New Book Alert: The Wynters Series: Harriet Disguised by Catherine Dove; Predictable But Fun Escapist Regency Romantic Adventure

New Book Alert: The Wynters Series: Harriet Disguised by Catherine Dove; Predictable But Fun Escapist Regency Romantic Adventure 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: "Meanwhile, back in stately Pemberley Manor…."

That's probably how most Regency Romances started, by the works of Jane Austen and her comedies of manners in which couples who swear that they are not suited for each other end up together. There usually is nothing more tense than a lover's quarrel and a frosty encounter during tea time with one's elderly, disapproving, or meddlesome relatives. All of this is resolved by the end.

Catherine Dove is no exception. Her Regency Romance, The Wynters Series: Harriet Disguised is full of typical Regency Romance tropes: brooding titled noble hero, spunky heroine who bucks traditions, conservative older relatives, usually aunts, that lecture the young ones about how things should be done, an upcoming Season, trips to inns, and misunderstandings and complications that result in the lovers quarreling. Of course, it ends with a romantic proposal and the promise of a happy marriage ever after.

However, Harriet Disguised also takes its cue from another popular genre: the adventure novel. Amidst the lighthearted romance between witty bickering lovers, Dove weaves a tale of missing inheritance, conniving ne'er do wells, treasure, disguises, and narrow escapes. Both the adventurous and romantic aspects give this book a pure escapist feel into that time period that inspired so many authors to explore it.

Sebastian and Harriet Wynters were raised by their archaeologist explorer parents. They had a unique upbringing in which they traveled the world, experienced different cultures and met many people, and were permitted to question everything and challenge standards. Unfortunately, their free spirited childhood and youth came to an end after their parents died and they ended up living in London with their staid aunt, while trying to fit into proper society.

 Sebastian learns that a stranger has a trunk of their late parents' things. Despite Harriet's objections and insistence that she go along, Sebastian goes alone. When he doesn't return, Harriet gets worried. She dons boy's clothes, takes on a male persona, and goes off to the country to look for him.

Meanwhile, a morose Lord Ashurst is out for a night on the town with his friends. He spends that night drinking, carousing, and bemoaning his arranged upcoming marriage to Miss Daphne Maitland. Wanting to get him to lighten up (and maybe sober up), Ashton's friends prank him by putting him in a stagecoach heading for the country. What an unbelievable coincidence, that coach is also carrying a boy with very feminine features and a soft voice who is looking for his missing brother! Yes siree, the other passenger is Harriet Wynters and our two potential lovers are off on a grand adventure.

Actually the high adventures are some of the best parts in the book. There are great moments of suspense such as when Sebastian executes a dangerous escape from his captors. 

Ashton and Harriet assuming disguises and identities while facing potential threats to the Wynters family seems to come out of something like the Scarlet Pimpernel. The plot of these works usually involves a disguised well connected clever hero who takes down some nasty usually titled do badders with sinister designs on some yet to be discovered wealth, maybe an inheritance or treasure. The only major difference is that the disguised hero in this book is a woman!

There are also some interesting moments of plot contrivances where characters converge into the same location such as an out of the way inn which somehow becomes a magnet for all parties involved. The protagonist and antagonist pile up is humorous but has its moments of tension as some characters just barely avoid being found by others and miss the people that they are supposed to catch up with.

The adventure is a bright spot but the Romance, while predictable, has its good points too. Yes we know Ashurst will see right through Harriet's disguise. We know that they will fight constantly and then share a kiss. We know that Ashurst will be drawn to Harriet's spiritedness because she's unlike any woman that he's ever met. We know that Harriet will find the hidden heart inside the brooding nobleman. We've seen it all before and somehow that's comforting.

This isn't the type of book that veers on surprises and it's not supposed to. There are some disappointments towards the end such as when the heroes and villains confront each other and it's hard to keep track of the various schemes and betrayals. Also a final unnecessary complication drags out a final chapter between Ashurst's proposal and Harriet's answer. But for the most part, those flaws can be forgiven in favor of the adventure and romance.

 Harriet Disguised is what it is, a sweet suspenseful romantic adventure in its purest escapist form, a reminder of days gone by of fancy dress, etiquette, swordfight, balls, witty banter, a kiss or two, and the feeling that everything will be alright in the end.

 

Weekly Reader: The Lazy Bachelor (The Rowland Sisters Series Book Two) by Catherine Dove; Darker, but Still Memorable Follow Up to Mr. Harding Proposes

Weekly Reader: The Lazy Bachelor (The Rowland Sisters Series Book Two) by Catherine Dove; Darker, but Still Memorable Follow Up To Mr. Harding Proposes




By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


Spoilers: So we come to another Regency era Romance by Catherine Dove, her second in The Rowland Sisters Series, The Lazy Bachelor. It is the darker older sibling to the previous book.


It has a decent female lead, some interesting moments particularly with two very young orphaned sisters, and while the male protagonist isn't the most likeable, he learns the obligatory lesson becomes a decent guy in the end. But it also has a slight edge which puts such issues as parental death, child abandonment, and class division in the forefront. It is not as light and airy as Mr. Harding Proposes and it certainly isn't meant to be. If the answer to the previous book would be "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" The answer to this would be "Uhhh, I would have to think about it."


Pergerine "Perry" Tyndall is the eponymous bachelor and he certainly lives up to the name. He is the type of guy who would rather coast by with money, looks, and charm rather than anything else. Even though his family is nobility, he doesn't even have to deal with the tedium tasks that come with being a title. That is all left to his cousin, Earl of Shipton. The good news is Shipton is fairly young man in good health. Unfortunately, Shipton is seriously injured. He survived but his near accident fills Perry with terror. If Shipton dies, Perry would have to be an Earl and work...and...stuff.

Unlike some of the more recent male protagonists in period romances that I have read so far, Perry probably begins as the least likeable. Far from The Baron and the Enchantress' Walter who intends to use his wealth to aid others and Mr. Harding Proposes' Richard who has an engaging down to earth personality, Perry offers very little likeability as a romantic lead. He is more farcical in nature, more similar a character from P.G. Wodehouse, broad and humorous than the gentle comedy usually associated with Regency Romance. He is almost too silly to be believable as a romantic lead.


However, he is not a hardhearted man or a snob. He shows some genuine heart, especially in his moments with Frances and Eleanor Armitage, two orphaned sisters. Their plight is not sugarcoated. Both sisters are orphaned at a young age and Frances is someone that comes across as very mature for her age. The two suffer from abandonment issues and are tired of being shuffled around and raised by detached guardians. Perry is just someone who pays money without any emotional involvement until the sisters basically call him out on his attitude. While Perry at first is reluctant, he bonds with the sisters. He helps guide Frances in her interest in men and he has some moments with Eleanor that are just too precious and would melt the hardest of hearts. The Armitage Sisters help turn Perry into a man who takes more involvement in life than just being there.

Another person that helps change Perry's character is Portia Freestone. Perry's appearance and behavior is counterbalanced by the female protagonist, Portia, Perry's cousin by marriage. She harbored an unrequited crush on Perry for years,but is not the type to be noticeable even during her Season. She starts out very shy and has a bit of a sardonic nature that mocks romantic conventions such as when she is told that she has acquired the interest of the local rake by planning on "feigning interest" in her pursuit.

Portia provides a contrast to a familiar face, Cecilia Rowland, the younger of the two sisters. They are extremely different, Cecilia is pretty, flirtatious, and lighthearted. While Portia is considered plain, serious, and quiet. I suppose it is confusing why Cecilia is not the lead female character in a series called The Rowland Sisters, instead of just the close friend of the female lead. Perhaps because of the darker tone, there needed to be a more serious lead to counterbalance Perry's foolishness.

Portia provides a guide to help Perry become a better person. She opens him up to friendship with the Armitage Sisters and occasionally isn't afraid to call him out on his B.S. These are traits that the more frivolous and dizzy Cecilia does not always possess.

If the theme to Mr. Harding Proposes is to accept people as they are, then the theme to The Lazy Bachelor is change, that the right person may like you even love you, but they also will help you become a better person. Through their rocky courtship which involves other pairings and typical mistaken assumptions Perry becomes more active and less self-centered and Portia gains a lot of self-worth and confidence that allows her to help Perry on his journey.

Because Perry begins the book so farcical, but the rest of the book deals with darker subjects, the tone is somewhat uneven but it levels out when Perry becomes more involved in Portia and The Armitage Sisters.

The Lazy Bachelor is a nice continuation to Mr. Harding Proposes, the dark counterpart to Mr. Harding's light. However, they both present lovely romances to bring the Reader back to the Regency era.

Weekly Reader: Mr. Harding Proposes (The Rowland Sisters Book One) by Catherine Dove; Regency-Era Romance Shines With Cute, Fun, Likeable Characters

Weekly Reader: Mr. Harding Proposes (The Rowland Sisters Series Book One) by Catherine Dove; Regency-Era Romance Shines With Cute, Fun, Likeable Characters

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


PopSugar Reading Challenge: A book written by an author with flora and fauna in their name (dove).


Spoilers: If the last set of books that I read such as Laura Preble's Anna Incognito and Matthew S. Cox's The Girl Who Found The Sun ended up making me too uncomfortable because they became frequent even unintentional reminders of current events, then the books that I am reading now are the exact opposite. These books are doing everything they can to get the Reader away from the real world. These books are the ultimate escape from a world in turmoil from a pandemic, first responders and essential workers putting their lives on the line, and conspiracy theorists and impatient protestors who are disobeying pandemic guidelines that could potentially cause premature openings and further illness.


These are the books that are designed to help you forget and one genre that thrives on escapism is Romance. This is the second of three different types of Romances that I am reviewing this week. One Month Only is a modern love story about a couple combining business and love in Tuscany. Two Like Me and You is a breezy humorous YA Novel about two teens falling in love while helping a nongenerean reunite with his lost love.


This one, Catherine Dove's Mr. Harding Proposes is a historical Regency era romance that invokes comparisons to the works of Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde, a humorous little novel that thrives on manners, class structure, and cute lovable couples to help see the Reader through the plot that is fun and lighter than air.

The plot revolves around two sisters, Georgiana AKA Georgie and Cecelia AKA Cecy Rowland. Cecy prepares for her Season where she will be dolled up, attend many balls, soirees, and salons, and is officially declared available for England's Most Eligible Bachelors. Georgie does her best to help her sister through this whirlwind Season while dealing with her own romantic troubles.

Georgie receives a proposal of marriage, but not one that she expects. It comes from the mouth of Mr. Richard Harding, her best friend since childhood. Unfortunately, Richard does it so awkwardly and with his usual jocular teasing tone of voice that Georgie thinks that he is kidding and turns him down.


Meanwhile, there is a character that causes a lot of discomfort and controversy during the social Season. She is Lady Shipton, a former actress made good by an advantageous marriage. Unfortunately, she is the target of much scandal and gossip and many dowagers prefer their daughters to stay away from her including Georgie and Cecy's mother. However, the more that they spend time with Lady Shipton, the more Georgie and Cecy find her charming and helpful.


Mr. Harding Proposes is hardly a deep plot, but it is a lot of fun and the perfect antidote of sunshine for a time of tough stress and darkness. You can't help but root for Georgie and Richard to get together. They are like those couples like Benedick and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing who need to be together because life would be too boring for them otherwise.

Georgie is a character who is extremely smart and liberal minded, perhaps too smart for her own good. She is very intelligent and we'll read the kind of woman who in another time would be a great career woman but is hampered when her only career is finding a husband. Her intelligence and sarcasm unfortunately turns many men off.

However, it also is a virtue for the right kind of people. She is able to tell that one of Cecy's suitors is a cad and is able to handily get rid of him.
She is also able to see through social constraints to see the real
person. This is particularly noticeable in her moments with Lady Shipton, who is certainly a scene stealer and is one of the more interesting characters in the book. (I highly recommend that Dove write a prequel starring a youthful Lady Shipton.) She is able to see beyond the scandalous past to the warm woman underneath.

Lady Shipton arouses the interest of Georgie because of her being so scandalous, but she earns her gratitude when she takes part in getting rid of Cecy's rakish suitor. Georgie also defends her when she begins dating Georgie's uncle much to her mother's shock and chagrin.

Unfortunately, Georgie's intelligence causes her to question everything even Richard's proposal. Her better traits are a detriment as they are with Richard. He is a humorous character, probably in another book would be the plucky comic relief best friend of the lead male. But in his own book that could be a problem when he is sifting through his own love life. He has a quick wit and is often there for Georgie when she needs him. Because of this, he is permanently Regency Friend Zoned.

Georgie confuses his romantic overtures for simple friendship or using her as a safety marriage ("If we are still single at 35 let's marry each other…") . He even questions his own motives, but the two clearly care for each other. There are times when they especially Richard counter romantic expectations knowing that sometimes there is more to love than romantic poetry and beautiful wordy proposals against the backdrop of a scenic lakeview. Sometimes, it is about just being the handy life saver that is just what the other person needs.

Sometimes all you need to get through life is a good Romance and q chance to escape. Mr. Harding Proposes provides that expertly. The answer to the proposal of whether this book should be read is "Yes, yes a thousand times, yes!"