Review: Christmas Beau by Mary Balogh

Christmas Beau

Not even the warm, forgiving Christmas spirit can stop the Marquess of Denbigh from settling his score with Judith Easton: The beautiful young widow injured Denbigh’s pride years ago by jilting him for another man. Now that Judith is free from a nightmare marriage, the handsome marquess has her in his sights—and wants her in his arms. But to trust the tender words on his lips, Judith must not only see past the hardness of his heart, but learn once again to trust her own heart’s desire.

Originally published in 1991, Christmas Beau is the second half of the recently released A Christmas Bride/Christmas Beau by Mary Balogh.

As the above blurb states in Christmas Beau the main trope is revenge. Years ago Judith Easton jilted Max, the Marquess of Denbigh, to marry a man she found to be more accessible and less frightening, a good looking, charming, and rakish man. Now that she's a widow, Max returns to London with revenge on his mind. The plan? Make her fall for him and then leave her high and dry, just like she left him all those years back. He's willing to do anything to achieve this, including gaining and manipulating the affection of her two small children and her spinster sister-in-law to get to Judith. Eventually he gets her to go to his country estate for Christmas, but as his plans begin to take shape Max struggles between the darkness within and the happiness that could be his for the taking.

Where I disagree with the above blurb is in that it says that Judith "injured Denbigh's pride," that is not really accurate. Judith injured Max's heart . . . she broke his heart and almost broke the man when she so blithely jilted him without wondering if her actions wrought emotional damage. This heartbreak is apparent and known from the beginning of the story, just as Judith's fear of Max and lack of concern for his feelings are readily apparent.

This is an interesting story with revenge central to the plot. But there is more involved as Balogh brings to the equation heartbreak, thoughtlessness and lack of judgment, trust and forgiveness. Balogh also uses role reversal in this angsty Christmas novella by making the hero the suffering heartbroken protagonist. Max is the one full of emotions, yearning, unfulfilled desires, not just physical, but actually more like longing for a family and the heroine's love. I liked that, and as a result fell in love with Max.

Balogh gives Max a conscience so that he is not at all comfortable with his actions. So that this man of conscience combined with the giving man he became after almost breaking due to Judith’s betrayal make him a memorable hero. Additionally, his love for Judith and the way he falls for her children make him lovable. Max is a man whose capacity for love, giving, and kindness struggle with the pain and darkness that drive his plans for revenge until the very end. There are human flaws, but nothing cruel about this man.

Judith plays the role of the clueless person who is unwittingly thoughtless and seemingly unconcerned about her past actions and the consequences. Her youth, lack of experience, fears and assumptions are to blame. However her lack of concern for Max's feelings -- whether pride or otherwise -- was puzzling to me. Particularly after she gets to know him as a giving, loving, and sensitive person beneath the serious, intense surface. Judith is a somewhat frustrating character and although her growth comes at a slower pace, by the end the reader believes the happy ever after.

Christmas Beau is an emotional Christmas novella by Balogh. I know that I found the situation between the two main characters emotional and angsty enough to make me cry! And passion? Yes, there are a few descriptive passionate scenes, as well as enough subtle passion in the novella to satisfy this reader. There's a secondary romance involving Judith's spinster sister-in-law that did not touch me for some reason, and a story about orphans incorporated into the main romance that did. The Christmas theme is vintage Balogh and as always I enjoyed it along with its message of love, giving, and forgiveness.

Category: Historical Romance/Holiday
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Dell/November 27, 2012
Grade: B

Visit Mary Balogh here

Review:
A Christmas Bride
------------

Summary Comment: Of the two stories, overall I enjoyed A Christmas Bride more than Christmas Beau. However, it's interesting that Christmas Beau is the story that really touched me emotionally. These two novellas are a great pairing, not only because of the obvious titles, but also because Balogh uses role reversal on both stories and they share unusual and/or unique central characters: A Christmas Bride with its villain(ess) heroine and Christmas Beau with its angsty, heartbroken hero.

November 2012: Reads + Updates

Natalia

The month of November was a bit of a roller coaster. First there was the shock that was hurricane Sandy to deal with throughout those first few weeks of the month. In our family, however, there was also a birth to celebrate when my niece little Natalia made her dramatic entrance on November 3rd! I'm sharing one tiny little picture. Thanksgiving turned to be a good day for all of us, we were together and yes... the child was the center of attention.

As far as reading goes, November was a good reading month for me with a great mix of genres included and mixed results as far as enjoyment goes. I also mixed up new releases with books I've had in my TBR pile for a while, and classic romances with new and innovative erotic reads.

Let's see how I did:

Total books read in November: 17
   Contemporary: 8 (1 romance, 7 erotic romance)
   Historical: 4 (Romance: 3, Fantasy Fiction: 1)
   LGBT: 5 (Historical Erotica: 2, Historical Romance: 1, Contemporary Romance: 2)

Top 5 Reads of the month:

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey: A-
The Snow Child was my TBR Challenge read and turned out to be a winner for me. This is a historical fantasy fiction book that was released earlier this year and Eowyn Ivey's debut novel. I will remember it for how beautifully she blended magical realism with a fairy tale, the brutality of life as it was for homesteaders in the Alaskan wilds in the 1920's, and the gorgeous descriptions of nature.

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley: A-
This is my first read by Susanna Kearsley but it won't be my last. My favorite aspect of this book is how the time traveling, when it happens, really makes sense. I love that one romance cannot happen without the other and that the happy ever after is such a wonderful surprise for the reader. Kearsley's writing style is also a winner for me.

Conor's Way by Laura Lee Guhrke: A
This historical romance is just beautiful. I love that it is angsty, but not too much so, that there are joy and love, conflicts and resolutions, real history and gorgeous characterization. The fact that it is set in the post-revolutionary American South but it also gives the reader a taste of Ireland, makes this historical twice the winner for me... and the unique hero puts the cherry on the top. Excellent read!

A Christmas Bride by Mary Balogh: B+
This Christmas novella has a unique and/or unorthodox heroine. I have a feeling that not all readers will find her as fascinating as I did -- she's not easy. But, I liked her because she's a departure from Mary Balogh's usual heroine and a former villain. The novella serves as an almost-epilogue for other stories, in particular A Precious Jewel, and it has a beautiful Christmas message about forgiveness and redemption.

Wyatt: Doc Holliday's Account of an Intimate Friendship by Dale Chase: B+
Do any of you watch western movies? I happen to love them! And if they also happen to have Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson, Ringo or any mention of Tombstone... well, I never, ever miss them. I even visited Tombstone, Arizona (the real place) during my U.S. cross-country trip a while back. Yeap, I made my husband take the detour (poor guy).... true story! So, do you think I enjoyed this book? Of course, the fact that Dale Chase wrote it is a big plus. A highly enjoyable read!

Destiny Calls by Samantha Wayland: B+
Velvet by Xavier Axelson: B
The Company He Keeps: Victorian Gentlemen's Erotica by Dale Chase: B-
Day of the Dead: A Romance by Erik Orrantia: B-
The Perfect Hope (Inn Boonsboro, #3) by Nora Roberts: B-
Mine till Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro: C+
Tart by Lauren Dane: C+
With Grace by Samantha Wayland: C-
Rule of Three by Kelly Jamieson: C-
Laid Open (Brown Siblings #5) by Lauren Dane: D+
Brotherhood of Fire by Elizabeth Moore: D

Upcoming Reviews: 
Christmas Beau by Mary Balogh
Light and Shadow by G.L. Roberts

That is it for my November update. Right now I have the dreaded flu... it finally caught up me. I feel as weak as a kitten. I'm in the process of reading three books, but my head is so stuffy I can't finish any of them! Ugh! How was your November? Find any great books? 

Mini: Wyatt: Doc Holliday's Account of an Intimate Friendship by Dale Chase

Wyatt: Doc Holliday's Account
of an Intimate Friendship

Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday are best known for their gunplay at the OK Corral, but there is far more to their story. The remarkable friendship between upright lawman and southern gentleman turned gambler and killer ignites when Doc saves Wyatt's life in Dodge City and escalates into passion as the two move west to Tombstone where lawlessness reigns. As they work toward bringing to justice a band of rustlers terrorizing the area, they are drawn into the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral and are jailed for murder.

They are cleared of the charges, but the murder of Morgan Earp sets Wyatt on a vendetta where, with Doc at his side, he turns killer not only to avenge his brother but to rid the region of the outlaw menace. The price is high, however. Now wanted men, Doc and Wyatt are forced to flee Arizona, and it is while on the run that they find their relationship deepening into what is ultimately a tragic love.

I seem to love almost everything Dale Chase writes. At this point I think I may have read almost all her short stories set in the West. The key word is "almost" because I'm still searching through Chase's backlist to find them, and that includes her short stories published in Bear erotic anthologies which are usually set in the West. But, an erotic novel by Dale Chase queering Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday? I just knew it was going to be a winner for me!

Chase has such talent for writing historical westerns and that talent is in full display in Wyatt: Doc Holliday's Account of an Intimate Friendship. She weaves the whole history of what happens in Tombstone so well with her own fictional account of Doc and Wyatt's intimate relationship that by the end, the reader wants to believe Chase's version. There are plenty of erotic scenes (with enough spit and poke to please the crowds), just as there are violent scenes on the streets of Tombstone, desperate chases on horseback, and mean, cold gunfights between our heroes and the Cowboys. The sexy scenes after the killing and the chasing are always the best ones!

I love Wyatt and Doc, and Chase brings them and the secondary characters to life in this erotic piece. I love the details she incorporates into her story, the characterization and excellent western atmosphere. Expect lots of erotic scenes to accompany all the cocky posturing and spare macho dialog. If you like westerns, good historical details, great writing, and erotica, you'll love this one. (November 6, 2012, Bold Strokes Books) Grade: B+

Collections by Dale Chase:
If The Spirit Moves You: Ghostly Gay Erotica
The Company He Keeps: Victorian Gentlemen's Erotica

Review: A Christmas Bride by Mary Balogh

A Christmas Bride

It has become tradition for me to kick off the Holidays by picking up one of Mary Balogh's many Christmas novellas. This year two of her old classics have been re-released in one book, just in time for the season. A Christmas Bride/Christmas Beau have been on my list for a while, now I own both. Here is my review for  A Christmas Bride.

The son of a Bristol merchant, Edgar Downes is an attorney and a  wealthy, successful merchant and businessman, a cit. His father believes that there's no better man or gentleman than his son and that Edgar deserves nothing less than a lady for a wife, so it is that at the age of thirty-six Edgar finds himself promising not only to search for a lady willing to marry him, but to bring her home as a Christmas bride. Luckily for Edgar, his sister Cora and brother-in-law Lord Francis Kneller invite him to London for the season, and along with their aristocratic friends plans are made to introduce him to eligible ladies. Aristocratic young ladies with parents willing to marry their daughters to a merchant are found, unfortunately during that first planned event the woman who catches Edgar's eye is the beautiful seductive widow wearing red, Lady Stapleton.

Helena is also shocked when the handsome, powerful and rather imposing stranger catches her eye and soon she maneuvers the situation until he escorts her home, alone, where she promptly seduces him. Almost immediately she regrets her weakness, and soon we are treated to the mocking, self-destructive, sarcastic, and hurtful Helena. Edgar is not much better, he is taken aback by Helena's passionate nature and his own passionate reaction to her. They both know they made a mistake, but soon find that there are consequences to that night of seduction that will change lives and take decisions out of their hands. As Christmas approaches and all make their way to Edgar's country estate, will those changes bring happiness? If it's up to Helena, the answer to that question is no.

Edgar Downes and Helene, Lady Stapleton were introduced in previous novels released by Balogh. Edgar is Fanny's (The Famous Heroine) older brother, and Helene is Gerald Stapleton's (A Precious Jewel) wicked step-mother. Yes, Helene is the villainess in that romance and for much of this romance Helena plays the role of the hurtful, mocking woman who embraces suffering for her past mistakes but takes that self-hatred out on those who attempt to make her happy, in this case Edgar. Helena's hard edges are in full display as she refuses to show a softer, vulnerable side or to embrace happiness because to her way of thinking she doesn't deserve it. And well, there's a good reason for that!

This situation with Helena might have been a total disaster if she had not warned Edgar from the beginning that she did not want happiness or him. She is straight forward and relentless when it comes to fighting deep feelings. He knows this, yet can't stop thinking that they are made for each other because she's a strong woman and he's willing to fight for a future. The man has the patience of Job! Actually Edgar is a man who knows how to control his domineering side quite well... and has no problem showing his softer side. He's a lovely man. Balogh works this rather prickly and rough relationship slowly from beginning to end. It works because although feelings change between the characters, the characters don't really change who they are, instead what is beneath the surface is revealed as the story moves along.

Edgar and Helena are excellent examples of Balogh protagonists with a bit of a twist. She is a woman willing to sacrifice happiness and he is an honorable man of character. I see two differences here from the norm: Helena's sacrifice doesn't come about because she's trying to protect someone else, and she's willing to hurt other people's feelings in order to punish herself. Balogh's usual heroine hurts herself before hurting others and sacrifices her own happiness for the sake of others. I actually found Helena as an ex-villainess who is not exactly looking for redemption, but finds it and doesn't necessarily change into an unrecognizable character, a bit of a refreshing protagonist -- particularly in a Christmas novella. This view of Helena, however, might not be shared by all readers.

Another aspect about this novella also surprising to me is that first seduction scene between Edgar and Helena. That has to be one of the most passionate bedroom scenes I've read so far in a Balogh novel or novella. Balogh's intimate scenes are known to be rather tame, and although in comparison to others out there it won't be considered over the top, in Balogh-land that is definitely a steamy scene!

As a Christmas novella set in the Regency era and written by Mary Balogh, you will find that no matter how non-traditional the trope or the characters in A Christmas Bride might be, her trademark traditional English Christmas scenes in the country are also very much a part of the story. Gorgeous secondary characters with interesting little stories of their own abound, but in this novella the most interesting  aspect of those secondary characters is that most of them come from other romances -- besides the ones mentioned above the group also involves the Duke and Duchess of Bridgwater (The Plumed Bonnet), Jennifer and Gabe (Dark Angel), and Hartley and Samantha (Lord Carew's Bride). It's a happy reunion full of family and friends with the focus always kept firmly on the romance.

I really enjoyed A Christmas Bride with its non-traditional heroine and traditional Christmas story about forgiveness and redemption -- and boy, nobody needed forgiveness and redemption more than Helena! It gave me that kick start I needed to get me into the mood to read all those holiday books I have sitting on my coffee table. Reading now, Christmas Beau.        

Category: Historical Romance/Holiday
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Dell/November 27, 2012
Grade: B+

Visit Mary Balogh here.

Review: Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

Originally released in 1994, Mariana by Susanna Kearsley has been reprinted and released quite a few times, including this year's release of the digital edition. Mariana is a time travel romance that takes the reader on a back and forth journey between contemporary times and the 17th Century. The story takes place in Britain on a quaint, bucolic, small village steeped in history and atmosphere.

All day within the dreamy house,
The doors upon their hinges creak'd;
The blue fly sung in the pane; the house
Behind the mouldering wainscot shriek'd,
Or from the crevice peer'd about
Old faces glimmer'd thro' the doors,
Old footsteps trod the upper floors,
Old voices called her from without.
     ---Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Mariana"

There's much to love about this story and I do believe that it stands the test of time. Kearsley hooks the reader on the story from the beginning by having a child recognize a house she has never seen, in a town she has never visited. In this tale of time travel, she beautifully weaves in Julia Beckett's contemporary story with Mariana Farr's life as it was lived in the 17th Century, reincarnation and time travel -- the movement by a person's soul between two different time periods. This movement is almost seamless and frankly the simple way in which it is done lends a certain plausibility to the story by the end. I actually loved this aspect of the story.

The historical details used to build Mariana's story during the 17th Century are excellent: the plague that hit London, small bits about the King's coronation and politics, religious beliefs and attitudes toward women, children, nobility, and peasantry, plus details about daily life. All of these factors fit the historical times and are captured by Kearsley, setting a distinct atmosphere between Mariana and Julia as they live their lives in the house called Greywethers in Exbury, Wiltshire. When time traveling, I particularly like the fact that Julia cannot change the past through her knowledge of the present or contemporary influences, instead she becomes the woman that was Mariana -- not Julia in Mariana's body. Yet, when returning to the present, she retains knowledge and memories from her expeditions to the past. For some reason, this really made sense to me.

The romance happening in the 17th Century between Mariana and her impossible love, the angst and the beauty of it, accompanied by the brutal realities of those times are well rendered by Kearsley. The fact that Mariana's story is told in spurts, or in a stop and go manner, while Julia lives her contemporary life and deals with what is happening to her, doesn't affect Mariana's story in the least. Her romance is a full, complete story, if a sad one in the end. But is it sad? After all, this is a reincarnation story too... and Julia has the opportunity of righting wrongs in the present.

The secondary characters, Julia's brother Tom, Vivien, Grey de Mornay and Iain Sumner all become an intricate part of the story and Julia's life. Some of the characters, her brother Tom in particular, truly become three-dimensional and just as absorbing as does Julia. And, just as important to the overall story are the secondary characters from the past: Mariana's uncle Jabez Howard, friend Rachel, aunt Caroline and Richard.

When it comes to the overall story, Julia becomes so entranced by the past that her decisions become muddied, fuzzy and confused. But truthfully this story is all about Mariana, because what happened in her life affects Julia's decisions about her present life and her future. Both lives are so tightly woven together that in the end, there is only one happy ending for both women.

Leslie reviewed this book back in September. That review is the reason I picked up this book last week -- thanks Leslie! In her review she called this a "non-traditional romance," and to my way of thinking she hit the nail on the head with that phrase, the unusual ending alone makes it so. That ending will surprise and shock most readers. For this reason alone I strongly recommend not to peek ahead at the end-- it will spoil the whole effect of the story.  Mariana is so intriguing and absorbing that I could not put it down until the very end. It is a great read!

Mariana is my first read by Kearsley, but it won't be my last. I already have The Winter Sea (a book I've seen around countless times) in my possession and will read it next.

Category: Historical Romance-Time Travel/Sci-Fi
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Sourcebooks/April 1, 2012
Grade: A-

Visit Susanna Kearsley here.