jjares reviewed Valentines and the Road to Ruin (Signet Regency Romance) on + 3414 more book reviews
It was a surprise to learn that there are 4 stories in this 450-page book, not the 2 listed (on the front cover). Three are from Barbara Metzger and one from an author with which I have no experience: Margaret Evans Porter. I'll give a thumbnail sketch of each.
BALD LIES (Barbara Metzger): This story is absolutely priceless and a great first novella. Audrina Rowe wants to help her lovely cousin escape marrying an elderly man by helping her meet some gentlemen who have come to the country for a two-week house party.
Lord Blanford is struggling with getting bald and growing old (note: he's 32). He's one of the gentlemen invited to the house party and Audrina has chosen him for her cousin. However, Lord Blanford isn't interested in Audrina's plan -- at all. The Valentine Ball is a riot. Enjoy.
THE LAST VALENTINE (Metzger): Martine (a fake widow living in a small, out-of-the-way town), begins to receive Valentine gifts (each day) of the week leading up to Valentine's Day. The solution might have been more realistic if the couple had a few more pages.
LOVE AND TENDERNESS (Metzger): Let me preface this by saying that I do not like ghosts, apparitions, etc., in stories: It is the bedroom scene for the newly married couple Senta and her husband, Viscount Lee Maitland. Suddenly, an apparition appears before Senta and she screams. The Viscount thinks the worst (Senta isn't interested in him) and he leaves. Before long, the reader is told that the ghost has lost his memory, although he seems interested in helping the couple get back together.
There's another issue in this story; Lee must get to the bottom of his brother's death. So now we have a ghost and a murder to solve. The story gives the reader hints to guess who the ghost is and from that point, the plot is very funny. Of course, the story is happily-ever-after, but getting there is the trick.
Other than BALD LIES, which is pure Metzger hilarity, the other two stories were less interesting.
ROAD TO RUIN (Margaret Evans Porter): This was a very pleasant surprise. Dominic Blythe is escaping London after a duel. Through no fault of his own, the man he shot died. While escaping the Bow Street Runners, Dominic meets Nerissa Newby, who is on her way to visit a friend. Nerissa agrees to travel as man-and-wife to help Dominic evade detection (the authorities expect Dominic to be traveling alone).
I enjoyed this story much more than I expected; Porter tells an engaging tale.
BALD LIES (Barbara Metzger): This story is absolutely priceless and a great first novella. Audrina Rowe wants to help her lovely cousin escape marrying an elderly man by helping her meet some gentlemen who have come to the country for a two-week house party.
Lord Blanford is struggling with getting bald and growing old (note: he's 32). He's one of the gentlemen invited to the house party and Audrina has chosen him for her cousin. However, Lord Blanford isn't interested in Audrina's plan -- at all. The Valentine Ball is a riot. Enjoy.
THE LAST VALENTINE (Metzger): Martine (a fake widow living in a small, out-of-the-way town), begins to receive Valentine gifts (each day) of the week leading up to Valentine's Day. The solution might have been more realistic if the couple had a few more pages.
LOVE AND TENDERNESS (Metzger): Let me preface this by saying that I do not like ghosts, apparitions, etc., in stories: It is the bedroom scene for the newly married couple Senta and her husband, Viscount Lee Maitland. Suddenly, an apparition appears before Senta and she screams. The Viscount thinks the worst (Senta isn't interested in him) and he leaves. Before long, the reader is told that the ghost has lost his memory, although he seems interested in helping the couple get back together.
There's another issue in this story; Lee must get to the bottom of his brother's death. So now we have a ghost and a murder to solve. The story gives the reader hints to guess who the ghost is and from that point, the plot is very funny. Of course, the story is happily-ever-after, but getting there is the trick.
Other than BALD LIES, which is pure Metzger hilarity, the other two stories were less interesting.
ROAD TO RUIN (Margaret Evans Porter): This was a very pleasant surprise. Dominic Blythe is escaping London after a duel. Through no fault of his own, the man he shot died. While escaping the Bow Street Runners, Dominic meets Nerissa Newby, who is on her way to visit a friend. Nerissa agrees to travel as man-and-wife to help Dominic evade detection (the authorities expect Dominic to be traveling alone).
I enjoyed this story much more than I expected; Porter tells an engaging tale.
In "Bald Lies," the first Metzger story in this compilation, Audrinna Rowe wants to save her beautiful cousin from a terrible fate. To do so, Audrinna needs to find a husband for her cousin--and she sets her sights on Lord Blanford. But Lord Blanford has other plans... This was my favorite story of the 3, and it was the sweetest. Lord Blanford's struggle with baldness was a charming focal point of the story, and you just had to love his hairpiece.
In "Last Valentine," faux widow Martine finds herself getting a Valentine every day of the week. She just KNOWS they're coming from her ex-lover, the man who abandoned her four years ago. But... was she right to assume they are coming from him? ...Then surprise, this story ended with a twist. Although the story is short, I enjoyed it so much, I had to read it twice
"In Love and Tenderness", newlywed Senta has just made a muck of her wedding night with Lord Maitland. But it's not her fault. She was frightened by a ghost, who, unfortunately, has lost his memory! Now Senta and Lord Maitland must reunite, and the "ghost" is there to help them. Also, Lord Maitland must solve the mystery of his brother's death. This is the longest story of the 3--it's more like a novella. By far, the ghost is the star of the story. It's not hard to figure out the identity of the ghost... but when you do, it's a riot! I liked this story, but it would have been even better had there been more of the ghost, less of the "mystery", and more interaction between Senta and Lord Maitland.
This compilation also includes a reissue by Margaret Evans Porter. I read "Road to Ruin" over a year ago, so I don't feel confident enough to review it at length. The book is about a man fleeing from a duel. On the road, he meets a pretty young lady--and they take part in a scandalous arrangement. "Road to Ruin" is a much darker counterpart to the three light-hearted Metzger stories, which makes me wonder why they were tacked together. If I recall, Porter's novel was good, but slow.
Overall, it's an interesting assortment--definitely worth looking into.
In "Last Valentine," faux widow Martine finds herself getting a Valentine every day of the week. She just KNOWS they're coming from her ex-lover, the man who abandoned her four years ago. But... was she right to assume they are coming from him? ...Then surprise, this story ended with a twist. Although the story is short, I enjoyed it so much, I had to read it twice
"In Love and Tenderness", newlywed Senta has just made a muck of her wedding night with Lord Maitland. But it's not her fault. She was frightened by a ghost, who, unfortunately, has lost his memory! Now Senta and Lord Maitland must reunite, and the "ghost" is there to help them. Also, Lord Maitland must solve the mystery of his brother's death. This is the longest story of the 3--it's more like a novella. By far, the ghost is the star of the story. It's not hard to figure out the identity of the ghost... but when you do, it's a riot! I liked this story, but it would have been even better had there been more of the ghost, less of the "mystery", and more interaction between Senta and Lord Maitland.
This compilation also includes a reissue by Margaret Evans Porter. I read "Road to Ruin" over a year ago, so I don't feel confident enough to review it at length. The book is about a man fleeing from a duel. On the road, he meets a pretty young lady--and they take part in a scandalous arrangement. "Road to Ruin" is a much darker counterpart to the three light-hearted Metzger stories, which makes me wonder why they were tacked together. If I recall, Porter's novel was good, but slow.
Overall, it's an interesting assortment--definitely worth looking into.
