Since February is The Month With Valentine’s Day In It, we here is the Romance Garden decided to kick-off the month just a bit early with some romantic selections from our shelves. And considering the fact that I saw Valentine’s Day candies in the store the day after Christmas, I think that starting our Valentine’s Day thinking 24 hours early is the height of restraint…..
The motto of the Romance Garden is that “every mind needs a little dirt in which to grow”, and I think this may be more true in the winter months than at any other time. Though this winter has been oddly merciful (thus far), we must still contend with the icy winds, the fast-falling darkness, and the weight these things can add to our thoughts and moods. Now, more than ever, our brains need as much care and attention as our chilly feet and chapped hands–and, as the good Lady Pole pointed out, reading is one of the best kinds of care for your brain. An added benefit of the romance genre? You are guaranteed a happy ending. It is a basic tenant of the genre–the way might not be easy, but the destination is always in plain sight. And, personally, I find that assurance enormously comforting, especially when the going does get tough.
So, without any further ado, here are our selections for this month:
Bridget:
A Lady Awakened by Cecelia Grant
Up until I read this book, I would have argued that inheritance law was definitely a topic that simply wasn’t sexy enough to be in a romance novel. But then Cecelia Grant came along, with her Blackshear Family romances, and proved me wrong.
The recently widowed Martha Russell knows that, unless she can prove she is carrying her late husband’s heir, his home, including the servants and tenants, will be passed on to her brother-in-law, a notoriously violent, odious man. So she does the unthinkable, and approaches Theophilus Mirkwood (the greatest name for a hero in the history of forever), a London gentleman with a rather colorful reputation, and offers him a considerable fee for his, ahem, attentions, for a month. Theo knows he should be scandalized, but he can’t help but be intrigued by Martha’s business acumen–particularly in this unique situation. But the more he gets to know her, the more Theo realizes that Martha thinks of their agreement as nothing but business. And suddenly, he is determined to do everything in his power to teach her how much fun it can be to be bad…
The premise of this story is certainly not your run-of-the-mill trope, which in itself was refreshing, but the relationship that develops between Theo and Martha was so completely, refreshingly different that I couldn’t stop reading. I loved that this wasn’t a “hero teaches heroine how great he is”–instead, Theo teaches Martha how to stand up for herself, and enjoy herself. I also loved that this wasn’t a “heroine accepts hero’s flaws”–instead, Martha encouraged Theo to grow up. Their relationship is all about taking risks and being uncomfortable and making mistakes–and then doing better. Most of all, I loved that they were friends as much as they were lovers. Theo’s devotion to Martha, even after believing he has lost her for good, is still one of my favorites from any romance novel I can remember.
Kelley:
When the Duke was Wicked by Lorraine Heath
In the first book of Lorraine Heath’s Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series, Grace Mabry is determined to marry for love, but the task of finding a husband who loves her in return proves more challenging than she might have imagined. First, her dowry is so large that every unmarried man in London bends over backwards to charm her, and they do it so well it’s difficult to tell their true feelings. Second, Grace is on a deadline as her father’s vision is failing and she wants to marry in time for him to be able to dance with her at the wedding. And third, she has been in love with longtime family friend the widowed Duke of Lovingdon for as long as she can remember, but he is certain he can never love again after the pain of losing his first wife and child just two years ago. Despite Lovingdon’s unavailability as a potential suitor, Grace is in luck. Since the death of his wife, once proper and gentlemanly Lovingdon has become a pleasure seeking rake skilled in the areas of charm and seduction… which makes him the perfect person to help Grace determine which of her suitors is sincere and which ones are charming her for her money!
Readers won’t be surprised where Lovingdon’s lessons in seduction lead. However, they very well might be surprised by the depth of this story. Grace is one of the most likeable heroines I’ve encountered in my romance reading. She is smart, rebellious, caring and strong, with loving family and friends who support her through good and bad. As the story develops, we learn that Grace has a deep pain of her own, which enhances the depth of her character and results in at least one or two scenes that might have caused me to tear up a bit. If you’re looking for a romance that offers both a good cry and a happy ending, this is the book for you. When the Duke was Wicked is a book about scars, emotional and physical, and the love it takes to heal the pain.
