The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran

Very good

The story begins in 1890 as Henry Oades surprises his wife Margaret with a job promotion – although it entails moving to Wellington, New Zealand. Margaret makes the best of it and the family soon settles in happily until one day when the Maori natives retaliate over a beating and capture Margaret and her children and burn their home. After exhaustive searches, a bereaved Henry finally accepts they are gone, but he can’t bear his grief with reminders everywhere and packs up and moves to California and settles on a farm in Berkeley.

Several years later a lonely Henry meets recently widowed and very pregnant Nancy and marries her. Now you know what’s going to happen next – Nancy and her children manage to escape the captors and find their way to California and upset Henry’s new martial applecart – as well as the authorities hell bent on jailing Henry for bigamy.

First time author Johanna Moran did a nice job of handling the characters in this very difficult situation, along with the difficult decisions Henry and his wives both make. The relationship the developed between the two wives was interesting as well – although I’d have expected more tension and cat fights, but perhaps that was not their nature. A very quick, albeit enjoyable read, and definitely one to consider for your book group, it should generate plenty of discussion.

Oh, Kentucky! ~ Betty Layman Receveur

This is the story of the fictional Kitty Gentry and her family as they leave their home in North Carolina to start a new life in the Kentucky wilderness, from the Cumberland gap to the new settlement of Fort Boonesborough. And yes, we see plenty of Dan’l Boone and others too.

While the Gentry family builds their new home and plants the land, the ever present danger from the Indians constanly threatens the safety of the settlers, and the revolutionary war rages on in the east. Tragedy strikes for Kitty and she is forced to leave her home and move into the fort as they defend themselves against attacks from the Indians, and she eventually finds not one but two great loves of her life.

The author does a nice job of setting the “stage”, from the lush lands of Kentucky, the food, the smells, and the battles. She doesn’t pull any punches, she gives you a good view of how hard life was settling into a wilderness –yes people stank, used chamberpots, their teeth rotted, women died in childbirth, etc. It wasn’t an easy life. All in all a very enjoyable read, a very solidly written piece of historical fiction, but I find it just not quite up to a five star rating, as there were times when the story slowed down a bit and lost some of it’s page turning excitement. There is a sequel called Kentucky Home that continues the story of Kitty and Roman as Kentucky becomes a state in the union, which is also out of print. 4/5 stars.

Kathryn in the Court of Six Queens ~ Anne Merton Abbey

A fabulous tale of one woman who served all six queens of Henry VIII

Wow, historical romance doesn’t get much better than this. This is the story of the fictional Kathryn Chase descended from Edward IV via the wrong side of the blanket and also related to the Howards, who from a very young girl starts serving Catherine of Aragon, and eventually serving as lady in waiting to all of Henry’s queens, thus giving us a wondrous glimpse into the lives of those famous and ill fated queens. Unhappy in her first marriage, Kathryn is attracted to the mysterious, flamboyant and oh so hunky John de Gael of Windsgeat, a duchy with a mysterious heritage and independent of the English Crown. John’s family not only adheres to the ancient religions of the forest, there is also a deep dark secret of his family that he keeps from everyone, even his beloved Kathryn.

Throughout, Kathryn is as stubborn and passionate as only a Howard and Plantagenet can be, and we get a fascinating glimpse at the Tudor court and the lives of Henry’s queens, and the perpetual ups and downs of surviving court with one’s head intact. One thing that sets this book heads and tails above most of the rest of this genre is the up and down relationship between Kathryn and John. Things separated them; they fell in and out of love, married others and loved others until they were reunited in their later years to try to make a working relationship amidst the continuing intrigue and treachery of Henry’s court.

All in all, a pretty perfect read. One of my favorite parts was the telling of the reign of Anne of Cleves, there were some seriously laugh out loud moments in those chapters, along with the final 100 or so pages as Catherine Howard fell from grace and Henry married Catherine Parr that were just unputdownable. According to the author’s notes at the end of this book there were to be more Windsgeat novels forthcoming, but as far as I can see there isn’t anything else published by this author under the name Anne Merton Abbey. I for one, would like to see more of this story as Edward assumes the throne, followed by Mary and Elizabeth.

Penmarric by Susan Howatch

Penmarric begins as Mark Castallack and his mother Maud, cheated out of their inheritance by a scheming relative, wage a years long court battle to regain possession of the lands of Penmar and the great house that sits upon it, Penmarric. After twelve years and almost losing hope, fate takes a turn as the wastrel son of the current owner dies and a very young Mark is named heir to all of it. Mark marries Janna, who is ten years older, and has a bit of a surprise in store for him from a past relationship – but then Mark has one or two surprises for Janna as well. Building their family dynasty as the new owners of Penmarric, Janna and Mark slowly drift apart until an accidental meeting forever changes their lives, although a new one also begins as a result of that violent night.

Told in five “books”, each one in the first person POV of Mark, Janna, and three of Mark’s sons, the family’s story takes the reader from Cornwall of the late 19C into the 20C through WWII as the next generation of Castallacks battle for ownership of the Penmar estate and the power that comes with it. The middle of the book was bit slow at times, although I _loved_ the last two books telling Phillip’s and Jan’s stories and the always volatile relationship between the two brothers and their constant battle to be named heir.

If you like those big fat family sagas set in the past with feuding back-biting siblings I’d definitely give this one a whirl – although this one has quite a twist that you don’t normally see in a book – the Castallack family and their story parallels that of Henry II, Eleanor, Richard I (the Lionheart) and the always delightfully evil King John. Ultimately, that is half the fun of this book for those reasonably familiar with Henry and his devil’s brood – can you pick out which of Mark’s sons are young Hal, Geoffrey, Richard and John? Henry’s fate after the ultimate betrayal by his sons? Spot Rosamund Clifford, the illegitimate sons Geoffrey and William Longspee? And best of all is how the author resolves the mystery that still haunts us to this day – the ultimate fate of young Arthur, John’s rival claimant to the throne of England.

All in all a pretty darn good read, and I plan on trying a few more from this author. Apparently she continues her “Plantagenet” saga with two more books, Cashelmara and Wheel of Fortune dealing with the three Edwards. I understand John of Gaunt is in the latter and I very much hope she throws Katherine Swynford in there as well. I’m sorely torn between four and five stars so I’ll call it 4.5/5.

The Proud Breed by Celeste de Blasis

Looking for a big, fat family saga set in Old California? Well then look no further; this is one of the best I’ve found yet. The Proud Breed begins in the 1840’s as Tessa McCloud prepares for her sixteenth birthday. Great granddaughter of Don Esteban, one of the original Californio ranchero families, she has been “sold” by her father to the very evil Don Luis to pay off his gambling debts. Looking for a final respite before meeting her fate at the hand of Luis, Tessa goes to her favorite spot on the ranch and while swimming in the buff she is spotted by Yankee Gavin Ramsey who mistakes her for a servant girl and assumes she’s fair game for the taking. Tessa attacks Gavin with her knife, but then nurses him back to health when she realizes he’s been sent with a message and birthday gift from her great-grandfather. Love blooms, but the couple must find a way to escape her engagement to Luis and repay her father’s gambling debts.

Once wed, Tessa and Gavin begin their lives and build their fortune in Monterey, the capitol of Old California, along with Gavin’s partner, Indian. The old ways of the original California rancheros are threatened by an indifferent Mexican government and an influx of American settlers anxious to take control. As their business enterprises continue to grow and California reaches statehood Tessa and Gavin’s marriage is threatened by jealousy, treachery, bigotry, adultery and the horrific acts committed by the revenge minded Don Luis — yet they survive it all to build a family dynasty in the new State of California.

De Blasis does an incredible job of taking the reader on a grand ride through California’s history — from the now dying ways of the Californio Rancheros, old Monterey, the gold camps, lawless San Francisco with it’s fires and the vigilantes, through the Civil War to the turn of the century and more as Tessa and Gavin’s marriage withstands the tests of time and their dynasty is eventually passed on to their children. Peopled with memorable characters and abundant historical facts this was a highly enjoyable tale about a very strong willed woman and the man she loved until death did they part that will have you reading well into the wee hours of the morning. I did find the way the author worked Gavin and Indian into the Civil War to be a bit of a stretch, but other than that a near perfect read for me, and a highly enjoyable way to learn more about a fascinating period in U.S. history. Readers might find the last 100 or so pages are a tad bit slow at times, but well worth it for a very very bittersweet epilogue as the Ramsay family rings in the new century at the end of 1899 – have the tissue handy. 4.5/5 stars and highly recommended.

The Conquered Heart by Denee Cody

It’s 1170 and Dermot MacMurrough is desperate to regain control of his kingdom from rival Rory O’Connor. He pledges his daughter and the lands she’ll inherit from him to the powerful Norman earl Richard de Clare. A proud Irish Princess, Eve (Aoife) is none too thrilled with the match but princesses must do what princesses must do and she eventually weds him. As desirable as Richard finds Eve, he still yearns for his lost love Rosamund Clifford, who King Henry II took as his mistress. Can he forget Rosamund in Eve’s embraces? Can Eve learn to love Richard, hated Norman or not? Will her father’s constant betrayals and shenanigans keep the two apart? Can their marriage withstand the hatred the Irish have for the Norman invaders as well as the bigotry the Normans carry against the Irish?

I found this to be a light, entertaining read with a nice blend of history and romance. The sex was fairly tame compared to what’s in today’s romances and outside of a couple of anachronisms and a bit too modern speech out of Eve at times it was good fun. The Rosamund Clifford twist was an interesting one, and gives a good basis for some of the *tensions* between Henry and his otherwise loyal Earl. The story is based on people and events that really happened and for those who are fans of Elizabeth Chadwick’s The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion should note that Richard and Eve are the parents of Isabel, who went on to marry my favorite hunk in history, William Marshal. Not the greatest book ever written but still entertaining when you’re in the mood for a lighter read and a bit of romance. 3.5/5 stars.

Nightrider by Sandra Dubay

There’s a good reason this one is out of print….

“She knew, as he loved her, as he took her to the heights of passion – of pleasure – that she belonged to him, her lord and master, her highwayman, her nightrider, forever…” Oh dear, with such insightful (not) prose what is there left to say? Run for the hills perhaps?

Upon the death of her father the Earl of Barthorp, Lady Bliss Paynter is a ward of the court until Charles II sells her guardianship off to the odious Sir Basil Holme. Enter stage left Kit (Christopher) who becomes Baron de Wilde upon the death of his father. Kit’s family had supported Cromwell during the Civil Wars and lost their lands when Charles was restored to the throne – lands that were given to Bliss’s father. Kit vows to not let the villagers loyal to the de Wilde family and Chatham castle starve and he takes to the highway to rob from the rich and give to the poor. When Kit sets upon the carriage carrying the beauteous Bliss on the way to Chatham castle he steals a kiss and her heart as well…

Bliss’s guardian soon decides to wed her off to the fortune hunting Stephen Villiers, a distant cousin of George Villiers, The Duke of Buckingham. At this point the story becomes Terribly Tangled with Mistaken Identities, the Big Misunderstanding, and other silly plot twists that I have no desire to revisit again. I wish nothing more than to forget them and move on to better books.

I’m not one to let a cheesy cover scare me away from a book as I’ve found some really great treasures behind them but trust me – this book is not one of them. If you enjoy a book with a wimpy hero who does nothing but snarl and growl and furrow his eyebrows, a TSTL heroine who can’t seem to find any other fabric to wear besides velvet along with cardboard cut-out black and white baddies this might suit but otherwise I’d give it a miss. Oh, and if you’re thinking you don’t care because you’re just looking for a wall-paper historical with lots of sex like the cover suggests? Guess what – you’ll not find much of that either – what little sex there is in this book is very very tame. Skip this.

Zemindar by Valerie Fitzgerald

I just had to sit back and say WOW!! at the end of this book

This was just outstanding,and I am sorry there was never a sequel and very sorry this author never wrote again. An incredible tale of Laura the poor relation on a journey to India with her newly married cousin Emily and her husband Charles (who Laura thought herself in love with). The book really has a Jane Eyre feel to it, neither the heroine or hero are out and out drop dead good looking, just strong, honorable people we come to care about.

As they travel through India on the way to Lucknow in northern India we meet many characters as the author sets up her stage to the Sepoy rebellion and the seige of Lucknow. Also introduced is Charles’ half brother Oliver Erskine, a Zemindar, or large land holder. Eventually Oliver and Laura fall in love, and are separated at Lucknow (after a harrowing escape from Oliver’s estate after the rebellion). Oh, when Oliver said to Laura, “I will come back to you, for you”.

The rest of the book follows the harrowing conditions at the residency at Lucknow during the seige, the battles, deaths and brutal conditions suffered by the British. Be warned that this was a very brutal rebellion and some of the scenes described, although accurate, can be a bit gory, but important history to be reminded of and the mistakes that were made by ignorant pompous officials and the brutalities committed on both sides due to hate, ignorance and prejudice. It’s unfortunate that we do not learn well from history and things are still so much the same in the Middle East in our present time.

The thing I liked most about this book was the author’s lovely prose and characters. I felt like I was reading Jane Eyre or Villette, she reminded me so much of Charlotte Bronte, particularly at the end with the letters Oliver and Laura exchanged and when they were finally reunited. You definitely want to set aside quiet time(no kids, dogs or phone) for the last 50 or so pages so that you can savor every lovely word and emotion.

Highly highly recommended for any lover of historical fiction, and would suit well to a younger reader as the love scenes are extremely chaste. I would also recommend MM Kaye’s Shadow of the Moon. The same setting, but her characters experienced the rebellion outside of the Residency, so you see a different side of the tale. Both are out of print, but readily available used.

The Highest Stakes by Emery Lee

The story begins in 1742 and is focused around the love story of Charlotte Wallace and Robert Devington. Upon the death of her parents, Charlotte was raised in the household of her Uncle, Lord Gower. Surrounded by uncaring relatives Charlotte always is more at home in her uncle’s stables and develops a close relationship with Robert, but as a groom he can never hope to wed her (although they can dream…). Robert signs up as a soldier in King George’s army and eventually strikes up a close friendship with Captain Phillip Drake, the younger son of the Earl of Hastings. Robert brings Phillip back to meet Lord Gower when their tour of duty is up, and Phillip finds himself quite charmed by Gower’s daughter Beatrix, but that relationship brings on unforeseen circumstances.

Beatrix is looking for a husband and Phillip’s wastrel older brother needs to beget an heir or his father will disinherit him and well, after that things start to get too complicated to try and explain without giving it all away. Robert ends up in the cold in the midst of a Big Misunderstanding as well as facing charges for insubordination and he heads for the colonies with hatred in his heart. Thus sets up an Edmond Dantès style *Retribution* wherein Robert plots for years to wreak havoc on those who done him wrong.  

All in all a pretty decent story, with the added background of the world of horses, horseflesh, and the sport of racing, but at times the details on all things horsy can go on a bit and might not suit for a reader with no interest in the topic. I personally am clueless when it comes to horses so I’ll leave that for other readers to judge if the author is spot on or not. While I did enjoy Robert and Charlotte’s story and I had a hard time putting this one down, I felt that things got a tad bit too melodramatic and soap opera-ish about 1/2 of the way through, but she did pull it back up to par at the end. I’d have like to have had less of the strum and drang of the marital issues and more on Robert’s life in Virginia – that was just a bit too rushed for my tastes. The *tis* and *betimes* language got a bit wearying as well, but still minor nits and a pretty solid first outing for author Emery Lee, and I’m looking forward to more (I hear there’s a sequel planned). 3.5/5stars.

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My copy courtesy of Sourcebooks. Thank you.

Fortune’s Knave by Mary Lide

Hard to believe an author can make William of Normandy boring…

 …but unfortunately Lide’s managed to do it. Known to history as William the Conqueror, this book covers William’s life before his conquest of England. When his father dies unexpectedly whilst returning from pilgrimage to the Holy Land, an illegitimate William inherits the Duchy of Normandy. Beset on all sides from rival claimants, he is forced into hiding when an attempt is made on his life. The rest of the book details his efforts to raise forces to regain his duchy, as well as his relationship and marriage to Matilda of Flanders.

*yawn*

There is nothing worse than an author who takes a fascinating bit of history and makes it dull as dirt and I only managed to finish this by skimming a great deal. William, known as a formidable and ruthless warrior, comes off more like a limp wet noodle in this one, and while I’m not generally a fan of highly detailed battle scenes these were just tedious. As for his relationship with Matilda? No, we don’t really know much about that but there were sure a couple of WTF moments for me. Sneaking out and meeting up with William in the stables? Her attendant leaves her alone to pray in the chapel and William’s able to get her off to a side room and they proceed to engage in very heavy petting when they aren’t even betrothed? 

Until I got to the *petting* scenes in the latter part of the book the writing felt like a YA book (nothing wrong with YA, it’s just not what I expected). If you like your historical fiction on the *lite* side this might suit, but if you want a book with more meat on it’s bones I suggest you look elsewhere. Perhaps I’m forever spoiled by Helen Hollick’s fabulous Harold the King and Valerie Anand’s Gildenford trilogy, but Lide’s William just bored me to tears. Not recommended.

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My copy? Why I ILL’d it. A big thank you to the Eugene Public Library.