Review: THE MOST IMPROPER MISS SOPHIE VALENTINE by Jayne Fresina

Jayne Fresina’s Regency historical, The Most Improper Sophie Valentine, is an engaging, subversive and very funny story about the masks people wear and the futility of trying to suppress one’s true nature.

Outside, Miss Sophie Valentine is the picture of propriety. Inside, the seethes with frustrated scandalous yearnings. Which is why sent an advertisement for a husband to The Farmers Gazette in the Livestock for Sale section.

Mr. Lazarus Kane answers her ad. He dresses and speaks like a gentleman. But his shoulders are broad, his body work-hardened and his hands rough. And he wants no woman other than Sophie.

The Most Improper Sophie Valentine is a throwback to Jane Austen. Like Miss Austen, Ms. Fresina writes mainly about the minor gentry and the farmers below. I'm tired of reading about rich, powerful noblemen, and this book about people who make their own way with little or no help from others is a welcome change.

Sophie is a delight. She is forthright and opinionated, which is anathema in a world that trains women to be brainless idiots who bow down to men who are even more brainless. For ten long years, she’s tried and failed to make herself over. She’s almost caved in, when Lazarus arrives to prevent her from completely succumbing to the pressure of her ghastly family (except for her aunt) and the appallingly sheeplike townspeople.

I also like Lazarus. He’s survived a hard life and makes no apologies for what he’s had to do. He’s decent, kind, hard-working, intelligent and has secrets. He’s also gorgeous, and we do like our gorgeous heroes. *g*

The Most Improper Sophie Valentine is rich with Regency texture. The characters are true to their time while exhibiting an individuality which refuses to bow down to the wrong-headed ideas of more conventional people. I love how Ms. Fresina mocks the upper classes and their pretentions of superiority by having their actions prove that they’re no better than anyone else.

By turns humorous, serious, emotional and mysterious, the book engages us as we cheer on Sophie and Lazarus and their unconventional courtship.

I liked this book very much. I’ve already pre-ordered Ms. Fresina’s next book, The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne.

Thank you all,
Linda
ARC provided by Sourcebooks

Release Day! AN INHERITANCE FOR THE BIRDS

Today is the release date for my latest Regency comedy novella, An Inheritance for the Birds, the next entry in The Wild Rose Press's Love Letters series. All the stories start with a letter that changes the hero's and heroine's lives. Mine is a letter about an inheritance, but there's a catch...

Available at The Wild Rose Press and Amazon.

Tomorrow, February 2, I'll be at Beth Trissel's blog, One Writer's Way, talking about--you guessed it--ducks!

BLURB:

Make the ducks happy and win an estate!

Mr. Christopher "Kit" Winnington can't believe the letter from his late great-aunt's solicitor. In order to inherit her estate, he must win a contest against her companion, Miss Angela Stratton. Whoever makes his great-aunt's pet ducks happy wins.

A contest: What a cork-brained idea. This Miss Stratton is probably a sly spinster who camouflaged her grasping nature from his good-natured relative. There is no way he will let the estate go to a usurper.

Angela never expected her former employer to name her in her will. Most likely, this Mr. Winnington is a trumped-up jackanapes who expects her to give up without a fight. Well, she is made of sterner stuff.

The ducks quack in avian bliss while Kit and Angela dance a duet of desire as they do their utmost to make the ducks--and themselves--happy.

EXCERPT:
Yawning, he shut the door behind him. Enough ducks and prickly ladies for one day. After dropping his satchel by the bed, he dragged off his clothes and draped them over the chair back. He dug a nightshirt from the valise and donned the garment before he blew out both candles.

Bates had already drawn back the bedclothes. The counterpane was soft under Kit's palm, and covered a featherbed. He grinned. By any chance, had they used the down from the pet ducks to stuff the mattress and pillows?

After tying the bed curtains back, he settled into the soft cocoon and laced his fingers behind his head. Tomorrow, he would have it out with Miss Stratton about the steward's residence, but that was tomorrow. He fluffed up his pillow and turned onto his side…

"QUACK!"

A bundle of flapping, squawking feathers exploded from the depths of the covers and attacked him. Throwing his arms over his head for protection, Kit fell out of bed. He scrambled to his feet and bolted for the door, the thrashing, quacking explosion battering him. A serrated knife edge scraped over his upper arm. "Ow!" Batting at the avian attacker with one hand, he groped for the latch with the other.

The door swung open. Miss Stratton, her candle flame flickering, dashed into the chamber. "Esmeralda, you stop that right now!"

The feathered windstorm quacked once more and, in a graceful arc, fluttered to the floor.

Kit lowered his arms and gave a mental groan. A duck. He should have known.

Thank you all,
Linda

AN INHERITANCE FOR THE BIRDS Coming Feb. 1, 2012

Happy New Year, all!

Exactly one month from today is the release date for my latest Regency comedy novella, An Inheritance for the Birds, the next entry in The Wild Rose Press's Love Letters series. All the novellas start with a letter that changes the hero's and heroine's lives. Mine is a letter about an inheritance, but there's a catch...

Click on the cover to enlarge it.

BLURB:

Make the ducks happy and win an estate!

Mr. Christopher "Kit" Winnington can't believe the letter from his late great-aunt's solicitor. In order to inherit her estate, he must win a contest against her companion, Miss Angela Stratton. Whoever makes his great-aunt's pet ducks happy wins.

A contest: What a cork-brained idea. This Miss Stratton is probably a sly spinster who camouflaged her grasping nature from his good-natured relative. There is no way he will let the estate go to a usurper.

Angela never expected her former employer to name her in her will. Most likely, this Mr. Winnington is a trumped-up jackanapes who expects her to give up without a fight. Well, she is made of sterner stuff.

The ducks quack in avian bliss while Kit and Angela dance a duet of desire as they do their utmost to make the ducks--and themselves--happy.

EXCERPT:
Yawning, he shut the door behind him. Enough ducks and prickly ladies for one day. After dropping his satchel by the bed, he dragged off his clothes and draped them over the chair back. He dug a nightshirt from the valise and donned the garment before he blew out both candles.

Bates had already drawn back the bedclothes. The counterpane was soft under Kit's palm, and covered a featherbed. He grinned. By any chance, had they used the down from the pet ducks to stuff the mattress and pillows?

After tying the bed curtains back, he settled into the soft cocoon and laced his fingers behind his head. Tomorrow, he would have it out with Miss Stratton about the steward's residence, but that was tomorrow. He fluffed up his pillow and turned onto his side…

"QUACK!"

A bundle of flapping, squawking feathers exploded from the depths of the covers and attacked him. Throwing his arms over his head for protection, Kit fell out of bed. He scrambled to his feet and bolted for the door, the thrashing, quacking explosion battering him. A serrated knife edge scraped over his upper arm. "Ow!" Batting at the avian attacker with one hand, he groped for the latch with the other.

The door swung open. Miss Stratton, her candle flame flickering, dashed into the chamber. "Esmeralda, you stop that right now!"

The feathered windstorm quacked once more and, in a graceful arc, fluttered to the floor.

Kit lowered his arms and gave a mental groan. A duck. He should have known.

Thank you all,
Linda