Sandy M’s review of One Bashful Lady by Brenda Williamson
Historical Romance published by Samhain on 25 Mar 08

I reviewed a book by this author, A Beautiful Surrender, a week or two ago and there was very little about that one I found I liked. So when I began One Bashful Lady, I had very low expectations. Imagine my surprise when a few chapters in I realized I was enjoying myself and liking both the story and the characters.

The biggest difference between the two reviewed books is the absence of negativity in this one. Everything about it was positive and so much more enjoyable. There are no what I call ugly scenes, something that makes you think “Yuck!” as you’re reading. The characters are not flat-out mean to one another and are very likeable.

Ainsley is a painfully shy young woman and her actions convey that condition. Desmond does have a plan in mind when he marries Ainsley, but you immediately sense his growing attraction for her and not wanting to hurt her by using her for his own ends. As the book goes along, you feel for his dilemma and hope he makes the right choice.

The storyline is believeable and the involvement of all characters in the central plot is a mystery for as long as possible. Desmond’s brother, Harlan, is a fun part of the book and I liked the affection and trust between the brothers. The use of a former mistress of Desmond’s as a villainess is done very well, and Ainsley begins to come out of her shell when faced with the interactions between her husband and Lady Shelby. 

Ainsley’s insecurities still plague her and I felt her indecisiveness entwined with her new-found backbone. And the dialogue in this book is a hundred times better than what I read before by this author. There’s only one or two places where I questioned certain things that made me slightly shudder from a descriptive point of view, but this time I was able to overlook them, they didn’t bother me nearly as much as the numerous questions in the earlier book.

I am very pleasantly surprised with this story. I’m still stunned at the difference between the two books by this author. It’s a huge difference. A very huge difference. But I’m glad and I’m happy to give her a much better grade this time around.

Grade: B+

Summary:

     One bashful lady discovers her dashing husband might be a traitor to their country.

     Desmond Rawlington, Marquess of Dunsmore and seductive charmer, needs a Delacorte sister as a wife. When the eldest elopes, Desmond marries Ainsley only to find himself falling in love with the enchanting young woman, despite her quirky habit of hiding behind draperies.

     Lady Ainsley Delacorte, the shyest person anyone has ever met, is nervous around servants, overwhelmed by the ton, and forced into marriage. Her reluctance fades with her husband’s sinfully romantic touch, but she can’t forget he’s involved in a traitorous plot to return Napoleon to power.  When Ainsley is caught with an incriminating letter she stole from her husband, Desmond intervenes. Will they face the gallows or can love save them?

     Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of A Beautiful Surrender by Brenda Williamson
Historical romance print released by Samhain on 27 Nov 07 (ebook release 13 Feb 07)

I nearly surrendered myself and put this book aside, but I slugged along until I finished it.  It never got any better, though. The negativity in this book is overwhelming and even though there are a couple of unfettered scenes here and there, that’s just not enough to save it. Not even close.

The hero rapidly vacillates between insulting the heroine to wanting her naked. This is supposed to be part of his plan to dupe the princess into not fulfilling the stipulations of her father’s will.  But there isn’t enough guilt or remorse from him about those actions when he begins to fall for her. His emotional vacillation happens so often that it loses impact, if there was any to begin with. There’s just no romance between them the way it’s written.

The heroine, of course, gets upset, angry, humiliated, and so on when the hero treats her in such a manner — and she still wants him, she’s still attracted to him. I never once felt the hero was arrogant. He’s just mean and wants what he wants. Even when we find out why he’s doing these things to the princess, that never lessened my feeling about him one whit.

Also, the imagery in this book is just as negative. An example:

He spit a bit of tobacco from his mouth into a potted bush. The conifer dusted in a pretty white powder of snow, now had an ugly brown stain on it.

Please. This is the hero’s action, for heaven’s sake. Couldn’t something with a little more decorum have been used? He’s not masquerading as a dirty rogue; he’s introduced himself as a duke. Even if I look past his attitude and insulting nature, he doesn’t strike me as a person that would do something like this. First, why would he spit tobacco in front of the heroine? Next, why spit it into a potted bush in her castle? This just isn’t his character up to this point. And, lastly, why give us the image of an ugly, dirty stain? Makes absolutely no sense.

The continuity in the book is also lacking. A simple example is when the two characters meet in a receiving line, the hero is close enough to the princess to be whispering his inane dialogue to her, but just a little later it’s stated he never got close enough to her to know how sweet she smelled. In addition, I always had the feeling I was reading a futuristic-set story, not just a straight historical. The names themselves (Volda, Maltar, Alluvia) of the “far-away” lands is the main example of that.

I also never felt a connection between the hero and heroine, at least not one of love. There’s plenty of lust, but there’s never anything really positive between them until the very end where it’s forced because it is the end of the book. Even the relationship between the hero’s sister and the heroine’s brother goes through a negative stage, although it’s not nearly as bad as what’s between the main characters.

Two or three times I found myself thinking, “Oh, that’s not a bad passage,” but there’s no way anything could save this book by that time. The fact that I could be pulled out of the story and think about individual passages doesn’t bode well for any book. So this read gets my very first really, really bad grade. But deservedly so.

Grade: F

Summary:

     She’s a princess desperate for a husband. He’s a duke…or is he?

     With her uncle poised to steal her kingdom, Princess Katerina must marry. Miraculously, a new handsome duke appears on the scene. His sexy charm makes her tingle from head to toe. But can she overlook his arrogance?

     The future of Dax’s country is at stake. Forced to masquerade as a duke to seduce Katerina and prevent her from marrying, he courts the princess with great success. But when someone tries to kill Katerina, his instincts are to protect the passionate lady no matter the cost.

     With Dax’s deception revealed and her life at risk, can Katerina still surrender her heart?

     Read an excerpt.

well was anyway…

Devil’s Kiss by Brenda Williamson

U.S. Marshal Jack McCay tracks outlaws for a profession and sweet-talks women out of their clothes for pleasure.

When he begins to hunt a vicious killer, he meets one beautiful woman resistant to his charm.

Tessa Jane Creager searches for her family’s murderer. The wanted poster says dead or alive — prefer dead. While on the trail, she gains the unwanted help of a marshal-turned-bounty hunter intent on catching the killer and bedding her.

In pursuit of the renegade, Jack and Tessa Jane have to deal with the harshness of the Wild West and with their shared desires. However, can a handsome man with secrets and a beautiful woman with a violent past overcome their stubborn ways to share everlasting love? Or will an outlaw destroy them by revealing all their secrets?

“Project: Man” by Alexis Fleming

So is he, or isn’t he? Gay, that is!

Forced to take Federal Agent Nicholas Farley into her home while she translates a mysterious ancient Egyptian papyrus, Professor Emily Payne finds herself the centre of a federal government case, not to mention the unwitting target for a thief bent on stealing the papyrus.

If that isn’t bad enough, she finds herself seriously lusting after the agent, a man she believes is gay, a man who seems to react as strongly to her as she does to him.

There’s only one thing for a learned girl like Emily to do—start a new project, the aim to initiate Nicholas into the joys of loving a woman.

Could there possible be a future for the crazy professor and the sexy, macho federal agent?

Honestly they are both new and I have no clue if they are good or not. But Samhain is almost alway good. You can always buy it for me and I will read it for you and tell you if it is any good. Yeah I know… I am good people.

Or try: The Bounty by Beth Williamson (western), Learning Charity by Summer Devon (historical), 72 Hours by Shannon Stacey (romantic suspense), Hunter’s Pride by Shiloh Walker(paranormal), Colters’ Woman by Maya Banks (Red Hot!), Betting Hearts by Dee Tenorio (Romantic Comedy), and/or Joker’s Wild:Call Me by Lena Matthews (Contemporary).

I have read and would recommend any of those. hmmm well I haven’t read this version of Call Me by Lena Matthews. I do believe the author said it has been edited and expanded from its LSB vs. So read it and tell me if it is better *g*.

Or if you would rather go print… Gypsy Heart by Sash White or Screwing with Perfect by Louisa Trent are great to add to your library.