I'm a dyed-in-the-wool romance-book avoider ... or I was, until I came across Cindy Anstey, and, oh my goodness, I think I feel a conversion coming on. I LOVED her books, her latest, The Hummingbird Dagger, being the absolute best! Mind you, I haven't read them all; I put them on hold through my public library and am eagerly awaiting the rest.
But, miracles of miracles, I forwarded these to my 17-year-old daughter to read, and guess what? She LOVES them too! I highly recommend these for YA readers. Awesome!
Beth wakes up in the care of Lord James Ellerby, a decidedly young, attractive, wealthy (aka -- marriageable) member of the gentry in England, 1833. He finds her face-down in the water after his younger and irresponsible brother wrecks his curricle into the carriage Beth was traveling in... bound at the wrists?
Most odd. As are her dirty fingernails and torn clothes. James and his sister, Catherine, are convinced she's not in service, that she's a member of the gentry as well, but Beth she can't remember who she is, and it's absolutely vital that she does.
A maid in Lord Ellerby's household goes missing, and is later found dead, all because of what Beth can't, for the life of her, remember. She just keeps having the same nightmare over and over, of a hummingbird that turns into a deadly blade.
This was an AWESOME read. I did not see the twist at the end coming, and in mysteries, that's rare for me. My daughter loved the tension between James and Beth, but said it didn't involve too much kissing or "lip-fascination" (see my review of Carol and Chaos -- she didn't like that one as much) to keep her from reading.
After Hummingbird, I put every one of Anstey's books on hold at my public library. The next to come in was Duels. I loved the strong, young woman protagonist, Lydia Whitfield. The mystery is not as well-developed in this one, but it's there -- and good, too, along with the romance!
I loved that she proposes to Lord Barley Aldershot as a way to solve an annoying estate land use dispute with her Uncle and the estate's new manager (did anyone else get that Lord Aldershot's named after a grain - barley -- and this tale starts with concerns about which crops to grow?). Her solicitor's not-quite-yet apprentice, Mr. Robert Newton, responds to Lydia's call and falls head-over-heels in love with her, but also becomes part of the plot to smear Lydia's good name and reputation and blackmail her.
I will not ruin the mystery; enjoyed that bit as much as the romance, although this one was decidedly heavier on romance, than mystery, than Hummingbird was.
My daughter loved it, too!
We read Carols next. It's the Christmas season, after all!
I loved it and immediately realized there was way more kissing and "lip-fascination," as my daughter calls it, in this book than in previous ones because of the three books by Anstey we've read thus far, this is the only one dealing with a love-affair between servants -- lady's maid Kate Darby, of Shakleford Park, and visiting valet Matt Harlow, who serves two of the estate's Christmas guests.
Hint: If you loved the romance between lady's maid Ana and Mr. Bates, of Downton Abbey, then this is the book for you!
The mystery isn't quite as compelling, at first. Johnny, Matt's good friend and young footman to the two gentlemen visiting Shakleford, disappears on a trip to town after he's swindled out of his favorite ring by a man who buys it using a counterfeit coin.
I won't give away the ending, just know, it has a harrowing villain who's totally believable, right up to the end!
