Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (Love By Numbers)
by Sarah MacLean. Avon Books. 2010. Library Copy. Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord
2010; Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart 
2011.
The Plot: Regency England. The St. John twins are scandalous, for reasons beyond their control -- their mother famously abandoned children and husband -- and in their control...they are young, handsome, and Gabriel, the elder brother and the Marquess of Ralston, is a rake of the highest level.
When the twenty year old daughter of their mother's second marriage, Juliana, shows up on their doorstep, they recognize her as their sister and will do everything to have her socially accepted.
Lady Calpurnia is 28, plain, and because she wanted more than a husband looking for her fortune, she is unmarried. She realizes life has passed her by, and writes a list of what she would do, if only... if only she was a man, who acts, instead of a woman, who waits.
She makes a list... of the things she wants to do. And while Gabriel isn't on the list, a kiss is, and why not try for a kiss from the man she's had a crush on since forever?
The Good: Nine Rules was fun and hot; Callie is so well respected that Gabriel gets her help in introducing Juliana to society. And Gabriel is such a rake that Callie keeps running into him as she does the things that, if known, would make her not respectable. I liked this book; I liked Callie and her desire for more; I liked the level of spice. But, I'll be honest: I never warmed to Gabriel. I don't think he ever appreciated just how society had boxed Callie in. Basically, this volume, and Gabriel, just wasn't feminist enough for me. Gabriel never really "got it," and it seemed a bit like Callie was doing this more from being single than from being unhappy with society's limits.
BUT. I loved Callie, I loved her list, I loved her chance at love, I loved the spice.
And I LOVED Ten Ways, about Gabriel's younger twin brother, Nicholas. Nicholas is chasing after a runaway lady and encounters Lady Isabel Townsend. Isabel has been keeping home and family together, after her gambling father took off, permanently, to London, her mother died, and now her father is dead as well. But Isabel isn't just taking care of her younger brother...
Long story short, Isabel has created "Minerva House," a place where women can go, women who need a place of safety. Abused wives, pregnant girls, women with no options or choices. And if anyone finds out the truth, it'll all collapse. And here comes handsome Nicholas.... I loved the romance, I loved the spice, and I loved that Nicholas totally got what Isabel was doing and why.
Juliana's story is told in Eleven Scandals, which is her love story with the Duke of Leighton. The Duke, who avoids any hint of scandal and looks down on everyone who isn't him. Since Juliana is half-English and half-Italian and is arguably illegitimate, and the daughter of a merchant, with no title.... well. Yes. She's a scandal just by existing. And Juliana, like her brothers before her, both hates that she's being judged and also fights back with outrageous behavior.
It would be really, really easy to hate the Duke because he's so superior. But.... I found myself feeling sorry for him. Because just as Juliana and her brothers were shaped by their mother, so, too, has Simon been shaped by a world that told him, constantly, he was superior. I loved Eleven Scandals because, well, it brought him down a peg or two; he was made to see that he, and those he loved, were human. And there's nothing wrong with that.
And now I can't wait to read MacLean's A Rogue by Any Other Name: The First Rule of Scoundrels (Rules of Scoundrels)
, both because I enjoyed these books and because I understand there is at least some overlap in characters.
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
So I took a bit of a break from Cybils reading this week* because OMG GUESS WHAT WORDS OF LOVE SENT ME?
Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean. And oh, it is just as delicious as I hoped. It's probably my favorite of her Rules of Scoundrels series. I love love love love that Chase was Georgiana from Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord. I'm also very excited about the glimpse we got of MacLean's new heroine for her new series (the first will release sometimes in 2015)
Some other non-Cybils things I've read this month?
Buffy: Season Ten Volume 1 : New Rules Woo-Hoo! Season 10 has started. Once again, consequences and repercussions are big themes. At the end someone shows up that proves I really should have been reading the Faith and Angel spin-off, because woah, what was that?! BUT! Dracula's around and the Dracula Xander bro-mance is in full swing, which is always fun and awesome. Now, I just need to wait for-EVER for the next one.
My hold on Mortal Heart finally came in, and, oh, another most wonderful end to a favorite series. Ever since I finished it, I've been trying to figure out which one is my favorite in this trilogy, and I just can't decide. They are all so great--there's no weak link or one particular standout, just straight-up excellence across the board. I was reading this one at a training and the person (NOT a librarian) across asked what it was and as soon as I described it as "historical fiction about assassin nuns in 15th century Brittany" she was on her library's website to see if they owned it. Because, I mean, of course she was! It's HISTORICAL FICTION ABOUT ASSASSIN NUNS. Although now I really want to read more about historical Brittany. Why isn't there an awesome YA nonfiction about the the 15th century Brittany? Someone should get on that for me.
I also read Mistletoe and Mr. Right: A Christmas Romance which I reviewed over here. If you don't feel like clicking over, I liked it.
In non-book reading, did you all see Kelly's poignant and powerful post about fatness in YA? Definitely click over to that one.
*Ok, I don't actually have any Cybils reading until January 1st, because I'm a second round judge. BUT, I'm reading my way through the long list anyway, partly for fun, partly for armchair quarterbacking, and partly so that when I do look at the short list, I'm that much more familiar with the titles and can then do deeper rereading instead of reading for the first time.
Book Provided by... my wallet, my local library, my local library, and RT Book Reviews (for review)
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
Romance novelist Sarah MacLean will lead the “Romance Writing: It’s All About Chemistry” workshop at Mediabistro’s Literary Festival & Workshops this month.
To help our readers prepare, MacLean (pictured) shared five free romance writing tips for GalleyCat readers. You can read the simple and powerful advice below…
Here’s more about the workshop: “this workshop focused on developing the perfect first meeting, setting up the powerful moments of genuine connection that come from it, and setting the tone for your entire novel. You’ll learn how to use dialogue to create sparkling characters, how to build emotional and sexual tension quickly and effectively, and tips and tricks to ensure that your story promises a satisfying, sigh-inducing romance, all in the first few pages of your book. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have up to 10 revised pages of the most important moment in your romance novel–when your hero and heroine meet, and readers start rooting for their happily ever after.”
continued…
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
A Rogue by Any Other Name: The First Rule of Scoundrels Sarah MacLean
Remember Penelope? Prim and proper and utterly boring, who got dumped by the Duke of Leighton in Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart? Well, it's been eight years and she's still unmarried, much to the consternation of her family and younger sisters.
She's shocked to find that her father has increased her dowry to include new lands he just acquired, lands that used to make up the estate of Falconwell.
Michael Bourne had just reached the age of majority when he lost everything that wasn't part of the entail. Most of the land, the money, even the contents of his house lost in a single card game. Since then he's been plotting and scheming, and amassing a massive fortune as a partner in one of London's premier gaming hells. But revenge, and his land, will be his.
So when he finds that all he has to do is marry his childhood friend Penelope, you'd think he'd just go ask her but no. He makes it look like he's compromised her so she's forced to marry him, and quickly.
Poor Penelope. She'll go along with Bourne's scheme, but only if he removes the scandal of it so that her younger sisters won't be forced into incompatible matches.
But, you know, feelings resurface, passion sizzles, and the next thing you know you've spent all day reading.
Sarah MacLean knows how to write a book! LOVE.
Now, Bourne is not my favorite romantic hero-- he's so hellbent on revenge that he forgets that Penelope might have feelings about the whole matter.
But, I loved Penelope. She's such a wet blanket in Eleven Scandals it's nice to see more of her, especially now that she's seen that being perfect has gotten her nowhere and she longs for more in life.
I like how MacLean's heroines have been cast aside by society and from the fringes see that there is more to life. Penelope is especially inspired by Leighton and Juliana-- she sees the way they look at each other and can't help but want that for herself.
I also liked (bear with me) that she was willing to accept less. In general, this is a bad message, but it's a historically accurate one. She never planned on marrying for love, because, well, it's rare case that does. She just wanted someone she could get along with. She wants love though, and after years of waiting, she's setting the bar high. When she can't get it, I like how she bargains to make sure that her sisters marry compatibly. Not love matches, but people that won't make them miserable.
I like smart historical fiction romance. Lay some titles on me as I eagerly await MacLean's next one.
Book Provided by... my wallet
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Scottoline Serritella
MY NEST ISN’T EMPTY, IT JUST HAS MORE CLOSET SPACE
Lisa Scottoline & Francesca Scottoline Serritella
DESCRIPTION:
Set in today’s Manhattan, Sugar Tower is a sharp and funny tale of a woman forced to reinvent herself as the platforms she built her life upon are dissolving beneath her feet. With uncanny perceptiveness, this novel delves into societal shifts that impact us all – the real estate bubble, the decline of feminism, the obsolescence of print journalism – in the context of a murder mystery that titillates and dazzles from beginning to end.
Critics and readers loved Lisa Scottoline’s first collection of true-life stories, which only encouraged her—now she’s back with these all-new, exciting adventures. She’s farther down the road now, and the scenery has changed—ex-husbands Thing One and Thing Two are in her rear-view mirror, daughter Francesca has moved into an apartment, and Lisa’s finding the silver lining in her empty nest, which has lots more room for her shoes. And some things have stayed the same—Mother Mary is still the feistiest octogenarian on the planet, who won’t part with her recipe for tomato sauce or her thirty-year old bra.
In this book Lisa and Francesca spill all their family secrets—which sound a lot like yours, if you understand that three generations of women is the formula for spontaneous combustion.
Inspired by her weekly column entitled, “Chick Wit” for The Philadelphia Inquirer, this is a book you’ll have to put down—just to stop laughing.
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
THE DISTANT HOURS
by Kate Morton
DESCRIPTION:
A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great but moldering old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13 year old child during WW II. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941.
Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.
Morton once again enthralls readers with an atmospheric story featuring unforgettable characters beset by love and circumstance and haunted by memory, that reminds us of the rich power of storytelling.
Gorgeous East by Robert Girardi
GORGEOUS EAST
by Robert Girardi
DESCRIPTION:
A sweeping tale of love and redemption, honor and war, Robert Girardi’s Gorgeous East follows three French For eign legionnaires of very different backgrounds from the cliffs of Mont Saint-Michel to
The Season Sarah MacLean
Alex and her friends are not overly excited about the prospect of their first season. Sure, they are beautiful and come from excellent families but they aren't the type of girls who are delicate flowers, waiting to be courted by boring men old enough to be their fathers. Alex's brothers didn't have to get married at 17, so why should she?
Add in a mystery of a murdered Earl, and the boy (well, Earl) next store suddenly becoming more than your brothers' good friend, maybe.
The Season has headstrong girls who are still believable in their time periods. And! When things get really bad they ASK ADULTS FOR HELP! Not only headstrong, but actually SMART! Plus, there's a your rake/rogue boy, but Alex can handle him without issue. So refreshing. This is a definite favorite.
The Luxe Anna Godbersen
I've referred to this as Historic
Gossip Girl. There are the lies, the back-stabbing, the romance, the society, the clothes, and the parties, and the indecorous behavior, just all happening in New York in 1899 instead of 2005.
Like
Gossip Girl, you have a book decadent and scandalous enough to be the perfect beach read, but layered enough and long enough that it's something you can actually sink your teeth into. The action follows multiple characters, and chapters start with and are studded with newspaper articles, book excerpts, and letters. The type of book that is actually challenging reading, but with a plot exciting enough that you don't notice how hard it is.
Unlike
Gossip Girl, you have characters you actually like and when you root for them, you don't need to feel bad about it. The characters in
The Luxe create plenty of their own drama, but enough also comes from the outside, things they can't control to make the characters not nearly as annoying.
Love.
.jpg?picon=107)
I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with The Luxe, but maybe I didn't give it a fair chance! Definitely looking forward to The Season, though -- hoping to get it soon!