Another "following the drum" book. I've read a couple of Farrell's Regencies and she's a very talented writer. She hasn't written anything in quite a long time, unfortunately.
Red, Red Rose by Marjorie Farrell
(1999, Regency Historical) 12/26/05
Grade: 4
The illegitimate son of an Earl, Valentine Ashton ends up a Lieutenant in Portugal. He is determined to prove himself, and ends up rescuing Elspeth Gordon, the daughter of an officer. They become friends, and through the long winter, get to know each other - but can their friendship become love, as Val investigates a friend for possible treason?
Another excellent depiction of the war against Napoleon, this one with more of an officer’s perspective. This is Val’s story, from his beginnings as an orphaned bastard in England to his struggles with his family and duty in Portugal. The book really focuses on him, and he’s a wonderful hero - a bit tortured but brave and admirable. Elspeth is also a terrific heroine, but she’s a secondary character for most of the book - the focus is on Val and his troubles, and on a detailed depiction of life in camp during a long campaign. It’s only near the end that the romance really comes forward. A book to read for the history, not the relationships.
A bit disappointing, since Marjorie Farrell is known for her deeply emotional Regencies, and I was looking forward to more romance with my history. But it's worth reading for Val's story, even if it's not deeply romantic.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Sunday, December 25, 2005
The Dog Makes The Tale
I've never been a big fan of Barbara Metzger - I've read several of her books, but her humor doesn't really work for me, and I find most of her books a bit dull. But people keep giving me her books, assuring me that "you just haven't found the right one yet". This one was most highly recommended.
A Loyal Companion by Barbara Metzger
(1992, Regency) 12/24/05
Grade: 3.5
Fitz is the loyal dog of high-spirited Sunny, and he’s determined to protect her and find her a proper mate. After some false starts, he discovers Darius Conover, a war hero with a bad reputation. Fitz will do anything to see his mistress with the right man - and Darius is just the one for her.
Cute and fun - you don’t read many books that include the dog’s perspective. Fitz’s unique narration kept me laughing, and kept me reading. Unfortunately, the rest of the book wasn’t that interesting - the hero and heroine are kind of bland, and the story runs out of steam about halfway through, even though the book is very short. If it hadn’t been for Fitz, I probably wouldn’t have finished it.
I think this will be my last Metzger...
A Loyal Companion by Barbara Metzger
(1992, Regency) 12/24/05
Grade: 3.5
Fitz is the loyal dog of high-spirited Sunny, and he’s determined to protect her and find her a proper mate. After some false starts, he discovers Darius Conover, a war hero with a bad reputation. Fitz will do anything to see his mistress with the right man - and Darius is just the one for her.
Cute and fun - you don’t read many books that include the dog’s perspective. Fitz’s unique narration kept me laughing, and kept me reading. Unfortunately, the rest of the book wasn’t that interesting - the hero and heroine are kind of bland, and the story runs out of steam about halfway through, even though the book is very short. If it hadn’t been for Fitz, I probably wouldn’t have finished it.
I think this will be my last Metzger...
Friday, December 23, 2005
A Twist On Romancing The Stone
AAR did a recent review of this Harlequin American series title from 1994 - I was looking for a short and light read so I picked it up at the used bookstore.
The Adventuress by M.J. Rodgers (HAR 520)
(1994, Contemporary Series) 12/23/05
Grade: 3.5
Timid librarian Pamela Gibson has a secret - she writes bestsellers about the sexy, adventurous “Roxanne Rainey”, who travels the world righting wrongs. But when she’s bonked on the head during a helicopter hijacking, she wakes up thinking she’s actually Roxanne, and that she and reluctant pilot and pararescuer Skye have to rescue a kidnapping victim in trouble!
A silly-but-fun adventure story, which doesn’t take itself too seriously. The tone is definitely tongue in cheek. I don’t normally like adventure stories that much, but the short length works for it - it’s just long enough to be a fun and frothy read. Roxanne is a plucky, tough heroine who climbs cliffs and dives into Hawaiian lagoons without a second thought - except she can’t figure out why she keeps remembering life as a librarian. Skye has less personality but he and Roxanne have a lot of chemistry together. The ending is a bit rushed, but overall, a fun time is had by all.
Think of this as a twist on Romancing the Stone - an affectionate take-off on the typical romance adventure story. I probably won't remember much about it by tomorrow, but it was a fun way to spend my first day of Christmas vacation.
The Adventuress by M.J. Rodgers (HAR 520)
(1994, Contemporary Series) 12/23/05
Grade: 3.5
Timid librarian Pamela Gibson has a secret - she writes bestsellers about the sexy, adventurous “Roxanne Rainey”, who travels the world righting wrongs. But when she’s bonked on the head during a helicopter hijacking, she wakes up thinking she’s actually Roxanne, and that she and reluctant pilot and pararescuer Skye have to rescue a kidnapping victim in trouble!
A silly-but-fun adventure story, which doesn’t take itself too seriously. The tone is definitely tongue in cheek. I don’t normally like adventure stories that much, but the short length works for it - it’s just long enough to be a fun and frothy read. Roxanne is a plucky, tough heroine who climbs cliffs and dives into Hawaiian lagoons without a second thought - except she can’t figure out why she keeps remembering life as a librarian. Skye has less personality but he and Roxanne have a lot of chemistry together. The ending is a bit rushed, but overall, a fun time is had by all.
Think of this as a twist on Romancing the Stone - an affectionate take-off on the typical romance adventure story. I probably won't remember much about it by tomorrow, but it was a fun way to spend my first day of Christmas vacation.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
An Admirable Read
I have a couple of "following the drum" books in my TBR pile - I'll be interested to see how different authors explore the subject.
Rules of Marriage by Wilma Counts
(2002, Regency Historical) 12/11/05
Grade: 3.5
After four years married to a cruel soldier, Rachel is resigned to her fate, although she defies her husband to save the life of wounded Major Jake Ferguson. When her husband sells her at an auction, it’s Jake who saves her. She and Jake live together on the campaign trail, but when she returns to England, can she continue as his mistress? Or his wife?
This is a book to be admired for its nobility, rather than loved. The characters rarely come to life - Rachel in particular is so saintly and so passive, it’s hard to root for her or believe in her character. The hero and heroine are apart for much of the book, and their relationship seems rote. The book does contain a lot of interesting details about the Spanish campaign and the lives of the women following the drum, but the book is more of a history lesson, with just a small dollop of romance. I enjoyed the history and I'll keep it in mind when I read other books about the period, but I doubt I'll remember the romance. The characters are just too perfect and the story too predictable.
Red, Red Rose by Marjorie Farrell is sitting next to my bed - I can't decide if I should jump right into another "women in war" book or try something completely different.
Rules of Marriage by Wilma Counts
(2002, Regency Historical) 12/11/05
Grade: 3.5
After four years married to a cruel soldier, Rachel is resigned to her fate, although she defies her husband to save the life of wounded Major Jake Ferguson. When her husband sells her at an auction, it’s Jake who saves her. She and Jake live together on the campaign trail, but when she returns to England, can she continue as his mistress? Or his wife?
This is a book to be admired for its nobility, rather than loved. The characters rarely come to life - Rachel in particular is so saintly and so passive, it’s hard to root for her or believe in her character. The hero and heroine are apart for much of the book, and their relationship seems rote. The book does contain a lot of interesting details about the Spanish campaign and the lives of the women following the drum, but the book is more of a history lesson, with just a small dollop of romance. I enjoyed the history and I'll keep it in mind when I read other books about the period, but I doubt I'll remember the romance. The characters are just too perfect and the story too predictable.
Red, Red Rose by Marjorie Farrell is sitting next to my bed - I can't decide if I should jump right into another "women in war" book or try something completely different.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Elisabeth Fairchild: Always a Pleasure To Read
I'm never disappointed by an Elisabeth Fairchild Regency - some are better than others but they're always a cut above the rest.
A Fresh Perspective by Elisabeth Fairchild
(1996, Regency) 12/3/05
Grade: 4.5
Lord Reed Talcott returns from his grand tour to find his best friend and neighbor, Megan Breech, greatly changed. They always shared a love for art, but it seems that she’s grown up overnight! Megan’s first love was always Reed, but he sees her as just a friend. So she’ll have to look elsewhere - unless she can get him to see her from a new perspective...
Elisabeth Fairchild always impresses me with her writing - she is so vivid, and does such a great job at depicting characters in just a few words. My favorite one, describing a secondary character: "The young woman reminded her of a vine. It did not seem to matter that it was always a different fellow, only that there should be someone male to wind herself around." I also enjoyed the way she keeps coming back to “perspective” - for once, a title that really means something! The story here isn’t all that romantic (Fairchild’s characters are always down to earth but I prefer her more passionate books, like Miss Dornton's Hero) but she keeps me turning the pages because I genuinely like these characters and want to find out what happens to them. The ending is a bit muddled, but that's a minor quibble. Her books never disappoint - highly recommended.
I'm crossing my fingers that Fairchild survives the demise of the Regency, and finds a way to write her wonderful books without destroying what's special about them. (Something that too many Regency authors haven't been able to do...)
A Fresh Perspective by Elisabeth Fairchild
(1996, Regency) 12/3/05
Grade: 4.5
Lord Reed Talcott returns from his grand tour to find his best friend and neighbor, Megan Breech, greatly changed. They always shared a love for art, but it seems that she’s grown up overnight! Megan’s first love was always Reed, but he sees her as just a friend. So she’ll have to look elsewhere - unless she can get him to see her from a new perspective...
Elisabeth Fairchild always impresses me with her writing - she is so vivid, and does such a great job at depicting characters in just a few words. My favorite one, describing a secondary character: "The young woman reminded her of a vine. It did not seem to matter that it was always a different fellow, only that there should be someone male to wind herself around." I also enjoyed the way she keeps coming back to “perspective” - for once, a title that really means something! The story here isn’t all that romantic (Fairchild’s characters are always down to earth but I prefer her more passionate books, like Miss Dornton's Hero) but she keeps me turning the pages because I genuinely like these characters and want to find out what happens to them. The ending is a bit muddled, but that's a minor quibble. Her books never disappoint - highly recommended.
I'm crossing my fingers that Fairchild survives the demise of the Regency, and finds a way to write her wonderful books without destroying what's special about them. (Something that too many Regency authors haven't been able to do...)
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