Review - Proof of Virtue.

Sometimes reviews give balance to a book  - after all, one reader's delicacy, another's poison. 

So here is my Review of Proof of Virtue.

Reviewed by Francine:

The last part of the Georgian period drifting to the Victorian era was a very harsh period in history, and all despite the great Industrial Revolution in which steam trains gradually brought about the end of long journeys by mail coach (other) as a means of travel, and factory mill industrialists began crushing incomes of small country weavers. It was also a period of change as the poorer people deserted the countryside to find work in townships. Sadly, the heroine of this novel has lived a comfortable life but is suddenly cast into a hell pit due to unforeseen circumstance of death and loss of her home. Thus, with her younger siblings to care for she is duty bound to provide for them as best she can. But tide of bad fortune affords no hope of a kindly person to care what happens to them and she has no alternative but to look to the Workhouse for a roof over their heads and food to belly.

To understand Emma’s plight fully, there is the reality that Workhouses were the most dreaded of prospects next to prison. Subsequently, she braces herself for the humiliation of it all, but never in her worst nightmare could she envisage the dark side of workhouses, of those who sponsor them and exploit and abuse the inhabitants, nor of those who manage or own workhouses. Hence her story is harrowing, one in which she battles numerous emotions, suffers the wrath of others, and yet finds friends and allies, and love blossoms in extraordinary circumstances when least expected. I admire this author’s daring to venture to the darker side of life, because in reality for those less fortunate in these times it was a hellish existence. This novel reflects the harshness and the value of human flesh by those who sought only to further their own finances, personal aims, and covert desires. So for that reason this is a true depiction of the dark side of life as young Princess Victoria is schooled to reign by William IV, the last of the Georgian kings.

Amazon UK

Review - A Marchioness Below Stairs

Reviewers oft assess books in quite different ways, and that's why reviews can be awfully confusing for readers to determine whether a book is to their tastes! When I review books I rate them on entertainment value, quality of prose, natural flow in dialogue, whether characters are fully fledged, no plot-holes, and above all else, good sense of time and place of the era depicted. 

Reviewed by Francine:

What an enchanting and unusual love story this is, and made all the more enjoyable because it is atypical! Here we have a marchioness who is willing to contravene the expected social mores of the haut monde, and indeed she takes control at a crisis moment in which fellow females would never soil their hands to see others replenished in a time of need. But Isabel is not altogether as one would imagine, and whilst good fortune has come her way in one instance, in another it has caused her great pain. All too well aware memories of former affairs of the heart can be as painful as when first experienced, hers are far from fully vanquished. And despite another man teases her mercilessly, his interest in her evident, life soon becomes somewhat heated below stairs as Isabel and the hero rally to provide sustenance for her uncle’s guests.

Aside from the romance, which in itself develops in the strangest of circumstances, there are elements of the period many Regency fans are familiar with in general, but few authors will venture to. Thus Ms Baxter touches on the subject of slavery, and Isabel’s discovery of a unique business premises in London brings to light a delicacy that is today a familiar sight in almost every town in the Western world, hence she has created – as far as I am aware – an original Regency plot-line. Well done Ms Baxter with this debut novel. 

Amazon  UK

Regency

Reviewed by Fran.

Set in London 1821, the Unmasking of Lady Helen is a sweet tale of the young lady Helen who fears an incident in her past has lessened her chances of gaining a suitor, and at twenty-four years of age it seems wise to put one’s energies into other more interesting subjects than seeking a husband. Besides, her father is an Egyptologist, his work infinitely pleasing and intriguing, and Lady Helen is quite happy to become a rather studious blue-stocking and forego marriage for a safe spinster existence. Albeit social gatherings and coming -out balls must be attended for the sake of her sister, an unexpected incident closer to home intrigues both her and her sister Diana, and the object of their scrutiny is equally unaware he will be stepping across their threshold on official and private business shortly. Hence, Jason Lord Peyton, a man of covert play within the underworld of military spies soon finds himself caught up within a case of Industrial espionage and new inventions. 

A man with his own inner disquiet in respect of a failed love match, similarly to Lady Helen, he is in no great shakes to beget a wife for the ubiquitous heir to his title and estate. One could say two kindred spirits have entered centre stage and both equally intrigued and a little shocked by turn events, both equally bent on solving the crime, and neither aware danger is closer at hand than envisaged, until it is almost too late. Thus Lord Peyton’s greatest worry Lady Helen will come to harm if she pokes her nose too deep into dark corners, both discover dark corners can prove very intimate and steal attention from matters at hand. And of course, for two people averse to marriage, though most definitely attracted one to the other, decorum precludes any notions of love and romance: or does it? 

This is a lovely sweet romance with likeable characters, an intriguing plot, lots of little asides, and enough background details to make for pleasant escapism to the past.

Amazon

Regency

Reviewed by Charlotte alias Charmian (Goodreads).

Book’s Blurb:

Hell will freeze over before Miss Philomena Aubrey willingly marries the insufferable Honorable Luther Whyte. Her mother had angled Mina’s quite hefty dowry in front of the vicar and secured him, but Mina still resisted. When Mrs. Aubrey threatens to force her into the marriage, Mina’s father hides his daughter with a friend of his as he leaves for an extended business trip.

A wounded war hero, burdened by guilt after inadvertently sending his French fiancée to death, Lord James Darling keeps his family as far away from his tormented heart as possible. But as he keeps bumping into his mother’s new lady’s maid, he grows suspicious—is she a spy?—and sets out to expose her, only to find himself mesmerized by her feistiness and her warm heart.

My Review:

Mina, short for Philonena, steps to the stage as the archetypical young heiress of the Nuevo riche in the Regency era. Presumably her father became extremely wealthy from timely investments and good business dealings. It must be said as history tells us, a great many of the Nuevo riche were so wealthy their daughters were sought by aristocrats as a timely means to bolster ailing funds for sons who were wastrels. Many a rich heiress gained a title from brokered deals cut and dealt across tables at Gentlemen’s clubs in real life as they do with regularity in Regency romance novels. 

Funnily Mina’s mother has set her marital scheming eye at humble bait, the local vicar no less, and oh lord, shades of Jane Austen’s Mr Collins leapt to mind straight off. And thank serendipity Mina is an only child and has a father who dotes on her. Mina can do little wrong in his eyes, and her mother sees only a wilful minded daughter who refuses to marry the man of her mother’s choice, ha ha.

While this is a common mother daughter conflict for Regency novels, the story for me becomes a little contrived with a father who looks to the help of a childhood playmate, a duchess (ha) who conveniently has bachelor sons in need of wives. It was all a little twee perfect and unrealistic but it’s a bunny out of the hat magical fairy tale and what’s wrong with that.

And then there’s the tortured James Darling. He’s a secretive man and with Miss Curiosity Mina kitten on his patch in the guise of a lady’s maid he doesn’t stand an earthly in resisting the vivacious young madam who seeks to inveigle her way under his skin. Throughout a theme of will he or won’t he fall in love with Mina makes this romance a fun read with little touches of haunting sadness from James’s past. For all her silly childish antics I liked Mina a lot. James was more a muddle of conflicting caricatures and didn’t materialise as a solid character, not for me at any rate. An Heiress in Disguise is what it is, a well written fun romance with a few raunchy pulse driven scenes.

Amazon

Regency / Victorian

Reviewed by Charlotte alias Charmian (Goodreads).

The Book’s Blurb:

A missing heirloom. A stolen inheritance. Can love conquer mistrust?

Athena Hawthorne never imagined that she would lose everything she'd ever had. But after the death of her father, his prosperous jewelry store is sold off to pay his supposed debts. Athena, now destitute, embarks on a mission to discover the truth, but circumstances force her to accept an offer from a handsome stranger to work as a governess. She's determined to clear her father's name, but a certain earl is making matters far more difficult than necessary. And she can't be in danger of losing her heart to a member of the aristocracy...

Orion Ashcroft, the Earl of Rockford, is convinced that Athena is a grasping thief who stole a priceless family heirloom, the rare sapphire known as the Couleur Magnifique. When he offers her the position of governess to his sister's children, he only intends to catch her in some nefarious scheme and get back the sapphire—his grandmother's dying wish. But he soon discovers that keeping his distance—and his sanity—around the beautiful Athena isn't as easy as he'd planned. It certainly doesn't help that his sister and his best friend plead her innocence at every frustrating turn. Soon he's struggling between honoring his promise and his growing attraction to Athena.

But there's danger closer than either expect. Even a masquerade can't hide Athena from the curiosity of the ton forever...and there's a threat hiding among the highest members of society...

My Review:

Well I must say for a debut novel Ms Waite painted the heroine to the canvas with in depth emotional pull and I liked and felt for Athena. Sympathy poured forth (from me that is) while Athena Hawthorne hears of her fate within a solicitor’s office. Could life be more traumatic than the death of a father and to learn there is no legacy of worth from a once thriving business, poor Athena is utterly stunned by it all.

In the event of kindness from a stranger, which gives hope for a workable life one day, a few days later the strange circumstances surrounding the job places Athena into an emotional pit of heaven and hell wrapped up in one man, the Earl of Rockford. Of course Athena falls hopelessly loves struck with burning desire little knowing the earl’s thoughts of tumbling the newly appointed governess (to his niece and nephew) has caused him a good deal of discomfort until the more his eyes glitter with devilry soon Rion and Athena lose themselves in lustful thoughts and eventual actions, while every crime known to the darker side of London streets start striking with menacing force. Here the repetitive abduction theme took some believing, while the rest of the story had me turning the pages to see when Rion would hump Athena again and would he stop being a mindless prat, and would she fall pregnant. So obsessed did I become with the likelihood of pregnancy the criminal proceedings paled alongside my thinking Rion would be forced into marriage with Athena, and I prayed his sister would stand behind him with a pistol held to his head. It doesn’t end that way and I did like the sub characters a great deal. All in all I enjoyed Athena's and Rion's story a a romantic tale with danger and mystery.

I do have a few quibbles. The story setting is Regency England 1819 and there’s reference to a novel by Charles Dickens which set alarm bells ringing. Dickens was born in 1812 and in 1819 Charles Dickens was 7yrs old and had yet to write his first published paper let alone a novel. While this may appear a small criticism it does point to lack of research by the author, it also shames an incompetent editor. Worse it implies the novel started out as a Victorian novel set after 1836 when Dickens published his first novel The Pickwick Papers. A few Americanisms didn’t help matters in recommending this as a Regency set read, while readers who care not a bean about historical accuracy will enjoy this book for what it is - a fun read.

Amazon 

Article by Francine (RMM Reviewer)

What constitutes a Good Romance Read?

Francine's reveal: 

Having asked RRM reviewers to reveal what makes for a good historical romance, it occurred to me that I too must reveal the nitty-gritty, so here goes. All in all I have a curious nature and throughout life I’ve always wanted to know what makes other people tick, and authors of historical novels– in general– are an intriguing species as are fans of historical novels.

It’s a given readers will time-slip through pages to wild windswept moors, tread through harsh stone mediaeval castle and manor halls, or step to the more elegant domain of royal courts and ballrooms. In reality each historical period has memorable events such as 1066, 1485, 1812, 1815, so on and so forth, but not all authors include major events as a backdrop to their stories. 

Many of the old romances often afford little more than a dateline sub header per chapter to denote time and place, e.g. Yorkshire 1759, or perhaps London 1814, and nothing else beyond the social standing of the characters and all that arises within their immediate circle is provided to latch onto. After all, a red shawl is a red shawl, and it’s up to the reader to determine knitted, woven, or silk etc, according to the character's social standing. Often within old books there was no in depth description of clothes, but the story was no less thrilling. In this instance the novel “Wuthering Heights” leaps to mind, and there are those within literary circles who will declare WH is not a romance, that it is merely a love story because it doesn’t have a happy ever after. I beg to differ, because two people fall in love, conflict arises, and tragedy ensues, just as it did in Romeo & Juliet, as it does in many of the great love/romance stories where the hero or heroine has to turn from the other and walk away. Some of the most memorable novels of loss leap to mind: Gone with the Wind; Frenchman’s Creek; and Brief Encounter. These novels were no less enthralling throughout, the endings somewhat tragic in the emotional sense, though in GWTW it was an open ending – would Rhett return; unable to live without Scarlet?

So you see I don’t believe romance novels have to have an HEA. Romance and tragedy is memorable; sad yes, and yet fulfilling in so many ways. So whatever romance comes my way for review, I can in all honesty say I have an open mind as to what constitutes a good or great romance read, though I do revel in books where emotions run deep, characters reveal their inner self, or the story lines have darker elements at play. Historical accuracy counts too, but please no antique sales catalogue descriptions of items, whether personal or household. Other than that I am a tart for handsome military heroes.

Article by Nigella (RRM Reviewer/Maritime Historian)

From Nigella's Perspective (Maritime Historian):

When Francine asked would I write a short piece on what constitutes a good romance novel from my perspective as a reader, the overall concept appealed until I sat down to compose the blessed response. If only a keyboard equated to the pleasure factor of a pen’s top pressed between teeth as does a comforter for a child, the words may have flowed with ease. It truly struck me how easy it is to point to the things in romance novels that annoy me, and that would be a big cheat on what Francine asked for. Being that of a maritime historian any adventure on the high seas, sweet or hot romance, whether a pirate captain or British Royal Navy officer hero, those books will be my first choice read over a land based novel. Caveat if you will for maritime plots where dialogue had better not ring heavy with ‘Ooh Arrrrghs’ or the book will be cast aside as stereotypical Hollywood characterisation of English pirates and privateers. Also no quarter will I grant for historical inaccuracies. As to the land based variety of romance novels, the more unusual and as near original as authors can strive toward and avoid reworking tropes of old the better I will like them. To summarise in a few words what constitutes a ‘good’ romance novel is when the end is reached and enjoyment lingers. What constitutes an ‘excellent’ novel is when characters and scenes leap to mind in vivid colour months after the book was put aside - those are the best kinds of book. 

Article by Charlotte (RRM Reviewer).

Articles by RRM reviewers on 

What makes for a Good Historical Read. 

Give me a historical romance novel and I am in heaven, transported through time to the world created by the author. Although love and romance is the backbone of romance novels, historical accuracy to do with place, time, clothing, and all the other wondrous elements expected of a good romance, for me, the characters must leap from the pages and become real in their own right.

If characters are mere props for the plot they won't hold me entranced, and faux period novels are two-a-penny at Amazon in recent months. The novels to which I refer are so badly researched the characters can be visualised as contemporary novels due to contemporary language and lack of authentic period feel.

A carriage is a carriage seems to be the mantra and if the book has horses and carriages that sets it in the past. No, a few horses and carriages don't make a historical novel is what I scream. A period novel must set the time and place with events or at least one or two of the characters who enlighten the reader with newspaper items, pamphlets, or some topic of conversation to place the novel within the 18th century or the 19th century.

To simply say the  novel is set de da de da is not good enough, show me, your reader, you the author know the period in which your novel is supposedly a representation of.  Don't attempt to con me with high praise editorial reviews and inflated NYT and USA Today accreditations.

To date and ten novels read in the last two months more than half of the acclaimed Regency novels fall short on London streets that are said to be grand houses during the Regency era. The most notoriously acclaimed South Audley Street itself consisted of small living accommodation over trade premises. It was never a desirable residential street in Georgian times. Mistakes of that kind deserve two stars for slack research even when the novel is well written. There, I have grumped for the day as a dissatisfied reader.

Regency!

Reviewed by Francine:

It’s 1816, the year after the Battle of Waterloo, and the year of the wettest summer known in England to that date. Whilst dark skies prevail, Georgiana, Duchess of Darby is blighted by the deepening desire of her brother and friends to see her back within the social whirl of the haut monde, which in turn means the marriage mart. Whilst her past remains a dark and raw reminder to the hurt that awaits the innocent and unpractised in deceits and vile subterfuge, widowhood is a sanctuary, albeit a lonely place to hide one’s inner desires. Even when temptation beckons in the form of Rafe Landsbury, he poses a dilemma for Georgiana, for to put her trust in another man and give sway to notions love can exist if only she can embrace it, she knows the potency of it all could be utter folly. 

Likewise, for Rafe, tempted in extremes by Georgiana, he’s aware she could so easily become his Achilles heel, the one thing that can destroy him. To his chagrin his past which is far darker than Georgie’s haunts from the shadows of his mind, and whilst his present interest in Georgiana becomes a whirl of hedonistic delights, a ghost from that past suddenly looms and threatens all that he covets. Thus, as hurt, betrayal, eroticism, and the mire of a covert lifestyle play on his mind, Rafe must cut off the snake’s head or lose all: game over. To say this is an exciting and hot read, pretty much says it how it is: enjoy! 

Amazon 

Tiime-Slip Roman Romance.

Reviewed by Nigella:

For me at least, this was a time-slip novel with a difference. Of course the ubiquitous time portal is there if only one knows of its existence and how and when it is activated, and Janet, an archaeologist and museum curator has unknowingly acquired the lock and key to the portal. In the meanwhile, absolutely obsessed with Roman Britain and extremely familiar with archaeological digs close to Hadrian’s Wall, sudden mysterious thefts from the museum require investigation. And Janet’s encounter with a cloaked figure, one that mysteriously vanishes, sets precedence for inner and physical alarm. While suffering mental anguish over a broken relationship, there remains an underlying sense she is drifting through life on automatic mode to quell the reasons behind the break up, her self confidence severely knocked back. It is the personal battle alongside strange visions which give rise to secondary sense she may well be verging close to a mental breakdown, until the moment the vision becomes real in every sense of the word “real” and she enters into another dimension, or has she entered into madness? If I were to say how and what occurs, such would spoil the story for other readers, suffice to say, her passion for Roman Britain is fulfilled, though is it quite as she had perceived from the perspective of an archaeologist rooting around in mud laden digs 2,000 years into the future? What transpires for Janet when she encounters Trajan, a noble Roman officer, not only quashes perceived imaginings of life in Roman Britain, tribal uprising north of the wall spells imminent trouble for the Roman soldiers manning the wall and its forts. But again is it real or a lifelike vision, as Janet looks to modern knowledge and technology whilst Trajan demonstrates skills beyond her immediate capabilities? Again, to infill here with gradation of events would spoil the story,  and I shall merely say romance blossoms, and while someone else from the future is intent on changing history time is bridged for Janet and Trajan, and the end has a satisfying outcome. 
A thoroughly recommended read for time-slip fans of ancient romance themes with a touch of mystery and adventure amidst gruelling feats of endurance and battles. 

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