Review: The Duke & I by Julia Quinn

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Genre: Historical Romance, Regency

Format: Paperback 

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Synopsis:

Can there be any greater challenge to London's Ambitious Mamas than an unmarried duke?
— Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1813

By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend's sister, the lovely—and almost-on-the-shelf—Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth—it's all an elaborate plan to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.

But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it's hard to remember that their courtship is a complete sham. Maybe it's his devilish smile, certainly it's the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her... but somehow Daphne is falling for the dashing duke... for real! And now she must do the impossible and convince the handsome rogue that their clever little scheme deserves a slight alteration, and that nothing makes quite as much sense as falling in love...

Review:

Ah, Julia Quinn, one of the geniuses behind historical romances of our generation. For the last three years, I have been meaning to pick up a book by her but never got the chance until earlier this month and I am speechless. I fully understand why she's such a big hit all over the world.

'The Duke and I' is the first book of the Bridgerton Series. A series that each represents a member of the Bridgerton Family. In this case, 'The Duke and I' was all about Daphne, the eldest daughter of the family.

For Daphne the one thing she hated the most was when her mother introduces her to every amiable bachelor at every ball they went to. Don't get her wrong, Daphne wants to marry but every gentleman she likes turns out to only want her as friend and all the men who would even think about marrying her seemed to be the odd ones with weird habits and weird faces. Hence, she has her moments of self-doubt, unrequited love and so much more. In the end, she can't take anymore of suitors she can't see herself happy with and the indirect rejection with the bachelors she actually sees herself marrying.

But then one day, Simon, a friend of her eldest brother comes back into town and after running away from his share of single women. He confides in Daphne and comes up with the wonderful idea of faking their 'interest' for each other to keep the women and men at bay. And it worked!

I adored the plot! What kind of hopeless romantic woman wouldn't? It had all the characteristics of the best historical romances I have ever read. It had your unrequited love pains, the steamy moments, the snarky banters, the shy romantic scenes, and most of all, the conflict that brings the couple closer than ever. And honestly, I would love to see this romance in the big screens.

Julia Quinn built her characters around hardships that each and every one of them faced. In this book, we were made to hate Simon's father for disowning him because of his son's disability. Likewise, we were made to love every one of the Bridgerton children from the eldest to the youngest. Their bond and love for each other is as realistic as it gets. Imagine bickering in the sophisticated dialogue of the 1800's.

This book was page-turning and is one of those books that keeps you up all night with its sweet moments, and hilarious banter. And no matter how many historical romances I manage to read. I will always enjoy them. And this book was no different. If you're a romance junkie waiting for your next fix, why not try the historical kind? Julia Quinn might surprise you with her amazing Jane Austen writing. I'm definitely getting the rest of the series.

5/5 stars

Review: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

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Genre: Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Regency, Fantasy
Format: Paperback
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Synopsis:

In this Jane Austen inspired comedy, love story, and exploration of identity and destiny, a modern LA girl wakes up as an Englishwoman in Austen's time.

After nursing a broken engagement with Jane Austen novels and Absolut, Courtney Stone wakes up and finds herself not in her Los Angeles bedroom or even in her own body, but inside the bedchamber of a woman in Regency England. Who but an Austen addict like herself could concoct such a fantasy?

Not only is Courtney stuck in another woman's life, she is forced to pretend she actually is that woman; and despite knowing nothing about her, she manages to fool even the most astute observer. But not even her love of Jane Austen has prepared Courtney for the chamber pots and filthy coaching inns of nineteenth-century England, let alone the realities of being a single woman who must fend off suffocating chaperones, condomless seducers, and marriages of convenience. Enter the enigmatic Mr. Edgeworth, who fills Courtney's borrowed brain with confusing memories that are clearly not her own.

Try as she might to control her mind and find a way home, Courtney cannot deny that she is becoming this other woman and being this other woman is not without its advantages: Especially in a looking-glass Austen world. Especially with a suitor who may not turn out to be a familiar species of philanderer after all.

Review:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that it is human nature for our subconscious to wish for an escape when the going get's tough and Courtney Stone's subconscious didn't just "wish" for an escape. It conjured it. The hows and whys of the situation is still remains at loss for me even after I finished the book. 

Courtney Stone's life is in the gutter and at the end of the day she releases grief and takes refuge in all of Jane Austen's work. Somehow between the world of waking and dreaming, Courtney get's teleported 200 years back in time. She didn't land in the 1800's century as herself but as Jane Mansfield, a beautiful, slim, refined, and unmarried woman in her thirties. She doesn't know who Jane is except for the reflection she sees in the mirror and only gets glimpses and fragments of Jane's memory to help her blend in.

Courtney/Jane was first convinced that all she was experiencing was a dream caused by her obsessive readings of everything Jane Austen. But as days, weeks and months passed on, she just had to accept and take her Jane Austen training and put it to good use to please Mrs. Mansfield and shoo the Lords and Dukes, who are great big horn-dogs.

In this century, the author explains to us that there's more to the world Jane Austen has written. And that Austen only sugar coated the real happenings within a distinguished family, town balls, and overall, men of that time. Yes, mothers only think about their daughters marrying rich. Yes, they go to balls and dance way too much. Yes, there are rich handsome gentlemen who court and flirt. But Austen and many other authors of that age didn't tell us about the obsessive and urgency of the mothers, or that a lot of harassments occur during balls and most of these rich handsome gentlemen have nasty attitudes and only have one thing in mind. Courtney realizes this as she starts getting accustomed to the simple routine of an accomplished woman and starts traveling with her suitors sister to Bath and London.

I enjoyed coming to terms with the reality of how the 1800's is really like and how suffocating it is to be seen with a male underclassmen unchaperoned. And at the end of the book, I came with the conclusion that I didn't really know if Courtney's life in the 21st century was real or where the real Jane Mansfield is. It was a good end but an end that still made you ask what really happened to Jane and Courtney.

Rating: 4/5

Review: The Vampire Voss (The Regency Draculia #1) by Colleen Gleason

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Title: The Vampire Voss (The Regency Draculia #1)
Author: Colleen Gleason
Started: 6/2/12
Finished: 8/2/12
Publisher: Mira
Medium: Paperback
Genre: Historical Romance / Paranormal Romance
Buy: Amazon / The Book Depository / Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Synopsis:


Regency London – a dizzying whirl of balls and young ladies pursued by charming men.

But the Woodmore sisters are hunted by a more sinister breed: Lucifer's own.

Voss, also known as Viscount Dewhurst, relishes the sensual pleasures immortality affords. A member the Dracule – a cabal of powerful, secretive noblemen marked with a talisman that reveals their bartered souls – the mercenary Voss has remained carefully neutral ... until Angelica.

Angelica Woodmore possess the Sight, an ability invaluable to both sides of a looming war among the Dracule. Her very scent envelops Voss in a scarlet fog of hunger – for her body and her blood. But he is utterly unprepared for the new desire that overcomes him – to protect her.

Now Voss must battle his very nature to be with Angelica ... but this vampire never backs down from a fight.

Its been about almost more than a year since I've read a full on historical romance/regency book. And reading this was extremely refreshing. As a lover of all things Austen and Bronte this was almost of its like but with its own originality. Of course, this was more simple in terms of descriptions and dialogue. But all together great!

Okay fine, vampires are overrated. But come on! We've all contributed to its "overratedness" and you can't deny it at all. In this first installment in the Regency Draculia series, Vampire Voss likes playing games and sneaking around observing his peers and learning about their dirtiest and darkest secrets, which he uses against them. In all his years as a vampire, he has gained more enemies than friends. Throughout the entire book he had probably only one friend, who eventually turns on him somewhere. That wasn't a spoiler!

As handsome, dark and alluring Voss may be, he has met his "match" in the opposite gender. Angelica is stern, not all that kick-ass but someone you can realisticly connect with. I loved how her demeanor was portrayed and enjoyed her urge to go against society's morals.

As much as I liked the characters, the dialogue was even better, especially when everything was written so smoothly. The book was filled with many elements. My favorite being the historical bit and maybe the splash of paranormal here and there.

The plot had a wonderful introduction, peak and everything in between. It really does keep you reading and may seem a little rushed in places but that usually can't be helped.

Colleen Gleason has written an excellent book about duty, propriety and unconditional love. Along with her wonderfully written dialogue and sprinkles of humor, she almost had it perfectly. Definitely a good read for the historical lovers.