The Garden Angel: A Novel

The Garden Angel: A Novel
Average customer rating:

now THIS is more like it!

A easy to follow fun read

Good story, good writing, good book

Superb debut novel

Making Lemonade out of Lemons!

The Garden Angel: A Novel
Mindy Friddle
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312424965
Release Date: 2005-05-12

Book Description

'Mindy Friddle has a great comic touch, and her novel is a touching, heartfelt debut.' -Richard Russo, winner of the Pulitzer Prize In Sans Souci, South Carolina, talk is cheap, real estate even more so. No one knows this better than Cutter Johanson, a gruff tomboy who waits tables, writes obits, and makes every effort, however comical and in the face of her mercenary relatives, to avert the sale of the dilapidated ancestral home. And despite her plucky resolve, all appears to be lost-until she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Elizabeth, a shy and fragile academic who puts both their fates on a permanent mend.

Customer Reviews:

now THIS is more like it!.......2007-04-15

I had grown so tired of being disappointed in cookie cutter novels about women and friendship. As if it were a hot topic du jour and authors were just jumping on the bandwagon. This was a GOOD BOOK. An unlikely friendship, humor, heartache and women finding themselves and their strength.
Ms Friddle has set a high standard for herself, I look forward to the next one.

A easy to follow fun read.......2006-07-02

if you are looking for something different , Mindy Fiddle does it in this story. Its an easy read, easy to follow characters and you feel a sense of being there with the story. It was fun to read and worth every penny.. dont miss out on this one .Nicole

Good story, good writing, good book.......2005-10-13

Southerners will feel right at home with this quirky novel. Its eccentric characters could fit right into our own family scrapbooks, and its reverence for the past and suspicion of the encroaching future pose a conflict being played out across the length and breadth of Dixie-and might even be encapsulated in our ambivalence nowadays toward using the word "Dixie" as a synonym for the South.
Just outside of Palmetto, S.C., in the small town of Sans Souci, Cutter Johanson lives in a dilapidated mansion that houses the comforting ghosts of her ancestry. The urban sprawl of Palmetto, which is a thinly disguised Greenville, threatens to engulf the small town that has been home to Cutter's family for generations, but an even more immediate threat is that the death of Cutter's grandmother has brought the house up for sale. Desperate to keep the old home place, Cutter goes to great lengths to sabotage efforts to sell it, but she knows she is fighting a losing battle. Her sister Ginny, "the pretty one," and brother Barry, away in service, are eager to sell, and Cutter, though working two jobs, both menial, can not afford to buy them out.
Enter a kind of Delphic fate: Ginny, a college student, is having an affair with a teacher, Daniel Byers, and is pregnant by him. His aggrieved wife Elizabeth is an emotional cripple whose agoraphobia and panic attacks keep her a virtual prisoner in her home, significantly a run-of-the-mill subdivision ranch house. Not least, Elizabeth's main affliction is a husband so caring that he seems to have an unhealthy need for his wife to remain a cripple. Stir into that mix an anonymous telephone tip to the unsuspecting wife, and a solution to Cutter's problem that she could never have imagined is set in motion.
The attentive reader will see it coming when Elizabeth somehow manages to summon the strength to venture out and knock on the Johansons' front door. When Cutter answers the door, the die is cast: Two oddballs, one strong, one weak, come face to face, and the reader, recognizing their compatibility right away even if they don't, knows that they will wind up with each other when the dust has cleared-though in what arrangement is a nice, and logical, surprise.
The story of how all this happens is highly readable and, for the most part, deliciously written. Ms. Friddle's prose shines, especially with apt and poetic similes--but she comes awfully close to overdoing a good thing: Too many similes can be tiring and come across finally as the same artistic trick done too often to retain its freshness or, worse, as a kind of misdirection. Not for nothing did Gertrude Stein advise writers that in describing something it is usually better to say what a thing is than what it is like, i.e. "A rose is a rose is a rose."

Superb debut novel.......2005-08-12

Just finished reading The Garden Angel.....and really dragged out those final pages, because I didn't want it to end!
Wonderful debut novel with prose that flows, characters that made me feel like I knew them personally and Friddle displayed a terrific sense of place.
I highly recommend this novel and honestly have to say it's been ages since I enjoyed a story as much as this one. Down-to-earth and believable. Do yourself a favor and read this one. My only regret is I'm going to miss Cutter, Elizabeth, Alfred and the rest of the cast. Very much looking forward to Friddle's next novel.

Making Lemonade out of Lemons!.......2005-07-19

In the Garden Angel - Ms. Friddle carefully weaves a story with intricate detail and character. She illustrates how people's lives are oftentimes multi-faceted, secretive and how relationships are compromised, stretched and redefined.

This is a story of a young woman seeking to keep her family's estate together, of another woman seeking to keep her husband, and theats that they both must overcome.

Ms. Friddle illustrates that life isn't always fair or just, that sometimes we are not dealt the best hand but that we must play the game with the cards that we have been given. We must learn how to make lemonade out of Lemons. And in essence to live a life in "San Souci" -- which in French means "Without (San) worry (Souci)".

Average customer rating:

Beautiful
Attar of Roses
Exquisite writing from a fine author....
I could not have been more bored!
Slow pace quite right for thoughtful debut novel

Rose's Garden: A Novel
Carrie Brown
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1565121740

Book Description

Conrad and Rose met as children, fell in love as teenagers, and married young. Conrad earned a living as a gilder, raised homing pigeons, and worshipped Rose. Rose gardened. They lived together for more than fifty years, and then Rose died. At seventy-five, Conrad found himself alone, staring at the walls of his house and neglecting Rose's garden. Then an angel came to the garden, the last person he ever thought to see wearing wings. Startled, he felt compelled to spread the news throughout his town, and to his surprise, people he'd known all his life began to reveal their deepest selves to him. ROSE'S GARDEN tells an unforgettable story of a woman whose garden extended far beyond the boundaries of property and time, and the man who came into full blossom in its bower. "A sweet, gentle first novel."--Publishers Weekly; "This is a finely crafted, deeply touching love story."--Booklist; "A wise, surprisingly deft, fablelike first novel celebrating the rejuvenating effects of love. . . . A warm, remarkably surefooted debut."--Kirkus Reviews; "Beautiful, bittersweet, and always moving, it is highly recommended. ROSE'S GARDEN is a joy to visit."--Library Journal.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2006-09-14

I completely loved this novel, which is beautifully written. I don't usually read this type of book, but picked it up on a whim and have reread it twice. The prose is quite moving. Highly recommended.

Attar of Roses.......2003-04-14

There is no greater gift than a book found at a bargain price ..., new and lovely, WITH a fabulously, gentle tale of love. No syrupy love this, but a romance of everlasting grace, the story of aged Conrad who so deeply grieves the loss of his Rose, his wife and life's companion, that he would like to die. Then, early on, Conrad sees the Angel Lemuel, and other mystical things begin to happen which transform his death wish into the rest of his LIFE!

This lovely little story reaffirms the belief that life is to be lived, that a great love need not die, that grief is just another step in life's journey. And with the graceful story telling style of a Jan Karon, Carrie Brown's first novel, though only discovered a few week's ago by me, becomes a new treasure in this reader's life. How could someone so young as Carrie Brown imagine the great truths of life? Well she has; and they are waiting in this little book for your opening. There is a beautiful message here as one grieving man finds the wider world just outside his grief in his own community, one his Rose always knew.

Exquisite writing from a fine author...........2002-02-23

To speak of "Rose's Garden" is to describe a masterpiece of writing using only one of our many senses. It is only when you open the novel and begin to turn the pages that you find a delectable assortment of sensations and wondrous happenings.

Conrad Morrissey is an elderly man mourning the loss of his beloved wife, Rose. Feeling dejected and alone, oblivious to a horrible storm as it rages outside, he feels drawn from the shelter of his home into Rose's garden. It is there that he receives a "visitation"...but not from Rose...from an "angel with a rutted Abraham Lincoln face." It was his father-in-law, Lemuel.

Conrad watches in amazement, his eyes fixed on Lemuel as his great wings unfurl. At that moment Conrad knows that this is the end for him and he's glad. He'll soon be reunited with Rose. But Lemuel's only message to Conrad is to "Go back home." Home is the last place Conrad wants to be. It is there that he feels the depth of his despair over the loss of Rose.

During their life together he'd held Rose gently in his hands like a delicate bird in need of his nurturing touch. But one by one as the townsfolk begin to creep into his life, he discovers that Rose existed in more places than his life. Through the effect she had on the townspeople, they begin to nurture Conrad and he learns that although paradise with Rose awaits him, he can live again--Mary Hughes (author of The Last Slow Dance available on Amazon.com)

I could not have been more bored!.......2001-09-28

I didn't expect an action novel, but if I wanted to read about flowers, I would have bought a garden manual! Nothing happens in this story--there is no story! There are so many holes in the exposition that the author leads you to believe will be filled, but never are. The plot is stale: old man is sad...oh wait, he's getting sadder...he's near death and wishes he'd die...gee that's sad. It takes more to move my heart than a one sentence idea stretched into 300 pages!

Slow pace quite right for thoughtful debut novel.......2001-02-06

At last, I've finished all of Carrie Brown's novels. I started backwards when I had to review "The Hatbox Baby". Then, I moved backward on my own through "Lamb In Love" and now "Rose's Garden".

I confess I didn't harken to "Rose's Garden" at first. It seemed slower than the other two novels - slower in a way that was more appealing in Ms. Brown's last two offerings. But having read her other works, I felt I could trust her to lead me where I was supposed to be going, and she did.

The story of Conrad's widowhood - how he copes with the loneliness, the pain and his fears of moving on through life without his beloved Rose - is pretty devastating to read. Such are Ms. Brown's writing abilities that I think even if you have not lost a spouse, you can feel the weight of her character's absolute grief without any trouble. At these times, when one instinctively wants to pull back, to grasp that which is lost to the physical world, the best cure often lies in reaching outward, towards the future. Conrad's increasing awareness of the strength and depth of Rose's love, coupled with the renewing power that comes when he takes his own love and flings it into the air like one of his beloved homing pigeons, is remarkable. Like his birds, who return to settle on his outstretched arms, Conrad finds his love winging back towards him in ways he neither expects nor anticipates but which come as no surprise to the reader of "Rose's Garden".

If you remain patient through the first 100 pages, you'll be richly rewarded. As with "Lamb In Love" and "The Hatbox Baby", Ms. Brown's ethereal writing style and her very human characters will haunt you long after you're done reading.

The Serpent Garden: A Novel
Average customer rating:

Historical Fiction + Fantasy

Fun, quirky and enchanting

Romance & intrigue in the dangerous court of Henry VIII

Very good book!

Fun Stuff, Surprisingly good...

The Serpent Garden: A Novel
Judith Merkle Riley
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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In Pursuit of the Green Lion

ASIN: 0307395367
Release Date: 2008-01-08

Customer Reviews:

Historical Fiction + Fantasy.......2007-02-05

This was my second Judith Merkle Riley book to read-- having read The Oracle Glass first. I thought that the story was plausible but... be prepared for angels and demons to be living and breathing in the story.

The heroine of the story, Susanna Dallet is a quick witted, strong, talented court painter in Henry VIII's court. The facts/details included in the story about the methods of painting-- preparation of paints and tools was fascinating and I thourghly enjoyed this information.

The supernatural, fantasy characters were farfetched--confusing at times, but not totally ridiculous as both the good and evil 'beings' did have their own humourous charm.

If you like fantasy stories and can let your imagination just let go and run w/the fantasy created-- then this book is for you. I had a hard time accomplishing this while reading the book.

Fun, quirky and enchanting.......2006-07-10

In spite of hearing great things about her witty historical fiction (with a dash of fantasy) I never read anything by Judith Merkle Riley until today. I should never have waited so long.

This is an almost perfect novel. It has history, about Henry VIII's little sisters marriage to the king of France, mystery, in the shape of a secret priory of noble men keeping a secret about the "true royal blood of France" romance, and a spunky main character with a real personality. You'll even pick up on something (a very common theme in historical fiction actually, especially with the Cathers) that has come into the spotlight lately.

There's not much that needs to be said beyond that. This is a quirky, quick uplifting read that should enchant lovers of both historical fiction and fantasy. The main character, Susanna, a plucky and very talented woman painter who must shift for herself when her no good husband is murdered because of a secret manuscript and a locked up demon, is someone that you'll love instantly.

It is not a book to be taken seriously, but is purely a novel that provides novel entertainment. Perfect for summer reading. I polished it off in about a day and have allready ordered more of the authors books.

Four stars.

Romance & intrigue in the dangerous court of Henry VIII.......2004-07-25

Riley's delightful historical fiction is marked by wit, elegant writing and heroines with unusual talents and this fourth novel, set in the court of Henry VIII, is no exception.

Susanna Dallet is the daughter of a painter and the wife of another (who married her to learn her father's secrets). Because her husband spends all his money on his mistress, Susanna accepts a commission, in his name, to copy in miniature a portrait of the King's beautiful and willful sister, Mary.

Well taught by her father, she completes the painting herself and delivers it the next evening. But her husband has meanwhile been murdered by a jealous husband, so the painting acquires the cachet of having been completed by a ghost - women and non-guild members being forbidden to paint.

Such court powers as Bishop Thomas Wolsey are not so gullible however and Susanna's talents soon bring her to his notice (after an interlude supporting herself and an extended household through "naughty" religious paintings). Guild rules do not apply in the King's court and Susanna is soon swamped with orders, if not payments.

And when Henry VIII schemes to capture the throne of France by marrying his sister to the aging French king, Susanna is included among the vast wedding party.

Meanwhile, her dead husband's darker activities are dogging her footsteps. Part of a group of Satan worshipers, her husband acquired an ancient manuscript much covetted by his co-conspirators and a faction of the Knights Templar. Not knowing what the book is, Susanna has been cutting the margins as parchment for her miniatures while the devil-worshipers close in.

Romance, suspense, danger and intrigue abound. Susanna becomes adroit at escaping the silken nets of plots at both the British and French courts. She survives a disastrous storm at sea, but seems likely to lose the man she loves to poisonous whispers.

Menacing strangers watch her every move. Demons and angels compete for ascendancy in her world. Yes, demons. Riley enjoys a dash of spice from the supernatural and is a good enough writer weave it into the story's flow for the most part. This affinity worked better in 'The Oracle Glass,' however, where the heroine was a trained clairvoyant to the rich and famous. When angel and demon throw themselves into human endeavors in 'The Serpent Garden' it gets to be a little much - more farce than wit.

A minor complaint, however. Riley has a gift for immersing the reader in her period. She conveys the details of mixing and buying paint, learning anatomy, cleaning a studio floor, layering color on a miniature, guild rules and much much more without ever making the reader admire her research skills. Riley keeps the details integral to her heroine's daily activity and passionate commitment to her art.

Perhaps more impressive, she manages to convey the gist of political maneuverings without lengthy discourses and without her heroine's ever showing the slightest interest in any of the lofty intrigue. A colorful, captivating read.

Very good book!.......2002-12-22

I've been a fan of Judith Merkle Riley's books for a couple of years, and this book is really great. Susanna is a strong female character, and it is easy to get involved in her story; also, to see a woman in such an unusual position, where she is supporting herself, in the early sixteenth century was refreshing. However, The Serpent Garden doesn't quite measure up with another of Riley's books, The Oracle Glass, which I count among my favorite books. Susanna, though adventurous, is also sometimes overly modest and goes on and on about women's traditional roles, being a good wife, etc. However, if you like historical fiction, and if you enjoy Riley's books, I really recommend this one. Despite its shortcomings, it really is an enjoyable read and I'm happy to have it in my library.

Fun Stuff, Surprisingly good..........2002-07-20

The book alternates between the first person of Susannah Dallet, the Dutch-English heroine paintrix, and the third person descriptions of evil deeds of an evil doing demon master and the demon he conspires with. Susannah is just hoot. She's innocent, but intelligent, not quite blissfully unaware of all the rotten stuff going on around her, and she sees the world through her art, in terms of color and pigment, and has quite a bit to say about faces and how to paint in miniature. Not to mention that she must resort to subterfuge to keep practicing her trade in the man's world that is Tudor London and the rest of Renaissance Europe, for that matter. Susannah just wants to paint and be a good girl, but unfortunately her society won't allow her to do both. Through a series of adventures she ends up employed by Cardinal Wolsey to serve in the train of Mary Tudor, bride of the old King Louis of France. The historical detail is excellent here, right down to Jane Poppincourt's affair with the Duc de Longueville, Francis 1 rst libido, and Louis' sending Mary servants back to England. Riley does a wonderful job fusing characterization with Historical fact, and then moving from art to the beyond with demons and angels. At first the demons are a bit boring, but when the angels show up, the whole supernatural element fits right in, and makes for a wonderful tale.

Set of 2 Novels By John Berendt - Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil, The City of Falling Angels

Average customer rating:

Set of 2 Novels By John Berendt - Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil, The City of Falling Angels
John Berendt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WUUI64

Product Description

Set of 2 Novels By John Berendt - In the Garden of Good and Evil, The City of Falling Angels.

Book Description

Her life is in the hands of a man she dares not love...

Lady Isabel Louvet is a woman of noble birth, wit, courage, and beauty. But though these qualities make her an excellent bride, they cannot save her when, on the night she was meant to choose a groom, wild Scottish brigands storm the walls of her father's castle. As what should be a celebration turns to terror and bloodshed, Isabel is carried away from her family to be offered to a Scottish chieftain as a slave...or worse.

But unbeknownst to Isabel, she has a champion, a feared warrior and knight of legend named Anvrai d'Arques. His visage bears the scars of battle, but his heart remains pure in its devotion to country and king –– that is, until he sets out to rescue Isabel. Her fierce spirit of survival stirs his passion more than combat ever could, and with her touch his world forever shifts. Now, with the Scottish on their heels and a country on the brink of war, they must go forth in battle together –– to save themselves, to protect their countrymen, and to find a love that can set them both forever free.

Customer Reviews:

Great story with great characters!.......2006-11-25

I highly recommend this story. The two lead characters are great, Sir Anvrai is a wonderful hero, and Lady Isabel is very interesting and not the usual helpless female. I'd like to read more of them and was sorry when the book ended! I will definitely get the next book about what happened to Isabel's sister.
The Bride Hunt (the title is a bit strange for the story) is fast reading (I read it in a couple hours-very rare for me!) and full of adventure, romance, and is highly enetertaining! I'll be reading more of Ms. Maguires' stories! Great book!

Outstanding!.......2006-09-28

This was my first book by this author and it WILL NOT be the last. It was fantastic. I was very very pleased. I don't usually read medievals but this one was great....nice storyline and plot..developed characters..never a dull moment for me. It was different than many other historicals I have read but in a good way. Margo Maguire writes very well and I am now reading her current book The Perfect Seduction which is also excellent so far. Try her you'll like her. I would rather give it 4 and 1/2 stars but Amazon won't allow it so it's 4 stars.

What a fun surprise!.......2006-09-19

I wasn't sure what to expect there was such a mixture of reviews;I decided to give The Bride Hunt by Margo Maguire a go and I was definitely happy I did. This was a fun romp with two brilliantly written characters! Isabel is a quite the leading lady-she reminded me alot of Siobhan from The North Kingdom by Jordan N. Danniels. They are both very strong women that are forced into compromised situations, but each seem to end up even better for having endured all the twists and turns of fate. Read both for double the fun this fall!

3.5 stars -- Good, solid romance.......2006-04-10

This book is consistently engaging and entertaining, except that the hero's determination to keep the heroine at arm's length due to his feelings of unworthiness and his fear of losing her if he admits he loves her (as he lost his mother & sister in the past) gets a little overdone. The heroine is a good strong one; a thinker, nicely determined to get under the hero's skin, and not afraid to tell him she loves him (and to be the one to initiate action on their attraction! An original touch by this author.)

The conflict between the characters is believeable, there are no stupid misunderstandings. The hurly-burly, dangerous atmosphere of William the Conqueror's England is nicely brought to life. I was little annoyed, however, by the several hints of a sequel -- about Isabel's sister's fate. Still, this story was well-written enough to make me want to read such a sequel, or indeed, more books by this author. Not a perfect romance novel for me, but a very solid & enjoyable read.

Boring!!.......2006-03-30

I barely got through this book. In fact, I skipped through about 3/4 of it. I read romance books for ROMANCE! This book went on and on (endlessly) about the character's trek and adventure, and there was very little romance until almost the end of the book. This should be under the "Adventure" category - not romance.

Perfect Husband: True Story Trustng Bride Who Discovered Husband Coldblooded Killer

Average customer rating:

I'm in the book....

Perfect Husband: True Story Trustng Bride Who Discovered Husband Coldblooded Killer
Provost
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0671724932

Customer Reviews:

I'm in the book...........2004-05-05

They spelled my name wrong and left out the most interesting part of my involvement.....................

Average customer rating:

Good and worth a read, but not the best (of the series or from Jane Feather)
Cure for insomnia
The Bride Hunt
Jane Feather is no Jane Austen
Loved it!

The Bride Hunt
Jane Feather
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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Almost a Bride

ASIN: 055358619X
Release Date: 2004-03-02

Book Description

Hailed for her captivating blend of romance and sensuality, New York Times bestselling author Jane Feather has enchanted readers and critics alike. In this second book in her dazzling new trilogy, Constance, Prudence, and Chastity Duncan, London’s most charming young matchmakers, are faced with a ruinous lawsuit—and it’s up to the brainy, beautiful middle sister to extricate them.

No sooner had the Duncan sisters’ Personals service turned a profit than their controversial newspaper, The Mayfair Lady, offended a powerful earl—who is now determined to ruin them with a lawsuit. In dire need of counsel, the women turn to England’s most-sought-after young barrister.

Sir Gideon Malvern is notorious for his aggressive style—and his love of a challenge. Spirited Prudence, with her beauty unsuccessfully hidden behind spectacles and frumpy clothes, provides him with exactly that. But how in the world will the Duncan sisters be able to afford Gideon’s fee? Prudence proposes a barter: Gideon defends their case; they find him a bride. It’s an exchange of services even this most cynical, single barrister can’t refuse.

Download Description

No sooner had the Duncan sisters’ Personals service turned a profit than their controversial newspaper, The Mayfair Lady, offended a powerful earl—who is now determined to ruin them with a lawsuit. In dire need of counsel, the women turn to England’s most sought-after young barrister.

Sir Gideon Malvern is notorious for his aggressive style—and his love of a challenge. Spirited Prudence, with her beauty unsuccessfully hidden behind spectacles and frumpy clothes, provides him with exactly that. But how in the world will the Duncan sisters be able to afford Gideon’s fee? Prudence proposes a barter: Gideon defends their case; they find him a bride. It’s an exchange of services even this most cynical, single barrister can’t refuse.

“The second entry in Feather’s Matchmaker trilogy (following The Bachelor List) is a charming romp through 19th-century London featuring the Duncan sisters, who are trying to hold their family together financially by running a matchmaking service and producing the suffragist scandal sheet, The Mayfair Lady. When the paper is sued for libel, Prudence Duncan enlists the help of fierce barrister Sir Gideon Malvern.... [B]efore long, Gideon finds himself as involved with Prue as he is with the Mayfair Lady case. Readers may be surprised by the setting, which is unusual for historical romances; here the automobile and the telephone have already been invented.”
   PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Interesting characters keep the sensual story lively, proving once again why Feather is so very popular. Readers will eagerly anticipate the adventures of the third Duncan sister.”
   BOOKLIST

Customer Reviews:

Good and worth a read, but not the best (of the series or from Jane Feather).......2007-07-13

I've read a good number of Jane Feather's books and this is not my favorite, though it is worth reading; if I had to do it over, I would have gotten it from the library and not bought it, since I don't think it will be on my reread shelf. It is the second in the Duncan Sisters Trilogy, but was actually the last one that I read; I don't remember what I thought about the first book, "The Bachelor List," (I have ready a lot historical romances) but I greatly enjoyed the third, "The Wedding Game."

Setting: England, 1906
Sensuality rating: 5 (a couple kissing scenes, one love scene, all were well-paced within the story and authentic)

PROS:
(1) The chemistry between the hero (Sir Gideon Malvern) and the heroine (Honorable Prudence Duncan) was good; their personalities clashed immediately, but it is fun to watch their relationship develop and I think they were a good pairing
(2) Constance, Prudence, and Chastity (the three Duncan sisters) are endearing and their affection for each other is always evident; they care for one another and for their father, and they really come across as three sisters whom you would enjoy being friends with
(3) Of course, the hero is important and I have to say I liked Gideon, despite his somewhat-authoritarian know-it-all attitude; he has a good heart, his relationship with his daughter is endearing, and seeing him vulnerable at times is irresistible!
(4) As mentioned above, Gideon has a daughter (9-year-old Sarah) who lives with him and not his ex-wife (remember, early 1900s so although divorce is not at all common, it's not completely unheard of); he comes off as a good father, he cares for Sarah greatly and doesn't have an oppressive view of women's roles (Sarah attends a very good school, her governess talks to her about women's suffrage, etc.).
(5) "The Bride Hunt" is a quick read and doesn't bog you down or grow tedious; the story is fast-paced, entertaining, and I became attached to the characters.

CONS:
First, there were NO major issues, but there's always something you can say, so ...
(1) The fact that the sisters keep Lord Duncan in the dark about the family finances annoys me: he's a grown man, so I really think they should tell him the truth, have him face facts, and not just try to stay one step ahead. We hear many times that this is what Lady Duncan would have done (their mother passed away) and would want them to do, but I was bothered.
(2) Also regarding Lord Duncan, I was annoyed he is shown to consistently support Lord Barclay. The story is that Lord Barclay has raped women working in his household and when they get pregnant he throws them out with nothing - if this were true, I doubt he is pleasant in all other ways, so how does Lord Duncan not see his "friend" is a horrible person? Also, how do the sisters not get annoyed that their father is friends with a rapist? This was inconsistent, and the only reason they were made to continue being friends was because it was necessary for the plot later on (can't say more).

Cure for insomnia.......2006-12-28

From the back cover:

No sooner had the Duncan sisters' Personals serice turned a profit than their controversial newspaper, THE MAYFAIR LADY, offended a powerful earl--who is now determined to ruin them with a lawsuit. In dire need of counsel, the women turn to England's most-sought-after young barrister...

Sir Gideaon Malvern is notorious for his aggressive style--and his love of a challenge. Spirited Prudence, with her beauty unsuccessfully hidden behind spectacles and frumpy clothes, provides him with exactly that. But how in the world will the Duncan sisters be able to afford Gideon's fee? Prudence proposes a barter: Gideon defends their case; they find him a bride. It's an exchange of services even this most cynical, single barrister can't refuse.

And my review:

I was wary of trying Jane Feather again, as I'd been thoroughly bored by one of her books (THE ACCIDENTAL BRIDE) years before. But when I saw this at the thrift store for only 50 cents, I decided to give this author another try, since most writers have at least one "bomb" in their career, and I try not to write them off my list after only one unsatisfying book.

But THE BRIDE HUNT was so boring! I actually found myself distracted from the book by my husband's video game. Yes, it was that unengaging! I couldn't even get to page 50. Nothing really seemed to happen. I felt like a lot of this book was "catch-up" for those who hadn't read the first book in the trilogy (I hadn't), and the characters all seemed flat to me. None of them seemed real, and I just didn't really care about them. And though the threat of a lawsuit and financial ruin loomed, it just didn't have the "oomph" of good characters to back it up. The back cover blurb says that Prudence is "spirited". I didn't see any indication of that. She was pretty "blah" to me. And the hero didn't do much more for me, either.

Jane Feather obviously has a big following; I just won't be counted among that number.

The Bride Hunt.......2006-11-07

This was a fun romance novel. Not too much of the ridiculous sex stuff, which is fine by me. The sisters were entertaining and fun. A quick, fun, easy read.

Jane Feather is no Jane Austen.......2006-10-10

There were three story lines in this book, and none of them were very interesting. The story of the three sisters' relationship to each other and their matchmaking service had the potential to be amusing (as a similar story was done so well in Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice), but instead was lifeless and plodding. The second story about the civil suit and trial was trite and unrealistic. And the third story, the romance between Gideon and Prudence, suffered from a lack of development. They didn't spend much time together as a couple because Prudence was always with her sisters or working on the newspaper or trial.

Altogether, this book put me off Jane Feather. I doubt that I'll try another one of Feather's books anytime soon, if at all.

Loved it!.......2005-10-10

I loved this book! Prudence has to go to court to protect her father and the family newspaper, while at the same time keeping her identity a secret. The only part I didn't like ***SPOILER*** was when Gideon's ex showed up. I didn't really think that added to the plot at all. I would have been happier if it had been left out all together. Other than that, it was highly satisfactory.

An Urgent Call to a Serious Faith: A Prophetic Alarm for the Bride of Christ

Average customer rating:

One of Dave's best books

An Urgent Call to a Serious Faith: A Prophetic Alarm for the Bride of Christ
Hunt, Dave
Manufacturer: Berean Call
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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From chapter one: "Death is not a pleasant topic, nor one that we will dwell upon, but it is an important starting point for serious reflection. Moses wrote, 'So teach us to number our days [that is, to realize how quickly they come to an end], that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom' (Psalm 90:12). The implication is clear that something lies beyond the grave for which we ought to make plans. The uncertainty of life and the inevitability of death are two of the most basic elements of human existence. Logically, then--even for those who think death ends it all--what may lie after death deserves at least some serious attention and planning before it may be forever too late." Previously published in paperback, this new hardcover edition, provides in-depth, scriptural answers to many of life's most important questions.

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The Bachelor & The Bride Hunt (The Matchmaker Trilogy)

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An End-Time Christian: The Victorious Journey of a German War Bride

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