Hot Money by Dick Francis

I loved this book. Talk about a crazy messed up bitter family. Somehow Francis kept it funny and awful at the same time so it wouldn't be too painful to read. This was a very enjoyable Dick Francis book to read and I never guessed who the baddie was.

With his five ex-wives and the nine children between them, it's no great surprise that spectacularly wealthy gold trader Malcolm Pembroke should preside over a motley clan in constant conflict with one another.

But when violent death strikes the least likable of his former spouses, Malcolm himself feels threatened, and he calls on his most capable son, Ian, the family jockey. Ian's task: to protect his father from their nearest, if not always dearest, relatives-and to delve for the final critical clue in the darkly buried Pembroke past, simmering with the greed, hate, and vengefulness that could motivate blood to strike against blood.

Reflex by Dick Francis

Yum, another Dick Francis book! I liked Reflex but it seemed somewhat disjointed in parts. Oh well. I was still happy with the book and had fun with it.

Philip Nore is no ordinary jockey. So naturally when Nore suspects that a tracks photographer's fatal accident is really murder, he sets out to discover the truth-and to trap the killer. But he may be in over his head. For as he slowly unravels some nasty secretes of corruption, blackmail, and murder, he unwittingly becomes the killer's next target...

Forfeit by Dick Francis

I found three books by Dick Francis in a second hand store that I hadn't read yet. Talk about happy! I love this author. Soon I will have almost every book he has written in my personal collection.

This book was fine though it left me feeling a little depressed. Not that the book ended badly. I think it was because of the relationship and circumstances of the main guy and his wife.

When reporter Bert Chechov falls to his death, his colleague James Tyrone is suspicious. Chechov's column had recently recommended some "can't-lose" horses-who then wound up out of the running on race day. Tyrone thinks he can prove it was murder, but he may not live to tell the tale. Because as the dead man has already made clear, there's no such thing as a sure thing...

B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

When I was at the library I saw this list of books by Sue Grafton and though "why not". So I picked up the B is for Burglar (not sure why I didn't go for the first book in the series). I liked it. Very private eye detective written almost like an old black and white movie. Except it's a girl. I am going to start working through the alphabet series now. I am excited and I hope this is going to be another author I like.

Kinsey Millhone is a private detective. She has all sorts of twists and turns in this book as she investigates a missing women. Nothing is as it seems.

The Little Lady Agency in the Big Apple by Hester Browne

I read the first book in this series a year or so back. I liked the first book and gave it to my sister to read. I forget the authors name though and never got back to checking whether the next book in the series came out. My sister found the next book in the series (this one) and gave it to me to read. I liked this book and found it an enjoyable read. My sister liked the first book better. I don't really remember the first one so well any more so that doesn't help me.

I found Mellisa's boyfriend Jonathon EXTREMELY annoying. I couldn't stand him and was sad when she got back together with him in the end. I was rooting for her flat mate Nelson. But there is a third book in the series which I haven't read so there is always hope. Other than that complaint I found the different situations that came up in the book very entertaining.

With the Little Lady Agency doing a booming business back home, Melissa joins her dashing American boyfriend, Jonathan Riley, for an extended holiday in Manhattan. But she's soon out of her depth among Jonathon's hard-charging friends and his interfering ex-wife. And while she's all for shopping and sightseeing, a covert work opportunity is her irresistible temptation-a project that soon lands her in the tabloids! Now, a hilarious and heartbreaking chain of events may force Mellisa to choose between the man she loves and the unique business into which she has poured her heart and soul...

Body Double by Tess Gerritsen

This book was fine. The only problem I had with it was I read it after reading the two Elizabeth George books. I think reading any book after that author is going to set you up for a little disappointment because E. George's writing is so good.

The book starts out as a pathologist who finds her own "dead ringer" on the medical examiners table. She comes to find out that it is her sister. Then goes on to figure out the mystery that surrounds her and her dead sister.

List of 12 Books Read This Month

I've read a few of books this month. Most of them not so great but several of them pretty good. Since I am rather behind on posting I thought I would just list the ones that were so-so and the ones that I rather liked. Here goes the blah list.

1) The Secrete Clan-Highland Bride by Amanda Scott

2) The Secrete Clan-Abducted Heiress by Amanda Scott

3) The Wedding Challenge by Candace Camp

4) The Perfect Stranger by Anne Gracie

5) The Perfect Rake by Annie Gracie

6) The Crush by Sandra Brown

7) Exclusive by Sandra Brown

I did find some books that I really liked. That and I found a new author to read. I always love it when that happens.

8) Under Orders by Dick Francis
I love, love, love Dick Francis. To think that when I was a child I would always stare at these books. I stared at the covers and thought they looked so boring and couldn't figure out what the deal was with weird horse covers. Now as an adult I am hooked. This book seemed slightly familiar and I couldn't figure out whether it was because I had read it at one time or read another book that featured the same character. This book in the Dick Francis fashion revolves around horses in some way but the main hero is a P.I. Of course trouble follows.

9) Dead Heat by Dick Francis and Felix Francis
Loved it! This book follows a chef as he tries to figure out who poisoned people and then bombed people at two of his events.


10) The Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth Peters
I love Elizabeth Peters books. Okay maybe I should say that I love most of them that are older. Her newer books, which are the Amelia Peabody series, I never got into. The Laughter of Dead Kings is a follow up in the Vicky Bliss story. That small series I really got into so I was very happy to see this book. This time Vicky, John, and company are looking for King Tut's mummy as it was stolen. While I was happy to read this book I have to say that it had something a little lacking in it. Maybe it is just to hard to come back and visit characters 14 years later and still keep the same tone through out. So while not as good as the rest of the Vicky Bliss series I was still happy to read it. Or maybe it was just seeing Elizabeth Peters write something recently that was not in the Amelia Peabody series?


11) In The Presence of the Enemy by Elizabeth George
This is the new author that I found to read. I loved this book. In the Presence of the Enemy is an Inspector Lynley mystery. Now I say that and I realize that this book has a lot of characters that it follows. Where I first knew of Inspector Lynley was from P.B.S. I had watched several episodes which I loved. I had no idea that they were based on books. Books that are well written and very interesting. I can hardly wait to go through the rest of Elizabeth George's books. Hopefully they will be just as well written. This book follows the kidnapping of two children, a politician, a sleazy paper, and the police of course.

12) I, Richard by Elizabeth George
This is a book comprised of five short stories. It was rather fun and I enjoyed it. Each story was different and had surprising turns. It was also neat reading the introduction to each story and finding out how the author got her idea for each story.

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs

I didn't like this book as well. I'm not sure why either. Maybe I was just in an off mood. Mostly Cross Bones just didn't keep my attention going. So I struggled through it to the very end. And then I wished that it wasn't the last in the series that the library had. I did notice that one more book by Kathy Reichs came out this August. Maybe I will have to mosey over to a store and pick it up. Hopefully it will be more interesting. But seeing as I have some big projects coming up it may be a while before I can while away the days with books.

Cross Bones brings Temperance Brennan to Israel to investigate some bones that might be Jesus Christ's.

Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

I went to the library and someone had finally turned in the last two books I was missing. It was kind of funny as I was reading Fatal Voyage jumping back into the story line. Inspector Ryan and Brennan hadn't officially became an item yet even though they were seeing each other. So when Brennan got back with her Husband for a night, I was shocked because I had been rooting for Inspector Ryan. That combined with Ryan's partner getting killed. All these later books I have been reading it always mentions Ryan working alone after his partner died. I forgot that his partner was still alive in the first couple of books in the series.

I really liked this book as it was somewhat different. Yes Brennan still almost gets whacked in the end. But most of the book is Brennan trying to figure out what is going on as she keeps getting stonewalled in her job and her career almost goes up in smoke. I felt very frustrated all through this book for Brennan. It was almost like she was doing detective work instead of bone detective work.

So for my very own made up back blurb again....Temperance goes to help out with a plane crash. While trying to identify the mangled remains of 88 people, she comes upon a foot that doesn't go with the crash. Everyone one is trying to figure out why the plane came down and then all of a sudden Temperance is kicked out of her job. She is barred from other places and people aren't being helpful. A very weird story comes out in the end.

Bones To Ashes by Kathy Reichs

So what's going on with the relationship line. My eyes about bugged out with what happened!!!! Now I can hardly wait until the next book comes out in the series. I want to know what happens. ARGGGGG! (That is me pulling out my hair.)

Bones is trying to find out what happened to a childhood friend. Her friend Detective Ryan is trying to uncover who has been killing teenagers in cold cases. This story does touch on child pornography which left a distaste in my mouth. This is another one of Reichs' books which touches on a darker subject.

Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs

I think that it is a very bad thing to be a friend of Temperance Brennan. You either die or you get injured. Tempe herself is no exception. She is always getting roughed up. I have to say that I really liked this book. While the general formula stays the same there were some different happenings going on. Confusion on who did the murders, personal life drama, and her friend who dies from cancer.

Again I will summarize so I don't have to write the whole inside flap cover. Break No Bones starts out with Temperance finding a new body in old burial grounds. From there bodies keep getting found and connections between them all are not clear. Meanwhile Temperance, her ex-husband, and her new boyfriend are all sharing the same house.

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

I got to the library finally! So now I have three more of these books to read. I found the contents of this book a little more disturbing. Thankfully it didn't get too grizzly into the matter. Though enough to leave a unpleasant taste in your mouth. Sad that things like that really do happen in life. But other than that I did like the book.

I guess I will summarize the book as I don't want to write the whole inside cover flap. Brennan finds three bodies under a pizza parlor. Trying to figure out what happened to the bodies leads to a whole boat load of nasty. Meanwhile her relationship with Detective Andrew Ryan gets rocky when he starts acting mysterious.

The Nomad Harp by Elizabeth Neff Walker

Yes I know, another Regency Romance. Here is the thing though. I went to the library to get some more books in the Temperance Brennan series, but I got there too late. Then I couldn't sleep one night and every other book in the house I had already read. I was so bored. Thankfully I realized that I did have this one book unread that I had forgotten about. In comes The Nomad Harp. Yes!

And guess what? It wasn't bad either. So I spent a happy sleepless night reading away. Except now I have nothing to read and still haven't made it back to the library. Thus I am typing the book review tonight.

Proud, independent, talented, Glenna is about to marry Philip, Viscount Pontley-until a foolish quarrel estranges them.

But Glenna cannot forget him, and when fate throws them together again they struggle to overcome the memory of past bitterness.

Amid the ruins of their former passion, love flames anew. But it may be too late-Philip has become engaged to another. Have they rediscovered love only to lose it again?

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Temperance Brennan gets together with her love interest in this book. Yeah! Bare Bones follows the formula of Kathy Reichs other books. Mystery, sleuthing, and then Brennan almost getting whacked in the end. I'm happy, what can I say. I am off to the library today to get some more in the series. Can you say obsessive compulsive? That would be me.

"Down time" is not a phrase in Tempe Brennan's vocabulary. A string of disturbing cases has put her vacation plans on hold; instead, she heads to the lab to analyze charred remains from a suspicious fire, and a mysterious black residue from a small plane crash. But most troubling of them all are the bones...Tempe's daughter's new boyfriend invites them to a picnic-a pig picken'-in North Carolina's countryside, where a cache of bones turns up. But are they animal or human? X-rays and DNA may link the crimes, but they can't reveal who is closing in on Tempe and her daughter-and how far they will go to keep her from discovering the truth.

Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs

This is the fifth book in the Temperance Brennan series. When I was at the library they didn't have the forth book in at the time. This book didn't have the long and wooden information spiels that Deadly Decisions had.

Brennan was feeling very grumpy in this book towards the somewhat love interest. It was kind of funny. I was very happy with how the book ended. This book and Deadly Decisions have been very different in what she was investigating. That made it seem not the same old same old murder investigation. I think Deja Dead has been the best book in the series (from getting me crazy tense reading it) so far in what I have read. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to continue on. Now that I have found this author I am planning on reading all the other books by Kathy Reichs that I have missed.

Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

This was the third book in the Temperance Brennan series. Still liked it but I thought passages in the book where Reichs was trying to explain something technical came across wooden and text book like reading. Other than that I am still having fun reading the series. Still no pictures. Nothing exciting to see.

Nine-year-old Emily Anne Toussaint is fatally shot on a Montreal street. A North Carolina teenager disappears from her home, and parts of her skeleton are found hundreds of miles away. The shocking deaths propel forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan from north to south, and deep into a shattering investigation inside the bizarre culture of outlaw motorcycle gangs-where one misstep could bring disaster for herself or someone she loves.

Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs

I guess you could say that these last few books are a far cry from all the Regency Romance books I had been reading. I tend to go in groups of genre's and get stuck in one for a while. I'm very tired of the old romances for the moment.

The library provided this book as well. I devoured the first Tempe Brennan book and tore into this one. I didn't have the 'real' bad person in charge of the cult figured out for this book. Though maybe that was just me as sometimes I am slow in getting the 'who done it' person. I was very happy with this book. Happy enough that I went to the library and got two more books in this series to read.

Still no front cover picture as there really isn't anything to show.

In the bitter cold of a Montreal winter, Tempe Brennan is digging for a corpse buried more than a century ago. But it's a chain of contemporary deaths and disappearances that has seized her attention-and she alone is ideally placed to make a chilling connection among the seemingly unrelated events. At the crime scene, at the morgue, and in the lab, Tempe probes a mystery that sweeps from a deadly Quebec fire to startling discoveries in the Carolina's, and culminates in Montreal with a terrifying showdown-a nerve-shattering test of her affinities for both science and survival.

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

This book is from the library. I had a lot of fun reading it. Which is why I am having to read a lot more in this series as you will see coming up. I won't post a picture of the book cover as it is nothing special.

I love the television show BONES and have watched the first and second season. I am waiting for the third season to come out on DVD. I didn't realize that the television show was very loosely inspired by the books. I just happened to be browsing the library shelves and came upon this book whose main heroine is Temperance Brennan. My eyes about bugged out. Other than the name being the same in the show and the book the two are very different. Which makes me very happy so I can enjoy both.

When reading this book there were a couple of sections where I about went crazy reading as there was so much tension. I wanted to put the book down or skip ahead. For me that was some major long tension. I don't think most books succeed in making the mood so edge of the seat gripping.

In the year since Tempe left behind a shaky marriage in North Carolina, work had often preempted her weekend plans to explore Quebec. But when an unidentified female corpse is discovered meticulously dismembered and stashed in garbage bags, Tempe detects an alarming pattern within the grisly handiwork-and she plunges into a harrowing search for a killer in the city's winding streets. With little help from the police, Tempe calls on her expertise, honed in the isolated intensity of the autopsy suite. But her investigation is about to place those closest to her-her best friend and her own daughter-in mortal danger...

The Paladin by C.J. Cherryh

My Dad is big into Sci Fi and kept going on about how he loved this book. He was sure I needed to read it and brought it out. While this book is not Sci Fi (which he thought it was at first) it is fantasy. Though very tame in that. Mostly it just reads like a normal fiction book. While I was reading this book I had conflicting notions. It was eye rolling sometimes and a little romancish but other times it was very interesting and fun to read. What it really reminded me of was the book The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. I would pick that book over this one any day. All in all I did have a fun time reading the book and raced through it. Though I did have to raise my eyebrows in surprise. While my Dad did recommend this book to me, it did have some sex in it. I wasn't expecting that.

I will see about posting a picture later. I gave the book back to my Dad before I remembered to take a picture of the cover art.

Once the bravest master of the sword his kingdom had ever known, the warrior known as Saukendar is now a mountain hermit. Betrayed by the Emperor he once protected, Saukendar has left the way of the sword behind him forever-along with everything else he has ever known.

Or so he thinks. For when a headstrong peasant girl burning to avenge her murdered family demands that he train her, Saukendar is faced with a momentous choice. He can send Taizu away, never to see her again...

...or he can join her and destroy the tyrant who has nearly destroyed them both!

Brethren by Robyn Young

This book was from Borders also. I wasn't sure what to expect but I rather liked it. The book was slow but I found it fascinating reading a story that took place in a different time period. I felt like it's writing was believable in making the time period come alive. I'm trying to think of something more to say about it but nothing comes to mind. (I am writing this a month later even though I post dated the post. I will blame that on not having the freshest memory.) I would read another book by the author.

On the eve of the last crusade, two men's destinies will come together as two great civilizations go to war. Amidst conspiracy and intrigue in Europe, Will Campbell, a young knight, risks his life to recover the stolen Book of the Grail. Hidden within its pages are the heretical plans of a secret society within the Knights Templar. Meanwhile, the former slave Baybars Bundukdari and his army have taken over Egypt and Syria, and are planning a new Holy War to bring the Crusaders to their knees.

The Fiction Class by Susan Breen

This is another book picked up cheap at Borders. I was trying to find something that departs from my usual interest in book reading. So while this book had no adventure and historical qualities that I am drawn to repeatedly, it had something else. A very good story. I felt emotions that make you know you have read a book that involved you. Like frustration, happiness, crying, surprise, and satisfaction.

I loved this book. It kept me drawn to it as I learned more about all the characters, commiseration of dealing with a difficult person, and of course the ever present love interest. Sorry, but you just have to have some sort of love story! While the love interest does not over power the main story thread I was happy to see one in the book. Mostly I think because I wasn't really expecting one from the back cover.

On paper, Arabella Hicks is more than qualified to teach a weekly fiction class on New York's Upper West Side: She's an author herself; she's passionate about books; she's even named after the heroine in a Georgette Heyer novel.

So why do her students seem so difficult? And why can't she find an ending to the novel she has been working on for seven years? Arabella's beginning to suspect that it's all because her mother, Vera Hicks, is driving her insane. After each class, she goes to see Vera in a nursing home outside the city. Every visit turns into an argument. Arabella can't figure out how to make peace, until one day she discovers something surprising: Her mother wants to be a writer.

Slowly, cautiously, Arabella begins to teach her, and as the lessons progress along with her class, Arabella discovers that it is she who has a lot to learn about writing, and about love.

Flashman And The Mountain Of Light by George MacDonald Fraser

First off I should mention that I did not buy this book off eBay. But I am going to include it on my list of books that I have read for the year. That and I got it on a fantastic sale at Borders. So it's almost like buying it used.

Flashy is a bit of a coward mixed in with a cocky James Bond womanizer. The whole book kept an humorous tone which was rather funny. Thankfully when he was 'rogering' some female it was kept rather silly and non to detailed. I liked the history put in the book. There were three appendixes and fifty-six side notes. And even though there was all that added information it did not at all feel like a history book. Not that Flashy was ever a real person. After reading this book I would love to read The Pyrates written by the same author. Or even some more of the Flashman series would be okay.

History's most unheroic hero, Harry Flashman, is back. In this latest adventure, Flashy deals with a ravishing maharani and her equally sex-hungry maid, joins forces with an American adventurer with royal ambitions, and attempts to win the brightest jewel in England's imperial crown at the cost of something he will never miss-namely, his honor.

Lover's Knot by Janet Templeton

Okay this book was way better then the previous two that I had read. But having just read it, I still didn't come away with an excitement about having found a new favorite book. I want another one of those books to read.

When Honoria Wayneflete discovered that her younger sister had been slandered by Lord Denby, she was determined to get even.

What the handsome rake could hope to gain by this scurrilous tale Honoria could not understand. But what Honoria really couldn't understand was the way she was beginning to feel about her enemy. Not like an enemy at all. She struggled with her feelings-and a tempestuous relationship caught them both up in its toils.

Zandra by Norma Lee Clark

Another silly book.

Zandra had blossomed from the love and kindness of Mrs Thrikell, who had rescued her from a gypsy caravan at the age of twelve.

Now, blissfully unaware of the radiant beauty she had become, Zandra was unprepared for the zealously and hostility she would encounter from London society...and for the strange, new emotions borne by the passionate gaze of the dashing Captain Fitzallen.

But, dare she trust her own feelings of passion? He had known so many woman. Would she be just another of his heedless conquests?

The Masquer by Denice Greenlea

A rather silly book.

Her real name was Christabel Devlin but she called herself Miss Stone. Because behind the glasses, and the plain dowdy figure an incredible beauty lay hidden.

It was this loveliness that had caused her many problems with the titled gentlemen for whom she had previously worked as a governess. They could not keep their hands off her.

Now, disguised as plain Miss Stone, she hoped she would be left in peace-until she came to Lord Worthing's estate to care for his nephew. She found herself falling in love with him, but she tried to ignore it. To him she would always be "Stone".

Young Lord Worthing found Christabel a gem. She was bright, efficient and most clever. What he did not know was that he would soon find her a priceless jewel...

Quicksilver Lady by Barbara Whitehead

This book took me so long to read and I don't know why. Basically I forced myself to sit and finish it. And because of that I think I found it slightly boring and uninteresting. Maybe I was just in an off book mood or something. Sometimes you just have to be in the right mood.

Lovely Arabella, disappointed in love when the man she had hoped to wed married someone else, went to London to soothe her aching heart.

London welcomed her with balls, masquerades, theatres, dowagers and dukes-and more. Lies, scandal, and betrayal.

But somehow, somewhere, she was certain that she would find that deep and lasting love that only two people could share...

QUICKSILVER LADY-

A romantic tale of love and deception set against the power of pageantry of Regency England.

The London Ladies by Georgina Grey

I actually read this book a few weeks ago and can't really remember too much about it. I think I found it vaguely irritating but I can't recall why.

They looked like sister and brother with their golden good looks and charming manners.

But they were not. In fact, they were adversaries. Evelina had caught the eye of David's uncle-a dashing old rue'-and David was certain that the young woman was up to no good.

Evelina, horrified that anyone could think she would encourage the advances of old Lord Beemish, was furious with David.

But it was that old rogue himself who finally thought up a solution to this strange triangle.

The Constant Companion by Marion Chesney

This book was funny as I had read it a while back and didn't even remember it. About half way through a light bulb came on that this was somewhat familiar. Guess that tells you how memorable the book was.

"I am Miss Lamberton. Miss Constance Lamberton. I hoped that you would employ me as your companion."

And so the quiet Constance came to the household of the haughty and beautiful Lady Amelia. She would serve as milady's chaperon at the Season's many festivities, an unwitting accomplice in Lady Amelia's scheme to trap the very eligible Lord Philip into marriage.

But it was not Lady Amelia who won Lord Philip's heart. It was the pale, golden-eyed Constance. And very soon, Constance became Lady Philip Cautry. It was not a marriage made in heaven. But surely, in time....


And then Constance disappeared. Lord Philip didn't know why or how. Nor did he care. All that mattered to him now was the safe return of his beloved Constance....

Letty Barlow by Joan Mellows

I finished reading this book last night. Though I had started reading it as soon as I had finished my last book posted here it took me a while. Why it took me so long I'm not really sure because every time I re picked it up again I found it interesting. Maybe I just wasn't in a reading mood.

Anyways, while not a super long book, it was a nice story that didn't seem obviously short. Or was that just because it took me so long to read.....hmm? The mystery in the book added nicely to the story and wasn't clear what was going on at first. I would say this book is a nice relaxing read.

She was but seventeen when her father's sudden death wrenched the calm and quiet out of Letty Barlow's existence. Her previously well-ordered schoolteacher's life was about to change forever.

The kindness shown by her late father's employer had been overwhelming and had thrust Letty into a social whirl far above her station. Soon Letty had two admirers-the charming and attentive John Chaplin, and Charles Despard, whose sardonic wit and realist outlook had drawn Letty to him at once.

Now, with two swains and a new job as companion to a young, recently-widowed Countess, Letty had surely entered into a wonderful new world. Until that mysterious face appeared in the window. Then, all to quickly, it became apparent that someone-or something-was trying to frighten the Countess...or worse. Could Letty, aided by the man she loved, solve the puzzle? Or was her own life in danger as well?

A Curious Courting by Elizabeth Neff Walker

I started out reading two other books before I settled on this one. The first I browsed most the way through but didn't feel like reading the whole thing. The second I started reading but it annoyed me right a way so I decided to go no farther with it. It was to painful to read right from the start. So I found myself reading a Curious Courting. While it was in no way up to par with the last few books I have read it also wasn't the worst. My new policy is going to be to put down books that are obviously dreadful reading right from the start.

Selina was a little grumpy. She was in no way fashionably dressed as she is on the cover. Gareth was not setting out to get attached to her. Stuff kept happening. And there wasn't really any romantic intrigue. When you say intrigue I start imagining more complications, excitement, danger, I guess really something that has more adventure in it. There was no adventure here. Sigh. I really do love books that have a dash of adventure and mystery.

"A glorious girl." That's the way Selina was described. She was enormously wealthy, wonderfully beautiful-and very headstrong.

When worldly Gareth Rushton wanted to buy some of her land for a hunting lodge, Selina gave his offer a flat refusal. But Rushton was not the least intimidated. He set about trying to win her confidence-and weaken her resistance. Suddenly he found himself caught up in a merry tangle of romantic intrigue.

Selina was quite a woman. More than enough woman for Gareth Rushton. If only he could find the key to her heart...

Pegasus by Eleanor Anne Cox

I had a very hard time putting this book down. Once I started reading it I was enthralled. I'm not sure why I liked it so much. It started out humorous with some witty comments such as this... "and although he was very tall he was also rather large, thus robbing his six-foot-three frame of the aesthetic graces of a starving hero." And from there it went on to mystery, good characters, and a nice story.

The back cover blurb was again nothing like the book. While she did write books it was not a big part of the story though it did come in to play at the end. I wouldn't say that she was sneaking through the woods but she did help uncover the unpleasant circumstances going around. Mostly because she was a nice person that people trusted and helped the abused from an awful person. You really end up liking her 'can do anything' personality.

By day, Margaret Gorham was a governess-by night she was Madame Fleur De La Coeur!

To all appearances, she seemed to be a drab little nobody in brown serge. But she has secretly penned popular romances based on the characters of her current employers.

And when Margaret, posing as a stiff, starched schoolteacher, found herself in the ancestral home of Sir Hillary Pendragon (London's most dashing, wealthy, eligible bachelor), she found plenty of material for her next romance! Sneaking through the woods of the family estate, she uncovered some frightening things and a side of Sir Hillary that threw her usually calm, steadfast heart into a singed flight of fancy...from which it threatened to never return!

Regency Ball by Miriam Lynch

I don't think that I have ever read anything by this author before. In some ways the book was rather funny in that Elizabeth Dasey barely took part in the book. It was mostly about the going ons in the Rockforth family house. A bit of the story centered on the different schemes the two younger girls came up with to engineer matters how they wanted. With it never working out of course.

Elizabeth spent her whole time avoiding and not speaking to Guy. Not to mention being afraid of him when they first met. The mystery of her circumstances was not reviled until the very end of the book. I'm assuming that they used the story line that they did for the back cover blurb because it would sound more interesting then..."follow the lives of a mother, daughter, son, father, servant, two friends, etc. as the go about their business of "?""

The book was okay. Sometimes it annoyed me with the writing and other times it was fine. Overall it was okay but nothing that I felt I needed to add to my book collection.

"Guy Westcott? Why, he has had more handkerchief's thrown at him than can be counted. He must be the most sought-after man in London!"

Elizabeth Dasey, whose aristocratic bearing and loveliness belied her humble posion as governess to Guy Westcott's niece, could not keep the excitement from shaking her heart. One look at this elegant and dashing young man and she knew love struck.

But what chance had she with someone who would never in a million years look at her twice?

But look at her twice he did. And set in motion a marvelous adventure of romance and deception....

Delsie by Joan Smith

First off the back blurb is a bunch of blah, blah, blah. Don't go by the back cover of this book. On the other hand I enjoyed this book. Again being an older book so it was better written. In the future I think I will abstain from newer Joan Smith books. This had a nice little mystery with smugglers and bags of gold laying all over her house that she was trying to figure out.

Even a schoolteacher is entitled to romantic fantasies. But Delsie Sommers was eminently practical. She never dared to dream of a wealthy, handsome and titled husband.

Then one day fate turned her world upside down and flung her into a marriage with a man she scarcely knew. Fortunately for Delsie, he died within hours of the wedding, leaving her his house, much of his fortune and his young daughter.

Then fate stepped in again.This time in the guise of the wealthy and handsome Lord deVigne-her late husband's brother-in-law-whose attempt to run her life aroused her spitfire temper-and her hopes....

Imprudent Lady by Joan Smith

Yeah! Finally an older Joan Smith book. This book I thought very good. It was longer and went more into the characters and was just better written over all. You could tell more thought was put into it then the newer books that Joan Smith must have just been pumping out. Because those books lost their quality.

I liked the wittiness of the the main characters. Her Uncle in the book was very funny. He saw things only the way he wanted too and was always getting everything wrong. He was in the book a lot. And last, I liked the cover picture so I will put it up. Though I guess I should also add that the blurb on the back isn't a really good description. Guess you can't have everything.

Prudence has seemed such a proper name for her...Until she started writing novels and began dreaming about a love affair with a world-famous author.

Prudence had fallen in love with the celebrated and dashing Lord Dammler from the moment she read his first book. Then she began to have fantasies about him. Then she actually met him.

suddenly Prudence was not living up to her name any more....

A Highwayman Came Riding by Joan Smith

Still a pleasant read but getting a little more stupid. A little more over exaggeration and unrealness of emotion and action. Why is it the newer the book the stupider they get? Yes I know this isn't always true but I just don't like the writing style most books begin to take on in the 90's and on into 2000.

The penny-pinching duchess, determined not to pay for another night's lodging, insists her coach travel the perilous roads outside London, all but begging for the unwanted attentions of a roving thief. It is her companion, Marianne Harkness, who first hears the pounding hoof beats-and who boldly meets the gaze of the handsome highwayman Captain Jack.

However, nothing goes as planned-for the victims or the criminals-and the duchess leaves it to Marianne to rescue her diamonds from Caption Jack's clutches. But soon adventure turns to mayhem, as Marianne discovers that the only way to reform the scoundrel is to fall in love with him!

Gather Ye Rosebuds by Joan Smith

Pleasant read. Still nothing really grand. I feel like I shouldn't complain because I don't hate these Joan Smith books (which I can't say for most of the ones previously read). I just want them to be more in depth and be not quite so light and fast of reading. Did she go down hill after writing "Aunt Sophie's Diamonds"?

She had yet to meet a man she preferred to a paintbrush. Finding art far more satisfying than romance, Zoie had ceased think of marriage and decided to devote her life to her first love-painting. However, while happily arranging her new studio, she discovered a valuable stolen necklace secreted in her late uncle's belongings-and made the mistake of trying to return it to the rightful owner.

Trying to sneak the necklace back, Zoie was caught in the act by a suspicious Lord Weylin, who was not about to let the matter drop-especially when the necklace proved fake. Clearly there was a deeper mystery to be solved. And then there was Weylin himself, whose disturbing interest invited an artist's most scandalous designs....

Winter Wedding by Joan Smith

It's been awhile since I last posted. But I have just ordered some more books from eBay. Hooray!

Anyway, this book was a pleasant couple hour read. Nice way to spend an evening. Not quite up to "Aunt Sophie's Diamonds", which is my all time favorite Joan Smith book. The picture on the cover is too new for me to like. I have several books by Joan Smith to read coming up and I am excited about it. I hope I find a new favorite from her.

It would be placing to much significance on a brief flirtation to say the gentleman had fallen in love. But when Clara Christopher discovered that Lord Allingcote had been invited to the wedding she was busily planning for her cousin, she hoped he might again favor her as his flirt.

She was quite unprepared for Miss Nel Muldoon, as beautiful as an angel and as mischievous as the devil, appearing on the strong arm of Lord Allingcote-while batting her blue eyes at every other gentleman in sight.

Allingcote's deliciously attentive gaze suggested that he had thought of Clara often. Yet it was clear he was mixed up in some close manner with the darling Nel Muldoon. The answer, Clara soon discovered, was one of many surprises!

Romantic Lady by Sylvia Thorpe

Well I don't know that Caroline's actions caused her to lose almost all her friends or that it was dangerous. But she did have a lot of adventure with being kidnapped, imprisoned, having Guy get into fistfights around her several times, embroiled in a robbery scam, and come close to being killed. This is another book that I was quite happy happy with. Somehow I seemed to have lucked out in the last couple I have read.

She was a young red-headed woman with all the impetuous gaiety that goes with red hair. And though her life as governess to her uncle's children seemed rather dreary, nothing could stifle her romantic spirit.

And it was just this romantic spirit that caused Caroline to do a dangerous and impulsive act. An act that would nearly lose her all her friends. An act that would jeopardize both her liberty and honor.

Only one person could save Caroline from such a fate-Guy Ravenshaw. And he had no taste for romantic ladies.

Amber Promise by Margaret Abbey

I really liked this book a lot. I wonder if I will be able to find another book by this author. I thought Margaret Abbey did a good job writting in the time period that this book took place in. And it had all the things that I love in books, nice story that is well written with action, adventure, and a little bit of love thrown in. It was rather fun reading a book in this time period because you don't come upon them that often.

Wealthy heiress to Birlstone castle, Lady Alys possessed a rare and golden beauty, hidden since childhood by the mark of her father's wrath. When Prince John approved her marriage to handsome Baron Geoffrey de Courcelles, the young groom showered Alys with lavish gifts and freed her from the single blemish that denied her loveliness. Yet Geoffrey remained strangely cold and aloof, withholding the affection her virginal heart craved. Then a rival suitor publicly insulted Geoffrey at the Royal Nottingham tournament, and Alys was plunged into a drama of rebellion, secret treachery, and awaking desire.

Here is a romance of England's proud knighthood, of daring outlaws, and a valiant noblewoman held hostage for love, awaiting the passionate fruits of an Amber Promise.

Marriage By Decree by Ellen Fitzgerald

I started out reading a different book but put it down after it became apparent that it would be a painful read. Then I saw this book which is the same author of the last book I read. Since I liked that one quite a lot I was hoping for a nice repeat. While this book wasn't bad I did like 'Julia's Portion' better because it had more adventure in it.

Miss Alice Osborne was newly arrived from America and could not be expected to know the rules of Regency courtship and love. But her ignorance seemed certain to breed folly rather than bliss when she was drawn to not one but two most unsuitable suitors.

One was handsome, gallant Sir Robert St. Aubyn, who would have been a perfect match were he not already pledged to the ravishing Janet Belvoir. The other was the dazzling Lord Ralph Winston, the most infamously irresistible rake in the realm.

A prudent young lady would have steered clear of both. But though the beautiful Miss Osborne had many virtues, prudence was definitely not her strength when it came to romance...

Julia's Portion by Ellen Fitzgerald

Not bad. I was surprised how the book started off. It was pretty fast pace and interesting, then got bogged down with rehashing of feelings in the middle, and then picked up pace again towards the end. Her family was so HORRID in this book that you just want to scream at them. The back cover doesn't really tell you anything about the book and is a little wrong.

Her dress on the cover reminds me of billowing pink bubble gum. That and old fashioned men's arm bands tied around her sleeves and waist. But maybe she didn't care after being almost drowned, shoved off a cliff, and taken prisoner. She probably had more pressing concerns....like trying not to fall in love.

Julia Carleton's relatives agreed on one thing: a mere female was not fit to manage the vast fortune that her father had left her. They would take control of it-and take control of Julia as well.

Julia, however, had her own ideas. With her new wealth, she could afford to lead a new life, be free to do what she wanted and love whom she chose.

But her flight to freedom threw her into the arms of the notorious Lord Alysford, whose reputation as a rake and gambler made him the last man in the world she should trust. And Julia had to risk more than money to find out if the irresistible Alysford was out to steal her fortune or her heart.

The Improper Governess by Carola Dunn

The 'Not So Improper Governess' was not such a dramatic tale as any playwright had ever written. The villain was only in the book for about a page or two and there are various other overstated lines in this back cover blurb. I also hate the cover picture!

A Mysterious Miss...
From the stage of the Royal Coburg Theatre, Lissa Findlay saw Lord Ashe watching her. She knew the notorious rake was looking for a mistress, and though circumstance had forced her to become an actress to survive--a definite lowering of her social status--she would never lose her virtue. Never!

A Dashing Lord...
Lord Ashe was accustomed to pursuing women of "experience." But the innocent-looking beauty at the Coburg had captivated him in unexpected ways. And yet, when he made his advances, the cheeky miss slapped him most roundly. Despite being spurned, Lord Ashe was unable to forget her or her dire situation. If she wouldn't share his bed, perhaps she could share his house.

A Shocking Proposal...
Lord Ashe proposed a new role for Lissa as governess to his nephew. If the ton, or his dowager mother, discovered her real profession, t'would be a scandal. But a take as dramatic as any play write ever writ was unfolding with a villain in the wings, a fortune at stake, and a lord discovering he too had a role to play...as a hero for love!

The Rogue's Lady by Paula Allardyce

This book wasn't too bad. Action, adventure with a little romance on the side made it a pleasing read. The only thing I found odd in the book was the referring to the lady as a bitch quite a few times. That I would have changed.

Ahab had forgotten how lively she was-this spoiled and deceitful "lady" who had once done her best to see him hanged. Now, imprisoned by her marriage to the brutish Lord Dacre, she was desperately begging him to help her escape. It was a moment he had waited for, for six long years. She was at his mercy. He should have savored refusing her, hurting her, but somehow it was not a triumph at all. It was strange and cruelly unfair that his girl, his longtime enemy, should have the power to touch his heart with pity- and with desire.

The Demon Rake by Gayle Buck

Why is it that almost every book I have read so far in the Regency genre somebody has gray eyes? I have never seen anyone with gray eyes before. Can't anybody in these books have normal brown eyes or even (gasp) blue eyes? Green would be okay with me too.

As for the book, the guy put his hand down her dress so I will pass on it.

Incredibly handsome Lord Damion St. Claire made no secret of his nature-or of his intentions toward lovely young widow Lady Victoria March. He was the most incorrigible womanizer in all the realm-and Victoria was merely another potential conquest.

However, Damion's powerful uncle, Sir Aubrey St. Claire, had an entirely different proposition for Victoria: To save the St. Claire name, Victoria should become Damion's wife in a marriage that would give Victoria title and fortune, at the price of enduring a wedded lifetime of infidelity.

Surrender her honor to a man who made her senses swim? Or exchange vows with a man certain to break his? How could Victoria say yes to either pernicious proposal? Yet why was it so hard to say no...?

Lord Rivington's Lady by Eileen Jackson

Okay this was almost painful in the grumpy woman department and I even started to feel embarrassed in how she was treating and talking to Lord Rivington. I really don't think that he would have stuck around for all the abuse he was put through.

Lord Alexander Rivington Was The Most Hateful Man Georgina Had Ever Known.

Lord Rivington began by virtually assaulting Georgina at their first chance meeting. Then this incredibly wealthy and handsome aristocrat publicly mocked Georgina's views on the rights of women while the cream of Regency society looked on. From there he went on to physically thrash Georgina's beloved brother, financially ensnare Georgina's family, not bother to deny his shameful relationship to a servant girl-and arrogantly demand Georgina in marriage.

Georgina had every reason to detest this thoroughly impossible and egotistical male. She vowed that nothing in the world would make her join the list of victims of his charms. Indeed, Lord Rivington was due for a richly earned comeuppance-and Georgina for a most unexpected awaking...

Devlyn by Alysse Aallyn

I almost didn't read this book just because I didn't like the cover picture or the black blurb. I was very happy with the book. It has intrigue, murder, mystery, and a little bit of romance. What was nice about this book was it went into each player instead of hopping around like a jumping bean from thought to thought like most of the books I have read so far without going into any depth. There is also a revelation at the end that I was not expecting

They Were Not Quite What They Seemed.

Thea Furnivall-
the orphan of a clergyman, she was found by the elegant Lord Devlyn sewing in the window of a common shop, living in virtual poverty. Yes she could quote poetry in three languages and she maintained a self-assurance that set her quite apart from the other women of her class.

Iantha Fitzjoyce-
daughter-in-law of Lord Devlyn, lady of a Regency manor, she appeared to be truly regal with her stunning beauty and proud bearing. But what were her origins...might they be as lowly as Thea's own? And with her wild spurts of temper-which verged on violence-could she maintain her power over the men of Devlyn Monor

And
Lord Devlyn
Himself-
noble, rich, handsome, seemingly remote, yet he was brash enough to remove Thea to his estate without a moment's hesitation, merely because she resembled someone he's loved. He was said to have caused the death of more than one beautiful woman, and some called him a woman hater. The inscrutable Lord Devlyn stubbornly hid a secret that would reveal the deepest, most emboldened passion.

Friary's Dor by Betty Hale Hyatt

This book is given to over exaggerated descriptive emotions. But I like the picture cover. Very old fashioned. I think I like the picture on the front the book better then the book.

Beautiful Honor Dillard fled fashionable Regency London for the place she loved best in the world--Friary's Dor, an ancient manor on the windswept Kentish coast. Here she would be safe from those who were trying to force her into a marriage she despised.

But waiting for Honor at Friary's Dor was political intrigue, a mysterious pirate ship, and a devilishly handsome, wounded man whose identity was masked but whose attraction was irresistible. Pursuing her were her father with his hateful plans for her future, and a jealous suitor who sought to make her heart his plaything again. Honor had returned not to paradise but to a dangerous trap--and only her own native wit and womanly wiles could set her free to find love and happiness.

A Fine Gentleman by Laura Matthews

Blah, blah, blah. The picture on the book is stupid. I think he is saying, "Your hair smells so good! I am over come and must hold you in my arms." And she is like, "I don't know who you because I am in a blonde daze."

Lady Caroline Curruthers was enjoying her visit to the Hartville home. But one thing made life at the estate complicated--Lady Hartville was intent on convincing her son Richard that Caroline would be a perfect wife for him. Lord Hartville kept his distance from his mother's schemes, which was fine with Caroline, who had no intention of marrying such an obstinate, infuriating man! Then a surprise arrived on the doorstep--a beautiful little girl named Wilhelmina who claimed the "fine gentleman" Richard as her "papa."

Lord Hartville firmly denied that this girl was his child. But Caroline warmed to little Wilhelmina immediately, despite the child's questionable parentage. She also noticed that the girl had a sectete fear of a "bad man" determined to harm her. As Caroline and Lord Hartville struggled to find Wilhelmina's true parents, she began to look forward to their battles of wit. And suddenly. Lady Hartville's loving plans didn't seem so far fetched at all...

The Adventurers by Michelle Martin

This book reminded me a bit of Georgette Heyer's 'The Masqueraders'. So I ended up finding myself annoyed while reading it. If I was to choose one book to read I would chose Georgette Heyer's book instead.

The Earl of Northbridge was nobody's fool, but here he was lost in a sea of outrage, embarrassment-and perplexity. How could a woman masquerade as a man...and fool him so cleverly? Worse, how has she managed to coerce him into joining her scheme?

For her part, Isabel was proud of her mastery of disguise. Now she was putting her skills to the ultimate test: She must get her young friend past a snare of murderous characters who mean to keep him from claiming his legacy.

Only too soon did Isabel discover her greatest danger was not her enemies but the earl himself. With his fathomless blue eyes, he seemed to see all her secrets-and there was no way she could mask that she'd fallen hopelessly in love!

Reclaiming Lord Rockleigh by Nancy Butler

This book was a little too 'new' for me. So I will pass on putting up the (stupid) cover picture or writing the back cover blurb. I'm looking for the 'old' chaste kiss sort of book not the make out session sort of book. Bleck!

Georgina by Clare Darcy

At first I wasn't sure I would like this book as Georgina was very irritating in the beginning. A little to grumpy for my taste. But that only last for the first part of the book. I enjoyed it and will put it with the rest of my Clare Darcy collection.

Georgina was impossible! Everyone who loved Georgina despaired of her future. As wilful as she was beautiful, the young English heiress did exactly as she pleased in defiance of society's conventions. Her gentle mother trembled, her imperious grandmother raged, her legion of suitors were thrown into confusion at Georgina's madcap escapades and maddening ways.

Only one person was not troubled by Georgina's outrageous conduct-the rich, handsome, very arrogant Mr. Shannon. Mr. Shannon, in fact, did not even deign to notice Georgina's existence.

Georgina decided to change all that-with results that startled no one more than Georgina herself.

The Substitute Bride by Dorothy Mack

A somewhat pleasant read that gets a little over dramatic at the end. I would change that part but otherwise the book was alright. Nothing to write home about though.

Angelica Wayne was in a most devilish dilemma! It began when she was forced to take a post as a governess to Lord Giles Weston's motherless daughter. It grew more difficult when Angelica lost her heart to this dazzling viscount who once had been wed to the reigning beauty of the realm and now was linked with the most desirable lady of the London season.

Angelica was resigned to forever masking her feelings until Giles made a proposal that might be the answer to her wildest dreams. Sure of Angelica's indifference to him, Giles asked her to be his wife in name only, with each of them free to lead separate lives. Thus only by living a lie could Angelica keep the only man she had ever wanted, as this spirited Regency heroine staked all her happiness on a man who was afraid to love!

Strangers In Company by Jane Aiken Hodge

Somewhat of a slow read. I enjoyed The Winding Stair and a few other Jane Aiken Hodge books a little more. But oh well. Since Marian is traveling in Greece on a tour bus there is a lot of mythology in this book as the tour guides go on about what they are seeing. And as many accidents that were going on I think this is one tour that I would be trying to get out of a fast as I could.

When Marian Frenche signed on as a tour companion to rich, young, unhappy Stella Marten, she was unaware that she had taken her first step on a journey into terror.

The tour of Greece started out peacefully enough. Then within a few days one of the members was killed by a strange fall in a darkened grotto. An unfortunate accident they said. But Marian was not so sure. She began to experience a chill of apprehension. She could feel the evil vibrations that were slowly turning the trip into a nightmare.

Two more people had accidents. Then sudden death struck again.

Now Marian was certain there was a murderer hidden among the innocent tourists. And she was equally certain that she had somehow become the next target....

Payment In Kind by Diana Campbell

I don't understand these books where the heroin is constantly snapping, glaring at people, and angrily responding in conversations. Does anybody really want to marry such a person? If I were a man I don't think I would be going "Hot diggity dog! This woman is so amazing even though she never has a nice thing to say to me. I must end up with her!"This book was a painful unrealistic bore to read. I will rename this book 'Painfully Unkind'.

Molly Trevor's father had made a fortune and lost his good name by becoming a Midas-like moneylender rather than remaining a penniless aristocrat.

When Molly inherited both the glitter of his gold and the shadow of his shame, she was quite willing to increase the one and ignore the other-until she spied the Viscount Ogilvie from afar. Molly vowed to wed this splendid lord at any cost, even if it meant changing her name and hiding her past.

Molly had the will, the wit, and the wealth to pull the wool over society's eyes-but even she found how hard it was to keep love blind.

The Earl's Invention by Diana Campbell

Usually if I find a character of a book to be annoying it is always the heroin. This time it wasn't the case. The Earl of Sedgewick was not believable at all with his running on attendance of Bonnie to the angry won't let her get a word in edge wise. The ending was stupidly written and the whole book a bit of a bore. So I will rename this book 'The Earl's Boring Invention'.

Well-bred but impoverished Miss Bonnie Gordon let herself be persuaded by the Earl of Sedgewick to pose as his niece. Thus the earl could put a damper on the leech like greed of prospective heirs to his vast estate and the possessiveness of the women who swarmed around his handsome person.

But Bonnie did not count on the perils of the part she had to play-the open wrath and naked threats of the lovely and livid Lady Pamela Everett...the howls of the sharp-clawed bits of muslin whom the earl wished to cast off...the Machiavellian machinations of the furious Hellier clan who saw their dreams of enormous wealth waning.

But most dangerous of all was the earl himself, who was thoroughly committed to his status of unwedded bliss and would surely break the heart of any young lady foolish enough to fall in love with him...

Mad Masquerade by Barbara Hazard

Wow! I really liked this book. I would classify it under action adventure romance, which really is my favorite kind of book. It reminded me a little of Madeleine Brent's books or Jane Aiken Hodge. I think this time the back cover of the book made it sound more stupid then what it was about. Thank goodness for that. I am a little curious if Barbara Hazard's other books are anything like this. If they are then I might have found another favorite author.

John Haverfield, the Marquess of Vare, was in no hurry to take a wife-and certainly not one like the tomboyish, outrageously independent, thoroughly intractable young Lady Laura Lockridge.

For her part, Laura wanted no part of any man- certainly not one like the maddeningly self assured and insufferably arrogant marquess.

But journeying over dangerous roads and through mazes of intrigue in Italy, far from the safety of London's social rules, this perfectly mismatched pair of titled travelers found themselves forced to pose as newlyweds-on a honeymoon that tested to the breaking point the vows of both of them never to love, honor, or obey...

Fleeting Fancy by Rosemary Edghill

Finally, I book that I am not going to complain about! There were no overwrought emotions flying around, no Regency catch phrases falling like bombs to annoy me, and no angry shrew heroins that I want to shove off a cliff. The writing in this book was fine. The only thing I will complain about is the picture on the cover of the book. It was so stupid that I refuse to post it.

What sort of woman would marry Viscount Severn sight unseen...?

But Primula Greetwell had seen him before--seen him, loved him, and married him, ten years ago. It had been a cruel trick, of course, a false marriage crafted by a young and thoughtless rake bent on seduction. But somewhere in Severn, Primula believed, that man she fell in love with so briefly must exist.

Marriage to a bride of his father's choosing was the price of Lord Severn's return to England after banishment to India. Nothing, however, could have prepared him for his new wife--the older, wiser, lovelier Primula Greetwell, the innocent and undeserving victim of the cruelest act of his life.

Not even the most dedicated optimist could call it a match made in heaven--that is, unless love turned the tables in a formidable game of dual deception...

Double Deception by Patricia Oliver

I started out this book with high hopes. Just in reading the first few pages it made it seem as if I was reading a masterpiece of literature. Okay rather a bit of an exaggeration I know. But after the very painful reading of "A Spirited Bluestocking" and "The Thief of Hearts" this book was much better reading. Then something changed. By the end of the book I was wishing it would hurry up and end. There were too many over descriptive words. I mean how many 'stabs of longing, lurching hearts, pain shooting through breasts, seared hearts, constricted hearts, heart wrenching, heart exploding, yearning hearts' must you wade though before your own heart wants to stop reading the book! There was a lot over exaggerated emotion that seemed to go flying back and forth with the main characters, Athena and Sylvester. Along with this was the overuse of Regency 'drop words'. It didn't annoy me as much as the overindulgence of trite emotion. Maybe I should rename this book 'The Exploding Hearts Double Deception'.

Oh yes, and I liked the picture on the cover of the book again.

Athena Standish was a beautiful young widow with a little girl to raise and a life on the icy edge of poverty to lead. Young Peregrine Steele might have been a trifle too impulsive for her, but he was too handsome, too adoring, and too rich for her to refuse his marriage proposal.

There was but one barrier between Athena and the sage haven to wedlock. Peregrine's father, the Earl of St. Aubyn, saw Athena as a wanton widow in search of wealth and set out to defeat her designs with every weapon at his command, from cold coins to warm kisses. This devastatingly attractive lord had not wanted a woman since his own wife died, but he knew all too well how to make a woman want him-as Athena was torn between the man with a ring for her hand and the one with the key to her heart....

A Spirited Bluestocking by Joan Overfield

I didn't finish reading this book all the way as it has a ghost in it. I find ghosts in books very creepy and have no need to keep reading on. Therefore I won't write what the back of the book cover said. I was on page 127 and there where 257 pages to the end. As for the writer I found that she used to many over used catch phrases that Regency Romances writes find compelled to drop. The main female character was angry. Not quite as bad as Sara in The Thief of Hearts. This book was not as bad as the aforementioned but only marginally. I would rename this book "The Annoying Bluestocking".

Yes I know this is the second old Regency Romance book that I have written about so far. There will be more to come as the lot of books I bought off of eBay were all Regency Romances. I have my eye on a lot of old mystery books. We shall see what happens.....

The Thief of Hearts by Rachelle Edwards

This book was alright. Not really too gripping of a read. I liked the picture on the cover of it better then what I was reading. Mean I know. Sara comes across as somewhat shrewish while constantly arguing with her younger selfish sister. Maybe the book should be renamed "The Thief of Ms. Grumpypants Heart".

"You mark my words, one day Sara is going to fall for someone quite unsuitable and will have her heart broken. It's always the way with females who are considered 'sensible."

Everyone agreed Sara Auden was sensible. Until the day her carriage was stopped by a dashing highway man. She was never the same after that encounter. She could think of nothing else.

Then suddenly her highwayman became a guest at her home. He introduced himself as Richard Merrick, Earl of Melford. A friend of her brother's. But Sara knew who he really was-and what he wanted.

She also knew her heart skipped a beat every time she saw him. Sara couldn't allow herself to fall in love with a common thief. Or was it already to late for her?