Tag: series

Mini-Reviews: Call, Muslin, Desperate

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Cara Bastone, Call Me Maybe

Vera has just started her own business and is about to attend a local expo that will hopefully bring her a lot of new clients. But her website is crashing, and she desperately needs it to be functional by the expo. After waiting on hold for hours, she finally speaks to customer service rep Cal, who is surprisingly friendly and helpful. Their conversation soon moves beyond Vera’s website problems, and they find themselves sharing jokes and even personal details about their lives. In short, they’re flirting pretty hard, but each is unsure about how the other feels. Can one chance phone call lead to romance? I was utterly charmed by this short romance novel (my e-book edition is under 200 pages), which focuses almost entirely on conversations between Vera and Cal before they meet face to face. Both of them are realistic, likable characters, and they have great chemistry. Sure, the misunderstandings keeping them apart are a bit silly, and the stakes feel very low. But in a story of this length, I think that’s fine! My streak of loving every book I’ve read by Cara Bastone continues, and I’m excited to read the other two books in this series.

Georgette Heyer, Sprig Muslin

Sir Gareth Ludlow is an extremely eligible bachelor, but he’s shown no interest in marriage since his beautiful fiancée died seven years ago. Now he thinks it’s time to marry, however, so he decides to propose to his longtime friend Lady Hester Theale, a “spinster” in her late 20s. But en route to Hester’s home, he stumbles across a beautiful young woman in need of his help. Amanda has run away from home, and Gareth feels honor-bound to protect her and keep her out of trouble. Unfortunately, given Amanda’s fertile imagination and instinct for drama, that’s easier said than done! A Heyer reread is always a treat, and I like this book in particular because the plot contains a few surprises, including (arguably) Gareth’s eventual choice of bride. There’s a lot of humor in the book, mostly from the stories Amanda tells and her impetuous decision-making. I actually would have liked a bit less of that and a bit more of Gareth and his heroine together, but aside from that, I enjoyed revisiting this book.

Susanna Kearsley, A Desperate Fortune

In the present, autistic computer programmer Sara is hired to decode an 18th-century diary. She travels from London to the outskirts of Paris, where she stays with the diary’s owner and falls for a handsome Frenchman. Meanwhile, the diary’s writer, Mary Dundas, is the daughter and sister of Jacobites who have followed the exiled King James VIII into France. When her brother asks her to help protect a fugitive Jacobite Englishman, she doesn’t realize that she’ll be plunged into adventure, danger, and romance. I loved this novel the first time I read it, and this reread was extremely enjoyable as well. I prefer the historical story to the contemporary one, but both deal with unconventional women trying to find their place in the world. The author’s note reveals that a lot of care was taken with the historical research, and it definitely shows, but not in an obnoxious info-dump-y way. Highly recommended for lovers of historical fiction!

Mini-Reviews: Bride, Mink, Undercutting

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Anne Gracie, Bride by Mistake

Eight years ago, young soldier Luke Ripton was fighting Napoleon’s forces in Spain when he stumbled across a girl, Bella, being attacked by bandits. He rescued her and learned that she was running away from her vicious cousin, who planned to marry her and steal her fortune. Luke’s only course of action was to marry Bella himself, bring her to a convent for safekeeping, and have the marriage annulled later. In the present, Luke learns the annulment didn’t go through, so he has no choice but to retrieve his Spanish wife. But Bella is far from the demure, obedient bride he expected. Despite the implausibility of the plot, which veers into soap opera territory near the end, I had a lot of fun with this book! Bella is a strong heroine who’s determined to do the right thing, and Luke is unwillingly charmed by her. I also liked the book’s unique setting, focusing on Spain during and after the Napoleonic Wars. Overall, though it’s probably not a keeper for me, I found this an enjoyable historical romance.

James Anderson, The Affair of the Mutilated Mink

Another house party goes wrong at the English stately home of Alderley. This time the earl, who has recently become a film enthusiast, invites an American movie producer who’s thinking of using Alderley as the setting for his new project. The writer and leading man also attend, as well as an Italian actress who may become the leading lady. Then the earl’s wife invites her cousin and cousin’s husband, while the earl’s daughter, Gerry, asks two of her boyfriends so she can make up her mind between them. The stage is set for another murder, and while all the evidence initially points to one of Gerry’s suitors, the case soon becomes more complicated. This Golden Age pastiche is just as enjoyable as The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy and has a lot of fun with the genre’s tropes, including a Great Detective who comes in to “assist” the local police with the investigation. I especially enjoyed the references to fictional detectives such as Peter Wimsey and Roderick Alleyn, who are real people in this universe. Looking forward to reading the third and final book next month!

Megan Bannen, The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam

Tanrian marshal Rosie Fox doesn’t mind taking on the most difficult and dangerous jobs. As an immortal demigod, she can’t die, so her motto is “Act first, think never.” But she may be in over her head when the portals between Tanria and Bushong start malfunctioning, threatening the lives of everyone inside Tanria. Her boss calls in Adam Lee, the inventor of the portals, to see if he can repair them; instead, he and Rosie end up stuck in Tanria. As they search for a way out, they also grow closer, but Adam is keeping some pretty big secrets about his past. I love the creative fantasy world of this series, with its complex theology and quasi-Western vibes. But this book, I think, relies a little too much on the world-building and not enough on characterization or plot. Not a lot happens in the book till the last hundred pages or so, and the romance between Rosie and Adam also feels a bit forced. There’s a mismatch between the darker subject matter (the weight of immortality, the meaning of death, complicated family dynamics) and the light, breezy tone. I did still enjoy the book, and it certainly gives some good closure to the series, but I don’t ever need to read it again.

Mini-Reviews: Bloodstained, Famous, Bellwether

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James Anderson, The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy

This historical mystery novel has all the trappings of a Golden Age detective story: a country house party, hidden identities, political machinations, a secret passage, a famous jewel thief, a staged car accident, and multiple suspicious deaths. Based on the title, I was expecting the book to be humorous, but it isn’t particularly, though occasionally a character will toss off a witty line. Overall I think this is a great read for Golden Age mystery lovers. All the tropes are present in abundance (sometimes superabundance), yet the book still manages to subvert reader expectations in interesting ways. I don’t want to say too much more about the plot because it’s more fun to experience it as it unfolds. Suffice it to say that I liked this one quite a bit and am looking forward to the other two books in the Inspector Wilkins series (I have an omnibus edition that contains all three). Apparently they’re all set at the same country house, so I’m interested to see which characters will recur!

Mary Balogh, The Famous Heroine

The daughter of a wealthy merchant, Cora Downes would normally have no reason to mingle with London society’s upper crust. But when she (sort of) rescues from drowning a relative of the Duchess of Bridgwater, the duchess is so grateful that she decides to sponsor Cora for a Season and help her find a husband. The unconventional Cora is nervous and awkward in this new environment, so Lord Francis Kneller (a friend of the Bridgwater family) takes her under his wing. They soon become friends, but when Francis inadvertently “compromises” her, neither one expects the ensuing marriage to bring true love. This book was a reread for me, and I enjoyed revisiting these characters. Cora is a lovable klutz, and Francis is a kind hero with a sense of humor. Some aspects of the plot don’t quite work; for example, Cora’s mistaken assumption that Francis is gay, based on his colorful attire, persists for far too long. There are also plentiful references to the previous books in the series, Dark Angel and Lord Carew’s Bride, which I found slightly tiresome. But overall, I enjoyed my reread—Mary Balogh is reliably entertaining!

Connie Willis, Bellwether

Dr. Sandra Foster, a researcher at HiTek Corp., is studying the origin of fads, and it’s not going well. As she sorts through articles on hair bobbing and crossword puzzles and the Hula Hoop, she’s forced to deal with out-of-touch management, “sensitivity exercises,” and the world’s least competent assistant. As her world grows increasingly more illogical and frustrating, Sandra meets Dr. Bennett O’Reilly, a fellow HiTek scientist who seems strangely resistant to fads, if his terrible clothes are any indication. Could he somehow be the key to her research? I adore Connie Willis, especially her lighter and more comedic novels, of which this is one. It’s actually a bit stressful to read at times, because Sandra’s work frustrations are entirely too realistic! The satire of life in a corporate environment is spot-on, though, and I really liked the progression of the story and the romance. The book came out in 1996, so some aspects of it are dated now (no one researches anything on the computer), but overall I think it holds up quite well. Highly recommended if the premise interests you!

Mini-Reviews: Something, Captivity, Reluctant

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Julie James, Something About You

Assistant US attorney Cameron Lynde just wants a peaceful night in a posh hotel while her floors are being refinished. Instead, she’s kept awake by a late-night sex marathon in the room next door—followed by a murder. And unfortunately, because the case has federal implications, the person in charge of the investigation is FBI agent Jack Pallas, with whom Cameron has a contentious professional past. Since Cameron is a key witness with a high-profile job, she’s put in protective custody, which forces her and Jack into much closer proximity than they’d prefer—that is, until their mutual attraction complicates things even further. Julie James was one of the first romance novelists I ever read, and her books were a great gateway into the genre for me. This one is a fun read with likable leads; both Cameron and Jack are smart and good at their jobs, and they have great chemistry. The book isn’t destined to be a new favorite, but it was definitely an enjoyable way to spend an evening.

Michael Gilbert, Death in Captivity

This mystery has the unique setting of an Italian prisoner-of-war camp. An unpopular prisoner is found dead in a tunnel that some of the POWs had been digging to escape. But was his death an accident or murder? And how did he get into the tunnel, whose entrance is disguised by a heavy slab that takes four men to lift? One of the British prisoners, Henry “Cuckoo” Goyles, is tasked with solving the case, but his investigation is complicated by a potential informer within the camp, as well as by the eventual necessity for a prison break. This is a fascinating variation on the “impossible crime” mystery, where the circle of suspects is limited to camp guards and prisoners. Gilbert himself was a POW who escaped from an Italian camp during World War II, and his experience undoubtedly informed many details of the novel. The murder mystery is interesting—and several aspects of the solution surprised me—but it’s secondary to the vivid, personal depiction of this specific time and place. Recommended, but more for those interested in WWII history than for mystery lovers.

Eloisa James, The Reluctant Countess

Giles Renwick, the earl of Lilford, always does the proper thing. He needs an appropriate countess to uphold his social position, so it’s too bad that he’s continually lusting after Lady Yasmin Régnier, whose gowns and reputation are equally scandalous. Yasmin is attracted to Giles also, though she’s reluctant to admit it, as they seem to argue every time they’re together. Eventually they surrender to their mutual passion, but when Giles wants to marry Yasmin, she hesitates, unsure that they are truly well matched. I have really liked some works by Eloisa James, but this book was not one of them. I didn’t really believe in either of these characters or in the conflicts that kept them apart. Giles’s younger sister, who throws some obstacles in their way, also doesn’t seem to have a very clear or consistent motivation for her actions. I’ll try a few more of James’s books in hopes of finding one I really like, but this one was not it.

Mini-Reviews: Trespasser, Afternoon, Hero

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Tana French, The Trespasser

Antoinette Conway has fought hard for her place on the Dublin Murder Squad, and she’s determined to hold onto it despite the race- and gender-based harassment she endures from most of her colleagues. She and her partner, newbie Stephen Moran (last seen in The Secret Place), get all the most boring cases; but their newest assignment, apparently a standard domestic violence case, soon becomes more complicated and hints at possible corruption within the Murder Squad itself. One of my favorite aspects of The Secret Place was the development of Stephen and Antoinette’s professional relationship, and I was thrilled to see that continue in this book. Their partnership is tested, and I was on the edge of my seat hoping that they would come out stronger on the other side! The actual murder case wasn’t my favorite; I felt the victim’s personality and actions strained credibility. But overall, I enjoyed this book, and while I’m not sure it was intended to be the last Dublin Murder Squad novel, I think it works well as a finale.

Lisa Kleypas, Love in the Afternoon

Christopher Phelan is a dashing military officer who enjoys his position at the peak of high society and has just begun a flirtation with one of its reigning beauties, Prudence Mercer. But when he’s called to serve in the Crimea, he is deeply changed and shaken by the horrors of war. His only solace is his correspondence with Prudence, with whom he’s fallen deeply in love. What he doesn’t know is that Prudence’s letters were actually written by her friend Beatrix Hathaway, an unconventional animal lover whom Christopher barely knows. Lisa Kleypas is a big name in historical romance, but this is my first encounter with her work. The plot drew me in; I love a good romance by letters, especially with a mistaken identity thrown in. That said, the big secret is revealed about halfway through the book, which means the second half kind of fizzles. I also found Beatrix a bit of a manic pixie dream girl—she brings hedgehogs to parties! She wears breeches to call on the neighbors! I did like her and Christopher together, though. Overall, I mildly enjoyed this one and am curious to read more by Kleypas, but I wasn’t blown away.

Gail Eastwood, An Unlikely Hero

Gilbey Kentwell is surprised and dismayed when his friend Nicholas invites him to a party at the estate of his father, the wealthy and powerful Duke of Roxley. Gilbey is “only” a viscount, and not a rich one, so he feels out of place amid the aristocratic guests. Moreover, the house party’s purpose is to marry off Nicholas’s twin sisters, sweet Vivian and feisty Venetia, but Gilbey has no interest in marriage. He soon finds himself drawn to the twins despite himself, but their confusing behavior may be hiding important secrets. This book was such a pleasant surprise! I think I’d seen Gail Eastwood on a list of steamless historical romance authors, so I grabbed this one at random, but I ended up really enjoying it. It’s not reinventing the wheel in any way, but it’s a solid, sweet example of a traditional Regency with a plot that’s fairly believable and realistic for the time. There are a few too many characters, and there’s a villain whose identity comes out of nowhere. But aside from those quibbles, I liked the book a lot and will definitely seek out more by Eastwood!

Mini-Reviews: Shippers, Corpse, Brides

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Katherine Center, The Shippers

JoJo Burton’s love life is a train wreck—a fact that becomes abundantly clear when she leaves her rich, “perfect” fiancé at the altar. JoJo thinks her problem may be rooted in unresolved feelings for her childhood crush, Finn Turner. Fortunately, her sister’s about to get married on a cruise ship, and newly divorced Finn is one of the guests. With several days of forced proximity and her sister’s help, JoJo is determined to attract Finn and thus fulfill her romantic destiny. The only problem is JoJo’s best friend, Cooper, who thinks her plan is ridiculous. As her attempts to lure Finn meet with disaster, JoJo eventually begins to question where her romantic destiny truly lies. This is a fun, fast-paced read with some cute banter, but I have to say that the romance drove me crazy! JoJo is implausibly blind to what’s right in front of her, and I don’t buy that Cooper would have kept his feelings a secret for so long. I also found the ending a bit anticlimactic after all the buildup. The book is still a fun, breezy summer read if you like this premise, but for me it’s not one of Center’s best.

Delano Ames, Corpse Diplomatique

Jane and Dagobert Brown are traveling through France when they encounter a violent death, about which Dagobert immediately suggests Jane write another mystery novel. While staying in Nice, they meet a diplomat from “Santa Rica” who is terrified of being assassinated. His fears seem justified when a bullet whizzes by his head, narrowly missing him but killing Major Hugh Arkwright instead. Who was the true intended victim, and who among the Browns’ new acquaintances at their French hotel is the killer? This series is enjoyable mainly for Jane’s snarky running commentary on the various people and events she’s writing about. The characters are largely well drawn, and I enjoyed the touches of humor, but the mystery itself is a bit lackluster; it kind of plods along without any real forward motion until the very end. Overall I liked this book fine, and I’d read more in the series if I came across them, but I don’t feel compelled to seek them out.

Amy Barry, Seven Brides for Beau McBride

After Junebug McBride found wives for two of her four older brothers, she’s been strictly forbidden from advertising for any more mail-order brides. But the third McBride brother, Beau, thinks Junebug had the right idea and places his own ad for a bride. Naturally, Junebug has to be involved and bets Beau that she can find a better wife than he can. But when she writes to six women instead of one, and they all come out West hoping to marry Beau, she has a problem on her hands. Especially when one of her brides, Ellie Neale, turns out to be best friends with Beau’s own pick, Diana—and Ellie soon falls for Beau herself! I enjoyed this fun Western romance, with its nonsensical yet enjoyable plot and over-the-top characters. Junebug is a lot and would be insufferable in real life, but she’s a lot of fun to read about. I liked that the seven potential brides were all decent and kind women, rather than being catty rivals. Beau and Ellie’s romance was sweet and had some funny moments due to Ellie’s melodramatic nature. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!

Mini-Reviews: Trellised, Morning, Silent

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Fiona Hill, The Trellised Lane

Julia has been the lady of the house since her mother’s death, but now that her father has remarried, she no longer has that freedom and authority. Despite liking her new stepmother, Julia wants to regain her lost responsibilities and urges her brother, Fitz, to accompany her to London so that she can marry and leave home. She soon catches the eye of a French nobleman with a dubious past, but is herself attracted to a friend of her stepmother’s. Meanwhile, Fitz’s innocence is challenged by the new friends he meets in London. Last year I really enjoyed Fiona Hill’s The Country Gentleman and consequently bought an e-book collection of her novels. Unfortunately, this one didn’t really work for me; it just felt very unoriginal and paint-by-numbers. The stakes couldn’t be lower, and none of the characters are particularly well developed. Not a terrible book, just bland as an unsalted cracker.

Eva Ibbotson, The Morning Gift

Ruth Berger was born and raised in Vienna as the privileged daughter of a well-off professor. But in 1938, because of her Jewish heritage, Vienna is no longer safe. Her family emigrates to England, but due to a paperwork mix-up, she is left behind. Enter Quinton Somerville, a British professor who once studied with Ruth’s father and decides to help her get out of Austria. Unfortunately, the only way to do it is by marrying her. Quin and Ruth agree they’ll annul the marriage once they reach England, but of course fate has other ideas. Eva Ibbotson’s books are the ultimate comfort reads for me. They’re full of warmth and community, with luxurious descriptions of scenery and music and food. But they’re saved from being too sickly sweet by some moments of genuine gravity and heartbreak, such as the story of the Ziller quartet in this book. Work is stressful at the moment, so I needed a familiar comfort read, and this novel was the perfect choice!

C.S. Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet

Philologist Elwin Ransom is on a walking tour of England when he encounters an old schoolfellow, Devine, and a brilliant physicist, Dr. Weston. They’re working on a mysterious object that turns out to be a spaceship—and the hapless Ransom is taken on board by force. He learns that Devine and Weston are taking him to another planet, Malacandra, which is inhabited by sapient beings who requested Ransom for some ominous purpose. But when the three men land on Malacandra, Ransom soon learns that the planet and its inhabitants are nothing like he expected. This book was written in the ’30s, and it cleverly interrogates the tropes of science fiction that were popular at the time (what aliens would be like, what would be the experience of space travel). The plot is a bit slow-moving, with lots of descriptive language about the terrain and the various species Ransom meets. There are also some thinly veiled religious ideas, which is to be expected with Lewis. Overall, this is a pretty good space-travel tale, but it’s definitely more on the philosophical than the adventurous side.

Mini-Reviews: Waltz, First, Apprentice

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Cornell Woolrich, Waltz into Darkness

Louis Durand, age 37, is a prosperous but lonely businessman in 1880s New Orleans. Unable to bear his solitude, he begins corresponding with Julia Russell and proposes to her sight unseen. To his delight, the woman who arrives is younger and more beautiful than he expected. They marry immediately, and Louis is happy at first, but eventually he begins to notice some worrisome behaviors in his new wife. This novel is the literary equivalent of a train wreck: You know it’s going to be a disaster, but you can’t look away. I felt awful for Louis from the very first chapter, which reveals his aching loneliness and his hope that it’s finally about to end. I wanted things to work out for him, even though it was always obvious that they wouldn’t. The book is well written but painful! Ultimately, I’m just not a noir person; but if you are, I highly recommend Cornell Woolrich.

Lynn Painter, First and Forever

Duffy Distefano and her family are huge fans of the Minnesota Coyotes football team. But when the team’s mascot gropes Duffy at a game—and her retaliation is caught on camera—she becomes a target for Coyotes fans. She’s invited to tell her side of the story on a local morning TV show, only to be confronted by a Coyotes player, Connor Cunningham, who’s there to do damage control for the team. Their on-air conversation, which reads as flirtatious banter, creates good PR for the Coyotes, who suggest that Connor ask Duffy out to further improve the team’s image. But as they get to know each other better, they both develop real feelings. I really like Lynn Painter’s romances, which are fun and light with great banter, and this one is no exception. I’m not a sports person at all, so I felt like I was getting a little peek at a new-to-me subculture. I did find the plot a little bland, and the third-act breakup was both predictable and unnecessary, though at least it didn’t last too long. But overall, I liked this one and will be interested to see if there’s a sequel, as there did seem to be some chemistry between Duffy’s brother and her best friend!

L.C. Tyler, The Herring-Seller’s Apprentice

Ethelred Tressider is a mediocre mystery writer and a bit of a sad sack. His wife, Geraldine, left him for his best friend years ago, and now he has neither a romantic partner nor any close friends. The only person he seems to interact with regularly is his literary agent, the abrasive Elsie Thirkettle. But when Geraldine goes missing—along with a fortune she obtained by scamming investors—it’s up to Ethelred, with unwanted assistance from Elsie, to solve the case. This book is a light, humorous mystery that has some fun playing with the conventions of the genre. I loved Elsie’s no-nonsense voice and the way she bullies Ethelred—for his own good, of course! That said, while I’ll definitely read book two because I own it, I’m not sure I’m invested enough to commit to the whole series.

Mini-Reviews: Spindle’s, Portent, Nowlan

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Robin McKinley, Spindle’s End

In this retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Katriona attends the baby princess’s name-day, where she witnesses the evil fairy lay her curse on the infant. In the ensuing fear and chaos, Katriona is charged with taking the princess away and keeping her safe. Not knowing what else to do, she takes the baby back to her small backwater village, where she and her aunt raise “Rosie” as their own. But as Rosie grows up, she gradually becomes aware of her true identity and the terrible fate that awaits her. Robin McKinley’s novels are books of my heart, and this one is no exception. The pacing is very slow, but that just gives readers time to immerse themselves in Rosie’s world, in the homely little village community among the people and animals who love her. The book follows the fairy tale pretty closely while creating very specific characters and putting a unique spin on the ending. In short, I can’t be objective about this book; I love it and enjoyed this reread immensely.

Elizabeth Bailey, The Deathly Portent

Ottilia Fanshawe and her husband, Lord Francis, are on a journey when their carriage breaks down near the village of Witherley. They attempt to summon the blacksmith to repair the carriage, only to discover that the man has just died in violent circumstances. The locals are blaming Cassie Dale, who allegedly had a vision of the blacksmith’s death and who they believe is a witch. Tillie is convinced there’s a more rational explanation for the crime, and as she and Francis linger in town to investigate, they discover many people in the village with possible motives for murder. I liked this historical mystery, but I think I enjoyed the historical bits more than the mystery bits. I was able to guess the killer, even though the person’s motive was extremely farfetched, and there were maybe a few too many suspects. I did like Tillie and Francis’s dynamic, though, as well as the secondary romance between Cassie Dale and the vicar. I’d be interested to read more in this series, but I’ll get them from the library rather than buying.

Alden Nowlan: Selected Poems

Several years ago, someone on LibraryThing (I wish I could remember who!) posted a poem by Alden Nowlan that intrigued me enough to pick up a book of his poetry. Nowlan was a 20th-century Canadian poet from rural Nova Scotia, and his poems often deal with themes of poverty and the natural world. I doubt most of the poems will stay with me, but almost all had at least one image or phrase that struck me as interesting. Here’s one of my favorites from the collection:

“Canadian Love Song”

Your body’s a small word with many meanings.
Love. If. Yes. But. Death.
Surely I will love you a little while,
perhaps as long as I have breath.

December is thirteen months long,
July’s one afternoon; therefore,
lovers must outwit wool,
learn how to puncture fur.

To my love’s bed, to keep her warm,
I’ll carry wrapped and heated stones.
That which is comfort to the flesh
is sometimes torture to the bones.

Mini-Reviews: Educating, Joyful, Lucky

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Patricia Cabot, Educating Caroline

Lady Caroline Linford is shocked and dismayed to discover her fiancé in the arms of another woman. Feeling unable to break off the engagement, she decides she needs some lessons in seduction so that she can keep her betrothed from straying. And who better to teach her than the “Lothario of London,” Braden Granville? Braden is surprised by Caroline’s proposal, since she’s such an innocent and proper young lady, while he’s a self-made man from the slums of London. But he’s also intrigued—and finds himself giving her a much more hands-on tutorial than either of them expected. This is one of the first historical romance novels I ever read, and I was curious to see if it would hold up to my fond, nostalgic memories. By and large, I still found it an enjoyable read! It’s almost a parody of the genre, which made me willing to overlook the book’s sillier elements, and there’s a decent suspense plot alongside the main romance. It’s not great literature by any means, but if you’re in the mood for a light and fluffy historical romance, this one is a fun time.

Ellis Peters, Death and the Joyful Woman

Sixteen-year-old Dominic Felse meets the beautiful 22-year-old Kitty Norris and falls immediately, painfully in love with her. So when she is arrested for the murder of Alfred Armiger, an enormously wealthy but not very popular local entrepreneur, Dominic knows she must be innocent and attempts to find the real killer. Is it Armiger’s estranged son and his wife, who lost out on the dead man’s fortune? Or could the murder have something to do with a tavern sign of dubious artistic merit? I’m really enjoying these Felse novels, not just for the vintage-mystery charm but for the lovely characterizations, especially of George and Dominic. Their relationship is loving but complicated now that Dominic is on the verge of adulthood. The solution to the mystery is almost irrelevant to the central conflicts of the novel, but that’s a minor quibble when the book is this enjoyable. I’ll definitely be continuing with this series at some point!

Diane Farr, Under a Lucky Star

When Derek Whittaker rescues Lady Cynthia Fitzwilliam from the unwelcome attentions of another man, it’s love at first sight for them both. Derek immediately plans to court Cynthia, but at their next meeting she rebuffs him. Hurt and angry, Derek tries to forget about her; but when they meet again three years later at a house party, he’s annoyed to find that he is still drawn to her. Meanwhile, Cynthia struggles with her attraction to Derek, since she feels duty-bound to marry a very rich man to support her family. Diane Farr is a good writer, and I’ve enjoyed some of her books, but this one frustrated me. I’m not a fan of insta-love generally, and in this case it felt like Derek and Cynthia kept having the same argument over and over again. But I did like that Cynthia’s scheming mother gets her comeuppance in the end! Overall, this book is a quick and pleasant read, but it just wasn’t the right story for me.