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!