Review: The Passions of Dr. Darcy by Sharon Lathan

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "While Fitzwilliam Darcy is enjoying an idyllic childhood at Pemberley, his vibrant and beloved uncle, Dr. George Darcy, becomes one of the most renowned young physicians of the day. Determined to do something more with his life than cater to a spoiled aristocracy. George accepts a post with the British East India Company and travels in search of a life of meaning and purpose.

When George Darcy returns to Pemberley after many years abroad, the drama and heartbreak of his travels offer a fascinating glimpse into a gentleman's journey of self-discovery and romance."

Review:  In previous novels by Sharon Lathan, we've been introduced to George Darcy, and yet we've known very little about his back story.  In this stand alone novel, we finally learn about the talented doctor and why he gave Fitzwilliam the advice he gave him in the other books--his life is an obvious collection of love and pain that he tidily tucks away and uses judicially.

As a young doctor, George set off for India to serve there and learn.  He is taken on by an amazing Indian doctor and taught local medical practices that go beyond any of his western medical training.  Over time, George grew in talent and respect as a doctor, yet love continued to be elusive in a traditional sense.  We find that over time, George has almost a series of experiences that we follow with him.  He experiences love and loss, along with professional success, and yet stays in India far from his English home until his story intercepts with Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth's and he returns home with an ocean of experiences in his heart.  As readers, it now makes perfect sense why he is the person we have read about in previous installments of Lathan's series.

In characteristic, romantic fashion, Lathan has crafted another beautiful tale.  In the beginning I was sad for what seemed like continual changes to George's life, but I could see that over the course of the novel how the experiences George had, created the self-assured man that he was in the end.  The journey seemed long and painful at times for poor George, but I think that while fictional, he definitely became real to us as readers.  Once again, I enjoyed Lathan's tale of the Darcy clan.  These are romances with romantic moments, but so worth it for readers. 

Review: Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "One house, two worlds...

Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies’ maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can’t help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.

For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But terrible scandal has followed Ada’s beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family’s honor. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name—but it would mean giving up her one true love . . . someone she could never persuade her father to accept.

Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton series introduces two worlds, utterly different yet entangled, where ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles and glittering jewels. All those secrets are waiting . . . at Somerton."

Review:  Set in a beautiful estate called Somerton, we are introduced to what seems to be the YA equivalent of Downton Abbey.  After what feels like a long absence from my favorite Downton characters, this was a nice return to the manners, society, and scandal that I was hankering for, all in the pages of a book.

Set around a diverse set of characters, both upstairs and downstairs, we mainly center around Rose Cliffe, who has been thrust into the role of a new ladies' maid.  She soon finds herself the center of a scandal in the home, one in which she has to dig deep to deal with.  That's not all though.  The Averley's have returned to their estate to money problems in 1910, as many other estate owners of their day, who were trying to figure out how to care for such large homes and grounds.  What were they to do with such properties and grown children who needed to be married before the scandalous word of their lack of funds got out? 

There seems to be a scandal for every single character in the novel, and a modern day solution in tow.  I won't lie when I say that I could see this being turned into a modern, melodramatic television show, made glossy and ready to roll out by the spring.  We have a love child, a gay character, a feminist, a girl who wants to marry for love, a girl who loves a man of another race.  Yes.  I get it.  Eek!  How dare they even consider being themselves!   As each of these characters rolled out though, I kept thinking, "Really? All in one family/story for that period?"  As far as a book goes, with any historical accuracy--I don't think all of these characters could possibly go as far afield as they do from the social norms and mores as are written.  However, that doesn't mean that I didn't smile and keep flipping pages.  I was interested in their stories and could still enjoy the novel and read it for its heightened, overly dramatic sensibilities. 

 Cinders and Sapphires is a really quick read and one that I rather enjoyed.  I'm not going to be referring this one out as a historical reference piece, but I will definitely share it for its fun factor.

Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

I know I've been a bit silent around here on my blog (all work related), but I have read some mighty AMAZING books lately that I can't wait to share.  Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson came out on September 10th and was one of those books that I have been passing around to friends and neighbors, and just about anyone who I can get to listen!

Today I'm excited to be the next stop on a Blog Tour for Julianne's newest book Blackmoore, and I really can't say enough about it, so let's get to it.

About Blackmoore:  "Kate Worthington knows she can never have her heart’s desire and so believes she will never marry. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore on the cliffs above the seashore, where she must face the truth and the man that has kept her heart captive.

Set in northern England, Blackmoore is a Regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn to follow her heart. With hints of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, Blackmoore is a page-turning tale of romance, intrigue and devotion."

Review:  Here is a book that is so good that it makes writing the review almost too hard to write. Do I need to pull out an old fashioned ink and quill to do this time period novel its due credit?    In some ways, there is nothing short of a good old fashion I loved it that will work.  Julianne Donaldson has written a heart-rending romance that cannot be called sweet, and yet it is sweet; it cannot be called tragic, and yet it can be tragic; it cannot be called gut-wrenching, and yet it is gut-wrenching; and it surely cannot be called tear-jerking can it, and yet I definitely spilled many a tear reading this tear-jerking romance.  It was that good.

What can I say about this glorious novel?  Written with an Austen-esque/Bronte feel to it, Donaldson has captured all that is dark, brooding, and lovely about a Regency and Romantic period novel--and some that you didn't know that you missed.  Kate Worthington, as our main heroine, has sworn off marriage and has looked to India as the next frontier for adventure.  But as any reader knows, young ladies are expected to marry, and marry young and well.  Thankfully her dear friend Henry Delafield, the next in line to own Blackmoore, has grown up with Kate and knows her heart and her deepest desires.  Surely this "adventure" to India is misguided?  Although he is returning to Blackmoore to get engaged to his own fine young lady, he has invited Kate back to visit Blackmoore with him and his sister, hoping to uncover what might be behind her plans.

The novel, from beginning to end, is nothing short of a complete joy to read.  There are moments you think you know what is going to happen, and moments you know so until things change.  Regardless, I found myself shedding tears and loving these characters so thoroughly that I kept flipping pages back to the beginning to remind myself of things they had said in previous conversations.  On the whole, this novel was a pure delight to read and one that I felt sad to conclude.  It was one of those books that I almost wish I could unread, just so I could have the experience of reading again!

Giveaway Details!  Now, if YOU would like a chance to win one copy of this great read from the publisher, here's what you need to do.  First, go to facebook and "Like" Julianne Donaldson's facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/DonaldsonJulianne  Second, just leave me a friendly hello below w/ your name and email address so I can contact you if you win!  The giveaway will run through 9/25.  I will email the lucky winner personally.  (Sorry, this giveaway is U.S. & Canada only.)

Author Details:  Julianne Donaldson grew up as the daughter of a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. She learned how to ski in the Italian Alps, visited East Berlin before the wall came down, and spent three years living next to a 500-year-old castle. After earning a degree in English, she turned her attention to writing about distant times and places. She lives in Utah with her husband and four children.

Thank you so much to Shadow Mountain and Julianne Donaldson for the opportunity to review Blackmoore.  To check out other reviews, giveaways, and stops on the tour, visit the Blackmoore Blog Tour site at Shadow Mountain's site.

Review: Miss Darcy Falls in Love by Sharon Lathan

Oh, how I love Sharon Lathan's books.  Seriously, Sharon's books are a much needed break from my own reality and have helped mellow the romantic cynic in me.  Forget what I think "reality" is in romance, I want Sharon's version!  Recently after finishing our first term at school, I felt like I was at my breaking point.  I picked up Sharon's book, for what I thought would be a couple chapters for a quick work break, that turned into a complete devouring of her book.  In one sitting, I started and finished Miss Darcy Falls in Love and can say that it was just what I needed.

Synopsis:  Shifting away from our most famous Darcys, Miss Darcy Falls in Love follows Fitzwilliam's prized sister Georgiana in a European tour that actually sent Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam home in the previous installment, to welcome their second child.  In the meantime, Georgiana finishes up her tour, stopping in France to visit friends.  There she meets up with Sebastian Butler, a fellow music lover who has been allowed to leave his land-owning responsibilities by his father to pursue music at the famous Conservatoire in Paris.  Before entering school, he and Georgiana strike up a great friendship, centered on their interest in music.  Sebastian and Georgiana both, are too conservative and gentle-minded to consider that their friendship might actually be a blossoming love, simply regarding one another more as the best of friends.  That is, until dashingly handsome Lord Caxton, teacher at the Conservatoire, takes an interest in Georgiana.  Somehow, with the push of another suitor, perhaps Sebastian and Georgiana might realize their friendship as something more?

Review:  In the characteristically romantic style of author Sharon Lathan, Georgiana Darcy's story feels nothing like a departure from our most famous Darcy couple, but feels more like a beautiful continuation within the family.  For fans of Pride and Prejudice, I think that most readers will agree that we want to see Georgiana happy in love someday, especially after all that she endured with George Wickham.  Now as an adult, and seeing the wonderful relationship of her older brother with Elizabeth Bennet, nothing could be better than to see Georgiana equally as happy in love.

Picking up where The Trouble With Mr. Darcy left off, we follow Georgiana home through Europe.  Focusing less on the travel aspect, and more on character development, we meet friends of the Darcys such as with Sebastian Butler.  Sebastian is not an ordinary character for his time, in that he is not necessarily aloof or terribly complicated.  That does not mean that he was not interesting.  His sweet character was kind and generous around others, but it was his passion for music that lent him that certain cluelessness that we love in Austen's men.  Sebastian, in all his gentleness, has made fast friends with Georgiana and shared a real passion for music that bonds the two.  Their friendship was sweet and delectable.  As for Lord Caxton, who comes along to complicate it all, he seemed more like the villain than the possible love interest, which made it all the easier to love Sebastian and root for his awakening to what he had with Georgiana.

Sharon's novels do contain sensual scenes, that are grippingly romantic.  If that is not your scene, let me warn you now.  I wouldn't say that this novel is nearly as sensual as previous books though.  I get that some people do not enjoy having a romantic interlude spelled out for them, but I can't say that is a reason to completely denigrate an author's story.  Sharon's writing has never felt overplayed, in my opinion, and her writing style has this period feel to it that is stunning.  As readers, we not only get swept away in the beauty of her writing, but we also develop a greater interest in her characters.  In every way, these characters feel real and applicable to us, with their dreams and emotions spelled out on the page.  Mixing the period with the timelessness and complications of romantic love, I simply can't get enough of the romance Sharon writes.  Beyond being a fan of all things Austen and loving this period to begin with, Miss Darcy Falls in Love is a delectable and delightful romantic romp back to a time when men and women held back on saying what they felt, yet showed it in a number of reserved, romantic ways.  Although the sixth in the Darcy saga, Miss Darcy Falls in Love can be read as a stand alone.  And for cynics of romance, which I would usually count myself a part, these books make me want to believe!

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a review copy sent by the publisher.

For more information on the novel or on the writer of this great series, check back on Friday for a lovely interview I had with Sharon Lathan!

Review: The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

Have you ever had a book that you put down, for whatever reason, and then picked back up six months or a year later to finish?  The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer was that book for me.  Whether it was the slow movement of the story, the language, or the time element to read it, I have been trying to get back to this book for over a year!  I finally snapped into the action about half way through it though, and recently tore through the ending and can now say I've read my first Georgette Heyer novel. 

Synopsis:  Sophy has arrived at Berkley Square to stay with her father's sister and family while he is away and out of the country.  Because of her unique upbringing across the continent, however, Sophy is difficult for her cousins to understand, not to mention how she'll be received by London society.  There is a free-spirited side to Sophy that  pushes her to be more independent and adventurous than her family, especially her cousin Charles would like.  Feeling like her guardian, newly engaged Charles is constantly on the outlook for Sophy's out-there ways and trying to reign her in.  From fixing up her young cousin (Charles's sister) Cecilia with the poet she loves, regardless of her family's approval, to helping get their younger brother out of a financial fiasco through her own wiles, Sophy seems never to fear reproach and faces society head on.  Sophy is no wilting flower, but always seems to charm them all--maybe even cousin Charles, for all his high brow ways?

Review:  I struggled to get into The Grand Sophy in the beginning, as I didn't naturally connect with Sophy or her cousins.  Like many free-spirited young ladies in novels before and since, Sophy is not only the kind of character you know is going to get into trouble, but who is also going to worm her way into everyone's hearts by showing them a different side of themselves.  In short, it's time to hang on for the ride to see where she was going to take the story.

Although I liked the story with Cecilia, who Sophy coached into feeling okay about choosing who she cared for and loved (It was fun seeing Charles riled up and annoyed at Sophy's meddling ways), I didn't really start to get into the novel until she stepped in to help Charles and Cecilia's younger brother.  He had gotten himself into a precarious situation and built up some debt with a Jewish financier who swindled him out of a bunch of money and some precious family property.  (The bit about the swindler being Jewish had a good deal of Anti-Semitism built in that made me cringe, which really was a reflection more of the time period than anything.)  In the end, Sophy faced down the swindler and bravely saved the family name and finances!  From that point on, Charles sees Sophy less as an annoyance and more as her own person.  I loved watching him change his opinion about Sophy, , as she surprised him with her loyalty and bravery, even if he never stopped being aggravated by her lively behavior.

If you like period pieces, Jane Austen's romances, or high society dramas, then Georgette Heyer seems to fit the bill.  I've seen her name mentioned in British Chick Lit. before, as the main characters drop her name as someone they've read, but I wasn't aware of her work until now.  Honestly, it was a fun read, and although slow to pick up speed in the actual story, the comedy in behavior was there and fun to watch from the beginning.

Many of these Georgette Heyer novels are being republished by Sourcebooks and can be found at most retailers.  The binding is great and the covers really pretty as well.  If you like Regency romance, and a good, clean read, these are the perfect fit!

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a copy of the novel provided by Sourcebooks.