his family and society. The timing is particularly bad as he is up for a hotly contested promotion in his family’s real estate firm. When a picture is snapped of Dolly changing his tire for him and goes viral, it is a hit to his image that he can’t afford. Can Dolly can play along and pretend to be his public girlfriend so as to avoid having him look like a helpless rich-guy dumpee? With two side hustles, helping at the family fish store and taking care of her family, Dolly doesn’t have time for such foolishness. But when he offers to pay her, she tells him she will do it for $60,000, enough to fix the roof plus a little extra. Also a clothing allowance for the hoity-toity functions that she will be required to attend.

As the romance progresses, we are treated to a bit of a makeover courtesy of Stewart’s nice sister, a supportive if a little giddy ride-or-die friend, interactions with Stewart’s powerful family where we meet both good people and bad, Dolly’s lonely son, Gus, whom Stewart takes under his wing, and Stewart’s conflicts and challenges with the direction the family business is taking. And that is just a random sampling that just scratches the surface. Lots happens in this book. Being with Dolly helps him enormously and starts to change his priorities from giving everything to his career to carving out time for a personal life and relationships. His mental health has suffered because of the enormous pressure he has put on himself.

And it is somewhat the same with Dolly. Ever since her mother deserted them when she was only 11, Dolly took on the caretaker role in her family, which has led to an estrangement with her younger sister Paula. Reading between the lines of Dolly’s narration, we see that despite her strengths she takes on too much for the sake of her loved ones. This has not been good for her or them.

I really could not have asked for a more likable heroine than Dolly. In addition to her voice and her wry observations, I loved the way she was unapologetic about her rather pedestrian background. She was not defensive or even proud of it either. When snooty people at the various social situations would ask her, she was just very matter-of-fact and up front about things in her life that some might, shall we say, not be able to relate to. And sometimes, she finds some kindred spirits when she didn’t expect to.

*Spoilers*

The romance proceeds smoothly. So smoothly that it started to get a little boring. Of course there is no doubt about Dolly’s feelings. She repetitively spells out her physical and emotional attraction to him for the reader. Not a fan of this tendency in romantic comedies. Stewart’s devotion to Dolly is not in question either, by his words and actions. Which makes it such a shock when does a 180 with a very hurtful and confusing ghosting, betraying everything she and the reader had come to believe about him. Similar to the MMC in the author’s Nora Goes Off Script he behaves abominably. But it didn’t bother me as much because it didn’t stem from an idiotic and inexcusable misunderstanding, but from internal psychological issues he had been struggling with. The drama ends up being a good thing for him. As for Dolly, the whole experience ended up giving her insight into how her own behavior had not been helpful to her or to her family. The repair of her relationship with her sister Paula was very satisfying, though I was hoping for an appearance of and confrontation with her much talked about mother. That didn’t happen, but I was mostly satisfied with the way her abandonment was dealt with. Of course, Dolly and Stephen are reconciled in the end, but not without her giving him a piece of her mind first. It was a turning point and I liked that she was ready and willing to move on before he came back hat in hand, though it was a whole year after the initial parting of ways. But maybe it had to be. I believed in their happy ending. After three of Monaghan’s books, this is my favorite so far. I had some reservations, but not nearly to the extent as I had about the other two.

Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love

August 11, 2026August 13, 2026 / Rebekahrox / 7 Comments

by isthisselfcare

Granger caught Draco watching her as the house-elf vanished. “What?” she asked. “I await your Manifesto,” said Draco. Granger sniffed. “I’ve come to terms with the fact that there are some parts of wizarding society I shall never understand.” “But you accept them?” “No,” said Granger. “I tolerate them.” “Hm.” “Don’t worry, I shan’t begin a house-elf revolution within your halls.”

I didn’t realize that the last book I read (Once, Again, Always by Amanda Gayle) had started its life as Draco/Hermione fanfiction when I got it from Netgalley. If I had, I probably would not have put my name down for it. I had never heard the term “Dramione” which is fiction that imagines a love story between the two enemies of the original series. I’ve never “shipped” the pair, though I’ve been aware that some yearn for that love story. Mostly this is because Ron is my favorite character and I love him. The first book threw me into a bit of a Harry Potter fan fiction rabbit hole and I emerged with this book. The reviews were wonderful across the board, and I was intrigued. 15 % into it, I was completely charmed and thoroughly hooked. I was thrilled that it measured up to the hype. As I got deeper into it, I was lost in admiration of the writing and the way J.K. Rowling’s world was expanded on, altered a bit, and picked up 15 years later. I was emersed in that world, and in awe of author’s take on Rowling’s creation. It recalled how I felt while reading the original series. It made me happy like that.

15 years on from the 2nd Wizarding War, Hermione Granger has straddled the Muggle and the Wizarding World. She is a respected surgeon, professor, and scientist at Cambridge University and in the Magical World she is a renowned “Healer.” She is as famous as Harry Potter and even has her own Chocolate Frog Card. I think that gives you an idea of her status. Draco Malfoy hasn’t changed a bit except that he is more mature and has rejected his former racist attitudes toward non-purebloods and deeply regrets his involvement with the Death Eaters.

…vivid memory returned, of Bellatrix’s handiwork, stark against Granger’s skin. Of Granger, limp and wrought-out, lying like a dead thing on the drawing room floor. Of the blood oozing out of the fresh-carved letters. Draco had never used the word Mudblood again, after that. Draco hid his own inner arm shame from the world, but he would’ve thought that Granger, of all people, would’ve been able to heal hers away. Clearly, she still bore the mark of Bellatrix’s knife.

He is considered, along with “Pothead” and “Weasel” One of the foremost Aurors in the country. For this reason, much to his irritation, he is assigned to protect Hermione Granger who is working on a secret medical project so important, the current minister of magic (Shacklebolt) fears that her life may be in danger. What Hermione is working on is an ongoing mystery in the novel and the reveal is worth the wait.

The book is told from Draco’s point of view. His feelings for Hermione progress from bored irritation to utter devotion, as Draco must stay handy and on the look out for any potential dangers she may face as she works on her project. It is very “two steps forward one step back” as their relationship develops. Despite their personality conflict however, their mutual respect, almost from the beginning, is never in doubt. Though it is very well hidden. The snark is top-tier.

The book is part romantasy, part rom-com and part swashbuckling adventure and quest. With a little horror and thriller thrown in. It is the whole package as far as plot, and is also rich in wit and dialogue. The author takes great care to bring in people and elements from the original series, but not too much. This is the love story that never was between the bossy insufferable swot and the shallow, morally questionable, and bad-tempered womanizer (as they see each other.) Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, for example, are still great friends with Hermione, but they are definitely peripheral to the action. They have moved on and academia-loving Hermione frankly doesn’t have that much in common with them (as we already knew anyway.)

When’s the last time Pot and Wheeze even read a book?” “Is that a rhetorical question?” asked Granger. “No. Answer me.” “Damn it.” Granger lapsed into silence….

The two share a grudging if respectful professional rapport with Draco.

The author sticks close to canon while imagining the future but sometimes she diverges from it pretty significantly. But it was good. Both of the Weasley twins are still alive, as are Nymphadora Tonks and Lupin. In fact, Tonks is the Head of the Auror Office and Draco’s boss. Poignantly, Hermione was never able to reunite with her parents.

However, Granger continued. “I Obliviated both of them during the war. Sent them to Australia to keep them safe. By the time I’d found them again, it was too late to reverse the spell without risking damage to their minds. They’re living quite happily in Adelaide and have no idea that they ever had a daughter.”

As a mother, that killed me. Some of the departures are a little strange. Ron is now in a serious relationship with Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom is with Pansy Parkinson and part of Draco’s social circle. (I’d liked to know how that happened!) Also, in this book, Wizards and Witches are limited as to how much magic they can use at once, and often have to wait to recover their full strength if engaged in lengthy and challenging confrontations or undertakings.

Wizardkind is still (kind of endearingly) clueless about much of the Muggle world, although Owls have now been pretty much replaced with “Jotters”, a kind of text message machine. (Distributed by Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes) and even embraced by Draco’s traditional and old fashioned mother. Draco wants to learn the computer.

The internet was a thing that Draco was not quite certain he understood, but Granger could write things like ‘cat’ or ‘house’ or ‘oncology’ in a box, and information about the things came up, and pictures, too. It seemed extraordinarily useful. An instant encyclopaedia. Granger said that the entire contents of libraries were on it…Granger…explained the cloud and Hackers. The cloud was interesting, conceptually. The Hackers’ lack of axes or other violent weaponry disappointed him. Granger confirmed that there was usually no bloodshed involved. Anticlimactic, overall.

The book is over 700 pages so this review barely scratches the surface. It seemed so authentic. I was in a state of constant awe while I was reading it. It was a great love story. When Draco and Hermione finally come together it got a little too spicy for me, but the author (who injects her own voice periodically) thoughtfully and courteously gives the reader an Adult Content Warning. “Please scroll down to the tilde (~) if you prefer to skip to softer things.”
And bonus! It has pictures! This book is available for free (per one of J.K. Rowling’s requirements for fan fiction based on her books) on a website called Archive of Our Own and can be downloaded to e-readers. If you love Harry Potter and can’t get enough, I highly recommend this book.

The Convenient Marriage

April 29, 2026April 30, 2026 / Rebekahrox / 2 Comments

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.

My Dear Aunt Flora

April 20, 2026 / Rebekahrox / Leave a comment

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.

A Fair Barbarian

February 4, 2026March 22, 2026 / Rebekahrox / 2 Comments

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.”

Northanger Abbey

December 18, 2025May 13, 2026 / Rebekahrox / 3 Comments

by Jane Austen

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Although I had never read this novel before, I knew the plot backwards and forwards thanks to the two BBC productions I have watched numerous times. Also I listened to an abridged version several years ago. I had started Val McDermid’s modern re-working of Northanger Abbey and it was not going well. It started me to thinking, “why am I reading this, when I still haven’t actually read the real one”? I decided to listen to it again since I have had the unabridged version in my Audible library for years. It was very funny right from the the start. It did go well. Of course I knew all the ins and outs of the plot. But I probably would have enjoyed it more if it were the first go round of any kind. Also, I suspect I would have picked up even more of the humor if I had read it on the page.

The book begins with Jane Austen informing the reader of all reasons why Catherine Morland, our heroine, is not suited to the role. In fact, The Narrator (Austen) pulls no punches in eviscerating Catherine and detailing her lack of heroic qualities. Brains? Nope.

She never could learn or understand anything before she was taught; and sometimes not even then, for she was often inattentive, and occasionally stupid.

Beauty? Nope

…and Catherine, for many years of her life [was] as plain as any. She had a thin awkward figure, a sallow skin without colour, dark lank hair, and strong features…” No mention of “speaking, twinkling, intelligent, or laughing gray eyes, you will notice. But… At fifteen, appearances were mending…she had now the pleasure of sometimes hearing her father and mother remark on her personal improvement. “Catherine grows quite a good-looking girl-she is almost pretty today.”

Talents and accomplishments? Nope.

Her taste for drawing was not superior. though whenever she could obtain…any…odd piece of paper, she did what she could in that way, by drawing houses and trees, hens and chickens, all very much like one another. Writing and accounts she was taught by her father; French by her mother: her proficiency in either was not remarkable, and she shirked her lessons in both whenever she could. What a strange, unaccountable character!—

I laughed aloud at the idea of a house, a tree and a chicken looking very much alike. After being assured that Catherine’s father “is not the least addicted to locking up his daughters” we read that her mother was a woman of useful plain sense, with a good temper, and, what is more remarkable, with a “good constitution.”

So having assured us that Catherine does not fit the mold of a Gothic heroine she eventually plops her in the middle of a plot worthy of any respectable gothic romance. In her own mind. For Catherine is a little obsessed with gothic novels. Taken to Bath by well off family friends, Catherine is drawn in and befriended by the manipulative Isabella Thorpe and her crass brother who tries to worm his way into her affections. She also meets the upstanding and witty Henry Tilney and his nice sister Eleanor. Catherine develops a tendre for him and he seems to reciprocate her feelings. Eleanor invites her to their ancestral home, Northanger Abbey, for several weeks, and Catherine is in a state of shivery delight that the Tilney’s ancestral home is an actual Abbey.

Her passion for ancient edifices was next in degree to her passion for Henry Tilney…With all the chances against her of house, hall, place, park, court, and cottage, Northanger turned up an abbey…long damp passages…narrow cells and ruined chapel…the hope of some traditional legends, some awful memorials of an injured and ill-fated nun.”

Although unlike the films, the Abbey does not live up to her imagination, (not an “antique chimney”, dirt, or cobwebs in sight-Neither “awful forebodings of future miseries” nor “sighs of the murdered” either) she finds plenty of fuel for her fantasies. She convinces herself that Henry and Eleanor’s intimidating, strange-acting, and hot-tempered father murdered their mother (or possibly has her imprisoned somewhere in a secret cell.) When she is caught snooping in a place she should not be by Henry, he sets her straight and makes no bones about what he thinks of her deluded fantasies. In the face of his disdainful take-down she comes to her senses with a decided ker-plunk. (But he still likes her.) Ironically, it is after her wake-up call when General Tilney genuinely does her a shocking cruelty and even puts her life in danger by his rude and heartless actions. So maybe not so detached from reality after all.

Although Catherine Morland is not the crispiest chip in the bag, I grew to like her very much. She is kind and good-hearted, and if she is sometimes silly it stems from naivety and innocence rather than brainlessness. I was completely won over by this passage:

[Henry Tilney] looked as handsome and as lively as ever, and was talking with interest to a fashionable and pleasing-looking young woman, who leant on his arm, and whom Catherine immediately guessed to be his sister; thus unthinkingly throwing away a fair opportunity of considering him lost to her forever, by being married already… he had never mentioned a wife, and he had acknowledged a sister. From these circumstances sprang the instant conclusion of his sister’s now being by his side; and therefore, instead of turning of a deathlike paleness and falling in a fit on Mrs. Allen’s bosom, Catherine sat erect, in the perfect use of her senses, and with cheeks only a little redder than usual.

And she shines in comparison to two other women in the story: Isabelle Thorpe and Mrs. Allen. Mrs. Allen makes Catherine seem sensible and resolute and Isabelle highlights Catherine’s virtues by being her opposite. That Catherine has been able to attract the friendship and liking of such a role model as Eleanor Tilney also speaks very well of her. And how can one be too hard on someone who is such a voracious reader of novels? Unfortunately, although witty and tolerant, I found Henry a bit prosy and self satisfied. Not as likable as the Henry Tilney of the films.

“Henry,” said Miss Tilney, “you are very impertinent. Miss Morland,…He is forever finding fault with me, for some incorrectness of language, and now he is taking the same liberty with you. The word “nicest,” as you used it, did not suit him…”Very true, said Henry, “and this is a very nice day, and we are taking a very nice walk and you are two very nice young ladies. Oh! It is a very nice word indeed! It does for everything. Originally perhaps it was applied only to express…”

And blah blah blah.

But that aside, I found myself chuckling at the wry humor, admiring Austen’s characterizations, and the skewering of the gothic novels of her day. Even though I am an old Gothic reader myself, I am not at all tempted to read one of the many of Catherine’s reading list based on the little snatches we are favored with in Northanger Abbey. I now have read all of Jane Austen’s books except Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice several times. I guess you could say I’m saving it.

Language of the Heart (The Toy Sword)

October 13, 2025 / Rebekahrox / 2 Comments

By Elizabeth Cadell

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This was Elizabeth Cadell at her finest. In most ways, it is a perfect example of the amusing old-fashioned English stories she writes. Everything typically revolves around a romance of varying importance to the plot, but there are always plenty of side stories and characters to entertain.

In the usual Cadell story, a nice, good, and attractive hero or heroine has somehow lost the plot and is not living his or her best life. They are often dominated by the wrong romantic partner. They leave the city for the country and find what is missing in their life. Usually, they are shown the way by getting involved, against their will, with someone who seems totally wrong for them, but turns out to be the right romantic partner after all. And throw in an eccentric character (usually elderly) or two that also contribute to our main character starting to see things in a different light. But this one set itself apart in more than a few ways:

A more deliciously nasty than usual fiancé for our hero to escape from. After Edmund gets back from his little life-changing vacation in Portugal, he is (cluelessly) looking forward to reconnecting with his beautiful, dignified, and sensible Angela again. To his befuddlement, he is greeted by her horrible mother who returns Angela’s engagement ring. He has committed the ultimate sin of doing something counter to his strong-willed fiancé’s stated wishes (orders). She will not even speak to him until he fixes what (she thinks) he did. Edmund handles the situation with grace and dignity. Unfortunately for Angela, Edmund has started to get a new perspective on life in general and doesn’t come to heel immediately as she expected. This is thanks to meeting…
Fran. And her little family while at his little farm in Portugal, Montebarca. She is a real charmer and the complete opposite of everyone he is used to: openhearted, kind, talkative, and spontaneous. To top it off, she loves and appreciates the primitive Montebarca, unlike his luxury-loving fiancé. She is made even more likable by …
The narration by Anna Guerrier. She gave our heroine Fran a real Hayley Mills vibe, and I can’t imagine the rest of the characters any other way but how she interpreted them. I love the way she gave Edmund a quietness that was an intriguing contrast with Fran’s garrulous personality.
Portugal. The author obviously knows and loves this country, and, as in many of her books, it becomes almost a third character. A metaphor exposing everything that is wrong with “London” Edmund and his normal life there. Edmund’s love for the country and his Montebarca reveal that he is a man worth saving from himself and his poor taste in fiancés.
There was one really great confrontation between Fran and Edmund after Edmund finds out how Fran interfered in his life behind his back. Edmund really lets fly, telling her off, and as much as I loved Fran and her generous heart, I was like, “He’s right! How dare she!” Then Fran had a go defending herself and eviscerating his character, and I changed my mind again.
There were some real surprises towards the end. Everything looked like it was wending its way predictably towards a lovely happy ending, but wait. Not so fast. There is a little secret that is revealed that puts a surprising new slant on Edmund’s two eccentric relatives he has given a home to and his supposed act of generosity towards them. And then all of our friends are confronted with scandal and infamy and end up in court. London is rocked. Didn’t expect that at all!

I can’t remember if justice is ever served to the meanies offstage in any of Cadell’s novels. But the comeuppances are front and center here. It was classic Cadell, but extra. An absolute delight.

Sylvester, or The Wicked Uncle

September 21, 2025 / Rebekahrox / Leave a comment

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By Georgette Heyer

“Do you mean that I am redoubtable? Oh, you are quite mistaken!” “Am I? Then let us say intrepid!” She sighed. “I wish I were! The case is that I am a wretched coward.” “Your father gives you quite another character.” “I don’t fear fences.” “What, then?” “People – some people! To – to be slain by unkindness.” He looked at her with a slight frown…

Sylvester, or The Wicked Uncle has always been right on up there with my favorite Heyers. I think it’s because of the unusual heroine and the complex hero. Most of her heroines have charm to spare and are, if not extremely beautiful, at least attractive with some outstanding feature or another. Phoebe is a drab little “sparrow” who is only at home and comfortable in a stable. She has been bullied and dominated her whole life by a rigid and cold stepmother whose mission in life seems to be to beat every spark of Phoebe’s own unconventional personality out of her and into a model of perfect but insipid behavior. As for our hero, although a large percentage of Heyer heroes are formidable and proud, very few, like Sylvester, have to undergo growth and change in order to find their happy endings. Of course as in all romances, Heyer included, one or both individuals must change towards each other, but not their actual mentalities. In this novel, although Phoebe comes into her own to a certain extent, It is Sylvester’s journey to self awareness that is the significant one.

The Duke of Salford has decided it is time for him to do his duty, get married, and perpetuate the House of Rayne. He has prepared a list of five candidates for the honor of his hand each more well born, well behaved, charming, and beautiful than the next. It makes no difference to him, so he takes his list to his beloved mother to see if she has any input as to which of the fortunate ladies to favor with a proposal of marriage. His wise and gentle mother’s suspicions are confirmed: Although always open, loving, and warm with her, (and his 6 year old nephew and current heir, Edmund) to all others he has closed himself off from any emotional attachment. He is considerate and well-mannered to his servants and his peers and is popular with all. But his exemplary behavior to others is not out of any empathy or warm feeling but because it is what is due to his proud family name and station. He says and does the right things always, but beneath this surface he is cold and aloof. Encouraged by his mother and godmother, on a whim he decides to meet one other candidate for the position of the Duchess of Rayne: Phoebe, the daughter of his mother’s long-deceased best friend and his godmother’s granddaughter. He is not impressed. And neither is Phoebe. To add to her discomfort, she has secretly written a novel which is about to be published and she has based the villain of the bloodthirsty gothic tale on Sylvester. She had met him at a ball once and she noticed his distinctive satanic-looking eyebrows and was hurt by his haughtiness and boredom with her. Of course Sylvester doesn’t remember her at all. Due to a misunderstanding, she has been told that he has travelled to her family’s country home with the intent of actually proposing marriage to her and she better accept him, or else. Horrified and panic-stricken by the prospect, she decides to run away to her grandmother in London (yes, that same one) escorted by her loyal friend Tom. Sylvester is considerably peeved, as well as incredulous, that such a plain and vapid chit of a girl would hold the idea of a proposal of marriage from him in such abhorrence that she would flee from home in a snowstorm. He leaves as well, and inevitably the 3 fugitives meet in a small inn and are marooned together for several days. As they get to know each other, Phoebe learns that Sylvester is actually a pretty good guy beneath the arrogant facade, and Sylvester learns that out from under her stepmother’s thumb, Phoebe is a clever, funny, and forthright original. She is mortified and guilt- stricken that she has made Sylvester her villain in a novel that will potentially hold him up to ridicule and suspicion. And Sylvester is embarrassed to realize that Phoebe’s initial poor opinion of him may be justified.

Adventures, escapades, and misunderstandings ensue. Despite its romp of a plot, there is a serious undertone to this book. Sylvester’s aloofness is self protection and is due to a terrible tragedy in his past. Before he is shaken off his high horse by Phoebe (and the down to earth Tom) he is on his way to a loveless marriage and, except for his care for his invalid mother and his little nephew, an emotionless half-life. The emotional abuse Phoebe has had to endure her whole life is the source of her hypersensitivity and fearfulness in society. Other than her writing, her future is bleak and lonely.

The book contains Heyer’s usual humor and comedy and the light tone is there. But although some of her comic set pieces involving Edmund’s flighty, shallow, and selfish mother and her silly fop of a husband are amusing, there is a potentially a very sad side to even them. When the couple actually kidnap Edmund from the guardianship of his Wicked Uncle (inspired by the plot of Phoebe’s unexpectedly successful novel) Edmund’s life is actually in danger due to their inattention and thoughtlessness, and he is exposed to the cruelty of neglect. Luckily for him, it is Phoebe and Tom to the rescue. And luckily for Sylvester and Phoebe, it is Sylvester’s lovely mother (and Phoebe’s eventual kindred spirit) who will save the day for them. The Duchess of Rayne’s cleverly engineered and tender reconciliation of the two soulmates continually at odds is one of my favorite endings in all of Georgette Heyer’s works.

Far and Away

August 20, 2025 / Rebekahrox / Leave a comment

by Amy Poeppel

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This is the story of what happens when a family from an upper middle class Dallas suburb exchanges homes for the summer with an affluent husband and wife from urban Berlin. Despite each being thrust into totally unfamiliar cultures and settings they manage to not only survive, but thrive. More or less. The core characters were all likable good people, which is the key to their ultimate success. And the premise was very entertaining. I’ve read 3 other books by this author and this was a close second to Small Admissions, still my favorite by this author. Lucy decides to get the hell out of ~~Dodge~~ Dallas when her sweet, brilliant and somewhat nerdy son Jack is expelled from school and cruelly crucified on social media and in their social circle (It was all a big misunderstanding). I was caught up in the injustice of it all and my fondness for Jack. Always in the background was my hope for eventual redemption and comeuppances. Lucy has a very happy and solid marriage but unfortunately she has to deal with the crisis on her own as her husband, a NASA scientist, is on a special project and incommunicado for 6 months. On the other side of the Atlantic, Otto, a surgeon, who is unhappy at his work and with his colleagues, gets a temporary job in Dallas and moves himself and his wife Greta, a private art curator. I should say loyal wife Greta moves them, because stiff and formal Otto is very much a traditional husband, and it is Greta that handles all of the day to day home type business.

Amy Poeppel’s books are all about the characters, although this one is jam packed with plot developments and many exploits as well. There is never a dull moment. In this novel, it is Greta and Otto who go through the most growth and change. They are different people by the end of this story. Lucy, Jack, and Lucy and Mason’s young twin girls are perfectly fine and happy as they are, barring Jack’s struggles and the fear for his crumbling future. They have other challenges, don’t get me wrong. In addition to trying to keep her rambunctious twins from breaking all of Greta’s priceless antiques in the lovely but museum-like (but tiny!) city apartment, Lucy has to contend with how to keep her bosses from finding out she is no longer in the United States (she mostly works from home), and more importantly, dealing with Jack wanting to meet his Scandinavian biological father when he doesn’t even know Jack exists, as well as the absence of her loving and normally involved husband. Meanwhile Otto and Greta have to contend with how to get Lucy’s huge modern suburban smart home to obey them, their (shock!) unruly dogs, too friendly and interested neighbors, Otto’s sociable new work colleagues, barbeques, and the very casual lifestyle of Dallas. On top of that, Greta has an ethical struggle and possible career-ender regarding a Vermeer painting that might have been painted by his daughter Maria instead. She also is concerned about her daughter Emmi who seems to be pulling away from her, and a mother that might be having an affair with a much younger man.

Stern and formal Otto’s enthusiastic embrace of everything to do with the Dallas lifestyle combined with Greta’s bewilderment over her husband’s new personality and her own more cautious and suspicious approach, provide much of the humor. When kitchen-adverse Otto brags that he has learned how to bake “stickerpoodles”, Greta is totally flummoxed. Despite his failures as a husband, Otto was very endearing in his ultimately successful efforts to fit in and his fracturing of the American language was too funny.

But the book is so much more than two fish out of water stories and how they end up being just what the doctor ordered. Amy Poeppel has a lot to say about social media, hypocrisy, gossip and how vicious and destructive it can be. And it shows how ordinary people can be brave and not go with the toxic mob mentality and make a difference with kindness, common sense, and fairness. It is not a romance at all, but by the end we have five happy couples, or maybe more, I lost count. The epilogue was all that I hoped, which means it was probably a little over the top.

Celia’s House

May 17, 2025 / Rebekahrox / 2 Comments

By D. E. Stevenson

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Of all of the D.E. Stevensons I have read, this one is right up there. I almost didn’t choose this book to listen to. I usually wait 4 or 5 months between Stevensons and I had just read one last month. But I knew I didn’t want to read another contemporary romantic comedy because the last one I read was so good, nothing else could measure up. I was still on hold for the scary book of my choice at the library and I had just read a domestic thriller and a Georgette Heyer. And some books I just like to read the words, not listen to them.

This one is a little different from most Stevensons because it moves through the years and the stories of various members of the Dunne family. We start in 1905 with Celia Dunne, in her 90s, who has decided not to bequeath her home and estate to the childless (and insufferable) son of her oldest brother who has every expectation of inheriting. Instead, she has settled on a more distant connection, her great nephew, Humphrey, who is a struggling Lieutenant Commander in the Navy with a young and growing family. She leaves her estate to the astounded and confused Humphrey on the condition that Dunnian will eventually go, not to his oldest son, Mark, but, extraordinarily, to a daughter, yet to be born, whom he will name Celia.

Humphrey is a good and loving father although we are told he does not have a sense of humor. His wife Alice is beautiful and sweet but is not too bright (as we see evidence of throughout their story.) We soon realize that the main focus of the story will be their oldest son Mark whom we first meet when he is 5 1/2. We spend a good deal of time with the growing family. Humphrey and Alice add a son, Billy and, sure enough, a daughter, Celia, to their brood. They also take on the care of a cousin, Deb, who comes to live with them when her disinterested mother remarries and moves to India. Unlike her cousins, she is plain and shy. As the children grow to adulthood the Dunne’s story starts to mirror Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. Deb is devoted to Mark, and Mark is in love with a scheming and manipulative neighbor. Eventually Deb, who eventually blossoms, is pursued by her brother, a bit of a rake. Other parallels emerge with other members of the family. But curiously, we see little of the youngest daughter, Celia, except for a few anecdotes that show that she is an unusual child: lovable, spirited, and with a mind of her own. Rather like her namesake, as a matter of a fact. Sprinkled throughout are some mysterious coincidences and ghostly sightings which hint of a guiding hand from beyond. After Deb and Mark’s fate is settled, we skip ahead to 1932, where we get a another peek at Celia, in her early 20s. She is still uninterested in marriage. She is waiting. When she was 13, we had learned that she didn’t care to get married unless it was to someone “quite different”: Someone like Lochinvar “out of the west.” Quickly, we skip ahead 10 years to 1942. Mark and Billy are doing their bit in the war, while still unattached Celia and newly pregnant Deb are keeping the home fires burning with retired Admiral Humphrey, now in his 70s. There is only one chapter to go. How Celia finally meets “the one” in that last chapter moved me to tears.

I had read the follow up to this one, The Listening Valley before Celia’s House, and that was probably a good thing. Had I read it first, I would have been so anxious to learn more about what became of Celia and Dunnian, that I wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on the first half of our heroine, Tonia’s, story. She does not land in Ryddelton, where Dunnian house is located, until midway through the book. In The Listening Valley, we also are filled in more about the original Celia’s younger years and the ties that bind her to her young namesake’s love story. To anyone interested in trying D.E. Stevenson, you couldn’t do better than Celia’s House, followed by The Listening Valley.