Candace Camp has been an off-and-on author for me, and unfortunately, this book was more off than on.
The Courtship Dance by Candace Camp
(2009, Regency Historical) 3/29/09
Grade: 3
Lady Francesca Haughston survived a bad marriage, and now spends her time arranging matches for others. She’s given up on love since a broken engagement to her childhood friend, the Duke of Rochford, many years ago. Maybe the best thing she can do is arrange a marriage for him - but why is he paying more attention to her than his marriage prospects?
Although this book had a lot of elements that I usually enjoy, in the end, this book was predictable and a bit tedious. There were things I liked about the book, particularly the friends-to-lovers storyline (Rochford is a nice hero), but there were just too many cliches, particularly the heroine who’s convinced she’s frigid (which went on far too long). This book also depended a great deal on characters from previous books in the series. The scenes of the ton were entertaining, and I liked Francesca’s cleverness in becoming a matchmaker to make ends meet, but overall, I was more bored than enchanted.
One thing I did like about this book was all the description of the Season. A lot of Regency historicals have gotten away from this, but what's the fun of reading a book set in the Regency if you're not going to have balls and dresses and parties?
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Legacy by T.J. Bennett
The second book I've read by Medallion Press in the last couple of months - both flawed, but it's nice to see a publisher doing something different.
The Legacy by T.J. Bennett
(2008, Reformation Germany) 3/16/09
Grade: 4
Although Sabina would prefer a life helping former nuns like herself, her stepfather forces her into a marriage to printer - someone far below her class. Wolf isn’t thrilled with the marriage either, since he’s still devoted to his late wife, but he has a secret to keep. But after the two spend some time together, they both find there’s more to marriage than they expected.
An interesting book with an unusual setting - Reformation Germany. The characters were intriguing and seemed very much of their time. The plot was fairly typical, and reminded me of books I read back in the early 1990’s. It’s hard to explain, but books written today don’t have quite the sweep or the attitude of those books, and it was nice to read a classic romance (but with a much nicer hero than might have been found back then). I appreciated that the hero and heroine got to know each other as people before they went to bed together, although the mental lusting was a bit much at times. And some of the secondary characters were a bit cliched. But overall, I enjoyed this book and found it a very rewarding read.
Although the basic plot of this book could have taken place almost anywhere, it was nice to see a book with such an unusual setting. It didn't take over the book, but it added an interesting backdrop to the story. I don't know why so many publishers think we won't buy any books that aren't set in the Regency or Victorian periods!
The Legacy by T.J. Bennett
(2008, Reformation Germany) 3/16/09
Grade: 4
Although Sabina would prefer a life helping former nuns like herself, her stepfather forces her into a marriage to printer - someone far below her class. Wolf isn’t thrilled with the marriage either, since he’s still devoted to his late wife, but he has a secret to keep. But after the two spend some time together, they both find there’s more to marriage than they expected.
An interesting book with an unusual setting - Reformation Germany. The characters were intriguing and seemed very much of their time. The plot was fairly typical, and reminded me of books I read back in the early 1990’s. It’s hard to explain, but books written today don’t have quite the sweep or the attitude of those books, and it was nice to read a classic romance (but with a much nicer hero than might have been found back then). I appreciated that the hero and heroine got to know each other as people before they went to bed together, although the mental lusting was a bit much at times. And some of the secondary characters were a bit cliched. But overall, I enjoyed this book and found it a very rewarding read.
Although the basic plot of this book could have taken place almost anywhere, it was nice to see a book with such an unusual setting. It didn't take over the book, but it added an interesting backdrop to the story. I don't know why so many publishers think we won't buy any books that aren't set in the Regency or Victorian periods!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Promises in Death by J.D. Robb
I don't generally like romantic suspense or mysteries, but the one exception has been the J.D. Robb books. They combine the police procedural (one of my TV favorites) and a strong romance theme. But the last few books in the series have fallen flat for me - one of the things I loved about the early books was Eve's passion for her work and her strong desire to find justice for her victims, and that has been lacking. I almost gave up on the series, but reviews of this book made me think this one might have the old flair.
Promises in Death by J.D. Robb
(2009, Futuristic Suspense) 3/4/09
Grade: 3.5
When Amaryllis Coltraine is murdered, Eve takes it personally - she was medical examiner Morris’s girlfriend, as well as a police officer. But when secrets from her past intersect with Eve and Roarke’s past history, Eve has to question what kind of person she really was.
An improvement over the last couple of books in the series. I think the books work best when Eve has a connection to the victim, and she did here, not just because of the connection with Morris, but also because she was a police officer. Her life gave Eve a chance to reflect on her devotion to the job, which has been a little missing in the last couple of books. Having the case intersect with Eve and Roarke’s past was a bit much, and the mystery got a little convoluted near the end, but overall, a good read.
One reason I keep reading these books is that I can get them easily from the library, unlike most romances. The one advantage of going into hardcover. (And the library orders lots of copies.)
Promises in Death by J.D. Robb
(2009, Futuristic Suspense) 3/4/09
Grade: 3.5
When Amaryllis Coltraine is murdered, Eve takes it personally - she was medical examiner Morris’s girlfriend, as well as a police officer. But when secrets from her past intersect with Eve and Roarke’s past history, Eve has to question what kind of person she really was.
An improvement over the last couple of books in the series. I think the books work best when Eve has a connection to the victim, and she did here, not just because of the connection with Morris, but also because she was a police officer. Her life gave Eve a chance to reflect on her devotion to the job, which has been a little missing in the last couple of books. Having the case intersect with Eve and Roarke’s past was a bit much, and the mystery got a little convoluted near the end, but overall, a good read.
One reason I keep reading these books is that I can get them easily from the library, unlike most romances. The one advantage of going into hardcover. (And the library orders lots of copies.)
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Fool's Paradise by Tori Phillips
I don't see many books set in the Elizabethan period. For some reason, we jump directly from the medieval to the Regency (or perhaps the Georgian) periods. I'd like to see more - it seems like a nice change of pace.
Fool's Paradise by Tori Phillips
(1996, Elizabethan) 3/1/09
Grade: 3.5
Lady Elizabeth Hayward is desperate to escape an unwanted marriage, so she heads off to her godmother, Queen Elizabeth. She is rescued by Richard Tarleton, the queen’s jester, and the two set off on a road trip to Hampton Court, disguised as the jester and his apprentice. But is there any hope for a future between a lady fair and a bastard fool?
This was a charming road romance that gave an interesting glimpse into Elizabethan England. Tarleton was a fun character, someone who never takes life seriously, and who has a lover in every town, but never knew love before meeting Elizabeth. The story was a bit meandering in the first half of the book (there was a lot of back and forth about “the love that could not be”), and then at the end, the plot becomes almost too complicated. But the charm of the characters carried through, and overall it was an enjoyable read.
This is the second book I've read by Tori Phillips, and both of them had a nice, light-hearted charm that was very appealing. I'll have to check my TBR pile for more books by this author - I don't think she's writing any more, but she wrote quite a few for Harlequin Historicals.
Fool's Paradise by Tori Phillips
(1996, Elizabethan) 3/1/09
Grade: 3.5
Lady Elizabeth Hayward is desperate to escape an unwanted marriage, so she heads off to her godmother, Queen Elizabeth. She is rescued by Richard Tarleton, the queen’s jester, and the two set off on a road trip to Hampton Court, disguised as the jester and his apprentice. But is there any hope for a future between a lady fair and a bastard fool?
This was a charming road romance that gave an interesting glimpse into Elizabethan England. Tarleton was a fun character, someone who never takes life seriously, and who has a lover in every town, but never knew love before meeting Elizabeth. The story was a bit meandering in the first half of the book (there was a lot of back and forth about “the love that could not be”), and then at the end, the plot becomes almost too complicated. But the charm of the characters carried through, and overall it was an enjoyable read.
This is the second book I've read by Tori Phillips, and both of them had a nice, light-hearted charm that was very appealing. I'll have to check my TBR pile for more books by this author - I don't think she's writing any more, but she wrote quite a few for Harlequin Historicals.
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