Thursday, May 10, 2007

Not Quite A Lady by Loretta Chase


Meh.

Now normally 'meh' should be a C grade but I looked at the books that I graded C and they were worse than this. I guess I was just bored. I loved the way the book started and thought I was in for a treat but things went downhill early.

So, a B-.

Cindy Blurb: Lady Charlotte's story began well. She made a mistake at 16 after her mother's death and became pregnant in 1825 England. Her stepmama and lady in waiting (as I call them) hid the pregnancy (out of love and friendship) from everyone and had the baby boy placed with a good family. The last we see of the child, Charlotte is wishing she didn't have to let him go but she couldn't be a problem to anyone ever again, so the baby was sent away.

Ten years go by and Charlotte is perfect at getting men not to notice her until Darius Carsington is given the property next to hers to prove to his father he can do something other than study books. Being a man who studies husbandry for the most part he is funny in his ability to break down natural urges and thus, he is a rake for real because he knows the male animal.

Bored!

Whoops. Basically they meet, they fall down, they argue, they laugh and have a grand time. The kid shows up. Darius and Charlotte are open with each other and everything gets resolved in the end.

In the end, I was bored.

I was expecting a wonderfully new kind of heroine and got, meh.

I enjoyed the banter between Darius and Charlotte once they got to know each other but other than that, it was all standard fare.

I have had this feeling for a while that maybe I don't 'get' Chase and I think I have now confirmed it. I think in order to keep you all from suffering my 'meh' feelings on an author that you yourself may love, I will have to stop buying her books.

But then, she wrote Mr. Impossible which is all hugged and snuggled and well, ya know, George.

I really need something completely different. Something to shock and delight my senses.

No, not sunlight.

6 comments:

Rosario said...

Haven't read this one yet, so I can't really comment on the review, but I loved one of the tags. "Semi-review", hah!

nath said...

Hey Cindy :D I've been holding off on this one... cos I don't really like Loretta Chase... yeah, she's written some good ones, but most of them are all meh for me... I did skim over it in the bookstore... and I agree with you... bored.

Jennie said...

I liked this way more than you--but I was trying to write up my review and had a hard time figuring out why. There wasn't much conflict and the little that there was was resolved very easily. :shrug:

I guess I just liked the humor and the sweet heroine. Tho the hero was a little meh. ;)

~ames~ said...

You know what? I really didn't like Mr. Impossible. But I liked this one. LOL Go figure.

ReneeW said...

Loved the 'semi-review' :) I enjoyed Lord Perfect (B+) and Mr. Impossible (B) but couldn't make up my mind whether to get this one. But this does sound boring and this baby plot doesn't interest me.

CindyS said...

Rosario - it's hard when you can't quite say what didn't work and so I don't consider it a review as more of just my opinion.

Nath - Yeah, I guess we can't click with all the authors out there - or we'd be poor!

Jennie - I'm glad you liked it. I just wanted more 'umph' and I didn't find it. I think I may need some DRAMA (bad word!) in my next few romances.

Ames - you wound me! ;)

Renee - hmmm, it would probably be a solid B for you then. There was humour and it was a simple romance without a lot of conflict. Not only that, there was no villian even though there is a rival who I was worried would be demonized. I enjoyed the fact that he wasn't and I hope he gets a story. Wait. Didn't I just say I shouldn't buy anymore of her books! Gah.

CindyS