Book Reivew: My Fair Gentleman by Nancy Campbell Allen

Pages: 256
Released: January 5, 2016
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
Received: ARC from publisher, via Edelweiss
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

I'm going to use the word "nice" a lot in this review. That may sound like damning with faint praise, but I don't mean it that way at all. My Fair Gentleman is a solid feel-good book that doesn't really rock the boat in any way or grip me with massive emotions, but instead floats lazily, pleasantly, and enjoyably through the story. I've been on a "nice" book kick lately where I'm looking for sweet comfort reads, and this one fit the the bill.

Thankfully, both romantic leads were nice, likable people. The narrative viewpoint shifts between the two of them, and I enjoyed both perspectives equally. It didn't matter whether they were lightly sparring, slowly falling in love, or otherwise focused on their non-romantic endeavors and blossoming friendships (which were as good as the main romance), I just liked spending time with them.

The side characters were a happy surprise and all served to make me smile. Sure, the good characters were oh so good and the bad characters were oh so bad, but I didn't mind that. If I'd been in a more critical mood this probably would have been a point to quibble over, and I probably would have wanted a little more, more character depth, passion, plot details. But, I was in the fairy tale kind of mood where sweet characters and a simple happily ever after is enough.

Bottom line

Another satisfying entry into the Proper Romance Series of standalone, clean historical romances. Nancy Campbell Allen is a new-to-me author, but I've already requested her other Proper Romance Series book based on the strength of this one.

Looking for another book like this? 

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Click on the cover to go to my review

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Mini Reviews: Clean Historical Romances

Lord Fenton's Folly by Josi S. Kilpack
Pages: 336
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Released: October 6, 2015
Received: ARC from publisher, via NetGalley
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

I read Lord Fenton's Folly because of two reasons: I like hate-turned-love romances and I'm a big fan of the clean Proper Romance series (Blackmoore, A Heart Revealed).

Alas, I did not love this one as much as the previous two. The characters felt inconsistent and, while likable, they weren't lovable. The plot was also wandering all over the place with reveals that felt haphazardly thrown in and extras that didn't need to be there. This would have been so much nicer if the author had just stuck with the basics of Fenton redeeming himself in society, mending his relationships, and slowly falling in love with Alice.

Bottom line: Overall, nice with a lot of potential that got lost in the disjointed plot. Sometimes simple is better, and the author should have stuck with simple in this case.

Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham
Pages: 287
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Released: August 1, 2009
Received: Libary
Rating: 3.5 to 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

I picked this one up on impulse because it was short and I really liked Susan Higginbotham's Wars of the Roses book The Queen of Last Hopes.

While The Queen of Last Hopes is primarily a historical novel with a bit of romance, Hugh and Bess is a love story set with a fairly detailed historical backdrop. It was a nice toe-dip for learning about the historical time period and I'm now even more interested in learning about that time (England during the time of Edward III), but I definitely need to seek out more books to get the whole story. But, like I said, this is more of a romance.

What type of romance? Fluffy, sweet, clean, hate-turned-love. Actually, it could fit right in with the Proper Romance series. I liked this book. I laughed, cried, and swooned, though I was never gripped by it. It's a solid Good Book.

Bottom line: I'd grab a cozy sweater, comfortable chair, and crackling fire and give Hugh and Bess a reread.

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Book Review: A Heart Revealed by Josi S. Kilpack

Goodreads
ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley
336 pages
4.5 out of 5 stars, Special Shelf

I requested this book for review because it is part of the Proper Romance series (standalone clean historical romances) and Blackmoore is also part of that series. Since I loved Blackmoore and I'm desperate for more like it, I hoped A Heart Revealed would be a good bet.

It was!

This is one of those sighing books. You know, the kind where you pause in reading over a scene to sigh in happiness. The kind where you clutch it to your chest after turning the final page and sigh in satisfaction. The kind where you think about little scenes after the fact and sigh with joy.

I was hoping for that, and I was very happy to get it.

What I wasn't expecting at all was the non-romantic sub-plot to grab my attention so strongly. Amber has a fall from grace, but I never in a million years would have guessed these circumstances. They were so different and so horrifying and I was completely sucked into Amber's plight.

Her situation also leads to some serious character changes, and I found myself almost rooting for the situation to get worse and worse (and it does) just so I could see Amber triumph over these hurdles. Another surprise for me was how important the friendship relationship became. I was just as invested in Amber's rocky but blossoming friendship as I was with her romance and her personal journey.

As much as I love reading about romance, I don't typically like it when the entire plot revolves around the romance, so I was both surprised and pleased to find A Heart Revealed stands up well in both the romantic and non-romantic parts. If the romance were completely removed, this story would still stand strongly on its own.

But the romance? Definitely swoony. The reading scene and the tea scene, sigh, sigh, sigh. Those were scenes to savor and reread (and I have). 

So why not a full 5 out of 5 stars? Well, Amber's transformation was a little unbelievable at times, and this is in part because a lot of her personal journey takes place off stage. I wish that part had been fleshed out a bit more, but clearly it didn't affect my enjoyment much.

Bottom line

I'm now a big fan of the Proper Romance series and very interested in reading more. Each book is a standalone story with totally different characters. I wish they were more easily identified in a list somewhere.

(I'm also now super paranoid about my hair, which will make more sense when you read the book.)

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Tiny Reviews: Casting Spells and Blackmoore

One for the "Nice but forgettable" group and the other firmly on my Special Shelf.

Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton

Honestly, I read this book because I'm STILL going through Tradd Street withdrawals and I wanted something to fill that void. So, paranormal element? Check. Light romance? Check. Cozy town? Check. Mystery? Check. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

Unfortunately, Casting Spells was no Tradd Street.

Nothing about it was BAD, but it really didn't stand out in any way. Thin characters, a barely there mystery, and while there were literal romantic sparks in the book, I felt none of them myself.

The worst really was the poor character development. I could deal with the lackluster mystery if there were good characters, but none of these people had any depth or made me care about them. They were all nice enough, but that's about it.

On the positive side, I liked the setting of the small, wintery Vermont town and the knit shop. I would love to have one of those never-empty yarn baskets.

Bottom line: Good enough to read to the end, but I don't think I'll be picking up the sequel.

Library book
Rating: 3 out of 5

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Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

I had high hopes for this book, and boy did it meet every one of them! I'm reduced to letting out swoony sighs, clutching my chest, and gasping about how achingly romantic every bit of Blackmoore turned out to be.

Kate is a heroine I can get behind. Her desire to break free of the constraints placed upon her, her noble sacrifice, her floundering to find her place, her hearbreakingly beautiful love, her independent spirit, her fortitude in the face of her shameful family...I adore every bit of her and cheered her on desperately hoping she would find happiness.

The plot is not fast and does not have a central mystery to propel events forward. This is more like a Jane Austeny type of plot where all the focus is on character interactions. And the building slow burn romance, of course.

That said, I never felt bored or impatient. I sped through the (short!) chapters and often pushed my bedtime later and later so I could squeeze in just one more chapter. I was utterly engrossed in the characters, the setting (SO palpable!), and the progress of their story.

This is definitely the type of book I'll return to again and again, both in whole and flipping to my favorite parts (the tower scenes! *sigh*). Highly, highly recommended to fans of Jane Austen (particularly Northanger Abbey and Persuasion), Keeping the Castle, and Georgette Heyer (if my one foray is any indication of her body of work).

Library
Rating: 5 out of 5
Special Shelf

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