Category Archives: Regency

Purchased

Miss Kate Daltry doesn’t believe in fairy tales . . . or happily ever after.

Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince . . . and decides he’s anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions. (from Goodreads)

I purchased this book because of Eloisa James’ Facebook posts about it.  I like fairy tale stories and this one promised to be funny.  I believe it is the first book I have read by this author and although I enjoyed it, I doubt I will read many more.  There is a novella promised about the prince’s brother that I really want to read however.  I felt Wick was the most likable character in the book.

This book did not grab me enough to make me want to add this author to my read list.  I already follow more authors than I can keep up with, so I am going to let her go except for the promised novella I mentioned.

Purchased

I originally read this book when it was first released and really enjoyed it.  I did not know a sequel had been written, What Happens in London, until I received the third book, Ten Things I Love About You as a Goodreads’ Giveaway.

Of course, I immediately ordered book two and re-read book one.  I am pleased to say I enjoyed The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever just as much on the second reading.

However, for some reason I was less patient with Turner and his refusal to face up to how he felt about Miranda.  I thought it showed a lack of maturity on his part.

Book two is supposed to be delivered today and I will probably be up all night reading it.  I cannot wait!

This has been a great series.  I received the first book, First Comes Marriage as a Goodreads Giveaway and I was hooked.  Books two through four I was able to get with ILL through the public library, but this book was too new.  There was no way I could wait to find out Con’s story, so I purchased it myself.

This final book was thoroughly satisfying.  It tied up several questions that were introduced in the first book and brought all of the major and  not so major characters back together.  I thought I knew who the real “bad guy” was going to turn out to be and found out I was completely wrong!

Con was always one of my favorite members of the family and he is well matched with the Duchess.  And, I finally figured out the time period of this series, which is a couple of decades past the Regency.

These were my first Mary Balogh books.  I seriously doubt they will be my last.

The fourth novel of the Huxtable Quintet is the first to focus on a male character in the family.  Stephen is the youngest child and only male of the four siblings.  Despite that, he is not a spoiled brat.

At the age of twenty-five, he is seduced (although he denies it was a seduction) by Cassandra, Lady Paget who is a widow three years his senior.  She is in need of a protector to keep her and her dependents from becoming destitute.

As in all good romances, they fall in love.  However, Stephen keeps telling himself that he is only worried about her.  Of course, some type of scandal ensues and he ends up having to marry her anyway.

I have mixed feelings about this book and I am not sure why.  I like Stephen.  I liked him in the earlier books and I was always afraid that the elevation of his status would make him run wild.  I am glad the author did not take that obvious route.

I do however think he is too good to be true in this book.  His relationship with Cassandra is not very realistic for a male member of the ton during this time period.

What I really did like was the inclusion of all my favorite characters from the earlier books.  Their personalities remained as I expected along with their love for each other.

I received the first book in this series as a Goodreads Giveaway.  Books two through four came from the library.  However, since book five, A Secret Affair, is brand new, I have had to order my own copy.  I cannot wait to finally read Con’s story.

I think this is my favorite Huxtable book so far.  I am not sure if it is because I feel like I know the characters better, or if it is just a better story.

Margaret/Meg/Maggie is the oldest sister and the oldest sibling in the family.  She has been more mother than sister to the others since their real mother died.  Due to that, she put her own life on hold.

Finally, her two sisters are married and her brother has reached his majority.  Margaret decides it is time to finally accept the offer of marriage from her most persistent suitor.  Her decision comes just in time because her first love Crispin is back in London and she does not want to have heart broken again.

However, Duncan Pennethorne has other ideas.  He is in desperate need of a wife or he will lose his inheritance.  When Margaret literally runs into him at a ball, he asks her to dance and marry him all within the same sentence.

All of these books seem to have a scandal of some type and this one is not an exception.  Duncan ran away with a married woman five years earlier and has only returned because of her death.

I think the reason I liked this book the best was because I like Duncan the best of all the male characters.  I think he is the most honest of them.

The final two books revolve around the men in the family, Stephen, the brother and Con, their cousin.  It will be interesting to see the different viewpoint.