Anne Stuart - Shadow Dance

Beneath the ruffles and frills of a demure woman, Valerian Romney is ingeniously disguised as his older brother, Phelan’s “wife” in order to escape a wrongful murder charge. All is well until he meets the charming Sophie, who never expected to have feelings for a “woman.”
His brazen masquerade is not the only secret—the stable lad is actually Juliette, dressed in man’s clothes, trying to escape her abuser, and Valerian’s brother, Phelan, is totally smitten.
They are all caught in a swirling dance of mistaken identities, passion and danger, and it will take heroic measures to release the four of them from historic mess they’ve gotten themselves into.

Comment: I was not planning on reading this book but a challenge topic made me pick it sooner than what I'd probably would. It also helped the plot seemed intriguing and very familiar to a certain Shakespeare play.

Phelan and his half brother Valerian decide to run and hide right after their father is found dead and Phelan's mother accuses Valerian, whom she never liked. While hiding, the brothers decide to lay low and Valerian dresses up as a woman, which means that someone looking for two men would not look at them twice. In the meantime, while they stay at a secluded estate near a small location, they hide in plain sight mingling with the locals and Valerian starts being friends with young Sophie, who sees in Valerian the older female friend she never had. Things might not be so bad if Julian Smith, a young boy who starts working at the local inn, didn't catch the eye of the wrong man, making Phelan decide to help him.. the only issue is that Julian is actually Juliette, running from her abusive husband, and Phelan discovers he might like her more than he wants others to see...

It's true that this sounds a very complicated plot, with lots of lies and deceit and cross dressing. Things aren't really that hard to follow, though, and the characters were very distinctive, making it following the plot easier than what I anticipated. However, this was a story published in 1993 and some details are quite dated.

I've read the author's work before and I've had mixed results. I'm not very fond of the supposed "darker" stories where characters are shady or do things we would condemn now because knowing that debatable issues will be on the page make me anxious and less eager to appreciate the story. I was a little unsure, then, regarding this book, but thankfully the less than good details weren't dark and I was actually quite interested in seeing what new shenanigans the characters would see themselves in.

The overall plot is a big adventure with characters deceiving others with a supposed good reason. This leads to a lot of confusion, especially considering some characters are also trying to hide from someone else. I've found this messy plot more palatable anyway. There was a slight sense of comedy in errors and the notion things would never become degrading or terrible for the characters and I could stomach the less than good situations for I knew something good would come out of it.

The main characters see themselves in a mix up of identities, but like I've said, it was easy to keep track of what was going on with all. Valerian and Sophie are a sweet couple, even when Sophie believes Val to be a woman. I will say it seems extremely unlikely that no one would recognize Val for whom he was but I'll just accept maybe Val was androgynous enough this could happen and that, as always, people see what they want. Juliette as Julian wasn't as easy to hide (less clothes and way to hide mannerisms) but even this has an explanation for why we should accept it. Still, it was a lot simpler for Phelan and Val to immediately see Julian as a woman...

The romances develop as expected, with deceit all around. I didn't think this was a bad as that because we could know the characters were not being malicious or deceiving to cause intentional harm. It's true the length of the deceit wasn't fair but this didn't really ruin my experience. Let's say that it was less thrilling to think Phelan took so long to admit his own feelings and this delayed the HEA with Juliette which, to me, merited a less vague story... I think their end was a bit too quick.

There were a few details that bothered me and which I attribute to dating and older school types of stories... first, the general idea of how women are treated, and how there was this notion they are badly treated - even accepting this an historical, so - , then how the men have this behavior of being superior, especially Phelan and some of his own thoughts while justification this or that action and also the terribly superficial and unfairness of having the only obvious gay character being so unpleasant. I know this wasn't a big deal then, but surely other options might have been better.

All things considered, this was a good enough story, entertaining and easy to read even with the less than good elements. I'd certainly change some details but as a whole, this still felt better than other stories I've tried by the author I didn't like much.

Grade: 7/10

Anne Stuart - Black Ice

Living paycheck to paycheck in Paris, American book translator Chloe Underwood would give anything for some excitement and passion--even a little danger. So when she's offered a lucrative weekend gig translating at a business conference in a remote chateau, she jumps at the chance to shake things up.
Then by chance Chloe discovers her employers are anything but the entrepreneurs they appear, and suddenly she knows far too much. Her clients are illegal arms dealers, and one of them is ordered to kill her. But instead, Bastien Toussaint drags Chloe away, and the next thing she knows she's on the run with the most terrifying and seductive man she's ever met. What were his motives--and would she live long enough to find out?

Comment: I got this book at a book exchange site (Bookmooch) years ago... I no longer remember why, but probably it was because the main character is a translator, like me! This month I had a topic in a challenge I'm doing with one of my GR groups and we had to read a book with a cover that indicated winter. Thus, ta-da.

In this story we meet Chloe Underwwod, a young American woman who is living in Paris and does translation of children's books. Her bank account isn't the best but she likes her life enough, especially if it means not going into medicine just like all the other members of her family. One day her c-worker Sylvia offers her the chance to be a translator at a conference retreat, because Sylvia wants to spend time with her new boyfriend and Chloe accepts, since it's so out of her routine.

However, the conference is really only for a small group of people and they seem a little intimidating to Chloe. The discussion, which doesn't really need her services as much as it seemed at first, is about exporting mostly food and it's rather boring... at least until Chloe realizes they aren't really talking about food and all are, in fact, rather dangerous people. Bastian Toussaint might not look the most dangerous, but he certainly is so to Chloe's senses, but... what will happen is everyone discovers she now knows the truth?

Last month I've read a book by one of this author's pseudonyms, Kristina Douglas. I've found that book to be average to me, considering my current preferences. While I was reading that one I've realized I also had this Black Ice in the pile, by the same author, but in a different genre and name. I was quite eager to read this one, then, if only to compare my overall experience, and now that I did, I can say I find both names equally average in how I respond.

The story has a good enough premise, although slightly annoying to me: the translator this conference should hire would have been an interpreter because in such situations, there are specific translator professionals for specific types of translation work. But anyway, this is fiction and the amount of languages Chloe knows not very important after all. I also read a review by a friend ans she commented why would this unknown translator even be there, if the people had such need of privacy and spoke English in common? The idea is, therefore, relatively interesting and I was eager to see scenes with her working, but in reality there weren't that many situations where this is visible, and I assume the female protagonist's "skill" was only the means to justify her presence there.

The fact the male protagonist is a so-called anti-hero, meaning he does bad things for a higher purpose without sharing that with the heroine, is not a type of plot that seduces me anymore. I remember having found this idea fun in the past, mostly in movies, because the danger and romance combination was quite out of the ordinary, but reading about Bastian kind of annoyed me. Well, many things annoyed me and I'll group all those things into the simple fact that the writer's "voice" didn't compel me and I just could not avoid thinking about the details I wanted to rant about.

Well, Bastian annoyed me for the same reason "heroes" who are anti-heroes often do: why would such a clever, skilled and resourceful person want to do the job he does? Why not being clever enough to make other choices? I know reality bears no importance in these novels or romances, but my brain cannot turn off these thoughts. This means that, to me, Bastian playing the role of this bad guy who has no other way of living is annoying as everything. Plus, how on Earth should I believe him helping Chloe and all the things that happen afterwards makes sense?

Yes, I was not convinced by the "romance" and the way this is written just didn't make it possible for me to focus on this world, I kept letting reality intrude and make me think about what they should do instead. I had the same feeling when I've read a different book, an historical, by this author, but I had also liked another one much better. Perhaps my impression of the author's ability to convince me of what the characters are doing/feeling does not match what I prefer in contemporary settings. I think there are too many dramatic and fast paced scenes here to make this an enjoyable romance development. I cannot believe in a HEA just by the way these two interact and if I start dreaming about what life they could have together after the last page is turned, there isn't one in which I can believe they have enough in common, personality wise, to make it work.

I think I've felt so dissociated from what was being told that I could read this book and not be as invested in what was happening anyway. But, of course, the more I think about details, the more irritated I get, for instance even the whole shady business the conference is about, some of the things some characters said annoyed me so much as well... the real world is full of highly improbable issues humankind can solve easily, and to have these characters talk about their illegal business when the same effort could be used to solve problems instead.... well, I felt both annoyed at the plot and uncaring for the main couple that the quicker I'd finish, the better.

I can understand the thrill of reading this books for some readers, but these days I prefer other types of plots and stories. Other types of characters to root for...  Perhaps if more attention had been dedicated to develop the main characters or if the story had focused more on them and not on their running from the other guys... oh well, one less in the pile.

Grade: 5/10

Anne Stuart - The Devil's Waltz

When you dance with the devil, you hold hands with temptation... 
Christian Montcalm was a practical man, if a destitute scoundrel, but his plan to bed and wed the delectable Miss Hetty Chipple would take care of that sticky wicket. However, there was a most intriguing obstacle to his success. Annelise Kempton desired nothing more than to come between this despicable rogue and the fortune (and virtue) of her young charge. 
Certainly, Annelise understood the desperation that comes from hard times, but Montcalm would fail-she would personally see to it. All that stands in her way is a man whose rakish charm could tempt a saint to sin, or consign a confirmed spinster to sleepless nights of longing...to give the devil his due.

Comment: This was the book chosen by my friend H. and myself for our buddy read of this month. If I remember well, what made us pick this book was the fact this was story featuring different types of characters: he is a rake and she a proper woman, I suppose the thrill is to see how the author would develop their romance.

In this book we have the story of penniless Annelise Kempton, a woman approaching her 30s who is still single, poor and has no place to stay out of charity for her father died without providing for her. 

Her most recent placement is in the house of mr Chipple, whose daughter Hetty is a great beauty and her father expects her to marry nobility. Annelise is there to help the girl to be a proper lady of society and attract the best suitor.

That man is certainly not Christian Montcalm, a rake of the worst kind who has set his eyes on Hetty for her money. The problem is that by trying to put him away from Hetty, he sets his eyes on her as a good challenge and their interactions confuse Annelise the more time they spend together fighting and being opponents. Will these two find a compromise, especially after discovering certain facts about Hetty's father?

I liked this story for the most part.

The plot was a bit simple, some situations quite predictable but of course what makes it interesting is the characters and heir behavior facing certain situations/obstacles.

This starts as something very simple, with a young and apparently spoiled young girl needing some guidance to be better accepted by those mothers who might see her as a good potential for their sons. She has the beauty but also the impulsiveness of demanding things and that could ruin her father's plans of marrying her well.

As the story develops, we get to learn a lot more about Hetty and her father and their situation in life and I can say they have the money but they aren't exactly happy people. I confess, though, that Hetty was just too annoying to be likable and she fulfills all the expectations of a silly, young girl with thoughts only to her needs.

Her father developed into something a bit darker than what anyone imagines when he first appears on the page. Nevertheless, even his personality was pout aside when compared to the main couple, the real "attraction" of this story for me.

Annelise, for instance, was a fascinating character.

She has been frequently placed in the house of other people to act as a chaperone for young charges, as a sort of governess and companion if needed but always without being paid for she is a lady and it just wouldn't be proper. However, Annelise doesn't let herself be sad about her situation and she dreams of the day she is given the possibility to just spend her older years in a small cottage somewhere.

I liked her personality, how she had her self pity moments but quickly turned her thoughts into some productive and I was amazed by how brave she was in everything. 

Christian is the obvious rake, someone who doesn't act as properly as he should, someone who doesn't act or think like the gentleman he is supposed to be. He will inherit a viscountcy and that is why he wasn't yet completely barred from polite society but everyone knows he is after someone with funds. He has the obvious development from bad/unsuitable to hero and as we learn why he is so apparently mean some things do seem less harmful in his attitude. He is redeemed, as one expects.

The romance is sort of slow burn and I don't think it was because the author wanted to portray such a proper evidence of how society worked back then. I think the deliberate manner in which the main couple interacted here and there while their thoughts and feelings for one another started to change into what we already knew would happen - their falling in love - was well done and my favorite part of the story.

The end has a very sweet epilogue and it did balance well the more negative aspects of the story.

This was the trademark "opposed characters" style this author likes to write about but this was a lot sweeter for me than what I had read before by her.

Grade: 8/10

Anne Stuart - Ruthless

Desire always wins...Among a secret society where exiled aristocrats gather to indulge their carnal desires, few can match the insatiable appetite and dark misdeeds of their chief provocateur, the mysterious Viscount Rohan. Pursuit of physical pleasure is his preferred pastime - until he encounters a woman who fascinates him and won't be swayed. Rohan's dark seduction appals the pure and impoverished Elinor Harriman, but unwittingly her own desire is slowly being unleashed...

Comment: I purchased this book a long time ago and it has been waiting for all this time basically because I wasn't too eager to read about a hero described as too manipulative and part of a so called "secret society" where people behaved  anyway they wanted, with no care for rules nor respect for others. When I got the book I just assumed it wouldn't be so, that this would be just another historical with opposed attracted characters. Now that I finished, it wasn't as bad as I imagined but nowhere near my favorite historicals, no...

In this book we meet Elinor Harriman, a young woman whose family is in dire circumstances and everything gets even worse when her ill mother steals he last of the family's money and runs off to the mansion of Francis, Viscount Rohan, an exiled British man in Paris, who seems to control the secret society. Elinor decides to follow her mother, not only to stop her from acting in a way that the family couldn't recover from, but also to get the money back, something Elinor, her sister Lydia, their mother and two servants who are more family than helpers, desperately need.

However, when Elinor gets to the depravity mansion, she can't help but show her discontentment to the viscount, even if he has the money and the influence to seduce and destroy her...

This book didn't start that well for me. I was not fond of the situation in which the hero was living in.

I understand the writer has a tendency to create situations in her stories in which readers might not always be comfortable with, or at least there will be situations not easily appreciated by all. I thought this would change and the turnabout would be magnificent or there was a secret agenda we weren't aware of at first but no. This is indeed a story about a man who has had terrible circumstances forcing his exile and this is how he copes with it.

Since this is a romance, some of my hopes were obviously on how the relationship would develop.  Again, I was not very eager to read about them together because in this case, the differences between them were more obvious on the moral side rather than the financial (although that too).

After finishing the story, I can understand why Francis was such a cynical person, why he felt he had to... wait, what am I saying? No, actually I don't understand. Why did he behave like that? He felt guilty, he missed his country, he had some other issues but why is that an excuse to have low morals, low  beliefs? I'd rather him begin a martyr, in that case I'd appreciate his efforts to change a lot more.

The way things evolved, he wasn't sorry and I guess this is why he is sometimes labeled as "anti-hero" but his treatment of Elinor, despite never past the point of redemption annoyed me at times.

The romance took a long time to be obvious for the two of them. I don't mind it felt like a slow burn romance but the reasons why Francis put Elinor aside felt very silly and not those of an intelligent man. Just grow up, was what I often thought about how he chose to "scream" his forced freedom and his treatment of others.

As for Elinor, I did feel pity for her, for what she went through. I do like heroines down on her luck who somehow get back on their feet, proving if you are a good person, you can achieve something.I was really eager to see her triumph, to see how her life would change for the better eventually so I feel a little sad her character wasn't better explored.

It was nice Francis didn't rush her and that he actually avenged her when he knew about those who have hurt her in the past but...

Only in the last two or three pages do we have confirmation of their feelings. It felt like too little too late! I guess I can follow this need for drama, for a darker tone in the romance but the whole thing felt staged and easily put aside for better explanations and changes. I was not impressed.

There's a secondary romance that was obviously there just to counter balance the main one.

There's also a villain that plays a part too vague to even be worth existing but, oh well.

I won't go back to this author so soon, even though I have another book by her in the pile.

Grade: 5/10