Novel Addictions

After reading rave reviews of this novel, I was just sure it was going to be fantastic. 

I didn’t even make it past the second chapter. 

The language is beautiful, but it’s written in a style that makes it difficult to understand at times. A lot of Malaysian dialect is used, which means the dialogue can be choppy when the characters are speaking. The style itself reminds me a lot of Faulkner with that same stream of consciousness flow. As I’ve never been a fan of Faulkner, it’s not surprising that this didn’t appeal to me. 

I really believe there’s a great story here. But you have to dig to find it. It’s the kind of book your high school English teacher assigns you to read, and day-to-day life is stressful enough without reading about someone else’s troubles. Immediately, the book struck me as dark and brooding. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this particular book. Overall, the concept is certainly interesting. It follows a Malaysian family as one daughter moves to New York City and a servant is sent away for a “crime” we know nothing about. The smallest child is six and sees ghosts. However, I found the book slow to start and even slower to read. I rarely put a book down once I start it, but this one just wasn’t happening for me. 

I’m filing this on my “never read again” shelf.

Ahhh, Julia Quinn. She never fails to make me smile, page after glorious page. 

The Lost Duke of Wyndham is Quinn’s first novel in a new series about the Cavendish family. In this particular novel, Jack Audley is believe to be the long lost son of a prior Wyndham duke. It’s a bit of a prodigal son tale, if you will. Jack was raised in Ireland by his aunt and uncle and carries a bit of a haunted past himself. 

The dowager Duchess of Wyndham, Augusta Cavendish, is convinced that Jack is her favorite son’s heir–even when no one else wants to believe it, including Jack. The dowager is the devil incarnate…or at least, everyone seems to think she is. But she may have more layers than meets the eye at first glance. 

Grace Eversleigh is the dowager’s lovely, witty, and underestimated companion. How she puts up with the dowager’s tantrums and tangents is anyone’s guess. But she feels beholden to the dowager and has nowhere else to go, so she remains at Belgrave, the Cavendish family home. 

It’s clear from the beginning that Grace and Jack have a connection. And despite their best intentions, they can’t seem to stay away from each other. In the search for Jack’s true identity, they fall in love. A bit of a love triangle is created since–by all indications–Thomas Cavendish, the current Duke of Wyndham, seems to fancy Grace at least a little. Even worse, Thomas is betrothed to Amelia Willoughby, Grace’s childhood friend. It’s a tangled web that does eventually sort itself out by the end of the novel. 

Ever since I discovered Quinn’s novels several years ago, I haven’t failed to read them as they’re released. During this particular story, I found myself smiling and laughing out loud at Jack’s outrageous and charming sense of humor. Quinn has a witty repertoire she manages to keep up throughout the entire book. Actually, most of her novels carry this same vibe, which is why I like them so much. I can always count on a lighthearted, comfortable read. She obviously heavily researches the novels before she writes them as I found myself looking up references to Boucher and Watteau.

So far, I’ve read all of Julie Anne Long’s releases. This particular novel is the beginning of a new series called Pennyroyal Green, and it’s told from the male POV…an unusual way to unfold a romance novel but certainly interesting. And it works.

The book revolves around a murder mystery. Colin Eversea is accused of murdering a man in a pub fight. Colin is sent to Newgate awaiting his hanging after his trial resulted in a guilty verdict. Madeleine Greenway is hired by an unknown source to rescue Colin at the gallows in London, and what ensues is an entertaining and sometimes confusing adventure to discover who wanted Colin Eversea rescued…and who wanted Madeleine dead.

Julie Anne Long has a style similar to that of Julia Quinn or Teresa Medeiros. It’s witty, clever, and winding. It is apparent that she loves a good mystery and weaves a tale with the best of them. She’s a rising star of the romance genre and has moved on to the big-name publisher Avon. I expect that it won’t be long before we begin seeing her name frequently on the bestseller lists. While I enjoyed her novel Beauty and the Spy somewhat more, The Perils of Pleasure is certainly not a disappointing read for fans.

I just finished reading this fabulous (but slightly outdated) travel book by National Geographic on Paris.

Paris is a beautiful city, and I visited last year in the spring. Of course, we hit the highlights…the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, you know, the usual sights. We even managed to discover the Catacombs. But this guide gave me some new points of interest that most likely I would have never discovered on my own: gardens, palaces, cafés, little known areas of interest with brilliant histories.

This guide on Paris is certainly one that will remain on my bookshelf for future visits to the City of Light.

I was in high school when I first read this book, and while it’s obviously not the greatest romance novel I ever read, it was good enough that I remember it 11 years later. If I still had my copy, I would most likely reread it.

I was in high school when I first read this book, and while it’s obviously not the greatest romance novel I ever read, it was good enough that I remember it 11 years later. If I still had my copy, I would most likely reread it.

I believe Julie Miller is now primarily a Harlequin writer, and that’s not typically my brand of preference when it comes to romance novels. However, this was Miller’s first published novel and a contemporary/paranormal one at that. I’d say for a first attempt, it was pretty darn good.

P.S. Please forgive my love of romance novels. My husband does.