a briiliant sequel to "Libby's London Merchant"
592751
After the events chronicled in "Libby's London Merchant" you just knew that it would take a very special lady to make Benedict Nesbitt, the Duke of Knareborough forget Libby Ames. And indeed the heroine of "One Good Turn" is a truly a very extraordinary lady.
The Duke of Knaresborough is trying (but not really succeeding) very hard to come to terms with the fact that Libby Ames has not only rejected him, but has found happiness with her splendid but ordinary husband, Dr. Cook. In an effort to take his mind of Libby and his current unhappiness, the duke has agreed to take his young neice to his country estate so that she will not contract chickenpox form her infant brother. However while on the road, the duke discovers to his horror that his niece has contracted chickenpox after all, and he's not sure if he can cope with a sick, fractious child. Fortunately for the duke, Miss Liria Valencia and her young five year old son appear on the scene. And although he takes Liria to be no more than a Spanish camp follower, who had given birth out of wedlock, her ability to deal with the crisis at hand and her calm manner impresses the duke no end, and impulsively he offers her a job as his housekeeper. The more contact he has with Liria, the more he is intrigued by her. Who is this mysterious Spanish woman who seems more than able to run a duke's household and who possesses the dignity and demeanor of one far above her station? What brought to England? And why does she refuse to return to Spain? Ever curious, the duke sets out to discover the secrets that Liria harbors in order to help a lady who is becoming of increasing importance to him.
I know that I've said this about quite a few Regency romance novels lately, but this time it's really true: this is a romance novel that is out of the ordinary! After a steady diet of flirty heroines and rakish heroes, this book was a novel experience. Liria is certainly unlike most heroines that one would expect from a Signet Regency romance novel: she's a heroine that has had a truly hard and horrendous past (her war experiences do not make for easy reading), but who because of her inner strength and indomitable spirit, managed to survive. Some readers may find this novel a little disappointing, because romance-wise, not much happens until the last two chapters. The bulk of the book deals with the duke coming to terms with himself -- his strengths, his weaknesses, his inner demons, and how he wants to go on; as well as the mystery that surrounds Liria. It's a sobering book, as well as a cathartic one -- it runs the gamut from pain and horror to tears and joy. This is definitely a romance novel for readers who need some substance to their 'cream cake' romance diet.
Personally, I loved this novel, and will be holding on to it for some time.
2509280
The Masque of the Black Tulip is the second in what I hope will be a long series. I know a few reviewers thought this installment was weaker than the first novel (The Secret History of the Pink Carnation), but I don't agree. The only thing the first book offered that this one doesn't is the benefit of being the first. Everything was new and exciting and interesting about the writing and the story precisely because it was new. But to my mind, The Masque of the Black Tulip is just as enjoyable a read as The Secret History.

Just as with the first book, this novel is a blend of regency romance, humor, history, clever allusions to popular culture and historical events, and spy intrigue. As the order of those descriptions suggest, this is primarily a romance novel, and a wonderful one at that. I see Lauren Willig as a cross between Julia Quinn and Helen Fielding and the result is a very readable book that rises above the mediocre romance novels and chick lit that's published every year.

This installment follows Miles and Henrietta, two friends who suddenly find themselves attracted to each other. There's a little less of the heavy-duty spy stuff than in the first, but that was fine with me. The plot rolls along, the romance unfolds, the Eloise/Colin interludes break up the story here and there (but in an enjoyable way, I thought) and it's all a joy to read. Lauren Willig has a distinctive, truly witty voice and knows how to deliver a satisfying read.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys regency romances, chick lit, or fun beach reads with a historical twist.
3621210
James Keffer has created a wonderful sequel to the Hornblower saga by C.S. Forester.  Reading very carefully, one might detect that this book was not written by Forester, but it is an excellent adaptation of Forester's style.  If anything, I might praise Keffer's light touch on Hornblower's continuous self doubts and worries.  It is the one thing I thought don't fit a hero like Hornblower.  Forester harped on his self doubt just too much.  So, this book is a great relief from that.
Regarding the plot, I think it is a stroke of genious by Keffer to shed light on Napoleon's character in this entertaining way.  I was impressed with Napoleon's character (of coures if he actually would have behaved as Keffer depicted him is to me unknown).  It was great fun to see H and N sparring and yet displaying their humanity.  Well Done!  Worth the read and definitely Hornblower.  I would encourage Keffer to take up the staff and continue to fill in gaps in Hornblower's saga.
380763
The Heart's Appeal by Jennifer Delamere is the second in the "London Beginnings" series and while I loved The Captain's Daughter (read more here) this book is even better. Some of my favorite things about this new installment are the same as the factors that made me love the first. Delamere entwines the history and fiction so beautifully, and includes interesting parts of our history that may have previously been overlooked by these by other books in the same genre. I give this book 5 stars!

In this second installment we follow the story of Julia Bernay, the second sister, while she pursues becoming a doctor. Given that the medical profession was an uncommon field for women of the time, I love the unique story line and bits of feminism and strength of a female character that this book subtly provides. I love the scenes that take place in the medical field, including encounters Julia has with birth, treating patients, and the overall, interesting dynamic they add to the story. Just imagine the burgeoning field of germs coming into the scientific field at this very time and Julia's arrival at a very, what she deems unclean, home for a home birth. Quite interesting and I really couldn't put the book down.

Michael Stephenson seems an unlikely one as Julia's faith is strong and Michael's is not. Despite my doubts at how the relationship began with an interesting collision of the two characters' stories, by the end it tied up beautifully and made a lot of sense. Julia's strong faith and their budding relationship really makes for an enthralling tale. I will say I was wary at first that this part of the story line could possibly tie up as neatly as it does, simply because Julia's faith is so strong and Michael's non existent. It seemed unlikely that Julia would allow herself to fall, or that the relationship could possibly work. However, by the end of the story it really does work and make sense.

Delamere has interesting, believable, and endearing characters who feel like friends. I so enjoyed seeing where the Bernay sisters are ending up. and much like the first, with the interesting twist of the theater setting, this novel also has this same unique aspect. I didn't feel like I was just reading any other Christian fiction novel. It sets itself apart both in setting and character development.

I highly recommend you grab the first novel The Captain's Daughter if you haven't read it already, and be sure to add  The Heart's Appeal to your cart too. I appreciate receiving a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.
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Will North has again managed to capture Cornish culture in a thrilling continuation of the Davies and West mystery series set in Cornwall, England. As the first book, Harm None, took readers inside the ancient world of witchcraft, wise women, and magic in the culture of the Cornish people, Too Clever by Half explores the acceptance and practice of Druidism in an area that is religiously non-conformist. Cornwall is such a rich source for ancient history and beliefs, and North continues to include the archaeological aspects of the history, as the major impetus for murder and mayhem in Too Clever by Half is the discovery of an Iron Age underground cave full of ancient treasures, treasures that by English Treasure Act of 1996 must be reported to the local coroner's office to be determined if further government involvement was warranted. Archie Hansen, the farmer who makes the discovery of the artifacts on his farmland is more interested in a quick sale of the valuable items than a lengthy process in which he'd still get money, and even more money. Archie has plans, big plans, but they don't include the government.

The Lizard Peninsula is the part of Cornwall in which Too Clever by Half is set, although the story begins at sea, where a man's naked body is found floating face down. The Major Crimes Investigation Unit from Bodin is called in, so Detective Inspector Morgan Davies gets the nod to investigate. The Scene of Crimes Manager, Calum West, is on the case, too, in spite of the lack of said scene. The victim turns out to be the very farmer who discovered the ancient artifacts on his land, but that part of the story isn't known to the investigators until later. The first line of investigation is into Archie Hansen's role as head of the local Druid community, an interest that Archie shared with his companion, Charlotte Johns, who reported him missing, which led to identification of the floater. The Walter Scott quote aptly describes the story that unfolds from the discovery by Hansen to the discovery of the murderer, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive." Lies, adultery, and secrets create an atmosphere ripe for revenge for several different suspects, but who wants to settle the score the most? Who decides that murder is justified? Our dear Archie seems to have offended and mistreated many. It is indeed an untangling of motive and opportunity that Davies and West must accomplish if they are to clear the innocent and convict the guilty.

Throughout this novel and its predecessor, one of the aspects I enjoy most about North's writing is the witty repartee between his main characters and with those whom they converse. The conversations between Davies and West are, of course, the ones in which I take special pleasure. Their evolving relationship, both professional and personal, is revealed largely by these conversations, where West may be the one person to never become flummoxed by Davies, and, indeed, he possesses an understanding of where her sharp words come from and is more often than not able to reach underneath her hard exterior.

Having now read this second and most recent book in the Davies and West series, I am confidant that the series will continue to be a favorite. Will North takes full advantage of the amazing Cornwall as a setting, with stories and characters that well match the special place. The precise descriptions of the differing topography that is Cornwall makes North's stories ones in which a reader feels fully engaged. I'm looking forward to the new year and another Davies and West mystery in my reading queue.
872592
Bring on the kleenex please.  I was bawling like a child by the end.

What I liked about Libby's London Merchant was that it touched upon the very serious issue of the emotional aftermath of war.  One Good Turn follows that theme.  There is pain, there is suffering, yet there isn't any of the explicitly gory details that I find sensationalist and unnecessary in Carla Kelly's more recent Harlequin novels.

In the prequel, Libby's London Merchant, Benedict Nesbitt falls in love with Libby but she ends up marrying somebody else.  Libby was a wonderful woman so you know that the woman that Nez eventually ends up with has to be pretty out of the ordinary herself in order to allow him to move beyond Libby.  Liria Valencia is just that woman.

It is a beautifully told story with real heart and sincere emotions.
1164983
Once again, Christi Phillips expertly weaves together past and present. Though her last historical heroine, The Rosetti Letter's Alessandra, left some big shoes to fill, Phillips' sequel character, the strong-willed Hannah Devlin, a physician who brings 17th century London to life in all its gritty glory, is equally compelling and sympathetic. In defiance of both society and the law, Hannah, a widow, pursues her passion by working as a healer to the underserved poor, a calling that threatens to cost her both her life and her happiness when she and a fellow physician, Edward Strathern, stumble across a series of horrific murders.

It was also a pleasure to meet up again with Claire Donovan, the author's contemporary heroine, who has just begun a temporary position as a Cambridge University fellow. As in the first novel, Claire teams up with a handsome colleague, Andrew Kent, to connect long-buried historical dots, this time about Hannah--all the while negotiating her own uncertain professional and romantic path, both of which are complicated by a parallel, modern-day murder.

Phillips' elegant prose, intricate story threads and precise attention to historical detail carry the reader seamlessly (and all too quickly) from the first page to the last. In addition, she imparts a tremendous amount of detailed information--who knew the history of London's first sewage system could be so fascinating?--without the reader ever growing bored or impatient. Phillips makes both writing and story development look easy. (Which of course they aren't.)
4002551
This is a wonderful sequel to 'The Hangman's Daughter'. I was able to get this one at the Library and was enthralled once more with the gentleman's prowness with words'.  Can't wait for his next book which is coming in July!
2374392
This sweet and magical sequel to the first book advances the emotional ties between Ceony and Emery, this time more from Emery's side.  In the midst of this, they must deal with those who seek revenge for their victory in the first novel.  A quick and fanciful read for those who need a visit to a well thought out alternate reality.
3299211
This is a sequel to "The Shop on Blossom Street" and is even better than the first book.  Again the action centers on Lydia Hoffman's shop, A Good Yarn.  This time Lydia Hoffman, the owner, has decided to have a class on knitting socks.  The three women who sign up for the class seem to have little in common, but in the course of the book they become close friends.  Elise Beaumont begins the class with a show of temper, as she is uptight over having to face her ex-husband at her daughter's house.  Bethanne Hamlin is trying to adjust to the life of a divorcee while attempting to start a new business which will support her and her children.  Courtney Pulanski is a young girl who has lost her mother and has come to live with her grandmother while her father works out of the country.  At first the women are reserved and reticent with one another, but gradually they begin to open up and share their stories with one another.  The characters in this book seem more believable than those in the previous one, and they provide an interesting and heartwarming story.
1752926
I second reviewer LyP's sentiment: I also I enjoyed that this story involves Heculaneum. (Apparently like the author, I'm a sucker for less renowned yet entirely fascinating tidbits of world history.) Just like Book 1, "Death Among the Ruins" is an entirely witty, speedy read. For those who adore banter - of both the intellectual *and* bawdy varieties - that embroiders a story peppered with historical and well-crafted atmospheric details, and some mysteries to solve to boot, this is likely an excellent choice. Oh, and if you are one to carry some prejudice against those who practice 'the oldest profession,' don't bother with this series; it's not for you.

In summary: I was quite pleased by this follow-up to Book 1, I learned a lot about ancient Italy, and am very much looking forward to getting my hands on Book 3!
3328212
I was turned on to this book by an Amazon reviewer who compared A Conspiracy of Paper favorably with Iain Pears' masterpiece, An Instance of the Fingerpost. While I still believe Pears' labrynth masterpiece of Restoration Oxford to be the superior novel, I was tremendously impressed with this book, especially as a first novel.
A Conspiracy of Paper is narrated by Benjamin Weaver, a Jewish ex-boxer living in London who has abandoned a life of crime, and who now makes his living chasing down debtors and generally "righting wrongs" for hire. He is like an early 18th century Travis McGee, smart enough to keep himself generally out of trouble, with friends and contacts in London's seemier neighborhoods. Plus, being an ex-boxer, he is not above beating information out of a recalcitrant character here and there, although he seems to try and avoid brutality wherever possible.
Weaver is hired early in the novel by nobleman Sir Owen, to retrieve some embarrassing letters in the possession of a prostitute which could reveal Owen's venereal disease to his bride-to-be. At around the same time, Weaver is retained to look into the apparent suicide of a businessman, Balfour, by his haughty son. The elder Balfour died within weeks of Weaver's own father, who was killed by an errant hackney. Are these cases related? Are the deaths of Balfour and Weaver's father connected to some secret about the financial markey they learned? Were they both murdered? The answers to these questions embroil Weaver, and the reader, in the early days of the British Stock Market, and the business of "stock jobbing", a term I suppose would relate to modern arbitragers.
Liss has obviously done his research, as the book jacket makes clear, and he steers the reader effortlessly through London's stock market, bawdy gin joints, coffeehouses and gambling dens of 1719. The narrative style is breezy and quick - the characters speak in a genteel tone reminiscent of the early 18th century, but the language is never difficult or arcane. To keep the reader informed and up to date, Weaver periodically summarizes his progress and poses questions to his friend and playright Elias, whose appearance in the novel was always a refreshing change of pace from the tight-lipped stock jobbers populating much of the story. Weaver never lets the reader forget that he is an outsider, a Jew in a society where Jews may not own realty, and where they are looked upon with disdain by many of the same noblemen who profit greatly by their dealings at "Exchange Alley."
Ultimately, there were some interesting twists and turns of the plot, but after 400 pages the payoff at the end wasn't quite as shocking or fulfilling as perhaps I was hoping. I also didn't quite understand why, if the exploits of "Martin Rochester" were so well-known among jobbers at the Alley, only one person answered Weaver's anonymous ad. In summary, perhaps it is unfair to compare a book about early 17th century financial markets to a book like Instance of the Fingerpost, which dealt with juicier themes such as religious heresy, political intrigue and treason, medical breakthroughs, and the restoration of Charles to the throne after Cromwell's death, among others, narrated by 4 very different characters. Liss' book is nevertheless an engaging read, perfectly capturing an oft-ignored period and making a rather dry subject more interesting than I would have ever expected. If Liss comes up just short of Palliser's Quincunx or Pears' Fingerpost, he is nevertheless legitimately mentioned in excellent company. An enthusiastic thumbs up.
979924
This novel was compelling, thought-provoking, and humorous. While it has a somewhat predictable plot, it was still a pleasure to experience the fictional events through Libby's point of view. A fast, enjoyable read.
2077226
This is the follow up to A Thousand Yesteryears. It's one of the few sequels that really can stand alone. I gave the first book five stars, and I would give this one six if it were possible.

All of the characters you loved from the first book are back, and the tapestry of events is larger and tighter than the first book. Life moved on from the first book, and I like the way the author demonstrates that with relationships among the various characters. That doesn't mean life got more predictable or relaxing, far from it.

I don't believe in revealing plot in reviews, but fans of A Thousand Yesteryears are in for a treat. If you're starting here, you'll be buying Yesteryears very soon. Mae Clair has created a wonderful setting full of intrigue and mystery. I know I'm returning for the finale as soon as she can publish it. Do yourself a favor and read these stories.

I was a lucky recipient of an advanced reading copy of this book.
2304135
Kate returns in this second book of the Victorian mystery series by Robin Paige. While adjusting to her change in status as the lady of Bishop's Keep, Kate becomes involved in 2 mysteries: the disappearance of emeralds belonging to the mother of her newly married friend and the death of a policeman who was found in Mr. MacGregor's garden by one of her staff and the girl's beau. Kate also meets a shy young woman, Bea and invites her to Bishop's Keep. Bea is none other than Beatrix Potter. Charles Sheridan returns and there is much speculation and misinterpretation of the romantic relationships surrounding the two characters. I loved how Beatrix is incorporated into the story and the clever references to some of her stories. One of the authors (Susan Wittig Albert, who writes this series with her husband) has gone on to develop a whole series of cozy mysteries around Beatrix (The Cottage Tales) which I highly recommend. I enjoyed this story and look forward to seeing further developments with the characters in the next book in the series.
2048387
The Crown Valencia by Catherine Friend is the artfully crafted sequel to her book The Spanish Pearl. Catherine Friend is fast becoming one of those authors you could just hand me one of her books without any preamble or reading the synopsis and I would just start reading.

And with that I will leave you with this; My fellow readers, ever hear of the butterfly effect? The loose definition is the phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. (That is the google definition by the way.) Join Kate as she wraps up her final adventure in The Crown Valencia

Just like in The Spanish Pearl Catherine Friend follows through with the same type of writing style keeping consistent. Again the pacing was perfect and I love the way the story reads through Kate only.

I think the sequel was better than the first which is supremely rare. This is also a bonus because I thought the first was excellent.

Catherine Friend took the story in a direction I never expected, it was exactly what the story needed and therefore found its place in my favorites pile
2287398
I quite enjoyed the first installment of this series, and I believe I gave it four stars; a respectable rating expressing enough like to bother getting the second. I'm very glad I did so, for this little darling earned five full stars from me.  Past the necessary restraint of introducing characters "The Perilous Journey" plows full-forced into a more exciting and engaging plot than the first book.  I was absolutely delighted.

A year after the first book ended, the Society is brought together for an emergency.  What was supposed to be a fun little spy mission has gone wrong when Mr. Benedict vanishes.

The characters have grown since the last book, and I found them much more realistic, flawed, and lovable--all within the fun range of children's literature characterizations.  I actually had trouble figuring out the plot of the first book, but this one is clear, exciting, and indeed perilous.  There is plenty of heart and action, all told through endearing prose.

I can't wait to get my hands on the third.