Review: Again the Magic

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Sheila

Again The Magic (Wallflowers, #0.5) by Lisa Kleypas
Series: Wallflowers #0.5
Published by HarperCollins e-books on October 13, 2009
Genres: Historical
Pages: 386
Goodreads
four-stars

Story of Love Long Denied

AGAIN THE MAGIC is the love story of Lady Aline, the daughter of and Earl and McKenna, the former stable boy who worked on her family’s estate. The two meet as children and are friends. As they age, however, they fall in love. They are separated by Aline’s father. The bulk of the story takes place twelve years later when they meet again.

McKenna has made himself living in America and has come back for revenge on Aline. The book is one where Aline keeps many secrets from McKenna. For those readers who are adverse to stories that could be avoided if the characters would speak honestly with one another, this book is not for you. I don’t mind the trope, however, when the reasons behind the lies are made clear. In this book, I understood why Aline lied to McKenna. I felt the pain of the two characters.

There is also a side romance involving Aline’s younger sister Olivia. This book is a prequel to Kleypas’ Wallflowers series as it introduces the Earl of Westcliff, who is Aline’s older brother. While certainly not necessary to the Wallflowers series, it is a nice introduction to that series.

I recommend it.

Review: Three Weddings and a Kiss

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Sheila

Three Weddings and a Kiss by Catherine Anderson, Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Lisa Kleypas, Loretta Chase
Published by Avon on September 1, 1995
Genres: Historical
Pages: 389
Goodreads
four-stars

This is an anthology of three short novellas and one very short story. All are unrelated to one another.

FANCY FREE by Catherine Anderson: Clint Rafferty trying to raise his brothers and keep the family together after the deaths of his parents. Rachel Constantine wants to get revenge for her sister’s heart being broken by Clint’s brother. When revenge goes wrong, Clint and Rachel end up with a “shotgun” wedding. The two attempt to give their marriage a go. This book takes place in the American West. The story is built on humor as Rachel doesn’t wear her needed glasses and ends up making a mess of cooking, cleaning and all the household activities. I didn’t mind the device, but it went on too long and eventually got tiring to read. The story is pretty fluffy as a story as these two never really get to know one another as people even as their relationship progresses. It wasn’t a bad story, but pretty forgettable. Rating: 2 stars.

THE MAD EARL’S BRIDE by Loretta Chase: THE MAD EARL’S BRIDE is a short story that has a connection with Loretta Chase’s classic LORD OF SCOUNDRELS. The couple from that book, Dain and Jess, make a small but significant appearance here.
This story is the romance between Gwen and Dorian. The two meet because of an arranged marriage because Dorian is dying of an inherited brain disease that killed his mother and is expected to soon kill him. Before he dies, however, he is expected to father an heir. Gwen agrees to the marriage because she seeks the influence and money that marriage will give her so that she can open a hospital. She does not mind that her future husband will soon be a lunatic because she has studied medicine and had wished to be a doctor (of course, she is not permitted to do so because she is a woman). Dorian initially does not wish to marry at all , but decides to help Gwen realize her dream. The romance between the two is sweet and full of angst as they are living under the sadness of having such a short time together. Dorian is reluctant to engage in a true relationship because he cares for Gwen but she overcomes him. What I liked best about this story is how he respects Gwen’s abilities and trusts in her judgment. The resolution of the story comes not from miracles, but rather the intelligence of Gwen and the trust between the couple that uncovers the solution. I really enjoyed this story and I highly recommend it. Rating: 4 stars.

PROMISES by Lisa Kleypas: Lidian Acland is waiting for the man she loves to return from the Continent even though her mother insists that Lidian is only hiding from her hurt of his leaving her. Lord Eric De Gray meets Lidian while escorting his sister at a party and is struck by her kindness. They dance, but Lidian tells Eric that she it taken. Eric takes a liking to Lidian and is determined to make her confront that the man she is waiting for is not worthy of her and Eric himself wants her. This story was okay but nothing particularly stood out with one exception — Lidian and Eric go to Craven’s (yes, Derek Craven’s gambling hell from DREAMING OF YOU). We get a small glimpse of Derek and how his character jumps from the page in only a few lines demonstrated how pale the other characters are in comparison. Nothing was bad about it, it just wasn’t the standard I expect from Kleypas’s work. Rating: 3 stars.

THE KISS by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss: A few things need to be said about this work. Most importantly, this is only one story of two plus a novel about this couple. This story is only a small vignette and really needs especially the novel to feel complete. Jeff Birmingham, the brother of Brandon from THE FLOWER AND THE FLAME, is shopping for a gift for his sister-in-law when he runs into — literally — into a young woman dressed in rags. Raelynn Barrett who is running from her uncle who intends to sell her to a man who may “eventually” marry her. This story doesn’t have much substance to it when read alone. There is instant attraction which then leads to a marriage based upon Raelynn being ruined. We don’t get to know much about her. Jeff is better known primarily because of his appearance in THE FLOWER AND THE FLAME. This story should be read only as a sequel and prequel to the actual book about Jeff and Raelynn which was its intent more than a self-contained story. Rating: 2.5 stars.

Review: Gifts of Love

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Sheila

Gifts of Love by Kay Hooper, Lisa Kleypas
Published by Avon on October 31, 2006
Genres: Historical
Pages: 326
Goodreads
three-half-stars

This is an anthology of two unrelated novellas.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT by Kay Hooper: Lady Antonia Wingate and Richard Allerton, Duke of Lyonshall were engaged and seemingly in love when Antonia abruptly broke off their engagement. Several years later, Antonia’s grandmother has invited Richard to a “house party” where he is the only non-family guest. While her grandmother attempts to rekindle Antonia and Richard’s romance, the two are privy to the ghostly romance of prior inhabitants of the castle. I really enjoyed this story. The romance plot is pretty standard, but the addition of the ghost story and the interfering grandmother gave this story some extra interest. Rating: 4 stars.

SURRENDER by Lisa Kleypas: Jason and Laura Moran are newly married but not happily. Jason believes that Laura is contemptuous of him because of his humble beginnings. Laura fears Jason’s coldness. The two have the chance to save their new marriage if they can speak their hearts to one another. I really like stories about married couples. This one, however, was just okay for me. Perhaps their problems needed more pages to be explored and solved or perhaps I didn’t feel that the characters were complex enough to explore the problems presented. For whatever reason, I liked the story but didn’t find it particularly memorable or remarkable. Rating: 3 stars.

Review: When Strangers Marry

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Sheila

When Strangers Marry (Vallerands, #1) by Lisa Kleypas
Series: Vallerands #1
Published by Avon on August 1, 2002
Genres: Historical
Pages: 390
Goodreads
three-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: Certainly not as complex as Kleypas’s more recent works, I enjoyed the main characters: the innocent heroine who is strong and doesn’t cower from the hero and the hero who has a bad reputation but quickly falls for the heroine.

THE STORY: Lysette Kersaint is being forced by her stepfather to marry a man who repulses her. Instead, Lysette decides to take her future in her own hands and escape. But her flight puts her in the path of Maximilien Vallerands. Max decides to use Lysette for revenge against her prospective bridegroom. Lysette, however, has no intention of allowing Max to use her.

OPINION: This book was mixed for me. The story certainly isn’t particularly complex and the characters don’t have a tremendous amount of depth to them, but I really liked the characters.

Lysette is young, but she quickly shows strength and determination and the ability to manage Max who is fifteen years her senior. And the relationship between Lysette and Max is one of the nicest of Kleypas’s books. These two like one another almost from the beginning — and not the sexual liking, but rather the two have an emotional and intellectual connection from early on in this book. I really liked how these characters interacted with one another. I would have expected the older and more experienced Max to crush the young Lysette, but instead their relationship is a combination of her strength and his caring for her enough to include her opinions in his considerations.

If a reader is looking for an equivalent of Kleypas’s later works, there is apt to be disappointment, but I enjoyed this book on its own terms.

WORTH MENTIONING: I really loved the different time period and location. This book takes place in Louisiana at the turn of the 19th century. The book uses Aaron Burr’s post-Hamilton duel history in the Louisiana territories which led to him being tried for treason as the historical underpinning for this story.

CONNECTED BOOKS: WHEN STRANGERS MARRY is the first book in the Vallerands series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

Review: Hello Stranger

Posted on March 3, 2018 by Sheila

Hello Stranger (The Ravenels, #4) by Lisa Kleypas
Published by Avon on February 27th 2018
Genres: Historical
Pages: 400
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: Not as good as DEVIL IN SPRING, but the unique heroine makes this book. Both outside of the typical aristocratic world, Garrett and Ethan have a sweeter romance than I expected.

THE STORY: Dr. Garrett Gibson is the only woman doctor in England and has made herself independent and finds herself just a little annoyed that Mr. Ethan Ransom keeps popping up watching over her. Ethan was formally with Scotland Yard but now works in the shadows. Although he knows that he should stay away from the intriguing Dr. Gibson, Ethan cannot. Garrett is determined to have a love affair if nothing else, but Ethan brings with him deadly danger from someone plotting a terrorist event.

OPINION: This book has an unlikely pairing — the first woman doctor in England and a spy. Garrett and Ethan meet periodically as Ethan first comes across her in his work. But even though he knows that there is something special between them, his work does not allow him attachments. He cannot avoid, however, watching over her and the two end up meeting again and again.

A funny way to begin a romance, but Garrett and Ethan bond over strange and practical things. While their meetings are prosaic at times, there is an intense underlying sweetness between them. They are so obviously perfect for one another, but Ethan’s job is dangerous and any attachments are dangerous both to him and to anyone he care about. I loved how the two are with one another and how Kleypas keeps the importance of Garrett’s job at the forefront of the story.

This is the story of equals. Garrett knows that she wants Ethan and is determined that somehow she will make things work. She has agency in this story. Her choices, her decisions are her own. And she will not allow Ethan to make the decisions for both of them.

With the description of this story, I expected more intrigue and drama, but the book wisely keeps centered on Garrett and her choices and this makes this book more personal and intimate and sweeter as a romance.

WORTH MENTIONING: For fans of West, he has a prominent role here.

CONNECTED BOOKS: HELLO STRANGER is the fourth book in the Ravenels series. While this series has a different couple in each book, this is the story of a family and thus the books have overlapping characters and in this case, the romance between Garrett and Ethan actually begins in MARRYING WINTERBORNE and continues in DEVIL IN SPRING. While this book catches the reader up, I think it is better to read the series in order to know all the characters.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

Review: Stranger in My Arms

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Sheila

Stranger in My Arms by Lisa Kleypas
Published by HarperCollins e-books on October 13th 2009
Genres: Historical
Pages: 384
Goodreads
four-stars

“Lady Hawksworth, your husband is not dead.”

FINAL DECISION: An enjoyable read that had a Gothic feel to it. The story was more intellectual than full of heart, but I enjoyed the experience of Lara’s uneasiness to the man who has returned to her and the two of them falling in love.

THE STORY: After two years of a miserable marriage, Lara was happy to see her husband go off to India. When she learned of his death, she was finally able to live her own life. Now a year later, she is told that her husband has returned. Lara is at first convinced that the man must be an impostor. But he knows things that only her husband could know. He is, however, not the man who left her. Hunter claims that his near death experience has changed him. The question is whether the man who returned to her is her husband or a stranger.

OPINION: This was an interesting book. A story that raises the issue of whether someone can change and whether a woman can begin to dream again.

This book is clearly an exercise in twisting back and forth over whether Hunter is actually Lara’s husband or an impostor. But it also raises the issue of whether it is possible for a person to change and become a “stranger” to his old life.

This book feels more Gothic than I expected. Who is this man? What is his purpose? Or is this actually Lara’s husband and her doubts and lack of trust are just blinding her to his identity. I liked the intellectual and mysterious elements in this story. And this is a book that I really recommend reading without spoilers.

The best part of the book for me is Lara’s indecision and how she realizes who Hunter is — not in the simple sense of a name but rather as a man. By using the uncertainty she has over whether or not he is her husband, a discovery anew is permitted. Lara finds out who her husband was and is.

Because Hunter remains mysterious for most of the book, the story feels more intellectual that emotional and maybe I’d not like all of my books in this model. But here it works for me.

WORTH MENTIONING: Do not read ahead in this book. Enjoy the way the story develops.

CONNECTED BOOKS: STRANGER IN MY ARMS is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

Review: Where Dreams Begin

Posted on January 20, 2018 by Sheila

Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas
Published by Avon on November 26th 2013
Genres: Historical
Pages: 373
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: This was an enjoyable book, with parts that I really enjoyed, especially the hero, but it felt uneven and the plot didn’t flow as well as I would expect. I was annoyed by the heroine’s reasons for rejecting the hero and that was the entire reason for them being apart so it made a difference to my enjoyment of the story.

THE STORY: Lady Holly Taylor is a widow with a young daughter. Entirely proper in every day, Holly is shocked when she encounters a man in a darkened room who, mistaking her for someone else, kisses her passionately. Even more shocking is when she realizes that the man is Zachary Bronson. Bronson is a commoner and a self-made man who is extremely influential but barely tolerated by society. Captivated by Holly, Bronson is determined to spent as much time with her as possible. When he makes her a scandalous offer of employment, Holly is tempted.

OPINION: There was a lot I really enjoyed about this story. The cross-class romance was quite wonderful as Holly begins to see something different that how she was raised and expected to live. She begins to question things about her own life.

I also loved, loved Zachary who is so sweet in how he falls for Holly. He is so taken with her almost immediately but treats her with such respect. His interactions with Holly’s daughter are also adorable. I also liked how he treats Holly as a flesh and blood woman and not as a status symbol. So often this story might be him deciding that he wants to improve himself by marrying into society and trying to coerce her, but that is not how this story works.

The drama is about Holly’s own reticence and that is where I had the problem. Holly is too concerned about what her husband would want and expect from her. I certainly understand that she might be concerned about how she was raised or society’s view, but I don’t get turning over your life to a dead man. There was just too much of that for me.

My second problem is with the secondary crisis in the book towards the end. It seemed manufactured because everything is really resolved and then we have chapters left to finish so we need a new drama — but since the two have already declared themselves to one another, it just didn’t feel that it moved the story forward in any real way.

Despite this, I really liked Holly and Zachary together. They had a sweet romance.

WORTH MENTIONING: A minor character, Dr. Linley, has his own romance in the novella “Against the Odds”.

CONNECTED BOOKS: WHERE DREAMS BEGIN is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

Review: Crystal Cove

Posted on December 24, 2017 by Sheila

Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas
Series: Friday Harbor #4
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on February 5th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal
Pages: 336
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: My favorite book of the series because it works as a complete story and the magical elements blend perfectly with the romance. The intense focus on the couple made me really enjoy this one.

THE STORY: Justine Hoffman, the owner of a successful Bed and Breakfast hotel in Friday Harbor, has known that her life is missing love. What she never understood is why she can’t feel love. Then she discovers that someone cast a spell upon her to stop her from loving. When she breaks the enchantment, she doesn’t realize that something more dangerous might be in the offing. Jason Black, a successful video game creator has come to Friday Harbor to build a retreat complex — and also for his own mysterious purposes related to Justine.

OPINION: This book avoids the main issue I had with the other books in the series (apart from the first novella): this book manages to marry the personal journey of the heroine, the romance and the magical elements.

The magical elements work because the series goes full-blown into the paranormal without apology. Jason is a man without a soul and Justine is a hereditary witch. There are no conflicts between the straight contemporary story and the magic. This book goes for the magical elements with a whole heart and the book is better for it.

This book also focuses primarily on the romance between Justine and Jason and takes part in the personal journey of Justine only as a part of that story. So there are not chapters and chapters about her personal problems that have no impact on the romance. Here everything is well integrated and connected. Justine’s drama comes from her relationship with her mother and while this story is a part of this book, the focus remains on the romance.

And I loved the romance. The story was so different than what I expected when I read that Justine was going to be involved with a man without a soul. The story was well worked out and things fit in nicely that I got to focus on the characters relationship which was the highlight here. Jason had depth and humor and a sweetness that I didn’t expect.

The book goes a little stronger into the bedroom habits of the couple (and I never expected to end up reading two book about Japanese rope art in the same year) than I usually read with Kleypas’s books, but it works because there is less internal drama with the characters, so things are kept a little more spicy with the external parts of their relationship.

I had only a few small complaints about the story. First, I really thought that Justine would have made Jason pay more for his actions in the book. Or maybe, I wanted her to be more angry and make him grovel a little more. Second, this book and the series really needed something to conclude it. An epilogue or another book. I believe that there was intended to be more of the series, but since there isn’t I really missed seeing how everything worked out for all the couples.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book seemed to set up another book in the series that was not written.

CONNECTED BOOKS: CRYSTAL COVE is the fourth book in the Friday Harbor series. While there are overlapping characters, this book can be read as a complete standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

Review: Dream Lake

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Sheila

Dream Lake (Friday Harbor, #3) by Lisa Kleypas
Series: Friday Harbor #3
Published by Piatkus Books on August 7th 2012
Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal
Pages: 336
Goodreads
three-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: I struggled and struggled with how to rate this book because I loved the couple, but ultimately felt that the story didn’t do them justice. I would read parts of it again because some interactions were amazing, but it didn’t work for me as well as a whole.

THE STORY: Alex Nolan is the youngest son of a pair of alcoholic parents and that has made him cynical and jaded and on his way to following in his parents’ footsteps. After his divorce, Alex recognizes that he will be alone. And then he is not alone when he finds that a ghost searching for his identity and his past attaches himself to Alex. Zoe Hoffman is gentle and sweet and everything that Alex knows he will destroy if the two get involved. Zoe, however, sees something good in Alex that calls to her even as her own life has challenges dealing with her elderly grandmother.

OPINION: Some books are challenging to read and some are challenging to decide what I think of them. This book started out really slow for me and I thought it might be worse than the second book in the series which was okay but not fantastic.

But when we got into Alex’s struggle with his drinking and his relationship with Zoe begins to develop, I just fell in love with these characters and their relationship. The gentle way that Zoe overcomes Alex (who doesn’t recognize or want to acknowledge that he longs for commitment and love) was just magical. I loved their interactions which felt real and frank and some really amazing character development.

That middle third to half of the book was amazing.

But the resolution was too quick and too contrived for me. Zoe and Alex deserved something better. I just didn’t buy it. And that might have something to do with the ghost story which didn’t work that well for me.

This book was a mixed bag for me, but the characters are ones that I will continue to think about and those middle pages are ones that I will re-read. But ultimately, the whole of the book meant that I couldn’t give it more stars. I liked the book, but while the characters were amazing, the overall story was only okay.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book takes place at the same time as the second book in the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DREAM LAKE is the third book in the Friday Harbor series. It is not really necessary to read the other books in the series to enjoy this one although the overlapping characters and timeline make this book better after reading the other two.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

Review: Rainshadow Road

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Sheila

Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor, #2) by Lisa Kleypas
Series: Friday Harbor #2
Published by Piatkus Books on February 28th 2012
Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal
Pages: 308
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: This was a fine story and parts were really good, but I thought the first half was better than the conclusion and nothing about it was really memorable.

THE STORY: Lucy Marinn discovers that her live-in boyfriend of two years has dumped her for her younger sister. Lucy asks herself why she keeps getting involved with the wrong kind of man. When she meets Sam Nolan, owner of a local vineyard, she knows she bad man streak continues. Sam is a nice man but he is upfront that he never intends to marry and any relationship with him can only be physical. The two cannot seem to avoid one another, however, as accidents, matchmaking and coincidences keep bringing them together.

OPINION: I wanted to really love this book, but I only ended up liking it and that was primarily because of the characters. In some ways this felt like a book made up of jumbled genres. Contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and paranormal just didn’t work together in this book.

I loved the characters and wish this was more like a true contemporary romance. Instead, this book has a women’s fiction feel where the story is more about Lucy’s personal growth than the romance. We don’t get enough about Sam and Lucy together. In fact, much of their story ends up taking place in the space of a couple of paragraphs noting that they spent months together as a couple.

I liked the characters and the story, but I thought the romance ended up a bit disconnected even though it had great potential.

The book also has paranormal elements that seemed to have no real purpose in the story. They were weirdly placed and didn’t really contribute to the story. They were neither fully integrated into the characters nor significant enough to the story to make their placement worth breaking the contemporary romance rules.

Parts of the book were really good. I loved the parts where the deep emotions between Lucy and Sam are allowed to be the focus, but those moments were only enough to make the overall book likable.

The book feels like an experiment that I didn’t find entirely successful.

WORTH MENTIONING: I think the blurb for this book doesn’t really describe the story in this book as it suggests that Sam and Lucy get together because of her ex’s interference. That is just not true.

CONNECTED BOOKS: RAINSHADOW ROAD is the second book in the Friday Harbor series. It can be read as a standalone although there are overlapping characters.