Jayne’s Reading List

JayneBook Reviews / C- Reviews / D Reviews / DNF Reviewschildhood friends / Contemporary / enemies to lovers / friends-to-lovers / Historical / London / Regency / twinsNo Comments

The Season that changes everything …

Henrietta Gaydon is making her debut in London society for the Season, but her popularity and apparent ease disguises the fact that she is out of her depth and that she dreads the objective of finding a husband. She longs for home, her father and Lord Henfield, who she has always treated as an older brother.

Charles Henfield stopped thinking of Henrietta like a sister when she was sixteen. And he is determined to try his luck with her in London. Mistakes and misunderstandings, the complication of a feud between mamas, and Henrietta’s no longer fraternal feelings for Henfield, all conspire to make this a Season to remember.

Review

I was hoping for another book like “Kingscastle.” But while I can tell that Holloway did her research on a London Regency “Season” because reading this book is like getting a lesson in it. No, it’s more like someone you know slightly telling you about their vacation and showing you umpteen thousands of photos of everything they did, and thoroughly describing them all, no matter how mundane. There’s some good stuff in there but in order to see it you are forced to wade through things you’ve either already experienced or decided not to because you had no interest in it.

The hero and heroine are perfectly nice and (you already know how this will end) will probably have a perfectly nice wedding and married life back in Shropshire but neither have characters that sparkle enough for me to want to follow the trials and tribulations, such as they are, of their courtship. It’s nice but it’s bland and a little boring. C-

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I just found out I have an identical twin. Wasn’t looking for one. Would have preferred to not have one, but here we are. We have nothing in common. I was adopted by a successful businessman who raised me to see life as a game and gave me the skills to win it. Him? He is about to lose his family’s farm. You heard me—farm.

Lucky for him, I’m a firm believer that when it comes to family, no one goes to battle alone. I’m in. I’ve switched lives with him and will use every business trick I know to save his farm.

However, my initial plan did not take into account a drop-dead gorgeous oil rep or the secrets I uncover about my brother. And worst of all, I’m starting to like the farm and all its inhabitants. I can’t stop thinking about that oil rep. This will definitely take longer to resolve than anticipated.

Review

I’d never tried anything by Ruth Cardello so went into “Strictly Business” with no preconceptions. Sadly this one is not for me.

The hero starts out as an ass who ogles the heroine’s body at every turn. I know this is what he’s supposed to come across as before he is somehow (I sincerely hope) changed into a new and caring man but I’m not interested in his journey. He also doesn’t start off taking the care of the animals seriously which is a big nope from me.

The heroine is smart but given a silly breathless way of speaking – I guess to show how sexually attracted she is to the hero. Then she has to be given a past of mediocre sex and do silly things like leave important documents behind at the hotel. Because of the breathless sexy, I guess.

The “in media res” opening also confused me rather than intriguing me. Sadly I will not be finishing this one. DNF

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Heiress Lucy Percy’s family fends off a fortune-hunter, and Lucy decides to rusticate. She and her aunt rent a cottage, but change their identities in order to avoid further problems. The Earl of Avedon’s ramshackle nephew owns their cottage and exhibits every sign of falling for Lucy’s charms. But Avedon suspects Lucy is out to capture his nephew and does everything in his power to prevent that!

Review

I was looking for a “safe read” (ie from a trusted author that I could pretty much count on enjoying the book) and looking around, decided to read “The Waltzing Widow” by Joan Smith. Smith has rarely let me down but this one did.

It started off well enough but quickly took a turn downhill. The hero went from trying to keep his nephew from forming another inappropriate attachment to harassment. He then compounded that by grossly insulting the heroine by acts and words (by offering her carte blanche).

There was also a sub-thread about how the hero’s grasping sister was trying to get a church appointment for her husband and pushing the hero to use his connections. Later they discover that the heroine’s uncle is a Bishop and shamelessly schmooze him.

At the end, when h/h are all lovey dovey, she complains about his actions and he just has to try and toss some blame her way by saying that it’s partly her fault for hiding her identity. Well, sorta yes but you were the one accusing her of being a lightskirt and then offering her a position as your mistress.

I’ve said before that when I finish a book and am sorry that one of the main characters is stuck with the other, I don’t consider the book a successful romance. D

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