October 4, 2004
Small (Rosamond) delivers another lusty historical, this one set during the reign of King Henry VIII before the bloodletting begins. Now of an age to be wed, Philippa Meredith, eldest daughter of the fair Rosamond Bolton of Friarsgate, is beautiful, canny and stubborn, adept in the ways of court, but not in the ways of the heart. Phillipa's beloved and most colorful uncle, Lord Cambridge, buys her a southern property to make her a more desirable bride after her childhood intended decides on the church instead of marriage. Serendipitously, Crispin St. Claire, the earl of Witton and an interested party in the property, is also an ideal husband candidate and, in return for a rich and well-connected but socially unimportant girl, gets the property he wants as well as a suitable bride. Crispin and Philippa find pleasure in each other's company in and out of bed, but Philippa's headstrong nature and a plot to assassinate the king may destroy the young couple's happiness before it has a chance to blossom. The ever-popular Small knows just what makes her readers swoon and, despite some clumsy, anachronistic prose ("'What is the emergency that I have been summoned to come with such haste?' he asked his cousin. 'The children are alright, aren't they?'") and overuse of cliches such as "love rod," she manages to craft engaging characters as well.
September 15, 2004
Best-seller Small continues her Friarsgate Inheritance series by focusing on Philippa, Rosamund Bolton's willful eldest daughter, who couldn't care less about her mother's beloved estate. Even though she is destined to inherit Friarsgate, Philippa prefers to spend her time at court serving as one of Queen Katherine's maids of honor. When Philippa's fiance, Giles Fitzhugh, unexpectedly breaks their engagement, King Henry VIII and Queen Katherine send Philippa back to Friarsgate, mistakenly thinking she needs time for her wounded affections to heal. Fortunately, one of Philippa's favorite relatives soon arranges a new match with Crispin St. Clair. At first Philippa is certain she can convince Crispin to allow her to continue her service to the queen, but she soon discovers that she prefers spending time with her sexy, soon-to-be-husband rather than dallying at court. Brimming with colorful characters and rich in historical detail, Small's boldly sensual love story is certain to please her many devoted readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)
October 4, 2004
Small (Rosamond) delivers another lusty historical, this one set during the reign of King Henry VIII before the bloodletting begins. Now of an age to be wed, Philippa Meredith, eldest daughter of the fair Rosamond Bolton of Friarsgate, is beautiful, canny and stubborn, adept in the ways of court, but not in the ways of the heart. Phillipa's beloved and most colorful uncle, Lord Cambridge, buys her a southern property to make her a more desirable bride after her childhood intended decides on the church instead of marriage. Serendipitously, Crispin St. Claire, the earl of Witton and an interested party in the property, is also an ideal husband candidate and, in return for a rich and well-connected but socially unimportant girl, gets the property he wants as well as a suitable bride. Crispin and Philippa find pleasure in each other's company in and out of bed, but Philippa's headstrong nature and a plot to assassinate the king may destroy the young couple's happiness before it has a chance to blossom. The ever-popular Small knows just what makes her readers swoon and, despite some clumsy, anachronistic prose ("'What is the emergency that I have been summoned to come with such haste?' he asked his cousin. 'The children are alright, aren't they?'") and overuse of cliches such as "love rod," she manages to craft engaging characters as well.
Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.