The Wedding Wager - Deborah Hale

Publication
2001, Harlequin

In short
School For Love...Or School For Scandal?
What had she agreed to? Leonora Freemantle had wagered high stakes that book learning, not birthright produced a gentleman, but now with the roguish Sergeant Morse Archer under her tutelage, she was no longer sure of the outcome. Would it be polish, passion...or public outrage?
If Leonora Freemantle couldn't spruce him up enough to pass muster with the Society swells at Bath, she'd be hastily married off. But not if he could help it, Rifleman Morse Archer vowed, for this beautiful bluestocking with her highbrow ideals and innocent charm was effortlessly teaching him the true language of love...!

In words
I know a lot of books are not entirely correct in a historical context, but this time I could not let it go. The whole plot and therefore all characters are utterly unbelievable. Furthermore, the characters are cardboard and do not develop. I don't get the romance either.

In numbers
Voice - 1 (max 3)
Characters - 1 (max 3)
Romance - 0 (max 2)
Plot - 0 (max 2)
No minus points
Total - 2
D- = 4.5/10 = 2 stars

Miss Wonderful - Loretta Chase

Publication
2004, Carsington Brothers #1

In short
Alistair Carsington really, really wishes he didn’t love women quite so much. To escape his worst impulses, he sets out for a place far from civilization: Derbyshire - in winter! - where he hopes to kill two birds with one stone: avoid all temptation, and repay the friend who saved his life on the fields of Waterloo. But this noble aim drops him straight into opposition with Miss Mirabel Oldridge, a woman every bit as intelligent, obstinate, and devious as he - and maddeningly irresistible.
Mirabel Oldridge already has her hands full keeping her brilliant and aggravatingly eccentric father out of trouble. The last thing she needs is a stunningly attractive, oversensitive and overbright aristocrat reminding her she has a heart - not to mention a body he claims is so unstylishly clothed that undressing her is practically a civic duty.
Could the situation be any worse? And why does something that seems so wrong feel so very wonderful?

In words
What a wonderful book. I think the way Alistair tries to deal with his war trauma - his obsession with clothes - is so cleverly written. The relationship between Alistair and Mirabel is so believable. Part of the plot (about the steward) could have been left out, but the entire book is so good and rich - great characters, humor, witty conversations - that I simply don't care. As a whole, the Carsingtons are one of my favorite series and I reread them every year.

In numbers
Voice - 3 (max 3)
Characters - 3 (max 3)
Romance - 2 (max 2)
Plot - 1 (max 2)
Conversations - 1
Humor - 1
Sensuality - 1
No minus points
Total - 12
A = 9,5/10 = 5 stars

Not Quite a Lady - Loretta Chase

Publication
May 2007, Avon Historical Romance, 978-0-06-123123-0
Carsington Brothers #4

In short

IRRESISTIBLE FORCE
Darius Carsington is a spectacularly handsome rake with a rare intelligence and no heart, a man who divides his time between bedding loose-moralled women and writing scholarly papers. He finds society's “perfect darlings”... exceedingly boring. But there’s something intriguing, and not quite perfect, about faultless Lady Charlotte Hayward. He senses a crack under her polished surface, and finding it is a temptation he can’t resist.

IMMOVABLE OBJECT
Lady Charlotte is so beautiful, charming, and gracious that no one has noticed what an expert she is at Not Getting Married. Early on, she learned a painful lesson about trust... and temptation. In the years since, she’s devoted her life to all she ought to be - and she’s not about to let a man like Carsington entice her to do everything she shouldn’t.

A SPLENDID COLLISION
But the laws of attraction can easily overpower the rules of manners and morals, and sometimes even the best-behaved girl has to follow her instincts, even if it means risking it all.

In words
I have no idea what it is with this one compared to the other three in the series, but it is lacking something for me. The biggest problem I have is with Darius: I cannot seem to 'get' him. His character, his person remains somewhat unclear to me and therefore the romance seems to be suffering too. For the rest, again great writing and humor.

In numbers
Voice - 3 (max 3)
Characters - 2 (max 3)
Romance - 1 (max 2)
Plot - 1 (max 2)
Conversations - 1
Special setting - 0
Humor - 1
Sensuality - 1
No minus points
Total - 10
B+ = 9,5/10 = 4,5 stars

Lord Perfect - Loretta Chase

Publication
March 2006, Berkley, 978-0425-20888-5
Carsington Brothers #3

In short

IDEAL
The heir to the Earl of Hargate, Benedict Carsington, Viscount Rathbourne, is the perfect aristocrat. Tall, dark, and handsome, he is known for his impeccable manners and good breeding. Benedict knows all the rules and has no trouble following them - until she enters his life...

INFAMOUS
Bathsheba Wingate belongs to the rotten branch of the DeLucey family: a notorious lot of liars, frauds, and swindlers. Small wonder her husband’s high-born family disowned him. Now widowed, she’s determined to give her daughter a stable life and a proper upbringing. Nothing and no one will disrupt Bathsheba’s plans - until he enters her life…

SCANDALOUS
Then Bathsheba’s hoyden daughter lures Benedict’s precocious nephew into a quest for a legendary treasure. To recover the would-be knights errant, Benedict and Bathsheba must embark on a rescue mission that puts them in dangerous, intimate proximity - a situation virtually guaranteed to end in mayhem - even scandal! - if anyone else were involved. But Benedict is in perfect control of events. Perfect control, despite his mad desire to break all the rules. Perfect control. Really.

In words
Usually I don't like romances with children playing a large role, but this is one of the very few exceptions. Again, a book full of great humor, witty conversations, and wonderful characters. I fully believe in the relationship between Batsheba and Benedict, and how they interact with the children. And this is also one of the few 'road regencies' I've read.

In numbers
Voice - 3 (max 3)
Characters - 3 (max 3)
Romance - 2 (max 2)
Plot - 1 (max 2)
Conversations - 1
Special setting - 0
Humor - 1
Sensuality - 1
No minus points
Total - 12
A = 9,5/10 = 5 stars