Wayback Machine Project: B is for Mary Balogh

July 14, 2022

 

https://marybalogh.com/

Well that was a thrill! I finished Queen Balogh’s Bedwyn series: One Night for Love, 1999, A Summer to Remember (2002), Slightly Married (2003), Slightly Wicked (2003), Slightly Scandalous (2003), Slightly Tempted (2003), Slightly Sinful (2004), and Slightly Dangerous (2004). Even with all the angst in these stories, it was great to check back in with a masterful writer. If you haven’t read any of these books, you really need to. I did a previous review on the Bedwyn/Slightly series, and I haven’t changed my mind. If there was anything which changed since the last time, it would have been Freyja’s habit of punching the hero. I now look at that as abuse. As I did the last time, I liked Slightly Dangerous the best! 

There are also two books which are sort of connected to the Bedwyn series: One Night of Love (1999) and A Summer to Remember (2002). One Night of Love is the story of Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne, and Lily. This story is about Neville and Lily marrying before a battle in Portugal, and him thinking she died. Guess what, she didn’t. He is about to wed another woman, when she shows up at the church. Surprise! Good story, filled with the standard amount of Balogh angst. And, the connection to the Bedwyn’s is: the bride who Neville leaves at the altar, Lauren Edgeworth.

Lauren Edgeworth is a bit of a stick, so she is a bit humiliated. But wait, she gets her own story. She is saved from a life of being a stick by Kit Butler. In A Summer to Remember, Kit Butler, Viscount Ravensberg is being forced to marry his childhood friend Freyja Bedwyn. Well he doesn’t want to, so he develops a plan – a Romanceland Plan…the dreaded fake fiancée. He persuades Lauren to go along with his plan. What does she get out of it? She wants a summer of passion and adventure. After the summer is over, she will break the engagement. This theme is then repeated in Freyja’s story. Even though the fake engagement theme is repeated, Ms. Balogh handles both differently. I did like A Summer to Remember better than One Night of Love, but I do recommend both reads. - B

Slightly Married, Slightly Wicked, Slightly Scandalous, Slightly Tempted, Slightly Sinful, Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh

April 24, 2020 
Are my eyes red?

http://www.marybalogh.com 
Why would my eyes be red? Well, I have just wrapped up reading nine Mary Balogh books...one right after the other. Funny, but after a while, they just sort of blend into each other. By the time I got to the end of all the books, I had forgotten some of what went on in the early ones. But I will try to recall as I write down my thoughts on the six books from the Slightly Series, aka Bedwyn, and the connected series, the four books from the Simply Quartet.

The first book is Slightly Married, written in 2003. This is the tale of the second eldest Bedwyn sibling, Colonel Lord Aidan Bedwyn. Aidan's match is Eve Morris. Eve is an independent woman - sort of. She thinks independently, while she lives on a large estate which she manages. She also takes in lame ducks. So, there are a number of people who depend on her. All that could be taken away from her if something happens to her brother, Percy, and she's not married. She thinks she has a fiancé; she thinks she is promised, and she's been waiting patiently for the love of her life to come back to her. In the meantime, her brother is off to war.

Well as luck would have it, Percy is mortally wounded, and as he lay dying in the arms of Colonel Bedwyn, he exacts a promise from him. Aiden promises Percy that he will protect Percy's sister no matter what. After Percy dies, Aiden takes leave to carry out his duty. Aiden is all about duty, and appears to be pretty hard nose about everything.

Aiden has to break the news to Eve that her brother’s dead. Aiden isn’t a dope; it doesn’t take him long to figure out something is wrong. There appears to be a threat hanging over Eve’s head. Since Aiden is a problem solver it doesn’t take long for Aiden to come up with a solution. His solution - a marriage of convenience. Aiden's initial thought about the marriage of convenience is: he will continue his life in the army, and she will continue her life on her estate, and never the twain shall meet. They travel to London to procure a special license. Aiden is determined to keep the marriage secret from his obnoxious, autocratic brother, the Duke of Bewcastle. Well of course the Duke finds out, and it isn't long before the Duke is insisting that Eve be brought out in society. He wants no scandal created by a secret marriage. This is the part of the book that irritated me. For some reason, she wasn’t good enough to fit into the Duke’s circle. It wasn't as if Eve was some illiterate doofus, with no teeth, and cow poop on her feet. But the Duke insists that she accept his and their aunt’s guidance as they transform her into an aristocrat. I was glad that Ms. Balogh gave Eve a backbone, and doesn’t make her into some simpering push-over. While she eventually accepts their guidance and listens to what they teach, she does it her way. She picks and chooses what lesson she will use, and she even throws some roadblocks in their path. 

Ms. Balogh excels at writing thinking couples. Slightly Married is a good example of strong, independent people who come to love each other, and find a way to make their separate lives work. There are some wonderful secondary characters, and not just the Bedwyn clan. Eve has made herself guardian to two wonderful children, David and Rebecca. These two children almost steal the show, and there are some powerful emotions surrounding them. The chemistry between David, Rebecca, and Aiden is heart-warming.

This story has some fully developed characters walking through the pages. This story is a highly emotional Balogh book, and it is not one of her light-hearted reads. But it is highly satisfying and I do recommend Slightly Married, the first in the Bedwyn series.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm/Hot
A-

Now on to Slightly Wicked (2003), the second book in the Bedwyn series. This book is about Lord Rannulf Bedwyn, the third brother. Rannulf is a bit of a rake, he has an eye for a pretty woman, and he's about to meet a real stunner: Claire Campbell. Claire is the series' resident red-head. When Claire and Rannulf meet, the coach Claire has been traveling in has overturned, and the passengers are in need of rescuing. Enter our hero, Rannulf. Rannulf decides to ride on ahead to an inn and get help transporting the passengers, then his eyes fall on the dynamic red-head. Feeling an instant attraction to Claire, he asks if she'd like to go back with him to the end. Claire says yes. There is never any question as to what will happen when they get back to the inn. Both of them use assumed names, and then proceed to have a night of intense pleasure.

In the morning, Judith Law, aka Claire and Rannulf, aka Ralph depart, and go their separate ways. Rannulf journeys on to his grandmother's house, and Judith on to her new job as a companion, aka unpaid drudge to her Aunt Effingham. But, both Judith and Rannulf have vivid memories of their night of passion.

Rannulf is very fond of his ill grandmother, even when she’s matchmaking. And, she has picked out the perfect woman for him. While he might find that a little irritating, he’s rather lazy, and he doesn’t want to upset his grandmother. He decides to check his grandmother’s choice out. Who knows, she might be the one. His grandmother’s choice is a woman by the name of Julianne Effingham. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Have we seen that last name before? Effingham. Could there be some kind of relationship? Yep! Judith and Julianne are cousins. The Effingham family live right next door to Rannulf's grandmother. What are the chances of Claire/Judith and Rannulf/Ralph meeting again? I think the chances are pretty good.

Rannulf arrives at a tea, aka get together. Judith, who is being a drudge, spots him immediately. She tries to be inconspicuous. But the hairs on the back of his neck is on high alert, and he notices her. It dawns on him that she is the woman from the inn. Seems that the rules of society only count when you are related to someone else in society. Evidently, men don't have to act honorably if the woman is a lowly actress. He proposes marriage to Judith. She rejects the proposal, so he continues to court his grandmother's choice. If only the memory of hot Judith wasn't burned into his brain.

This happens to be one of those stories with an absolutely gorgeous woman who doesn't know she is. People have walked all over her, taken advantage of her, and treated her with contempt. I guess their treatment of her has made her think she's ugly. I didn’t buy it. I think if you’re pretty and you know it, you would resent those people, not believe their lies. Judith has a number of horrible relatives, a snotty cousin, an unpleasant aunt, and parents who dump crap on her. Judith has a bit of a poor-me attitude, and in my opinion, Ms. Balogh has thrown one too many difficulties into her path.

Overall, I liked this story as well, just not as much as I liked the first in the series.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm/Hot
B+

On to Slightly Scandalous, and a female Bedwyn - Freyja. I don't believe I've mentioned this before, but the Bedwyn's have big noses. How do I know that? Because Ms. Balogh tells us this at least 500 times in each book.  Although, supposedly Freyja's is a feminine version - whatever that means. Freyja is quite a strong character. She's haughty, she's always right, stubborn, speaks her mind, and never backs down. But all this bravado hides a woman who wants to be loved.

Freyja made an appearance in the book, A Summer to Remember, she is the woman who is stood up at the altar. Fast forward, in Slightly Scandalous, Freyja is trying to get over her attachment to the boy she grew up with, and later planned to marry, Kit. It seems that Kit and his wife are planning a party to celebrate the birth of their child. Being the scorned woman, Freyja is not in the mood to be around the happy couple, so she leaves for Bath. While spending a night at an inn, a strange man burst into her room, then hides in her closet. Freyja wants no part of him, and is going to call for help, but she gets mad at the landlord and doesn't do anything. When the people looking for the stranger leave, the stranger kisses her, she screams, and he jumps out of the window. A pretty funny beginning, but more was to come.

The stranger turns out to be Joshua Moore, Marquess of Hallmere. They run into each other in Bath, and have more outrageous encounters, Freyja even socks Joshua in the nose. It was all pretty amusing. I'm a big fan of Ms. Balogh's lighter moments, and wish she'd do more. The entire story is full of fun dialog between Joshua and Freyja. Joshua is the first man who isn’t intimidated by Freyja. This story has a pretend engagement theme, and it's handled brilliantly. Thanks to Freyja's interfering brother, the Duke, Joshua and Freyja dig deeper and deeper into their pretend engagement. Finally, they find that they cannot get out of the engagement.

The chemistry between Joshua and Freyja was a thing of wonder, I loved this story.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm/Hot
A-

On to the next Bedwyn. At this point I had to check to see how many Bedwyns I had to read yet. Slightly Tempted (2003) the fourth book in the series, and this one is about Morgan Bedwyn, the youngest sibling...and the prettiest. Morgan is a female and she is beuuuutiful, and has men falling all over themselves just to be near her. There was one problem with Morgan, at least with me, she was eighteen. When the story begins, she is in Brussels with her brother Alleyne (Alleyne is in the army).

She is at a ball when this story begins, also at the ball is Gervase Ashford, the Earl of Rosthorn. Gervase is considerably older than Morgan, so there was a big age difference, twelve years I believe. On top of that, Gervase hates the Duke of Bewcastle for some slight that happened nine years ago. So, when he finds out who the beautiful woman is, he decides to exact revenge on Bewcastle through Bewcastle's sister. Then war erupts.

The Duke of Richmond's ball. If anyone has ever read anything about the Battle of Waterloo, you should be aware of the Duke of Richmond's infamous ball of June 15, 1815. In Ms. Balogh's book this ball is so colorful, so full of life, that it becomes a character. All the excitement and fear of an approaching battle are vividly written. This moment in the book almost steals the show.

After the ball, Morgan is stranded in Brussels, and Alleyne is missing in action. With the help of Gervase, she escapes to England. It is during this time that Gervase realizes that seeking his revenge through Morgan is wrong. But, by then it is too late to stop the momentum of what he has started.

When she returns to England, her reputation is in shreds, however like all Bedwyn's she doesn't respond like other aristocrats might. She turns down Gervase’s marriage proposal, she also finds out about his revenge plan. Then the story takes an interesting turn, because Morgan has a few tricks up her sleeves, and gives Gervase a run for his money.

This was an interesting Bedwyn story. I didn't like the twelve-year age difference between Gervase and Morgan. I might have been more comfortable with it if she hadn't been a teenager. Having said that, I did like the way they fell in love with each other. I liked the fact that Gervase didn't keep his revenge idea very long after he met Morgan. I did like this story, and I do recommend it...even if the age thing is icky.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm/Hot
B-

Now on to the next Bedwyn story, Slightly Sinful, 2004. This one concerns Lord Aleyne Bedwyn. Yes, he's alive! He didn't lose his life in the previous book, but he has a head injury. You know what that means? Go ahead guess. Yes, yes, it's amnesia time. He was found on the battlefield by Rachel York. He has been stripped naked, there is no identification at all...so really, really amnesia. But why is Rachel wandering around the battlefield.

Well it seems that Rachel is robbing bodies. She and her prostitute friends. Yes, this book has a group of good-hearted working girls. So, why is Rachel (an innocent) hanging with a group of prostitutes? Rachel is a bit of a looby. She's in Brussels serving as a companion. But somehow, she falls for a con-artist handsome guy who claims to be a minister and steals her money. He also somehow steals all the prostitute’s money. The prostitutes have been in Brussels. with all the soldiers, raking in the cash. They have a dream. They are going to take their hard-earned money and retire. So, why is Rachel with the prostitutes? Well, she happens to know one of them, in fact one of them used to be her nanny, or something. Anyway, she’s back with her nanny who is now a prostitute, and all of the women have lost their money. Which is why they are on the battlefield looting bodies. But instead of money, Rachel finds a naked guy. The naked guy moans. Rachel and her friends grab a wounded one-eyed sergeant, load him and the naked guy up, and head back to their house. The good-hearted hookers put the sergeant in one room and the naked guy in another. and turn into hooker-nurses. It isn't long before the sergeant is on the road to recovery. In the other room the moaning naked guy opens his eyes and sees a golden goddess...Rachel. He also sees the rest of the women in the room, and immediately identifies them as working-girls, he lumps Rachel in that category, then passes out. Later he wakes up, and guess what! He can't remember who he is.

Let’s take a moment to reflect. Now we have a group of prostitutes seeking revenge, an innocent woman mistaken for a prostitute, a surly sergeant, and a naked guy who doesn't remember who he is, but he does know he likes the golden-haired goddess-hooker. Oh, and she likes him. They have a one-night stand. Whoops! Complication! Naked Alleyne figures out she's not a prostitute. He evidently has a sensitive Timothy Toad. And, this is just the beginning. They are not even out of Brussels. There are more plot lines added to this story.

More plots. First of all, everyone needs to get out of Brussels. As you might expect, Rachel has an inheritance...back in England. She just needs to get it. So, they come up with a plan. Oh no!!! Not a Romanceland plan! Yes, my little Petunia's there is a plan, and it's a doozy. They will go to Rachel's uncle's house. Then convince him that she's married to the naked guy with no memory. So, alllll the prostitutes, the surly sergeant, and the naked guy, aka Alleyne will take on roles. There will be a maid, a cook, a traveling companion and her niece, the one-eyed sergeant becomes a valet, and Alleyne will become a pretend husband. All the time Alleyne will have bits and pieces of his memory returning. It was all very convoluted, and confusing, dare I say silly. But wait, there's more.

Once Rachel and the gang arrive at her uncle's estate, they realize that Rachel's childhood memories concerning her uncle are not quite right. Then they start feeling guilty. It also takes Alleyne a loonnnng time to remember who he is. Both the deception and the amnesia went on waayyyy to long. Eventually, he remembers...and then there are a number of solutions to everyone’s problems.

Spoiler. One of the best things in this book was the heart-wrenching reunion between Alleyne and his Bedwyn family, especially the master manipulator, elder brother, Wulfric. This was an interesting book to review. Even with the amnesia plot (not one of my favorites), and some of the convoluted story lines, the characters were all fully developed. The hero turned out to be a highly honorable man, even when he didn't know who he was. Rachel was an interesting mix. One moment I liked her, and the next I didn't. The prostitutes and the one-eyed sergeant were delightful. So, parts of the story I liked, and parts I didn't. But, overall...I will recommend it.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm/Hot
B-

On to the next Slightly book, Slightly Dangerous from 2004. At last we get Wulfric's story. This guy has been stealing enough scenes in the previous books to make us palpitate when it's his turn. He is one of those overbearing, know-it-all, everything- in- its- proper- place, you- better- do-what- I- want kinda’ guy. Let me say right up front, Ms. Balogh has managed to maintain Wulfric's persona. You know how it is. Authors create a series character, they build on that character, they give that character certain idiosyncrasies. And, we the reader fall in love with that character. We rub our hands together in anticipation of their story. Then the story arrives, and all of a sudden, we are faced with a stranger. The author has changed that person we have been waiting for. Well, Wulfric doesn't change. He's still the obnoxious snob, with the eye-glass, that he has been in the last five books. Only now, he’s even more so. But, do not worry, for you see Ms. Balogh has given him the perfect heroine.

Christine Derrick is a plain woman. However, sometimes a plain wrapper can disguise a wonderful treat. She is everything that Wulfric abhors. She's clumsy, she has no respect for uptight pretensions, she's not a big fan of aristocracy, she laughs loudly, she runs, jumps and tumbles down hills. She irritates Wulfric. She makes him groan. How can Wulfric possibly resist her?

House party. Wulfric and Christine are invited to a house party. Wulfric is the main draw of the house party, but he doesn't want to be there. But he’s experiencing empty house syndrome. All of his siblings are gone, they are having their own children, and he's all alone and feeling blue. Against his better judgement he's accepted the invitation to the party...just because. Christine is there to fill in the numbers. After all, who would want to attend a party where there were more boys than girls?

Ms. Balogh usually excels at writing older couples. Wulfric and Christine are no exception. These were wonderful characters with great chemistry. There moments together on the pages just sparkled. Poor, perplexed Wulfric has quite a struggle keeping his emotions deeply buried; it was a thing of beauty to watch them emerge.

The villain. I'm not sure if the bad guy is really a villain, however, this guy is a real stinker. He is a silent stinker. He's one you don't see coming. He's quietly evil. I will be honest, because I am a big fan of the pervading creepiness of George Sanders in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, or The Portrait of Dorian Gray, I started to wonder about this character in the beginning. But then, I kept saying nah, I'm mistaken...but I wasn't. I believe this man is one of the better bad guys written in romances. Nothing better than a great villain. Except a great hero who is wise to him.

I was happy for a number of reasons with Slightly Dangerous. First of all, Ms. Balogh didn't let me down. I was waiting for Wulfric’s story with anticipation, and I was extremely happy with what I read. Secondly, it was the last book in the series, but it didn't have that last book rushed feel about it. Thirdly, it was a great love story, and Slightly Dangerous is why I love romance stories. Just so you know, I loved this book. If you haven’t done it yet, and if you have the time, you should read the entire Slightly aka Bedwyn series. You won’t be disappointed.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm/Hot
A+

Simply Unforgettable, Simply Love, Simply Magic, and Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh

May 6, 2020
On to Simply

https://marybalogh.com/
We all know that Mary Balogh is the Queen. But as I often say, Queens sometime have annus horribilis times. While the Simply series may not quite qualify as annus horribilis, this series certainly didn't have the spark as the previous Bedwyn series - as much as I wanted differently, I could not immerse myself into any of the stories. Let's look at the four stories which comprise the Simply series.

These stories are actually connected to the Slightly, aka Bedwyn series. If you remember Freya Bedwyn, you should remember her governess Ms. Martin. Freya and Ms. Martin had a run-in, Ms. Martin left, founded a school and hated alllll aristocrats. Well, this series is about three of the teachers at Ms. Martin's School for Girls, and eventually Ms. Martin herself.

We start with Simply Unforgettable, and we have a one-night stand told in Ms. Balogh's voice. Usually Ms. Balogh's one-night stands are a better quality than most authors, but not this one. Maybe the problem was my mood, or maybe it was that I had just finished reading a ton of Ms. Balogh's other books. Whatever the reason I was not able to buy into a respectable teacher - Frances Allard, hopping into bed with a perfect stranger, Lucas Marshall, Viscount Sinclair.

It's Christmas time, and Frances is headed back to the school when she's caught in a snow storm. Also caught in the storm is Lucas. In the beginning Lucas and Frances irritate each other, but that changes after only a few nights spent together at an empty inn. Maybe if there had been more humor in this story, I would have liked it better. While I liked Lucas, and I thought he was a wonderful hero, it was Frances who alienated me.

First of all, she throws off all of her principles. Then she mopes, and boohoos over what she has lost. Then she turns into a I'm-not-worthy heroine when Lucas proposes.
I was disappointed with Simply Unforgettable, the beginning of the Simply series.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Balogh warm C+

On to Simply Love. When Anne Jewell showed up as a secondary character in Slightly Scandalous, I was intrigued. After all, she was an unwed mother - what could make for a better Balogh heroine? Well, Ms. Balogh chose an angst filled hero in the form of Sydnam Butler, a secondary character from A Summer to Remember. He only has one arm, one eye, and has a scar. So, we have an unwed mother and a scarred hero...there are troubles galore in this book. But it's a little crowded in this story, because Ms. Balogh has chosen Simply Love as a means to play catch up with alllll of the Bedwyns, and their friends. This was one of those books which was flooded with characters, so many characters it was hard to keep track of. Even when I had just finished reading about them, I still managed to get lost a couple of times.

Sometimes when characters are given really big problems to overcome, it can be depressing. And, that's what happened in this book. Not only do we know about their problems when the book begins, we get to hear about it over, and over, because they talk about it. They have long, long discussions. Yes, I know I whine about books where the couple doesn’t talk to each other. But this time they were de-press-ing. I could have done with a good punch-line occasionally. Just one.

Ms. Balogh's has a wonderful way with words. She also knows how to write angst, but sometimes she goes toooo far down the angst hole. This story is written with a pretty heavy hand, and it was hard to dig myself out of the hole. On top of that, the narrative kept flipping back and forth between Anne and Sydnam's depressing conversations, to the Bedwyn family noise. It was all toooo much. I was disappointed in Simply Love.  
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm
C

Next is Simply Magic. This one has Susanna Osbourne as a teacher on vacation, and Peter Edgeworth, a boring hero. And, once again the Bedwyn's show up. I'll make this short and sweet. This story had another respectable woman throwing caution to the wind for a little bounce with a man she doesn't know. It has a hero who doesn't withdraw, in fact, I'm not sure any of Ms. Balogh's men in this series thought about taking precautions. Then there was the wrong kind of proposal from Peter, then they parted, then they came together again. And along the way, they did a lot of thinking. Thinking, thinking, thinking...this story had a lot of sleep-inducing thinking in it.

I know Ms. Balogh writes thoughtful books, and I rejoice in that. But this one seemed very lonnngg, and made me nod off. I was very disappointed in Simply Magic.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm
C-

Now on to the last book in the series, Simply Perfect. I opened this book with anticipation. Why an-tic-i-pation? Because I was anticipating this series finally coming to an end.

Claudia Martin has been hanging in the background through a number of books. The first impression I had of her was that she was an old, dried-up persimmon of a woman. Well, I was wrong, she's just a dried-up persimmon who jumps to conclusions, and blows those conclusions way out of proportion. In Simply Perfect, she turns into a very unlikable character. Then there is Joseph, Marquess of Attingsborough. Did I happen to mention that Claudia hatessssss the aristocracy?

All through this book we are bombarded with Claudia's prejudices. She jumps to one conclusion after another. She despises Joseph, and jumps to more conclusions. Even after she finds out the truth about some things, that doesn't stop her from being a big old humbug. How Joseph could fall in love with her I will never understand.

So, beside the couple that don't belong together, and a heroine who I wanted to kick in her stiff butt, there was also a big tear-jerk character in this book. Joseph has a blind illegitimate daughter, who he luvs more than anything else in the entire world. In one of the most contrived narratives I've ever read, Claudia steps in and helps his daughter. I couldn't believe this part was written by Ms. Balogh.

I don't know what happened between the Slightly, aka Bedwyn series, and the Simply series. I loved most of the books in the Bedwyn series, but Ms. Balogh Simply series was a big disappointment to me. She's still the Queen, but for me the Simply series was her annus horribilis. Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm
D

Goodbye 2020!!!!!!

2020…

”We starve-look
At one another
Short of breath
Walking proudly in our winter coats
Wearing smells from laboratories
Facing a dying nation
Of moving paper fantasy
Listening for the new told lies
With supreme visions of lonely tunes

Somewhere
Inside something there is a rush of
Greatness
Who knows what stands in front of
Our lives
I fashion my future on films in space
Silence
Tells me secretly
Everything

Manchester England England
Across the Atlantic Sea
Arms take your last embrace
And I'm a genius genius
I believe in God
And I believe that God believes in Claude
That's me, that's me, that's me
The rest is silence

We starve-look
At one another
Short of breath
Walking proudly in our winter coats
Wearing smells from laboratories
Facing a dying nation
Of moving paper fantasy
Listening for the new told lies
With supreme visions of lonely tunes
Singing
Our space songs on a spider web sitar
Life is around you and in you
Answer for Timothy Leary, dearie

Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in
The sunshine in
Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in
The sunshine in
Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in
The sun shine in...” 

Hair… Gerome Ragni, James Rado, Galt MacDermot

2021
    
I think I can speak for almost everyone…I for one am glad to see the last of 2020. I only hope that sometime the coming year we are all able to stand together and cheer. I think what I’m most looking forward to is being in a crowd and smiling. I don’t think it matters too much what I’m smiling at, as long as we are doing it together. There’s just something about staring up at the skies and everyone going aaahhhhh.

As far as books, this was mostly a disappointing year for me. I kept looking for a new author to cheer me up, but alas, twas’ not to be. I found myself turning more and more to my old stand-by books.

Voices we have lost this year: Mary Higgins Clark, Sheila Connelly, Clive Cussler, Karen Harper, Donna Kaufman, Barbara Neely, Susan Sizemore, Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Debut authors who have shown up on my radar: Sophie Cousens, Alexandria Bellefleur, Denise Williams, Elysia Whisler, Rosie Danan, Bethany Bennett, Jenny Bayliss,  Barb Curtis, Kristen McKanah, Jane Igharo, Rachel Givney, Chloe James, Krista Jensen, Brianne Moore, Annabelle Greene, Lily Menon, Fiona Knightley, Georgia Toffolo, Lizzie O’Hagan, Heidi Catherine, Marie Lipscomb, Krysta Fox, Jane Ver Mulm, Chelle Sloan,  Fiona Rivers, Lisa Bent, Tina Rischlynn, Kit Hawthorne, Juliana Wight, Lola West. Good luck to all of you.

2020 Outstanding List. As I mentioned earlier, this was a hard year for me when it came to finding that special book. I found myself turning more and more to my old beloved stories. Thanks to all you authors who brought a smile to my lips. And, thanks to all of you authors who have brought some brightness into our world.

2020 Outstanding (In no particular order):
1.    My Last Duchess, Eloisa James, 2020
2.    My Kind of Earl, Vivienne Lorret, 2020
3.    Beauty Tempts the Beast, by Lorraine Heath, 2020
4.    About a Rogue, by Caroline Linden, 2020
5.    A Dangerous Kind of Lady, by Mia Vincy, 2020
6.    Redeeming the Elusive Earl, by Virginia Heath, 2020
7.    Slightly Married, by Mary Balogh, 2003
8.    Slightly Scandalous, by Mary Balogh, 2003
9.    Slightly Dangerous, by Mary Balogh, 2004
10.   The Perfect Waltz, by Anne Gracie, 2005
11.    The Perfect Stranger, by Anne Gracie, 2006
12.    First Comes Scandal, by Julia Quinn, 2020
13.    Mr. Impossible, by Loretta Chase, 2005
14.    Last Nights Scandal, by Loretta Chase, 2010
15.    The Secret Mistress, by Mary Balogh, 2011
16.    The Christmas Bride, by Anne Gracie, 2020

Disappointing books of 2020. First of all, an author does not have to be a bad writer to appear on my list of disappointing books. Let’s remember who this is all about…me, me, me. These are my disappointing books. There could be all kinds of reasons why a book makes it to this list, and they are my reasons. Maybe a number of my hot buttons were activated. Maybe it was a book which didn’t stand up to the test of time. Maybe I’m just human, and what someone else loves I don’t. Of course, there could be a problem with the writing, but then again that’s all subjective. There could be a problem with the editing, or the narrative, but then again, it’s – repeat after me – all about me, me, me. This does not mean I have crossed a particular author off of my list, it’s just a particular book, at a particular time was not a winner.

2020 disappointments (in no particular order)
1.    Duke I’d like to F…,Sierra Simone, Joanna Shupe, Eva Leigh, Nicola Davidson, Adriana Herrera, 2020
2.    Ten Kisses to Scandal, Vivienne Lorret, 2018
3.    The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland, and Wales, by Anne Stuart, 2020
4.    Someone to Romance, by Mary Balogh, 2020
5.    A Kiss from a Rogue, by Elisa Braden, 2019
6.    Desperately Seeking a Scoundrel, by Elisa Braden, 2015
7.    The Madness of Viscount Atherbourn, by Elisa Braden, 2015
8.    When a Girl Loves an Earl, by Elisa Braden, 2015
9.    The Footman and I, by Valerie Bowman, 2020
10.   A Royal Kiss and Tell, by Julia London, 2020
11.    Splendid, by Julia Quinn, 1995
12.    Dancing at Midnight, by Julia Quinn, 1995
13.    How to Catch an Errant Earl, by Amy Rose Bennett, 2020
14.    Simply Unforgettable, 2005, Simply Love, 2006, Simply Magic, 2007, Simply Perfect, 2008 by Mary Balogh
15.    The Perfect Kiss, by Anne Gracie, 2007
16.    The Earl Not Taken, by A.S. Fenichel, 2020
17.    No Man’s Mistress, by Mary Balogh, 2001
18.    Anyone but a Duke, by Betina Krahn, 2020

On to my prestigious awards.
 
No More Wire Hangers, aka 2020 Mommie Dearest Award. 

You know, there always seems to be plenty of bad relatives hanging around in Romanceland. This award is given to alllll bad relatives, not just mothers. These bad relatives are lurking behind many pages, just waiting to make our heroine or hero miserable. In some cases, the hero can never luv another woman because of something his mother did. After all of these years, I’m not sure which one of these relatives I find the most disturbing. They can be oblivious fathers, conniving mothers, wastrel brothers, self-centered sisters, or spoiled cousins. It doesn’t matter, and usually their punishment is never enough. As much as I would like otherwise, there always seem to be bullying relatives just waiting behind that closed door.
 
My nominations for 2020:
1.    From Vivienne Lorret’s, My Kind of Earl, we have Jane’s parents. Jane is forced to do all the parenting due to the fact that she has a pair of narcissistic parents. It’s ok for these parents to have tons of children, then ignore them.
2.    Evie Dunmore’s father of the hero, from A Rogue of One’s Own. This guy is pretty much a monster. He threatens the hero, Tristin, with locking up Tristin’s mother in an asylum, if Tristin doesn’t’ do what he wants.
3.    The father from Caroline Linden’s, About a Rogue is a real bonehead. Yes, it’s possible for parents to be boneheads. This father treats his daughter horribly, and all the time all she wants is his affection. It’s pretty pathetic. This is a case where the father got off lightly.
4.    In Anne Gracie’s, Marry in Scarlet, has a manipulator mother to end all manipulators. And because of her, her son can never trust, believe, or luv a woman.
5.    Another father, who has waaay too much hold over his adult son in Julia Quinn’s, First Come Scandal.
6.    Oh no! Say it ain’t so! Every year since this series began, this mother has made my list. Yes, it’s Francesca, Lady Aldriss from Suzanne Enoch’s, Scot Under Covers. Yes, she’s still a horrible mother. She’s still blackmailing her sons into submission, and then wondering why they don’t like her. Not only does Francesca make it to our list, but the winner of this year’s Mommie Dearest comes from the same book.
7.    From Suzanne Enoch’s, Scot Under the Covers, the truly loathsome brother Mathew. Mathew actually sells his sister to a slimy toad. And, because of that, Mathew is the winner of the Mommie Dearest winner this year. Congratulations Mathew – you stink!

2020 Steve Morgan Bonehead Hero Award.

Ah yes, the hero we love to hate. He is usually an alpha male; he is jealous, possessive, controlling, obsessive, and arrogant. He can never forget his first love, he blames his horrible mother for his treatment of women, he’s always right, he calls his heroine Wren, Little One, Carrot Top, Squeal-pudding and Button Nose. He doesn’t wear any protection when he has sex; and he keeps a bottle of cream on a near-by night stand, because he doesn’t want to take the time. Yes, he is an all-around, self-centered jerk. He makes a practice of making women feel small. The Steve Morgan Bonehead is a creature who should have left this world in the 1970s, but I fear he is still lurking under the weeds.

My nominations for the 2020 Boneheads are:
1.    From Ten Kisses to Scandal, by Vivienne Lorret we have a much older man. While I will be honest, I am not fond of large age differences, sometimes in the hands of the right author I have over-looked it. But not in this case, because Nicholas is experienced in so many ways. It is just creepy how he dominates the heroine, and not just physically. He is so condescending, he might as well pat her on the head like a dog.  
2.    Raven, from My Kind of Earl, by Vivienne Lorret is an almost-bonehead. Yes! I can have almost boneheads if I want them. He chose the very last minutes to let his inner petulance loose and throw a fit.
3.    You can always depend on Anne Stuart to give us a bonehead hero, and she does in The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales. Let me introduce you to Christopher/Kit. He is pure bonehead hero material, even if there is a half-hearted-redemption at the end.
4.    In Mary Balogh’s, Someone to Romance, we have a bonehead who is an absentee landlord. There seems to be a lot of those in more recent books.  This one is Gabriel Thorne. He has been in America for thirteen years earning tons money, and ignoring the people who are struggling to make a living on his lands. He whines and complains about not wanting to stay in England during most of the book.
5.    The Madness of Viscount Atherbourn, by Elisa Braden introduces a revenge bonehead hero, Lucien. Lucien is not only a bonehead, but he has a Bonehead Hero Romanceland Plan. Both Lucien and his stupid plan suck. Lucien is not only vengeful, but he is a cruel, sadistic, wanker.
6.    Boo-hoo-whiners can be Bonehead heroes too. This one also happens to be royal, and is responsible for a DNF. From Julia London, A Royal Kiss and Tell, we have Prince Leopold, a kiss-my-butt-I’m-royal-bonehead.
7.    Let me introduce you to Colin, our winner. Colin is a character from Elisa Braden’s series Rescue from Ruin, and his book is Desperately Seeking a Scoundrel. Colin was a horrible person in every single book in the series. The more he showed up in the books, the deeper into the mud he sunk. Colin was just toooo much of a bonehead for any author to redeem.

Sidekicks, aka Secondary Characters, aka Supporting Cast of 2020.
Where would a book be without those wonderful secondary characters? There would be no one for our heroine or hero to talk to. There would be no hunky men in a series for us to wait for. There would not be any intelligent women with a purpose for us to cheer on. What would we do without all those scene stealers? This award recognizes the bad and the good secondary characters. These are the characters who caught my eye this year.

1.    Lorraine Heath’s Trewlove family has been around for a number of books, and Beauty Tempts the Beast is the last of them. And, in my opinion one of the best. Through this series, I have grown quite fond of Ettie Trewlove, and the foundation of love she created for all the children who found a home with her.
2.    Remember I said not all secondary characters are good. Sometimes we have irritating, interrupting characters who are having their own boring romance. And, that’s what happens in The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales, by Anne Stuart. Yes, every time we start getting some insight into our lead characters, along comes irritating Cecilia and her Bow Street Runner. Hey, Cecilia! We don’t care!
3.    Secondary character overload. We get to have a visit from every single Westcott there ever was, and ever will be, in Mary Balogh’s, Someone to Romance.
4.    The one good thing about Valerie Bowman’s, The Footman and I, was the friendship between the hero and his friends. But the great chemistry between the friends disappear when they get their own book.
5.    In Virginia Heath’s, Lilian and the Irresistible Duke, we are treated to a secondary character who is memorable …and, it’s not human. No, this secondary character is the glorious vision which is Rome. Ms. Heath changes Rome into a living, breathing experience which was a pleasure to read.
6.    It was a delightful flash-back, and it involved going back to when Anthony, Benedict, and Colin Bridgerton’s were still young boys. They were so very entertaining, and they brought a smile to my face in Julia Quinn’s, First Comes Scandal.
7.    The entire Bedwyn family in Mary Balogh’s Simply series. Every single book in the series as a plethora of Bedwyn’s showing up…don’t they have their own homes?
8.    When Mary Balogh gets it right, she gets it right. From Slightly Married, she gives us two wonderful children: Rebecca and David. The emotions were powerful, and they almost stole the show.
9.    Once again Mary Balogh turns out some great writing. And, once again it isn’t a secondary person, but this time it is an event – The Duke of Richmond’s ball before the battle of Waterloo. The fear of the upcoming battle is so vivid, you can smell it.
10.    My favorite secondary character this year was Bazzle, from Lisa Kleypas’ Chasing Casandra. This young street boy is so very charming. He is great fun. And, it isn’t long before he and his lice, are stealing the scenes.

The 2020 Romanceland Plan 

Allow me to introduce to you a brand-new award. Yes! I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that Plans in Romanceland don’t work, but it did. I thought to myself, “You know, it’s time to recognize these odd thinking moments by supposedly intelligent people.” There are certain warning signs to watch for when a Romanceland Plan is about to be born. Look out for a female disguised as a male, and she may be breaking into a house. She is probably breaking into the house of the man who ruined her sister; however, it turns out that she is mistaken and it’s his brother/uncle/cousin/friend’s house. But that doesn’t matter, because he also has a plan, he’s going to wreak revenge on her because she’s the sister of the man who ruined his sister/mother/cousin, and besides that, he just hates the heroine’s family. But then they announce that they are engaged, but it’s not really a real engagement! No! it’s a fake engagement! But in order to maintain the fake engagement, one of them has to dress up as a servant because they need to get the jewels that are hidden, and the father of the girl dressed as a boy will forgive her for not marrying first. Then they will have to sneak into the villain’s house and rescue allll the orphan’s, before they are sacrificed to the men in the Hellfire club. Sounds like a plan! Then the birds will sing, the squirrels will chatter, and the unicorns will skitter across the countryside. All will once again be well in Romanceland. 

And, here are some other worthy 2020 Romanceland plans:
1.    From Evie Dunmore’s, A Rogue of One’s Own, we have our hero Tristan’s plan to save his mother from an asylum, then ship her off to India…because she has friends there? Because she likes India? Because she asked to go there? Nope, none of those.
2.    Gabriel from Mary Balogh’s, Someone to Romance, has a plan. He plans to marry someone from a powerful family in order to regain his estate. Not sure how. He of course hasn’t been at his estate in years and years, and he doesn’t plan on staying, and he doesn’t plan on falling in love. So, the plan will probably work.
3.    The I-know-what-is-best-for-you plan by Elisa Braden’s heroine Augusta, from Anything but a Gentleman. Yes, she’s going to break into a gaming house and steal the “markers” of the creep who seduced her sister, then left her sister pregnant. Does she take into consideration that the guy is a real burp? No. Does she listen to her sister? Nah. Does she do smart things? Ha ha. Does she have long legs and red hair? Yep! That’s probably why her plan won’t work.
4.    From the same book, we have another plan. This one is from Sebastian. His plan is to scare Augustus by suggesting she become his mistress…I am speechless. We are talking about a hunky guy from a romance book, and being his mistress is supposed to be scary…Be afraid…be very afraid.
5.    Another book by Elisa Braden, The Madness of Viscount Atherbourn. Oh, my favorite kind of plan, the revenge plan. Yes, Lucien is mad, he is seeking revenge on the man he believes is responsible for the ruination of his sister. His plan is to seduce the sister of the man he hates, then create a scandal. Well, the seduction works, but the next day he proposes…so, how does that plan work again?
6.    From Valerie Bowman’s, the Footman and I, we have the disguise plan. Three spies/buddies/rakes disguise themselves as servants because…we don’t know why. It’s a bet, one of them is a spy, one of them is avoiding women…it’s a very confusing plan. It doesn’t make sense, but what it does do is get them in the house the same time the heroines are there.
7.    A normal plan, or as normal as Romanceland can allow. The plan from Anne Gracie’s, The Perfect Stranger. Nicolas will marry Faith and return her to England. Yep, that’s the plan. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Well, they have to trek through the countryside of France to get to England. They succeed in getting to England. Then there is some kind of weird, paranormal gypsy who reaches their hand inside the hero’s body, pulls out a tumor, and saves him. The gypsy hand event wasn’t part of the plan, just weird.
8.    From Mary Balogh’s, Slightly Sinful, is a doozy of a plan. This plan involves a bunch of prostitutes, our innocent heroine, a crusty one-eyed sergeant, and a hero with amnesia. All of these people need to get some money…because they all have dreams. Well maybe not the guy with amnesia. Anyway, they all pretend to be someone else, so they can approach our heroine’s uncle and get some money from him. The sergeant becomes a valet, the prostitutes become cooks, servants, and a companion. The hero and heroine become pretend-husband and wife. It was all very convoluted…and it didn’t work!
9.    Another disguise plan! From The Perfect Kiss by Anne Gracie. Grace Merridew plans to dye her hair and pretend to be a servant. I’m not sure why she needed to dye her hair, but then most of the plan didn’t make sense. Anyway, Grace pretends to be a servant because her bestest friend Molly is being forced to marry Dominic. Dominic doesn’t want children, Molly does. So, Grace dresses up like a servant/maid to Molly so she can do something…not sure what. Except for cleaning the chamber pots, I’m not sure how Grace’s plan was supposed to work, especially when it is Grace who Dominic becomes interested in, not Molly.
10.    And the winner is…. Aden’s plan from Suzanne Enoch’s, Scot Under Covers. Yes, Aden has a Romanceland Plan, but it’s a secret!!! He is so arrogant; he doesn’t tell anyone what he’s doing. He has them doing things for him, but he never lets anyone in on the secret plan! Aarrgh! Congratulations on the secret plan! And, congratulations on winning the first Romanceland Plan

And now for the award you’ve all been waiting for. It’s like the Oscar for best picture isn’t it…sort of. Well, maybe not. Yes, yes, yes, it’s time for the 2020 Timothy Toad Award! It’s time to honor those bulges, protrusions, and tents in pants. Sometimes they are eye catching, and sometimes you just wonder how some things are still attached. How can some of those Toads still be in working order, and not shriveled by some disease?

Timothy Toad Award for 2020
1.    In Elisa Braden’s, The Truth about Cads and Dukes, we have a Timothy Toad who is completely out of control. Our mature, stiff-neck hero, just cannot control is wacky giant toad. We don’t know why he can’t control it, because we are not given too much insight into his brain. Not the toad’s brain, but the hero’s brain.
2.    Another Elisa Braden book. This time it’s The Madness of Viscount Atherbourn. This guy is a real bonehead. He’s arrogant, and he’s out for revenge. Lucien is a real piece of work, and his Timothy Toad must be too. No matter how badly Lucien treats our heroine, she is mesmerized by his magic flute. She just cannot get enough of the puffy, one-eye guy. Page after page of yes, no, yes, no, yes. No wonder Timothy was confused.
3.    See what happens when you glom. Yes, another Elisa Braden book is nominated for an award. This time it’s When a Girl Loves an Earl. We have a biggggg one! Yes, James is at least eight feet tall! Everything about him is big. His hands, feet, toes, fingers…and other appendages. Too bad the heroine wasn’t a better heroine, because this huge Timothy Toad was wasted.
4.    The lonely Mr. Toad from Valerie Bowman’s, The Footman and I.  Lucas’s Mr. Toad is the only thing in this book who was fully developed. I think he must have realized how boring everyone in the story was, because he kept trying to escape.
5.    Another oldie. From the 1996 Minx, by Julia Quinn. Dunford has no control over anything in this book, including his Timothy Toad. It was alllll very amusing.
6.    We have a very sensitive Mr. Toad from Slightly Sinful by Mary Balogh. He’s so sensitive he can recognize a virgin just by the slightest touch. For some reason, I don’t think these guys are all that sensitive.
7.    Beware of Bonehead Heroes with twitching Timothy Toads. Especially when they twitch at the sight of a woman who isn’t engaged to them. Welcome to a very dishonorable toad from The Perfect Kiss, by Anne Gracie
8.    And the winner is: All the Mr. Toads from The Arrangement, by Sylvia Day, Minerva Spencer, and Kristin Vayden. Sometimes there is just tooooo much mind-numbing activation of hippidy-hopping toads. Sometimes there are toooo many bananas peeled, too many oranges squeezed. There was so much whankee-woo in this book, there wasn’t a story. If we put choir robes on these guys, I bet they could sing. That would be a sight for sore eyes.

And, it’s over. It’s time to say get thee gone 2020. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! Here’s hoping that 2021 will bring us a better year. My wish for this year is that we are all still here, and enjoying the books we love so much. It’s been a rough year, and I’m looking forward to being in a crowd, looking up at the sky and watching the stars together.

Seduced by a Scot by Julia London

November 30, 2018

Lots of mean people
https://julialondon.com/
Spoilers! Enter at your own risk!
Seduced by a Scot is the sixth book in the Highland Grooms series and I wish I could say I liked it. The story started off on a high note, but by the second chapter I started to hear rumblings of disenchantment in my little brain. Sometimes a book works and sometimes it doesn't. For me, this book didn’t work and here’s why – mean people.

Our heroine is Maura Darby. She is beautiful beyond words. She attracts men like flies to honey. She is the ward of Calum Garrett.
 
Mean People House I. Let's see who inhabits this house. The mean characters here all seem to be women - so much for sisterhood. We have horrible Mrs. Garrett, jealous Sorcha Garrett, and the wife of a maybe future business-partner, the pretentious Mrs. Cadell. Mrs. Cadell is the mother of the weak weasel Adam Cadell who happens to be Sorcha's fiancé. That is until Adam kisses Maura - then the household erupts into chaos. Everyone blames the beautiful-beyond-words Maura. The women screech, yell, berate, and bully everyone in the household. Everything is allllll Maura's fault. The women insist that Maura depart and since Mr. Garrett has no backbone Maura is dumped on Garrett's distant cousin - David Rumpkin. 

A ponder moment. The fact that Ms. Darby is beautiful beyond words is of course allllll her fault. She is loathed by almost all of the other female characters in this story. Sorcha is portrayed as homely; she is described as having a bulbous nose and slightly crooked eyes.  Is it any wonder that all the men flock to lovely black-haired Maura instead of the big nose Sorcha? This particular narrative was all in the beginning of the book, and it was at this point I started to have an issue with the story. Do you know why I started to have issues? Because my itty-bitty brain started talking to me about our perceptions about what we value. Why is it that we have a problem with women who are not attractive being the heroine? Even when heroines are plain, there is usually a scene written in which all of a sudden in the moonlight they become beautiful or the sun captures the golden highlights of the hair or their gray eyes turn to sparkling diamonds. Why does the inside of a person have to match the outside? What's wrong with having a large nose? Why are a large nose and crooked eyes cliches for mean-spirited? Why shouldn't Sorcha and Maura have bonded when they were younger? Why did they have to be enemies?  I am growing impatient with the use of physical appearance as an apparatus used to indicate good and evil. The times, they are a changin’ and it’s time our narratives quit encouraging this mind-set. Is physical beauty alllll that we value? I’m done with my pondering.

Back to the story - Mean House I. Maura is no longer around, but Sorcha has broken with her weasel boyfriend. Every one should be happy, right? Nah. Now the business deal between the Garrett's and the Cadell's may be in trouble. It's time for a "fixer."  Enter Nicol Bain – our hero.

For those of you who may not know it, Nicol has fixed problems in previous books and now it’s time for his story. He is here to fix the engagement problem, but mostly he’s going to fix the problem of what to do with Maura. Wellllll, Nicol is a pretty good fixer. It isn’t long before Sorcha and her weasel of a fiancé are on again. Nicol of course has a Romanceland plan. Through some convoluted reasoning, he decides that the best solution is to gather Maura, take her nto the wilderness of Scotland and marry her to a guy by the name of Dunnan Cockburn – yes Cockburn. 

Mean House II. David Rumpkin, the cousin. We now jump to the second nasty person portion of the book. When Nicol arrives at Rumpkin’s house to pick up Maura he finds her locked in a bedroom. It seems that David Rumpkin is a mean drunk and has already made advances toward Maura. Which is why she is locked in the room and not eating. She refuses to talk to Nicol, so he breaks into her bedroom. Eventually, Nicol, Maura and Gavin (his groom) escape. Sort of.

Return to Mean House I. The, I-must-have-my-necklace scene. When Maura was forced out of the Garrett household, she had to leave without most of her property, including an heirloom necklace. Before Maura can be trudged off to the highlands they must go back to the Garrett’s house to get her necklace. Maura does not trust Nicol to help her. Maura now turns into a TSTL heroine and tries to escape Nicol by stealing one of Nicol’s two horses. This means that Nicol must send Gavin to a Baron McBain - because as we all know, Nicol and Gavin can’t ride a horse double. By the way, Baron McBain is Nicol’s brother. Nicol, our hero, jumps on the horse telling Gavin he will need to walk to McBain’s estate. Yes, walk. Gavin will walk through unfamiliar territory, to the estate of a man he doesn’t know, and tell him he needs to stay with him till Nicol returns. Did I mention that McBain is estranged from his brother? That means they don't like each other. So, Gavin is being sent into a situation which might turn disagreeable. But don’t worry my little Petunia’s, Nicol gives Gavin some last minute instructions on how to load and shoot a gun. Did I happen to mention that Gavin is fourteen years old?

Mean House I continued. Maura is headed back to get her necklace, Nicol is in pursuit of Maura, and a fourteen year-old Gavin is trying not to get lost in the wilderness. Nicol finds Maura, they go back, they get the necklace, and they leave and head north. Just so ya’ know, I left out a lot of things involved in the return of the necklace plot-line. Once Maura has her necklace, we have a road-trip romance as Maura and Nicol go north so she can marry Cockburn. But first they must pick up Gavin.

Mean House III - Ivan McBain. Another nasty person, this time of the male gender. Ivan McBain is Nicol’s brother. He is married and all through this part of the story he continually tells his wife to shut up. I don’t know why he’s such a rotten person, but he’s a rotten to the core. Then Nicol’s horrible father makes an entrance into the story. He’s on his deathbed. Of course, we discover that Nicol’s father really isn’t his father at all. This makes Nicol blue. To comfort Nicol, Maura and he have a session of hickory-dickory-dock. Then it’s off to the highlands to deliver Maura to her intended.

Mean House IV - the abode of Dunnan Cockburn, the intended. Maura’s intended has a gambling problem. He’s also odd. He also has a mean, domineering mother. When Maura and Nicol arrive, Dunnan’s having a party, and he’s invited a theater troupe. OMG, a theatre group! By this time, I just wanted the story to be over – but no. Maura’s intended, Dunnan Cockburn is just plain odd. He does strange things and it’s never fully explained as to what makes him tick. It is at this time that Maura decides she will join the theater troupe and act. Yep, she’s going to be a star! As I mentioned before Cockburn has a gambling problem. He owes a lot of money. Enter the man he owes the money to, Mr. Pepper. Mr. Pepper is not a happy camper, and it’s not because he’s named after a beverage. He wants his money and he wants it now! Somehow into this mix, Nicol becomes a hostage and Maura eventually saves him. Nicol, Maura, and Gavin all have their HEA. It was all very tangled, and disjointed.

To say I was disappointed in this book would be an understatement. There were just so many plot-lines piled on top of each other. I became dizzy just trying to sort them all out. All the different narratives did not transition smoothly. It is possible to have lots of twists and turns in books and still have a cohesive tale. There were just tooooo many mean people. The story eventually became farcical – and not in a good way. This story was loaded with waaaay too many unpleasant characters - it was all very depressing. Even the HEA couldn't save this story for me.

Time/Place: Scottish road trip 1750s
Sensuality: Warm