Barefoot in the Grass by Judith Arnold

I'm a great fan of the "issue romance". I know a lot of people don't like them, but I find it very rewarding, reading about a heroine who has overcome a real-life obstacle (like breast cancer in this book), and is still able to find love and happiness. To me, that makes the book all the more satisfying and emotional, and leaves me with a happy feeling. But, I guess that's not a common response among romance readers, because I've only read 2 or 3 other books that dealt with this issue (and unfortunately, the other ones were not that great). I know there are "women's fiction" books that deal with this topic, but I prefer to read romance - where I'm guaranteed my happy ending.

I'm always terribly picky when it comes to romance, but the reluctance of romance readers to read books like this has always baffled me. It seems like a natural fit for romance, in my opinion. What's more romantic than a hero who loves you no matter what?

Barefoot in the Grass by Judith Arnold (HSR 715)
(1996, Contemporary Series) 9/27/08
Grade: 4

After losing a breast to cancer, Beth Pendleton leaves New York for the calm of small town New Hampshire. She plans to buy a house, get a dog, walk barefoot in the grass. She didn’t expect to meet contractor Ryan Walker, or to be so attracted to him. Ryan can’t stop thinking about Beth, but how will he react when he finds out the truth?

This was a heartfelt story with a very sympathetic heroine. She was strong and smart and sarcastic - a real person. Ryan was a bit less developed, but his instant attraction to Beth was depicted very well - he just can’t stop thinking about her, almost despite himself. And when the truth of Beth’s secret finally comes to life, his reaction is not perfect bliss - he struggles with it. However, I felt the book had a major problem with pacing. It takes far too long in the first part of the book - the book is more than 2/3 over before Beth reveals her secret. It was just a bit too slow and plodding in the first section. After a while, I felt like the author was dragging her feet. And then, once the truth comes out, although it’s very emotional, it’s just a bit too short. I think the book would have been better if the big reveal had occurred earlier in the story. However, it was still very good, and I enjoyed it and found it quite moving.

I haven't heard much from Judith Arnold lately, although she wrote a Harlequin Everlasting last year that I enjoyed. I've enjoyed many of her books, and it's too bad that she hasn't written more recently.

Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh

Books in a series always create a dilemma for me. If I read them as they come out (often, a year or so apart), then I will forget all the secondary characters. A particular problem for Balogh, since you will be completely lost if you don't have a complete geneology of the Bedwyns and all their various relatives and acquaintances at your fingertips. Even reading these close together, I was often confused by the many appearances of Lord X and Lady Y and Lord Z and Lady Q - who we were expected to recognize and know. But, when you read too many books by the same author in a row, the similarities become more apparent - especially in a series like this, with very similar storylines.

Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh
(2008, Regency Historical
Grade: 4

Claudia Martin has made a life for herself as the headmistress of a school for girls, but she remains suspicious of the aristocracy. But when the Marquess of Attingsborough comes to her school, hoping to find a place for his illegitimate blind daughter, Claudia softens a bit, especially as she gets to know Joseph better, and finds he’s not the stuffy aristocrat he appears.

This book had its good points, and bad ones. I enjoyed the characters, and I appreciated that the plot threw them together a great deal and allowed them to get to know each other. The hero’s love for his daughter was very touching and sympathetic. However, the book never really took off for me. The daughter became a little too cutesy after a while, and there were a lot of similarities between this book and the previous books in this series. The characters seemed to spend a lot of time going over and over the same issues. I just wasn’t moved, the way I was in the last book. And of course, there were gaggles of Bedwyns and other relatives - by this point, I’ve given up trying to keep them all straight. Still, overall the book was enjoyable to read, it just wasn’t as wonderful as some of the other books by Balogh. It was a decent ending to this series - although I can’t help hoping, no more Bedwyns, PLEASE.

After reading this series, I have mixed feelings - on one hand, I'm relieved that Balogh is still writing books that I can enjoy. I was really wondering after the previous series. On the other hand, for the most part, the magic of her Regencies isn't quite there any more. Oh well, I suppose no author can sustain that.

Simply Magic by Mary Balogh

I'm faring much better with this new series by Balogh than I did with the last one, although I think Mary Balogh is far too enamored of her beloved Bedwyns. They just keep popping up, over and over and over again. I hope her next book (or series) deals with some other group of people - surely even in Mary Balogh's world, every person in England wasn't a close relative of a Bedwyn!

Simply Magic by Mary Balogh
(2007, Regency Historical) 9/22/08
Grade: 4.5

Once a charity student, Susannah Osborne is now a teacher at a girl’s school. When she meets Peter, Viscount Whitleaf, she thinks he’s frivolous and without depth, but as she gets to know him better, she finds that he’s more than he appears. Surprisingly, they become friends - but can their relationship survive when Susannah’s past comes between them?

This was my favorite of this series so far, mostly because the hero and heroine were so appealing. Peter is the nice guy hero rarely seen in romance, a hero who puts everyone else’s needs before his own. Susannah was strong and warm as well. And the book gives them a lot of time to simply be together, and spend time talking and getting to know each other. (Although the teacher’s at St. Martin’s are awfully quick to jump in bed with their heroes, at least this time the heroine waited until she got to know the hero.) There is a little bit of Bedwyn overdose towards the end, but thankfully, it’s kept at a minimum. Overall, this book was just a joy to read - there wasn’t a lot of plot, but the characters were just so delightful, I enjoyed every page.

I guess I've accepted that romances today all take place in a slightly fantasized historical setting, where heroines don't need to worry about the consequences of sex. I like a good sex scene, but you lose a bit of historical accuracy when heroines don't seem bothered by the prospect of unwed motherhood.

Simply Love by Mary Balogh

One problem with a long-running series is that many authors seem to think that readers are as familiar with the books and the characters as the author is. Maybe the fan girls can recite Bedwyn family genealogy back three generations, but I've read a lot of other books, in between reading the Balogh books, and my memory isn't that good. So, when an author starts throwing in characters that date back 8 or 10 books ago (including secondary characters), I only have the vaguest memory of who they are. It's like being at someone else's family reunion and having Aunt Tallulah run up and grab you, saying "you remember me, don't you?" Uhhh, no.

Simply Love by Mary Balogh
(2006, Regency Historical) 9/20/08
Grade: 4

After having a child out of wedlock, Anne Jewell was relieved to have a job as a teacher. But when she takes her son to visit the Bedwyn family in Wales, she is unexpectedly attracted to Sydnam Butler, the steward who was badly injured in the war. He lives almost as a recluse, hiding his injured face and body from the world. But Anne makes him dream of more.

When I read the description on the back of the book, I knew where this book was going, and I almost decided not to read it. But I went ahead anyway, and I’m glad I did, although the book wasn’t as wonderful as it could have been. I really loved the hero and heroine. Both of them were well characterized, particularly Sydnam. (Although, the heroine was treated in a pretty modern way - I find it hard to believe that an unwed mother would be accepted as readily in Regency England.) The book gave them a lot of time to simply talk and explore their relationship, my favorite kind of book! However, the main problem with the book was the “Bedwyn family reunion” atmosphere. The author managed to shoehorn in just about every character from her previous books (even the most minor), and this crowd of characters intruded on the story (and even though I read most of the previous books, I had a hard time remembering who was who. It was annoying.) This became such a distraction from the main story that it made me mark down the grade. But still, it was a lovely romance.

How realistic do we want our historicals to be? In the last book, I was a little put off by the imperious way the hero and heroine treated the servants at the beginning of the book. And yet, that's surely realistic to the times. Here, the realism was a little Disney-fied. Would an unwed mother really be treated so kindly, at a girls school for the upper classes? Even as little as 40 years ago here in the U.S., unwed mothers were considered so scandalous that the mothers were almost always pressured to give up their babies. (I was adopted under such circumstances.) It's a nice thought, that "single mother" Anne would be loved and accepted by all, but I suspect it's a fantasy.

Simply Unforgettable by Mary Balogh

I am such a Balogh fan. If my house was on fire and I could only grab a few books on my way out the door, I'd pick most of them off my Balogh shelf. I can't think of another author who has moved me as much. That's one reason the Slightly books were so disappointing for me - although I liked the last book in the series, there were two or three that were actually unreadable. I began to wonder if Mary Balogh had been abducted by aliens.

I'd heard more promising things about this series, but when I started this book, I was immediately worried. The "we're strangers, let's jump in bed" plotline is hard for me to swallow under the best of circumstances, and it didn't seem like Balogh was doing anything to make it more appealing to me. When the book turned around in the second half, I was so relieved...

Simply Unforgettable by Mary Balogh
(2005, Regency Historical) 9/18/08
Grade: 4

When schoolteacher Frances Allard is stuck in a snowstorm with Lucius, Vicsount Sinclair, she is initially annoyed, then attracted to him. They spend the night together, thinking they will never see each other again. Frances is resigned to her life as a teacher, but Lucius can’t stop thinking about her, and is determined to find a way for them to be together.

Initially, I found this book a bit annoying and dull. I didn’t find either the hero or heroine particularly interesting or sympathetic (he was arrogant, she was passive). It didn’t make a lot of sense for them to go to bed together - I really didn’t see this great attraction between them, and it seemed like just a plot point by the author. However, the book improved dramatically once that section was over, and the two separated. Lucius, in particular, became a much more interesting and sympathetic character once he realized that he cared for Frances (almost in spite of himself). I love a hero who will move heaven and earth to be with the heroine. Frances was still a less interesting character - in particular, I got a bit tired of the hints about her “mysterious past” - but the last few chapters were so touching and emotional, in true Balogh style, that I had to give it a better grade.

I'm such an emotional reader - I can forgive a lot of flaws, if I close the book with that happy "aahhh" feeling. A book that leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy will always get a better grade from me.

Lean On Me by Jill Shalvis

I have a great fondness for romances about disabled heroes and heroines - which probably has some deep psychological meaning, but I think the main reason is that it often gives the story more depth, and a chance to deal with issues beyond the usual "boy meets girl" (or more likely these days "boy tries to bite girl".)

Lean On Me by Jill Shalvis (LS 912)
(1998, Contemporary Series) 9/10/08
Grade: 4

Clarissa Woods is relieved to finally be free of her abusive father, and starting a new life as a physical therapist. But she didn’t expect to be so attracted to the center’s founder, Bo Tyler. Bo has rebuilt his life after an accident left him in a wheelchair, but there’s something about Clarissa that makes him reconsider his bachelor life.

This book had interesting characters and a lot of compelling issues, but it just felt too short to properly deal with all of them. I found Clarissa particularly well drawn - her fear and relief at escaping her past, her difficulties in dealing with her new co-workers, etc. However, I thought she got over her problems very quickly, which was probably dictated by the length of the book. Bo was also an interesting character, especially in his interactions with Clarissa, but I was disappointed at his insistence that he couldn’t be a “real man” unless he could walk - it seemed particularly odd considering his work at the therapy center, working with children in wheelchairs. Perhaps this would have been more believable in a longer story, but in this one, it just felt like a romance cliche. Overall, there were a lot of good things in this story, but it just felt rushed and a little too short.

I went back and forth several times, trying to decide how to grade this book. It was good, but flawed. I decided to give it a boost, mainly because it dealt with some interesting issues, but books like this are definitely the hardest ones to grade!

Rain Shadow by Cheryl St. John

I usually avoid Indian romances, unless there's something particular to recommend them - so often, they feature the same old cliches and stereotypes. But I'll read any book by Cheryl St. John - and of course, she doesn't write about "noble savage" cliches.

Rain Shadow by Cheryl St. John
(1994, Western) 9/9/08
Grade: 4

Rescued by an Indian warrior as a child, Rain Shadow has spent her life as a performer in Bill Cody’s Wild West show. When an accident leaves her and her son Slade on a farm in Pennsylvania, Rain Shadow isn’t sure how to live in the white man’s world - and Anton can’t figure out why he finds this unsuitable woman so attractive.

Although this didn’t have the deep emotionalism of Cheryl St. John’s best books, it’s well written and features real characters with real emotions. Although the “white woman raised as an Indian” plotline is familiar, the author takes it in new directions - it doesn’t feature the usual cliches. Rain Shadow is caught between two worlds, but Anton doesn’t have a problem with an Indian wife - he admires her for her strength and skill. The biggest problem with this book is that the hero and heroine spend far too long figuring out how they feel about each other. Especially in the second half, it started to feel repetitive. I wanted more of the characters’ emotions and less about the suspense plotline featuring Rain Shadow’s former lover. However, this is a fairly minor criticism - I found the book very readable and enjoyed it very much.

It's interesting that this was Cheryl St. John's first published book - it takes place after the events of another book she wrote, Heaven Can Wait. Perhaps she wrote that one first, but this one ended up being published first. However, her talent was definitely clear from the beginning!

Something About Emmaline by Elizabeth Boyle

The con artist heroine is not that uncommon in American historicals, but I've rarely seen this type in Regency-set romances. One reason I get tired of the Regency period isn't because of the period itself, but because of the restrictions that authors (and readers) sometimes put on the genre - only certain kinds of characters allowed. This heroine is pretty mild, as "con artist" heroines go, but it is a refreshing change from the typical Regency miss.

Something About Emmaline by Elizabeth Boyle
(2005, Regency Historical) 9/3/08
Grade: 3.5

When Alex, Lord Sedgwick, made up a wife, he thought he was avoiding trouble. But when Emmaline shows up and starts redecorating his house, Sedgwick doesn’t know what to think - who is this imposter, and why is she so attractive and appealing? She isn’t at all the wife he’d envisioned.

This was a cute book with appealing characters, but it didn’t have much deep emotion. The hero and heroine were both a lot of fun, and I especially enjoyed Emmaline, who has lived by her wits all her life, and is a refreshing change from the typical romance heroine. She and Alex had nice chemistry together, and their interactions were enjoyable. I would have given this book a slightly higher grade if it weren’t for the ending, which throws in one unbelievable coincidence after another, just to make everything come out perfect with a ribbon on top. It kind of spoiled the book for me, just a bit - Alex’s sacrifice to marry Emmaline despite her background didn’t mean much after her past was whisked away. But overall, it was an enjoyable read, although I doubt I’ll remember much about it by next week!

I've ranted about this before, but I'll say it again - why do authors feel the need to wash away all of the heroine's issues in the last chapter of a book? Do readers really want this? I love reading about a hero who will sacrifice for love, and at least to me, it feels less satisfying if the hero's sacrifice turns out to mean nothing because the heroine is really nobly born, or isn't really poor, or whatever. This particular book ends with a coincidence that's so outlandish, it would make a soap opera writer blush. Why? Do readers really think it makes the ending "more happy"?