A serviceable Regency romance that will satisfy some readers, though it doesn’t fulfill the potential it displays.
A marriage of convenience despite a mutual attraction.
Andrew Macalister and Clara Masson both have their reasons for avoiding the haute ton. Andrew, Duke of Bradstone, dislikes everything about his title, especially the pressure to marry the “marriage-minded females” shoved in front of him at every society event. Lady Clara hates the same events for the opposite reason; ever since her twin sister left Lord Andrew at the altar and disappeared, her nasty brother Jonathan has encouraged vulgar rumors about Clara, and she’s been either ignored or insulted by the beau monde wherever she shows her face. After Clara sneaks into the Macalister Birthday Ball, Jonathan threatens her life, and Andrew’s fortuitous rescue and proposal are all that keep her from living on the street. Though a series of misunderstandings have kept them apart, Clara and Andrew have secretly pined for one another for years, so the imminent marriage of convenience would seem to be a happy ending. However, years of rumors and distrust, as well as Jonathan’s continued threats, may overpower their attraction. In spite of the promisingly dramatic plot, the second entry in Taylor’s The Macalisters series remains surprisingly bland whenever it leaves the bedroom. Well-loved cliché is anticipated in a Regency romance, but this one is weighted down with a confusing number of tropes that sometimes detract from the strong chemistry between its hero and heroine. Taylor is a capable writer and clearly understands the component parts of a meaningful romance story, but the whole does not quite equal the sum of its parts. The Macalisters series is planned to run for six more books, so readers who appreciate this entry can hope that she reaches the next level in one of those stories.
A serviceable Regency romance that will satisfy some readers, though it doesn’t fulfill the potential it displays.Pub Date: April 17, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-944995-57-7
Page Count: 392
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
A masterly encapsulation of modern Russian history, this book more than fulfills the promise of Towles' stylish debut, Rules...
Sentenced to house arrest in Moscow's Metropol Hotel by a Bolshevik tribunal for writing a poem deemed to encourage revolt, Count Alexander Rostov nonetheless lives the fullest of lives, discovering the depths of his humanity.
Inside the elegant Metropol, located near the Kremlin and the Bolshoi, the Count slowly adjusts to circumstances as a "Former Person." He makes do with the attic room, to which he is banished after residing for years in a posh third-floor suite. A man of refined taste in wine, food, and literature, he strives to maintain a daily routine, exploring the nooks and crannies of the hotel, bonding with staff, accepting the advances of attractive women, and forming what proves to be a deeply meaningful relationship with a spirited young girl, Nina. "We are bound to find comfort from the notion that it takes generations for a way of life to fade," says the companionable narrator. For the Count, that way of life ultimately becomes less about aristocratic airs and privilege than generosity and devotion. Spread across four decades, this is in all ways a great novel, a nonstop pleasure brimming with charm, personal wisdom, and philosophic insight. Though Stalin and Khrushchev make their presences felt, Towles largely treats politics as a dark, distant shadow. The chill of the political events occurring outside the Metropol is certainly felt, but for the Count and his friends, the passage of time is "like the turn of a kaleidoscope." Not for nothing is Casablanca his favorite film. This is a book in which the cruelties of the age can't begin to erase the glories of real human connection and the memories it leaves behind.
A masterly encapsulation of modern Russian history, this book more than fulfills the promise of Towles' stylish debut, Rules of Civility(2011).Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-670-02619-7
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 20, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
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