Lipman (Isabel’s Bed, 1995, etc.) again celebrates romance grounded in the real world as she wittily details love’s rout of prejudice by two young couples. Natalie Marx is the Jewish narrator of this good-humored tale of lovers of different faiths, who find happiness and even manage to be accepted by their initially not-so-happy parents. Natalie’s family, who live in Massachusetts, summered each year in the 1960s either at the beach or on the lakes; one summer, in response to an inquiry her mother addressed to the Inn at Lake Devine in Vermont, a letter came from the proprietor, Ingrid Berry, saying that their guests were all Gentiles. Young Natalie was both angry and intrigued. She finessed a summer in her teens at the Inn by befriending WASP Robin Fife, whom she met at a summer camp, and then found both the Fife family and the Inn bland and boring. Now in 1970s Boston, Natalie, training to be a chef after college, runs into Robin, who asks her to come to her wedding at the Inn: She’s marrying Nelson Berry, Ingrid’s eldest son. Natalie goes, and cooks up a storm as the families grieve after Robin is killed on her way to Vermont, then falls for Kris, the younger Berry son. Neither the Marxes nor the Berrys are pleased. But their biases are nicely balanced when Linette Feldman, whose family owns a kosher hotel in the Catskills, falls for Nelson Berry, and her parents have also to be brought round. Love wins out, of course, thanks to perseverance and good sense. An upbeat and amusing romp through what is usually a minefield, by a writer who deftly makes her points but never preaches. (Author tour)
Pub Date: June 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-679-45693-7
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1998
Skillful writing and storytelling, compelling sexual and emotional tension, and a cast of realistic, vulnerable characters...
When a meddling but warmhearted lady’s companion tries to force a reconciliation between a dowager countess and her son, no one can guess at the resentment and betrayals that will be unearthed; but Christmas is the season for forgiveness and new beginnings—and possibly a little romance?
The Earl of Devonmont is quite clear on two things in his life: He wants nothing, ever, to do with his mother, and he’s determined to never marry. So, even he is surprised when, after receiving a letter from Camilla Stuart, his mother’s companion, indicating the dowager is on death’s door, he high-tails it to his country estate where his mother lives simply in the Dowager House. And he's even more surprised when, upon seeing evidence of the lady’s good health, he allows his intended immediate departure to be delayed by the intriguing employee. One day flows into many, and while he and his mother move into a more civil relationship than they’ve had since she abandoned him as a child, all three of them realize they must get to the heart of the matter—the truth behind the abandonment and the secrets of the Dowager’s past—before real peace and understanding can be achieved. Meanwhile, Camilla and the earl grow ever closer, and for the first time, Devonmont considers marriage, though Camilla knows a match between them is unacceptable. She’s a foundling widow with a young child, and he’s, well, an earl. Jeffries’ latest historical romance is an enchanting holiday charmer with a complex and captivating plot; characters that interact with emotional authenticity; and a rich set of conflicted, heart-tugging obstacles—all of which combine to provide a satisfying happily-ever-after set against a fun holiday backdrop.
Skillful writing and storytelling, compelling sexual and emotional tension, and a cast of realistic, vulnerable characters contribute to a lovely, spirited Christmas winner.Pub Date: Oct. 30, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4516-4246-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2012
An Edwardian theater love story that tests the boundaries of just how unlikable a romance hero can be.
Two thespians strut and fret and argue throughout their hour upon the stage together.
The Honorable Miss Fenella Grantley knows she should be grateful for her life of ease and privilege, but everything feels unrelentingly gloomy to her. Except, that is, when she sneaks out to Bloomsbury for her acting classes. Those classes get even more interesting when playwright Edward Tremayne, by-blow of the Earl of Pendleton, comes to class with a draft of his newest work, Sapphire. She takes an immediate dislike to Edward and his “arrogance and contempt,” so he takes her for hot chocolate to apologize for his rudeness. And despite the fact that the two can’t go more than a few sentences at a time without bickering, they soon become intimate, and a few days later, they’ve not only slept together, but Fenella is also concocting elaborate excuses to spend the night at his lodgings. Both are prickly and prone to misunderstandings, but they are continually drawn back to each other and have to decide whether their chemistry can or should survive the tumult of these continuous conflicts. Unfortunately, it will be hard for many readers to look forward to this happy ending. From their first meeting, Edward seems unnecessarily unkind to Fenella, and although this is supposedly because of his nerves and attraction to her, modern sensibilities may find him creepy and overbearing rather than charming. Additionally, his obsession with Sapphire and insistence that Fenella perform her role in exactly the way he’s imagined it is an unfortunately timeless example of a male artist who puts his ego before all others—not exactly the swoon-inspiring stuff of a romance hero. For her part, Fenella is pleasingly independent, which makes her attraction to Edward all the more confusing. The book, second in a series but able to stand alone, may appeal to Feather’s longtime fans but is unlikely to work for readers who aren’t already inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt.
An Edwardian theater love story that tests the boundaries of just how unlikable a romance hero can be.Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4201-4362-1
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Zebra/Kensington
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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