Carla Kelly - Her Hesitant Heart

Tired and hungry after two days of traveling, Susanna Hopkins is just about at the end of her tether when her train finally arrives in Cheyenne. She's bound for a new life in a Western garrison town. Then she discovers she doesn't even have enough money to pay for the stagecoach! Luckily for her, the compassionate Major Joseph Randolph is heading in the same direction.
As a military surgeon, Joe is used to keeping his professional distance. But, despite Susanna's understated beauty, he's drawn to this woman who carries loss and pain equal to his own and has a heart that is just as hesitant and wary...

Comment: This is the last book I've had in my TBR by Carla Kelly. Although all her books weren't perfect reads for me, most of them were and I will cherish this author forever, even if some of her more recent work doesn't appeal to me. I might try some of her older titles one day, though.

In this story we meet Susanna Hopkins, a young women who is traveling to fulfill a teaching post hoping to get away from her ex husband in order to support herself so she can pay a lawyer to help her get her son back. But in the 1800s, a divorced woman isn't considered polite and when the people in her new town find out about her status after a cousin made out the lie she was a widow, her position is no more.

Her rescuer is Joseph Randolph, a Major in the town where she went to work. Somehow he wants to help her and convinces his superior to let him pay for her position for she will teach the children of those who have no prejudice against her as soon as she tells the truth about her marriage.

These two souls have had trouble, disappointments and pain in the past but they still maintain their professional and warm smile. Can they find happiness together as well?

This is an interesting book by the author. She, as always, presents a down on her luck heroine who somehow emerges from the lowest point on her life to someone worthy and deserving of happiness. Not that her heroines are superwomen or have magical powers but their caring and hardworking natures allow them to become superior to everyone who ever tried to bring them down. This is one element I really like about the author, how she can turn someone from a bad place to a great one without resorting to billionaires or wealthy people all the time.

Susan is a great heroine although I must say here and there I didn't think she was always as shy as I imagined she would after what happened to her and the situation she is in. I guess I always look for that moment where being timid, shy or quiet isn't what stops someone from reaching a HEA. In this book, Susan wasn't shy, only someone living in a time where being divorced closed many doors to her. But it was great to see her never lose her poise and be as humble and practical as ever even after people started to treat her different. She had a weak moment but I can't really say it's inconsistent. When people are in a bad position, a bad moment in life and everything seems doomed, who hasn't weak moments...Susan took hers to an extreme but her personality made her rebound quite well as did the help and support of the hero.

The hero, Joe, is obviously great too. He is a doctor in the army, he is attracted to Susan but he respects her above all and when she's at her lowest, he helps and protects her. He also had his bad moments, from a reprimand of a superior to the death of his wife, but he keeps helping others and Susan specifically.

I like the writing of this author, the story comes to life but never in a unnecessary way, all scenes have a purpose, a place, a goal. I think the style is quite good and the subject, despite difficult at times, convinced me to read. I enjoyed this book a lot, but it's not my favorite.

But the author can captivate us with the details used and even the secondary characters were intriguing and well done, not there just because.

I would recommend this book, all the subjects addressed are interesting, some are difficult to read about but of course everything is dealt with care and the author doesn't go above what it's supposed to and the story gains from that.

I was glad they HEA happened, I wish a little bit more passion between the main characters could have been more obvious to us but, all in all, a great story for me.

Grade: 8/10

Carla Kelly - Marriage of Mercy

From riches to rags, Grace has had to swallow her pride and get a job as a baker. But everything changes when she's the beneficiary of a surprise inheritance.
Her benefactor's deal comes with a catch: give up her life of toil and live in luxury only if she marries his illegitimate son, a prisoner of war. It's an offer she can't afford to refuse. But her husband-to-be is dying, and he begs her to take one of his men instead--to marry purely out of mercy....
A marriage of convenience with a complete stranger... Could this arrangement ever work?

Comment: I'm a fan of Carla Kelly and I've collected some of her books along the years. This month I've decided to read this and I still have a couple more to read. She has a lot more than the ones I've read but some of them just didn't appeal to me based on the blurb. I consider myself a fan, so I trusted the blurb of this title too but to be honest, I didn't get what I was promised and this is another of my least favorite books by her that I've read.

 

According to the blurb we're suppose to have the story of Grace, a baronet's daughter whose father died and left her with nothing, In order to live, Grace agrees to sell her beloved house and falls from her society position and decided to pay off the bakery debt by working there in exchange for board. All her friends abandon her but she's pragmatic and realistic and it doesn't hurt as much as she thought. One day she is called for a will reading and an old man she helped leaves her a house if she agrees to take care and marries his illegitimate son, who's been in prison. Things aren't as easy as that, of course, but Grace accepts because the money that comes with the "job" will help her achieving her dream of buying the bakery from the owners when they are too old to work.

 

This is the part of the blurb that's true. The rest.... Grace does go to live in luxury, apparently there are people who don' take well to her presence and her being included in the will, her husband-to-be isn't just dying, he does the deed before even leaving the prison, she saves one of the men instead but they don't marry right away to fulfill the bargain, there's no marriage of convenience at all.

This means, the story I imagined, with two strangers marrying, living a good but unsteady life while trying to navigate a marriage, all the awkward scenes leading to everlasting love weren't happening. And Grace does not get a life of luxury.

 

What really happens is Grace saves the guy, he gets to live at the house while being followed everywhere. Grace takes him to the bakery because part of the deal is that she needs to be physically close to him, otherwise he could be shot on sight. There are enemies and bad characters in this book. That's' not bad per se, but the reality is that this book isn't what I thought I'd get based on the blurb and my experience with the author's other works.

 

I've read other readers' comments about the book and it's seems most agree on the misleading of this title and blurb.

There re other things I found weren't as captivating as in other books. I kept waiting for the hero's POV like it happens in previous books I've read, but in this one it didn't happen and part of the action felt very limited because Grace only said things she knew or saw. It's difficult to have a proper idea of things, especially when it comes to the romantic relationship if she's the only one showing us things.

In fact, their relationship didn't fell very romantic and although I understand the hero's wish to go back home to America, I found the HEA so unappealing and out of sorts I didn't have much fun.

There's a lot of confusing action towards the end, many things happening, related to different characters that on one hand I lost focus and in the other I didn't really care about how things would work out.

 

I think this is one of the weakest books I've read by the author. Her trademarks are there, Grace is a poor heroine, but the hero isn't the type of man I expected to meet. I don't mean to say all heroes need to be rich or have status or be important somehow, but Rob, this book's hero, despite his fine qualities, never won me over and I had a hard time trying to like him more than just the basics.

 

In the end, I wasn't very happy with this book. Still, the idea was there, the writing was there, the usual tone of the story was there. It just happened that the plot and characters weren't. I don't know, but I felt the difference. The story just didn't flow and I pushed myself to read when usually I can't stay away.

Oh well, I hope the other two titles I still need to read aren't like this one.

Grade: 5/10

 

Another note: I've read the author now is only writing for the LSD community or about that. However, she still has a contract and this title was published parallel with her new work goals and preferences. I hope this isn't just filling up space, opposite the quality I expected of her. Let's see of other recent books are better.

Carla Kelly - With This Ring

It was clear to Lydia Perkins from the first that she was courting scandal when she became involved with Major Samuel Reed. This outrageously impudent officer kept deplorable company in dismal surroundings beyond the boundaries of polite society. Even worse, he was shamelessly, sinfully penniless.
To keep him company would ruin Lydia's already slim chances in the marriage mart. To listen to the shocking proposal he made to her would spell ruin to her good name. To run away with him in a mockery of marriage on a honeymoon journey through the wilds of England was the ultimate folly for a young lady whose family demanded she wed both wisely and well.
Could Lydia say "I do" and accept the Major for better or for worse, or would she risk losing the only man who had ever captured her heart?  

Comment: I'm officially a fan of Carla Kelly. Two of her more recent titles don't seem that appealing to me, but her regencies do and this one was another good book.

 

This is the story of Lydia Perkins, a young woman whose family isn't at the top of its ladder but desperately tries to be so. Lydia's mother sets all her hopes on Kitty, Lydia's younger sister, a beautiful girl, and very different from Lydia, or at least in a way Lydia isn't described as being.

Lydia and her sister go to an old church turned hospital to volunteer helping the wounded soldiers that came from the war because important young ladies all do it to look good. Lydia, however, takes her task seriously and in no time she's helping and being sensitive about all the soldier's pain and state of being.

There, she meets major Sam Reed, a lord without many means but who tried his best to help his comrades, even delaying his own return home.

As things progress, Lydia can't be silent about how things happen at the hospital and one day she speaks about it, not knowing the consequences. When all seems lost, Sam helps Lydia in exchange for her help as well. They embark on a  journey to his house but on the way, can they fall in love?

 

I liked this book. As always, the author introduced a heroine whose behavior and attitude I enjoy seeing in female protagonists. I like how practical they all seem to be but at the same time it's wonderful to see them fall in love.

Lydia is a wonderful heroine, trapped in a house with a family that doesn't support or appreciate her. But she's not mean and reckless and tries to respect them, having the sort of mentality I enjoy seeing in historical heroines. I always prefer the quieter, practical ones to the silly "feisty" girls.

It was also interesting how Lydia, not being rich, had to make a choice at some point. I admire her and how honorable her behavior was even if scary as a future prospect. I have a soft spot for shy and practical heroines down on their luck but who can be brave and find a solution. I wish I were as brave as them.

 

Major Sam Reed is a good hero, not the best I've read by Kelly, but valiant and witty in his own way. I liked how he helped his comrades and wanted to make sure his men were all taken care of, even those who wouldn't make it, before accepting help for himself and going home to rest. A silly lie makes him propose a deal with Lydia but he finds out she's not like the other ladies that only pretend they care. Lydia makes him realize there are special women and people out there who deserve good things. He and Lydia may start as just adventure friends, so to speak, but we can clearly see love between them even before they admit it.

 

The romance is sweet and cute. I liked how both of them compromised on some things but were respected by their choices, their behavior and their feelings. I think Sam at some point reacts rather harshly towards something Lydia says and I think if they such a good understanding, the conversation between them didn't have to go that path, which led to a situation I found a bit exaggerated.

The romance was subtle, of course, but I wish I could have seen a bit more of their attraction. I know good men and women at the time wouldn't act obvious like in contemporary times, but it would have been  nice to see it a bit more.

 

The plot has many references to situations that certainly happened  during the post war. Even nowadays, it's difficult to deal with soldiers that come back, we just have more laws about how to treat people. I really liked how Lydia felt she should defend the soldiers for who they are and not just because they fought.

The secondary characters were very realistic and added the right amount of opposition to the heroes to make them look stronger in character. The helpful characters also had a great role and in some cases it was wonderful to see how important little things were, things we could see through friendship and support.

 

All in all, this was an enjoyable book, very entertaining and sweet and filled with situations that created scenarios in which I wanted to see what would happen next. Some details seem to have been dismissed, namely Lydia's family reply to her choices, which would give closure, but all things considered, it was a great book.

Grade: 8/10

Carla Kelly - The Lady's Companion

Miss Susan Hampton was a lady born and bred. She never imagined she would have to make her own way in the world. But that was before her feckless father gamed away the family estate. That was before her odious aunt turned her into an unpaid servant. Now Susan had fled that tyranny- only to wonder if she had leapt out of the frying pan into the fire.
In a remote country manor, Susan took the post of companion to the Dowager Lady Bushnell, whose fiery temper made a dragon seem sweet. But even more dangerous was the dowager's boldly handsome bailiff, David Wiggins, whose blood was red, not blue, and who was everything a man could be except a gentleman. Desperately, Susan told herself that he was totally unsuitable as her suitor - even as this infuriatingly irresistible man awoke her as a woman and made her forget she was a lady...

Comment: This another title by the author I've had in my TBR for a while now. This book earned a RITA so I was very curious to see if I'd enjoy it as much as others must have for it to win. 

This is the story of Susan Hampton. When the story begins, Susan is desperate because her father is a gambler who can't understand his choices aren't doing them any good and they end up losing their house too. While going to her aunt's house, where Susan knows her life will be one of duty and obligation towards her aunt, her father keeps unaware of how much Susan is hurting. When he steals something dear to her  to gamble again, she makes the decision of looking after herself and the beat way to do it realistically is to find a job.

Although her family and society won't accept her new paid work, she knows it's the only way to have something, to be independent. She accepts an offer to be a paid companion in a remote place to an older woman who most likely won't like her but it's the bailiff, David Wiggins, that entices her and teaches what it's like to live, to be fair, to be honorable...

Once again, I had a wonderful time being immersed in a story by this author. Although my least favorite stories by her were a bit disappointing, I can't help but admit that when a book by her is a hit for me, it is totally deserved.

One of the reasons I love this author's work is the fact most her heroines are impoverished or down on their luck and honestly I have much more appreciation for someone who has problems but finds a way to keep going than someone who has it all. Anyway, I think this author's stories are full of amazing scenes and I'm always hopeful to see how I will feel happy about the heroines' fate.

Susan is an amazing heroine. She knows she doesn't have the means to change what has been lost to her but I felt sad when she suffered the loss of her dreams and when her father took her last hope about a come out in society. But she tried to change her fate and I applaud her for that. If there's one thing I like is how people still find something to give them strength. I wish it was so easy in RL to do so when we're down on out luck.

Susan accepted a job offer and her wold changed. It wasn't just her poor means, she met people who cared about her, she fell in love and she gained the caring of an old women who also felt alone, although for different reasons.

Even when her family did things that hurt her, Susan kept her trust on the man she loved and on the circle of new friends she gained. Really, hope it's this, it lets you dream and want...

David is an intriguing character. He seems something  and then we learn about his past and his choices, the experienced he went though. Again, he is a well made character and I liked how his relationship with Susan was slowly developed but strongly shaped.

The plot also revolves around Susan's employer and how she was such a brave women during the Napoleonic wars. This also connected to David's life as a military man and together with Susan, they make a complex circle of things to learn, things to explain, things that needed to be shared before any could accept what was to come. I found some passages very emotional and the end was also very strong and special.

This story isn't perfect though, because personally I would have preferred that David and Susan's relationship could be a bit more passionate. I understand why not, but still. 

Also some scenes were a bit more dragging than I hoped for, but overall, a success.

I'm very pleased with this, all things considered. I'm happy the HEA happened and how Susan went from a despairing situation to love and happiness. I really wish it was so simple for everyone to be so in RL.

Grade: 8/10

Carla Kelly - Mrs Drew Plays Her Hand and Miss Grimsley's Oxford Career

Mrs. Drew Plays her hand: Young widow Roxanna Drew was fair game in the sport of cads. But the one man she could trust, the one that set her heart afire, had been betrayed once before by a woman... and he didn't intend to submit to love's desires once again.
Miss Grimsley's Oxford Career: Disguised as her own brother in order to realize her dream of attending the male-only Oxford University, Miss Ellen Grimsley finds her cover blown when a handsome lord, himself disguised as a humble scholar, falls in love with her.

Comment: I got this book when I was looking for the second story included and when I found it I saw I could actually buy the story included in a omnibus edition (with the 1st story) for the same price that I'd spend in the single title book! 

I went and bought the omnibus edition and what a bargain it was, two stories for the same price as one, even in used books pricing.

This omnibus of two novels by the author is a clever idea to put together titles that alone don't seem very big. The two stories included here were originally written in 1994 and 1992 respectively.

the first story features a young widow and a divorced lord and the second one focuses on two people who love books and studying but have a social place that doesn't allow them the freedom they want for it.

Of the two I preferred the first one, something that really surprised me, considering that my original goal was to read the second one and I only read the first story because it is included in this volume, otherwise I wouldn't get it. Sometimes chance does work for us.

But a few lines about each story.

Mrs Drew Plays her Hand is a sweet story about a widow that is forced to accept the fact other man now see her as fair game. In particular, her brother-in-law, who has a unhappy marriage thinks her as the solution to his personal troubles. Roxana Drew is a pragmatic but caring mother who did everything she could to help her husband and was with him until the end. She misses him and everything her happy marriage gave her, something that happened not only since he died but since he got ill, years before.

Lord Winn is a man refused in all the good houses because he's divorced. His former wife was unfaithful while he was at war and when he found out he wasn't quiet about it. Now only his sisters receive him but he's tired of having to live alone with gossiping. He much more prefers to be completely alone. He meets Roxana when traveling to check on his properties and she is renting one of his houses to escape her brother-in-law. Circumstances force them to be together and the result is a wonderful story, very sweet and perfectly told. 

This story won a RITA! I didn't even know it and I could almost miss a great story based on the blurb but the story is very good and I really enjoyed reading about those characters. I think both were appealing, engaging and had a certain voice I loved reading through. The story is wonderful, the characters all come alive and the HEA is more than amazing, is a true story about forgiveness, redemption, true love, serious affection. I loved it.

Grade: 9/10

Miss Grimsley's Oxford Career was my intended original buy because I like stories with misconstrued ideas and hidden identities and this story was dead on both! 

Miss Ellen Grimsley wants to study, to travel, to know more. She knows her sex forbids her to do everything she wishes and her most likely future is marriage but she doesn't resist to take her brother's place at Oxford for a while and she does love the environment, the study halls, the library...

Lord Chesney/James Gatewood is a man who knows he'll have to take on his duties as a lord and stop being at Oxford as a student, something he loves. He meets Ellen and figures later she's doing her brother's papers for him and kind of helps her and gives her a push to keep doing so. He doesn't tell her who he really is but in the end things get confused and they both have to take charge of their duties.

I wasn't as marveled by this as I imagined I would when I first read the blurb which, by the way, isn't as good as it promises. The story has too many things, details and hidden wishes that I thought this could only be read as comedy, something I didn't particularly like that much in fiction. I mean, in this case I also don't think it was that well done. I didn't really like Ellen or James despite recognizing their wants and the fact it must have so for many people at a time where society had such a power over institutions and people's places/hierarchy and such. I struggles to stay focused on the story and not roll my eyes at some scenes which bordered on stupid and melodramatic.

Grade: 6/10

I think it's obvious by the style of both stories they were written by ms Kelly. But frankly I have mixed feelings because the story I didn't think about much was the one I loved and the story I wanted ended up being meh.

It shows that it was written years ago - based on my reads of some of her more recent books - but overall, I feel both had their virtues but the execution only feels perfect in one. Actually the older one, which is another argument for my idea her writing does get better with time.

Despite each story having a different feel for me, and different outcomes in my POV, the fact is I've read this book as a whole, so my final grade will be about the whole book. And considering my different views about each story, it will be a reflex of both.

Grade: 7.5/10 = rounded up to

Grade: 8/10

Carla Kelly - Miss Chartley's Guided Tour

To all appearances, Miss Omega Chartley is a schoolteacher on holiday. In fact she is a gentlewoman fallen on hard times, left at the altar eight years earlier and forced to make her own way in the world after the loss of her family fortune. Omega’s modest tour of England is cut short when she comes to the aid of a runaway. Jamie Clevenden has fled the clutches of a brutal uncle, and Omega is determined to help him escape the law, as represented by Bow Street Runner, Mr. Timothy Platter. 
Aided by a kindly war veteran and his adopted daughter, the two fugitives arrive at the home of Jamie’s other uncle, the Viscount of Byford—none other than Miss Chartley’s disgraced fiancé, Matthew Bering. 
There Miss Chartley will finally learn the secret that Lord Byford has hidden from her all these years, the story of a dark chapter in his past that stands in the way of not only their happiness but that of his nephew. Now they must face the truth together, no matter how dire the consequences. 

Comment: After reading four books by the author I became a fan. I like the writing and the style and I decided I'd get more books by her to read. I don't have them all, but I slowly got the ones I thought I'd enjoy the most. This title was one of them but I have to say, time did not pass here...

This is the story of Omega Chartley and how she plans to have a humble holiday before starting her new job. However, nothing goes as planned and she sees herself in a lot of misunderstandings and an adventure she never imagined which goes against the proper image other have of her.

While trying to help a young boy, Omega must face old issues, new adventures and the fact her own heart isn't as professional as she build it to be since a heartbreak eight long years ago...

This is one of the first books written by the author and it does show. The other works I've read by ms Kelly are more recent and comparing the style and structure, the differences are obvious. This book feels less refined than her other, newer books.

I think that, if I didn't know, this story could have been written by someone else while the other books share a sort of detail that I've came to associate with the author's style. I must say that, after being captivated by her more polished work, this older story leaves something to be desired.

Omega Chartley is a teacher, she belonged to a rich family but after her fiancé left her at the altar and her father's death, she didn't have anything else but work and along with her brother, all she had left in the world.

The beginning of the book did feel like a story by Carla Kelly, the setting up, the heroine with troubles and a less than desirable financial situation, the slow paced start, all this was very alike what I expected. Then Omega helps a boy, they later meet a young girl and a former soldier and I truly thought the story would be about the romance between them.

However, the plot wasn't meant to go that path. What came after was a mix of soap opera, adventure and clichés done in a way I never imagined this author would come up with.

Things started to become rather predictable, obvious and I lost most of my interest. I also think the slow polishing in the first half, more or less, of the novel stopped and after that everything changed completely in tone, voice and style.

I won't go into spoilers, but let's say the past caught up with the main characters, which I have to say, no longer captivated me. I wasn't disappointed because I did take into consideration the date, but after four amazing books, of course I thought this would be more of the same. It only serves to say time passes and like everyone else, authors also gain from experience and time.

I'm still interested in reading more and I will, but I'll try to be more realistic in my expectations of older titles. This one had many elements which would work out well and I'm convinced that written by the current ms Kelly, it would be better, but things are as they are and despite the promise and peeking into what might have been, I still can't say this was as special as that.

Grade: 5/10

Carla Kelly - The Admiral's Penniless Bride

Sally Paul is down to her last penny. As she spends it on a cup of tea--to stave off being at the mercy of the workhouse--the last thing she expects is an offer of marriage...from a complete stranger!Admiral Sir Charles Bright's seafaring days are over--and according to society, that must mean he's in need of a wife! Discovering Sally's in need of a home, he offers a solution.... They marry in haste--but will they enjoy their wedding night at leisure?

Comment: After being so well impressed by the previous books I've read by mrs Kelly, I was quite eager to try one more, because at this point I am convinced this author will do no wrongs. I really like her heroines and how they overcome situations and challenges to become something better or simply to survive.

This story tells the story of Sally Paul, a young widow who just got dismissed from a job she never had in the first place. Sally used all her money to travel and now she only has one penny left which she uses to pay for tea before going to the workhouse.
At the inn where Sally is having tea, is also Sir Charles Bright, a retired navy admiral. He wants a wife to keep his meddling sisters at bay but the women he proposed to apparently doesn't want to go with it because she doesn't show of. Feeling sorry for Sally's situation he starts talking to her and they agree on a marriage of convenience.
But no matter how distant they might want to be, it's not possible to be apart when the other grows to be everything you ever wanted...even with secrets to hide.

I really liked this story. Once more, the author didn't disappoint me and presented a wonderful story for my taste! I was really engrossed and riveted during the reading and it's amazing how easily I can be steered by the character's feelings and emotions while they deal with their issues and battles.

I liked Sally's character. It's no secret I have a preference for heroines who struggle in life but always maintain their morals and personality and when do things questionable it's always for a good reason. I didn't mind Sally accepted an offer of marriage without love because she was desperate, she didn't have anywhere to go or anyone to help her. Characters like Sally is why I keep reading romances.
Sally has a secret, though. On she realizes might ruin not only her marriage but the opinion her new  husband has of her. It won't matter their growing affection for each other or the life they're learning to build up together. So, at a point where their marriage is truly a love one, her secret is out and she can't do anything else but explain. However, Charles' reaction is a strong one, an impulsive one, because he loves and feels betrayed. After thinking a while he tries to solve things but that will take months.

Charles is a likable hero, he's not aggressive or domineering and he is a gentleman. He offered marriage for convenient reasons but with time he falls in love with this woman who had so many struggles and tragedies in her young life and now she becomes the person he loves the most. During the book he does things and acts in a way we can't help but love him for what he is. His character is irrepressible and not even his disability is an obstacle to love and to be loved back. 
Of course, there has to be some sort of opposition and his reaction to Sally's secret is out of control and really made me emotional. He regrets it but it provided quite the angsty scene.
In the end, there's a wonderful HEA but the best part is how they talk and apologize for omissions and work things out.

This is a lovely romance between two people that apparently are out of time to love. But the writer's talent together with an amazing plot on itself allows for a great story, full of nuances and little details that make the reader think every page is full of meaningful sentences. I loved the idea of reading everything closely and savoring each word.

I can't wait to read more by this author and will do so. As for this one, for me everything worked out really well and I recommend it to everyone who wants a solid and structured story not focused only on how great they are together in bed. Intimacy happens here, but with such meaning it's unlikely one feels distanced. Wonderful!
Grade: 9/10

Carla Kelly - Marrying the Royal Marine

Illegitimate Polly Brandon has never felt like more than an ugly duckling. So she's amazed when Hugh Philippe Junot pays her such close attention as they sail for Portugal.
Under ordinary circumstances she knows this distinguished lieutenant colonel of marines would never have looked at her, but having his protection for the journey is comforting--and something more that she's afraid to give a name to. Should she trust what she sees in Hugh's eyes--has she turned from an ugly duckling into a beautiful, desirable swan?

Comment: This is the third book by the author I've read. The previous ones I read were wonderful and I'm so glad I decided to try her stories because her writing is, indeed, special.
This third book is also the last in the Channel Fleet trilogy.

This is the story of Polly and Hugh. Polly is the younger sister to the protagonists of the previous books, Marrying the Captain and The Surgeon's Lady. Polly decides to help her sister Laura at Oporto, where she and her husband have a hospital sort of. During the trip, Polly finds out she isn't very keen on the sea and Hugh helps her, even when she's embarrassed an officer is changing her sweat clothes. The time allows them to know each other better and after their arrival at Portugal and the challenges they face, they still look at each other and their feelings are what aves them in the end...

Once again, I really enjoyed a story by this author. I thin she has a unique voice, and I like th way she tells her stories and how we get involved in that era. I also think that, despite her use of information and historical context, the story didn't feel too serious or strict, it was romantic and had enough elements to make this a good fictional entertainment.

I liked the historical context. The action takes place mostly in Portugal, during the Napoleonic war. I live in Portugal and I've studied this briefly during History classes...of course, real history doesn't get to be perceived as deeply into all the aspects of a war. And here we can see a little bit more detail in a centered in that place, as it happens with this book. I don't live in the north, where the action happens, I live closer to Lisbon than Oporto, but I know the challenges, the difficulties, the issues that even today are part of my country's History. To be honest, in school we mostly discuss the fact Napoleon was defeated here and not exactly the hows of it...but in this story we see that fiction, as with real life, can't depend solely on the big things, what about the people left behind, the lives of so many people who had to bear losses and terrible fates? In this book I couldn't help being sad things like the ones described happened and are today happening all over the world without us knowing I mean the way some people take the dignity of others. We are animals for sure...but this is another issue altogether, and not the point here.

I liked how true and how detailed things were because through loss and fear, the protagonists found love and feelings that united them in a way many people wouldn't know what it's like. Their romance was amazing and the age difference didn't strike me as such an important thing. They matched and I enjoyed seeing them together. Their social status wasn't the same either but I think they went past that quite well.

The plot took a path I wasn't expecting but it was good to see the two protagonists brave their choices and to still maintain their humility and soul, in a way.
The end was what one hopes for and there's nothing better than hope and the certainty of a happy ending. I liked the personal side of this story a lot too.

Overall, a sometimes sad read but full of hope and wonderful scenes, romantic and evoking. I recommend it to historical lovers.
Grade: 8/10

Carla Kelly - The Surgeon's Lady

As a surgeon in the Royal Navy, Lieutenant Philemon Brittle has proved his bravery countless times. But he's never known the thrill that comes with falling in love. Until he meets the beautiful Lady Laura Taunton, who has turned to nursing the wounded as solace from her unhappy past.Philemon will need to draw upon every bit of his strength and determination to convince the marriage-shy Laura that establishing a life together is the truest path to love and happiness...

Comment: Since I've read my first book by this author, Marrying the Captain, I've immediately saw this is an author whose work I feel I'll appreciate quite a lot, mainly because her heroines are very in tune with what I like in a heroine. Since then I've tried to get more books by her, namely the rest of the series. This is why I picked this book now.

This is the story of widow Laura Taunton. She's a sister to the heroine from the other book and took care of her husband for a long time before he died. She had no tender feelings for him, so after finding her courage, she visited her sister at last. She also met Lt Brittle, someone we've know from the previous book too and casually he asks if she wants to work for him at the naval hospital where he works as a surgeon. Amazingly, Laura says yes and a journey for the both of them starts with many little adventures on the way...

I liked this story a lot! I think it's really special how the author can write about a romance, a tender and modest one, but still very romantic on its own way, and inserting it in a story that feels real, feels well done and solid. This isn't a silly historical or a sensual one where everything besides how fast the main couple has sex is just decorative. Although those novels can be worthy in their own level, this isn't like that. This is a strong story featuring many details from those days but from a romantic point of view.
The story shows the reader  how men would recover after accidents, diseases or other medical problems and how the surgeons dealt with those challenges in a time without many comfort or easiness. Surgeons didn't have the facilities and the medicines to best treat their patients and many times they had to be creative. I liked how this book focused so much on that side of war, of medicine and how Lt Brittle was a character highlighted to show that side that many times isn't much detailed in romances. I really liked all those things, and how both Brittle and Laura had to find a way to make things work in a job that doesn't always end the way we'd like to.

The romance was so cute and sweet. I think something rushed would go against the feel of the story, the way both protagonists were wired. I found their romance wonderful and with the prefect slow pace in those cases where the heroine just puts aside her fears and gets it on. People don't work that way and I thought the slow take on this to be believable.

Both main characters were interesting and we could see their good and worse moments. Nobody is perfect but in this case even the not so good things had a reason and were presented in a way that allowed the reader to weight everything. I thought Laura was convincing and very nice. She was a bit shy and had things she wanted to keep for herself but she found love without expecting and I love those situations.
Lt Brittle is a good man, his attitude towards Laura was respectful but he also demanded action from her, he asked for her help and expected it, he didn't make excuses for her apart from the usual ones in those cases at the time. considering the woman's role in society then. His character is wonderful, he should be real.
The secondary characters didn't get in the way, didn't steal the show and offered the help needed to better present the romance and the storyline.

I thin this author is very talented and her stories (at least these two I've read) show not only a good story, very well structured, but also a good feel, I have the feeling she thought about how to make things work the best and she did it. It's a nice feeling.
I can't wait to read more by her.
Grade: 8/10

Carla Kelly - Marrying the Captain

Ever since her father tried to sell her as a mistress to the highest bidder, Eleanor Massie has chosen to live in poverty. Her world changes overnight when Captain Oliver Worthy shows up at her struggling inn. Despite herself, Nana is drawn to her handsome guest....
Oliver planned to stay in Plymouth only long enough to report back to Lord Ratliffe--about Nana. But he soon senses that Lord Ratliffe is up to something, and Oliver will do anything to keep this courageous, beautiful woman safe--even marry her!

Comment: I've had this bo to read for a long time, ever since I saw someone's opinion in one of the message boards I visit. I thought the idea of a heroine who could be rich but chose to be poor was highly addictive for me, as I love heroines who struggle but succeed in the end.
Anyway, I looked for it and got it. Now, several months later, I finally put in the line to be read and I can say it was definitely worth the wait.

This story begins when Oliver Worthy, a captain of the navy, is asked by a lord to check on his illegitimate daughter but he is not given many details. When he arrives at the inn where she is living with her grandmother he starts to fall in love with her the more he talks to her. Everything about her calls to him even if he tries to tell himself he won't marry ever.
Nana Massie ran from a humiliating destiny even if it means to live in poverty. She helps her grandmother the best she can but after meeting Oliver she can't be the same anymore. While he is recuperating from a cold they get to know each other and start a new experience for both of them...

I loved this book a lot. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much but I was surprised by how eager I was to know what would happen.
The story is very engrossing and addictive. I really liked the the subject of Nana's poverty and her struggles to get by. She and her grandmother don't have much and they depend on the help the other inn owners provide them, whether with food or something else. This heroine is used to be humble and she doesn't care about things superfluous. I liked her immensely.
Oliver is also a very interesting character. He goes on a mission without knowing all the details but he learns to see what is in front of his eyes. I also liked how his personality developed, how he slowly went from being distant from the idea of marrying to realizing it's better to have happiness next to him, because fate is unpredictable and time is wasting. 
Their relationship happened slowly, they took time to know each other and the romance was sweet and believable. I say this because so many historical books present steamy scenes and while it can be fun, I found this more subdued style also very likable. We could see them fall in love a bit more each time and it was romantic as it was.

The plot offered some interesting ideas, from the reason why Nana went to live as poorly as she was, how the navy wifes saw their husbands work, how the navy worked, and the last main discovery in the story, which is surely the starting point for the next stories in the trilogy.

This is my first read by the author. I've read reviews about things by her and it's pretty unanimous she's a good writer and has a strong voice, very simple but powerful. I agree, I thought her work seems very simple, without much fuss, but she gets to the point and provides a strong plot. I liked her style and I can't wait to read more by her.

All in all, this was a fantastic read for me. For a while there at the end I though things would be stupid, but I was very glad with the way it ended. Now I really want to read more and I'm eager to see if her style keeps up.