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Georgette Heyer researched her books in great detail and they are quite simply in a class of their own. Many people feel she invented the Regency Romance. The dialogue used is often from original sources, this book actually contains one of her very few historical mistakes, Soho in Birmingham not Soho in London is where the foundry was located. There are misunderstandings but ones that seem to occur quite naturally. In this book Felix Fredrica's schoolboy brother with a scientific bent questions practically everything and is quite central to the story. The character descriptions and dialog are excellent and all in all it is one of my favourite Georette Heyers.
From the dust cover of the Bodley Head edition...
Written in Georgette Heyer's lightest vein, this is the story of the adventures in Regency London of the Merriville family: Frederica, riding the whirlwind and directing the storm; Harry, rusticated from Oxford and embarking with enthusiasm on the more perilous amusements pursued by young gentlemen of ton; the divine Charis, too tender-hearted to discourage the advances of her numerous suitors; Jessamy, destined for the Church and wavering, in adolescent style, between excessive virtue and a natural exuberance of spirits; and Felix, a schoolboy with a passion for scientific experiment. In Frederica, Georgette Heyer created one of her most engaging heroines; and in the Marquis of Alverstoke - a bored cynic who becomes involved in all the imbroglios of a lively family -a hero whose sense of humour makes him an excellent foil for Frederica.
I believe it is not just Georgette Heyer's wit, sparkling dialogue, careful historical research (despite the occasional error), or her lively characters. Somehow this book transcends even her usual output. Both the hero and heroine are older and more mature, with Frederica believing that she is fit only to be a chaperone. The Marquess is bored, cynical, and shows more affection for his secretary than for any member of his family. And of course, he values his horses above them all, as famously said by his sister. While his intentions for taking up Frederica and her family are hardly benevolent, his continued interaction with her and her irrepressible younger brothers Felix and Jessamy gradually humanize him. In that sense, this is the Heyer book closest in spirit to Pride and Prejudice, my all-time favorite. Perhaps that is why I love them both.
There is a thrilling chase after a balloon which results in near-tragedy, the usual minor characters who act in ways designed to exasperate the hero and heroine, and two sub-plots with two other couples falling in love during the book. The latter half of the book takes place with Frederica very preoccupied with family concerns. If you want a book full of drama and chases, this might disappoint you. However, this is the very part which shows me how much Alverstoke has changed. The part about the pork jelly is priceless, but I will leave it to the reader to find that out.
In conclusion, if you like the mature Georgette Heyer with the older hero and heroine, this is probably going to become one of your favorites.
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Dylan Crosby, the writer who comes to chronicle the life of Abby's late husband, is almost too good to be true -- he likes her kids, cooks, pitches in around the house ... and of course falls in love with Abby. This is a very light read but a sweet tale.
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Emma McAvoy gets whisked out of poverty and into the glamour of rock-music at the age of 3, but those early years never quite fade away from her memory. She loves and idolizes her rock-star father and also quickly loves her step-mother and her new baby brother. When he is tragically kidnapped, Emma's new world changes again, and she must live with the guilt and the uneasy sense that she knows more than she remembers, and she must force herself to remember to save her own life.
This is a wonderful, "un-put-downable" book, which I subsequently passed on to all MY friends because I liked it so much. Now that I have it back I'm looking forward to reading it again!
Emma McAvoy lived the first years of her life in poverty and fear, until the day her father Brian McAvoy, pop music's newest and brightest superstar, discovered that Emma existed and swept the frightened and abused toddler away into a world of glamour and comfort. With Brian, his bandmates, and his new wife Bev, Emma was finally safe. Young Emma loved her new life, and was overjoyed at the arrival of her baby brother, Darren. Everything seemed to be going right, until the night that a botched kidnapping destroyed their happiness and shattered their lives.
Now, all grown-up, Emma has rebuilt her life, though she is still haunted by memories of that fateful night so many years ago when she lost her brother. Emma's new life includes an exciting career and a fiancé who she is madly in love with. However, the man she is about to marry is not at all what he appears to be, and Emma soon finds herself caught in an abusive and unhappy marriage.
In the wake of her disastrous marriage, Emma awakens to the disturbing knowledge that there is a deep, dark secret buried in her mind. A secret that is the key to finding those responsible for Darren's death. And a secret so sinister that someone out there is willing to kill to keep it!
"Public Secrets" is an emotionally charged and wonderfully satisfying read. Emma's romance with the son of the detective who investigated Darren's case, Michael, is touching and beautifully written. Nora Roberts has created a cast of characters who readers will come to really care for. The character development is believable and perceptive, and the plot will keep readers captivated. Highly recommended!
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Well, this is a Nora Roberts romance, so we know she'll eventually succeed, but the book was very entertaining and enjoyable in getting to that point. The theater was vividly described, and the primary characters were very sympathetic. Also I especially liked the character of Edwin, Reed's father. This is a quick read but a good one!
In the second book of the saga about the O'Hurley family, Ms. Roberts tells the story of the dancing O'Hurley daughter, Maddy. Preparing for a new show, Take It Off, this spirited young woman knows she cannot rest on accolades from her ;ast performances. She fully realizes that it will take both physical and mental strength to make a hit of this show and falling in love at this time is what she least expects to do. But fall in love she does as she meets and then pursues a principal investor of the show, Reed Valentine.
I thought this book was a wonderful read. So adeptly does Ms. Roberts present the life of a Broadway dancer and star that I often wondered if she patterned this character after a real dancer she knows. I actually could see the dance numbers and feel the energy, to say nothing about how enjoyable was the romantic aspect. And as an extra benefit of this book the reader is introduced to Reed's charming father and spends more time with the other members of the O'Hurley family. I always think Nora Roberts's series books are her best and Dance to the Piper is another one of these which I highly recommend.
maggie is the oldest child having been raised in a home with no family love. she is close to her father and sister, but her mother is a different person all together. because of this lack of love from her, maggie is determined to make something of herself if only to prove her mother wrong. breaking the outer shell shes developed as a form of protection wont be easy, but rogan intends to do just that.
a lovely story with enough mystery to leave the reader hoping they have their copy of born in ice sitting nearby once they close the last page of this one ::smile
"Born In Fire" sets the whole tone for the 2 books that follow. While the relationship between temperamental glassblowing artist Maggie and upper-crust gallery owner Rogan is obviously at the forefront of this tale, the larger tale being told is that of 2 sisters and how they are coming to grips with the death of their adoring father and the reality of the long, loveless marriage he shared with their cold, bitter mother. The relationship and interplay between Maggie, her sweet-natured sister Brianna, and their shrewish mother provides some of the best dialogue in the book.
Maggie is a very well-developed character, who is so flawed and yet so wonderful that she is as human to the reader as one's own best friend might be.
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Phillip Quinn, a high powered ad exec living in Baltimore and the last of the Quinn brothers still single. The Quinn family saved him from a life a crime of theft and street running when he was a boy.
Sybil needs to find the little boy she remembers from 6 long years ago before things completely fall apart. Did the Quinn's really steal Seth from his mother? Who were these people? Sybil is about to find out. She is on a personal mission and when she sees him, things aren't what they seem. The Quinn brothers are gentle with him and seem to love him. Then she seems to fall for Phillip. When her identity is revealed, the tenuous grip she has on him falls apart as she now must defend herself against the protective family and find the truth.
Can Phillip trust her knowing who she is? Can he look past it to find love? Can they together save Seth from an uncaring mother who wants him for money? Sybil finds out that blood can indeed be thicker than water.
Great Trilogy read each installment in order and you will be very delighted!
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Keeley's parents, Travis and Dee, the owners of the renowned racing stable "Royal Meadows" have just hired a new horse trainer, Brian Donnelly. Brian has come all the way from Ireland to work for the Grants because he has a remarkable gift for training champions.
When Brian first arrives, he believes that Keeley is a spoiled princess who has never had to work for anything, but he couldn't be more wrong. Keeley is a strong-willed and compassionate woman who teaches under-privileged and abused children to ride.
Brian and Keeley grate on each other's nerves, but they can't deny the powerful attraction they share. Keeley has never had much time for men in her life, and has never found a man who could hold her attention, but with Brian she seems to have met her match.
As Brian discovers more and more about who Keeley really is, he finds himself falling in love with her. Now this Irish rebel, who has spent his life moving from one place to another, wonders if it's finally time to stop running and put down some roots. Will love triumph and keep Brian at Keeley's side?
You'll just have to read the book to find out!
"Irish Rebel" is a truly entertaining and enjoyable read. The romance between Keeley and Brian is fresh and passionate, and all of the characters are richly portrayed and very likeable. This is a wonderful and well-written romance and I guarantee that you will love it like I did. You will get more out of "Irish Rebel" if you have read "Irish Hearts", which contains the two previous books in this series, but it can easily stand alone. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this fantastic book!
I hope that Nora Roberts will write the stories of Travis and Dee's other children very soon.
It was really good to be back in Royal Meadows and met the Grants. And boy did I love this story. Brian was the first who set the challenge as he was attracted to Keeley. Then he found out she was innocent and it forced him to stepped back. It was fun to see how the hunted became the hunter as Keeley made up her mind that Brian would be her first. The scene where Keeley seduced him was entertaining.
And there was Travis and Adelia ... I loved to meet them again. In fact, my favorite line from this book came from Travis himself. "I'll let you know when you're fired, Donnelly. Dee, we still have that shotgun up at the house, don't we?" Gosh, it cracked me up!!
One thing that bothered me a little though ... since Travis and Adelia were first introduced in 1981, there's no way Keeley is more than 18 years old, right? Especially since she was the second child. But here, Keeley is more than 21 ... hmmm...
Now Ms. Roberts returns to Maryland's green fields and horse country in her latest book, Irish Rebel, where we meet Dee and Travis's oldest daughter, Keeley. Keeley Grant is very much like her Irish born mother, headstrong and determined to succeed in all that she tries with little time for romantic interests. But she more than meets her match in Brian Donnelly who has journeyed from Ireland to work as a horse trainer for the Grants. Sparks fly almost immediately and the before the reader knows it, they are once again furiously turning the pages to see what happens next.
Although I have read many of Nora Roberts's titles, she never fails to interest me as she weaves a wonderful tale and this book is no exception. I do hope she will continue writing about the Grants and their children, but if not it's been a pleasure to spend time with them again.
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A will and A Way- features Michael and Pandora, two people who are given a fortune by their recently departed relative. Unfortunately, there is a catch- they have to reside in the mansion together for 6 months to claim their inheritance. Sounds easy! But Michael and Pandora have always been at odds since they were teens and their jealous other relatives (who want their inheritance) try to make them leave the mansion and forfeit their claim.
Boundary Lines- Jillian and Aaron are neighboring ranchers who must battle the dangers of ranching while some unknown people who are stealing their cattle. Jillian, of course, thinks its Aaron and that fact is heightened by the fact that their two families are lifelong enemies.
Both novels are great summer reads- Enjoy