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5.0 out of 5 stars
OMG! This is outstanding!, Mar 21 2006
This review is from: Scoundrel in Disguise (Hardcover)
This story is set on the East Sussex Coast, England, 1847. Jade Smithfield's grandmother unwittingly sold a land option to the South Downs Railroad before she died. When Jade learned that her man of affairs, Neil Kirby, engineered it, she discharged him. However, when Kirby left he took her inheritance, her copy of the land option sale, and the money from the sale with him. Jade needed that money and receipt if she was to have any hope of stopping the railroad from laying track on her property and keep them from uncovering her grandmother's secret. Then there is Giles Dudley, her fourth cousin twice removed. He intends to inherit the Peacehaven Estate by proving Jade's grandmother insane at the time she made her will. If he succeeds, Dudley inherits everything. Jade and all the people who depend on her will be thrown into the streets. Marcus Fitzalan wants to save his disabled brother's railroad, and the families who will lose their living without it, by investigating into the railroad accidents halting construction. To do so, Marcus applies as Jade's new man of affairs. But Marcus finds out upon meeting Jade that his philandering days are over. The more learns about Jade and the women and children she takes care of, the more he knows that Jade must have a very good reason for wanting to stop the railroad's construction. However, he cannot help Jade if she does not trust and confide in him. ***** Author Annette Blair combines action and romance with strong characters and a bit of comedy to give her readers a story they will never forget! I could not help but fall in love with little Emmy and her puppy's antics. Nor could I stop myself from feeling as though I knew all the main and secondary characters for real. The story is written so smoothly that I felt as if I was a part of their circle. Such writing talent is rare and I am grateful to have come across this novel. It is heading straight for my Keeper Shelf, never to be loaned out, and hoarded for my future reading pleasure alone. Annette Blair is a master (or is it mistress?) of the Historical Romance genre. I cannot recommend this tale highly enough and I plan to tell everyone I know about it. ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
OMG! This is outstanding!, May 5 2006
By Detra Fitch - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Scoundrel in Disguise (Hardcover)
This story is set on the East Sussex Coast, England, 1847. Jade Smithfield's grandmother unwittingly sold a land option to the South Downs Railroad before she died. When Jade learned that her man of affairs, Neil Kirby, engineered it, she discharged him. However, when Kirby left he took her inheritance, her copy of the land option sale, and the money from the sale with him. Jade needed that money and receipt if she was to have any hope of stopping the railroad from laying track on her property and keep them from uncovering her grandmother's secret. Then there is Giles Dudley, her fourth cousin twice removed. He intends to inherit the Peacehaven Estate by proving Jade's grandmother insane at the time she made her will. If he succeeds, Dudley inherits everything. Jade and all the people who depend on her will be thrown into the streets.
Marcus Fitzalan wants to save his disabled brother's railroad, and the families who will lose their living without it, by investigating into the railroad accidents halting construction. To do so, Marcus applies as Jade's new man of affairs. But Marcus finds out upon meeting Jade that his philandering days are over. The more learns about Jade and the women and children she takes care of, the more he knows that Jade must have a very good reason for wanting to stop the railroad's construction. However, he cannot help Jade if she does not trust and confide in him.
***** Author Annette Blair combines action and romance with strong characters and a bit of comedy to give her readers a story they will never forget! I could not help but fall in love with little Emmy and her puppy's antics. Nor could I stop myself from feeling as though I knew all the main and secondary characters for real. The story is written so smoothly that I felt as if I was a part of their circle. Such writing talent is rare and I am grateful to have come across this novel. It is heading straight for my Keeper Shelf, never to be loaned out, and hoarded for my future reading pleasure alone. Annette Blair is a master (or is it mistress?) of the Historical Romance genre. I cannot recommend this tale highly enough and I plan to tell everyone I know about it. *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
5.0 out of 5 stars
interesting complex Victorian romance, May 25 2006
By Harriet Klausner - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Scoundrel in Disguise (Hardcover)
In 1847, Marcus Fitzalan visits eccentric Jade Smithfield under the pretense of seeking employment as her business affairs manager. He really wants to learn why Jade is trying to prevent the construction of a railroad in the area that his disabled brother owns. Jade rejects Marcus as too handsome for the twelve brittle women and seventeen children that live under her roof. Besides she believes all men are created equally, nasty, abusive and bad.
However she changes her mind when she sees how good he is reaching out to battered reticent little Emily who is taken with Marcus' dog Tweenie. As he continues to display kindness towards her charges, Marcus also begins to convince her some men can be nice. As they fall in love, he fears she will assume the worst in him once she learns why he applied for the job.
This is an interesting complex Victorian romance with a social message starring an eccentric female obsessed with protecting women and children who hates men as being abusive. Marcus originally arrived to stop Jade from sabotaging his sibling's railroad, but soon finds he loves his employer and needs to help her with her charges. Fans will appreciate this Dickensian spin as "progress" vs. the need of the forgotten downtrodden competes with the hero knowing that he will probably lose his love once she learns of his deception.
Harriet Klausner
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