The Lure of the Moonflower by Lauren Willig; the end of a long and wonderful reading relationship.

As much as I wanted to fly through this book, reading the story and enjoying the adventure, I also wanted to go slowly and not get to the end of what has been a long and wonderful reading relationship. From the first word of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation to the last page of this book, I have enjoyed all of the couples, all of the tight squeezes, the going back and forth from the present to the 1800's and before, every nuance of this amazing series.

In this last book, the Pink Carnation meets her match both in love and war. Two characters that have been consistently woven in through the books come together and find the one person who can love them for who they are warts and all. Add to that the wedding of Eloise and Colin and you have the book we have been waiting for through twelve books and ten years of reading.

Even though I loved this book, I am going to miss anticipating a new installment coming every year, and every one of them a great read. Thank you Ms. Willig for all these years of enjoyment!
PS- I have also listened to every book after reading it and enjoyed the narration of Kate Reading for all of the books. I can't wait to listen to this one.

Julia Quinn writes another book that is a perfect blend of romance and humor!

This book begins with the dreaded Smythe-Smith music recital. For Sir Richard Kenworthy, one of the unfortunate musicians seems to be the answer to a problem he has. For reasons unknown, he has to get married and soon. Iris Smythe-Smith catches his eye and he determines to marry her. Iris is a smart cookie and she is rightly suspicious of Sir Richard's motives when he comes courting. But, they did have a good time talking at the recital and he doesn't seem to mind her outspokenness so Iris finds herself falling for him. When Richard compromises Iris and forces the wedding, they both hope for the best. Things seem to be working out well until Iris finds out what a big secret Richard is keeping.

This book has all of the humor and romance that one expects from a Julia Quinn story. Iris is a perfect Quinn heroine, full of spunk and very intelligent. Richard just barely keeps from falling over into the cad category with his motives for marriage but he really is a man with a good heart which redeems him. There is just the right amount of spice in the story and lots of clever conversation. One of the best parts for me is when we finally get to see a rendition of the infamous 12 act unicorn play written by Frances Pleinsworth in "A Night Like This".

This book is a wonderful addition to a great series but can be read by a new reader with no problem. But I have to say, if you can,  read all of the books in the series because you won't regret it!

How to Romance a Rake by Manda Collins

What’s a nice girl like Miss Juliet Shelby doing in a place like Lord Deveril’s ballroom? With her shy demeanor, she’s a total stranger to the dance floor and a source of mockery for the ton. So imagine her surprise when Deveril gallantly comes to her defense—and offers to teach her to dance! Juliet can hardly believe the most handsome bachelor in London would notice her, until he takes her in his arms and sets her heart ablaze…

Lord Alec Deveril has never felt such a spark of attraction for an unmarried lady before. Unlike the “fashionable” women he’s accustomed to, Juliet possesses a generous spirit, a fiery intelligence—and an explosive secret. Deep in the London underworld, a dear friend has vanished, and Juliet fears the worst. Deveril insists on helping, escorting her through the darkest alleys in town. But he too is hiding a shocking secret—and the only way he can defeat the devil in his past is to seduce the angel in his arms …

(synopsis from Mandacollins.com)

Paperback, St. Martin's Press, 336 pages   

This is the second book in Manda Collins’ Ugly Duckling Series. The heroine of this book is Juliet Shelby a lovely young girl with two strikes against her, a limp and a viper for a mother. Juliet has long concealed the severity of her leg injury and in fact has a missing foot and makes use of prosthesis. Interestingly, Ms. Collins reveals in her forward that she herself has a “high tech above the knee prosthesis”. In Juliet’s circle such a situation would make her a pariah in society and she has kept it a secret even from her two cousins, the other Ugly Ducklings Cecily and Madeline.

Alec, Lord Deveril, has secrets of his own dating back to his childhood with an abusive and dissolute parent. He finds himself attracted to the interesting Miss Shelby and steps in to protect her from society and her mother’s vitriol.  The relationship flowers and they end up involved in the search for a missing friend of Juliet’s and Alec becomes the caretaker of the friend’s infant child, Alice.

The book is based on an interesting premise. Deveril has had to rise above his father’s terrible reputation to remain in favor with society.  Juliet had had to conceal her physical nature to do the same but with much less success.  They both have had to deal with difficult family issues and find each other to be a compassionate friend that turns into much more.  Their relationship with the characters first introduced in “How to Dance with a Duke” adds to the likeability of both characters. The shrewish Amanda and Felicity from the first book also make trouble in this book as they did in the first. 

“How to Romance a Rake” is a sweet romance between two people who have had difficult family situations and have decided that love and marriage would not be in their future. Although they could both have become mean and self-pitying, they are both kind and empathic people who find each other and fill the missing parts of their hearts.  I can’t wait to see what happens with Madeline in the next book!



A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

Anne Wynter might not be who she says she is...

But she's managing quite well as a governess to three highborn young ladies. Her job can be a challenge— in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play that might be a tragedy (or might be a comedy— no one is sure), and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he's the first man who has truly tempted her, and it's getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.

Daniel Smythe-Smith might be in mortal danger...

But that's not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family's annual musicale, he vows to pursue her, even if that means spending his days with a ten-year-old who thinks she's a unicorn. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending... ( synopsis from http://www.juliaquinn.com/)

Avon , Paperback, 384 Pages 

I have never read a Julia Quinn book that I didn't love and this is no exception. Daniel Smythe-Smith has come home after three years abroad. His exile in Italy was the result of a duel in which he accidentally shot and wounded his friend and the man's father swore to kill him. Now assured that the threat has been removed, Daniel returns home on the night of the dreaded Smythe-Smith musicale.

Anne Wynter is the governess of Daniel’s nieces and has been coerced into playing the piano for the recital after one of the girls fakes an illness.  Anne is mortified at having to perform in public, not only because she knows how horrible the group sounds but also because she does not like to be on public display. Anne has secrets in her past and she means to keep them there. Daniel spots her right away and is drawn to her but she has been burned before by the master of a house she works in and doesn’t want to lose her job.

Ms. Quinn has written a delightful tale of a man charming his way into a woman’s heart.  There is plenty of romance to be had and a good helping of suspense as well.  What always make me happiest in Ms. Quinn’s books are the little vignettes she adds that show the caring and good humor of the characters.  There is a scene where Daniel participates in a 12 act play that one of the girls wrote that is absolutely hilarious.

Daniel and Anne are both good people who have made tragic mistakes in their lives which they have paid a heavy price. Daniel has made peace with his past and is ready to move on but Anne is not there yet and has a lot of fear about her future and what could happen if she lets her guard down. As always love conquers all but it is a convoluted path to the end.  I am on pins and needles for the next Smythe-Smith installment.

Semi-Sweet by Roisin Meaney

Hannah Robinson is just about to open the doors to her new shop Cupcakes on the Corner when out of the blue her boyfriend Patrick announces that he's leaving her for another woman. Faced with starting a business on her own, Hannah begins to wonder if her life-long dream has just turned into a nightmare. So her best friend Adam sets his birthday as a deadline - seven months to make her shop a success, or walk away from it all. And as Hannah immerses herself in her new business, she soon discovers that she's too busy to think about Patrick and his now pregnant girlfriend ...or to notice an increasingly regular customer who has recently developed a sweet tooth for all things cupcake. But while Hannah is slowly piecing her life back together, family friend Alice's is falling apart. Her husband Tom's drinking is getting out of control and things are about to get a whole lot worse. As the seven-month milestone approaches, Hannah must decide her future. And while she's figuring out what's really important, it becomes clear to everyone that happiness in life, and in love, is all in the making. (Synopsis from Barnes & noble.com)

I really enjoyed this book.  Hannah is a likeable character, trying to make a success of her life and she keeps going even when she gets a big kick in the teeth from her philandering live-in boyfriend.  She has a supportive family, a best friend- Adam, and employees who care about her business.  Ms. Meaney juggles a lot of plots in this book and does an excellent job doing so. There is a thread about Hannah's romantic life and if it progresses or stays stagnant. We get a glimpse into the hard life of a person who runs their own business and the triumphs and pitfalls of that endeavor. Philandering Patrick gets a storyline which includes his now pregnant girlfriend. One of Hannah's friends has a personal tragedy that is related to Hannah's dad  through a friendship of his. Lots of things going on in this book....

Ms. Meaney weaves everything together so it all makes sense. Characters are not one dimensional and we see both sides of each one's story. There were characters that would be unsympathetic under less skilled hands but in this book we see both their flaws and their difficulties. There is one female character that is pretty despicable and hard to understand but we do get a small peek into her motivation for the things she does. (Still didn't like her!)

This is a good book to settle down with for the weekend and enjoy. I look forward to reading other books by the same author.

Library note: This book is available at RPL in the Adult New Book section as a trade paperback.

It Happened One Season- Anthology

We asked our readers what story they would most like to see from four bestselling authors. They responded . . .
A handsome hero returns from war, battle-scarred and world-weary. But family duty calls and he must find a bride.
A young lady facing yet another season without a suitor never expects to find herself the object of his affections.
It Happened One Season
Four amazing talents

Stephanie Laurens Mary Balogh Jacquie D'Alessandro and Candice Hern

have come together to create one of the most unforgettable events of the year. The results are spectacular—each story is as unique as a lover's first kiss. (Synopsis from Barnes & Noble. com)
 

It happened one Season is an anthology of stories from four historical romance writers. The basic premise for all of the stories is the same. All of the hero’s are second sons and heirs, their older brothers have only daughters, and there can be no more children.  The younger son’s must all go on the marriage mart and marry quickly to ensure the succession away from an unworthy relative.  It could have been a boring book but all four authors came through with a unique spin on the story that made it enjoyable to read.

The first story is The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor by Stephanie Laurens.  Sebastian, who was a code reader in the army, is taking a respite from a crowded ballroom. Into the study where he sits, sneaks in Miss Tabitha Makepeace. She is looking for information about a blackmailer who is threatening two of her friends and wonders aloud about a sequence of letters she finds. When Sebastian speaks up and states that it is a code, the relationship begins. In order to work together, they must become engaged in order to spend time together.

The second story is Only Love by Mary Balogh. Widow Cleo Pritchard believes her future is set with no happy marriage in sight and a life of being alone and unloved. Major Jack Gilchrist has been charged by his older brother to find a wife. Both had met before during the wars and never forgot each other.  It seems the perfect solution to get married, but she has doubts about her ability to conceive after five years in a childless marriage.  She proposes that they get engaged but call it off if she cannot prove her ability to have a child.

In  Hope Springs Eternal by Jacquie D’Alessandro, Alex Trentwell has taken a secret caretaker role with Miss Penelope Markham after the death of her brother under his command.  After she loses her governess position due to the discovery of a scandalous art work she made, he makes a point of finding her and trying to help.  Her reputation precludes any other offers of a position. His guilt over the circumstances of her brother’s death prods him to offer marriage. 

The final story is Fate Strikes a Bargain by Candice Hern. Nathanial Beckwith has been told by his older brother that he must take a bride and have children to secure the inheritance. At a ton event he meets Phillippa Reynolds a young lady with a noticeable limp. Despite her physical difficulties she is a charming young lady and Nathanial decides to propose to her. She is anxious to live a full life in spite of her family smothering her with concern.  He is having a hard time getting used to civilian life and has residual issues due to his wartime experiences.

All of the novellas work together. The book was a good read with each story offering something different. The plot device works in all of the stories without being stale. There wasn’t a weak offering in any of the four parts. I have long been a fan of Stephanie Laurens and Mary Balogh. I own all of their books. I am new to Jacquie D’Alessandro and Candice Hern.  The great thing about an anthology is that it gives you a chance to read a new author.  I am adding two new ones to my must read list.  Thanks to Netgalley for the advance eBook.

Library note: This  book will be available at RPL after 4-1-11. Books by Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, and Jacquie D'Alessandro may be checked out now.