Tag: Regency

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Review: The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway

Review of The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway, a time-travelling historical fiction novel set primarily in Regency England.

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Synopsis

In the early 1800s, Nick Davenant was the Marquess of Blackdown. Then he almost died at the battle of Salamanca but instead woke in 2003. For ten years, he has been cared for by The Guild, a mysterious organisation that provides new lives for time travellers.

When The Guild discovers that the future is turning back on itself, they break their own rules and send Nick back to 1815. He resumes his 19th century life easily enough, but struggles with following The Guild’s instructions.

Meanwhile, Julia (Nick’s neighbour and love interest) is struggling with her grandfather’s death. Soon, she is entangled in the manipulation of time and hiding her abilities is all she can do to keep herself safe. As Nick untangles the relationship between the Guild and their rivals (the Ofan), he and Julia grow closer.

Review

The River of No Return is a thought-provoking book with lots of twists and turns. There is some romance, but most of the story is about time travel and its consequences. It has adventure, passion, intrigue, and one crazy nobleman. The world was complex, clearly presented, and believable.

I loved the constant confusion over which side in the Ofan vs Guild conflict was good. Was The Guild good and the Ofan bad? Or was The Guild bad and the Ofan good? The Guild said they were keeping members ignorant for their own good, but is that really the right thing to do?

Nick was an intriguing character. He was intelligent, caring, and sexy (but not overwhelmingly so). I particularly enjoyed the internal struggles between his modern ideas and what is expected of him in the 19th century.

He could feel the ghostly marquess building up a head of steam, could even taste the aristocratic outrage in his mouth: rusted metal. It must have been that man’s outburst that Clare was expecting. He let his gaze rest on his elder sister … His anger dissipated as fast as it had built. ‘It should have been yours anyway,’ he said … ‘You are the eldest and, by God, I will sign it over to you in life as I did in death. Blackdown shall remain yours. It always should have been.’

I spent much of the book waiting for Nick and Julia to talk to each other about time-travel. They’re the two main characters, but don’t actually spend much time together or communicate about anything meaningful. This creates misconceptions between them and makes their romance feel underdeveloped.

The ending left me dissatisfied. Sure, Nick and Julia get their happily ever after, but so many other threads of the story remain unresolved. For instance, the mystery of Mr Mibbs isn’t solved, and Mr Mibbs himself has disappeared. Also, no one’s managed to mend the future or work out why it’s behaving so peculiarly. I hope Bee Ridgeway is working on a sequel.

Conclusion

Have you read The River of No Return? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at the following stores:

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Bridgerton Book(s) vs. Netflix Show: Thoughts and Comparisons

Bridgerton Book(s) vs. Netflix Show: Thoughts and Comparisons
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Bridgerton is Netflix’s new, top watched original series. In it, Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, start a false courtship, which quickly leads to real feelings.

However, Simon is determined to get revenge on his father for his difficult childhood by never having children. This causes problems, as Daphne is the fourth of eight children and wants nothing more than to marry and have a family.

As the show is based on a series of books by Julia Quinn, I thought I would read the books and write out my thoughts on how they compared to the show. Season one is based on the first book; you can find my review of The Duke and I here.

Time Spent on Different Characters

I didn’t like how the TV show had so little time focused on Simon and Daphne. Usually, romances spend the majority of the time looking at the hero and/or heroine and their relationship. Bridgerton filled a lot of screen time with the exploits of the other siblings.

In my review of The Duke and I, I said that I thought the first half of the book felt like a set-up for the rest of the series. Book-Simon and book-Daphne’s relationship doesn’t develop at a realistic pace, but other characters are expertly introduced. There’s space for TV-Simon and TV-Daphne’s relationship to develop more realistically.

It felt like the TV show also used this first season as a set-up for the rest of the series. The show told the other Bridgerton sibling’s backstories around the main story (didn’t leave much for future seasons, really). Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time focused on Simon and Daphne’s story for me to feel invested in their relationship.

Lady Whistledown

In the books, we don’t find out the identity of Lady Whistledown (the scandal writer) until the fourth book (Romancing Mister Bridgerton). In fact, The Duke and I spends no time pondering Lady Whistledown’s identity. (Aside from the occasional “she must have a spy in the family” comment, of course).

However, the TV show characters spend quite a bit of time discussing who Lady Whistledown might be. Eloise even launches her own amateur investigation into the matter.

Actors of Colour

One of the major differences between the Bridgerton books and TV show is the numbers of coloured people. The book characters are all lilywhite English aristocrats typical of the genre. The Netflix show has been praised for “colour blind” casting.

There is a theory that the Queen at the time may have been part black. Evidence includes a rather unflattering comment made by a royal physician and a portrait where she has unfashionably full lips. Additionally, her family tree has been traced back to a Portuguese noblewoman who may have been coloured (the evidence for this is far from conclusive, however).

Apparently, the show is set in an alternate reality where Queen Charlotte was half-African and favoured other part-African people. Even in such circumstances, I highly doubt that the Queen would have been able to elevate so many people of colour to so many (usually hereditary) positions in the 50-odd years she was married to King George.

Queen Charlotte and Prince Frederik

The Queen doesn’t appear at all in The Duke and I. I didn’t particularly like Queen Charlotte, but she certainly added to the story. By all accounts, the real-life Queen Charlotte took an active interest in society, so including her was realistic. And her hair and gowns were generally magnificent.

Her presence also made it easy to introduce Prince Frederik to the story. Daphne’s relationship with Prince Frederik adds another dimension to Simon and Daphne’s relationship that I enjoyed. Additionally, it creates some interesting action for the time that Simon and Daphne grow closer.

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Anthony and Siena

In The Viscount who Loved Me, we find out that Anthony (Daphne’s eldest brother) is convinced he will die before his 39th birthday because his own father died aged 38. For this reason, he is afraid of falling in love. Apparently being in love would make his limited lifespan painful to live with.

On the TV show, Anthony appears to be in love with Siena (or at least thinks he is). This makes it look like Anthony’s problems with love are going to stem from previous heartbreak, not his father’s death.

At present, I don’t like this change, but we’ll see how they deal with it in season 2.

Simon’s Backstory

In The Duke and I, Simon’s backstory is told almost all at once in the prologue and first chapter. The show used flashbacks sprinkled throughout the episodes to tell the same backstory.

I liked how the show kept the backstory itself the same, but preferred the way the book delt with it. However, I loved how the show included a high-tension scene where Simon makes a vow to his father on his deathbed – so dramatic, and really highlighted just how much Simon hated the old duke.

Why can’t Daphne find a husband?

The reasons behind Daphne being unable to find a husband differed between the book and the show.

In the book, she’s a rather ordinary girl who becomes everyone’s friend but no one’s romantic heroine. Sure, Simon speculates that her overbearing elder brothers might have something to do with it, but it’s not the main reason.

In the show, Daphne is “flawless,” and every man wants to court her. Her inability to snag a husband has everything to do with Anthony scaring away potential suitors.

I preferred the book version. Book-Daphne was so much more relatable. The book also made Nigel Berbrooke more redeemable; he may be a minor character, but he does appear briefly in the book’s epilogue and The Viscount who Loved Me.

Favourite Scenes

I watched season one of Bridgerton before reading The Duke and I, and there were a couple of scenes that I hoped would also be in the book. I loved the scene where Anthony and Daphne try to turn on the stove so they can have warm milk without waking any of the servants.

As great as TV-Simon and Daphne’s conversation at the inn was, I preferred the book version of Violet telling Daphne about marriage, and the ensuing wedding-night conversation. It was just so funny. Daphne’s mother failed so completely to tell her anything useful and it led to such a hilarious misunderstanding.

Have you, also, watched Bridgerton on Netflix and read the books? How do you think they compare? Let me know in the comments below.

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Review: The Viscount who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

Book review of The Viscount who Loved Me by Julia Quinn, an historical romance novel set primarily in regency London.

The Viscount who Love Me by Julia Quinn book cover
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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure for further information.

Synopsis

Kate Sheffield is determined to protect her younger sister, Edwina, from society’s rakes while they are in London for the season. This creates quite a problem for Anthony Bridgerton, who has decided that it’s time he found a wife. Edwina fits his requirements, so he pursues her.

As the sisters get to know Anthony, Kate realises that Anthony isn’t as terrible as she had thought. But just as she removes her objection to Anthony courting Edwina, Kate and Anthony are found in a compromising situation involving a bee.

Their ensuing marriage works out well, until Anthony realises he might be falling in love with Kate. Because of his certainty that he will die sometime in the following nine years, this terrifies him. Can he and Kate defeat their demons? Will they be able to love each other freely?

Review

The Viscount who Loved Me is the second of Julia Quinn’s books about the Bridgerton siblings. It tells the story of how Anthony, the eldest Bridgerton, finds love and marries the next viscountess.

I liked how Kate isn’t the ravishing beauty who is the typical heroine in romance novels. She has an inner beauty that Anthony eventually recognises, but she is always compared to the more fashionably beautiful Edwina. It’s such a refreshing change from the norm.

Kate is brilliant. She is intelligent, has a sharp wit, and cares for others. When Anthony is less than perfectly polite, Kate doesn’t hold back from being rude right back. And the way she delights in Anthony’s discomfort is hilarious.

I also loved the relationship between Mary and Kate. They have a really strong bond and I might have forgotten they weren’t mother and daughter if it wasn’t mentioned so much. Mary is so unlike the stereotypical evil stepmother I just had to like her.

My favourite scene has to be the scene where they all play Pall Mall. It showed Anthony’s devotion to his family and further built his relationship with Kate. Before this, Anthony was difficult to like (not great for a romance hero); his views on marriage and how he treated Kate were so annoying.  I also loved the glimpse of Daphne and Simon, the protagonists from the first book in the series (The Duke and I).

The Viscount who Loved Me is full of hilarious dialogues. Anthony and Kate have the best banter. They also exchange veiled insults and share tender moments. It was such fun to read.

Unfortunately, the steamy and tension-filled scenes between Anthony and Kate became a bit lukewarm towards the end of the book. Their banter is no longer fun and light, but grows serious.

Conclusion

Have you read The Viscount who Love Me? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).

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Review: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Review of The Duke and I, a regency era romance set in 1813 London by Julia Quinn.

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn cover
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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure for further information.

Synopsis

After two seasons of minimal success on the marriage mart, Daphne Bridgerton is uncertain if she will ever meet a man she can marry. Then she meets Simon Basset, newly minted Duke of Hastings.

Simon was rejected by his father for having a stutter as a child. Because of this, he is determined never to marry or have children to carry on the family line. He suggests to Daphne that they pretend to be courting. Hopefully, this will keep the Ambitious Mamas of marriageable-aged daughters from bothering him and make her more attractive to potential suitors.

However, Simon is increasingly attracted to Daphne, and Daphne cares more and more for Simon. And after they are found in a compromising position in a garden, Daphne’s elder brother demands they marry. Simon eventually agrees, but his constant dedication to spite his father comes between them. Can Daphne defeat Simon’s hatred of his father?

Review

The Duke and I is the first of Julia Quinn’s novels about the Bridgerton siblings. It tells the love story of how Daphne, the eldest Bridgerton daughter and fourth Bridgerton child. It is also the inspiration for the first season of Netflix’s fantastic new show: Bridgerton.

The first half of the story almost seemed like a different book to the second half. I think the author may have used the first half to set the scene for the rest of the series. She introduced the large and lively Bridgerton family masterfully. Aside from some serious physical attraction, the relationship between Simon and Daphne didn’t develop much. This made the kissing in the garden scene feel a bit sudden.

The chemistry between Simon and Daphne was beautiful. I just couldn’t help falling in love with them as a couple. I liked how they have vastly different backstories but still have a connection and common purpose. And the banter between them was fun and adorable.

“Sir! Sir!”

With great reluctance, he dragged his eyes up to her face. Which was, of course, delightful in and of itself, but it was difficult to picture her seduction when she was scowling at him.

“Were you listening to me?”

“Of course,” he lied.

“You weren’t.”

“No,” he admitted.

A sound came from the back of her throat that sounded suspiciously like a growl. “Then why,” she ground out, “did you say you were?”

He shrugged. “I thought it was what you wanted to hear.”

Daphne is such an amazing young woman. She’s intelligent, friendly, and clear-headed. She has a sly sense of humour and a fantastic grasp on how to deal with men. I loved how she wasn’t afraid to interfere in things that affected her even though the men tried to exclude her.

Some parts of the story were repeated a bit often. These include the fact that Simon’s stutter is brought on by stress and anger and that Daphne is from a large and loving family with overbearing brothers. It keeps things consistent, but gets a bit overdone.

The Controversial Scene

About 80% of the way through The Duke and I, there is a controversial, potentially triggering scene. Some people would say that Daphne raped Simon. I’m not so sure – it’s very much more complicated than that.

Because of his problems with his father, Simon has decided that he will never have children. So before agreeing to marry Daphne, he tells her that he cannot have children. Daphne takes this to mean that there is something physically wrong with him and because she’s so innocent, she doesn’t notice the little thing he does to ensure that she will never conceive.

Two weeks into their marriage, Daphne puts two and two together and realises what Simon has been doing. They fight about it, and after a failed reconciliation, Simon gets very drunk. After a short nap, they have some apparently mutually consensual sexy times that becomes less mutually consensual at the end. Simon (understandably) becomes very angry and leaves.

I’m not going to get into the debate of who was right or wrong. However, I didn’t like the way it was delt with in the story. Simon and Daphne separate for a time, but come back together fairly easily.

Neither of them acknowledges their mistakes or apologises to the other. There’s very little discussion afterwards, and what discussion they have is centred around having children, not the issues they’ve had. I find it difficult to believe that a couple could get over something so major so easily.

Conclusion

Have you read The Duke and I? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).

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Review: Some Enchanted Evening by Christina Dodd

Review of Some Enchanted Evening by Christina Dodd, a regency era romance set in 1808 Scotland.

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Synopsis

Clarice is a princess of Beaumontagne, a small kingdom in the Pyrenees Mountains. Or she was, until revolution threatened her family and she was sent to safety in England. Now, Clarice travels from town to town, selling cosmetics in order to support herself and her younger sister Amy.

Arriving in the Scottish town of Freya Crags, Clarice finds herself the personal guest of Robert MacKenzie, Earl of Hepburn. Robert has been troubled by some things that had happened during the Napoleonic Wars. Clarice’s presence gives him an opportunity to fix these wrongs. While there, she also improves his relationship with his sister and brings him back to full sanity.

Review

Some Enchanted Evening is a light and easy read with a simple (and somewhat silly) plot. Exiled princess falls in love with a troubled Scottish earl – nothing too complicated. There is a lot of time spent on verbal sparring and long conversation, but not enough time spent on creating depth (there is almost no character or relationship development).

So much about the story makes no sense. I find it completely unbelievable that Clarice could make herself look so convincingly like another woman to trick Colonel Ogley. Clarice and Amy are supposed to be hiding from potential assassins, but Clarice draws attention to herself while selling cosmetics. Also, the motivations for certain actions seem a bit far-fetched. For instance, I don’t believe for a second that Clarice slept with Robert that first time “because you needed me.”

I have serious problems with some of the choices the author made in naming the characters. Clarice and Amy are not names that royalty give their children, even royalty in small fictional countries. Also, one of Clarice’s middle names is Jayne, spelled with a “Y”. This is a minor issue, however.

Some Enchanted Evening is supposedly set in 1808 Scotland. However, it has more of a fairy-tale, not historical, feeling. Clarice has been travelling unchaperoned in a time when it was unsafe for women to travel alone. She sells cosmetics to young ladies when makeup is only used by courtesans. Then she jumps into bed with Robert without a thought for the possibility of pregnancy. It’s too modern.

However, I loved the way that Clarice helped Millicent (Robert’s sister) to recognise her worth. She didn’t need the royal creams to be beautiful; Millicent just needed a bit of confidence. And the old men in the village were just lovely.

Conclusion

Have you read Some Enchanted Evening? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).

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Review: Once Tempted by Elizabeth Boyle

Review of Once Tempted, a regency era romance by Elizabeth Boyle

Once Tempted by Elizabeth Boyle cover

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure for further information.

Synopsis

Olivia Sutton was deceived by and fell in love with a man who really only wanted her to tell him where a treasure called “The King’s Ransom” is hidden. She escapes and goes into hiding, having been wrongly accused of murder. Years later, the man who ruined her life returns from the grave and Olivia goes to confront him.

Turns out it’s not the same man, but his cousin. Robert is on a mission for the crown to find The King’s Ransom to fund the ongoing war against Napoleon for the Iberian Peninsular. To this end, he takes Olivia with him to Portugal.

While there, the truth about the man that Olivia was accused of murdering comes out, and as much as he might resist it, Robert falls in love with her. They join the war, look for the treasure, and finally deal with the ghosts that have been following them for seven years.

Review

Once Tempted was different and entertaining. It was good to see a heroine who participated in a major event that happened. Many books set in this period completely brush over or ignore the wars going on at the time. However, in this book, the wars are integral to the plot and we see the characters participating in them.

Some things seemed quite implausible. Olivia’s code breaking abilities is one (she deciphered a document that had stumped the rest of the world for centuries). The fact the Robert and his cousin look so identical is another. It’s all just too convenient to be believable.

It was interesting how the villain doesn’t show up until the end. The effects of his actions are felt throughout the book, and he is mentioned regularly. However, we are led to believe that he died years ago (even the heroine is surprised when he appears).

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t spectacular, but I enjoyed it. The hero was hunky, the heroine was spunky, and the pair of them had great banter. There were all the typical barriers to their relationship and near misses that might have resulted in death before they could get together.

Conclusion

Have you read Once Tempted? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

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Review: All About Passion by Stephanie Laurens

Review of All About Passion, a regency era romance by Stephanie Laurens

Cover of All About Passion by Stephanie Laurens

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure for further information.

Synopsis

Gyles Rawlings, Earl of Chillingworth, thinks he has found the perfect meek and mild woman to marry. He requires an heir, but likes his bachelor lifestyle and doesn’t want a wife who would make him change that.

Everything he has heard about Francesca confirms the idea that she would be the perfect countess. However, in his eagerness to keep all arrangements overly formal, he mistakes her for her cousin and finds himself marrying the woman he has been dreaming of an affair with.

Their encounters are passionate, and Francesca sets about making herself invaluable to her new husband in the hope that he will come to love her. Gyles finds himself unwittingly protective of her, but it takes a serious attempt on Francesca’s life for him to admit that he loves her.

Review

All About Passion is part of a series about the Cynster brothers and their love lives. While Gyles is a Rawlings, not a Cynster, he might as well be. When I bought it, I didn’t realise this, but the book was fine as a standalone. There are a few things that I thought might reference one of the other books, but they didn’t affect the story or my ability to follow it.

It was fun to see Gyles dig himself into a hole before the wedding. His comments to Francesca show that he obviously does not know that she’s his bride, and this makes her furious, especially once she realises it. And he keeps making it worse. To be fair, Francesca didn’t correct him once she realised he had made a mistake.

‘“You may now explain how it was that you thought my cousin was the woman you were marrying.”

The demand, and her tone, refocused his mind wonderfully. When he didn’t immediately respond, she flung out her hands. “How could you have made such a mistake?”

“Very easily. I had perfectly reasonable grounds to imagine your cousin was the lady for whom I was offering.”’

The sex scenes were too long. I do appreciate a bit more than “wham, bam, they made love,” but two or three pages is usually sufficient. The sex part of the wedding night lasts for 15 pages, and a later scene in the library is 8 pages long. Too long. Doesn’t add to the story.

I liked Francesca. She’s intelligent, passionate (not just in bed), and doesn’t shy away from a challenge. Francesca goes after what she wants, even after Gyles insists that he cannot give it to her. Even though strong heroines are fairly common in romances these days (at least the ones I read), Francesca still seemed unique.

One thing that I did not like was the predictability of the plot. It followed the obvious course for a romance with a case of mistaken identity: they get married anyway, struggle at first, but eventually fall in love. The solution to the mystery of who is trying to harm Francesca was easy to guess correctly (afterall, there was no other way to tie in Franni’s illness).

Conclusion

Have you read All About Passion? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, it can be bought at Book Depository (they have free worldwide shipping!).

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