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April Kihlstrom

Auteur de The Wily Wastrel

35 oeuvres 774 utilisateurs 17 critiques 1 Favoris

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Comprend les noms: April Kihlstrom

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Œuvres de April Kihlstrom

The Wily Wastrel (1999) 42 exemplaires
The Sentimental Soldier (2000) 37 exemplaires
Miss Tibbles' Folly (1998) 36 exemplaires
A Scandalous Bequest (1982) 32 exemplaires
The Widower's Folly (2001) 31 exemplaires
The Wicked Groom (1996) 30 exemplaires
Miss Tibbles Investigates (1600) 29 exemplaires
The Soldier's Bride (2002) 29 exemplaires
An Honorable Rogue (1997) 29 exemplaires
The Ambitious Baronet (2001) 29 exemplaires
The Mysterious Governess (1984) 28 exemplaires
The Wary Spinster (1983) 28 exemplaires
An Improper Companion (1983) 28 exemplaires
The Reckless Barrister (1999) 27 exemplaires
The Widowed Bride (1996) 26 exemplaires
The Counterfeit Betrothal (1987) 26 exemplaires
An Outrageous Proposal (1998) 26 exemplaires
A Choice of Cousins (1982) 26 exemplaires
The Reluctant Thief (1998) 26 exemplaires
Miss Redmond's Folly (1988) 25 exemplaires
Dangerous Masquerade (1992) 25 exemplaires
Captain Rogue (1988) 25 exemplaires
The Charming Imposter (1985) 24 exemplaires
Miss Tibbles Interferes (2002) 21 exemplaires
The Nabob's Widow (1986) 21 exemplaires
The Reckless Wager (1991) 20 exemplaires
The Scholar's Daughter (1989) 19 exemplaires
Twice Betrothed (1984) 14 exemplaires
The Dutiful Wife (2012) 3 exemplaires
Governess Romance: 10 Historical Romance Excerpts (2015) — Contributeur — 3 exemplaires

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The July 2022 #TBRChallenge is “Vintage.” I started early this month to make sure I’d have an entry, because I don’t like to miss golden opportunities to grab oldies but goodies off my Mount TBR.

Oliver Standish was a very eccentric man; the names chosen for his children (Amethyst, Calista, Gilby, Raynor, Xanthe) put paid to that. Known mostly for his scholarly work, Standish continued to play fast and loose with reality when it came to his will. He named as guardian of his children Frederick Leverton, a young man he met exactly once at Oxford. Standish was impressed with Leverton’s intellect and debating skills. He hinted heavily in the instructions along with his will that he anticipated a match between Leverton and Calista, his eldest unmarried daughter.

Unfortunately, 2 years have passed between the writing of the will and Oliver Standish’s death, and in the meanwhile Frederick Leverton quite inconveniently married someone else. Leverton is happy to serve as the nominal male guardian to Standish’s mostly-grown children, however, and is rather amused by the terms of the will for poor Calista: she must marry by her 21st birthday in order to inherit her piece, and she has less than a year to find a husband if she wants her money.

Leverton takes a trip to visit the Standish family and brings along with him Mr. John Witton, a dashing Corinthian who was once the belle of the beau monde himself. The two men take precautions against any potential matchmaking, however, creating a story that Witton is already engaged and merely waiting for his fiancée to snap her fingers and request he show up at the church.

Calista is very much her father’s child, and wants nothing more in life than to carry on his scholarly work. Her mother is more realistic, begging Calista to see reason, put away her childish experiments, and start working her way into a successful marriage. Mrs. Standish is very prim and proper, however, and doesn’t want even a hint of impropriety between her daughter and the currently single Mr. Witton.

Too bad the two take a shine to each other, and Calista’s younger siblings aren’t as adverse to matchmaking as their mother is. A week after meeting him, Gilby and Raynor contrive to create an carriage accident, which strands Witton and Calista during a raging rainstorm, leaving them no choice but to take shelter together, and alone.

This compromises Calista’s reputation, but Witton thinks long and hard before proposing to her, and makes sure that she is accepting him because she’s interested in him, as opposed to saving her reputation. The situation is made all the more awkward because the Standish family is still in mourning, but a special license is procured, the wedding is held, and Calista and John look forward to their married life together.

However, on Day 2 of wedded bliss, Witton overhears his new brothers-in-law discussing the success of the trap that they set for him, with the heavy implication that Calista was well aware of and approved of their machinations, and he gets incredibly mad. Apparently he has a sour history with gold diggers (not to mention a mother who took an instant dislike to his bride because of her lack of social standing), so this notion that he was entrapped sends him beyond the edge of reason. He basically tells Calista that he’s dumping her at his country estate and going off to London posthaste, without giving her an explanation as to why or even much of a choice in the matter.

Calista refuses to join her monster-in-law at the country estate and is baffled by her husband’s sudden change of attitude. It isn’t hard to wheedle the story out of her brothers, and she despairs ever repairing her relationship due to Witton’s infamous stubbornness. She gains an ally in Witton’s younger brother, however, who convinces her that if she isn’t ready to cut a swathe in London to make her husband jealous and bring him back to her side, she can at least put in a good showing in Bath.

Calista is allowed to chaperon her teenage brothers (and brother-in-law) to Bath on her own, thanks to being a married woman for all of five seconds. They meet up with Witton’s great aunt, Lady Carsby, who introduces them to Bath society and tries to direct her new niece in the fine art of fanning the flames of jealousy. Calista doesn’t have much of a stomach for even more deception, but her daring to go to Bath without him brings John running anyway to give her a piece of his mind. Even more misunderstandings ensue before Witton and Calista finally sit down and have a conversation and magically resolve all of their issues.

This book was a pleasant read, but it was all over the place in terms of plot. The back cover blurb is basically unrelated to the actual story, which was a disappointment, as this wasn’t so much a clash-of-class misalliance as it was a serious of Big Misunderstandings fueled by idiot teenage boys with raging hormones. I did appreciate the fact that the characters were “mere misters” and the action takes largely place away from London – two exceedingly rare factors in HR these days.

I’ve enjoyed this author’s work before, and this seems like a rare misfire from what little I’ve read of her backlist. I suppose if you’re looking for something frothy and heavy on family matchmakers, you’ll enjoy this more than I did.
… (plus d'informations)
½
 
Signalé
eurohackie | Jul 19, 2022 |
This story certainly hit the spot for me - a wonderful escape into a gentle story about two people who, for their own reasons, don't trust their ability to love, at least not romantically. I found this story to be utterly charming and exactly what I was looking for.

The first thing to mention is that this is the second book of a trilogy called The Magic Locket, which I didn't discover until I registered this book on Goodreads. The conceit shows itself in the very first chapter. There is a locket that has been handed down to the girls in the Barlow family that is accompanied by a legend: "The legend says that when the locket is yours and you hold it, as yours, for the first time and wish, when you open it you will see the face of the man you are to marry." Theresa is skeptical, but curious. She holds the locket and makes a rather wistful wish, and when she opens it, she sees the flash of a beautiful face. It's gone so fast that she thinks she may have dreamed it, but her aunt, the eccentric Miss Winsham, tells her that it does happen: Tessa's older sister saw her husband's face in the locket (aka, the plot of the first book in the trilogy).

Still, Tessa dismisses it. She's on her way to her publisher to drop of the latest manuscript for a children's novel. These novels are published anonymously and her publisher does not give out her identity to anyone who asks - no matter how desperate they are. And William, Lord Riverdale, is pretty darn desperate. His wife died in a traumatic carriage accent a year before, and his six-year-old daughter, Anna, had been present when it happened. She was thrown free from danger, but witnessed her mother's death, and has been mute ever since. The only thing she shows any interest in are stories by an anonymous Lady of Quality, and Rivendale tracks down the publisher and demands to know the authoress. The publisher demures but says that she's dropping off a manuscript today.

Rivendale has a certain picture in his mind of who this Lady may be: a titled woman, definitely married, and perhaps a grandmother. Thus he is shocked when he quite literally runs into Tessa and realizes that she - a young, pretty, unmarried woman - is the one he seeks. He begs her to come home with him to visit his daughter, explaining his reasons why, and after much protest, Tessa agrees. She's pragmatic, though - she'll take her own coach, thank you very much, rather than traveling with a complete stranger.

Rivendale can't blame her for being cautious, and indeed is surprised that she agrees to meet his daughter. Everything is just as he said it would be, however, and both are surprised when little Anna seems to take to Tessa right away. She still doesn't speak, but Tessa is the first stranger that Anna hasn't run away from since the accident.

Rivendale knows Tessa's brother-in-law, Sir Robert Stamford, and wrangles a formal introduction at a Society function to quash any potential gossip that might arise when he agrees to bring Anna to visit Tessa at Stamford's home once a week, with the hope of continuing to encourage her to speak. The two commence on a set schedule; nobody knows Tessa's identity as the author of the highly popular children's books aside from her family and Rivendale, so everyone thinks that Rivendale has emerged from mourning and is courting Tessa for marriage.

Both strenuously deny they are developing any sort of affection for each other, but it's obvious that they share a mutual attraction. Tessa's aunt, Miss Winsham, vets Rivendale quite openly, much to his amusement. He's less amused when his mother blows into town and does the same to Tessa. Lady Rivendale is beyond ready for her son to put his life back together and find a mother for Anna, and she's not above sticking her oar in and playing a bit of matchmaking. She's very fond of her son, and does nothing out of malice, which is a rather refreshing change of pace!

Tessa's publisher has decided that her books need to be spiced up, but when she refuses to add allusions to members of the ton, he does it for her without her knowledge. She's shocked and appalled when her next book is published and she finds out what was done about it. She can't say anything without unmasking herself, and speculation falls on her aunt, who has made no secret her sharp wit *or* tongue, especially aimed at members of the Beau Monde. As he sees the noose begin to tighten around her, William impulsively proposes a marriage of convenience. He tells himself it's because he doesn't want his daughter to lose this precious connection that might bring her back to being verbal, but its rather obvious he's quite taken with Tessa himself.

Tessa and her sisters long ago vowed that they would never marry, and Tessa considers herself a spinster at 24 with one disastrous Season long behind her. Their own parents' marriage was horrible, they've never known anyone to be happily wedded in bliss, and they don't wish to depend on a man to survive. William has quite an argument to make for Tessa to accept his proposal, but she eventually does because she, too, has fallen in love with him.

William tells her that he can't offer her love or children, but it's not for the usual reasons. He's the rare hero who fell head over heels for his first wife only to have her rebuff him, and that pain, combined with her horrific death, has made him afraid to open his heart to anyone else, for fear of rejection and hurt all over again. Tessa accepts his terms, but vows to show him that love doesn't have to be painful.

Tessa also understands Anna's upset when William tells her about his betrothal, for she, too, lost her mother at a young age. She's very careful with the young girl, but doesn't push her to accept a "new mother." She struggles to gain both Anna's acceptance and William's desire, but she never gives up hope.

As if this wasn't enough plot for one short novel, there's yet another subplot starring Miss Winsham which drags the final third into needlessly dark places. Miss Winsham and Tessa are kidnapped thanks to Miss Winsham's work rescuing street children traffickers, but the two of them rescue themselves by themselves, which was nice to see! Miss Winsham is quite the character, and her actions throughout this particular section make me wonder more about her backstory, as she can quite easily handle herself in patently dangerous situations. I hope there's a book about her out there somewhere!

This incident sorely tests William's resolve to hold Tessa at arms' length, but he maintains the last little bit of it, even after they start sleeping together. It's not until Anna speaks - and asks to revisit the site of her mother's death - that things come to head for the whole lot of them.

This was a beautifully told story, gentle and easy, with no long bouts of misunderstandings coloring any of the situations. I'm not fond of kidnappings in HR, hence knocking off half a star, but I am sufficiently intrigued enough to want to find the other two books in this series and read about the other Barrows sisters' search for happiness. A definite keeper!
… (plus d'informations)
½
 
Signalé
eurohackie | 2 autres critiques | Feb 19, 2022 |
Got half-way through and still didn't care about any of the characters, so I stopped.
 
Signalé
GanneC | Dec 30, 2017 |

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Statistiques

Œuvres
35
Membres
774
Popularité
#32,871
Évaluation
½ 3.3
Critiques
17
ISBN
51
Favoris
1

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