Short Review: A Loyal Companion by Barbara Metzger (1 star, traditional)

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I have heard high praise for Barbara Metzger’s unique approach in her work A Loyal Companion, so I figured it was about time I gave it a try. It turns out I should saved myself the effort, because A Loyal Companion joins the select few novels by Metzger I hold in great dislike. I give Metzger full marks for trying to incorporate an unusual hero and a new type of protagonist – the heroine’s dog – but that’s about the only good thing I can say about it. The romance was subpar at best. The hero was not even introduced until after a full third of the novel, and the simplistic – albeit sweet – romance frequently took a backseat to the external conflict. Without wasting too much of my time explaining things, the plot consisted of large stretches of uninteresting detail with only the occasional tidbit of romance development or excitement. Similarly, I hated that so much of the narration was spent from the dog’s perspective. It was endearing the first time the dog started spouting philosophy and relaying his conversation with the cat. But the tenth or fifteen time the plot was brought to a grinding halt in order to listen to a dog ramble on and on about odd human mannerisms, I almost skipped the canine-related dialogue completely. A personal pet peeve was how many references the book made about affairs. I did not enjoy reading that the heroine’s “loving” father had a mistress before his wife died, or how many cheating spouses in the ton were coupling in various bedrooms at the heroine’s come-out party, or even that some of the servants would sleep with anyone they could find. It wasn’t funny, and it wasn’t appealing. By the time the storyline began to drag for the last twenty percent of the book –meandering until the prerequisite kidnapping and rescue – I was quite ready to toss the book in the rubbish bin.

Review: The Hopeless Hoyden by Margaret Bennett (4 stars, traditional)

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The first half of Margaret Bennett’s The Hopeless Hoyden served as a strong reminder of what I enjoy about traditional Regency romance. Well written characterizations, recognition of the proprieties for the time period, and just a bit of humorous undertones featured prominently within the story. Personalities played the dominant role in the gently progressing romance, with physical attraction being only a secondary player. The author seemed to use a considerable amount of Regency lingo – possibly to excess – but I enjoyed it anyway. My complete enjoyment of the novel was impeded by a familiar barrier: I became frustrated with the romantic conflicts that dominate the second half of the novel.

The heroine is indeed a hopeless hoyden, but not in negative or overwhelming way. She is simply a spirited young woman who tries to take life in stride, and is more at home riding through the countryside or fishing on a river than in any sophisticated parlor.  Part of the plot focuses on her trying to straddle the line between what society wants her to be and her innate personality. The heroine runs into the hero at the beginning of the novel – literally – as she tries to escape two men who she overheard plotting the murder of the hero. Despite the fact that that heroine almost unmans the hero with a stick, mistaking him for one of the criminals, he is immediately charmed by her vibrant enthusiasm and pretty looks. It isn’t long before he is inviting the heroine to his unexpected country house party, certain that her presence will make it more enjoyable. The hero’s personality is a bit less obvious than the heroine’s. He seems to be a man of strong character, but he is also quite a push-over whenever the heroine is concerned. Antics abound as the hero and heroine endure the house party, try to find evidence incriminating an attempted murderer, and fall in love along the way.

Poorly developed conflicts are often the bane of my existence as a romance reader, and this certainly holds true in The Hopeless Hoyden. The romance is built up until about half way through the novel. It is at this point that the hero and heroine are found in a compromising position and become engaged. Therefore, the remaining half of the book largely comprises of the romantic conflicts and mystery plot… dragging out misunderstandings until everything can be resolved in a grand finale. The first romantic conflict thoroughly insulted my intelligence as a reader. The hero recognizes that someone is attempting to kill him, but he continues to belittle the heroine when she reaches the same conclusion. He does this in a misguided notion that by ignoring the topic, the heroine will not investigate and therefore not put her life in danger. And it just seems so ridiculous, because he does this time after time and it just encourages the heroine repeatedly to try to prove herself, endangering herself in the process.

The second romantic conflict relates to the engagement. The hero proposes immediately after they are caught in a passionate kiss, and so it was not at all surprising that the heroine fears that he is marrying her out of duty. Yet it takes the hero an entire half of the book to understand where her fears are stemming from, and finally put them to rest. The two conflicts are brought to the forefront of the plot repeatedly over this length as the heroine lives in a cloud of uncertainly. With all that being said, the final resolutions did lead to a rather satisfying HEA.

Margaret Bennett’s The Hopeless Hoyden is largely a charming traditional Regency novel, emphasizing a realistic romance and multi-dimensional characters. Much of the content seemed to strive for historical accuracy. At the same time, the book does not take itself too seriously – it is lighthearted enough to insert the occasional bit of humor and allow the characters to knowingly defy convention from time to time. The disappointing romantic conflicts limited my enjoyment of the story, but overall it was a novel worth reading.

The Problem with Seduction by Emma Locke (4.5 stars, historical)

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After becoming frustrated with my most recent choice for a novel, I turned my attention to the last author that had caught my interest: Emma Locke. I very much enjoyed her first novel, The Trouble with Being Wicked, and was intrigued by the description for the sequel - The Problem with Seduction. It turned out to be an even better novel than I was expecting. The storyline is written excellently, with a thoroughly engaging love story and a bit of comic relief every now and then. But where Locke's brilliance truly becomes apparent is in the sheer complexity of the characters and the relationships between them that emerge, giving an astounding amount of layers to a single story.

It would be hard for me to completely describe the characters and plotlines, but I'll give an outline. Both protagonists are a wealth of contradictions. The heroine  grew up with unloving parents, ran off with a captain, and proceeded to live life "freely" - leading to her becoming one of the most famed and wealthy courtesans in London. In some ways she comes across as a independent woman, self-assured and very knowledgeable about the world. Yet she's also needy in some aspects, trying to manipulate events around her to fill the missing pieces in her life she so very much desires. The heroine idolized her last protector, believing herself in love and convinced that he loved her and would somehow marry her... despite already having a wife. The heroine eventually has his child, and is devastated when he decides to take the baby away from her and raise it with another mistress. Becoming a mother marked a turning point in the heroine's life, and suddenly nothing becomes as important to her as her child. Enter the hero. The heroine offers the hero a small fortune to claim her son as his own, so that she can get her son back. The hero is the younger sibling in a family of noble yet impoverished brothers, in addition to having a gambling rakehell for a twin. His greatest fault and greatest strength are one and the same: he has an abundance of compassion. His compassion has led him to having made some questionable investments, to continually sign IOUs and bail his brother out of debts so that he doesn't have to endure debtor's prison, and ultimately to further entrench himself in the heroine's life. At the same time, as a younger son he has largely lived a life of idleness - the idea of responsibly is terrifying for him. As events unfold, the hero shows a great deal of resistant as his actions challenge the heroine to stop hiding behind her facades. Both main characters ultimately come to want the same thing - the hero wants to make a life with the heroine and his adopted son, the heroine wants a constant and loving man in her life - but it takes them a good chunk of the book to figure out how to get there. There's some intensely dramatic twists towards the end - especially in the external conflict - but everything is tied up neatly in a overwhelmingly sweet, triumphant, and vaguely unrealistic happy ending.

There were a few issues I had with Emma Locke's The Problem with Seduction - mostly a few questionable plot devices and the fact that the storytelling can become a little too intense at times - leaving me unable to give the book a perfect rating. Nonetheless, it's pretty easy to overlook any of the novel's perceived flaws. Not only is the historical romance story written skillfully, but it goes above and beyond by providing characters and plotline with a truly impressive level of depth. I can't wait for the next sequel.

A short update on Lejeune's "Wayborn Siblings" series

I was very excited to start reading Tamara Lejeune's Surrender to Sin, the sequel to Simply Scandalous. The mixed reviews put a damper on my excitement, but - after hearing that the hero and heroine from the first book temporarily break off their engagement - I knew I couldn't rest easy until I read the book and found out what had happened with the secondary storyline. Twenty percent into the novel, however, and I couldn't force myself to continue reading. The comedy is there and the heroine is adorably sweet, but the hero is an unbelievably randy, conceited ass with no signs of changing. To make matters worse, when I skipped ahead to find out what goes wrong with the former hero and heroine I found out that the former heroine has suddenly become completely TSTL. She's visiting her favorite actor at all hours of the night and is clueless as to why her (now ex-) fiance is so upset. No more cute misunderstandings, instead they have wholeheartedly inane fights. Why couldn't their happy ending be left alone? Oh, and by the last few pages the two heroines hate each other to the point that they start calling each other "bitch"... something I severely doubt is authentic Regency behavior.  The negative reviews for the third book clinches my decision - I'm tossing out this whole series as a storyline gone terribly, terribly wrong.

Review: Simply Scandalous by Tamara Lejeune (5 stars, historical)

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The reviews for Tamara Lejeune's Simply Scandalous were highly divided: readers seemed to either hate or love the novel. I fall decidedly into the latter category. The book had its imperfections, but it also contained a lighthearted and wonderfully endearing enemies-to-lovers storyline. Excellent writing, witty repartee, and original characters all added to my enjoyment of a historical tale far removed from the conventional. Comedic hijinks and misunderstandings abounded throughout the novel, and - even if there wasn't an abundance of character development - I walked away feeling that the characters truly cared about each other.

One of the major complaints voiced by the reviewers appears to be the fact that the hero is no Adonis. In fact, the author goes out of her way to emphasize the red-haired man's less-than-desirable attributes: his hotheaded nature, his messy attire that persists for much of the novel, and his splotchy complexion that shows up when he's angry. He is the male version of a "plain Jane" heroine, emphasized by the fact the heroine chooses him over her cousin (a far more handsome and condescending counterpart). Beneath his blustery exterior, however, lies a good man with his own sense of honor. The heroine is a bit more conventional in looks, a classically handsome brunette who has more than one admirer vying for her hand. She come across both as a kind-hearted person and a woman unafraid of acting in "hoydenish" ways. The novel opens with the heroine's brother having his arm broken by footpads. Evidence points to the hero being the culprit in order to win a race, so the heroine disguises herself as her brother, wins the race, and disgraces the hero thoroughly in front of the ton. Unfortunately for her, her actions put her in a scandalous spotlight as well, and she is forced to retire towards the country. The hero decides to follow her, make her fall in love with him, and then break her heart in revenge... an idea laughable to just about everyone. This "plan" does not work in the slightest, of course, but it serves as a catalyst to get the couple interacting and bickering with each other. The characters' development of feelings for each other seems a little sudden, but it is also inserted subtly: the couple outwardly continue to show signs of antagonistism while it's obvious to the reader they are having some warmer feelings. Despite their fighting, the romance feels authentic and rather sweet. The hero's attraction is a long time coming, and I thought it was a nice touch when the heroine indicated that the hero might not be polished enough for another woman, but he was "quite elegant enough for herself." She seemed to enjoy his slightly less refined personality, even when he he took pains to become more refined for his ladylove. There's more than a little awkwardness and a great deal of hilarity as mild, silly misunderstandings keep the couple away from each other towards the last part of the novel. For example, the couple temporarily go back to arguing a bit when the heroine mistaken believes the hero is courting a different woman. Eventually everything is tied up in a quick and cute resolution.

I was a little tentative upon beginning Tamara Lejeune's Simply Scandalous, and I am happy to find it was one of those books that ended up working very well for me. I loved the writing, the characters, the humor... the fact that the storyline was lighthearted without being too silly. I recommend the novel to anyone looking for an unconventional, hilarious, and upbeat historical romance. I can't wait to try the other books in the series.

Advanced Review: The Marrying Season by Candace Camp (4 stars, historical)

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It seems to me that the romantic pairing of a young lady and her brother's friend has just about been done to death. The heroine invariably has had a secret infatuation for at least a decade, the hero's perspective shifts completely over a small time frame, and the resulting transition to a real relationship often comes out unconvincingly. Keeping those thoughts in mind, Candace Camp's upcoming novel The Marrying Season caught my interest by having a distinctive twist on the well worn formula. Neither the hero nor the heroine are suffering from an abundance of unrequited love, although the actions of both characters suggest they have some level of unconscious feelings for each other. It is only when the heroine's reputation is damaged that the hero proposes out of a desire to protect her with his name. What follows is a marriage-of-convenience plot that - while not wholly satisfying - includes stretches of affectionate romance interspersed between the predictable bouts of misunderstandings and general unhappiness. The compelling writing is clearly the result of a seasoned author, and the character of the heroine was so engaging that I became desperately involved in wanting her to achieve her happy ending.

The heroine of The Marrying Season struggles quite a bit throughout the novel, and I found it impossible not to have a great deal of empathy for her. To begin with: she had a rather isolated existence growing up, and the only real role model she has in her life is her very traditional grandmother. All of this has resulted in her having mediocre social skills. She hides behind an icy facade of politeness, and - when uncertain - follows her grandmother's lead in doing all that is proper. The grandmother matches the heroine with a extremely dull and haughty fiancee. The heroine is not entirely comfortable with the arrangement, but knows it is the acceptable step to take and has little hope for finding a love match. The couple are nearing their wedding date as the storyline starts off. When the heroine is found unchaperoned in the presence of an overzealous admirer, the heroine's fiancee instantly cries off. The heroine's reputation is left in tatters. The hero - a family friend who is very protective of the heroine - quickly offers her marriage as a solution to her problems. The hero is one of the few people the heroine is familiar with enough to be her true self. He is presented as a very charming and easygoing man, someone who is always being pursued by the ladies despite not being an actual rake. The hero and heroine have a bickering relationship that resembles that of two siblings, and a similar level of affection for each other. The heroine is extremely torn about the hero's offer: she does not wish to bring scandal upon her family name, and yet is afraid that the hero is acting as a martyr. She reluctantly accepts the proposal, and a honeymoon period follows - both literally and figuratively. The hero seduces his wife into delights of the marriage bed with copious amounts of affection, and they settle into an enjoyable relationship with each other that is merely an extension of the bond they already had. But all honeymoons must come to an end, and contention sets in as the main characters have some serious arguments. The heroine is dismayed to believe the hero has been acting out of duty towards her, and the wedge that is driven between them causes both characters significant grief. I found myself being annoyed repeatedly by the hero's actions. He would become bitter at times towards the heroine for thinking him frivolous and carefree, even though that is exactly the side of his personality he shows the world. He also appears to have some resentment towards the heroine for thinking herself to be socially above him, when there is absolutely no evidence to support these beliefs. The hero is hopeless at anticipating the heroine's many fears and turbulent feelings resulting from their spats. His "solution" to any of their problems is physical intimacy, which only tends to cause further problems.  Much of the second half of the book alternates between these romantic conflicts and a mystery plot, and the hero and heroine try to discover who set up the heroine to be compromised in the first place.

To my disappointment, Candace Camp's The Marrying Season shared some of the same flaws commonly found in romance novels. As with other friends-to-lovers plots, the transition from being platonic companions to romantic lovers was murky at best. As with other marriage-of-convenience stories, inane misunderstandings and hurt feelings are used to drag out the conflict endlessly until everything can be finally tied up at the happily-ever-after. Still, I found it to be an enjoyable novel overall. The writing was well-done, the heroine shone as a character that the reader can root for, and there were scenes scattered across the storyline where the protagonists' relationship felt particularly sweet and authentic. I cannot give Camp's The Marrying Season an overwhelming recommendation, but I do think it's a historical romance worth checking out.


*Note: I received a free review copy of this novel. This, of course, did not affect my opinion.

Review: Sweet Enemy by Heather Snow (3.5 stars, historical)

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I have heard great things about the up-and-coming author Heather Snow, so I was eager to give her debut novel Sweet Enemy a try. My feelings upon completing the story are rather conflicted. One the one hand, there were parts of the story that were particularly appealing. The story maintains a fast paced plot from page one, transitioning from  mystery to romantic interaction and then to a rather prolonged period of angst. Moments of the story were quite amusing, and there were a number of scenes that fully engaged me in the suspense. I found the heroine delightful more often than not. And yet, there were also several points of contention I had with the book. Chief among these was a moderately weak developing romance and an unoriginal... well, an unoriginal everything.

The action starts with the opening scene of the novel. The heroine is attacked by an intruder, and in the aftermath she discovers a series of coded letters indicating that her father's death was not an accident. She manages to secure an invitation to the hero's house party after learning that it was his family's seal attached to the letters. The heroine snoops around for a couple of days, but the mystery premise is gradually pushed to the side as the romance begins. The heroine and hero have some chance encounters and the heroine - in an effort to repel the hero - allows herself to be contrary and unorthodox as possible. This, of course, has the opposite effect as the hero finds himself attracted to the heroine's wit, logical mind, and passion for her "life's work." The couple dance around each other in lust for the majority of the country party, alternating between being attracted to each other and believing they shouldn't be attracted to each other. The conflicts come to a head at about 70% through the story, allowing plenty of time for angst before the final reconciliation.

The writing wasn't so much unsatisfactory as it was largely predictable. The heroine is a chemist in the Regency era who: developed her passion for science from her father, doesn't plan to marry, eschews propriety completely, rides astride, feels uncomfortable in social situations, and has an all-consuming desire to find the truth. The hero is an ex-soldier who aspires to a political career in order to help penniless soldiers. Does any of this sound familiar? The two major conflicts are that the hero wants to marry a wife that would help his career, and that the heroine is sneaking around investigating behind the hero's back. Oh, and the hero is adamant about not falling in love because his parents had a bad marriage. I was definitely rolling my eyes by the time of the heroine's "big reveal," as well as when everything is resolved with a kidnapping subplot. As a character, I was never that crazy about the hero. He came on too strong at the beginning, when he didn't know the heroine beyond her beauty, and then again at the conflicts. He would always be sorry afterwards, but it felt like "too little too late" to me. I was also not convinced with the romantic development. The relationship seems to be initiated and then progress primarily because of a superficial level of attraction. The hero and heroine go on long rides at a point well into the novel, supposedly becoming closer friends, but most of that happens off-screen. The readers are largely treated to the physical interactions only, sometimes described in excessively flowery prose: "Indigo melted into warm cobalt, a blue fire that heated Liliana," "her eyes sparked, sending embers sizzling through his chest," "a melting heat drizzled down Liliana's middle," " his voice moved over her like warm velvet caress," etc. It was a bit much for my masculine sensibilities. As a final complaint, there were a few places I questioned the historical accuracy. It would have been scandalous for a young unmarried woman to live in a cottage with only a manservant, and I can't imagine a situation where a well born woman could end up as a "Mrs" at the time.

Heather Snow's Sweet Enemy is a novel that has it's strengths, and I can understand why it was generally well-received. At the end of the day, however, I was frustrated by the formulaic characters and plot as well as a few other weaknesses. It was an average read for me, and I feel my time would have been better spent on a more fascinating story.