Scandal Wears Satin by Loretta Chase

Although the cover is pretty, it has nothing to do with fashions of the 1830's.  More like the 1950's!

Scandal Wears Satin by Loretta Chase
(2012, 1830's England)  12/4/12
Grade: 3.5

Dressmaker Sophy Noirot is trying to save her shop - and help her friend Clara escape from a bad engagement.  The Earl of Longmore, Clara’s brother, does his best to help, but it seems like he’s more of a distraction - especially when Sophy starts to see him as more than an obstacle in her way.

Unlike the previous book in the series, this book started off well.  I enjoyed the banter between Sophy and Longmore and the road romance worked well.  Longmore wasn’t the sharpest tool in the drawer, but I found his bafflement around Sophy fun to read.  However, the book lost some of its charm in the second half.  I’m not sure what happened - maybe the sexual tension dissipated once Sophy and Longmore went to bed together - but I was forcing myself to turn the pages.  The final impression - another good but not great book from Loretta Chase.  Too bad.  

I still have quite a few Loretta Chase backlist books to read - maybe I'd better save those for another time, when I'm in a more receptive mood?

Silk Is For Seduction by Loretta Chase

Although Loretta Chase has never been one of my favorite authors, her books have always been reliably enjoyable - this one fell just a little short of the mark.

Silk Is For Seduction by Loretta Chase
(2011, post-Regency)  11/29/12
Grade: 3.5

Marcelline Noirot is one of the best dressmakers in London, and she is determined to attract the business of Clara, the future wife of the Duke of Clevendon.  But on a trip to Paris, she meets the Duke and finds him intriguing... even though she knows their positions are worlds apart.  Clevendon believes he loves Clara, but only Marcelline brings excitement and passion to his life.

I wanted to like this more than I did.  The book was well written, and the characters were interesting (particularly the heroine - I found the dressmaking background more interesting than the romance) but there was just something that left me cold.  The story just felt like something I’d read a hundred times, particularly in the first half.  The conflict between the hero and heroine felt insubstantial (the class difference between a dressmaker and a duke should feel monumental, but it just didn’t in this case), and the hero didn’t seem particularly unique or intriguing.  The book improved in the second half, but still, this just didn’t live up to Loretta Chase’s other books.  It left me feeling a little blah.  

This is a book that could have really used some illustrations - I'm familiar with Regency and Victoria fashions but I wasn't sure what dresses looked like in the 1830's.  The descriptions in the book were intriguing but I couldn't quite visualize them - unfortunately the dress on the cover looks more like a prom dress than a real historical outfit.

One Night in London by Caroline Linden

I read this weeks ago but for some reason forgot to post... probably because this book was so forgettable.

One Night in London by Caroline Linden
(2011, Regency Historical)  11/11/12
Grade: 2.5

Lady Francesca Gordon needs an attorney to help her gain custody of her niece, but the best attorney in London is stolen from her by Edward de Lacey, the son of the Duke of Durham.  Edward has problems of his own - the dukedom is threatened by a secret marriage - but he’s willing to help Lady Gordon.  But he wasn’t expecting to find her fiery personality so fascinating...

This book started off well.  The setup was interesting and unique, and the characters seemed well written.  But when I got about halfway through the book, I just got bored.  The book seemed like just another retread of the same story.  I found myself skimming to the end.  It’s hard to explain exactly why this book didn’t work for me - I just reached a point where I didn’t want to read it any more.  Too bad.  

I gave the next book in the series a try but it didn't interest me any more than this one.  Too bad, I was looking forward to discovering a new author.