In an age when acting was only just becoming an acceptable profession for women, and against the wishes of her parents, Sarah Siddons rose to acclaim for her captivating portrayal of Lady MacBeth.

Sarah “Sally” Kemble was born in Wales in 1755 to an actor father.  After a stumble at Drury Lane, she circuited the provinces until 1782 when she returned to Drury Lane with a vengence.

By the mid 1780s, she had succeeded at most major female Shakespeare roles and earned iconic status as a “mythical” and “monumental” actress.

In a farewell performance for the ages, Siddons appeared at Covent Garden in 1812…and audience refused to let the play continue after the climatic sleepwalking scene.  Siddons appeared on stage in her own clothing to give an emotional speech to the adoring crowd.

Married at eighteen to actor William Siddons, she outlived five of her children and eventually saw her marriage dissolve into an informal separation.

Arguably the most beloved actress of British history, Sarah Siddon’s statue now stands in Westminster Abbey.

A reportedly tall and striking figure with beauty and expressive eyes and deep, rich voice, she was said to have been created for the role of Lady MacBeth.  Having never taken to comedy, the depth required of Shakespeare’s heroines was something Sarah excelled at.  Its imaginable that after so many years of seeing the bBard and other playwright’s female characters acted by young, effeminate men that audiences finally accepted the possibility—the need—for actresses.

I know what you are thinking…”Oh, Humphry!”????

But take a look at this hottie.

Even in black and white his eyes leap out at you.  And his curls are positively Corinthian!

More importantly, he was an inventor (and was a awarded a baronetcy in 1819) who invented a lamp which allowed miners to see in gaseous spaces, discovered alkali and alkaline earth metals, and helped to discover chlorine and iodine.

Hubba hubba.

Surely there is nothing sexier than a cleft in the chin and a brilliant brain.  **Sigh**

Knighted in 1812, he was popular at lectures always bringing a crowd to see his experiments with gases.  Apparently addicted to nitrous oxide (laughing gas), he damaged his eyesight in one experiment with nitrogen trichloride.  Said to be of irritable and sanguine temper, he was always enthusiastic about his chemistry and credited with being an imaginative thinker who also dabbled in poetry.  Carelessly unpolished when it came to etiquette, his frank manner often led him into treacherous social paths.

Here are some fantastic quotes from Mister Sex Symbol himself:
“The most important of my discoveries has been suggested to me by my failures.“

“Language is not only the vehicle of thought, it is a great and efficient instrument in thinking.“

“Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness, and small obligations given habitually, are what preserve the heart and secure comfort.“

“I have learned more from my mistakes than from my successes.“

“The wealth and prosperity of the country are only the comeliness of the body, the fullness of the flesh and fat; but the spirit is independent of them; it requires only muscle, bone and nerve for the true exercise of its functions. We cannot lose our liberty, because we cannot cease to think.“

“Even the least sensible woman knew, upon meeting his gaze, that here was a man who was more than he might at first appear, who might steal the heart of even the most resistant woman. But oh, what a lovely theft!

Adventurer Nathanial Harrington would never steal another man’s discovery. And he’d never be so dishonorable as to tempt an untouched woman into his bed . . . even one as stunningly beautiful as Gabriella Montini. Yet she intrigues him. What is her secret? Nate would do anything to find out.

Nathanial is an earl’s son—but Gabriella knows he’s not to be trusted! He’s more than just a mere thief of hearts, he’s also stolen her brother’s good name. Determined to restore his reputation, she’d even masquerade as a destitute orphan and be taken into his family’s home. But how can she continue her ruse when she finds herself succumbing to Nathanial’s passionate charms?”

The latest from Victoria Alexander, The Virgin’s Secret, is one of the better Alexander books I have read within the last several years.  A novel premise, an heiress masquerades as an impoverished lady and somehow gets the invite to stay with the Harringtons (even though she is discovered breaking in!).

The obvious mistrust between the hero and heroine (see above) is a good analogy for the process we all go through when we fall in love.  Trust is a lengthy process, one that grows with love and friendship.  A lot of times, romance novels can be criticized for glossing over this and skipping straight from infatuation to lust.

This book reminds me, that like many great art forms, the most obvious text is a device for commenting on whats beneath…the subtext.  Americans, some more than others, can be too liturgical.

I remember my brother told me many moons ago that Star Trek was a political allegory chock full of poli-sci theory.  At the time, it blew my mind.  Then, I read some papers in my first introduction to destructuralism in college about film theory.  My favorite example (that I like to think is an original thought) is the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  One of the reasons I enjoyed the show so much is that it was a brilliant allegory for many of the very real struggles teens go through.  In the same way Lost can blow our minds about abstract physics.

Its probably why Harry Potter was a best seller.  Although we could be entertained by the magical side, what was so true about the books (and what adults as well as children could identify with) were the concepts of loyalty, friendship, and thirst for knowledge.

But I digress.

The Virgin’s Secret will never (at least in my life time) be considered a classic.  But it does some classic things really well.  It gives us a heroine that believes strongly in restoring her family name, even if that family is more than a little disfunctional.   It allows its characters to discover love organically, that thing that grows past lust and infatuation.

And it does so in such a sneaky, action packed entertaining way that you may even forget it.

That’s why I love hist-ro, and why I highly recommend this book!

Book II in Sophia Nash’s Widows Club Series, The Kiss, goes a little something like this:

“He had once been her cherished childhood companion, and then the man she had lusted after in secret, but Georgiana Wilde hasn’t seen the recently widowed Quinn Fortesque since the day he married another woman and shattered her heart. Then fate intervenes and brings the man she dreams about each night back to her . . .

Returning to the estate on family business, Quinn would like nothing more than to turn the land over to Georgiana and leave the memories of his former life behind. But then the brooding marquis finds himself under the spell of the hidden beauty he once left behind. With her barely concealed passions, Georgiana melts his coolly guarded heart. Suddenly his well-ordered world is in danger of crashing down. And it all begins with just one
kiss. . .”

Quinn arrives to a scandal boiling over at his childhood home.  His old childhood companion, Georgiana, has been acting as Marchioness after a one day marriage to his cousin, Anthony.  Anthony’s sudden death means he inherits…but the truth is he could care less.

The only problem is the rest of his family thinks the marriage isn’t valid, as he died the night of their wedding….and Georgiana isn’t telling whether or not the marriage was consummated.

Meanwhile, the Widows Club (if you have read Dangerous Beauty, you will be familiar with the characters) comes to stay and, of course, set things in motion for both Quinn and Georgiana to (how do I say this delicately?)…wash their hands or step away from the sink?

Overall, its an entertaining read with enough twists and turns to keep you interested throughout.  Luckily, the child in the novel isn’t annoying to the plot or romance, it actually adds a touch of realism and shows what a good person Georgiana is.

If you like the long suffering characters, hidden from happiness by omission of truth, then you will enjoy this one.  While not over the top like some (where you want to scream at the characters “just talk, already!”) there is a little bit of the far-fetched in the romance that doesn’t necessarily appeal to me but may appeal to others.

That having been said, I did enjoy the book and look forward to reading the next book in the series, Love With The Perfect Scoundrel.

“Margaret Huxtable is thirty years old and has finally decided to do the sensible thing and get married. She arrives in London during the Season full of hope. But first she meets the widowed Crispin Dew, who years ago had betrayed their secret betrothal and married someone else, and next she learns that the man she had hoped to marry is engaged to another woman. Then she runs (literally) into the Earl of Sheringford, who is in such total disgrace with the ton that he has not dared show his face in town for five years and would not be there now if he were not in such desperate need of a bride.”

Mary Balogh’s latest release in her First Comes series is At Last Comes Love.  Our heroine is an “on the shelf” woman who decides, afterall, its time to get married.  When she runs into the man who spurned her so many years before, she become terribly desperate to save face.

Meanwhile, the infamous Earl of Sheringford has returned to England to reclaim his entitlements, only to be told he must marry within fifteen days or lose everything.

Of course, our heroine and hero find themselves thrown together after a fated encounter and decide to marry….maybe.

Beautifully written, as most of Balogh’s book are, At Last Comes Love is entertaining and an easy read you can rip through in an afternoon at the beach.  Seduction (ie sex) is on the lighter side, with more of a focus on the character arcs.

This heroine is a pragmatic woman thrown into an unlikely situation and becomes, for once in her life, totally rebellious.  I like that.  I like that she takes a chance on ruin for a shot at a happy marriage.

I have heard mixed reviews about this series, but this is my first crack at them (of course, right in the middle) and I enjoyed it.  Maybe there wasn’t as much depth (definitely shorter than other Balogh’s) as her Slightly or Web series, but it still carries with it the classic Balogh charm which fans will enjoy.

I also really like the hero, even if he is unique as true outcast from society.  I like his storyline a lot, perhaps because it is a variation on the rake theme.

I would love to hear from readers there thoughts on the rest of the series before I rush out to buy….

So leave comments below.

Interior caricature of Rundell and Bridge.

If you were part of the Upper Ten Thousand, you had to flaunt your wealth regardless of its reality.

Just as the famous and fabulously wealth celebs of today show off their million dollar dresses and diamond encrusted high heels, both Regency gentlemen and gentlewomen had to show of their leisure and pleasure through the art of shopping.

But what were the Gucci’s and Choos of yesteryear?

Here is a brief primer on the hot spots for Regency haute ton commerce.

Rundell and Bridge (32 Ludgate Hill off Fleet Street).  Jeweller to the Crown, revolutinized jewelry by offering the designs of many rather than one.

Harding Howell & Cos-parasols and accessories.

A.M. Cohen (No 26 Widegate Street)-women’s accessories

John Arpthorp (No 278 High Holborn)-corsets and  underthings

Mrs. Duval (Bond St, Mayfair)-modiste specializing in tippets.

Madame Devy’s (16 Grafton St-Bond St)-modiste

Mr. S. Clark (37 Golden Square)-equestrian costumes, pelisses and riding habits

Mrs. Bell (late Magazin des Modes 22 Upper King St)-gipsy hats, bonnets, assorted milliner and modiste in Bloomsbury Square

Dyde and Scribe’s (Pall-Mall)-furier specializing in muff and tippet (worn by princesses)

Mrs. Shabner (Tavistock Street)-modiste specializing in evening and equestrian costume

Mrs. Thomas (Fleet Street at Chancery Lane)-modiste specializing in evening dress

Miss Walters (Wigmore St, Cavendish Square)-modiste who invented the “Opera or Gala” dress

Mr. John Weston (37 Old Bond St)-tailor

Countless other modistes and milliners, doubtless, peppered Town, but these were the most exclusively located and therefore undoubtedly favored by the Ton.

Next installament….upholsters and drapers!

Better Than Chocolate Books owner, Jennifer, has started a great new networking “virtual book club” site where fans of romance can meet and chat.
You can visit the site here…..http://girlreadsromance.ning.com/

I joined (of course, the hist-ro section!) so join with me, and we can discuss everything stacking up on my bookshelf.

After a several month search for Georgette Heyer novels, my book buddy, Mom, finally came through with Cousin Kate.

Heyer’s foray into the romantic gothic novel is every bit as delicious as Arabella, with a sweet and feisty heroine who becomes embroiled in a very wicked situation!

Impoverished and forced to work, she must find a new situation.  That’s when, out of nowhere, distant relatives she had never before met come to rescue her and spirit her away to the fabulously wealthy estate in the country, Staplewood.

Staplewood is full of secrets, windswept vistas, and terribly stormy nights.  We get an awesome climax scene where everything becomes very serious indeed, as well as lots of little bumps and surprises throughout.

Although it deviates from the traditional hist-ro, I loved Heyer’s portrayal of a gothic romance…especially the hero and heroine!

While fans of gothic romance might find the book lacking, folks in need of a break from contempo hist-ro will love this adventure into Heyer’s world.

I once had the most delicious chicken ragout in Amsterdam, served in a crepe (British pancake).  While living in the UK, I became an expert at making crepes/pancakes, but have since sadly lost the skill.

However, on a stormy day like today (freak weather, alright!) I started thinking of might whet my Regency appetite…and thought longingly of that long ago ragout.

Influenced by French cuisine, the ragout made its appearance on Regency tables as an alternative to roast beef.  Like the pot roast mom used to make once a month for dad, the ragout is served in a semi-soup state.

Vegetables are baked then later added to the skillet of simmering meat.

Since I gave up beef many years ago, I searched for an alternative and found this yummy tofu version I am going to give a try:

Ingredients : Serves 4

225 g/8 oz tofu, cut into strips 750 ml/1.25 pts/3 cups hot Vegetable Stock Plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting 30 ml/2 tbsp oil 25 g/1 oz/0.25 cup butter or margarine 1 onion, chopped 1 green (bell) pepper, chopped 100 g/4 oz mushrooms, sliced 250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup dry white wine 150 ml/0.25 pt creme fraiche 15 ml/1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) 30 ml/2 tbsp water A pinch of grated nutmeg 5 ml/1 tsp soy sauce Salt and freshly ground black pepper 50 g/2 oz/0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated 30 ml/2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method : Soak the tofu in 500 ml/17 fl oz/2.25 cups of the hot stock for 15 minutes. Remove, drain well and toss in a little flour. Heat the oil and fry (saute) the tofu until golden. Meanwhile, melt the butter or margarine and fry the onion and green pepper until soft but not brown. Add the mushrooms, wine, remaining stock, creme fraiche and tofu. Simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes but do not allow to boil. Combine the cornflour and water and stir into the ragout to thicken slightly. Add the nutmeg and soy sauce and season to taste. Stir in the Parmesan and serve sprinkled with the parsley.

Simply enthralled with her Francesca Cahill novels, I decided to give Brenda Joyce’s other hist-ros a read

.

And although this one features a Russian prince (you may or may not know but I am not a fan of royalty plots) it also features an unusual heroine, which I adore.

Unlikely though the pair may be, they do what all great hist-ros should do: make the reader believe in the romantic notion of one true love for each person.

While I can’t give too much of the plot away without being a total spoiler, and can say that the unexpected helps pages fly seamlessly through another thick and quick read.

Here is what the back of the book tells you:

“Carolyn Browne was a poor bookseller’s daughter and an enlightened thinker, delighting London with her scathingly witty columns, written under the name Charles Copperville. Penetrating the ton’s gilded salons in male disguise, Carolyn soon throws her barbs at the wrong man- the enigmatic Russian Prince, Nicholas Sverayov.

His notoriety, extravagances, and indulgent disregard for social convention fuel Carolyn’s outrage. Nicholas has moved through the balls and soirees of high society effortlessly, a natural target of gossip, envy, and desire. but Nicholas is furious to find himself lampooned by Copperville, and quickly discovers Carolyn’s dearly held secret. Now, as the two spar, a new game begins- a game of deception and pride, of longing and chance.

As Nicholas sweeps Carolyn from the teeming streets and gala ballls of Regency London to the splendor and majesty of St. Petersburg, against all the odds the unlikely lovers embark upon a whirlwind of passion and peril until there is no turning back- for the stakes have changed, demanding no less of them than the unwavering courage to claim the love of a lifetime.”

She not a super sexed up author, which those who prefer more emotional lovin’ in their hist-ro will welcome, and she seems to have a great grasp on history…at least enough to please the history buff.

Overall, I think Brenda Joyce is talented.

I only wish for more Francesca!!