governess
I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for master/governess romances – probably a result of my long-time love for Jane Eyre – so the synopsis of Julia Justiss’ The Temptation of the Governess caught my eye. It proved to be a charming, character-driven romance featuring two likeable characters forced ...
Originally published in 1990, Mrs McVinnie’s London Season tells the story of a young, Scottish war widow who, rather like a Regency Mary Poppins, joins the household of a troubled family and, with her very individual blend of kindness, practicality and backbone, improves the lot of each of its me ...
Just to let you know: It was really, really close.
Sophia Hathaway is a spoiled, selfish, pampered heiress to social-climbing parents. At the beginning of the book she has abandoned her aristocratic fiance at the altar and, with her art supplies in one trunk and four dresses in another, she board ...
Murder in the North End is the fifth book in P.B. Ryan's Nell Sweeney mystery series set in post-Civil War Boston. While this series has been generally quite enjoyable overall, this new installment is weaker than the others, and the lack of romantic denouement feels forced.
Nell Sweeney is still ...
I have always been a sucker for the old-fashioned governess-finds-love-with-her employer plot. Nothing fancy, you mind. Give me a plain governess, some kind of troubled aristocrat, a bit of forbidden love and chances are, I am a happily engaged reader (personally, I blame it all on Charlotte Brontë ...
Before writing this review, I spent some time considering my view of wastrels as heroes. Is it necessary for one to be entirely redeemed and a pillar of society by the book’s end or can a hero remain largely unchanged if he becomes immensely lovable? Well, the hero of One Little Sin challenged my ...
I am not a very big mystery reader, mostly because the journey is more important to me than the end result. But Still Life with Murder, the first of a new historical mystery series by romance author Patricia Ryan, managed to engage me as a mystery and as a character study. The mystery unfolds as the ...
Valentine Wharton was last seen in Captain Cupid Calls the Shots, when he was struggling with drink and more than a little in love with the heroine. Now he's sobered up and starring in a book of his own with a Jane Eyre-ish vibe; he's a sardonic, enigmatic employer in love with his daughter's quiet ...
It is a rare Regency Romance indeed that can tackle adult issues while still maintaining the usual light, spirited Regency tone. With only a few caveats, The Storybook Hero does just that, giving me another author to add to my glom list.
Octavia Hadley is penniless, and rather than foo ...
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you crossed a regency-set historical with Jane Eyre? You haven't? Neither had I until I started White Mist, which turns out to be just such a mix. It's an unexpected combination, but it works.
In this case, Jane's role is filled by Lady Elean ...