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What A Gentleman Wants by Caroline Linden

51vlwvocmplI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t read nearly as much historical romance novels as I used to, but this is still a genre that I enjoy.  When I received the opportunity to read Caroline Linden’s What A Gentlemen Wants, I was excited about being able to return to the world of 19th century England and its aristocracy.

Hannah is the widow of the vicar in a small village halfway between London and Brighton.  One day, a gentleman crashes his rig near her house, and because she is a kind and gentle soul, Hannah agrees that David can recuperate at her house.  David is charmed by Hannah’s gentle nature, and asks for her hand in marriage.  At the last minute, he panics at the thought of having to give up his “rake card” and signs his twin brother Marcus’ name in the parish register.

Marcus is a duke, and is livid at his brother’s prank.  Due to circumstances beyond his control, he is unable to send Hannah and her daughter back to their village.  He asks Hannah if she will perpetuate the story that David has spread, and pretend to be his (Marcus’) wife.  Initially, Hannah is not thrilled about having to play the role of duchess, but she realizes that there are certain advantages.  Marcus’ stepmother and stepsister are kind to her, and she enjoys spending time in his house.  Marcus and Hannah do not see each other often, but every time that they do, their connection is becoming harder to deny. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

A School for Brides by Patrice Kindl

51b3fhhz6vlA couple of years ago, I read Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl. I loved everything about this YA regency story, so when I saw that there was a sequel, I was excited to read it. I borrowed A School for Brides from the library, and just finished reading it yesterday.

This is not a true sequel because the protagonists from Keeping the Castle are relegated to minor roles, but we return to the village of Lesser Hoo in Yorkshire. The premise is that the unmarried stepsister from Keeping the Castle has opened a school for girls. Ostensibly, these young women are to be instructed in deportment and introduced into eligible young men, but there’s one problem: Lesser Hoo is in the middle of nowhere, and there are no eligible young men. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn

51nkmep4ttlI have been a big fan of Julia Quinn’s historical romance novels for almost fifteen years. I own paperback copies of every single one of her books, but if a Kindle deal comes along, I will always buy it. Because why not? In addition to making my collection portable, this also often gives me the option to purchase the Audible edition at a reduced price. I’ve been trying to walk 10,000 steps a day, so having audiobooks to listen to helps me meet my goal while I walk around the neighborhood.

I recently listened to It’s In His Kiss. This is the 7th entry in her Bridgerton series, which features eight alphabetically named Regency era aristocratic siblings. It’s In His Kiss is Hyacinth Bridgerton’s story. Hyacinth agrees to help Gareth St. Clair translate his late grandmother’s diary from Italian into English, but she had no idea that the diary might contain secrets. When the diary insinuates that there might be a valuable treasure hidden in the St. Clair London home, Hyacinth sees an opportunity to a grand adventure. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin

I was interested in A School for Unusual Girls from the moment that I first read about it on Goodreads. I immediately made a request at the library, and was thrilled when it arrived a few days later. This young adult novel was written by Kathleen Baldwin.

Miss Georgiana is a clever girl. In fact, she is deemed to be more clever than a girl ought to be in Regency England. She wins all the card games she plays because she counts the cards, and she once injured her arm jumping out of a window to see if she could replicate Da Vinci’s flying wings. But the last straw occurs when she sets fire to her father’s stables. It was an accident, of course; Georgie was trying to make an invisible ink, but she is packed off and sent to Stranje House. The headmistress, Miss Stranje, has a reputation of being able to tame her unruly charges, transforming them into model students, poised to take their place in Proper Society. The school is rumored to use ruthless discipline to achieve their end goal, and poor Georgie is terrified and wants no part of this new reality. Read more

Posted on by Maureen · 2 Comments

Longbourn by Jo Baker

I am a big fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, so I was excited when I found out about Longbourn, written by Jo Baker. Pride and Prejudice fanfiction, for lack of a better term, is nothing new. There are a few novels that I have enjoyed, and some that I did not enjoy.

Fans of Pride and Prejudice will recognize Longbourn as the Bennet family home. The novel takes place below stairs of that fine home, as the small household staff works to meet the needs of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five daughters. As the events of the novel unfold, the members of the staff are right there. Mrs. Hill the housekeeper strives to make Mr. Collins’ visit a pleasant one, and everyone is concerned about what will happen when he does not make a match with one of the five Bennet daughters. In a poignant moment, Mary is devastated when Mr. Collins chooses Charlotte Lucas, and locks herself in her room, playing melancholy songs on the pianoforte. Read more

Posted on by Maureen · 1 Comment

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl

I found Keeping the Castle at the library.  This Patrice Kindl novel was the featured YA book group pick of the month, and it looked interesting, so I grabbed a copy.  I have a fondness for the Regency period: from Jane Austen to Julia Quinn, there’s just something enchanting about early 19th century England.

Althea is seventeen years old, and has a heavy load to bear.  Her great grandfather spent the family fortune building a precarious castle on a cliff, and the family has been scraping by ever since.  The house has fallen into disrepair over the years, and if Althea does not marry well, there is no telling what will happen.  Read more