Customer Comments

(3.5) Emerson's first book in what I believe is going to be a series set during the Tudor period is based upon Jane Popyncourt, a member of the Tudor Court and of whom very little is known, giving the author more leeway to craft her tale. When the French King dies mysteriously Jane's mother flees to England with her daughter and seeks shelter with her twin brother at Henry VII's court. Jane is taken to Eltham to be raised with the royal children and after the mysterious death of her mother she is made a ward of Henry VII and raised in the royal household with Henry and his two sisters Margaret and Mary. As an adult Jane serves the Princess Mary, although her life takes a bit of a turn when a highly born French prisoner of war takes an interest in her - an interest that Henry VIII encourages hoping for a state secret or two. As Jane begins to hope for happiness with the one man who loves her, her search for the answers to her mother's death and the reason for the mad flight from France spins Jane into a perilous situation with life-threatening consequences. I greatly appreciated the time and effort the author put into her research - she especially did a great job with the details of life in the Tudor Court, the clothes, the food, the tournaments, Henry and his mistresses, etc. and the author was able to do that without making me feel like I was being clubbed over the head with the minute details. I liked the fact that the author gives you the family trees of the English and French Nobility of the period, along with a who's who in the back of the book. Jane was an enjoyable, albeit a bit too spunky and independent heroine, but in the end the big mystery fell just a tad bit flat for me. Why anyone would consider the big mystery such a threat that they would want bump people off just stretched the believability factor. A very easy breezy read - light and entertaining but one that's not likely to stick with you long after its finished. 3.5/5 stars.

Maxwell's fanciful tale begins as Caterina, daughter of the local apothecary (and secret alchemist), is seduced by well born, up and coming notary Piero da Vinci. Piero promises marriage, but backs down when his family forbids it, although they do remove Caterina's son Leonardo to raise in their household. Strong willed Caterina finds a way to be with her son anyway and when he leaves for Florence to learn his craft, Caterina disguises herself as a man and masquerades as Leonardo's uncle Cato. Cato/Caterina soon finds herself best friends and intellectual acquaintance (!!) with Lorenzo Medici. As Leonardo's genius and talent continues to grow so does the power of evil priest Girolamo Savonarola and Caterina, Leonardo and Lorenzo find themselves in the midst of a plot to expose the priest for the hypocrite that he is. All well and good, but there are some definite flaws. How low born Caterina could have been so highly educated by her father that she was able to pass among the intellectual elite of Florence is quite a stretch. Swapping letters with the Pope!!?? How was "he" able to join Lorenzo and his male associates in the common baths without taking "his" clothes off? Let alone wherever they traveled and whoever's home they stayed in she slept with him? How'd they explain that? Oops, they didn't, nor did the author. Frankly, Caterina was just too much over the top in intelligence, perfection, goodness and 21C superwoman to be quite believable. This is very much a "what if" novel and should be read as such and not historical fact. As to how accurately the author portrays the lives of the rest of the historical characters in this book? I haven't a clue, but I did enjoy Lorenzo's character (he was quite a hunk), as well as the young up and coming Leonardo and his never ending search for knowledge. Sorry, but despite the hype I'm giving this one three stars.

Outstanding! Well worth the wait! Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine thought they had it all - the greatest empire since Charlemagne, healthy children including the heir and several to spare - so how did it all go so wrong? The Devil's Brood takes up the story where Time and Chance left off with the murder of Thomas Becket, as Henry returns from his self imposed exile to Ireland. Henry's three eldest sons are chafing at the bit to have lands and power of their own and egged on by Louis of France they join with their mother Eleanor in rebellion against their father. In time Henry quells the rebellion and forgives his sons, but he cannot forgive his wife and queen and he imprisons her. Even though Henry forgave his sons, they are still not happy with his generosity and it eventually leads to more power struggles and back-biting amongst the brothers, particularly young Hal, who suffers the ultimate punishment for his reckless deeds. This was a fascinating story of a brilliant, powerful king whose blind love and trust in his sons lead him to making mistakes in judgment that eventually lead to his downfall. I also loved seeing a different side of the haughty, queenly Eleanor we saw in Time and Chance, as unlike her sons she does come to recognize the wrongness (well sometimes) of her actions and the cataclysmic effects those actions had on her family. Some readers may find the first part of this book a bit slow paced as Penman does spend time setting up the back history of Henry, Eleanor and the Becket murder, but hang in there as about half way through when the boys start turning on each other the pages literally started flying. Penman's dialogue was exceptional, although I couldn't decide who got the best lines, Henry or Richard - they just smoked off the page! One of Penman's great strengths is to take the most complex political situations and put them into a story that not only entertains the reader but educates at the same time. Five stars and it appears from the author's notes and a recent blog interview that this will not be a trilogy, she will continue the story of Eleanor, Richard and John in one more book. Hurray! For those of you coming away from this book wanting to know about William Marshal, I highly recommend Elizabeth Chadwick's The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion. They are hard to find in the US, but readily available in the UK and Canada.

A Dumas novel no one new existed! What a find this must have been, to discover an unknown work of Dumas hidden away in the Library of Paris. As the novel opens, it is the dawn of the 19th century and Napoleon rules as First Consul, not yet having being having been crowned Emperor, and the Royalist forces are still battling to restore the crown. Our hero, Hector, the Count Sainte-Hermine has seen his father and two older brothers nobly die for the Royalist cause. During a brief truce, Hector hopes to set all battles aside and declares for his true love, Claire de Sourdis. However, just before the marriage contract is signed, Hector is called back to the Royalist forces and is eventually imprisoned (and forgotten) for three years. When he is remembered and released, Hector is stripped of his title and must serve in either army or navy as a mere enlisted man, an insult for one of his class. Hector signs on as a Corsair instead of the regular Navy and the adventure begins. Bereft of his lost love and his family fallen before him, Hector's only wish is to live life to the fullest and if he must, to die as nobly as his father and brothers did. Problem is, no matter how hard he tries, he never succeeds. Thus begins battles at sea, a fight to the death at sea with a shark, hunting tigers and crocodiles and a close call with a python, as Hector carries off every situation with dignity, charm and élan. If this book hadn’t been unknown until two years ago, I’d swear that Hector was the model for our present day super heroes. Swooning female? Out come the smelling salts and more from his bat-belt! It was so over the top and campy at times, but jolly good fun. No, I'm not giving away the whole story -- actually the first half of the book has very little to do with Hector and very much to do with Napoleon at the start of his reign -- those who read the book jacket and expect it all to be about Hector and his heroics will be sorely disappointed. There is much politics, intrigue and battles about Europe. About half way through Hector comes back into the story and things cooked along for most of the rest of the book until the last 100 pages or so and then dragged down again. I'm not huge on battle scenes, so those were slow for me also, particularly the intricate details of the battle of Trafalgar. I confess to skipping a few pages there. Readers should be advised that this recently discovered novel was never finished, and we'll never know where he planned to take the story in the end. There are many chapters of what appear to be needless characters, history and scenes, but not knowing how Dumas planned to complete the story, how are we to judge? I recall reading The Count of Monte Cristo and so many chapters that went off into another direction until the end where he pulled all the threads together in the end, and perhaps that is what Dumas planned with The Last Cavalier as well. We'll never know. All in all, entertaining but far from my favorite Dumas and not one I'll plan to read again and again. Note, if you are new to Dumas this book should not be your first Dumas novel. But, for Dumas fans (and I'm one) this was an interesting read and I also learned much more about Napoleon than I ever picked up from the history books. Four stars.

Historical fiction just doesn't get any better than this. A wonderful tale of one of the most honorable men to grace this earth, William Marshal and his true partner in all things, his wife Isabelle. The first novel, The Greatest Knight, covered more of William Marshal's early life as a knight and courtier. This novel covers his life with Isabel and the dangers and terrors of living in the court of the King John, and then as regent for the young Henry III. I have to admit shedding more than a few tears at the last chapter, the end of Williams life. I have read all of this author's works that I can get my hands on and I am amazed at how consistly she is improving (not that the earlier works were poorly written at all). Always an excellent story, a great history lesson and it's amazing how she effortlessly brings you into the sights, smells, sounds and life of another century. As someone else said, "The next best thing to time travel".

"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth" Ecclesiastes 7:4 KJV. Hence begins the story of Lily Bart, raised from birth with no other purpose in life than to be a beautiful ornament to society. Lily is left with little money of her own and must rely on family and friends until she can make an advantageous marriage. Unfortunately, she makes some poor choices in life which diminish her social status, which eventually leads her to attempts to eke out a living among the working class. Wharton, who grew up in this same environment, pulls no punches. We see both the glamour and richness of late 19th century New York society, along with it's evil underside. Wharton's prose is glorious, but you have to pay attention and not wander or you'll end up back tracking and reading that paragraph again so as not to miss the story. If you enjoy classic literature with a soap opera melodramatic tone to it (like Hardy's Tess), this should be right up your alley. Have the hanky ready for the last chapters, you'll need it.

The most unforgettable opening and closing sentences ever found in a book! I will never, the rest of my life forget these two sentences. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...." and at closing "It is a far, far, better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known." Wow, this is not your usual Dickens. No quirky characters with strange names and laugh out loud moments, just a darn good story -- the story of two cities, London and Paris. It is difficult to put the plot into words, but when the book begins you are in London at the time of the American revolution and spies (or suspected spies) abound, and the story eventually switches to France prior to and during the French revolution. Dickens does a marvelous job (as always) of building his story one step at a time and slowly peeling back the layers one at a time. This is not a put down and pick it up a week later kind of a book, it is very intense and complicated and you have to pay close attention. I was just floored at how he sucked me in with his descriptions of the mobs, terror and the madness of the revolution leading you to a nail biting finish. I admit to holding my breath during those last few pages! Highly recommended, and well worth the time to discover (or rediscover) an old classic.

Even better when it's not required reading in school. Wow, I can't even put into words how good this book was, and so much better the second time around. The classic tale of Hester Pryne, forced to wear The Scarlet Letter as a sign to all of her adultery, but she refuses to name her lover who is then forced to bear his guilt in silence. Enough reviewers have recounted the story better than I could. Suffice it to say I loved Hawthorne's prose, it was very dense and lyrical at the same time, and you have to pay close attention or you might have to backup and reread a paragraph or two. His descriptions of the scenery and people came alive, especially the character of young Pearl. And I very much enjoyed the scenes in the forest -- it was amazing how Hawthorne brought it all to life, even the sounds of the babbling brook. Highly recommended to anyone looking to discover (or rediscover) an old classic.

Mixed feelings. I admit to being a bit disappointed, as this book turned out to be more about Jim Reed and less about the Donner party. The first part of the book was very entertaining as it dealt with the Donner/Reed group on the trail to California. A disagreement arises between Reed and another leading to a fight and Reed has to leave the wagon train and strike out on his own towards California on horse ahead of the others. Once the wagon train reaches Truckee and snow hits and they realize they can go no further, the story leaves them and the middle third of the book is about Reed's travels on the other side of the Sierras. I found this part to be quite boring and I was literally skimming and skipping chapters. I just wasn't interested (nor expecting) to read about the US/Mexican war in California nor Reed's involvement with same. Interspered with the author's writings of Reed's story are Notes from the Trail by his daughter Patty that were written when Patty was much older. Those were the chapters that held my interest, especially the story of the rescue and getting the survivors out of their winter camp and over the mountains to safety. All in all a reasonably interesting read, but I'm glad I got it from the library as it's one I'm not likely to want to read again. Four stars for Patty's Notes from the Trail, two stars for the story of Jim Reed and the US/Mexican war.

This was an interesting novel and kept me entertained throughout. I have to admit not being a fan of Alcott, I may have read Little Women when I was younger, but I don't recall it. That will be to be on my TBR list for the future. The story is told in the first person by Alcott's fictional cousin, Susan Gray. She recounts their childhood, family and famous residents of Concord. As adults, the Civil War begins and Mary and Louisa volunteer as nurses in a Washington DC hospital, where they meet the famous nurse and activist Clara Barton, and the mysterious patient John Sulie, who Louisa is strongly attracted to. Do be warned, this was not a pretty war, nor was the aftermath on the wounded soldiers. The author doesn't pull any punches here. The story then shifts to the aftermath of the Civil War, and Clara Barton's mission to account for all the missing and dead soldiers, which the government would prefer to remain unaccounted for. The book finishes with the remainder of Louisa's life in Condord until her death. While Susan is a fictional cousin, it was a good way to bring the reader closer to Alcott's inner circle and know her better. Some parts of the story play a little loose with known history, which are acknowledged in the author's notes at the end of the book. All in all an entertaining read, but as I previously noted, I'm not a huge fan of Alcott. Good read, but not one I'm likely to take off the shelf and read again every few years.

It?s 1661 and Louis the XIV is taking over the reign of government from his ministers. D'Artagnan is captain of the Musketeers, Aramis is now a bishop, Porthos is as big, strong and hungry as ever and Raoul, the son of Athos, is still madly in love with Louise De La Valliere. What we do see of Aramis he is plotting and scheming and has a strong interest in a mysterious prisoner in the Bastille. Louis? effeminate brother Philippe (Monsieur) has just married Henrietta (Madame) of England, but Henrietta only has eyes for Louis, an attraction that Louis returns. In order to allay suspicion of Louis? jealous brother, Louis feigns an attraction to Louise (who is one of Madame?s ladies in waiting), but finds himself trapped by his own schemes when he falls in love with her. LOL, some of the antics involved in trying to be alone with Louise that are constantly hampered by Madame?s efforts to keep them apart. This book is different from the preceding novels of the Musketeers -- there is little if any of the swashbuckling, sword fights and derring do that the other books contained. This book focuses on the love story of Louis and Louise, along with the pomp, intrigues and scandals of Louis XIV?s court. Although some readers will be disappointed at the virtual absence of the Musketeers in this book, I was fascinated at the glimpses of French history and court life which was beautifully sprinkled with laugh out loud humor reading the antics of the French court, most especially the ?revolving? confessions at the Royal Oak tree. If you?ve come this far, you?ve already read The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte De Bragelonne. The Vicomte De Bragelonne was originally published in French as one large novel, but is broken into three by English publishers, The Vicomte De Bragelonne, Louise De La Valliere and finally culminating in The Man in the Iron Mask. As other reviewers have noted, this book is more palace intrigue and less of the Musketeers and not everyone will enjoy it as thoroughly as I did, I loved the antics of the French court and had many a good laugh. Dumas is just brilliant (as always) and his dialogue (as always) is among the finest I've ever come across. Highly recommended.

I just loved this, couldn't put it down until the end. I, like other reviewers, learned more about this time in American history, the French and Indian Wars, than I ever did in our public shool systems (which really didn't teach us very much history at all). This book has it all, true love, honor, politics, treachery and intrigue, battles and heartbreak. Nost of the historical fiction I have read is about England, Scotland and Wales and I had forgotten how fascinating all history is, even our own. Along with that, we had the tale of two men, Quent and Cormac who had the to wear the difficult roles of life between two different civilizations, the white man and the red. All in all an outstanding tale of America. I look forward to reading more of this author's work. Highly recommended.

This book is part one of a three part series, the next two being the Louise de la Valliere, and the final being the more well known Man in the Iron Mask. I understand this was originally one HUGE book, but is now more commonly broken up into these three books. This book starts about ten years from where Twenty Years After ended. Although the book is titled the Vicomte de Bragelonne (who is the son of Athos), we don't see much of him except for the first and last parts of the book. The rest is filled with the adventures of D'Artagnan and Athos while they separately scheme (unbeknownst to the other) to aid Charles II of England to claim his throne. LOL, D'Artagnan's scheme in regards to General Monk. Aramis and Porthos are up to something mysterious and make only the briefest of appearances. The rest of the novel is filled with the mysteries and intrigues of the French court, and ends with the marriage of Henrietta (Charles II's sister) to Louis XIV's younger brother, Phillip. If you loved the musketeers, history and intrique it is well worth your time to spend on these books.

What a great book. Along with an engrossing story I learned much about English history that I had never heard of before. I have to admit, some of the things that came up during the courtship/marriage of Llewellen and Ellen seemed absolutely bizarre, and then I searched the internet on these characters and they did actually happen. Edward I was and is an absolute two timing double faced snake in the grass!! I won't give it away, but a scene at the end of the book was so heartbreaking I literally cried for about 10-15 minutes. I can't recall any other book affecting me so. This was an awesome series, Here by Dragons, Falls the Shadow and the Reckoning.

COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! had to stay up until I finished it at 1AM. Another outstanding saga from Elizabeth Chadwick. I cannot get enough of her books, everyone of them sends me back to another world, another time. This was a bit different from the author's usual story -- you really won't find many lords, ladies and knights in this one. Just the wool trade, an interesting foot note in history on the disappearance into the quicksand of John's treasure, a truly evil bad guy and a pair of lovers who take FOREVER to realize they are meant to be. Don't misunderstand me, this is not your usual Julie Garwood/Judith McNaught historical romance with the BIG MISUNDERSTANDING halfway through the book, just a darn good story in an excellent historical setting. I will read this again and again, and can't wait to read more of Chadwick's books

Wonderful little tale. have to admit I haven't read any gothic literature before (that I can recall anyway) and wasn't sure what to expect. This was a charming tale, light on the ghosts, lots of little mysteries to be resolved as the story unfolds, and probably one of the first feminist characters ever put into a tale. The editor, Curt Herr, does a great job of explaining the gothic genre, and I loved the reference he made to the teen "detectives" of this book -Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew Too. There are plentiful footnotes throughout the book, but not really necessary to enjoy the story. I did appreciate that the footnotes were at the "foot" of the page and not placed collectively at the back of the book as so many other books are. It wasn't quite so distracting flipping back to read every footnote, so the the story flowed better. Very pleasant reading, and once you get into the author's style of reading the prose was just lovely. It's not a page turning, can't put it down until it's done type of book, but one like Jane Eyre where you want to slow down your reading pace and savor every moment and word. It's also very nice to see how authors of previous centuries could spin a love story without all the gratuitous sex that is so prevalent in our current fiction. Highly recommended for those looking to discover an old classic.

OUTSTANDING! Elizabeth Chadwick is a very talented author. This is the first of her books I have read and it will not be the last. The scenes are well written, right down to the smells -- you can picture every thing in your mind. A wonderful, exciting love story and a refreshing change to read about Outremer (Israel) during the crusades. It was wonderful seeing Sabin grow and mature from a young hellion and womanizer into a caring, loving husband and father, while at the same time being a fierce and noble warrier. The fight between Sabin and the Arab where all Sabin had to defend himself was a wooden shield was heartstopping. The final chapters were some of the most thrilling page turners I have ever read. An incredible rescue, and according to the author based upon true events, except that Sabin and Anais are fictional. An excellent read, I cannot recommend it enough.

Dumas is indeed the master story teller! Who would have thought that a book, with a simple plot about two rivals trying racing to be the first to grow a black tulip, could be so unputdownable? There are no lords and ladies, no swashbuckling heros, no evil cardinals or Miladys -- nothing but a darn good yarn, and a very sweet love story. Dumas is just brilliant (as always) and his dialogue (as always) is among the finest I've ever come across. A very quick, albeit enjoyable, read. Highly recommended.

As always, the book is SO MUCH better than the Movie. What a great find, I remember loving the movie when I was a young girl. This was a wonderful way to tell the story of Jesus, after the crucifiction and through the eyes of the people he had lived with and taught and healed, and a good reminder of what the Christian religion is truly about. Marcellus and Demetrius were wonderful heros, I adored Diana, hated the evil Roman Emporers and thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself into the life and times of that era. The book is quickest in pace at the beginning and the end, with a large slower period in the middle while Marcellus travels through Israel learning about the life of Jesus. However, I enjoyed the slower pace and reminder of the many wonderful things that happened at this time. All in all a great read and highly recommended, with the caveat that if you are an agnostic or of non-christian faiths you might not appreciate it as well. Also a good choice for a younger teen reader, as you won't find the abundant gratuitous sex that you find in more current novels.

Simply Wonderful. What an awesome tale. Written in the 19th century, but telling a tale about the late 1600's during the times of Charles II and James II. Our hero, John Ridd is a simple, albeit wise and honorable farmer who as a young lad meets Lorna Doone of the dreaded, evil outlaw family of higher born Doones, and it's love at first sight. There are lots of ups and downs and surprises, along with the author's gorgeous prose decribing the english countryside and farmlife. You have to pay attention though, as none of the characters are wasted. What might seem as inconsequential events and characters earlier in the story are brought back in full circle to the tale, along with a great mystery about Lorna's past as the author slowly peels out the many layers of his story. Highly highly recommended. If you enjoy Thomas Hardy, Charlotte Bronte or Dickens this will probably be right up your alley.

An absolute delight! What a great find, and refreshing as it lacks much of the high melodrama so common in most 19th century literature. Miss Lucilla Marjoribanks comes home from school determined to be a comfort to dear papa and sets the good doctor and the entire town on their ears, with her brilliant manipulations. The characters are wonderful, the story has lots of ups and downs that Lucilla is always capable of meeting with great ingenuiuty and fortitude. There are many wonderful moments and lots of laughter along with a few tears. Higly recommended, particularly for anyone who enjoys 19th century English literature.

I can't believe I waited 25+ years to read this again! Oh well, the first copy I had I loaned out and never got back. I would give this 10 stars if I could, I had forgotten how good this book was. A truly wonderful story of star-crossed lovers, treachery, intrigue, heroism, honor and bigotry. The author has a great feel and understanding of India under the British Raj. The story of Ash and Juli (Anjuli) was incredible. I could literally feel Ash's pain while he had to sit through watching Juli be married to the evil Maharajah. The first 2/3 of the book deal with Ash and Julie's early lives together, culminating in the rescue of Juli from being Suttee with her sister. Those pages have to be some of the most heart stopping, page turning, sit on the edge of your seat excitement that I have ever come across in a book (and I have read a few). The last portion of the book gets away from Ash and Juli (although they are together) and slows down to tell the story of the British incursions into Afghanistan (sp?)and the resultant disaster of setting up a British mission in Kabul. Ash is still prominent as a "spy" for the guides, in the disguise of a native of the country, but while still a good read, the story takes on a different character from the first portions of the book. I resolve never to loan this book out again so that I won't lose it, and to keep it on my "to be read again and again" shelf throughout the years. Highly recommended. As a side note, if you are searching for a book for a younger teen to read, this is a good choice. The few scenes between Ash and Juli that were sexual in nature were left mostly to one's imagination. This author is capable of building her scenes without graphic play by play bodice ripping. **Update** I recently discovered another of this author's books, The Shadow of the Moon. It's out of print but readily available used or at your library. Another lovely tale of India, set during the 1857 Sepoy rebellion. If you enjoyed TFP, you will probably enjoy this as well. ***Update***I have just finished another story on the Sepoy rebellion, Zemindar. Out of print, but readily available used. A wonderful tale, with some of the most gorgeous prose I've seen in a long time.

Surprisingly good. First off, I have to admit when I bought this book at the big warehouse store I wasn't aware that it was Christian fiction, as there was nothing on the book jacket noting that fact. I didn't realize until I was well into the book that it was not only about the love between Rachel and Johnny but about their faith in god and the conflicts with trying to adhere to that and live in lawless San Francisco in the 1840's. That being said, it was a very enjoyable tale as Rachel comes to terms with her faith and her love for Johnny. I give the author kudos for having the courage to write some sexual tension into the book, along with the "downfall" of the younger sister Lissa. A very enjoyable, albeit quick read.

Skip this. First off, I confess I did not know this was a Christian book until after I purchased it at the big warehouse store. And I'm glad I bought it there instead of full price, this was a total waste of a day to get through this. It's disappointing, as the story line could have had great possibilities and I loved the way Ruth was originally portrayed as a bit of a klutz. However, the characters were flat and uninteresting, either black or white with no gray areas between. There are pages and pages of useless conversations and characters that did not develop the story at all (especially Galen's family, I skipped many a chapter on them) and the big surprise of who the villain was (yawn!) was not much of a surprise at all. I mean, who else could it have been? While I understand this is a Christian book, it seeped through virtually ever word of the book and much too preachy and overbearing for my tastes, and virtually no chemistry between Ruth and Josh. This was one of those books that I prayed for the end to come so I could toss it in the charity pile instead of on my bookshelf to be read again and again.

Yes, there are ghosties and beasties and things that go bump in the night! What fun! Safe to read at home, but if I was staying at a hotel/home/building/ that was reputed to be haunted, I'd save this one for later. It took a good couple of hundred pages to set the scenes and the characters, but then things took off and I couldn't put the book down. In some ways I can see cutting some of those characters and still keep the main story, but I loved the whole book anyway. Don't let the page count deter you, the paperback was 700+ but with so many short chapters, leaving half pages blank leading into the next chapter, it was a very quick, albeit enjoyable read.

Another winner from Seton. I am so pleased that this author's novels are being reprinted, I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them, especially Katherine. This is a fascinating tale, based upon the Radcliffs of Derentwater (Devil Water), staunch catholics and loyal to the Stuart cause, and descended from Charles II via the wrong side of the blanket. Charles Radcliff, the younger brother has a secret marriage to a lower born woman who gives birth to the love of his life, his daughter Jenny. The story takes you from the moors of Northumberland to the Jacobite rebellion of '15 to the tobacco farms of Virginia, and back again to London for a nail biting finish after the final Jacobite rebellion and the battle at Culloden. Seton has a wonderful way of setting her scenes so that you can almost feel you are right there with it. I also enjoyed her way of writing different dialects (the Northumbrians, and the Virginia "twangs"), which definitely enhance the reading experience. All in all a higly entertaining read, and one I will pick up again and again over the years. It's not quite up to the same par as Katherine (that's a 10 star book in my rating) or the Winthrop Woman but definitely worth the time, especially for any lover of historical fiction.

AWESOME! What an incredible story of an amazing woman. Elizabeth Fones, married into the Winthrop family, the leader of that being John Winthrop who took his family to New England to govern the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Elizabeth was a rare woman indeed, going on to being one of the few women of her times to be a large landholder, married three times and finally finding great happiness and love in the last one to Will Hallet. This book has it all -- passion, madness, bigotry, ignorant superstitions and religious persecution. The author beautifully weaves her story so that you feel you are there, from terrors of sailing the Atlantic, small pox, the sights, sounds and smells of the times, everything is perfectly melded to entertain and educate you about this period. I was also sorrowed at the eventual treatment of the Native Americans, from originally friendly terms, then to end so tragically. I found out much about a period in our nation's history that I only had the briefest of recollections from those long ago history lessons in school. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction should put this one on their list. Highly recommended.

Why was this perfection never put to film? This story would have been perfect for the old Masterpiece Theatre series on PBS, I can't believe it was never done. I'd give this one ten stars if I could. While it's not quite Gone with the Wind or The Far Pavilions, it's pretty darn close. This is not an "action packed" story, meaning no battles, swords fights, etc. The action is this book is the story of an amazing family, their relationships with themselves and others and most specifically about the maturation of Barbara Alderly, the main character. The story moves quickly, and we go from the courts of George I to the very risque French courts. While the upper class was very debauched in those times, the sex scenes are not described in great detail. All of the characters are beautifully brought to life (including the cat! LOL), and the author has a wonderful way of showing us the innermost thoughts of all. You will laugh, love, cry and cry some more. Punches are not pulled, people stank, teeth rotted and small pox could wipe out an entire family. I loved the old Duchess and her cat, Tony's maturation from a chubby teenager to competent and steadfast adult (I so wanted him and Barbara to get together!) Maybe next book. The scheming Diana was a joy to watch, I HATED Phillipe, loved the two elderly aunts (especially after reading of them as young beautiful women in Dark Angels), even the minor characters were a joy to behold and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. LOL, the scene where the old Duchess came to London to rescue Barbara from her scheming mother and aunt -- I will never forget that one. Every moment and character are to be savored, like a box of fine chocolate or a rich red wine. Highly recommended, and this is a book I will read again and again and again.

What Fun! What a hysterical send up of historical fiction. Mel Brooks couldn't have done better. I was laughing through every page, the author's toungue must have been firmly planted in his cheek the entire time. Hard to believe this is the same person who wrote the ever so serious (and brilliant!) Within the Fetterlock. However, I would recommend that you have a passing knowledge of the Wars of the Roses, Edward the IV and Richard the III. Otherwise, you'll miss most of the jokes. Highly recommended and a breath of fresh air from so many serious works of fiction.

It's been twenty years since the close of The Three Musketeers, and only D'Artagnan remains in service to the French Crown. Richelieu is dead and his protege Mazarin now holds the power behind the throne. Anne of Austria rules as regent for her young son, and civil war threatens France. D'Artagnan is sent to bring the Musketeers out of retirement, but they find themselves at odds between the two sides in the civil unrest. D'Artagnan wants to be promoted to captain and Porthos who wants to be a baron, side with Mazarin, Athos and Aramis with the Fronduers (sp?). However, they soon find that although much has changed, their love and friendship for each other remain intact, particularly when faced with the evil son of Milady, who is bent upon revenge against those who executed his mother. There's way too much plot to even try to explain, leave it to say that there is much adventure and derring do, from the civil war in France to the conflict between Charles I and Oliver Cromwell in England. I expecially enjoyed the nail biting, sit on the edge of your seat excitement during the escape from England and Mordaunt, along with the rescue of D'Artagnan, Porthos and Athos from Mazarin (what fun!). Along with the excitement comes the humor of their constant banter and escapades making for a near perfect read. I personally liked the parts in England the best, but I think that's because I have a better understanding of English history than French. Even after researching that period in France and Mazarin online, I still got a bit confused at times, but that is a minor issue in comparison to the rest of the story. Dumas is brilliant (as always) and his dialogue is among the best (as always). An awesome sequel to the Three Musketeers, and I am looking forward to starting the next chapter in this story, The Vicomte De Bragelonne.

I think I lost more sleep over this one than The Tea Rose! What an awesome sequel, I think it's better than The Tea Rose. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing more of Joe and Fiona, their children and of course Seamie. Lots of love, laughter, adventure, heartbreak, tears and more tears. I don't want to say much about the plot, because one of the two main characters is a surprise return at the end of TTR and I don't want to give it away to those who haven't read the first book. I only have one minor quibble, and perhaps that should be laid at the editor's doorstep. When we first meet India at her graduation from medical school, much is made about her heavy glasses, and not being able to see without them. I thought it rather endearing the way it was portrayed. After that, despite all the things that happen to her you never hear mention of the glasses again in the book. All in all a pretty perfect read, finishing with one of the sweetest endings I can recall coming across in a long time. I shed a few tears at that one. Since it wasn't available yet in the US I splurged on shipping from the UK, and felt it worth every penny. Highly highly recommended, I will read this one again and again over the years.

This is the story of just out of finishing school Garnet, who meets and falls in love with Oliver Hale while he's visiting New York from California. Garnet has an adventurous spirit that Oliver indulges and they're off to California via the Jubilee Trail. Along the way they meet up with Florinda, the "bad" woman with a heart of gold and Garnet and Florinda become great friends, and support each other during the good and bad times as they cross the country and come to California before it is governed by the US. The author does a very nice job of setting the scenery and the conditions along the trail -- you almost feel the dust in your mouth and on your skin and hair. I loved the way she used John's love of nature so that you can visualize everything from the snow topped mountains, to the red rocks of the southwest, to the wide open ranges, and the flora and fauna of California. All in all a jolly good yarn, I had a hard time putting this down until the very end at the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill. Highly recommended for any lover of historical fiction, and as this was written 50+ years ago, the love scenes (if you can call them that) are very chaste and well suited for a younger reader