Romance Books

Other reviewers have provided a synopsis. I'll simply say that SISTER'S CHOICE changed my view of surrogacy. Not a true "romance" although Ms. Richards' books are carried in that category. Not really chick-lit either (thank goodness.) Good clean writing (grammatically and stylistically speaking). The series beginner, WEDDING RING, is, so far, the best of the (currently) 5 book series but this one (the 5th), IMO, is the 2nd best. If you like meaningful story lines, emotional character development, and a quiet read, SISTER'S CHOICE and any of the books in this Shenandoah Quilters series will appeal to you. If you like high action and intense sexual encounters, it will not suit you. In fact, the love-interest angle is not the primary story here. On occasion, I need to get away from all that. The quality of the actual writing by Ms. Richards is so high that she seems to provide just the break I need. I especially like the way that each entry in this series ties into, via flashbacks, another historical storyline involving the quilt featured in the book. These supporting storylines really bring those characters to life.

The service was great and I received the book in a very short turnaround period, but I haven't found the time yet to read it and now someone has borrowed it. I'll let you know what I think of it when I read it.

Thank you for your great service,
Bron

I could not put this book down. It is the best one yet of the Shenandoah Series to date. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

I never read any of the previous Shenandoah Album novels but hope to in the future. I really enjoyed this book----very sweet story with great characters. Her writing was easy to read, the "lessons learned" were timely in today's infertility crisis and with the many creative ways to have a baby. The emotional struggles were very real. I felt like I truly "knew" the people in the story----hard to put down because I always wanted to read "just one more chapter".
I usually prefer the murder mysteries. But this was a very pleasant, "different" book that is enjoyable in spite of the ups and downs of the emotions and sub-plots. I recommend it to any woman who enjoys reading a good story.
I hope there is a sequel. I want to follow Cash and Jamie's life for many years to come.

One of the pleasures of this book is that it is about a subject that is unusual and controversial, a woman choosing to be a surrogate mother. Her complex feelings are handled with more depth than one would expect in a novel. The pull between the two sisters is handled well. Also the parallel story of an older woman heightens the story by its contrast. Some problems like money that most people struggle with in regular life are not a difficulty in this story, but that leaves more space for the author to cover the other angles of this story.

I am a big fan of Julianne MacLean's novels, but this one fell really flat for me. I must own to developing a soft spot for Vincent, as your atypical "brooding romantic lead" he had enough nuances to make him a believable character and smoldered enough with his tortured past to make the best of us romance junkies sigh. Cassandra on the other hand, *boring.* For the life of me I couldn't understand why Vincent was so in love with her, or honestly why she was in love with him. The one night supposed basis of this "love" lacked the creation of any real chemistry between the Cassandra and Vincent. I didn't really feel that they loved each other at any point during the book, rather two lonely people who each offered one another something they needed that became "love" because the romantic novel genre demanded it. And the Epilogue? Don't even get me started... talk about throwing in a cliché to avoid the realities of the situation to force a "happy ever after."
All in all, it's not a bad novel, just kind of blah and definitely not what I would have expected from MacLean. I wouldn't rush out to buy it as I did. Wait for the library or the second hand bookstore

I know by next week I will only have a vague sense of what the book was about.

The two main characters did not captivate me. The hero spent most of the book trying to convince everyone he was a rake who cared about no one and the heroine was just too confused for me. Their interactions did not grab my emotions. As far as romances go, there was nothing new. I found myself skimming the book just to see what would happen. I also found it too suggestive of sequels. You just know the author will be writing books about many of the characters in the book. I found myself wondering how some of them added to the story at all.

I do recommend The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt. It was engaging.

Julianne MacLean continues her delightful Pembroke Palace series for Avon with Book #2, THE MISTRESS DIARIES (August 2008). After a ball in 1873 England, Cassandra Montrose, Lady Colchester, decides to throw caution to the wind and experience one night of passion at a London hotel with the notorious rake, Lord Vincent Sinclair. Cassandra - recently out in society again after a year in mourning for her late husband - decides Vincent is the perfect man for such an adventure before she goes on with her proper life, because he, too, wants only a single night of lovemaking. But during their torrid encounter, both feel an unexpected and intimate connection. Cassandra tells him of her loveless marriage and her inability to bear children. They even discuss a desire to see each other again. But by morning, Vincent is long gone.

One year later, Lord Vincent returns home to Pembroke Palace with his future bride, Lady Letitia Markham, to plan their wedding. It is an arranged marriage, and since Letitia is a selfish and demanding beauty, Vincent is dreading their nuptials. When he arrives, his older brother, Devon, with whom he has a strained relationship, informs him that a baby has been left on the doorstep, and the mother of the child is upstairs. Vincent is shocked to see Cassandra again - the fiery lover who claimed she was barren. Will he acknowledge his daughter and accept his responsibilities, or will he marry Letitia? Will Vincent reconcile with his brother Devon, and what about their father, who seems to be going mad and believes the palace is cursed? Here is a wonderfully unique Victorian romance with an entry from Cassandra's diary at the beginning of each chapter. Read the endearing, intriguing and passionate THE MISTRESS DIARIES to find out what Cassandra's and Vincent's fates will be.

The book begins slow and never seems to pick up any momentum. I found the heroine was a secondary character in her own story. The hero never IMHO redeemed himself, even when he finally declares his love of the heroine when in reality it was more a case of he couldn't bear his fiancee and he wanted to be a father; which could have been more of the story and conflict. Why the heroine would accept him beyond her lust for him wasn't really very well developed, she deserved a better hero than Vincent.

The real draw back to the story was the antagonist, Leticia. She was cruel, mean and at best a cardboard character. Possibly she had more history in Devon's story but each book should stand alone. I have found I usually enjoy this author but will look forward to the next brothers' stories with caution. Lets just hope it was just an off book. Ms Maclean is too good a storyteller to let one bad book ruin the series.

Thanks to a realistic setting, the Mistress Diaries delivers a pretty good story with likeable leads. There are some flaws in this novel but overall I enjoyed the story.

Widow Cassandra Montrose acts totally out of character by engaging in a one night stand with a known rake. Lord Vincent Sinclair offers her no promises and is emphatic in stating that he is not interested in something beyond that evening. He leaves the next morning without a word to Cassandra.

The story then jumps forward a year and Vincent is engaged to one of the most self centered women in England, Lady Leticia who has not one redeeming quality, she is so unlikable that she is more a caricature than a real person. Vincent is accepting of the match because she is a lot like him, disillusioned, self serving and unreachable.

He is absolutely thrown for a loop when he arrives home with Leticia to discover Cassandra and her child in his home being waited upon by his mother. Cassandra, it seems, became pregnant after their encounter and she now has a three month old and believes she is dying. She had earlier tried to reach Vincent both in writing and in person to inform him about the baby but was rejected so he never knew about his daughter. It was easy to dislike Vincent at first because he was so condescending and just plain mean spirited. Fortunately, the author sheds light on his past and Vincent's character is fleshed out completely.

Cassandra makes a deal with Vincent which will keep her and her baby fed and sheltered but also will leave her heart vulnerable to Vincent's charms. These two leads form a friendship and Vincent's life slowly becomes filled with purpose. However, he is still duty bound to marry Leticia as his crazy father had decreed that a curse will lift off the family if he does and he also needs his inheritance. By the way, the whole curse story was ridiculous and I was stymied as to why the whole family was willing to follow the dictates of a truly demented man.

Still this is a fresh novel, usually pregnant 19th century romance heroines decide to live a life of independence with no contact with the father; I have a hard time believing this occurred as often as portrayed by authors. Instead Cassandra recognizes her limitations as an outcast woman and makes the best of her situation, she is still proud and strong but also smartly assesses that Vincent owes a duty to his daughter. Fortunately, he recognizes this too.

This is a charming yet dramatic and heart-wrenching story about the transformative power of love.

It is remarkable that Marisa de los Santos, an award winning poet,somehow manages to make "Love Walked In" both old fashioned and hip.

Marisa de los Santos is an exceptional writer. Her style captivated me from page one. A great story. Wonderful.

I wanted to like this book so badly...I read the first 120 pages or so, and couldn't stop reading, but I soon became disgusted. The story is so far-fetched that its predictable, if that makes any sense. Every time I thought to myself: "There's no way something ridiculous like that is going to happen!" it did...I wish that I had the ability to stop reading a book, but I just can't. I have about 70 pages left, and I'm hoping that I will be pleasantly surprised, but I won't count on that. I do think, however, that this would translate better to the silver screen. It seems that is already in the works.

I really can't believe that so many people like this book. I found so many things annoying about it, that it's hard to know where to begin. The fact that everyone is not just beautiful, but movie star beautiful, was a big turnoff. I mean come on, someone in this book had to look average. The narrator insisted on reminding the reader over and over that she was just a tiny little wisp of a woman, with a breathtaking face. All the characters were not just amazing looking they were also wealthy and brilliant. The narrator was so smart she felt it necessary to tell the not so bright (or probably pretty or rich) reader what we were thinking all the time. And last, but clearly not the least, was the 11 year old savant, who wrote and illustrated a fairytale, and had the wisdom of someone 5 times her age. If you want a true fairytale read this book, this is not real life. Oh yeah, who thinks that two adult children whose mother leaves their family home, full of priceless antiques, to a neighbor might be angry? I do, but not the characters in this book, they understand.

BORING!

I have struggled through 200 pages and I am just going to call it.

Time of death 4:28PM.

I can NOT finish this book.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, Darkling proved me wrong. This entire series has become one of my favorite. This book was interesting from start to finish. No page fillers or down spots. No repeating the same information or overly emotional. Just enough sex and action to keep me from putting it down. Can't wait to see what happens next between Menolly and Narissa. I highly recommend this book and the rest of the series.

I love this series...... I am going to reserve the 4th one now that I am hooked!

I am not one to write a bunch. I just wanted to say that I am an avid reader, but it takes a great book to get me engaged, and that is what this whole series did. If I could rate it higher, I would. The only thing that I did not like, and this was very menial, was repetition of some basic information that we knew already about the characters from each of the books. You have found a new fan Ms. Galenorn!!

Though I'm not a huge urban fantasy fan, I have really liked these books. I liked this one the best because Menolly is the dark one. Book 1 was my 2nd favorite and book 2 was my third favorite. But I'm enjoying the whole series. Violence isn't my cup of tea but it didn't detract from the book. Great job, Yasmine G! And I love the covers of these books. They're what made me pick the first book up, but I stuck with the series because of the good writing and story.

I am looking forward to Dragon Wytch, which I think is a new series.

Returning to the Seattle, WA area, we join Menolly, third of the half fae/half human D'Artigo sisters who are living Earthside because of bounties on their heads in their own land, which they call Otherworld. Witchling was the eldest sister's (Camille) story and Changeling brought us closer to Delilah, a were-cat. Now we are allowed a glimpse into the life of the vampire faerie Menolly. Turned unwillingly, Menolly fights a constant battle against the inherent nature of the brutal blood drinkers. Unwilling to inflict her torturous memories on her sisters, Menolly shoulders her nightmares alone, unable to stop them from unfurling each night because she, unlike humans, cannot wake from her sleep. She takes comfort in raising their pet gargoyle Maggie and in owning/running an Otherworld bar, where her reputation precedes her in discouraging any trouble. Her bar also contains a portal to Otherworld so she and hers also act as guardians against unwelcome visitors.

Menolly is suddenly called by her sister's mate to the scene of a multiple homicide, despite the knowledge that the excessive blood-letting might unleash Menolly's darker instincts. But the horror is greater than expected - someone is attacking innocents and turning them into baby vampires - the most deadly because of their lack of control. Convinced that her rogue vampire sire, Dredge, is to blame, she begins the hunt to find the coven that escaped retribution when Menolly was attacked. But Menolly is unsure of her fledgling powers and her ability to defend herself, much less her sisters, against her fiendish sire. The other issue at hand is whether or not Dredge is acting on his own or if he is part of the larger plot by Shadow Wing, a leader in the demonic realms, to take over Earthside. With their own homeland in the midst of a political war and their usual resources worn thin, the D'Artigo sisters do what they do best - improvise - and take care of matters one at a time while watching one another's back.

I think Galenorn has hit upon an awesome fantasy world, although it is getting difficult to keep some of the players straight. I'm glad she's planning on continuing the series past the original trilogy, but I have to admit to being quite upset over the ending of her two paranormal mystery series. Her message on her website is wonderful - but I disagree with her that she doesn't do mysteries as well. Like this series, there is substance to the plot and the characters, as well as a lot of character growth and realistic thoughts and emotions. Not everything is as wholesome as apple pie, but her characters suck it up and deal with it like anyone in the real world would have to do. Menolly is a perfect example. So, if you enjoy a little realism with a lot of fantasy, this is ideal for you.

I had fun reading this. Made me laugh. Made me think how some guys treat women. Some of the quotes and advise were actually good. Everything was numbered. A lot of the stuff was repetitious...just worded differently. I enjoyed reading this.

This book stopped me from picking up the phone several times, and I'm grateful for that. A must-have for any woman on the dating scene.

This book helped me get over a short but rough time in my life and showed me that you have to face reality no matter how you feel. I felt like the authors were speaking directly to me. There were so many things that applied and just a few that didn't. If someone is going through a tough time, I highly recommend reading it.

Finished this on a two hour flight. Fun and true! Would definitely recommend.

The book came on time. The book was so good to read that I haven't put it down yet.

J.L. Langley has this odd habit of 'feminizing' the men in her work that I find extremely fascinating. She truly does 'flip the script' on us with this story. Fabulous job!

I'll give you a brief synopsis - 'My Fair Captain' takes place in the future, on a planet called Regelence, where male children are genetically bred to have a preference for the same sex. Now that's a fresh take on this whole M/M romance thing. Without the gay persecution/hatred plot that usually centers around these M/M romance novels, Langley is able to devote more of the story line to the romance and subplot. I read this book over the course of several days, and was so taken by the characters and Langley's creativity, I didn't want the story to end. When I finished the book, I flipped it over and started reading it again. Yeah, it's that good. I've read several other Langley novels, and this one is, by far, her best.

It had great cover art but the writing itself was sometimes painful to read. The plot itself wasn't bad but the author could have used the services of a strong editor. The cheesy words the author chose for profanity, the loose plot ends, and the somewhat deus ex machina solutions when she wrote herself into a corner. But still, it's fantastically better than gay sci fi/fantasy we had ten years ago... which was next to nothing. Keep on truckin' Ms. Langley. I'll try a book of yours again.

I bought this book because I have loved some of the other books from this author. It was set in the future and I had a hard time with that at first, since I'm not really a sci-fi guy. However it really turned out to be a good book and it made me want to keep reading it.

I have eagerly purchased all of Langley's published work, and enjoyed every one. Her M/M romance leans heavily toward erotica, but she always creates well-drawn, likeable characters that make the stories special beyond the hot sex. However, in "My Fair Captain" she has created a rich science fiction novel full of mystery and adventure with a beautiful romance at the heart of it. I was astounded at how good a writer Langley is beyond the romance. Her world-building is intricate and detailed, and the cast of characters full and diverting.

The story is set in the distant future when humans have colonized many worlds and travel between them on starships. Langley has chosen a convention that I have seen before in scifi that works well here - individual worlds based on old-Earth societies set among high technology. Two worlds are at the forefront of this story - Englor and Regelence. Both societies are based on Regency England. So you have dukes, earls, swords, waistcoats and cravats intermingling with spaceships and faser-like weapons. The main difference between the two is that Regelence has become a truly patriarchal society. The aristocracy is male and have been genetically engineered to prefer same-sex unions (whereas on Englor homosexuality is taboo). This was a wonderful twist from Langley, as old conventions are uniquely and humorously applied. Young men are considered minors until they reach majority at age 25, and are expected to remain pure until they are married. They are also expected to attend balls in search of a suitable consorts. This made for a wonderful opening to the novel as the king's sons outsmart the house computer system in order to sneak out without their chaperones! Later at a formal ball, they come up with clever ideas for disposing of their electronic dance cards. The story is full of little details like this that add humor and make this world seem real to the reader.

At the heart of the story is Nate Hawkins, captain of a ship in the IN fleet. He is the son of an Earl from Englor, but was disowned after killing someone in a duel. But it is because of his familiarity with the customs of regency society that he is selected to go to Regelence to investigate a stolen weapons stash. He takes his adopted son with him to act as his valet and an additional spy. The weapons were stolen from the royal castle, so someone inside must have been in on it. Could it be one of the princes? This causes Nate a problem when he finds himself falling in love with one of them - Aiden. In fact, he comes to like and befriend the entire royal family. The main characters are completely three-dimensional, but Langley also expands upon minor characters. The king and his consort are loving parents to the princes and theirs is a happy family that I quickly came to like. Langley gets readers invested in more than just the main couple. The romance is very slowly built compared to Langley's previous works. I was quite surprised that nearly a third of the book passed before there was any sex! But, there is plenty of other action (and angst) to keep a reader turning the pages until Nate and Aiden finally get together. After that, the sex scenes are explosive. Langley has added BDSM to the couple's relationship, but it's not extreme by any means. Just added a little spice to the romance. The overarching plot is well developed, with several twists and turns. The romance is strong, but does not eclipse the plot. Unfortunately, the story ends with a cliffhanger, but not the kind that has you screaming in frustration. The stolen weapons are part of a greater conspiracy that reaches to other worlds, specifically Englor. Aiden and Nate's romance gets closure, but a greater adventure is still to come. Highly recommended, and I can hardly wait for the sequel.

"The Englor Affair" is due out in November as an e-book from Samhain Publishing.

This book was fabulous. The sexual tension is outrageous. Karen Marie Moning makes you want to dive into the book and onto the male lead, Cian. This book was a great purchase. Buy it, it's worth the read. Spell of the Highlander (The Highlander Series, Book 7)

This is the 7th novel Moning has written about highlanders and the 4th in a series about the McKeltar family. I love her women. They are all smart, inquisitive and funny. Her men are all built like Greek gods, but then this is a romance novel! I loved the whole series and read it in nothing flat. Can't wait for the next installment. I'm sure at some point her Highlander books will connect with her Fever series, which would prove very intersting.

This is the latest Karen Moning book that features the MacKeltars. All I can say is...READ THIS BOOK! It is a great mixture of magic, highlands, passion & humor. The characters are well developed and get you itching to read the rest of the MacKeltar books (#1 "Kiss of the Highlander" - (Drustans story),#2 "Dark Highlander" (drustans twin), #3 "Immortal Highlander" (Adam Black - side character interacting w/ MacKeltars), #4 "Spell of the Highlander" (part of MacKeltar clan), #5 "Highlander's Touch" (seperate story linked w/ Adam Black), #6 "Into the Dreaming" - a novella that features the fairy queen mentioned in the other books. NOTE: This is my suggestion for the order to read them in. There is not real official order in which to read them. All I know is once you finish this book, you will be itching to read the rest. ENJOY!!!

I just found Karen Moning'g Highlander series. This was the second book I have read. It was so good. I read it in one sitting.

I loved other books by this author, especially the books about Grimm & Hawk, but this one, featuring Cian [KEY-on] & Jessi, was pretty boring. It had its moments but ultimately I had to force myself to finish it. And I found some of the dialogue and love scenes to be - not vulgar by any means, but coarse, I suppose. Sorry to say, I really was disappointed in this one.

I did enjoy this book. I liked the little romantic notions through out. The characters portayed are well played out in the story.

This is a well written book by a young author that I could not put down! I read in a day and a half because I couldn't wait to see what the next page would bring! LOVED IT!!

THIS AGAIN IS ONE OF THE BOOKS YOU CAN;T PUT DOWN ONCE YOU START READING IT. THIS GAL IS AN AWESOME AUTHOR AND I WILL BUY ANY MORE OF HER BOOKS SHE PUTS OUT. VERY PLEASED AND I READ LOTS OF BOOKS AND COLLECT ALL OF THE AMISH BOOKS I CAN GET MY HANDS ON. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
JUNE THOMPSON--jtpvallred@sbcglobal.net

Anna has finally seen her abusive boyfriend for what he is, an overgrown bully, and she knows that she will have to go into hiding to escape him. Since Ron has completely bamboozled her family and support system she knows of only one place to run. She runs to the place where she has always felt completely safe - the Brenneman's Bed and Breakfast. Anna does not have much trouble fitting into the Brenneman's simple way of life as Amish plain folk, and it actually seems to help her to decide what she really wants out of life. Anna is glad she and Katie have stayed friends since the quilting class she took years ago. Now if only Katie's brother Henry would just stop jumping to conclusions about her.

The longer she stays the more she figures out what she wants in life. And the more that Henry learns where he might have misjudged her. Will Anna decide what is best for her or will Ron catch up with her? And will her parents abide by her decisions?

Hidden was a sweet and thoughtful story surrounding not just the simple lifestyle of the Amish. It deals with an individual's real path in life and also deals with actions of abuse, and how someone might get in too deep to see what is happening. I found I was drawn into this story from the beginning and when it ended I was hoping the next book in the series was already out, I'm not that lucky and am now left impatiently waiting for it to be printed. But, that is ok as it will allow me to share my thoughts on Hidden. I think Ms. Shepard Gray did a fine job in telling the story of Anna and what is really important in her life and where she is the most comfortable. It also shows the strength of a community that many see as too simple. I thoroughly enjoyed Hidden and hope you will also.

Tanya
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I loved this book! I am a great fan of Amish romance and thought nobody could top Wanda Brunstetter's novels but she has met her match with Shelley Shephard Gray. I felt Anna was very realistic and human and I really liked that about her character. So many authors protray their heroine as perfect and flawless. I also really liked Henry- definately the strong silent type, but I wish he would have acted a little more concerned when the nutcass boyfriend showed up at the B&B to kidnap her at gunpoint. But then again he is amish so it would be out of character for him to beat the crap out of the guy, which was what I was hoping for. Overall this was an awesome book and it was such a tease getting the first two chapters of the next book in the series. I don't think I can wait till Jan for it to be released.

Princess Gabrielle of St. Biel, is prized for her exquisite beauty, the daughter of one of England's most influential barons, Gabrielle is also a perfect bargaining chip for a king who needs peace in the Highlands: King John has arranged Gabrielle's marriage to a good and gentle laird. But this marriage will never take place.

Princess Gabriel of St. Biel is all set to be married, when her split-second decision to come to someone's aid suddenly throws the country into all-out war.

Betrothed to a stranger by King John, Gabrielle, the last of her royal line, is in possession of a powerful secret that could plunge the entire highland Scottish kingdom into anarchy, while her growing love for Colm MacHugh, a fearsome and powerful warrior, could cost her everything, as hidden enemies threaten to destroy them both.

For Gabrielle, everything changes in one last burst of freedom-when she and her guards come upon a scene of unimaginable cruelty. With one shot from her bow and arrow, Gabrielle takes a life, saves a life, and begins a war.

No one writes historicals like Julie Garwood. This is an exciting and reviting tale with her trade mark wonderful herione and brooding hero. True Colm MacHugh could have been a little more enamoured of Gabrielle from the first. However it's soon clear how strong is his devotion. Would have liked to seen resolution to the story with Joan as it seemed prominent but fizzled. The book was charming and lovely to read from start to finish. Thank you Julie for bring back your historicals, always on my keeper shelves.

I love Julie Garwoods books,however I would have to say this was not one of her best. It fell a little flat for me. The characters and storyline did not deliver like Julies books usually do. It's a good book to borrow from someone but I don't think I'd buy it if you haven't already.

I absolutely LOVE Julie Garwood's books... Have all of them and have read and reread them a hundred times... that is, till I got my hands on this book. What IS this?? It read like a first draft to me - there was no romance, the scenes were forced and the plot holes were HUGE. I am terribly disappointed. This book is a waste of space, not to mention the characters like Brodick (oh wait, JUST Brodick - the main characters were so underdeveloped maybe they can be recycled and used for a completely different book and no one would notice... I doubt anyone would remember them from this book. I take that back. They would TOTALLY remember because of how badly the characters were written!). Is there such a thing as a negative star rating?? If Amazon would let me give a no star rating, I would.

I really loved this book! I was so happy when she returned to historical... I mean I love her contempories, but she writes a wonderful historical romance. My one problem with this book is that she seems to forget her previous stories in the mix. Early on in the book her previous character Broderick asks Colm if remembers how he met his wife and Colm responds - Yes, when she was returning Laird Ramsey's brother to him. Anyone who read Ransom know that she was returning Alex MAITLAND to his father, not Ramsey's brother. Other than the little mistakes like that, which Ms. Garwood should have caught, this book was awesome and I think a great way to get back into historicals. I am hoping she will write more historicals soon!

I'm going to keep my review to the point & simple: thank goodness I had the sense to borrow this book from the library instead of buying it at hardcover price!! I still can't believe that this book was written by the same Julie Garwood who wrote 'The Secret', 'Honor Splendour', and more. To call the book has a plot is laughable, the dialogues and writing style are so unbelievably bad, complete with characters I could't possibly care less!

Shadow Music just hit the last nail on the coffin. Goodbye, Julie Garwood!

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to read or reread one of Jane Austen's books. Any one will do, if it's for the first time or the 25th. It always gives the same energising feeling, like listening to a Beatles song or going on a successful shopping spree.

"Sense and Sensibility" from 1811 is Jane Austen's first published book and has all the characteristics of her entire authorship: A lively delineation of character and a plot that zooms in on relations between people - and luckily often the most mysterious, satisfying, dramatic and confusing - love in its most exciting phase: falling in love. Language and style are elegant and intelligent and imbued with a deep ironic humour, which comes from a keen eye for tensions between opposites.

Five stars, always, for Jane.

When Mr. Dashwood dies, the family estate passes to his son, John. The widowed Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters are left homeless and with little money. A kind relative offers to rent them a small cottage on his property.

The two eldest Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, find both romance and heartbreak in their new home. Elinor is sensible and restrained, so that even when she falls in love with Edward, she keeps her feelings to herself because she knows that marriage is not a possibility. She has no money for a dowry.

Marianne, on the other hand, wears her heart on her sleeve. When she falls in love with handsome playboy Mr. Willoughby, she doesn't care who knows about it.

Both sisters experience heartbreak before they find love and happiness.

Taking place in Norland, England, in 1811, Jane Austen astounds her wide audience with yet another uplifting and eye-opening novel. Sense and Sensibility explores the life of the Dashwood family, consisting of the new widow Mrs. Dashwood and her two daughters, the composed and affectionate Elinor along with the sensible and spontaneous Marianne. Inheriting all of his father's money, John Dashwood visits his sister Mrs. Dashwood and gives the three devastated ladies a good share of his inherited money. During the visit, John Dashwood's wife, fanny, brings along her sensible older brother, Edward Ferrars, who develops a very close relationship with Elinor Dashwood. Although they are given a hard time by Fanny, Mrs. Dashwood, and the later promiscuous old friend Lucy Steele, Elinor and Edward establish and progress their love throughout the entire novel. As their love grows, Austen compares and contrasts the trait of sensibility, possessed by Marianne, and the trait of sense, possessed by Elinor. She does this through the two sisters' interactions with their significant others.
Just like almost all of Jane Austen's preceding novels, Sense and Sensibility dives into the themes of love and judgment. The reader learns how the characters in the novel become blind when they are in love, and the effect this has on their judgment.
Although it is a great read, I do not recommend it to just anybody. Readers must stay attentive to the multiple characters that are introduced throughout the novel; readers must also have strong patience because the novel is written with the old English dialect of the early 1800's. This is one of Jane Austen's best novels, in my opinion. In her novel Mansfield Park, she merely spends the whole novel demonstrating the progression of love in a New England town. In Sense and Sensibility, however, not only is the reader able to explore the development of love in a relationship between two people, but also the progression of individual character qualities, such as those of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. In totality, this novel is one of Jane Austen's best works.

The dual natures of these sisters is what truly makes this novel special. Their natural differences and their abilities in the end to overcome their inborn instincts demonstrate Austen's talent in creating interesting and dynamic characters. For me, this is Jane's best novel (I have not read them all). There is so much to learn from these characters! The men in the novel are complex and interesting as well. Recommended reading. (and yes, the 21st century reader will need to be patient with the language, but the novel is well worth it.)

Jane Austen's comforting classic is based on the dichotomous relationship between reason (Elinor) and emotion (Marianne). Austen's greatness lies in her backing out of the box of 19th-century literary moralism and seeing the areas of gray in human relationships and within the individual. Over and over again in this "early" work (Austen was only 41 when she died) we see characters acting in unexpected ways, even while social strictures are so much in evidence. The most outstanding characters are those who go against the social grain, and Austen unfailingly creates classic foils against whom these interesting individuals can stand out. Entertaining, existing in a stable social world, clever, and funny, this novel is like "comfort food." If you're in the mood for a diverting stroll into another century, let this book be your guide. I also highly recommend the Penguin Classic that has an introductory section by Tony Tanner (if you can find it). Tony Tanner's brilliant insights into Austen and this work deeply enriched it for me. But this section must be read after you read the book.