WENDY’S RETRO AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: THE RIVER FLOWS ON BY MAGGIE CRAIG, NARRATED BY LESLIE MACKIE

 

(Glasgow and Clydebank Sagas, #1)

 Genre: Historical Romance (Glasgow, mainly during the Depression and WWII)

 Cover Blurb (Amazon):

A warm and poignant story of love, triumph over adversity and the building of the great ocean liner, the Queen Mary, set in Clydebank and the West of Scotland during the Hungry Thirties. Times are hard, but a close-knit community always manages to find a way to laugh at its troubles.

Robbie Baxter is the boy next door, the man Kate Cameron loves like a brother, the man who’s always ready to give her a shoulder to cry on, but it’s Jack Drummond who dazzles her. Kate meets him when she finally achieves her goal of attending classes at Glasgow School of Art in pursuit of her dreams of becoming an artist.

When Jack Drummond shows his true colours, it’s Robbie Kate turns to. Yet she cannot tell him the truth, which means that their growing happiness is a fragile flower, based on a secret which could blow their love and their family to pieces in an instant.

 ♥♥♥♥♥♥

This was a delightfully real, sometimes poignantly sad, but ultimately beautiful tale of Glasgow and its inhabitants. Set mainly during the Depression and WWII, it journeys through eight decades of the life and loves of Kathleen Cameron or Kate as she is mostly known. Her life is alternately joyous and heart-breaking, yet still she triumphs.

The story begins in 1924 when Kate Cameron is 16 and lives in a Glasgow tenement with her father Neil, mother Lily, sisters Jessie and Pearl, and little brother Davy. The family is poor but fiercely proud. Amongst other families sharing the same house are the Baxters, Robbie being the most prominent, as he has loved Kate and will continue to love her through many trials and tribulations. The two families share everything – their happiness, sorrows, even their baking and crockery when needs must. Ms. Craig describes how they prepare for Hogmanay – the scrubbing and cleaning, the first footing of a tall dark man with a lump of coal and black bun, and then the hooting of the ships on The Clyde. All of this I have heard from my own mother, a Glaswegian by birth, and therefore close to my heart.

Kate is a talented young woman and, unusual for the time, is still at school at the age of 16, but it is her father’s desire to see his favourite child continue with her schooling. Kate’s ambition is to attend the Glasgow School of Art, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one of the many facts incorporated into the story by Maggie Craig to set the scene and stimulate the senses. For anyone unfamiliar with Glasgow, this is a beautiful, iconic building in the Art Nouveau style. Then Kate’s father is laid off work at the Donaldson’s shipyard, along with a large proportion of the workforce of Glasgow. The Great Depression has begun and Kate is finally forced to leave school by her shrewish mother and made to look for work to supplement the family’s meagre income. She is fortunate enough to have the support of two of her former schoolteachers who recommend her for an apprenticeship as a tracer at Donaldson’s.

Two years on, her fairy godmothers further help by pulling strings to obtain Kate a bursary to the School of Art, where she attends as a part time student, and there becomes friends with Marjorie Donaldson, her employer’s daughter. Fellow student, Jack Drummond – upper-class, handsome, elegant, languid, idle, cynical, and a friend of Marjorie’s – begins a charm offensive on Kate but his intentions are far from honourable. Unbeknownst to Kate, he has aspirations of marrying Marjorie for her money. Eventually after plying Kate with champagne at a lunch given at his home, Jack takes advantage of her infatuation but leaves her without a backward glance. Kate discovers that he has become engaged to Marjorie and then that she herself is pregnant. Faced with the choice of an abortion or tricking the honourable Robbie into marriage, she chooses the latter and begins her deceitful secret life with an adoring Robbie. Grace is born, to all intents and purposes a premature baby, and Robbie is in raptures over his daughter.

Robbie Baxter is the epitome of the dark, brooding, honourable hero. He worships Kate and their child and, although Kate is grateful to him, she does not believe she loves him. A few years into their marriage, it takes a visit from Marjorie and Jack to show her what a fool she has been, and it is then she realises how much she loves Robbie, who at last has the love and devotion of his ‘nut-brown maiden’ as he has always called her.

Maggie Craig has absolutely captured the poverty, lives and loves of the people of Glasgow and has a rare talent for understanding together with a real sense of place and time. She captures the hopelessness of The Great Depression, with the proud, brave men of Glasgow traipsing from one place to another in search of work; the horror of the war, both for the families and the men sent to fight; the utter devastation of the bombs being aimed at the shipyards, often missing their target and wiping out whole streets and families. I had a tear in my eye on more than one occasion during this beautiful, turbulent story.

I will always listen to the audio version when one is available, because Maggie Craig employs the talented, versatile, Scottish narrator, Leslie Mackie, who is so in tune with the author’s sensitive storytelling. Ms. Mackie’s beautifully modulated tones capture the feisty, fiercely independent Kate, the languid, slightly bored Jack Drummond, the softly spoken Neil Cameron with his gentle highland lilt, and then there is the darling Robbie Baxter. Who couldn’t love this wonderful, dignified man, so perfectly characterised by the clever Maggie Craig? Ms. Mackie employs a slightly deeper melodious tone for him – the image of this darkly beautiful, decent man so expertly conjured up by this gifted actress. Even the excited childish voice of wee Grace when her father comes home is perfectly captured. The Epilogue is enchanting too.

MY VERDICT: A magnificent feast of a story with a fitting and moving ending. Maggie Craig’s love for her City and its people is apparent in the care and thought she has poured into this wonderful tale of triumph over adversity.

 

REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

SENSUALITY RATING: SUBTLE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WENDY’S AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: DAIR DEVIL BY LUCINDA BRANT AND PERFORMED BY ALEX WYNDHAM

 

(Roxton Family Saga, #3)

Genre: Historical Romance (Georgian – 1777)

Book Blurb:

1770s London and Hampshire.

Alisdair ‘Dair’ Fitzstuart, hero of the American Revolutionary war and heir to an earldom, known by all as a self-centred womanizing rogue. But his dashing and rugged façade hides a vulnerable man with a traumatic past. He will gamble with his life, but never his heart, which remains his own.

Aurora ‘Rory’ Talbot, is a spinster and pineapple fancier who lives on the periphery of Polite Society. An observer but never observed, her fragile beauty hides conviction and a keen intelligence. Ever optimistic, she will not be defined by disability.

One fateful night Dair and Rory collide, and the attraction is immediate, the consequences profound. Both will risk everything for love.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Alisdair (Dair) Fitzstuart’s reputation for refusing to take life seriously and forever being up for a prank or wager has always preceded him. On top of which, he’s pretty gorgeous so there’s quite often a bevy of young ladies swooning over him. For nine years, he served his country in the American Colonies as an army officer with the Dragoons. His neck-or-nothing-lead-from-the-front attitude inspired unquestioning loyalty in his subordinates and his attitude has earned him the moniker of ‘Dair Devil’, but also censure from some members of society.

In Autumn Duchess, the previous book in the Roxton series, he upsets his cousin Julian, Duke of Roxton, by acting the buffoon (or so it seemed) during a boat race in which Roxton’s young son almost drowned. Dair carried on rowing at break neck speed, apparently only intent on crossing the finishing line in first place. However, appearances can be deceptive and in Dair Devil, the fourth in Lucinda Brant’s addictive Roxton series, we get a more accurate insight into Dair’s serious side and the reasons why he behaves the way he does. It’s an eye opener and my views of Dair changed drastically within the first few chapters as, of course, the author intended. The moral of this story could be… don’t always take someone at face value.

Dair Devil begins with Dair inebriated and in outrageous mode. But, little does he know that he is about to meet his destiny, and in the most unlikely of places. He, and one of his two closest friends, have dressed as American Indians, with faces painted, upper bodies bare and lower bodies covered only by skimpy loin cloths. Their mission is to storm the studio of the renowned portrait painter Signore Romney, who is in the process of immortalising a bevy of beautiful, skimpily clad dancers of dubious morals in a Greek allegory for an aristocratic client. Dair is simply play acting; one of his friends is out to impress the prima ballerina by ‘saving’ her from the marauding interlopers and will arrive later brandishing a sword, while the other ‘Red Indian’ wishes to embarrass his detestable brother-in-law. The whole charade has been carefully planned even down to the arrival of the militia at a pre-ordained time. The dancers are in on the joke too and have been primed to scream and run for maximum effect on the arrival of the miscreants. What Dair and his companions are not aware of is that, as he is climbing through a window into the painter’s studio, unexpected visitors are being admitted via the front door. The prank is doomed to go horribly wrong! As the situation escalates out of control, Dair ends up wrapped in draperies and falling down the back of the stage in the arms of one of the unexpected visitors – a rather attractive young woman whose identity he is unaware of, but whom he initially mistakes for one of the dancers.

Aurora (Rory) Talbot, having been born with a club foot, has been sheltered and protected for her twenty-two years by her grandfather, England’s Spy Master General, Lord Shrewsbury. Obviously unable to dance, Rory spends much of her time at balls on the side-lines in the company of the matrons and wallflowers; as a result, her observational and listening skills are highly honed. So, although Major Lord Fitzstuart may not have noticed her, she has most certainly noticed him. Therefore, to find herself in a situation like this one is a dream come true – for in what possible circumstances could she ever have hoped to find herself in such close proximity to Dair? Protected and cosseted she may be, but Rory is no shrinking violet, so takes full advantage of the situation she finds herself in and thoroughly enjoys the closeness and unexpected passionate kiss Dair shares with her.

Dair is captivated by the delicate beauty in his arms; he calls her ‘Delight’, knowing immediately that she is different, although he doesn’t have the time or inclination to wonder why he should think so. The militia arrives and pandemonium ensues with events rapidly escalating out of control. Dair gives Rory one last quick kiss, tells her to go to a certain house where he will later find and make provision for her. He then leaves Rory behind the stage and joins in the ensuing fight with gusto.

Rory does not see Dair again until the following morning, by which time her grandfather has been apprised of the facts, although he is not aware to what extent his granddaughter was involved – only that she was there. Mindful of Rory’s reputation, Shrewsbury orders Dair to ‘forget’ the whole incident. Rory unwittingly interrupts the two in conversation and is bewildered when Dair shows no sign of recognition. For his part, Dair is distressed to learn of Rory’s identity and even more distressed that he must now pretend not to remember her.

Of course, much must be resolved before the would-be lovers can be re-united. Suffice to say that we are not to be disappointed. If Lucinda Brant has a ‘most romantic’ book in this series then Dair Devil has to be high in the running order as rarely have I enjoyed such a heart-warming and chivalrous story. The couple were immediately attracted to one another once they were given the opportunity to meet, albeit under such unorthodox circumstances. But this story is so much more than a romance. Rory is disabled and Dair couldn’t care less about her affliction once he is made aware of it. He sees only her, although there are some who prefer to misinterpret his actions and feelings. Stunningly handsome, heir to an earldom and with a lineage that can be traced back to royalty, Dair is highly eligible husband material. But he has never shown any interest in, nor seemed to want love or marriage until he meets Rory who , although ethereally pretty, is otherwise quite unremarkable – until one actually gets to know her – and I loved that he recognised his soul mate almost immediately.

Dair is a far more complex character than we were initially led to believe; plus he is the product of a broken marriage which has affected him far more deeply than most of his family and peers realise. Rory helps him to see that not all marriages are unhappy. She is the perfect mate for him, wise and non-judgemental, and the unadulterated love of this sweet, intelligent and unaffected young woman finally reveals the man he is beneath the superficial face he prefers to show the world.

However, to begin with, the course of true love does not run smoothly, although the love Dair and Rory feel for each other never wavers. But there are obstacles to overcome which neither could possibly have anticipated. In fact, they never learn the truth, but we, the readers are privy to Antonia’s timely intervention and the secrets she reveals. The scene where this feisty, beautiful, magnificent little duchess sweeps in and dramatically puts one of the most powerful men in the land firmly in his place is simply spectacular and one of my favourite scenes in any book I have read… ever.

Alex Wyndham, as usual, treats us to a superstar performance, and during the scene I’ve just mentioned, it is his consummate acting skills, coupled with Lucinda Brant’s clever mind and artful prose, which kept me completely riveted and on the edge of my seat until I learned the shocking truth. It’s very satisfying to see someone who is arrogantly confident and sure they can’t be bested knocked down to size. The scene is long and troubling, emotions are high and one of the protagonists is an older male with a huskier, sarcastic tone to his voice, which has to be maintained over a long period. The other, an extremely outraged (at times) female with a strong accent. Alex Wyndham has this highly emotional duologue to perform and I can honestly say that, so lost was I in his magnificent performance, that I was no longer listening to an audio book but enjoying a play… or even witnessing the interaction taking place. Take a bow Ms. Brant and Mr. Wyndham because your combined talents are masterful.

MY VERDICT: DAIR DEVIL is full of fascinating detail and intriguing facts that the author has meticulously researched. Lucinda Brant doesn’t just stick a date on the first page – she literally transports us into her Georgian world. A wonderfully romantic, superbly researched story with an added twist I would never have guessed in a million years. Highly recommended.

 

 REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

SENSUALITY RATING: SUBTLE

 

Roxton Family Saga series (for further details click on the book covers):

       

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WENDY’S REVIEW: CADENZA BY STELLA RILEY

(Rockliffe, #6)

Genre: Historical Romance (Georgian – 1778)

Cover Blurb:

The performance finished in a flourish of technical brilliance and the young man rose from the harpsichord to a storm of applause.

Julian Langham was poised on the brink of a dazzling career when the lawyers lured him into making a catastrophic mistake. Now, instead of the concert platform, he has a title he doesn’t want, an estate verging on bankruptcy … and bewildering responsibilities for which he is totally unfitted.
And yet the wreckage of Julian’s life is not a completely ill wind. For Tom, Rob and Ellie it brings something that is almost a miracle … if they dare believe in it.

Meanwhile, first-cousins Arabella Brandon and Elizabeth Marsden embark on a daring escapade which will provide each of them with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The adventure will last only a few weeks, after which everything will be the way it was before. Or so they think. What neither of them expects is for it to change a number of lives … most notably, their own.

And there is an additional complication of which they are wholly unaware.
The famed omniscience of the Duke of Rockliffe.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

After five books in her fabulous Rockliffe series, Stella Riley is finally (and sadly) bringing the series to a close.

But what a swan song!  CADENZA has two compelling love stories at its centre. And who knew that, as well as being an historian (English Civil War – more about that later) of some considerable repute, she is also a knowledgeable and talented musician who has quite simply astounded me with her scholarship, research, and personal knowledge of the world of classical music, and in particular, the harpsichord? 

I am a huge fan of this author who is both an eloquent and creative writer, and each time we are treated to a new book there is never any danger of repetition. Cadenza is a feast for the senses and it’s a treat worth waiting for – from the first page to the last. Each book in the Rockliffe series is quite unique, apart from the ever-present, but fascinating characters who have each had their own stories told in preceding books and who are always in evidence and add something extra special as the series progresses.

Cadenza centres around the world of music with the main character, Julian Langham, being a gifted and supremely talented, harpsichordist – a virtuoso in fact. Julian’s character is unlike any other I have ever encountered in Historical Romance. Since he was old enough to reach a keyboard, he has studied and played almost to the exclusion of all else and was destined to be a musician. At the age of twenty-eight and just teetering on the brink of his career, his world of playing and composing is brought to an abrupt halt by a disreputable firm of lawyers who con him into putting his career on hold ‘briefly’ and leaving Vienna to return to the country of his birth to take responsibility for a crumbling, debt ridden estate, and an earldom he neither wants nor even knew he was heir to, so obscure was his claim.

Having lived in the world of music for most of his life, suddenly being faced with the reality of being responsible for his predecessor’s three feral illegitimate offspring and his bewildered tenants, and with debts and problems he cannot ever hope to meet or solve, has the effect on him of being doused by a bucket of cold water, especially when he realises there is no going back. The only tiny (and it is minute) light is a badly abused harpsichord which has been left in a sadly neglected state and is in pieces in the library. At the end of each long, hard day toiling on the estate, Julian begins to painstakingly restore it. Not only is Stella Riley a musician, but she has also carefully researched – with quite remarkable understanding – the inner workings of this instrument which shows in the terminology she uses as she describes Julian slowly beginning to restore it to working order.

Julian may be gentle and slightly vague but he has an honestness, as rigid as a streak of iron, running through his backbone and, although he may not know what to do, he can’t be faulted for failing to do his best – rolling up his sleeves and working alongside his tenants – all the while slowly dying inside without his beloved music to sustain him. His obvious integrity and his determination not to increase rents, even though he desperately needs the money, earns him the respect of the locals and his tenants, not least the local doctor and his wife who befriend and help him as he flounders from one crisis to another. The children, whom he has tracked down and ensconced in the dilapidated nursery, are in turns angry and mistrustful, apart from the youngest, Ellie, who simply accepts him at face value. Tom and Rob are older, and Tom in particular – the twelve-year-old, self-elected protector of the threesome – doesn’t trust his motives. Why should Julian want them? No one has ever cared or wanted them before. Watching him win the boys’ trust, especially Tom’s, is heart-warming. Julian doesn’t employ artifice, he doesn’t know how to – he’s simply himself. In fact, it is his wholly innocent and sincere attitude in his dealings with the children which highlights the kind of man he truly is.

The doctor and his wife realise that Julian needs help, especially with the children and the running of his home, so they propose he employs a housekeeper-cum-governess and set about advertising for a suitable candidate. Elizabeth (Lizzie) Marsden, who wishes to help her family out financially, applies and, after some correspondence, in which she infers a greater age and experience than she has, is offered the position for a trial period. No-one could predict the outcome this action precipitates – a series of events, which once set into motion, escalates and forever changes Julian’s life and those of the children.

Meanwhile another drama is playing out at the home of Arabella Brandon, youngest of the four siblings at Brandon Lacey, where Arabella (Belle) has received the news that she has been jilted, after a three-year betrothal to her soldier fiancé who has not returned from the Colonial wars, instead marrying and settling in America. Her family, in particular her mother, want her to go to London for the season and she is reluctant to do so. She’s far from broken-hearted by the blow her ex-fiancé has dealt her, but, for reasons of her own, is not interested in husband hunting at present. Her closest friend, Lizzie, who happens to be her first cousin, would love a season in London but her clergyman father forbids it, even though the Duke of Rockliffe, a distant cousin of the girls’ mothers’, is happy to sponsor both of them with the aid of his Duchess. Lizzie, a dutiful daughter, realises the futility of trying to persuade her father and has instead begun the process of finding suitable employment.

Belle is the most outgoing and vivacious of the two cousins and I was drawn to her immediately. She is, of course, the one who proposes the outrageous plan which will benefit both of them – she will take up the position Lizzie has just been offered as housekeeper/governess to the children of the Earl of Chalfont and Lizzie will travel to London as the guest of the duke and duchess. The only fly in the ointment being that they must take on the guise of each other. Of course, neither girl gives much thought to the cause and effect of their actions, although to be fair it takes some persuading on Belle’s part. But, eventually realising that it will give Belle some much-needed breathing space, Lizzie agrees and at least she will get her season. After their adventure, the girls will simply return to their old lives – not quite so simple, as we discover.

All goes to plan to begin with. The girls swap clothes, prime Belle’s reluctant lady’s maid and set off together. They part ways some distance from Brandon Lacey as agreed and each travel to their respective destination. Matters start to go awry when Belle arrives at Chalfont and the doctor who meets her is surprised to see how much younger she is than her letter indicated. Even worse, Julian is horrified as she is ‘far too pretty’ and he considers sending her packing. The doctor talks him into giving her a trial period, as she has already won him over with her forthright and practical manner. Julian has had limited experience with the opposite sex and is, quite frankly, terrified of women. He initially appears rude although Belle later realises, with some surprise, that he is simply painfully shy. The truth is that Julian is deeply affected by Belle, much to his consternation. He is the one who thinks her ‘far too pretty’, whereas most people, including the doctor, think her ‘passably pretty’. A clear case of ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. Not only is she ‘much too pretty’ but her warm, infectious laugh ‘does something to his insides’. I loved this and it is mentioned quite a few times throughout the story – he finds himself aware of her laugh and waits for it – it lifts his spirits and he is always affected in the same way. Of course, as a musician with a highly developed sense of hearing, he would notice such a thing whereas most others wouldn’t. The spark between them is definitely there, and Ms. Riley grows it slowly and sensitively until both are equally smitten with the other. Belle has grown up with three handsome brothers and is therefore not immediately taken in by Julian’s undeniable gorgeousness. But he has something rare which she’s drawn to – he’s totally unaware of his own physical appeal. He never attempts to dress up, in fact, most of the time, he’s downright scruffy, his hair overlong and untidy. She is impressed by his innate kindness, gentleness and thoughtfulness and moved by his complete disregard for what others may think of his taking in three illegitimate children and more – actually loving them.

When Belle realises the extent of his musical talent and what the lack of performing is doing to him, she is resolved to do something for him. It doesn’t take her long to learn that he will shrivel up and die emotionally if he is denied his music. She sets her mind to thinking of ways to help him with the estate. Having grown up at Brandon Lacey observing her brothers using tried and tested methods, set in motion during the English Civil War by their Great-Great-Grandfather, Gabriel, she is resolved to beg her eldest brother’s assistance. Extremely astute, Belle realises that to perform – as he must – Julian needs an estate running in the black to free him for what life intended for him. Belle is on a mission and that’s because she’s finally in love. Eventually the two share a kiss, no more, but it is sensual and loving and both realise that something monumental has occurred. Stella Riley does this so well – she can imply sensuality and sexuality without the need for explicit bedroom scenes.

As Belle is settling into Chalfont, Lizzie has a roadside catastrophe when her coach is damaged and she narrowly avoids serious injury obliging her to accept help from a passing traveller. Ralph, Earl of Sherbourne, isn’t too pleased that his journey has been interrupted by a dripping wet maiden in distress. But, being the consummate gentleman, he does what he must. In the end, with the roads impassable because of heavy rain, Lizzie is forced to spend two nights in his company. All goes well and nothing of importance happens, other than Lizzie becoming more and more intrigued by Ralph’s dark and brooding attractiveness, but he is uncommunicative, preferring to read his Greek copy of the Iliad than converse, except when he must. He does nothing that Lizzie could take an exception to. In short, he does not compromise her other than unwittingly and unwillingly having to escort her to safety. Lizzie is unaware that Ralph has a scandalous past and, without warning, it rises up to bite both of them. They are seen by two ladies travelling in the opposite direction who have stopped for refreshments at the same inn; these ladies put two and two together and come up with five. Sparks fly, especially as one of them quite evidently knows him well.

Stella Riley has set herself quite a task, Ralph Sherbourne is not a character I thought to be redeemable. In Hazard he treated his half-sister, Genevieve, quite abominably. However, there is so much more to him than meets the eye and the circumstances surrounding the reasons why society shunned him are revealed, although only in confidence to Rockliffe who consequently has a new respect for him. Plus, against the odds, Lizzie likes him and refuses to believe badly of him. It is this unadulterated acceptance of him which surprises and sees him start to thaw from the austere, unapproachable man he has always been. I sensed his deep, black loneliness, keenly. I felt deeply sorry for him, especially when we see him with the Rockliffe ‘gang’ and he secretly envies the camaraderie they share, something he has never experienced. From detesting him in Hazard, I now wanted him to be happy and it seems that vicarage bred Lizzie could be the one so this was quite a turnabout. Ms. Riley couldn’t make everyone love him – that would have been totally implausible, but she’s done an excellent job in at least beginning his redemption with the help of Lizzie. He is understandably bitter – no one has ever believed in him, especially without knowing the facts of his duel and the reasons for it, which when revealed are quite shocking. I certainly didn’t see it coming. There is one particular scene, which again I can’t go into, but which had me rooting for Lizzie and Ralph as she nails her colours to the mast – superb! Ms. Riley at her best.

By now the fat is in the fire for both girls – their subterfuge has been discovered – how could it not? Rock is omniscient and never misses a trick. Once they are unmasked, there is so much to be sorted out to avoid irreversible damage to the reputations of both girls. I won’t go into how, where or what, as this is such a complex story and so deliciously different. And you, dear reader, need to absorb and enjoy! Let’s just say that, as usual Rock is a ‘rock’. His humour, dry wit and urbanity steal the show (I know I say this in every review, but it’s so true and Ms Riley didn’t name this series Rockliffe for nothing).

I promised earlier to mention the Brandon Lacey connection. Fans of Stella Riley will most probably have read her English Civil War series. If not – please do – you will not be disappointed. I myself have only just completed Garland of Straw in which Gabriel and Venetia Brandon are the hero and heroine of that amazing story and are the Great-Great-Grandparents of the current younger generation and I absolutely adored it. My point is, however, that Gabriel was almost bankrupt himself and, using his common sense, set in motion a method of farming which was highly successful and has by the time of Cadenza been used for generations. Belle persuades her brother, Max, to help Julian. I found the connection fascinating and, if I hadn’t read Garland, would probably have just skirted over it. And, by the way, having just mentioned Belle’s eldest brother Max… oh my! Please, please, Ms. Riley, having given us a taste of this gorgeous man – we need more!

Two compelling romances – although my favourite was Julian and Belle, only because they are a couple like no other. And just wait until you see Julian in musical action. I can say no more, other than, gone is the awkward, self-deprecating man and I can honestly guarantee that your heart will melt.

I believe the author intends to develop the Brandon connection (there are three unmarried brothers). I do hope so because I’m not ready to say goodbye to Rock and co. yet.

MY VERDICT: Another amazing story in this memorable series and one I shall read/listen to over and over and never tire of. Highly recommended.

REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

SENSUALITY RATING: WARM

 

Rockliffe series (for further details click on the book covers):

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WENDY’S AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: HAZARD BY STELLA RILEY (NARRATED BY ALEX WYNDHAM)

(Rockliffe, #5)

Genre: Historical Romance (Paris, 1770 and London, 1777)

Cover Blurb:

Hazard: a game of Chance and Luck, made riskier when Fate is rolling the dice.

For Aristide Delacroix, the first throw summons shades from his past. A man he had met, just once, over a card-table … and the lovely girl indirectly responsible for plunging his life into catastrophe.

For Lord Nicholas Wynstanton, tired of waiting for Madeleine Delacroix to make up her mind, it slyly suggests he begin a whole new game with loaded dice; while for Madeleine, it devises a terrifying lesson in missed opportunities and the uncertainty of second chances.

And for Genevieve Westin, hoping widowhood will be happier than marriage, it brings a rude awakening – leaving a single, wild gamble her only option.
A cardsharp turned businessman, a duke’s charming brother, a stubborn, razor-edged beauty and a desperate widow.

Four players in a game of Hazard … all playing for very high stakes.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Stella Riley has kept my interest from the first page of the first book in her Rockliffe series (The Parfit Knight), which was originally written in her earlier life as a traditionally published author. Three years ago, she took up her pen again as an Indie author and I have not only discovered her (how did I miss her the first time around?) but now eagerly await each new release – three so far, and counting (plus of course, an addition to her superb English Civil War series). Both of her two earlier books are now available in e-format, as well as in paperback AND audio, and all the books in this series have been treated to stunning new covers. The Rockliffe series is rapidly becoming a reader’s favourite; a considerable success considering there are some thirty plus years between the first book and the last, and she has seamlessly continued the series as if that large gap never existed.

Hazard (book five), as the name suggests, is set in part against the backdrop of a gaming club. There are four players (as in the game); two equally spine-tingling romances playing out in parallel, and, as always, the enigmatic, all-seeing, all-knowing and utterly delicious, Duke of Rockliffe (aka Rock) is central to the story and its outcome. Each of Ms. Riley’s fabulous cast of characters introduced over the course of the series (some with books of their own), are in evidence, and as I always say, these men and women feel like old friends after five books.

Two of the main protagonists, brother and sister, Madeleine and Aristide Delacroix, get their HEA, and so too does Nicholas Wynstanton, Rock’s younger brother, who has long been smitten with the prickly Madeleine. By the time we reached the end of The Wicked Cousin, Nicholas was becoming more and more frustrated and Madeleine more difficult. However, fans of the series probably knew that Stella Riley would find a way for this unlikely pair to overcome their difficulties. Aristide’s love interest comes from a totally unexpected quarter and ties in nicely with his earlier life and his connection to Adrian Deveraux, Earl of Sarre (The

One of Stella Riley’s greatest strengths lies in her characterisation. The people she ‘creates’ take on a living, breathing persona and, in Hazard, Nicholas Wynstanton, who has been around as a secondary character since the first book, is fully developed into a larger than life, loveable and honourable man. No longer just the happy-go-lucky, younger brother of a duke, he is now a man not to be trifled with as he sets his sights on demolishing the walls Madeleine Delacroix has erected around her heart. Madeleine’s arguments against the match stem from her own insecurities – her earlier life in Paris where she had lived a hand-to-mouth existence with her brother and mother, and the unrequited, girlish infatuation she had briefly felt for her brother’s friend, Adrian Deveraux (The Player). Being the proud young woman, she is, Adrian’s rebuttal was all the more devastating and she has never fully recovered her composure or confidence with the opposite sex resulting in her unfortunate standoffishness.

Her brother, Aristide, is a cool and quiet man and, with a few well-chosen words the author conjures up a man I can see in my mind’s eye…

long blonde hair, eyes the blue of a cloudless winter sky and neatly tailored bones.

He says little but, through his inner musings, we get a great deal of insight into the man he is – suspicious, frustrated and angry – emotions he keeps carefully locked away. Aristide, on the face of it, seems to be calmly and emotionlessly going about his business, but he too has a bruised heart from which he has never fully recovered. His carefully locked away hurt at the way he believes he was treated by his ‘almost love’ comes back to haunt him. Seven years on he is no longer the tender-hearted, kindly young man working hard to care for his teenage sister and ailing mother, but an affluent, respected partner in one of London’s premier gaming/gentleman’s clubs. We see the cool, carefully cultivated aloofness slowly disintegrate before the onslaught of the attraction he discovers he still feels after the intervening years.

Stella Riley has the sibling relationship between Aristide and Madeline just right. Their character traits suggest a familial relationship; both are reserved as a result of brushes with young, unrequited love and both are over sensitive about their humble beginnings. As a result, they are both wary of allowing anyone to scale the walls of their self-erected defences. An intriguing pair and so the final capitulation to their respective loves is all the more satisfying.

Beautiful and sweet Genevieve has erupted back into Aristide’s well-ordered life after seven years. She has suffered much at the hands of her brothers and her now deceased, dissipated husband. She is aware that society views her with distaste by association and, as a result, she is extremely vulnerable and lacking in confidence and self-esteem. In fact, her very vulnerability and suffering is just what the calmly controlled Aristide needs as a salve to the perceived injustices he believes her responsible for in his past life. He is still the kind of man who needs to be needed, and Genevieve Westin certainly fits that bill and so we watch him crumble. It puts me in mind a little of The Mésalliance (although nothing quite compares to the final chapters of that magnificent story) in which we see Rock lose his legendary ‘cool’. I love these hard to read, mysterious men.

There is a plausible plot running throughout the story which involves most of the main characters but has its roots in Paris and Aristide’s earlier life. Rock always strolls in and takes centre stage at just the right moments – urbane and cool-as-cucumber, he steals every scene he is involved in. With just a few carefully selected words designed to defuse, he delivers a set-down, often without the recipient being aware he or she has been insulted. His character is one of Stella Riley’s triumphs, and this series is well named because Rock’s unfailing omniscience and his ability to always be in the right place at the right time is something I have come to look forward to with much anticipation in every book, and I’m never disappointed.

Hazard follows on within weeks of the end of The Wicked Cousin. Cassie and Sebastian are welcomed back into ‘the gang’ after their recent honeymoon and are evidently very-much-in-love newlyweds. They run the gauntlet of the banter and risqué comments of their close friends. Sebastian’s wicked and naughty sense of humour is very much in evidence, another area in which the author excels; her wit and humour are always lurking in the background, adding another dimension to her intriguing characters and expertly researched Georgian world. As we near the end of the series, it is going to be sad to say goodbye…but not yet. Ms. Riley is busy writing another/final book in the series and I am eagerly looking forward to a further intriguing addition to the Rockliffe series, and maybe Ms. Riley will tie off a few loose ends, such as, will Rock get his heir and let Nicholas off the hook?

I’ve read the book and now I’ve listened to the audio version performed by the talented actor Ms. Riley always employs to perform the books in this series (and two of her English Civil War/Restoration books). I’m always struck anew by Alex Wyndham’s versatility – it’s no easy job, after the many books he’s recorded for Ms. Riley and the large cast of characters he has had to keep track of. Yet, he does. Each person is easily identifiable and one excellent example is the Duke of Rockliffe whose smooth, rich voice is quite unique. When Rock appears in any scene he doesn’t need to be announced and Alex Wyndham has him to perfection using a voice and tone like warm treacle trickling down the spine – soft and loving – soft and menacing or simply in conversation with his peers – there’s no mistaking Rock for any other character. During one particular scene in which Madeleine is a guest of the Rockliffe ‘gang’, the ever, all knowing, all seeing Rock immediately recognises her vulnerability, as a result of her actions, and reacts in the most bone melting way. Reading the words had me sniffing but hearing them, well…have your tissues ready is my advice. As I previously remarked, much of Aristide’s thoughts and feelings are revealed to us through his inner musings. To the outside world, he is the proverbial ‘swan’, calm and unruffled, but paddling away furiously out of sight. Alex Wyndham is taxed with making this work and he does so spectacularly. I suspect that some readers may well have missed the ‘real’ Aristide in the written word – so my advice is to listen to this performer’s delectable French accent and fall in love with Stella Riley’s dreamy Aristide.

A new reader/listener to Stella Riley’s books may be a little overwhelmed by the number of characters in Hazard, but this is book five and therefore many have been introduced throughout the previous books. The writing, research and characterisation is, as always, superb and the book could be enjoyed as a stand-alone, but I recommend beginning with The Parfit Knight or, at the very least, it’s important to read/listen to The Wicked Cousin because Hazard follows on immediately from that book, although Cassie and Sebastian’s story is not left hanging.

MY VERDICT: Another stellar five stars read/listen for me. I might have my favourites in this series, but each book is as well written as the last and I can’t penalise the author for making me prefer one character or storyline over another, and besides which, I love them all.

REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

SENSUALITY RATING: SUBTLE

Rockliffe series so far (click on the book covers for more details):
    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

 

SENSUALITY RATING: SUBTLE

 

 

Rockcliffe series so far (click on the book cover for more details):

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WENDY’S REVIEW: HAZARD BY STELLA RILEY

(Rockliffe, #5)

Genre: Historical Romance (Paris, 1770 and London, 1777)

Cover Blurb:

Hazard: a game of Chance and Luck, made riskier when Fate is rolling the dice.

For Aristide Delacroix, the first throw summons shades from his past. A man he had met, just once, over a card-table … and the lovely girl indirectly responsible for plunging his life into catastrophe.

For Lord Nicholas Wynstanton, tired of waiting for Madeleine Delacroix to make up her mind, it slyly suggests he begin a whole new game with loaded dice; while for Madeleine, it devises a terrifying lesson in missed opportunities and the uncertainty of second chances.

And for Genevieve Westin, hoping widowhood will be happier than marriage, it brings a rude awakening – leaving a single, wild gamble her only option.
A cardsharp turned businessman, a duke’s charming brother, a stubborn, razor-edged beauty and a desperate widow.

Four players in a game of Hazard … all playing for very high stakes.

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Stella Riley’s stunning Rockliffe series has kept me entranced from the first page of The Parfit Knight, the first book in the series, in which she begins introducing her tremendous cast of characters, one of whom is the enigmatic Duke of Rockliffe (aka Rock) who plays an almost patriarchal role in each story. In fact, all of society respect and look up to him, hence the series name. Now with book five, Hazard, we are treated to another addictive page turner and two equally spine-tingling romances playing out in parallel. As its title suggests, the story is set in part against the backdrop of a gaming club, and, as in the game of hazard, has four players. Two of the main protagonists, brother and sister, Madeleine and Aristide Delacroix, at last get their HEA, and so too does Nicholas Wynstanton, Rock’s younger brother, who has long been smitten with the prickly Madeleine. By the time we reached the end of The Wicked Cousin, Nicholas was becoming more and more frustrated and Madeleine more difficult than usual. However, fans of the series probably knew that Stella Riley would find a way for this unlikely pair to overcome their apparent difficulties. Aristide’s love interest comes to him from a totally unexpected quarter and ties his earlier life in nicely with the series and his connection to Adrian Deveraux, Earl of Sarre (The Player).

As always, one of Stella Riley’s greatest strengths lies in her characterisation. The people she ‘creates’ take on a living, breathing persona, and, in Hazard, Nicholas Wynstanton, who has been around as a secondary character since the first book, is developed fully into a larger than life, loveable and honourable man; not just the happy-go-lucky, younger brother of a duke, but a man in his own right, and not one to be trifled with either. Nicholas’ aim is to knock down the walls Madeleine Delacroix has erected around her heart. Madeleine’s arguments against the match stem from her own insecurities – her earlier life in Paris where she had lived a hand-to-mouth existence with her brother and mother, and the unrequited girlish infatuation she had felt for her brother’s friend, Adrian Deveraux. Being the proud young woman, she is, Adrian’s rebuttal was all the more devastating and she has never fully recovered her composure, resulting in her unfortunate stand-offishness with the opposite sex.

Her brother, Aristide, has always been a cool and mysterious figure; even the author’s description of him conjures up mystery… long blonde hair, eyes the blue of a cloudless winter sky and neatly tailored bones. He says little but, through his inner musings, we get a great deal of insight into the man he is, and we are privy to his frustrations and anger, emotions he keeps locked away from the outside world. Aristide, on the face of it, seems to be calmly and emotionlessly going about his business, but he too has a bruised heart from which he has never fully recovered. His carefully locked away hurt comes back to haunt, but also intrigue him. It is this ‘barely there’ love from his earlier life – before his affluence as a partner in one of London’s premier gaming/gentleman’s clubs – that suddenly re-appears, and we see the cool aloofness slowly disintegrate before the onslaught of the attraction he had felt as a younger man and discovers he still feels, albeit reluctantly.  I think Stella Riley has this sibling relationship between Aristide and Madeline just right. Both are a little bruised because of earlier young love and, although nothing to be ashamed of, both are very aware of their humble beginnings and both wary of letting anyone beneath their self-erected defences. An intriguing pair and therefore the final capitulation to their respective loves is all the more satisfying.

The beautiful and sweet Genevieve who has burst back into Aristide’s life after seven, long, eventful years, is a well-rounded and likeable character who has herself suffered much in the interim years and is therefore extremely vulnerable. In fact, her very vulnerability and sufferings are just what the calmly controlled Aristide needs as a salve to the perceived injustices he believes her responsible for in his past life. But, he is the kind of man who needs to be needed, and Genevieve Westin certainly fits that bill and so he crumbles. It puts me in mind a little of The Mésalliance in which we see Rock lose his legendary ‘cool’. I love these hard to read, mysterious men.

There is a plausible plot running throughout the story which involves most of the main characters but has its roots in Paris and Aristide’s earlier life.  As usual the utterly delectable Rock strolls in and takes centre stage at just the right moments – urbane, and cool-as-cucumber, he steals every scene he is involved in. With just a few carefully selected words designed to defuse, he delivers a set-down, often without the recipient being aware he or she has been insulted. His character is one of Stella Riley’s triumphs and this series is well named because Rock’s unfailing omniscience and his ability to always be in the right place at the right time is something I have come to look forward to with much anticipation in every book, and I’m never disappointed.

Hazard follows on within weeks of the end of The Wicked Cousin. Cassie and Sebastian are back in circulation after their recent honeymoon and are evidently very-much-in-love newlyweds. They run the gauntlet of the usual banter and risqué comments which only close friends can get away with. Sebastian’s wicked and naughty sense of humour is very much in evidence, and this is yet another area in which Stella Riley excels. Her wit and humour are always lurking in the background, adding another dimension to her intriguing characters and expertly researched Georgian world. One feels very much a part of this group of close friends and relatives and, as we near the end of the series, it is going to be sad to say goodbye…but not yet! Ms. Riley is busy writing the final book in the series and I am eagerly looking forward to another lovely Rockliffe, and maybe Ms. Riley will tie off a few loose ends, such as, will Rock get his heir and let Nicholas off the hook?

New readers of Stella Riley’s books may be a little overwhelmed by the amount of characters. This is book five and it could be enjoyed as a stand-alone, but my advice would be to start at the beginning. Trust me, it’s no hardship, as I said in my opening chapter, this series is addictive. Now we must wait for Alex Wyndham to work his magic on Hazard and I believe he is busy in his recording studio as I write this review. How will I find the time to listen? Who needs to do housework etc. when there is a new Wyndham/Riley collaboration in the offing?

MY VERDICT: Another stellar five stars read for me. I might have my favourites in the series, but each book is as well written as the last and I can’t penalise the author for making me prefer one character or storyline over another, and besides which, I love them all!  

REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

SENSUALITY RATING: SUBTLE

Rockcliffe series so far (click on the book cover for more details):

    

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WENDY’S AUDIO BOOK REVIEW: THE MARIGOLD CHAIN BY STELLA RILEY AND NARRATED BY ALEX WYNDHAM

Genre: Historical Romance (17^th Century – Restoration England, 1666)

Cover Blurb:

England, 1666; the year when people who take prophecy seriously believe that the world is going to end.

For Chloe Herveaux, marriage to wild, unpredictable Alex Deveril offers escape from a home she hates. For Alex, waking up with an epic hangover, the discovery that he has acquired a bride is an unwelcome shock. But while the marriage remains in name only, other forces are gathering.

England is once again at war with the Dutch and Prince Rupert suspects that sabotage is at work within the fleet. Instructed to find and stop the traitor, Alex enters a dark labyrinth of intrigue – where no life is safe, and nothing is what it seems.

Chloe, meanwhile, navigates the shark-infested waters of Charles the Second’s Court and plots a course of her own aimed at financial independence. But as the intriguing facets of Mr Deveril’s personality are gradually revealed to her, Chloe’s mock-marriage becomes fraught with difficulties – the greatest of which is Mr Deveril himself.

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The Marigold Chain was my very first book by Stella Riley and I loved it from beginning to end, consequently it has a special place in my heart and on my keeper shelf. After my first reading, more than two years ago, its characters, both main and secondary, remain with me as clearly as if I’d just put the book down. I couldn’t have been happier when I heard a whisper that the supremely talented Alex Wyndham was to record it and waited with much anticipation for its release. And, oh my…but it was worth the wait.

Set during Restoration England, The Marigold Chain follows eight months in the lives of Alex Deveril and Chloe Hervaux – a man and woman thrown together by unusual and unorthodox circumstances. The real events unfolding around their seemingly ordinary lives add to the thrill of this wonderfully rich story, in which our couple become well and truly embroiled. The fabulous cast of historical figures are so cleverly interwoven with fictitious characters that it is difficult to know for sure who lived and who is a figment of the author’s fertile imagination.

One night, Alex Deveril is out on a drinking spree to end all drinking sprees, having been rejected by the woman he believes he loves. Alex is outrageous and unconventional at the best of times but, this time, he outdoes even himself. Whilst involved in a card party at the home of Chloe’s step-brother, she is offered as the stake in a game gone too far, when her odious brother runs out of funds to pay his debts. Never one to turn down a challenge, Alex accepts and wins. To be fair to Chloe, she does try to refuse, but her step-brother (no blood relative) is vile and has become a nuisance with his unwanted, and some might say, incestuous advances towards her, and she is desperate to leave his house and her life of drudgery behind. Still drunk beyond reason, Alex convinces Chloe to leave with him in the dead of night and insists on rousing a clergyman, even going as far as shimmying up a drainpipe in order to persuade him into marrying them. Drunk or not, Alex knows what is right and the wedding takes place. While Alex sleeps off his excesses, Chloe has a long night of contemplation and faces up to the realisation that she may have taken unfair advantage of Alex in her haste to escape her brother. She should have refused his drunken proposal, no matter how gorgeous he is or how enticing the prospect of being his wife might be. After discussing the matter, they decide that eventually they will pursue an annulment, although neither is in a hurry to be free, each for reasons of their own.  So, for the time being, their marriage-in-name-only, will remain just that.

The year is 1666 and the country is still struggling and in debt, after years of civil war followed by an horrendous loss of life as a result of the plague. Now, to add to her problems, England is at war with the Dutch and France is about to join in. Alex has recently returned from soldering after fifteen years of fighting, both as man and boy, to discover that his birth right has been stolen during his absence. Always fiercely loyal to the crown, like his father before him, Alex cannot dispel the unfairness of it and, as a result, has become an embittered and acerbic young man. And yet, he retains the respect and affection of his peers who fought with him and know his loyalty and friendship are worth having. Alex’s inner group of friends who remember him as he used to b – charming, witty and reckless – are generally willing to overlook his biting tongue and tolerate his much-changed demeanour.  For his part, Alex does his best to push his friends away, but they refuse to abandon him, although there are moments when they wonder why. Then his occasional flashes of breath-taking charm, ever ready wit and obvious intelligence, remind them that the Alex they knew still exists. Chloe is no different to his friends; she was besotted with Alex from the moment she met him, and still is. However, an inner awareness tells her that her feelings must be kept hidden, not only to avoid his derision, but also because a strong sense of justice tells her that Alex must never feel trapped into staying married to her.

Chloe’s character and person are beautifully drawn – a compelling young woman with an understated beauty and gentle innocence. However, she is no pushover and knows how to run and care for a household on a limited budget, after suffering under her step-brother’s roof as an unpaid housekeeper. Alex may not realise it, but he has met his match… and his love. Chloe tolerates his moods, but only up to a point, and then quietly but firmly puts him in his place. She often risks his displeasure and bad humour by intervening in his plans – for his own good – such as when she realises he is about to embark on something he will later regret. Often, her intervention is done with the collusion of his friends, all of whom fall under her guileless spell and also realise, fairly soon after the marriage, that Chloe could be Alex’s salvation.

Their relationship develops through various phases; at first as strangers, then continuing onto friendship and confidantes and finally to the inevitable and, in true Stella Riley fashion, she grows their love story slowly and sweetly. At first, Alex accepts his wife’s company as just another person around him to be tolerated and often ignored, until without him realising it, she becomes necessary to him. He nicknames her Marigold from the beginning and, at one point, on her first visit to court with him, he presents her with a pretty necklace, the Marigold Chain. Alex has obviously chosen it with care, although he is very blasé about the giving of it to her. Its colour (matching her hair) and simplistic, understated beauty is Chloe to a tee and she cherishes it. I love the classy and unusual titles this author chooses for her books, but of all of them, The Marigold Chain is my favourite, given the special significance of this particular title.

While Alex is well aware of his flaws but unrepentant, he is also a highly intelligent man of unequivocal integrity. His previously proven military prowess has earned him the trust and respect of Prince Rupert, cousin to King Charles II and Commander of the Naval Fleet. Together with his friend Giles Beckwith, Alex is contracted into covertly searching for a possible traitor in their midst. There is no actual proof that a traitor exists, just a few unexplained ‘accidents’ which have cost the English Navy, ships and lives. The ensuing events are fast moving, exciting, and exactly what an adrenalin junkie like Alex Deveril needs to shake him out of the doldrums.

Stella Riley covers so much in this story; a snapshot of warfare, death and injury on board his Majesty’s ships during wartime; the Great Fire of London, where we see the cramped wooden buildings in their narrow lanes, the fire eating its way relentlessly through London and the despair of her inhabitants as they fight fruitlessly to save their homes, and then the final devastating toppling of Paul’s cathedral. The licentious, gluttonous, fashion obsessed court of the womanising, but shrewd and enigmatic, Charles II, and the despair of his Queen as he flaunts his mistresses are all brought vibrantly to life by this talented author, whose love and obvious knowledge of her subject is indisputable. We are not overwhelmed with extraneous historical detail but rather Ms. Riley sets out the facts clearly and precisely and in a way that makes the reader/listener desirous to learn more and filling in the gaps with intelligent probabilities and a delicious romance to boot.

Alex Wyndham has quite a job on his hands as he handles, with great aplomb, the sarcastic, cynical, Alex Deveril. It would be all to easy to dislike this young man, but I loved his complex character.  Alex Wyndham captures him to perfection, showing along the way, with his intuitive interpretation of the author’s writing, that here is a decent and honourable young man who has had a raw deal and only needs that certain someone in his life to redeem him. Alex’s reckless disregard for his own safety sees him hurtling towards his own ruin and his friends, understanding the reasons, do their best to mitigate his behaviour. Alex Wyndham, consummate actor that he is, has to deal with all of this – an Alex Deveril who does not suffer fools gladly and thinks he neither wants or needs anyone, but who then undergoes a lightbulb moment of such epic proportions that he is left reeling from the shock and how to deal with it. A lesser actor could not have pulled off this transformation so effectively and believably.

Mr. Wyndham’s tone of voice undergoes a subtle change, but it is so well done that we are aware that we are still listening to Alex Deveril, an angry young man for the most part of the story, but one who suddenly finds himself again, after a long time in the wilderness. You immediately know that Alex Deveril’s feelings have undergone a colossal change simply by Alex Wyndham’s alteration in inflection while still retaining the recognisable ‘voice’ he has adopted for Alex Deveril. I was so taken by Alex Wyndham’s performance that I listened to this same part a few times just to enjoy and marvel at his expertise. There are a couple of places where he has to deal with Stella Riley at her emotional best – real tear jerkers – I promise – but no spoilers. All I’ll say is that listeners will not be disappointed by Stella Riley’s words or Alex Wyndham’s rendering of them – but have your tissues ready. Oh…and he sings in a couple of places AND quotes poetry – I could go on and on – just sit back and enjoy.

Before reading The Marigold Chain, I’m ashamed to say I knew little about The English Civil War and the Restoration. It was a war which split families apart and ravaged our country for the best part of ten years, and saw an anointed King beheaded. How could I not have been interested? However, this has all changed now because I have become totally hooked by Stella Riley’s world of Cavaliers and Roundheads. I strongly recommend the uninitiated to listen to The Marigold Chain and A Splendid Defiance and to read her English Civil War series, beginning with The Black Madonna which, by the way, is stupendous.

MY VERDICT: I can’t imagine anyone who enjoys superbly researched history, compelling and intriguing characters (fictitious and historical), a fast paced and exciting mystery, coupled with a bone melting romance, not loving THE MARIGOLD CHAIN. And let’s not forget the exceptionally talented, Alex Wyndham, who adds that extra spark of brilliance. Highly recommended.

 

 REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

 NARRATION REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

 SENSUALITY RATING: WARM

 

 

 

 

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CAROL’S REVIEWS – SALT REDUX AND SALT ANGEL (PART OF THE SALT HENDON COLLECTION: A GEORGIAN HISTORICAL BOXED SET) BY LUCINDA BRANT

REVIEW OF SALT REDUX 

 (Salt Hendon, # 2)

Genre: Historical Romance (Georgian  – St. Petersburg, Russia , Salt Hall, Wiltshire, England and London, England, 1767)

Cover Blurb

Sequel to Salt Bride

Jane and Salt—four years of Happily Ever After
Sir Antony Templestowe—four years of Exile
Lady Caroline—four years of Heartache
Diana St. John—four years plotting Revenge
The time has come…

How does a brother cope with life knowing his sister is a murderess? How can a nobleman have the life he has always wanted when a lurking evil consumes his thoughts and haunts his dreams? What will it take for good to triumph over evil? For readers who enjoyed Salt Bride, the story continues…

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Salt Redux, the second book in Lucinda Brant’s Salt Hendon series, opens four years after the end of Salt Bride (My Review).

The hero Sir Antony Templestowe, Diana’s younger brother and Salt’s cousin and closest friend and the heroine, Lady Caroline Sinclair, Salt’s younger sister, were secondary characters in Salt Bride and obviously in love with each other. However, Antony did not cope well with the knowledge of his sister’s evil crimes and his life soon spiralled out of control; he drank to excess, neglected his niece and nephew, made a fool of himself and threw away a promising diplomatic career. Things finally came to a head when he caused a very public scandal, not only breaking Caroline’s heart, but also embarrassing Salt’s wife and losing the Earl’s respect and friendship.  Consequently, he was sent to take up a low level diplomatic position in St. Petersburg and, shortly afterwards, Caroline married someone else. Banishment probably saved his life because, if he hadn’t met Prince Mikhail and his sister, Antony would have drunk himself to death but, with their friendship and encouragement, he sobered up and made St. Petersburg his home.

While everyone thought that Diana was safely locked away in a remote castle in Wales, she was carefully plotting her escape. Her obsession with Salt had not abated and, having secured her freedom, she intends to wreak revenge on his hated wife, Jane. When Antony receives a letter advising him of his sister’s escape, he returns to England, determined to protect those he loves, only to find Diana ensconced in his house, hiding in plain sight. To avoid any scandal, only a handful of people know the truth about Diana and everyone else believes she has been abroad recovering from the heartbreak caused by Salt’s marriage to someone else, thus allowing her to ingratiate herself back into society.

For the past four years, Salt and Jane have been happily living in the country with their young family and Salt’s godchildren, Ron and Merry. However, they have recently returned to London so that Salt can resume his political career, only to discover that Diana has once more become a threat. Now they must all work together to thwart her insidious plans.

I like that both Antony and Caroline are flawed characters because it makes them seem more human and their journey more emotionally satisfying. At heart, Antony is an honourable man and I can understand his melt down and descent into alcoholism after discovering the evil his sister had perpetrated and his fear that he may suffer from the same madness. I like the realistic way in which Ms. Brant handles Antony’s alcoholism. Like all alcoholics, he must admit he has a problem and want to turn his life around and I love the scene where he admits to Caroline the reason for wanting to change.

“Misha opened my eyes and gave my compulsion a name. He made me come to terms with what I really am, to stare myself in the looking glass and say I am a habitual drunkard. But I still had to want to turn my life around, to have a reason to change, to change for the better.”

“Tell me,” she murmured. “What was your reason?”

 He answered without hesitation. “You, Caro. I wanted to be able to ask you to marry me with a clean heart and a clear mind.”

I find the idea of Antony’s ritual tea making being a way of overcoming his craving for a drink by concentrating his mind on something else fascinating. I also admire him for his determination to face up to his responsibilities and his self-possession in dealing with his sister. 

Caroline has her own secrets; a sordid past which makes her feel unworthy of someone as honourable as Antony, but I like how they are talk openly to each other and resolve the issues between them. Antony is not judgemental of Caroline and, in fact, blames himself for the headache she has suffered over the last four years.

The romance is emotional, tender and romantic and provides a welcome contrast to the drama surrounding Diana’s devious plotting. There are nail-biting moments when I was convinced her evil plans would finally succeed but, in a dramatic climax, Diana meets a rather grisly end.

Tom Allenby, Jane’s stepbrother, has an important role in the story and a new character, Katherine (Kitty) Aldershot, is introduced.

This is a wonderful blend of romance, suspense and intrigue.

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REVIEW OF SALT ANGEL

(Salt Hendon Novella)

Genre: Historical Romance (Georgian,- Salt Hendon, Wiltshire, England, London, England, 1767)

Cover Blurb

This 20,000-word bonus novella, is a new extended version of Fairy Christmas (previously published in A Timeless Romance Anthology: Silver Bells Collection) featuring well-loved characters from the Salt books

Kitty Aldershot is orphaned and forced to live on others’ charity. Offered a home under the generous roof of her relatives, the Earl of Salt Hendon and his countess, Kitty wants for nothing, not even the affections of Mr. Tom Allenby. But when Kitty stumbles across a letter written by Lady Caroline that reveals how Mr. Allenby would be ruined should he marry the likes of Kitty, she realizes she has been fooling herself all along. Kitty’s world crumbles around her as she recognizes she will forever be alone with no prospects at all.

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This charming novella sees Kitty Aldershot and Tom Allenby get their happy ending.

Kitty and Tom are a delightful couple. Tom is kind and steadfast and I admired him for the way he always looked after Jane (Countess of Salt Hendon) and was her stalwart defender when she need him the most. I found the fact that he is rather flustered around Kitty rather endearing.

She took a step closer, the drawing folding in on itself, their fingers lightly touching, and her violet eyes widened in expectation, heart thudding in her chest. But he just stood there, smiling down at her, not saying a word.

I like how, despite her circumstances, Kitty has retained her youthful optimism, and also the way she does her best to repay the Salt Hendons for all their kindness. I felt her heartache when she reads Lady Caroline’s letter but admire her selflessness in not wanting to ruin Tom’s good name or his political prospects.

How could she tell him her feelings if she could not, in good conscience, accept an offer from him because a marriage with her would not only ostracize his family, but ruin his future prospects as a parliamentarian?

I was totally charmed by the elderly Russian Prince Timur-Alexei Nikolai Mordinov who turns out to be an unlikely ally for Tom and Kitty. The interactions between the prince and the eccentric Lady Reanay were entertaining and this couple prove that falling in love is not just the preserve of the young.

“Be warned! It can hit you at any time, at any place, and at any age! Falling in love is not confined to the young, Miss Aldershot.”– Prince Mordinov

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and it was the perfect ending to this series of stories.

OVERALL VERDICT: If you have never read any of Lucinda Brant’s books, this boxed set would be an excellent introduction to her wonderful stories, richly drawn characters and heart-warming romances.

REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

SENSUALITY RATING: SUBTLE

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CAROL’S REVIEW: SALT BRIDE (PART OF THE SALT HENDON COLLECTION: A GEORGIAN HISTORICAL BOXED SET)

(Salt Hendon, #1)

Genre: Historical Romance (Georgian – Wiltshire, England, 1759 and London, England, 1763)

Cover Blurb

When the Earl of Salt Hendon marries squire’s daughter Jane Despard, Society is aghast. But Jane and Salt share a secret past of heartache and mistrust. They are forced into a marriage neither wants; the Earl to honor a dying man’s wish; Jane to save her stepbrother from financial ruin. Beautiful inside and out, the patient and ever optimistic Jane believes love conquers all; the Earl will take some convincing. Enter Diana St. John, who has been living in a fool’s paradise believing she would be the next Countess of Salt Hendon. She will go to extreme lengths, even murder, to hold Salt’s attention. Can the newlyweds overcome past prejudices and sinister opposition to fall in love all over again?

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Whenever I open one of Lucinda Brant’s books, I know that I will find an engrossing and well-plotted story, richly drawn characters and a heart-warming romance.

When squire’s daughter Jane Despard and Magnus Sinclair, Earl of Salt Hendon(Salt) met at the Salt Hunt Ball four years ago, during Jane’s debut season, they fell deeply in love. After a month-long secret courtship Salt proposed, and Jane accepted.  Succumbing to the moment, they made love in the summerhouse, but Salt was urgently called back to London promising that, on his return, their engagement would be made official and they would marry without delay. However, he failed to return and, finding herself pregnant, she wrote to him but there was still no response and a month later she received his letter breaking off their engagement. When Jane’s father, Sir Felix Despard, discovers her condition and she refuses to name the father, he disowns her, cutting her off without a penny and branding her a whore. Jane is only saved from a Bristol poorhouse, or worse, when she is taken in by Jacob Allenby, a wealthy Bristol merchant and brother of Lady Despard, Sir Felix’s second wife, but loses her unborn baby under the most traumatic circumstances.

Jane and Salt have not met during the past four years, apart from one brief incident two years earlier, a humiliating experience for Jane. However, events are about to change that. Under the terms of Jacob Allenby’s will, Jane must marry by a certain date or her beloved step-brother, Tom, will not receive his full inheritance and to fulfil a promise given to Jane’s father on his deathbed, Salt must marry her. Not a propitious start to a marriage.

Jane cannot understand why Salt hates her so much and why he believes that he is the injured party. After all, she had never disclosed the name of her lover, and it was her life that was destroyed when he cruelly abandoned her to her fate. Gradually, as they spend time together, it is clear they have never stopped loving each other but they are unaware that Diana St. John is willing to go to any lengths to drive them apart.

Salt and Jane are such wonderful characters. Salt exudes power, wealth and authority but Jane is his Achilles heel. He struggles with hating Jane and wanting her at the same time and I enjoyed seeing him gradually soften towards her. He also shows a more relaxed side when he is with his godchildren, Ron and Merry. I loved the scene in the dining room where Jane, Ron and Merry are hiding under the table while Salt and best his friend, Sir Antony Templestowe, are pretending to look for the ‘rats’. Much giggling and laughter ensues which conjured up such a delightful picture in my mind.

Normally Salt is in full control, both mentally and physically but, when Jane’s stepbrother, Tom, tells him exactly what happened to Jane four years ago, he is totally devastated and collapses. Ms. Brant brings so much emotional intensity to this scene that it was as if Salt’s anguish was my own. This is also a defining moment in their relationship because, for the first time, they openly admit their love for each other.

“I love you, Jane.” It was a simple sentence, said simply.
She wasn’t at all sure he was in his right mind, or that he was restful of body, but it was all she had ever wanted to hear him say in the cold light of day since her eighteenth birthday. She smiled into his tired brown eyes and unconsciously sighed her contentment. Tears ran down her flushed face and she kissed his hand and pressed it to her cheek.
“I love you so very much I hate you for frightening me in this way!”

That he is willing to give up his high-profile political career to rusticate in the country in the role of doting husband and father shows the depth of his love for Jane

Jane is such a lovely heroine whose extraordinary beauty is further complimented by her kindness, generosity and sweet nature. I admire her for not letting the tragic events of the past crush her spirit of optimism and I love how she isn’t afraid to stand her ground where Salt is concerned. I cheered her on in the scene where Salt has his secretary, Ellis, read out the rules governing how Jane will live as the Countess of Salt Hendon, but Jane refuses to submit to his ‘insufferable arrogance…

“This document, my lord,” asked Jane with studious enquiry, but unable to hide a sardonic dimple in her left cheek, “does it state terms by which you will conduct yourself as my husband?”

I also love the scene where she shocks him with her frank talk of sexual matters and her playfulness in the bedroom.

In Diana St. John, Ms. Brant has certainly created one of the most memorable villains I have come across. Her obsession with Salt has driven her positively deranged, but what is so scary is the fact that, on the surface, she appears perfectly sane. So much so that, at times, I was convinced her evil plans would succeed. Both devious and cunning, her wickedness knows no bounds which is evident in the events depicted in the harrowing Prologue. Although securely locked away somewhere in wilds of Wales at the end of SALT BRIDE, I know she returns in the sequel, SALT REDUX, to reek further havoc with her evil machinations.

Ms. Brant’s books always contain a colourful cast of secondary characters including Sir Antony Templestowe, Salt’s cousin and best friend and Diana St. John’s younger brother; Tom Allenby, Jane’s step-brother, who always has her welfare at heart; Mr Ellis, Salt’s freckle-faced, hard-working secretary who has a soft spot for Jane; Hilary Wraxton, writer of ‘absurdly odd’ poetry.

Ms. Brant also brings delightful wit and humour to her stories and here are two of my favourite exchanges.

“How will you travel across the Continent if you cannot make a call of nature when we stop at an inn?” Lady Outram enquired.
The poet, who had perched uninvited on the padded arm of a wingchair, jabbed at his temple. “Up here for thinking, Lizzie. I am not just a man of letters, but of ideas.” He beamed at the Countess and said confidentially, “Had my man pack the family pot de chambre. Heirloom. Passed down from father to son since Scottish James sat upon the English throne. Painted with the family crest. On the inside.”
“How-how sensible of you, Mr. Wraxton,” Jane managed to reply, finding her breath and dabbing at her damp eyes. “A definite must for a trip to the Continent. Who knows what amenities are to be found, or not, at a foreign inn.”

♥♥♥

He gave a shout of laughter. “If it will make you happy, I shall abandon my ridiculous vanity and wear those wretched eyeglasses at the breakfast table. But be warned: A bespectacled Lord Salt perusing the newssheets is a sight almost as quelling as a flare of the noble nostrils.”
Jane smiled cheekily. “What an irresistible combination. My knees are trembling with anticipation already!”

♥♥♥

Ms. Brant effortlessly transported me back to Georgian England and her evocative descriptions of the settings, fashions, furnishings and social etiquette, all combine to bring the era vividly to life. Anyone who follows Ms. Brant’s Pinterest boards will know the extensive research she undertakes to ensure that every aspect is historically correct.

MY VERDICT: A compelling story, multi-layered characters, a heart-warming romance and a deranged but cunning villain, all combine to make SALT BRIDE a must read.

REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

SENSUALITY RATING: SUBTLE

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WENDY’S AUDIO BOOK REVIEW: SATYR’S SON BY LUCINDA BRANT

(Roxton Family Saga, #5)

Genre: Historical Romance (Georgian, 1786)

Cover Blurb:

Roxton Family Saga Book 5: Henri-Antoine and Lisa’s Happily Ever After 

London, 1786. Lord Henri-Antoine has returned from the Grand Tour to a life of privilege and excess. A vast inheritance allows him every indulgence, free from responsibility. Yet, Henri-Antoine maintains a well-ordered existence, going to great lengths to conceal an affliction few understand, and many fear.

Miss Lisa Crisp is a penniless orphan who relies on the charity of relatives to keep her from the poorhouse. Intelligent and unflappable, Lisa will not allow poverty to define her. She leads a useful life working among the sick poor.

Under startling circumstances, Henri-Antoine and Lisa meet. There is instant attraction. When they find themselves attending the same wedding in the country, Henri-Antoine offers Lisa a scandalous proposition, one she should refuse but yearns to accept. Following her heart could ruin them both.

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So, we reach the end of Lucinda Brant’s sumptuous Georgian, Roxton family saga. Or do we? I can’t believe Ms. Brant will find it easy to let go of the very real and loveable Roxton family she has created and I’m sure I speak for other fans when I say I hope she doesn’t – at least not yet. This is a family with secrets still to reveal and we need to know them. For instance, what events in Renard Hesham’s early life shaped him into the man we first meet in Noble Satyr? Almost forty years of his life are still unaccounted for and, as usual, Ms. Brant has dropped subtle hints that there is more to him than she has yet told us. However, for the purposes of this review, with Satyr’s Son, the series has come full circle from where it began as Ms. Brant tells Lord Henri-Antoine (Harry) Hesham’s story, the younger of Renard and Antonia’s two sons.

On first acquaintance, Lord Henri-Antoine Hesham is shown in a bad light – blatantly and unapologetically bedding his friend’s mistress and ringleader of a group of badly behaving, aristocratic friends. However, a little later, it becomes clear that, in reality, he is actually a kind and generous young man whose outward demeanour hides a deep-seated vulnerability. Harry has suffered from debilitating falling sickness (epilepsy) since birth and, as a result, has deliberately adopted an aloofness, preferring to hold himself apart from most people, even his family up to a point. This demeanour is a coping mechanism, albeit one that does him no favours with his peers. But, early in the story, amidst Harry’s excesses, the author gives us a glimpse into his true character –  for why would he go to the trouble of attending an auction to purchase shells for his beloved little sister, Elsie, if he were as uncaring as he prefers people to believe him?

It is during one of his fits that he ‘meets’ the absolute antithesis of himself. Lisa Crisp is a poor, hardworking girl with no connections to the nobility, other than as a niece by marriage to Lord Henri-Antoine’s mother’s ex lady’s maid.  Lisa lives on the charity of the family and has done so since she was orphaned as a child. She just happens to be in the right place at the right time when Harry literally falls at her feet during an epileptic seizure. As an assistant in her uncle’s dispensary for the sick poor, Lisa is used to coping with all kinds of ailments, including falling sickness, and deals with the situation in her normal practical, no nonsense manner – calmly and gently soothing Harry, wiping his face and stroking his hair during the worst of his struggles. Harry only has the haziest of recollections after he recovers but does recall seeing the image of a Botticelli Angel just before he blacks out. This image is confirmed by his best friend Jack (Sir John) Cavendish, who was also there, and leaves Harry intrigued and determined to find and thank his ‘Angel’. His minders, or ‘lads’ as they are known, protect him from prying eyes when he is at his most vulnerable and it is virtually unknown for anyone to witness an attack let alone actually witness one and not be repulsed by it. I was, by this time, loving the direction this story was taking, because I don’t ever remember coming across such a scenario before and one where the author, who has quite obviously done her homework, deals with the implications of it in such a sensitive and caring manner.

It doesn’t take Harry long to track Lisa down to her uncle’s dispensary and it just so happens that he knows of Dr Warner, an eminent physician, anatomist and the husband of Lisa’s cousin. The doctor has radical ideas well ahead of his time with regard to sickness/illness and the treatment of it, but also believes that to further the advancement of medical science, the future training of bright young men to become physicians is vital. As most of these young men do not have wealth or connections, Dr Warner has applied for the funds to enable their training which he hopes will come from rich sponsors. Harry is one such sponsor – a philanthropist with a genuine interest in furthering medical science for both rich and poor, notwithstanding his own apparently incurable disease. This interest and generosity is yet another dimension to Harry’s character that his critics are unaware of and it has long been his practice to anonymously invest large amounts of his own money through the Fournier Foundation (Harry’s brain child) to aid such projects that Dr Warner needs support and funding for.

It became clear to his parents early in Harry’s life that his affliction could not be ignored and was unlikely to go away and must therefore be dealt with. His father, Renard Hesham, fifth Duke of Roxton, a very forward-thinking man, sets the wheels in motion for Harry to be able to do something worthwhile with his life. In his young days, Roxton was considered an unredeemable rake but marriage to Antonia had changed his habits for ever. Despite his rakish past, he was a highly intelligent man and having finally found the love of his life in middle age, he had settled down to become a loving husband and father. His wife and children became his life and he spent much of the first twelve years of his younger son’s life caring for and observing him during and in the aftermath of his traumatic seizures. Renard came to see and understand the similar character traits that he and Harry shared and took the momentous step of bequeathing his beloved son a fortune. The size of this fortune far exceeded the amount considered to be the norm for a younger son, but Roxton obviously trusted his son would use it wisely – after all, was he not his son? This fortune, along with his extraordinary good looks, further sets Harry apart from his peers; it enables him to live independently and cope with his illness without detection, but it also has the unfortunate effect of causing envy among his peers, which only served to accentuate his outwardly arrogant aloofness.

Since the age of nine, Sir John Cavendish has been Harry’s one true friend and the only person outside his family who truly knows Lord Henri-Antoine Hesham and appreciates and accepts the frustrations which cause his friend to lash out at the people he cares for, himself included. Jack is to marry Teddy, his first cousin, and the daughter of Proud Mary (book 4 in the Roxton Family Saga). Jack worries about leaving his friend, as he must on his marriage to his childhood sweetheart and wishes fervently for him to ‘fall off a cliff in love’ as Jack is convinced will happen to his friend one day. Much of the ongoing story takes place at Treat, ancestral home of the Roxton family, where the family wedding is to take place. Teddy is as delightful a young woman as she was a child (I adored her characterisation in Proud Mary). She has no airs and graces and is excited that her best friend from her school days, Lisa Crisp, has been found – at Teddy’s request – by her cousin, Antonia, Duchess of Kinross and dowager Duchess of Roxton and a wedding invitation issued.

Despite her lowly birth, Lisa soon has most people at Treat eating out of her hand, with her natural sweetness of nature and unaffected beauty. Harry too is smitten and has been since their first meeting, and I loved how Ms. Brant develops the love story between them, plausibly knocking down the social barriers in the process. From their first conscious meeting (after Harry tracks her down), it is obvious that they are meant to be together but how to bring these two polar opposites together. He is his own worst enemy because, in the way of someone like Harry who is not as sure of himself as he appears but needs to hide his lack of self-confidence, he constantly strikes out at the people he loves the most, albeit usually with the finest of motives.

Harry wants Lisa very much but believes he is not worthy of her love and must save her from wanting someone like him. Harry is a complex character who hasn’t gone down well with some readers/reviewers. Personally, I loved him and can see why someone such as Lisa would have been captivated by him. Imagine living with an affliction such as his in the time this story is set. He is saved from an asylum only because of his wealth, position and powerful family and must live his life with the constant fear of humiliation and scandal, not only for himself but for his family as well, should his affliction become public. Despite his looks and wealth, how could he not be vulnerable and unsure of his self?  And yet, he takes an active interest and anonymously donates to causes which aid the sick poor. No, Harry is a rather gorgeous, if flawed young man, and Lisa’s evident love for him, her complete disregard for his illness and her refusal to be pushed away for her own good is heart-warming. Her pure and unselfish love becomes even more evident towards the end of the story in a couple of beautiful and moving scenes in which Antonia, Julian and Harry are involved. One scene in particular is reminiscent of one in which Deb was involved in Midnight Marriage. In fact, there are a couple of instances where Ms. Brant gives a *nod* to scenes in which Harry behaves in much the same way as his father did. However, I fear that only true lovers and followers of Ms. Brant’s exquisite work will realise the author’s intentions.

As usual, Ms. Brant’s attention to detail and in-depth research into the life and times of the Georgian period is second to none and I always come away from reading one of her books more knowledgeable.  In Satyr’s Son, my ahhh moment came when the author tells us of the origins of London’s world famous Natural History Museum.  I shall return on my next visit with fresh eyes to look for evidence of the family who once lived there.

How many ways can I say that Alex Wyndham is my favourite narrator? That his name on an audio book will always hook me? It becomes more and more difficult after the many reviews I’ve written for books he has narrated, or performed, would be a fairer adjective. As usual, he has outdone himself and has even ‘found’ a new voice that exactly matches the description of the character I heard in my head when I read the print version of Satyr’s Son. Lord Henri-Antoine is said to have a voice ‘like hot chocolate’ and I couldn’t agree more as Alex Wyndham rises to the challenge of proving it. Then, I’ve always thought that this man has a voice I could easily drown in – like melted chocolate or maybe even black velvet. He is multi-talented with oodles of artistic jeux de vie and it is very easy to forget that he is handling a multi character cast of male and female characters. But before I stop waxing lyrical, I must mention one of my favourite characters of this series – Jonathon, Duke of Kinross. Thanks to Ms. Brant’s wonderful characterisation and Alex Wyndham’s portrayal of him, I DO forget that he’s actually just a character from the author’s clever and fertile imagination. He is 6’4″of gorgeousness, issuing words of wisdom in the special voice this performer keeps just for him, and which somehow encompasses his ebullient bigness and inherent kindness and always gives me goose bumps!

MY VERDICT: A wonderful end to a wonderful series? Hopefully, not the end. From NOBLE SATYR TO SATYR’S SON…which is my favourite of the series? I can’t say because whichever book I’m reading or listening to at the time tends to be my favourite. However, SATYR’S SON is definitely a Stellar 5 stars for me.

 

REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

NARRATION REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

 SENSUALITY RATING: SUBTLE

 

 Roxton Family Saga (click on the book covers for more details):

      

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CAROL’S REVIEW: THE LOST LETTER BY MIMI MATTHEWS

Genre: Historical Romance (Victorian)

Cover Blurb:

England, 1860. An impoverished Victorian beauty is unexpectedly reunited with the now beastly earl who once broke her heart. Will they finally find their happily-ever-after? Or are some fairy-tale endings simply not meant to be?

A PROUD BEAUTY 
Society beauty Sylvia Stafford is far too pragmatic to pine. When the tragic death of her gamester father leaves her destitute and alone, she finds work as a governess in a merchant’s household in Cheapside. Isolated from the fashionable acquaintance of her youth, she resigns herself to lonely spinsterhood until a mysterious visitor convinces her to temporarily return to her former life–and her former love.

A SCARRED BEAST
Colonel Sebastian Conrad is no longer the dashing cavalry officer Sylvia once fell in love with. Badly scarred during the Sepoy Rebellion, he has withdrawn to his estate in rural Hertfordshire where he lives in near complete seclusion. Brooding and tormented, he cares nothing for the earldom he has inherited–and even less for the faithless beauty who rejected him three years before.

A SECOND CHANCE
A week together in the remote Victorian countryside is the last thing either of them ever wanted. But when fate intervenes to reunite them, will a beastly earl and an impoverished beauty finally find their happily-ever-after? Or are some fairy-tale endings simply not meant to be?

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I loved this tender, emotional and romantic debut novel from Mimi Matthews which features a second chance story, one of my favorite themes. 

Colonel Sebastian Conrad followed the career expected of all the second sons of the Earls of Radcliffe and became a soldier. Orderly, disciplined and rather serious, life as a career cavalry officer suited Sebastian perfectly. While on leave in London, he accepts an invitation to a musical evening where he is captivated by the lovely Sylvia Stafford.

With her genuine warmth and kindness, baronet’s daughter, Sylvia Stafford, is very popular and has attracted many suitors. However, it is the rather serious and aloof Colonel Conrad to whom she is attracted.

Over the next two months, they meet ‘by accident’ at various events and it is obvious that they have fallen in love. Sylvia anticipates that Sebastian will propose, especially when he asks for a lock of her hair and they kiss, but Sebastian does not propose, fearing rejection. The following night, he is ordered back to his regiment in India to assist in putting down a rebellion. When Sylvia’s numerous letters to Sebastian go unanswered and Sebastian’s letters to Sylvia are returned unopened, both feel hurt and betrayed by the other.

Three years have passed, and both have experienced dramatic changes in their lives. After Sylvia’s father, an inveterate gambler, lost everything on a hand of cards, he committed suicide and, because of the ensuing scandal, Sylvia’s remaining family and her society friends deserted her. Forced to fend for herself, she obtains a position as governess to a merchant family’s children. It has taken a long time to recover from the pain and hurt of Sebastian’s rejection but now she is happy and contented with her new life.

Terribly scarred and blind in one eye, Sebastian has returned to England to find that both his father and elder brother have died of fever and he is now the Earl of Radcliffe. In continual pain, he lives a lonely and isolated existence in his apartments at Pershing Hall with no interest in running the estate and totally disconnected from his former life. I can understand Sebastian’s reasons for wanting to hide himself away; even his own sister, Julia, screamed when she first saw his face and he fears his tenants’ reactions should they see him.

It was too easy to imagine their horrified reaction to the sight of his scarred face. Granted, he had known most of his father’s tenants since his youth, but mere familiarity was no guarantee that they would not respond to him with pity and disgust.

Julia, however, is determined to draw her brother out of his state of apathy and, when she sees the lock of hair he always keeps with him, she will leave no stone unturned to find its owner.  Having discovered her identity, Julia visits Sylvia and is not above telling a few white lies to persuade a very reluctant Sylvia to return to Pershing Hall as her guest for a few weeks.  It is Julia’s fervent hope that spending time together will rekindle the love that Sebastian and Sylvia once shared. Even though she fears the reception she might get, I admire Sylvia for her courage and compassion in agreeing to accompany Julia.

No matter how cruelly Sebastian had treated her in the past, he did not deserve to be suffering in such a dreadful manner. No one did. If her presence could alleviate even a fraction of his pain, she must go to him.

I like how Ms. Matthews creates a palpable tension between Sebastian and Sylvia in the library scene. Driven by his feelings of hurt, bitterness and anger for having been shunned in such a heartless way, Sebastian is cold and distant towards Sylvia. Knowing of her reduced circumstances, he believes the worst…that her motives are purely mercenary now that he is an earl. While Sylvia is sure that her father’s scandalous death and her bold first letter to Sebastian offended him, and they were the reasons for him not answering her letters.

It is obvious that they are still very much in love, but the past remains an ever-present obstacle until the truth concerning the letters finally comes to light. Someone had deliberately set out to mislead them into believing they had forgotten each other and I felt so much sympathy for Sylvia, knowing that this person had deceived her for their own selfish motives with no thought for her happiness. This is a turning point for them because they are now able to talk openly. I like how Sebastian apologizes for his previous cruel and uncivil behaviour and Sylvia is determined that Sebastian will no longer hide himself away in darkened libraries and shadowy portrait galleries. He is fearful that, seeing him in the light of day, will drive Sylvia away and I love the poignant scene that follows.

…then she set her fingertips very gently on the scar at the side of his eye. Her touch was warm and soft and heart-breakingly tender. He tried to concentrate on his breathing. An impossible task as she began to trace the path of his scar down his cheek.

The romance is beautifully written – sweet, tender and romantic, with only one passionate kissing scene, which fits the mood of the story perfectly.

As in all good romances, the course of true love doesn’t run completely smoothly when Sylvia misconstrues something Sebastian says. It takes the discovery of the ‘Lost Letter’ to put them back on track for a Happy Ever After. It is such a touching moment when Sebastian reads the letter, sealed with a thousand sweet kisses only for him and I love the scene when he finally responds to her letter in person. So romantic!

I like how the secondary characters play an important role in the story, especially Julia and Sebastian’s valet, Milsom. Julia maybe annoying at times and her methods rather questionable, but her heart is in the right place and it’s obvious that she loves her brother very much. I like the genuine affection between Sebastianand Milsom. Julia and Milsom’s various ploys to bring Sebastian and Sylvia together are amusing and provide some lighter moments in the story.

I like Ms. Matthews’ elegant writing style and the story has an authentic Victorian feel to it.

MY VERDICT: A beautifully written, emotionally satisfying, character driven love story. Highly recommended.

REVIEW RATING: 5/5 STARS
SENSUALITY RATING: SUBTLE

**I received a complimentary copy from the author for the purposes of an honest review. ** 

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