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The Runaway Debutante by Elizabeth Chater. $2.99 from Smashwords.com
Matilda’s father loses everything in a gambling debt, including her, but she courageously fleas for her freedom, becoming the personal chef and the delight of Major Bruce. As their love grows for each other, Matilda’s past comes back to haunt her.

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Only one woman can save Alex from himself.

Eloisa James is by far one of my favorite contemporary historical romance authors.  She has a consistently funny and entertaining style and memorable characters.  She also is a master at crafting the hero, with a unique insight into the male mind.

Winning the Wallflower, a novella, was a short and sweet read.  I burned through it easily in a few hours, if that, as half the download were excerpts and ads for other titles related to James’ “Fairytale Series.” Here is the back cover teaser:

Lady Lucy Towerton  Plain and tall. (According to the lady herself.) Titled, and irreproachably proper. (According to her fiancé.)

Until, overnight, she becomes

Lady Lucy Towerton  Heiress. (Thanks to an aged aunt’s bequest.)  Belle of the Ball. (So say the fortune hunters of the ton.)

In charge of her own destiny (finally!), Lucy breaks  her engagement and makes up her mind to never be proper again…

Except for the last sentence, that pretty much sums up the plot.  I am not too sure if her behavior constitutes a total propriety breach, or just a embrace of circumstance.

But the real gem of the story is the hero.  Eloisa spends what little time she has developing a truly interesting character that I think is more original than most heroes I read.  Although the exposition and backstory are minimal, with a few simple words we get it.  I don’t want to spoiler too much, so I will just say that he is ambitious to the point of having tunnel vision.  And yet somehow, he is likable.

The heroine on the other hand, meh.  She’s not unlikable, but she’s not an Original.  We see a lot of heroines in the hist-ro realm who are too tall wallflowers (or maybe serepindty has just thrown those plots my way lately) that learn to straighten their spine and shine.  And the real character arc, which I feel James sets us up for with a detestable mother character, never pays off.

Here are another couple of sticking points.  Its short.  So the conflict/resolution/love happens really fast.

Calling it a Regency romance is stretching it.  Its more like a romance set in the Regency.  Speech is very modern and snappy and the pace is music video.

But overall, I thought it was a sinfully delicious novella that I probably will speed read again (when days are short and time is even more so).

 For a short novel, there is surprisngly a lot of action of the naked variety.  It was tasteful, but still probably a bit too graphic for teens under 15.

 (4 out of 5)  There is no doubt that Eloisa James is a talented author who knows how to craft characters and spin an entertaining yarn.  Points taken for brevity and above mentioned sticking points.

Beyond the famous and many unnamed cross-dressing women solidiers, there were also visible women at the frontlines.  Prostitutes frequently set up camp alongside battles or at port, plying their wares to solidiers in need of company.

French women were allowed to accompany troops and often wore partial military dress.  British units were limited to six women, usually wives of officers, who could march to the drum alongside their husbands.

There are accounts of wives of solidiers committing great acts of bravery during the battle.  The wife of Private McMullen serving in the 27th Foot  did her best to carry him off the field when he was wounded in the knee. During  this time the battle was in full swing and a musket ball struck her leg and  fractured the bone.  She later gave birth, adding Waterloo to the family name, and gaining the godfathership of the Duke of York and Albany.

Thomas Deacon of the 73rd of Foot became one of the wounded at  Quarte Bras, prompting his very pregnant wife, Martha Deacon, to spend a horrifying night looking for her husband. With three children by  her side, she marched twenty miles to Brussels in a  torrential down pour desperate to find her husband.  She did, and their baby was born soon after.

Wives were required, in many cases according to British Army regulation, to prove themselves not a burden to the troop.  They would be required, out of necessity, to administer nursing to wounded men as well as help with other tasks around encampments.

Wives not directly housed with the regiment might elect to stay nearby.  British families flocked to Brussels during the Napoleanic Wars and many helped to organize homes as makeshift triage and recovery wards after the battles.  Lieutenant George Simmons of the 95th Rifles wrote of the care he received in Brussels after being wounded at Waterloo: “My dear little nurse has never been ten minutes from me since I came to the house,” he wrote. “For ten nights together she never went to bed, but laid her head on my pillow.”

But not all women at Waterloo, or other battle scenes, were so brave nor pious.  Women were said to be the worst of looters, scavenging corpses for valuables.  Undoubtedly, it was easy for women to go to the battle scene, on the pretext of searching for a lost loved one, and have their pick and pluck of rings, pins, and other spoils.  Charlotte Eaton, whose published diary of her time in Brussels during Waterloo wrote, “It was astonishing with what dreadful haste the bodies of the dead had been pillaged.  The work of plunder was carried on even during the battle; and those hardened and abandoned wretches who follow the camp, like vultures, to prey upon the corpses of the dead, had the temerity to press forward beneath a heavy fire to rifle the pockets of the officers who fell, of their watches and money.  The most daring and atrocious of these marauders were women.”

After the battle of Waterloo, the wives and mothers of solidiers “wandered over this fatal field, wildly calling upon the names of those who were now no more.  The very day before we visited it, the widow and the sister of a brave and lamented British officer had been here, harrowing up the souls of the beholders with their wild lamentations, vainly demanding where the remains of him they loved reposed..” Charlotte Eaton wrote.

There are numerous other amazing and fascinating stories about women at Waterloo, and at times of war.  Below is a list of some of the top picks to learn more and explore.

For some great romances that feature Brussels and/or Waterloo as a setting, check out

Georgette Heyer:

An Infamous Army

Mary Balogh’s:

Web of Love

Slightly Sinful (I loved this one!)

Slightly Tempted

For more:

http://www.historynet.com/napoleonic-wars-women-at-waterloo.htm

Following the Drum: Women in Wellington’s Warsby Briadier F.C.G. Page 1986 Ebenezer Bylis & Sons Ltd. ISBN 0 233 97960 3

I get a lot of “Jane-Fiction” sent to me to review.  It seems the shelves of romantic fiction are packed with takes and spin offs on Jane Austen’s books and characters.  And generally, they aren’t for me.  Just like I am not a fan of revival movies (ala movies remade from 70s tv shows), I generally find Jane Fiction to be lacking in creativity and maddening in how they have the hubris to rewrite a classic.

I say this all as a prelude to what follows next.

Among Jane-Fiction, Wendi Sotis’ Promises definitely comes from a unique and creative place.  She reimagines the first meeting of Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy as occuring when they are children, in a bookshop.  After a lengthy debate, the two form a fast friendship.

There are some charming scenes with the lovable, if not a little pitiful, Mr. Bennett that tell us why he always loved Lizzie best.

There is bulky dialogue, which lets the characters speak for themselves, but the speech is a bit anachronistic which I know drives some readers nuts.  We follow the characters as they grow into their own, learning about themselves as we learn more in depth about their lives than P & P ever thought to explore.

The book develops the romance over time between Elizabeth and Darcy, at which the basis is a long and unlikely friendship.  I love books that have friendship as the basis of romance…and the foundation here does not disappoint.

If, in my mind, I simply read the book and replaced the names so that it wasn’t messing with my beloved hero and heroine, I thought the book was well written, sweet and a promising start.

If read as an alternative story to Lizzie and Darcy, I chafed at the bit.

Sticking to the tradition and spirit of the Regency, Sotis’ book doesn’t get gory or glamorous, instead she develops real character studies of two unlikely lovers separated by family and fortune.

Although I believe her next book promises to be another Jane rewrite, I think a divergence where she stands on her own legs would be more interesting…and be the type of book I would be more likely to read.  However, fans of Jane-Fiction will find Sotis’ efforts all that is amiable and accomplished.

Another Jane-Fiction sent for my humble review was The Unexpected Miss Bennett by Patrice Sarath.  From the beginning paragraph, “It is a comforting belief among much of society, that a plain girl with a small fortune must have no more interest in matrimony than matrimony has in her” The Unexpected Miss Bennett spanks of Jane.  I say spanks (rather than smacks) in a fond way, in that I think it is thoughtful tribute rather than a mimicry.

The Unexpected Miss Bennett moves quickly, through the eyes of her sisters to thrust our heroine into the fray.  From the first sentence we know she is plain and unmarriable.  But evidently, her elder sisters have other ideas.

More polished, and although maybe less original than Promises, I found The Unexpected Miss Bennett a more enjoyable read that I will probably even give a second try (and perhaps a more in depth review).  First of all, because its centers around Mary Bennett, who truth be told I always pitied.  And The Unexpected Miss Bennett assures the delicate reader that in fact, we had no need to worry about Mary.  Mary quite gets her own in the end.  Embarking on her own adventure, she interacts with some of our faves and fave love to hate characters from P &P in a spin off that is less sequel than something else.

I also like the feminist/blue stocking bent of Sarath’s book which I think, in many ways, is in keeping with Austen’s own heart.

In this way, I found The Unexpected Miss Bennett to be a pleasant continuation of Austen’s work, with the author remaining true to the core and simply using a backstory we are all very familiar with (at least those of us hist-ro lovers) to create a beautiful story about an unlikely heroine.

Finally, I also was sent a copy of Sharon Lathan’s Miss Darcy Falls in Love for review.

If you didn’t catch the clue from the title, the story follows up on the character of Georgiana Darcy.

As part of a series following Elizabeth and Darcy, Miss Darcy Falls in Love also works as a single title.  It also does not have the more sensual elements of some of Lathan’s other titles, although fans of Lathan’s work may find that a bit tedious about the book.

Fans of  P & P will be pleased that Lathan sticks to Georgiana’s passion for pianoforte, and gives her a real musical bent that frames the story.  She also balances description, action and dialogue, and if misunderstandings and poor communication are fundamental to the plot…well then, it was afterall central to P & P.

Jane Fiction fans in search of something new will enjoy the read.

 Recommended for Promises and The Unexpected Miss Bennett because the level of writing may exceed younger teens.  However, clean and light subject matter appropriate for most ages.  Miss Darcy Falls In Love has some references to sex and light intimacy worth a parental skim for teens under 17.

Promises:  (3 out of 5 thoughtful and well written interpretation, just not my cup of tea)

The Unexpected Miss Bennett:  (4 out of 5 well written interpretation after my own heart.)

Miss Dary Falls in Love: (3.5 out of 5 again, well written and romantic…just not my cuppa.)

While I did receive complimentary review e-copies of books, I was in no other way compensated for reviews.  As perhaps evident, I endeavor to give honest and careful reviews.

By the early 1800s, nearly ten thousand acres of London were established as market garden which served the teeming metropolis.  Manure from the street and stables of London fertilized the gardens, along with marlstone (calcium carbonate rich mud) from north London Enfield which had the result of digging up fozzilized dinosaur bones which many were sent to the British Museum.

Once the weather was favorable, in January, gardeners would busy themselves with planting root vegetables like radishes and leafy greens like spinach along the borders.  In February, the interior gardens would be filled with cauliflower, at which time radishes would be ready for harvest and land on the tables of Londoners.

After cauliflower, sugar loaf cabbage, endives and celery would follow.  The Neat House Gardens, in Chelsea, were one example of a commercial garden and agricultural operation supply Town.  Cattle farming was also prevalent at Neat House, and market gardens like it, as well as some fruit production.

A publication on market gardens from 1796 tells us that “the first introduction of the culture of vegetables forsale in this kingdom..appears, by Fuller’s account , to havebeen about the year 1590. In some bills of fare for dinners, in1573, I find several charges for “parsley, sorill, and strong herbs;”and one charge of 12d. for “2 dishes of buttered peason,” on thefirst of July (fn. 3) , which, supposing the value of money to have beenthen four times greater, would now, at that season, purchase abouteight pecks. Fuller says, that previously to the time which he fixesfor the introduction of gardening, for profit, a mess of rath-ripe, orearly peas, was a dainty for ladies, they came so far and cost sodear.” (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45495  Date accessed: 16 January 2012.)

As gardens grew from the medieval era to Regency England, the exotic offerings would only increase.  Beyond culinary agricultural, nursery products in outlying rural London spaces would also become a thriving business until sprawling growth would push it further out.

The conception that food in England was bland is unnecessarily biased, and based on the oversimplification that British cuisine rises and sets at the tables of the working man.

Indeed, for a household well off enough to afford not only a plot of land to grow their own vegetables, fruits and herbs, as well as visit the market gardens for meats, cheeses, and other produce, the table could be very well set for a variety of rich, flavorful foods.

After reaching out to Jacqueline on twitter, she gave me the opportunity for some off line conversation about my strong hist-ro book cover opinions, and why I took umbrage with hers.

After discussing some of the difficulties with resources available for the ebook format (cost, romance novel cover “factories” and genre appropriate images) she wrote me a very kind note today to let me know how our conversation inspired her to tweak her cover.

I am so thrilled, and thought in addition to sharing her update, this would be a great opportunity to open the conversation to everyone.  I have created a poll (see main header menu for POLL) surveying about your opinions for what you like in a hist-ro book cover.  I would also love to hear any comments readers have…or frustrations writers have.

Without further ado, here is a comparison for you:

Before:

After:

I suppose I should’ve guessed from the cover this was going to be a bit alternative.  But always game to try out a new Regency author, I gave it a whirl.

Wicked Mourning is a novella.  Thirty minute read tops.  And the action starts almost from page one.

And I do mean action.

Apparently Heather Boyd is an erotic Regency author who fills almost every page with white hot action.

The plot is cute, but minimal, and the only thing really Regency about it are some brief nods to clothing styles and setting.

If you are looking for a quickie, check it out.  You will not be disappointed.  Although I should add the heroine (I say that loosely given the short length and minimal character development) is about seven months pregnant, which might be a turn off to some.

 (3.5 out of 5)  Its good for what it is.  Well written and juicy action.

Recommended for mature audience only.  Of about 50 pages, about 45 are of an intimate nature.  There are also some references to adultery.  And the characters are not married.

Is it just me or is there a hot crop of Duke books hitting the hist-ro shelves.  Personally, I have been sort of turned off on Dukes ever since Ralph Fiennes portrayal of the Duke of Devonshire.  Not that I don’t love Ralph, but it gave me a distinct taste that Dukes would be pompous and overweening.

In any case, this book is part of a series called The Bachelor Chronicles (read more about them on Boyle’s website).  Of course, I never seem to read them in succession.  But I didn’t find myself lost or in dire need of backstory.

Instead, Mad About the Duke cruised along at a nice clip.  And in the lately experienced serendipity of hist-ro selections to purview, this one is another about a Duke in disguise.  Our heroine, Lady Standon, mistakes the Duke of Hollindrake for a solicitor, and struck dumb by love at first sight he does not, against character, correct her.

She has a big problem.  In order to rescue her young sister’s guardianship from a villianous step-father, she has decided she needs to align herself in marriage with one of the most powerful peers in the realm.

So, using The Bachelor Chronicles she sets out to find the most eligible Duke.

She is a bit cautious, a product of an awful first marriage, and seeks the council of the brutishly handsome solicitor. Of course, we know that the rogue is not a solicitor but a starched up and possibly mad Duke.

What follows next are missed opportunities, machinations, and intervening supporting characters, most of whom known the Duke’s true identity.

Boyle has a seamless style of writing that helps focus the action, and while I didn’t find myself falling directly into the pages, I did discover a perfect nightime companion who wouldn’t overtax my tired imagination.

Recommended for mature audience who love mistaken identity plots and hubba hubba handsome heroes, Mad About the Duke delivers a delicious dalliance with the peers and perils of the ton.

 (3.5 out of 5) Solidly written, delivers on expectations with little disappointment.  Won’t blow your mind, or hist-ro convention, but definitely an enjoyable read!

Readers are giving it an average of 4 out of 5 stars.

Several intimate scenes, discussions of deviant sexual behavior, gambling.  Recommended for mature audiences only.

Thomas de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey, was known as Lord Grantham for much of his life. Born on the 8th December 1781 at Whitehall, his father’s death in 1786 ascending him to the title of 3rd Baron Grantham.  Entailed was an estate at Topcliffe in Yorkshire. In 1792 , Thomas de Grey also became baronet Robinson of Newby after the death of his cousin Sir Norton Robinson, 5th baronet.

On 7th May 1803 he changed his surname from Robinson to Weddell by royal licence in pursuit of the will of relative William Weddell, esq (The Tourist’s guide: being a concise history and description of Ripon, 1838). On 4th May 1833 he succeeded his aunt Amabel as 2nd Earl de Grey and, once again, changed his surname, this time to de Grey. He also became 6th Baron Lucas of Crudwell.

Lord Grantham, aside from being a babe and dandy, was an enthusiastic amateur architect, designing the new mansion at Wrest Park for which the foundation was laid in February 1834 and completed in 1838.  Inspired by the buildings he had seen in Paris, he based the design  on French architectural books such as Jacques-François Blondel’s Architecture Française (1752).     

As a Tory politician and notable statesman, Lord Grantham held many honors over his lifetime.  The Earl served as Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire from 1818 to 1859 and was yeomanry Aide-de-Camp to King William IV (1830-1837) and to Queen Victoria (1837-1901) from her accession until his death.

He was a Conservative and served in the premiership of Robert Peel as First Lord of the Admiralty from December 1834 (when he was also created a Privy Councillor) to April 1835. From 1841 to 1844, during the first years of Peel’s second term as prime minister, de Grey served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.  He was made a Knight of the Garter in 1844.

As a distinguished amateur architet he was nominated to and served as President to the newly created Society of Architects from 1834 until his death.

Married to his three year junior Lady Henrietta Frances, youngest daughter William Willoughby Cole, 1st Earl of Enniskillen on 20th July 1805, they had two daughters – Ann Florence and Mary Gertrude.

His wife Henrietta died in 1848. Lord de Grey survived her by eleven years and died in November 1859, aged 77. He was succeeded in the barony of Lucas of Crudwell by his daughter, Ann. His other titles passed to his nephew, George Robinson, 2nd Earl of Ripon.

A Garden Folly was in keeping with this month’s randomly met theme of disguises.  This time, its the Duke who goes undercover in a quest for love.  He is a botanist who hates the toadying of Ton.  She is an impoverished Baron’s daughter on the hunt for a fortune.

When Catherine and her sister, with the help of Aunt Hetty, are invited to the Duchesses’ annual house party, Catherine is thrilled by her good fortune.  Its the perfect opportunity to don her best party dress and catch a rich husband.

Meanwhile, the Duke is hiding out and away from the house party…

So the plot is not entirely unexpected.  But neither is it overly formulaic.  The characters are honest and full of fault, and what is absolutely delicious is following them through the gardens with their many follies. (Groan, I know.  I couldn’t resist being a bit cheeky with that title).

It is lighthearted and humorous, although not lol funny.  There is also the element of the Cinderella story in there that is so near and dear to my heart.  I did feel a bit unresolved at the ending with some untidy subplots left unfinished, but as the last pages happily informed me the story would continue…in another book.

Hern writes simply, without too much emphasis on over complicated plots or in depth character studies.  I find her books refreshing in their nuance, and although told with a more contemporary tongue, in the tradition of Jane.

Recommendation Score: 4.2/5  Wasn’t a perfect book, but still highly enjoyable!

Mature Content Rating: 2/5 For some serious make out sessions and mentions of mistresses.  Other than that, clean as a whistle.