Tuesday Review: The Perks of Being a Beauty

The Perks of Being a Beauty

(An enovella)

By Manda Collins

Publisher: St. Martin’s

Release Date: 

June 18, 2013

At three and twenty, Miss Amelia Snowe, once the most dazzling of the diamonds on display in London ballrooms and other social settings, is now the companion of a wealthy mill owner’s daughter. Her mother’s death left Amelia with nothing but debts, and her years as a mean-spirited beauty meant that friends who were willing to help were few. Ironically, only the Ugly Ducklings, once the targets of Amelia’s cruelties, are willing to stand her friends now, thanks to a change of heart Amelia experienced before her change of circumstances (How to Entice an Earl). But even the combined efforts of a duchess, a countess, and a viscountess aren’t enough to save Amelia from those eager to see her frozen out of the circle where she once reigned.

The young woman who once flaunted her beauty now works to subdue it. Mrs. Smithson, Amelia’s employer, reminds the beauty at every opportunity that she is now a nonentity, scarcely more than a servant. And Amelia, who once used her tongue to wound those she viewed as her inferiors, now endures in silence the cuts Mrs. Smithson inflicts. Amelia’s only consolations are that her employment allows her to earn a living and to repay slowly the money Cecily, Duchess of Winterson, gave her when Amelia’s very survival was in jeopardy and she is able to be of real help to Harriet Smithson, a sweet natured but not very confident young lady.

The last person Lord Quentin Fortescue expected to meet when he paid a visit to Smithson to discuss business was the woman who rejected his proposal nearly six years earlier. Amelia Snowe thought her beauty would hook a husband with a more impressive title than the honorific one bestowed upon a duke’s younger son. At first, Quentin feels a certain sense of satisfaction to see that Amelia’s failed to find the titled gentleman of whom she was so certain, but that feeling quickly gives way to an awareness of her beauty and an urge to protect her from her employer’s snubs.

When the addition of Quentin to the house party guest leaves Mrs. Smithson with uneven numbers, she reluctantly compels Amelia to join the company. Amelia finds herself partnered with Quentin for a scavenger hunt, and as the two spend time together, the friendship they shared is renewed and the chemistry between them reignited. Can Quentin forgive the rejection that was a blow to his pride and his heart? Will Amelia have a second chance with the man she has never forgotten?

Romance readers are notoriously tough in their judgment of female characters, and so redeemed heroines are much rarer than redeemed heroes. I admit that I was a scoffer when I first heard that Manda Collins was going to write Amelia Snowe’s story. I don’t have much forgiveness to offer mean girls, and I already thought Cecily, Juliet, and Maddie were too quick to accept Amelia’s apologies in How to Entice an Earl. I should have trusted this author.

Collins shows her readers a truly repentant heroine, one whose present circumstances are more than payback for her offenses. She also reveals Amelia’s history, so that the reader understands the forces that shaped her into the jealous, spiteful beauty whose venom spilled out in the Ugly Ducklings books. In this case, to understand is to forgive, and I wasn’t very far into The Perks of Being a Beauty before I found Amelia a sympathetic character whose HEA I was anticipating.

It doesn’t hurt that Quentin is a delicious beta hero, my favorite type, and that the two are involved in a reunion romance, my favorite trope. I really liked that he was not content to be merely the younger son of a duke but was actively engaged in building his fortune in a socially enlightened manner. I thought the time he spent in America as the son-in-law of a wealthy industrialist made both his interest in trade and his more egalitarian ways credible.

If you read the Ugly Ducklings books, you will find that The Perks of Being a Beauty is the perfect after dinner cordial—sweet and intoxicating. If you haven’t read the Ugly Ducklings series, I have three novels and a novella to recommend to you.

Do you think you judge female characters by a stricter standard? Are you a fan of redeemed heroines? Who is your favorite?

To celebrate new releases by two of my favorite writers and dear friends, I’ll give one digital copy of The Perks of Being a Beauty to the author of a randomly selected comment (on release day) and one digital copy of Meant to Be by Terri Osburn to the author of a randomly selected comment. (Sorry--limited to comments from U. S. only)

Bonus Review: Seduced by a Pirate

Seduced by a Pirate

By Eloisa James

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: October 30, 2012

Sir Griffin Barry is on his way home after spending almost half his lifetime at sea. Married at seventeen shortly before he jumped out a window and out of his new wife’s life, he was a pirate by eighteen. Four years later, he was captain of the feared Flying Poppy, named for the wife he left somewhere near Bath. Fourteen years later, he’s returning with a limp, a blue poppy tattoo on one cheekbone, a pardon from the king who has declared him a privateer rather than a pirate, and a case of nerves almost the equal of those that rendered him impotent on his wedding night. Going home seems to be his only option, but he has serious qualms about the reception he’s likely to receive. 

Phoebe Eleanor Barry, a merchant’s daughter with no desire to live in the style of the class into which she married, is content with her life at Arbor House. She has her friends, her three children, and a comfortable income of her own. Her serenity is shaken when she reads that Griffin has returned to England, but surely a pirate won’t be interested in life in Somerset, she reasons. Pirates go to prison. Perhaps that’s where he is. But Phoebe has scarcely ceased comforting herself with these reminders when two scarred and tattooed strangers arrive at Arbor House and she reluctantly prepares to greet these men who must be friends of her husband.

Griffin and his lady are quite a pair. For fourteen years, he’s thought his wife’s name was Poppy; for fourteen years, she’s thought her husband was short, slight, and unprepossessing. They discover they are both wrong. Lady Barry doesn’t use her title, and she dislikes the name Poppy, infinitely preferring her own name. Griffin at thirty-one is nothing like the boy who left. He’s big and bronzed and dangerously male. He’s also determined that he is going to be a husband to Phoebe. Can he convince his lady that he can stay on the right side of the law and out of other women’s beds? Can she resist the seductive ways of this pirate?

Seduced by a Pirate is the perfect title for this novella. I’m not a fan of pirate romances, and I could count on one hand with fingers to spare the books in that category that have been keepers for me. But I was easily seduced by Griffin Barry. I thought he was a terrific character in The Ugly Duchess and hoped to learn more of him and his Poppy. I cheered when James announced she had written the novella, and it was even better than I expected. I smiled from the first page to the final scene, only stopping when a grin or a giggle replace the smile.

Griffin is a wonderful hero, an experienced adult who knows himself and has come to value honesty and compassion. He has a healthy disregard for nonessentials and a killer sense of humor. Add to that his understanding of children and a sexiness quotient off the scale, and you have a dream of a hero. Phoebe is intelligent, sensible, loving, and as self-knowledgeable as Griffin. Watching them discover one another and fall in love was sheer delight. 

The secondary characters are also richly drawn. I found Griffin’s relationship with his father funny and moving in turn. Shark, a member of Griffin’s pirate crew turned general factotum, and Nanny McGillycuddy are warm-hearted and amusing, and the three children are distinct personalities, all appealing--although I confess Margaret, who is clearly destined for great things, was my favorite. In fact, there was nothing about this novella that I didn’t love.

It will be available in eleven days, and I promise you won’t find more reading joy for a penny less than a buck anywhere. Because this was my #1 fun read of the year, I’m giving away two Kindle copies to two randomly selected commenters (U. S. only). And remember, if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download the app and read it on your computer. As for me, I’m all set to let Griffin seduce me again.


What’s the last book you read that you loved so much you wanted to share it?

Six Word Memoirs: Romance Fact or Fiction

According to literary legend, American novelist Ernest Hemingway, famous for his succinct prose, once accepted a challenge to write a story in six words. He won the bet with these six: “For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.” In 2006, Smith, an online magazine that defines itself as “a place for storytelling, with a focus on personal narrative” invited its readers to accept a version of the Hemingway challenge and write their memoirs in six words. The response was so successful that in 2008 Smith editors Rachel Fershleiser and Larry Smith published a collection, Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. That book became a NYT bestseller, so Fershleiser and Smith followed up in 2009 with Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak by Writers Famous and Obscure. Some of the memoirs are nearly as poignant as the Hemingway original: "For the children, I remain his." Some, like writer Erica Jong’s contribution (“Much married, fourth time is charmed”), have a dark humor. Some, like poet Robert Hass’ memoir (“May I have the last dance?”) have a captivating ambiguity. My personal favorite is by poet and naturalist Diane Ackerman (“Wonder-filled, and never a dull torment.”)

I thought that it would be fun for us to celebrate our love of romance fiction by writing our own six-word memoirs of love and HEAs. You can share your own love story or you can assume the persona of a character from a favorite romance novel. Smith’s advice to his contributors should stand us in good stead as well: “write honestly, write truthfully, write specifically, and write quickly.”

 

I’ll start with a few examples:

 

Love’s memories console. One day—reunion.

                                                            --Janga

 

She shot me. I fell hard.

                                    --Dain (Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase)

 

His walk. Lessons learned. Heart call.

                                     --Josie (Pleasure for Pleasure, Eloisa James)

 

Your turn, my friends. Give it a try. I promise these things are addictive. Just to encourage you, I’ll give one randomly selected memoirist a copy of one of my favorite new releases, No Longer a Gentleman by Mary Jo Putney. HEA is guranteed.

 

This post is adapted from one I posted in 2009 at Romance Vagabonds.

 

 

Celebrating March 27 Releases

A cornucopia is an emblem of abundance. We usually see cornucopias overflowing with fruits and vegetables representing a bountiful harvest as Thanksgiving decoration, but the cornucopia I’m imagining today is overflowing with books. Sometime a Tuesday arrives offering such bounty that it calls for a special celebration. March 27 is such a Tuesday.

 I have a baker’s dozen of books on my must-read list for that day; I have read seven of them already. Beginning today and continuing over the next six days here at Just Janga, I’ll be reviewing five of the novels I have read. On the sixth day, I’ll recap two I have already reviewed on other sites, and on the seventh day, I’ll talk about the six books I’m still eagerly anticipating. That final day, I’ll also be giving away a copy of one of the March 27 romance releases (winner’s choice of book and format) to one randomly selected commenter from the first six days. So look for a new post each day this week, and be sure to comment for a chance to win one of these great books.

A Book to Celebrate: Day One

The Art of Duke Hunting

(Royal Entourage, Book 2)

By Sophia Nash

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: March 27, 2012

Roman Montagu, seventeenth Duke of Norwich, is under a curse. Since the first Duke of Norwich’s marriage proposal and gift of dead ducks was rejected by a lady he then accused of being a witch, sixteen Dukes of Norwich have died at an early age and in “fowl” circumstances. Roman is resigned to his fate, but he wants to delay death as long as possible and he is determined that the cursed line end with him. He avoids water and ducks, otherwise enjoying his life as a member of the Prince Regent’s Royal Entourage. It is after the most scandalous shenanigans of this group that Roman finds himself in the last place he would choose to be—lashed to the rail of The Drake during a severe thunderstorm. His terror combined with the ravages of the Entourage’s notorious party renders him irrational.

His life is saved by Lady Esme March, the widowed Countess of Derby, who pulls him to safety inside her cabin, locks the door to prevent him from further endangering his life, and distracts him in a manner that successfully takes his mind off all thoughts of storms and death. The damaged ship manages to make its way to the nearest harbor, and Esme and Roman find themselves along with the captain of the ship isolated from the other survivors. Once Roman learns that the woman who saved him is a member of his own social circle, he does the honorable thing and offers marriage, but Esme has no plans to remarry. The two spend the next several days much in each other’s company, getting to know one another and liking what they come to know. But they expect to part and continue with their lives unchanged when they return to England. Prinny, whose major interest is rescuing himself from the consequences of the infamous party, has other ideas. He commands that Roman and Esme marry. Can these two independent people with clear plans for their lives let go of their fears and trust themselves and one another enough to confess their love and build a life together?

I loved Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea, but I think The Art of Duke Hunting is even better. Many of my favorite romance novels combine humor with poignancy, and Nash does so here with skill and emotional power. Roman is a multi-faceted character and a terrific hero, despite all the duck jokes. By the time I read Esme’s description of his “intelligent regal face full of angles,” I was half in love with him. His affection for his friends among the Entourage made him more attractive and I found his commitment to devising a way for London to have clean water admirable. His honesty with himself about the emptiness of his self-indulgent life was all I needed to believe him a hero worthy of the remarkable heroine Nash gives him. Even when he makes the wrong choices, his motive for doing so is clear, and his choices are in character for what the reader has come to know about him. And once he recognizes that he is wrong, he takes quick and dramatic action that leads to a sigh-worthy conclusion.

The secondary characters are superbly drawn and serve to complicate and enrich the story. The dukes of Candover and Abshire are provocative characters. I’m especially looking forward to Abshire’s story.  I also liked the fact that the Prince Regent is an actual character who plays a pivotal role in the plot. I still chuckle when I think about the scene where he orders the marriage.

“Your Highness,” Roman said rubbing his forehead with one hand. “This is impossible. I am certainly not the man for Lady Derby. And she does not want to marry me.”

“And what does it matter what anyone wants these days? Do you think I want rotten potatoes thrown at my head every single morning? Do you think I want talk of revolution spreading through the country like wildfire on a summer afternoon? You are to be married, I say. Right this blooming moment, sod it all.”

I have no idea if the historical Prinny would have spoken these words, but I had no trouble believing the Prinny of Romancelandia would have.

But the heroine is what moved this book from a good read to a keeper for me. She is wholly delightful, not least because she is more than a conventional romance heroine. I love that she’s an artist who is passionate about her art. She values her independence. She loved her husband who taught her about pleasure and love even though she’s angry with him for choosing whiskey over her. One of my favorite lines is “The wallflower within her had never wilted.” She is an endearing combination of assurance and insecurity.  She thinks of herself as “old at four and thirty, and worse, she was plain. And too tall. A wretched combination for a lady.” But she shows such courage when she stands up to her mentor, insisting upon her own artistic vision. Perhaps even more important, she is kind and large-hearted. Overall, she is one of the most engaging heroines I’ve encountered.

It’s not necessary to have read Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea to understand and enjoy The Art of Duke Hunting. In fact, the clearest explanation of what the Royal Entourage is, the very top A list celebrities of their day, can be found in the second book: “Every English lady worth her weight in smelling salts had a favorite member of the royal entourage, and Norwich had always been Esme’s since the night many seasons ago when she had first spied him entering a gilded ballroom in Mayfair—his mother on one arm, his ravishing sister on the other.” 

So too can the account of the behavior of the Entourage on that night that scandalized a nation, a night when eight dukes, one archbishop, and the Prince Regent were involved in duels, lawn bowling in their underwear, “swimming amok with the swans in the Serpentine” in the company of “scantily clad females,” and other boisterous acts that led one of the dukes to miss his own wedding and gave Prinny many uneasy moments. 

I recommend you read both books because Sophia Nash is a gifted writer whose books are a joy to read, but if you are going to read only one, I suggest The Art of Duke Hunting.

How do you feel about series? Do you start with the first and wait impatiently for the rest? Do you wait until  all the books in a series are released and read them together. Do you read them out of order? Read some and not worry about those you missed? Or do you avoid series altogether? 

Tuesday Review: A Handful of Christmas Stars to a Reread and a New Read

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor
By Lisa Kleypas
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: October 26, 2010

Mark Nolan’s strongest commitment is to his coffee business, not withstanding his long-term girlfriend. That changes when his sister Victoria is killed in an automobile accident and Mark finds that she has named him as guardian of her six-year-old daughter, Holly. Her happiness becomes Mark’s primary concern: “For the first time in his life he knew what it felt like to have his heart broken… not broken in a sad or romantic sense, but broken open. He had never known this before, the desire to surround another human being with perfect happiness.” But Holly, grieving for her mother, has stopped speaking, and Mark feels helpless to end her silence.

Maggie Collins is no stranger to grief. A widow, she has opened a toy store, the Magic Mirror, in Friday Harbor as one more step in building a new life. Even a mute child loves a toy store, and so it’s hardly surprising that Mark and Holly visit the Magic Mirror. Holly is enchanted by a fairy house that Maggie has made, and the two are clearly kindred spirits in their love for the imaginary world of fairy lore and other magic. Mark’s not happy about this departure from reality, but he tolerates it since, with Maggie’s encouragement, Holly begins to speak.

Both Maggie and Mark are quickly aware of their attraction to one another, but neither is ready to act on it. Mark feels a certain loyalty to his girlfriend, Shelby, and Maggie, two years after her husband’s death from cancer, is leery of opening herself to the possibility of more loss. So the two settle for friendship. They enjoy one another; they talk to one another, sharing the best kind of conversation: “As they continued to talk, it somehow slipped into the bonelessly comfortable, unstructured conversation of longtime friends, both of them letting it go where it would.”

But the attraction doesn’t disappear, and Holly’s letter to Santa adds a layer of complication. But Maggie has to be willing to take a risk and Mark has to learn to believe in magic before a little girl’s Christmas wish can come true.

More novella than novel, Kleypas’s first Friday Harbor book has less sizzle than her usual fiction, but it has the memorable characters the mix of sigh-worthy romance and real-life issues that characterized her Travis family contemporaries. Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is several love stories—the love of a child, the love of family (even dysfunctional ones), and the love between a man and a woman—all tied up in a Christmas bow.               

Reading it, or rereading it, is also great preparation for the next Friday Harbor book, Rainshadow Road, which will be released in February. I’m excited about reading a Lisa Kleypas book, especially after no new books from her in 2011. Rainshadow Road Sam Nolan’s story, and I’m already a little bit in love with Sam. You can read an excerpt here.

Note: I am one of "Lisa's Divas" - a group of select fans who share info and content related to Lisa's novels and get sneak peeks and swag in return.  

Once Upon a Winter’s Eve

By Tessa Dare
Publisher: Samhain

Release Date: November 15, 2011

Spindle Cove’s Christmas ball is in progress, and Violet Winterbottom, an experienced wallflower, has claimed a corner from which to watch the dancing when a stranger, wet and bloody, staggers into the room and falls unconscious at her feet.  The language he speaks is a strange one to the citizens of Spindle Cove; only Violet can understand him. She identifies his language as Breton, the language of Brittany-- “As in Brittany, France,” as Bram Rycliff (hero of A Night to Surrender) says. Bram and the other members of the militia are suspicious of the stranger.  He may be a spy or the scout for an invasion force.

Violet isn’t sure she trusts him either, nor is she sure she trusts herself. The last time she gave her trust to a man, she ended up with a broken heart and indelible memories of The Disappointment.  Should she listen to her excellent mind that tells her this man is a mystery and a stranger, and an enemy stranger at that, or dare she listen once again to her heart?

Broken heads and broken hearts, language games and a truncated letter, pistols and promises—Dare weaves them all into a story with humor and heat and heart-capturing characters. You can read an excerpt here.

I knew I’d love this book from the moment I read the tagline: “Some wallflowers bloom at night...” and I did.  I loved Violet’s intelligence, vulnerability, and courage. I loved her stranger in the night. And I loved seeing Bram and Susanna’s happiness continuing to grow. Spindle Cove has become one of my favorite fictional settings. My second visit there was a rare treat, and I look forward to returning with A Week to Be Wicked (March 27, 2012).

I want to share the love by giving away two ecopies of Once Upon a Winter’s Eve--one in honor of a terrific author and one in honor of an equally terrific editor. Winners will be chosen randomly from among those who comment. With apologies to international visitors, the contest is open only to visitors within the  U. S.

What’s your favorite Christmas novella? To what 2012 books are you most looking forward?