I was a little disappointed in this one. It was OK. I liked the Edwardian Age setting, but sadly I didn't really like the MFC, Diana. To me her life sI was a little disappointed in this one. It was OK. I liked the Edwardian Age setting, but sadly I didn't really like the MFC, Diana. To me her life seemed a little empty and meaningless. She enjoyed fashion, gossip, the social whirl. Fine. But there didn't seem to be much point or depth to her lifestyle. Her reasons for abruptly breaking off her engagement with Rupert also seemed a little unfair and lacking in empathy. She is judgmental and slow to understand or forgive.
Rupert, a soldier who had fought alongside Diana's late brother, Jem, at Mafeking in the Boer War, was perhaps a bit more likeable. He and Jem had been best friends, but only Rupert survived the battlefield and came home. It takes most of the book for the truth about the shadowy events of that time to be revealed.
The plot line was OK, if fairly straightforward and simple. But I kept waiting to start liking Diana, and I never did, really. So therefore, only 3 stars. If she was a more sympathetic character, it could have been a 4 star read. Oh well..... But at this point I'm not inclined to try the other two books in the trilogy. Maybe at some point? But not just now....more
An engrossing read based entirely on diary entries from Englishwoman Hermione Ranfurly's experiences during WWII. She and her husband Dan married shorAn engrossing read based entirely on diary entries from Englishwoman Hermione Ranfurly's experiences during WWII. She and her husband Dan married shortly before the war began, and they ended up being separated for most of the war. He was a prisoner of war for some years, and the rest of the time was on active service.
Hermione had followed Dan to North Africa, and she ended up spending most of the war in this area and various spots around the Mediterranean, including Palestine, Cairo, Italy and others. In her role as secretary and PA to various highly placed military officers, Hermione met many famous and influential people, including Churchill, Eisenhower, Hollywood actors etc. She worked hard at her job, with many 12-hour days or longer, and billets ranging from good to terrible. Her separation from Dan, especially when he was a POW, was difficult and at times full of fear for him. Her story was quite moving at times.
It was a very interesting personal viewpoint on those chaotic, unpredictable and difficult years. Luckily for Hermione, both she and her husband survived and, in her own words, had their happily ever after. She always tried to make a diary entry before she went to bed, even if the hour was late. The diary entries ranged from a few sentences to several pages, and made the book easy to read, as the information came in small bites.
A decent military space adventure. Apart from the very beginning, the whole thing takes place on board the ship Invictus. An intriguing story with an A decent military space adventure. Apart from the very beginning, the whole thing takes place on board the ship Invictus. An intriguing story with an interesting manner of unfolding. Sadly, it's a real cliffhanger, with the story suddenly stopping right in the middle of the dramatic high point. The author does apologise at the end, saying the book was just getting too long so she decided to split it. Oh well, at least the second half is due out in only a few weeks time. I enjoyed the read so I will go on and read the second half....more
Set in the early 1700s, mainly in the Scottish border areas, during the reign of George I of England and ending with the Jacobite uprising of 1715. AcSet in the early 1700s, mainly in the Scottish border areas, during the reign of George I of England and ending with the Jacobite uprising of 1715. According to the author's end note, it's partly based on/inspired by the lives of some of her ancestors.
Everard and Blythe's romance is a bit of a slow burn. They didn't actually meet face-to-face until 1/4 of the way through the book, which was a little disappointing to me. Their love story was quite nice, and there were some dramatic events that affected their lives and added some action to the storyline in the later part of the book. It was a little confusing though, as they had different faith backgrounds, and the politics of them and their family members was also a bit muddy. Sometimes I lost track of who was on whose side and why at a particular point in the story. Love and faith did overcome all in the end, however.
I was a bit disappointed in the simplistic and fairly unlikely trope of (view spoiler)[ falling pregnant after just one night of love. Hmm. Yes, it can happen, but really .... not often. I don't really like it when authors use this trope (hide spoiler)]. I also don't particularly like the trope of the 'plain' heroine. I'm not really sure what it means, and have some trouble picturing the heroine in my imagination. In reality, hardly anyone is beautiful, so I don't know why authors bother trying to pitch a character as 'plain-looking'. People are animated by their personalities, not by their looks.
Overall not a bad story. But sadly for me it dragged and was too slow-paced until near the end, by which point I wasn't as interested any more. Overall, I think the book was a bit too long, with some 'padding' that needed editing out or trimming. So not bad, but not my fav book by this author....more
A bit old-fashioned in writing and story style. I liked reading more about members of the Dilhorne family, having read the earlier books in the seriesA bit old-fashioned in writing and story style. I liked reading more about members of the Dilhorne family, having read the earlier books in the series, but this story itself wasn't my fav. I didn't mind the change in setting to USA, and the story started off quite well. But Sophie, the nasty bee-arch who was out for revenge, was a bit too nasty for my taste, and it all got a bit too angsty for me, before the eventual HEA. I admit I did a bit of skimming in the second half of the book. Not a horrible read, but not that great either. ...more
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for the entertainment value of the read. It's an odd mix of fantasy and sci-fi/space opera, with a hint of romance. I had to3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for the entertainment value of the read. It's an odd mix of fantasy and sci-fi/space opera, with a hint of romance. I had to smile at the blurb, which claims it's 'Space opera meets Bridgerton'. Oh dear. I don't think so. Bridgerton fans will be sorely disappointed if they think this book will remind them of the TV series. Nothing like it. LOL. What book promoters will say/do to sell books. *shakes head*
That aside, it's a decent read. My first by this author. Whilst I'm not rushing out to read her previous books, I will definitely have a look at the next one in this series when it comes along. This is a fast-moving adventure set in a sci-fi world that has magic as well. There are power struggles between different political factions, as well as celebrities and gossip girls, with the occasional ball, (the Bridgerton angle, presumably). I would call the book 'fun' except that there's quite a bit of violence in there, which I admit I generally skimmed over. It was the technology/magic mix that attracted my attention to this book, and I did enjoy this aspect of the read.
It's a kind of 'fated mates' trope, with the seemingly unimportant and lowly 'lab rat' Vesper accidentally and unexpectedly forming a 'true bond' with Kyrion, the fearsome head of the military Arrows. Presumably, more about their bond and their magic will unfold in the next book. An intriguing world. A bit too much violence for my taste, and also a slightly cheesy writing style, but it was otherwise a fast-moving and entertaining read. ...more
Quite an enjoyable visit to England in the 1500s, although the storyline moved a little too slowly for my taste. The settings and historical aspects oQuite an enjoyable visit to England in the 1500s, although the storyline moved a little too slowly for my taste. The settings and historical aspects of the book definitely conveyed you to a different time and place, which I appreciated. HRs that are brazenly historically inaccurate are annoying to me, but this book happily did not fall into that category.
Bess and Edmund's love story was quite a nice tale, but it was definitely a slow-burn, and I didn't really feel their passion and love, even though it was stated on page. I would also like to have known a little more about Bess's first marriage and why it was a failure.
But overall, a decent read, and I would consider reading more by this author.
3.5 to 4 stars. A solid read with an interesting story that had numerous twists and turns. The inevitable twist near the ending was a little predictab3.5 to 4 stars. A solid read with an interesting story that had numerous twists and turns. The inevitable twist near the ending was a little predictable from the beginning, but that didn't spoil the storyline for me.
For historical romance readers, the main thing that was lacking was the romance element. The plot revolved around two crucial love stories, one at the time of the Battle of Waterloo, and one in the next generation, in 1840s London. However there was very little actual romance on the page. A bit like the style of Georgette Heyer, readers have to read between the lines and simply believe that a grand passion has developed between the two lovers, when the reader 'wasn't looking' LOL. They are simply told that the characters are now deeply in love. This isn't the kind of book I'm used to reading, and in fact I'd hesitate to call the book a 'historical romance', more a historical fiction with some romance elements.
In spite of this, I enjoyed the book. I liked the start, set at the tense times of Waterloo, and the famous ball given in Brussels by the Duchess of Richmond on the night the battle just happened to begin. Then the move back to London and the contrasts in the lifestyles of the Trenchards (rich tradesman), the aristocratic Brockenhursts, and the below-stairs shenanigans of the servants of both families.
I did read this book quite soon after watching the mini-series on TV. The book and the series are very close to each other in both plot and characters. I completely enjoyed the TV series, and I'm not sure how much this affected my reading of the book. Not sure how I would have found the book if I read it first. It was quite well written though, and felt historically believable. Just not much romance on the page, even though the ideas in the story were quite romantic. ...more
This early Balogh (1994) was a little too angsty for me, and to add to that, I didn't particularly like or admire the heroine.
It started off promisinThis early Balogh (1994) was a little too angsty for me, and to add to that, I didn't particularly like or admire the heroine.
It started off promisingly, with some of the harsh realities/effects of the Crimean War on English soldiers and their families being depicted. Not a common setting for historical romances.
But, also from the start, it was clear that the book's title is a very appropriate one. The lives of David, Julian, Rebecca, and the Scherers are all crazily tangled. The situations were believable enough, if you could buy in to the personalities of the protagonists. Julian was charming but weak and immature, and (view spoiler)[ seemed to be addicted to sex. (hide spoiler)] David had developed an unfortunate habit of taking the blame for Julian, his foster-brother's, peccadilloes. Rebecca had been raised to be a 'proper lady', which was consistent with the times and circumstances of her upbringing. She has no understanding of sexuality, and was naive in many ways, almost to the point of being dumb. She had no clue that David had always been in love with her.
None of the three MCs were particularly admirable, actually, and as a result of all this, the relationship between David and Rebecca was confusing and lacked real passion. Both of them were too inhibited, and it was frustrating to this reader.
The later part of the book had some unexpected developments, and the ending was different from what I expected. But by this point I wasn't really caught up in Rebecca and David's story any more. I got a bit sick of them by the end, actually.
So, this may be a good read for you if you like a tangled, angsty type of historical romance. For me it turned out to be a bit flat, and not my fav by this author, even though I really like some of her other works from this period.
An entertaining space navy adventure, with an appealing young heroine who is full of integrity. I read this one quite quickly as I got caught up in thAn entertaining space navy adventure, with an appealing young heroine who is full of integrity. I read this one quite quickly as I got caught up in the dramatic events around Basilisk Station.
This is the first in a well-established series. I'm a bit late to the party, but now I've read this one, I will definitely consider reading more about the honourable Honor's escapades.
3.5 stars. A quick read. it was interesting to see the American Revolutionary War through the eyes of slaves. A decent read, although it did suffer fr3.5 stars. A quick read. it was interesting to see the American Revolutionary War through the eyes of slaves. A decent read, although it did suffer from the typical novella issues of all the action and romance being a bit rushed and compressed. Still, I enjoyed the read. This was a March 2022 BOTM for HRBC - 'All's fair in love and war' theme....more
Quite a fascinating story, based on real people. Mary Emmons was (probably) born in India, possibly as a result of a Tamil woman being raped by a BritQuite a fascinating story, based on real people. Mary Emmons was (probably) born in India, possibly as a result of a Tamil woman being raped by a British soldier. Sold into slavery as a child, she eventually ended up in America, where she led a long and eventful life. She had a daughter and son by Aaron Burr. Burr finally married her (in secret) after the death of his wife. The last years of Mary's life were spent as a free woman. Her children went on to lead long and fruitful lives, especially her son John Burr, who became a prominent abolitionist and member of the Underground Railroad.
Aaron Burr is mostly remembered as the one who shot Alexander Hamilton in that infamous duel, however he was a complex and powerful man with much more to be remembered for. A respected soldier then a popular lawyer. In 1800, he missed becoming president by a single vote (to Jefferson). What might have been.....
The story is told through the eyes and experiences of Mary. Not much is known of her life, so the author has filled in the gaps, but done a decent job of making a credible story. I like that she didn't overly romanticise the relationship between Burr and Mary. It's not presented as Burr being the love of Mary's life, although they are shown as having respect and liking for each other. But Burr always has the power over his wife's slave, whom he chooses to pursue whether she likes it or not.
So yes, a very interesting story. The (mal)treatment of Mary as a child slave to her French mistress was quite horrifying. At least she was treated better by her next mistress, Theodosia Prevost (who later married Aaron Burr).
Unfortunately I found the book was a little slow in parts, and for me it was overly long. I can understand the author wanting to include lots of detail for this amazing story, but the book may have benefited from a bit of judicious editing or pruning. Still, a very good read, as this author's work always is.
It was an interesting contrast to read this one after having read I, Eliza Hamilton by the same author. It was kind of like the flip side of the coin - some of the same people and events, but seen from a totally different viewpoint and politics.
This was my January 2022 read for the HRBC Romance Across The Ages challenge - American Revolution period....more
A fictionalised account of the lives of Eliza and Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton, one of America's Founding Fathers, is a fascinating figure. Sadly he mA fictionalised account of the lives of Eliza and Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton, one of America's Founding Fathers, is a fascinating figure. Sadly he met his ignominious end when only in his forties. Eliza on the other hand lived into her nineties, dying not long before the start of the Civil War. What she saw in her lifetime is quite extraordinary.
This author is respected for the research she does when writing her historical fictions. Knowing almost nothing about the Hamiltons before reading this book (I'm Australian) I am left with the impression of an honourable, brilliant and complicated man - a workaholic who was passionately dedicated to the country he helped to found. A war hero, and also a loving family man. Through Eliza's eyes, we see a man who believes in the truth at (almost) all costs, and a man with a low tolerance for BS or lies. As a consequence, clearly he made many enemies during those tumultuous political times.
This is quite a long book with a high level of detail about the Hamiltons' lives with its ups and downs. It was a fairly slow read for me as a consequence. At first I found it a little hard to connect with the character of Eliza. She did not seem to be a good match for the brilliant and charismatic young Hamilton. But it seems they genuinely loved each other, and as the book proceeded, Eliza's faithfulness and constant support of Alexander made her more likeable. The times were eventful and fascinating, and the characters so interesting that the book maintained my interest to the end.
This is the second book I have enjoyed by this writer, and I will probably read more. ...more
3.5 to 4 stars. A cut above most novellas, with some decent character development and an interesting little plot. Kind of a treasure hunt along with t3.5 to 4 stars. A cut above most novellas, with some decent character development and an interesting little plot. Kind of a treasure hunt along with the romance, and the treasure was most unexpected once it was found! It did finish in a bit of a rush, but, that's one of the common limitations of a novella I suppose. I did enjoy the read, though.
Captain Steven McBride is a soldier who has been serving in Africa, and (after the events of the book) will be returning there. But he is now going to take his new wife with him. In my imagination, I wonder how they will go in Africa, in what will probably be uncomfortable conditions for the new Mrs McBride. Hopefully Steven will cut back on the heavy drinking. I like to wonder sometimes about what happens to characters after a book has concluded. I guess if I'm wondering about that, then the author has succeeded in making the characters seem real :)...more
3.5 to 4 stars. An enjoyable read set in the mid 1700s in New York State. The hero, Major Iain Mackinnon and his two brothers are originally from the 3.5 to 4 stars. An enjoyable read set in the mid 1700s in New York State. The hero, Major Iain Mackinnon and his two brothers are originally from the Scottish Highlands and they feel quite Scottish. But they basically grew up in America alongside some friendly Mohican Indians, and the book does have a kinda Last of the Mohicans feel.
The heroine, Annie, is the daughter of a deceased Scottish earl, but she has been treated poorly by a wicked uncle and ends up in servitude in America. Iain rescues Annie from Indian raiders, and that's how they meet.
I liked the portrayal of the characters, particularly the honourable and heroic Iain, legendary leader of Mackinnon's Rangers. The story moved along quite quickly, with a few interesting twists and turns along the road to their HEA. It kept me interested all the way through, and I now want to read the other books, about Iain's brothers. ...more
3.5 to 4 stars. Set in occupied New Orleans during the Civil War. Major Zach Cooper is a provost marshal for the Union, and much hated by the locals f3.5 to 4 stars. Set in occupied New Orleans during the Civil War. Major Zach Cooper is a provost marshal for the Union, and much hated by the locals for his blue uniform and all it represents. But from the moment he meets Emmanuelle, in a dark, rainy cemetery after a murder has occurred, the attraction starts building between them.
Emmanuelle is a woman who should have been a doctor, but is not able to be one because of the time and place in history not allowing this for women. But she works in a hospital and takes on many of the responsibilities of a doctor anyway, due to the shortage of doctors in the town. Emmanuelle's husband was killed by Union soldiers, and she has much reason to resent Zach. But she falls for him anyway. So the growing romance has a forbidden, angsty element all the way through.
I loved Zach. He was well-drawn, interesting, honourable, sexy, the whole package. I respected Emmanuelle's fierce and protective love for her son, her passion for her work, and her hatred of the madness of war. It was hard to warm to her as a character though, because she had so many dark secrets. The reader was deliberately kept in the dark to maintain the strong thread of mystery running through the book. Emmanuelle's secrets were gradually revealed as the plot developed. Unfortunately this had the effect of making the reader doubt Emmanuelle at times and not really connect with her that much as a character.
This book was a mystery romance, with the tracking down of the serial killer a strong element of the storyline. The romance was beautiful, with a wonderful HEA. The mystery was interesting but rather complex, with lots of red herrings and many characters involved. At times it became a little repetitive. A question was asked, Emmanuelle or some other character would lie or give a partial, confusing answer, the truth would be revealed, rinse-and-repeat. Or at least it started to feel like that as the book went on. As usual for me, I didn't guess correctly who the killer was till they were revealed at the end, although no doubt some other readers would do so earlier. The plot did hang together well, but it just felt a little dragged out at times so hence I held back on the full 4 stars.
The book was very atmospheric with lots of hot New Orleans nights and wild stormy rain. The cast of secondary characters and minor characters was interesting and they were well-drawn. As usual, Ms Proctor has a fine sense of place in her writing. I did enjoy the read in spite of a few reservations. Overall, I just wanted to keep reading to see whodunnit, what happened, and to see Zach and Emmanuelle get the happiness they both deserved.
The book has a nice epilogue. (view spoiler)[ Unusually for a HR, it is set in what appears to be the present day, with some of Zach and Emmanuelle's descendants discussing their ancestors and revealing part of what happened to them after the book finished. Very satisfying. (hide spoiler)] Nicely done....more
2.5 stars. This one was a little slow for me and I did some light skimming in the second half. I quite liked Cass, the hero, but I found Roxanne a lit2.5 stars. This one was a little slow for me and I did some light skimming in the second half. I quite liked Cass, the hero, but I found Roxanne a little problematical and didn't really connect with her character. She was too impulsive and made some silly decisions with no forethought, that ended up putting her in danger or a bad situation. I got frustrated with that.
I read this book for the Romance Across The Ages challenge, September 2021 American Revolution theme....more
Eden and Izzy, Jenn and Dan. Nice to see them get their HEAs. Another gripping and fast-moving addition to the series. Had a pretty nasty glimpse intoEden and Izzy, Jenn and Dan. Nice to see them get their HEAs. Another gripping and fast-moving addition to the series. Had a pretty nasty glimpse into a misguided and fanatical group trying to force gay teens into turning hetero. Eek. Also a very nasty child pornography/ sex trafficking ring got sprung along the way.
I really like this series. It's intense and sometimes I have to take a break from reading it, but I love the characters and I'm always drawn back to it. ...more
A little different from other books in the series, as the plot was based around catching a serial killer. Fortunately didn't dwell too much on his craA little different from other books in the series, as the plot was based around catching a serial killer. Fortunately didn't dwell too much on his craziness.
Another fast-moving, gripping read in this terrific series. But it's definitely best to read them in order for maximum enjoyment. I enjoyed the ensemble cast and the revisits wth beloved characters from other books in the series. I liked the new character Jenn, and I liked her with Dan. It ends with a HFN, but I'm sure they'll get back together in a future book.
Brockmann is good at taking a fairly unlikeable secondary character from a previous book (in this case, Dan Gillman) and showing you what's underneath the layers, so you change your mind and start to like them....more
This one was a gripping one. Great revisits with characters from other books, plus some characters ending up with unexpected pairings. It all worked wThis one was a gripping one. Great revisits with characters from other books, plus some characters ending up with unexpected pairings. It all worked well. This is definitely a series best read in order, for maximum enjoyment. ...more