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Richard and Rose #1
Yorkshire
Rose Golightly accompanies her family on a visit to their cousins in Yorkshire, she finds a run down house, not the society gathering she and her sister are hoping for. Lord Hareton has deliberately run down the once great Hareton Abbey until it's a near ruin. The only other guests at Hareton are the twin Kerre brothers, intimidating and haughty leaders of society, together with the fiance of the older brother. When the Earl of Southwood's son and heir, Richard, Lord Strang is badly injured in the same accident that kills her cousins, Rose is forced into the position of nurse--and detective. The attraction between Richard and Rose is instant and undeniable, but Richard is to marry the frigid Julia Cartwright in a few weeks, and has deliberately closed his heart to love. In order to offer Rose his heart he must extricate himself from an engagement he has long come to regret. When they discover that what at first appeared accidental was in fact a deliberate act of sabotage Richard and Rose set out to solve the mystery. Can Rose trust her instincts, ignoring Richard's reputation as a seducer and give him everything she has to offer? Can they clear Rose's family name by discovering her cousins' murderer?
184 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 2008
20 people are currently reading
457 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Connolly
130 books312 followersI was born in Leicester, England, and lived in our cobbler’s shop with my parents and sister. It was an old house and most definitely haunted, but I didn’t find out until I left that my great uncle had hung himself in the living room! But I think our ghost might have been older than that. It was built on the site of the old Roman cemetery, and the land had been constantly inhabited, being in the centre of town. Then, when the council bought the house from us to build a road, my grandfather retired and my father went and worked for the Post Office. My mother was a sample machinist; that is, she worked with designers on the prototypes (models or samples) of garments. So I was very well dressed! We bought a relatively modern house in the country, and my mother was blissfully happy. It’s all very well living in a large old house, but it’s a dreadful task to keep it clean and warm!
My mother's side of the family are Romany gypsies, although sadly we haven't any of the old trailers that are so astonishingly beautiful. I was taught to read the Tarot cards, and I usually use two packs; the Rider pack for simple readings and the Crowley Thoth pack for the complex stuff.
I've always had an interest in the paranormal and it's been a delight to be able to put some of this into my novels.
My mother's side of the family are Romany gypsies, although sadly we haven't any of the old trailers that are so astonishingly beautiful. I was taught to read the Tarot cards, and I usually use two packs; the Rider pack for simple readings and the Crowley Thoth pack for the complex stuff.
I've always had an interest in the paranormal and it's been a delight to be able to put some of this into my novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
September 21, 2009
Rose Golightly and her family are invited to the grand home of the Earl of Hareton in Yorkshire. They are cousins to the present Earl with Rose's eldest brother James being third in line to the succession. But because the current Earl is young and married and has an equally youthful brother, the likelihood of James inheriting is almost nil. Also invited to the Hareton home in Yorkshire are the Kerres. The Kerre brothers, Richard (Lord Strang) and his brother Gervase are identical twins. And they are accompanied by Richard's fiancee, Julia. They are there because Hareton is hoping to finalize an arranged marriage between his brother and the Kerre's younger sister.
When the two parties arrive at the Hareton estate, however, instead of the grand palace and fun house party they expected, they find a crumbling, decaying mess of a house, the present Earl who is under the sway of a religious fanatic and other dark secrets permeating the house.
From there things go downhill. In the midst of the strange goings on in the house, The Kerres and the Golightlys get to know each other. Richard and Rose fall in love, there is attempted murder, various assaults and mystery to be solved.
I had no expectations about this book. I had never heard of the author before, the book was a free download for my Kindle. I figured I'd read a bit, decide if I like it and if not, simply delete it. But I loved it. I really enjoyed it mainly because it wasn't a predictable romance. It wasn't a romance that I had read a thousand times before.
First, there is the hero, Richard. The time period of the book is the Georgian period -- a time of hoops and wigs and powder and patch. A great credit to the author is that she actually uses the fashion of the time. Rose's first glimpse of Richard is when he is in full peacock glory -- maquillage, powered wig, scarlet embroidered waistcoat. He was super high fashion, all languid tones and graceful movements, lace cuffs and impeccable use of the snuff box. It very much brought to mind Heyer's Duke of Avon in These Old Shades. I adore the fact that she is allowing the hero be a man of his time. In the hands of a more conventional author, she may have been tempted to make him 'masculine' based on modern tropes of masculinity and played down the make-up and wigs or disdaining them. I am so glad she didn't and his make-up and wigs in no way detract from his authority, sexiness and masculinity. As a matter of fact, they are very much a mask in truth that he puts on for society and one that he takes great comfort in.
Second, Rose and Richard fall in love right away. I know some people really have a preference against this, feeling like it is not realistic, but I think the author does a very good job making them believable. It is love at first sight for him and a bit later for her. But they fall in love and acknowledge it. Again, in the hands of another writer, she may have taken the more conventional approach of making them hate each other on sight, or lust for each other but distrust each other or create the "grand misunderstanding." But Connolly does neither of these. Instead Richard and Rose's conflict comes from the convention of their times. He is contracted to marry another woman and he can't just break it off. They want each other and they can't have each other for a very real reason, not a contrived one. And the two of them must face and question the effect of Richard possibly breaching the contract would have on them, their reputations and their families' reputations and finances.
Third, the supporting characters are wonderful. Especially Lizzie and Gervase. Lizzie is Rose's younger more beautiful sister. Rose has always felt in Lizzie's shadow. But the sisters are close and affectionate. Lizzie is ambitious. She wants to go to London, have a season and make a great match. She wants beautiful clothes and she really wants to make a splash. The author could have stopped there and made Lizzie like so many other beautiful younger sisters that populate romance novels. But she didn't. She gave Lizzie quite a bit more depth. She's smart, incisive and is actually much more of a realist and pragmatist than even her pragmatic older sister Rose. Connolly doesn't allow the reader to dismiss Lizzie as just a beautiful younger sister. And likewise she gives Gervase, Richard's twin a compelling backstory and depth as well.
And finally the plot was great fun. At first it seemed almost like a gothic romance, but then the mystery kicks in and then the love story starts rolling and you just sit back and enjoy the ride.
I really, really enjoyed this book. And this free download prompted me to buy the other three books of the Richard & Rose series.
Highly recommend!
When the two parties arrive at the Hareton estate, however, instead of the grand palace and fun house party they expected, they find a crumbling, decaying mess of a house, the present Earl who is under the sway of a religious fanatic and other dark secrets permeating the house.
From there things go downhill. In the midst of the strange goings on in the house, The Kerres and the Golightlys get to know each other. Richard and Rose fall in love, there is attempted murder, various assaults and mystery to be solved.
I had no expectations about this book. I had never heard of the author before, the book was a free download for my Kindle. I figured I'd read a bit, decide if I like it and if not, simply delete it. But I loved it. I really enjoyed it mainly because it wasn't a predictable romance. It wasn't a romance that I had read a thousand times before.
First, there is the hero, Richard. The time period of the book is the Georgian period -- a time of hoops and wigs and powder and patch. A great credit to the author is that she actually uses the fashion of the time. Rose's first glimpse of Richard is when he is in full peacock glory -- maquillage, powered wig, scarlet embroidered waistcoat. He was super high fashion, all languid tones and graceful movements, lace cuffs and impeccable use of the snuff box. It very much brought to mind Heyer's Duke of Avon in These Old Shades. I adore the fact that she is allowing the hero be a man of his time. In the hands of a more conventional author, she may have been tempted to make him 'masculine' based on modern tropes of masculinity and played down the make-up and wigs or disdaining them. I am so glad she didn't and his make-up and wigs in no way detract from his authority, sexiness and masculinity. As a matter of fact, they are very much a mask in truth that he puts on for society and one that he takes great comfort in.
Second, Rose and Richard fall in love right away. I know some people really have a preference against this, feeling like it is not realistic, but I think the author does a very good job making them believable. It is love at first sight for him and a bit later for her. But they fall in love and acknowledge it. Again, in the hands of another writer, she may have taken the more conventional approach of making them hate each other on sight, or lust for each other but distrust each other or create the "grand misunderstanding." But Connolly does neither of these. Instead Richard and Rose's conflict comes from the convention of their times. He is contracted to marry another woman and he can't just break it off. They want each other and they can't have each other for a very real reason, not a contrived one. And the two of them must face and question the effect of Richard possibly breaching the contract would have on them, their reputations and their families' reputations and finances.
Third, the supporting characters are wonderful. Especially Lizzie and Gervase. Lizzie is Rose's younger more beautiful sister. Rose has always felt in Lizzie's shadow. But the sisters are close and affectionate. Lizzie is ambitious. She wants to go to London, have a season and make a great match. She wants beautiful clothes and she really wants to make a splash. The author could have stopped there and made Lizzie like so many other beautiful younger sisters that populate romance novels. But she didn't. She gave Lizzie quite a bit more depth. She's smart, incisive and is actually much more of a realist and pragmatist than even her pragmatic older sister Rose. Connolly doesn't allow the reader to dismiss Lizzie as just a beautiful younger sister. And likewise she gives Gervase, Richard's twin a compelling backstory and depth as well.
And finally the plot was great fun. At first it seemed almost like a gothic romance, but then the mystery kicks in and then the love story starts rolling and you just sit back and enjoy the ride.
I really, really enjoyed this book. And this free download prompted me to buy the other three books of the Richard & Rose series.
Highly recommend!
August 1, 2011
I very much enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading more of the series. I don't really believe in love at first sight, (lust at first sight, yeah, THAT I believe) but allowed myself to ignore my beliefs and just go with the flow of the relationship between Rose and Richard. Their relationship was really touching and sweet. I didn't think I would like Richard at first, when we were first shown him, he was dressed like a peacock complete with wig and makeup. Rose's thoughts at this first meeting were that he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. I guess we are just so used to most modern authors of this period showing us what we modern day people would find appealing rather than as it actually was. This story felt to me like it was actually written in the late 1700's rather than a modern day author. I loved the very gothic feel and wonderful descriptions to this story as well as the well developed personalities of the characters.
There were two big issues that Rose and Richard were dealing with. The first was the apparent tampering with a carriage that caused the deaths of Rose's cousins and Richards betrothal to Miss Cartwright in which she refused to break the engagement.
I would loved to have given this 5 stars, but there were too many editing errors that made me have to stop and reread in order to understand what was trying to be said. Also with 2 Miss Cartwright's and too many Hareton persons I had to work too hard to figure out which they were talking about. The story was narrated in 1st person, which is something I actually like, but I know a lot of readers can't deal with that.
There were two big issues that Rose and Richard were dealing with. The first was the apparent tampering with a carriage that caused the deaths of Rose's cousins and Richards betrothal to Miss Cartwright in which she refused to break the engagement.
I would loved to have given this 5 stars, but there were too many editing errors that made me have to stop and reread in order to understand what was trying to be said. Also with 2 Miss Cartwright's and too many Hareton persons I had to work too hard to figure out which they were talking about. The story was narrated in 1st person, which is something I actually like, but I know a lot of readers can't deal with that.
September 24, 2009
Well, I was wondering why they were giving away such a long book for free, and I promptly got my answer. They obviously had to.
This story just didn't work for me, simple as that. The major problem was the first-person narrative that more often doesn't work in stories (at least from my point of view). I just didn't care for Rose's narrative voice and POV.
The second problem was the huge suspension of disbelief needed at the very beginning of the "romance" between Rose and Richard. They just fell in love, like that, wham-bam, one moment they didn't know the other existed and the next they were suddenly in love. I'm all for such love-at-first-sight twists, but this one was a little too unbelievable for my liking.
Third problem was, as is becoming more and more of a pattern in my reading, the heroine. If you ask me, Rose was a bit too "meh" to be a heroine, especially in this day and age of kick-ass, stubborn, determined heroines. Even the sometimes too stubborn, downright annoying heroines are better than "meh", don't you think? At least her behavior keeps your blood pumping, gives you a headache. A "meh" heroine inspires only a "meh" reaction. I don't like "meh" heroines.
So the fourth problem is becoming evident. This story was just too darn long.
The only thing marginally working for this book was the suspense/mystery part, but even that one fizzled quickly.
A very "meh" book.
This story just didn't work for me, simple as that. The major problem was the first-person narrative that more often doesn't work in stories (at least from my point of view). I just didn't care for Rose's narrative voice and POV.
The second problem was the huge suspension of disbelief needed at the very beginning of the "romance" between Rose and Richard. They just fell in love, like that, wham-bam, one moment they didn't know the other existed and the next they were suddenly in love. I'm all for such love-at-first-sight twists, but this one was a little too unbelievable for my liking.
Third problem was, as is becoming more and more of a pattern in my reading, the heroine. If you ask me, Rose was a bit too "meh" to be a heroine, especially in this day and age of kick-ass, stubborn, determined heroines. Even the sometimes too stubborn, downright annoying heroines are better than "meh", don't you think? At least her behavior keeps your blood pumping, gives you a headache. A "meh" heroine inspires only a "meh" reaction. I don't like "meh" heroines.
So the fourth problem is becoming evident. This story was just too darn long.
The only thing marginally working for this book was the suspense/mystery part, but even that one fizzled quickly.
A very "meh" book.
May 15, 2015
reread 5/2015
May 18, 2021
Not bad. I won't complain about the insta-love because that's what made this kinda fun. It was a campy, over the top, whodunit type book- so why not throw the grand passion in there? I did really enjoy the author making her hero dress in full romantic baroque clothing- wigs and all. I just loved that!
May 18, 2008
Another of my rereads this Yorkshire and another very good read.
Rose Golightly accompanies her family on a visit to their cousins in Yorkshire, she finds a run down house, not the society gathering she and her sister are hoping for. Lord Hareton has deliberately run down the once great Hareton Abbey until it’s a near ruin. The only other guests at Hareton are the twin Kerre brothers, intimidating and haughty leaders of society, together with the fiancée of the older brother.
When the Earl of Southwood’s son and heir, Richard, Lord Strang is badly injured in the same accident that kills her cousins, Rose is forced into the position of nurse--and detective. The attraction between Richard and Rose is instant and undeniable, but Richard is to marry the frigid Julia Cartwright in a few weeks, and has deliberately closed his heart to love. In order to offer Rose his heart he must extricate himself from an engagement he has long come to regret.
When they discover that what at first appeared accidental was in fact a deliberate act of sabotage Richard and Rose set out to solve the mystery. Can Rose trust her instincts, ignoring Richard's reputation as a seducer and give him everything she has to offer? Can they clear Rose's family name by discovering her cousins’ murderer?
The book is written in the first person from Rose's point of view. it doesn't work with every story but in the right one it can be just the thing and I quite liked it. Rose Golightly and Richard Kerre meet in unusual circumstances. While she is already on the shelf and a country girl he is used to go about seducing married ladies in society and is presently contracted to marry another young lady. We get to know Rose's thoughts and her surprise at Richard's feelings towards her and how she deals with it. Especially how difficult it is for her to believe he loves her and how could there be a happy ending when he is supposed to marry someone else. One thing about Richard is that he is determined to win Rose and marry her no matter what. I liked that! Another thing I liked in the book is the atmosphere, manners, behaviours and conversations nothing is out of place. Rose is a very sensible girl, she analises her feelings and proceeds accordingly.
The book is also centered around the mystery of who provoked the accident that killed the Earl of Hareton, his heir and injured Richard. I found the mystery was very interesting and added something to the story without overwhelming the romance. All in all a very solid story with interesting characters and I'm hoping the other books in the series will be released soon.
Grade: B+
Rose Golightly accompanies her family on a visit to their cousins in Yorkshire, she finds a run down house, not the society gathering she and her sister are hoping for. Lord Hareton has deliberately run down the once great Hareton Abbey until it’s a near ruin. The only other guests at Hareton are the twin Kerre brothers, intimidating and haughty leaders of society, together with the fiancée of the older brother.
When the Earl of Southwood’s son and heir, Richard, Lord Strang is badly injured in the same accident that kills her cousins, Rose is forced into the position of nurse--and detective. The attraction between Richard and Rose is instant and undeniable, but Richard is to marry the frigid Julia Cartwright in a few weeks, and has deliberately closed his heart to love. In order to offer Rose his heart he must extricate himself from an engagement he has long come to regret.
When they discover that what at first appeared accidental was in fact a deliberate act of sabotage Richard and Rose set out to solve the mystery. Can Rose trust her instincts, ignoring Richard's reputation as a seducer and give him everything she has to offer? Can they clear Rose's family name by discovering her cousins’ murderer?
The book is written in the first person from Rose's point of view. it doesn't work with every story but in the right one it can be just the thing and I quite liked it. Rose Golightly and Richard Kerre meet in unusual circumstances. While she is already on the shelf and a country girl he is used to go about seducing married ladies in society and is presently contracted to marry another young lady. We get to know Rose's thoughts and her surprise at Richard's feelings towards her and how she deals with it. Especially how difficult it is for her to believe he loves her and how could there be a happy ending when he is supposed to marry someone else. One thing about Richard is that he is determined to win Rose and marry her no matter what. I liked that! Another thing I liked in the book is the atmosphere, manners, behaviours and conversations nothing is out of place. Rose is a very sensible girl, she analises her feelings and proceeds accordingly.
The book is also centered around the mystery of who provoked the accident that killed the Earl of Hareton, his heir and injured Richard. I found the mystery was very interesting and added something to the story without overwhelming the romance. All in all a very solid story with interesting characters and I'm hoping the other books in the series will be released soon.
Grade: B+
September 2, 2009
I momentarily wondered, at one point, if this story was supposed to be some kind of paranormal because the characters fell in love so fast--literally at first sight!--that I thought perhaps some magic was involved. It felt ridiculous reading about two characters professing their love and devotion to one another when they'd only just met, and had hardly spoken to one another before that point.
Also, I really didn't like that the story was told in first person. I generally don't mind first person stories, but the first person narration didn't work here for me. I think because I didn't really enjoy Rose's voice.
Rose was a bit too docile a heroine for my liking. For all that she's supposed to be clever, she fails to see obvious solutions and makes some foolish choices. For instance, Rose decides she wants to spend at least one night with Richard before he leaves the estate to talk to his father about the marriage contract, and tries to convince him to sleep with her. But she still has all these doubts that she thinks will be assuaged after they're intimate:
"If he went away and never returned, I'd always wonder, never moving on with my life. I had to know for sure if this was real, or if he was playing with me. He said he wanted me, but how did I know if he didn't say that to anyone? Deep down I felt the truth of what he told me, but I didn't trust myself enough to believe it."
Risking social ruin to sleep with a man you're not even completely sure of, partly to determine if you are sure of him, seemed very naive and imprudent for a supposedly smart heroine.
I think a lot of my incredulity regarding Richard and Rose's relationship came from the lack of development. As a reader, I felt I had to take a lot on faith such as the fact that Richard and Rose are deeply in love with one another. Sure, we're told Richard and Rose love each other, but we don't actually see them fall in love. They just meet, a couple pages later they tell one another they're in love, and then from then on the story is half about them finding a way to be together. I was left wondering why they loved each other so much, and what exactly they loved about one another. I just didn't see it. And some of the dialogue made my eyes roll, particularly Richard's endearments to Rose: "My heart's treasure, oh my dearest love." It just sounded so cheesy.
As for the mystery plot, it was okay. It wasn't a very compelling mystery, and I figured out whodunit before the characters did, but it wasn't bad. This honestly wasn't a bad book, it just didn't work for me. The characters and their story just didn't appeal.
Also, I really didn't like that the story was told in first person. I generally don't mind first person stories, but the first person narration didn't work here for me. I think because I didn't really enjoy Rose's voice.
Rose was a bit too docile a heroine for my liking. For all that she's supposed to be clever, she fails to see obvious solutions and makes some foolish choices. For instance, Rose decides she wants to spend at least one night with Richard before he leaves the estate to talk to his father about the marriage contract, and tries to convince him to sleep with her. But she still has all these doubts that she thinks will be assuaged after they're intimate:
"If he went away and never returned, I'd always wonder, never moving on with my life. I had to know for sure if this was real, or if he was playing with me. He said he wanted me, but how did I know if he didn't say that to anyone? Deep down I felt the truth of what he told me, but I didn't trust myself enough to believe it."
Risking social ruin to sleep with a man you're not even completely sure of, partly to determine if you are sure of him, seemed very naive and imprudent for a supposedly smart heroine.
I think a lot of my incredulity regarding Richard and Rose's relationship came from the lack of development. As a reader, I felt I had to take a lot on faith such as the fact that Richard and Rose are deeply in love with one another. Sure, we're told Richard and Rose love each other, but we don't actually see them fall in love. They just meet, a couple pages later they tell one another they're in love, and then from then on the story is half about them finding a way to be together. I was left wondering why they loved each other so much, and what exactly they loved about one another. I just didn't see it. And some of the dialogue made my eyes roll, particularly Richard's endearments to Rose: "My heart's treasure, oh my dearest love." It just sounded so cheesy.
As for the mystery plot, it was okay. It wasn't a very compelling mystery, and I figured out whodunit before the characters did, but it wasn't bad. This honestly wasn't a bad book, it just didn't work for me. The characters and their story just didn't appeal.
August 26, 2012
Lynne Connolly was a new author for me and I am so very excited to have found her!
I purchased the Kindle download of this book largely based on Tina's fabulous review (Here's the link if you care to check it out http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... )and reinforced by Jill's hearty recommendation.
Tina makes excellent points regarding Ms. Connolly's impeccable period details. As a stickler for such details, I couldn't agree more(especially pertaining to Richard who is now at the top of my historical hotties list!).
I will also add that Ms. Connolly is one of several excellent authors (to include our own Christy English) who has now made me a believer in first person narratives. I would not have imagined it working so well in a romance, as compared to biographical fiction, but it did work in this case - superbly.
While I won't go into details of the plot in my brief review, it is a nice balance of romance and intrigue with wonderfully human characters. I found I could immediately relate to Rose as the story unfolded through her eyes, especially as she discovers a love and passion she never could have foreseen with Richard Kerre, Lord Strang.
The sexual tension between Richard and Rose and the scenes of growing intimacy as they attempt to solve a mystery are very well done - neither gratuitous nor overly graphic. Although I would have liked a bit more direct interaction between Richard and Rose at their first meeting in order to make the "love at first sight" a bit more believable, in the end it truly wasn't all that hard to swallow.
As a self-professed Georgian Junkie I really loved this book and plan to read the rest of the series in the very near future. Highly recommended with 5 stars.
POST SCRPIT: This is currently a $2.00 Kindle download
http://www.amazon.com/Yorkshire-Richa...
$2.25 on Nook:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/York...
I purchased the Kindle download of this book largely based on Tina's fabulous review (Here's the link if you care to check it out http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... )and reinforced by Jill's hearty recommendation.
Tina makes excellent points regarding Ms. Connolly's impeccable period details. As a stickler for such details, I couldn't agree more(especially pertaining to Richard who is now at the top of my historical hotties list!).
I will also add that Ms. Connolly is one of several excellent authors (to include our own Christy English) who has now made me a believer in first person narratives. I would not have imagined it working so well in a romance, as compared to biographical fiction, but it did work in this case - superbly.
While I won't go into details of the plot in my brief review, it is a nice balance of romance and intrigue with wonderfully human characters. I found I could immediately relate to Rose as the story unfolded through her eyes, especially as she discovers a love and passion she never could have foreseen with Richard Kerre, Lord Strang.
The sexual tension between Richard and Rose and the scenes of growing intimacy as they attempt to solve a mystery are very well done - neither gratuitous nor overly graphic. Although I would have liked a bit more direct interaction between Richard and Rose at their first meeting in order to make the "love at first sight" a bit more believable, in the end it truly wasn't all that hard to swallow.
As a self-professed Georgian Junkie I really loved this book and plan to read the rest of the series in the very near future. Highly recommended with 5 stars.
POST SCRPIT: This is currently a $2.00 Kindle download
http://www.amazon.com/Yorkshire-Richa...
$2.25 on Nook:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/York...
May 16, 2011
Lynne Connolly was a new author for me and I am so very excited to have found her!
I purchased the Kindle download of this book largely based on Tina's fabulous review (Here's the link if you care to check it out http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... )and reinforced by Jill's hearty recommendation.
Tina makes excellent points regarding Ms. Connolly's impeccable period details. As a stickler for such details, I couldn't agree more(especially pertaining to Richard who is now at the top of my historical hotties list!).
I will also add that Ms. Connolly is one of several excellent authors (to include our own Christy English) who has now made me a believer in first person narratives. I would not have imagined it working so well in a romance, as compared to biographical fiction, but it did work in this case - superbly.
While I won't go into details of the plot in my brief review, it is a nice balance of romance and intrigue with wonderfully human characters. I found I could immediately relate to Rose as the story unfolded through her eyes, especially as she discovers a love and passion she never could have foreseen with Richard Kerre, Lord Strang.
The sexual tension between Richard and Rose and the scenes of growing intimacy as they attempt to solve a mystery are very well done - neither gratuitous nor overly graphic. Although I would have liked a bit more direct interaction between Richard and Rose at their first meeting in order to make the "love at first sight" a bit more believable, in the end it truly wasn't all that hard to swallow.
As a self-professed Georgian Junkie I really loved this book and plan to read the rest of the series in the very near future. Highly recommended with 5 stars.
POST SCRPIT: This is currently a $2.00 Kindle download
http://www.amazon.com/Yorkshire-Richa...
$2.25 on Nook:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/York...
I purchased the Kindle download of this book largely based on Tina's fabulous review (Here's the link if you care to check it out http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... )and reinforced by Jill's hearty recommendation.
Tina makes excellent points regarding Ms. Connolly's impeccable period details. As a stickler for such details, I couldn't agree more(especially pertaining to Richard who is now at the top of my historical hotties list!).
I will also add that Ms. Connolly is one of several excellent authors (to include our own Christy English) who has now made me a believer in first person narratives. I would not have imagined it working so well in a romance, as compared to biographical fiction, but it did work in this case - superbly.
While I won't go into details of the plot in my brief review, it is a nice balance of romance and intrigue with wonderfully human characters. I found I could immediately relate to Rose as the story unfolded through her eyes, especially as she discovers a love and passion she never could have foreseen with Richard Kerre, Lord Strang.
The sexual tension between Richard and Rose and the scenes of growing intimacy as they attempt to solve a mystery are very well done - neither gratuitous nor overly graphic. Although I would have liked a bit more direct interaction between Richard and Rose at their first meeting in order to make the "love at first sight" a bit more believable, in the end it truly wasn't all that hard to swallow.
As a self-professed Georgian Junkie I really loved this book and plan to read the rest of the series in the very near future. Highly recommended with 5 stars.
POST SCRPIT: This is currently a $2.00 Kindle download
http://www.amazon.com/Yorkshire-Richa...
$2.25 on Nook:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/York...
April 16, 2009
Finally a chance to read one of Lynne's books! I enjoyed it very much, although at the beginning I was rather confused about the two earls and who was it who died??? The old one was clear but who was the other guy? So that was not so obvious to me and even though I went back and tried to sort it out I remained confused. Likewise with the twins, although it became very clear as the book progressed, at one point I went back because I wasn't sure who was who. There were a few typos which irritated me, mainly I think because I "know" Lynne from various book groups on the internet. I jotted them down, but wonder if she'd want to hear about them or not. (and now I've left my copy in mallorca so couldn't tell her until the summer anyway). I was planning to finish this on the trip home, but ended up not being able to put it down the night before. Have to try to find the others in the series at an accessible price!!!
May 13, 2012
this Regency era novel throws together members of the gentry who come into town for a supposed wedding, and end up having a funeral instead. This novel, like many others, has a modern take on love/relationships, but actually has a plot, instead of being a thinly disguised cover for sex in corsets. Many of the constraints of class and circumstance are present, but at the same time, seem a bit too easily overthrown. Still, I'm interested in what will happen to Rose, the "spinster" heroine, in the next book.
November 11, 2022
A nice build up in the book created a good romance novel I would recommend.
Everything was there. Strong-willed woman and man who found each other amidst scandal, religious venom and murder. An abused wife who whimpers away behind a coldhearted father. Untrusted servants and an old run down castle speaking of neglect and utter confusion. To bring you a beautifully written love story. I can not wait to read the rest of the series.
Everything was there. Strong-willed woman and man who found each other amidst scandal, religious venom and murder. An abused wife who whimpers away behind a coldhearted father. Untrusted servants and an old run down castle speaking of neglect and utter confusion. To bring you a beautifully written love story. I can not wait to read the rest of the series.
July 2, 2012
I loved the love story. Richard and Rose came to life for me. The only complaint was I did not like the pace though, that may just be me. It just seemed to take forever for things to happen. It was a charming story though, and I look forward to reading more of her books.
March 12, 2024
*happy sigh* I adore this book and the series that follows it. So. Good. Wonderful worldbuilding—yes, in a historical—mystery, and romance. Love!
March 9, 2012
I was sucked into this series because Amazon offered the first for free on kindle. I like the characters a lot, even if the plots are less than spectacular. Worth the read, though.
May 8, 2023
Notes for self, for series:
I don't understand why this is rated so low. Perhaps because it's Georgian not Regency? But I know I enjoyed its complex manners, characters, & more, enough to read several of the series once, then years later re/read to at least #6.5. But it was long enough ago that I don't recall what years or on which devices (Sony ereader, Kobos, or iPads; not Kindle as last purchased (& least liked)) or even if I finished the series. Wish I'd kept up Calibre library on iMac, but I think these are all clouded. 4+->5☆
I don't understand why this is rated so low. Perhaps because it's Georgian not Regency? But I know I enjoyed its complex manners, characters, & more, enough to read several of the series once, then years later re/read to at least #6.5. But it was long enough ago that I don't recall what years or on which devices (Sony ereader, Kobos, or iPads; not Kindle as last purchased (& least liked)) or even if I finished the series. Wish I'd kept up Calibre library on iMac, but I think these are all clouded. 4+->5☆
May 17, 2011
Well, what can I say? The Golden Nib speaks for itself, but my feelings on Yorkshire go deeper than giving a top score. I wanted a day of curling up on the sofa with a good book, and I wanted historical. Thankfully I had Yorkshire, and I opened the book expecting a lot. I wanted a lot—emotions, that beauty you get from historical works, first person perspective, and I wanted to be swept away. My expectations were very high, but I did not expect to have every one of them met and then some.
Yorkshire has a beautiful, ethereal quality to it where I was just carried along with the characters on an effortless current. The clothing, the scenery, the society, and the wording was a perfect fit for me and the mood I was in.
From the first line I was hooked. Rose is such a lovely woman, always in the shadow of her pretty sister, afraid, at 25, that she’s doomed to stay on the shelf and be the aunt who looks after the nieces and nephews. She has never felt beautiful, doesn’t see herself as such, and her humble view of herself is so touching it really got to me. I saw her as beautiful because of the person she is, and Richard, Lord Strang, saw her the same way. And I bloody loved him for it.
Richard…rumours surround him, follow him everywhere he goes due to his past as a libertine. A past he chose to create because of something that happened to his twin brother—no plot spoilers from me. His devotion to his twin shone brightly and endeared me to him even more. And I loved the way he acted so cold and calculating but underneath he wasn’t. And Rose knew he wasn’t, going with her instincts on the shot of love she got when he entered her life, and I cheered her on for that. My God, these two are so beautifully crafted that they surely must have existed in the past. They are that real it’s like they were real, that somewhere back in time these two were alive.
The sexual tension between Rose and Richard isn’t that hot, crazy erotic stuff that gets you all afluster, but this magnificent, incredibly beautiful experience that holds you like a hug, and you suck in your breath waiting for that moment, and when it came, when they met alone in the stable…my goodness, my reaction shocked me. I gasped, held my breath, put my hand to my throat, and wanted to cry. Really cry. I can give no explanation as to why their meeting got me this way, only that it did, and I will never, ever forget it. It got me that much I even emailed my friend about it.
So with their feelings known, and Richard showing a side of himself he has only shown one other—his brother—I got to see his small gestures of caring for Rose when, because of rules and propriety, he couldn’t rightly show them in public. Richard is promised to a horrible woman who, I admit, I wanted to hurt quite badly (LOL), and in one scene he walks from the room and just about brushes his hand across Rose’s so that she knows he wants to touch her, to be with her. That was another moment that had me in awe, because he risked a lot to do that. If someone had seen… But he did it, showing his love for Rose, and I loved him even more.
As well as this delightful pair, Yorkshire has a cast of characters that all blend well—none stick out as extras, they all belong—and I got to know them through Rose’s eyes. Ms. Connolly has a way with first person where it’s not like you’re just seeing it from one point of view. All characters are drawn perfectly, and not only did I hate the woman Richard was promised to, Miss Cartwright, but also Steven Drury, an utter pig who fancied himself promised to Rose and wouldn’t leave her alone. At every moment he could, he waylaid her, and he repulsed me so badly I muttered nasty things about him whenever he appeared.
When trouble is afoot and the main characters have to work out who did a despicable act and why, Yorkshire enters a lovely phase where, because the characters can’t just go about accusing people as we maybe would nowadays, they had to act properly and pick their moments. It’s tense in places, deliciously so, and when I had to break from reading—ARGH!—to collect my daughter from school, on the walk there I was trying to work out who had done it and what their motive was. I suspected the wrong person entirely, all because of Ms. Connolly’s clever way of having my mind diverted elsewhere.
There are some adorable phrases in Yorkshire that I loved and admired, and the writing is so lush that it isn’t difficult to imagine you’re in the book with everyone, taking part in everything. So this brings me to the fact I have 13 “Best Bits”, and I’ve had a look to see if I can cut them down for this review and I can’t. Each one of them touched me for a variety of reasons, and I loved them all.
Yorkshire took my breath away, literally, and gave me a spectacular look into the past. I’m so very thankful this is a series, because five minutes after I finished the book, I wanted more. I was lost without everyone, but my head was still filled with them, and there will always be a space in my heart and mind for these people. Ms. Connolly delivered a fantastic story that I will carry around forever. Historical, first person, Lynne Connolly = Heaven.
Yorkshire has a beautiful, ethereal quality to it where I was just carried along with the characters on an effortless current. The clothing, the scenery, the society, and the wording was a perfect fit for me and the mood I was in.
From the first line I was hooked. Rose is such a lovely woman, always in the shadow of her pretty sister, afraid, at 25, that she’s doomed to stay on the shelf and be the aunt who looks after the nieces and nephews. She has never felt beautiful, doesn’t see herself as such, and her humble view of herself is so touching it really got to me. I saw her as beautiful because of the person she is, and Richard, Lord Strang, saw her the same way. And I bloody loved him for it.
Richard…rumours surround him, follow him everywhere he goes due to his past as a libertine. A past he chose to create because of something that happened to his twin brother—no plot spoilers from me. His devotion to his twin shone brightly and endeared me to him even more. And I loved the way he acted so cold and calculating but underneath he wasn’t. And Rose knew he wasn’t, going with her instincts on the shot of love she got when he entered her life, and I cheered her on for that. My God, these two are so beautifully crafted that they surely must have existed in the past. They are that real it’s like they were real, that somewhere back in time these two were alive.
The sexual tension between Rose and Richard isn’t that hot, crazy erotic stuff that gets you all afluster, but this magnificent, incredibly beautiful experience that holds you like a hug, and you suck in your breath waiting for that moment, and when it came, when they met alone in the stable…my goodness, my reaction shocked me. I gasped, held my breath, put my hand to my throat, and wanted to cry. Really cry. I can give no explanation as to why their meeting got me this way, only that it did, and I will never, ever forget it. It got me that much I even emailed my friend about it.
So with their feelings known, and Richard showing a side of himself he has only shown one other—his brother—I got to see his small gestures of caring for Rose when, because of rules and propriety, he couldn’t rightly show them in public. Richard is promised to a horrible woman who, I admit, I wanted to hurt quite badly (LOL), and in one scene he walks from the room and just about brushes his hand across Rose’s so that she knows he wants to touch her, to be with her. That was another moment that had me in awe, because he risked a lot to do that. If someone had seen… But he did it, showing his love for Rose, and I loved him even more.
As well as this delightful pair, Yorkshire has a cast of characters that all blend well—none stick out as extras, they all belong—and I got to know them through Rose’s eyes. Ms. Connolly has a way with first person where it’s not like you’re just seeing it from one point of view. All characters are drawn perfectly, and not only did I hate the woman Richard was promised to, Miss Cartwright, but also Steven Drury, an utter pig who fancied himself promised to Rose and wouldn’t leave her alone. At every moment he could, he waylaid her, and he repulsed me so badly I muttered nasty things about him whenever he appeared.
When trouble is afoot and the main characters have to work out who did a despicable act and why, Yorkshire enters a lovely phase where, because the characters can’t just go about accusing people as we maybe would nowadays, they had to act properly and pick their moments. It’s tense in places, deliciously so, and when I had to break from reading—ARGH!—to collect my daughter from school, on the walk there I was trying to work out who had done it and what their motive was. I suspected the wrong person entirely, all because of Ms. Connolly’s clever way of having my mind diverted elsewhere.
There are some adorable phrases in Yorkshire that I loved and admired, and the writing is so lush that it isn’t difficult to imagine you’re in the book with everyone, taking part in everything. So this brings me to the fact I have 13 “Best Bits”, and I’ve had a look to see if I can cut them down for this review and I can’t. Each one of them touched me for a variety of reasons, and I loved them all.
Yorkshire took my breath away, literally, and gave me a spectacular look into the past. I’m so very thankful this is a series, because five minutes after I finished the book, I wanted more. I was lost without everyone, but my head was still filled with them, and there will always be a space in my heart and mind for these people. Ms. Connolly delivered a fantastic story that I will carry around forever. Historical, first person, Lynne Connolly = Heaven.
June 30, 2018
1.5 stars.
February 25, 2012
I've been carrying the first five Richard & Rose books for a few years, now. I finally read "Yorkshire" and I liked it very much. The atmosphere, speech, and historical world-building are very believeable and English. The story involves a murder mystery that, on a scale of 1-10 probably qualified as a "5." There were some good suspects but the culprit is semi-obvious if you're paying attention.
As other reviewers have noted, "Yorkshire" features an "instalove" relationship between Richard and Rose. Normally I would fuss about this, BUT I grudgingly conceded that Connolly's effort is one of the best instalove romances I've ever read. Richard and Rose are both beautifully drawn, well-developed characters and given their respective backgrounds and the time period in which they lived, I see it as very credible these two people could meet at a time when both are "ripe for marriage," experience attraction and mutual respect and love.
Richard is a romantic, aristocratic alpha male. Austen and Heyer would both be impressed. Stephanie Meyer could have learned A LOT about building an entrancing, old-world male lead if she'd read this book. Richard's immediate decision that Rose is the woman for him is quite believeable and probably very much in keeping with how men of his class and age reasoned. I would have liked to see a bit more conflict between them where Rose tries to figure out if life as Mrs. Richard is really for her, but I'm fine with the storytelling as is. So, yes, readers who loathe instalove may not care for this book, but if they give it a chance, I think they'll agree it's well-executed here.
I loved the descriptions of scene/setting. The dialogue is just right, not over the top and minimal use of period accurate slang. The writing was tight but I think the book would have been better if Connolly worked in a bit more detail concerning Richard's fiancee and her rivalry with Rose. Miss Cartwright's decision to bow out of her betrothal a la scandalous elopement is a tad too convenient and not really in keeping with the plot progession leading up to the climax.
This book deserved better editing and formatting. There were a few, significant errors that distracted from a pleasant reading experience, but this is still a solid Georgian mystery/romance read. It's well worth the purchase price and the storytelling is above average in quality to many epublished works.
As other reviewers have noted, "Yorkshire" features an "instalove" relationship between Richard and Rose. Normally I would fuss about this, BUT I grudgingly conceded that Connolly's effort is one of the best instalove romances I've ever read. Richard and Rose are both beautifully drawn, well-developed characters and given their respective backgrounds and the time period in which they lived, I see it as very credible these two people could meet at a time when both are "ripe for marriage," experience attraction and mutual respect and love.
Richard is a romantic, aristocratic alpha male. Austen and Heyer would both be impressed. Stephanie Meyer could have learned A LOT about building an entrancing, old-world male lead if she'd read this book. Richard's immediate decision that Rose is the woman for him is quite believeable and probably very much in keeping with how men of his class and age reasoned. I would have liked to see a bit more conflict between them where Rose tries to figure out if life as Mrs. Richard is really for her, but I'm fine with the storytelling as is. So, yes, readers who loathe instalove may not care for this book, but if they give it a chance, I think they'll agree it's well-executed here.
I loved the descriptions of scene/setting. The dialogue is just right, not over the top and minimal use of period accurate slang. The writing was tight but I think the book would have been better if Connolly worked in a bit more detail concerning Richard's fiancee and her rivalry with Rose. Miss Cartwright's decision to bow out of her betrothal a la scandalous elopement is a tad too convenient and not really in keeping with the plot progession leading up to the climax.
This book deserved better editing and formatting. There were a few, significant errors that distracted from a pleasant reading experience, but this is still a solid Georgian mystery/romance read. It's well worth the purchase price and the storytelling is above average in quality to many epublished works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2010
Heard about this one on Smart Bitches, my source for all things romance, and downloaded the e-book because (a) it was free, (b) my husband is from Yorkshire, and (c) it was a period piece, though this one's Georgian rather than my usual Regency. More hoop skirts, fewer regimentals. ;)
This book reads a bit like one of the gothic novels so popular during the Regency (and which Jane Austen satirized to excellent effect in Northanger Abbey). There's a crumbling house, legal wrangling over wills, attempted murder by mysterious assailant, zealot clergymen, downtrodden family members, close-mouthed servants, and even a secret door. (That's my tiny spoiler.)
But that's not all there is to it; it's also an exploration of the period and its mores, and to that end we have titles and nobles and the mention of polite society, though not the presence of it, as all the action occurs at a country estate in the north. There is romance.
There is also a mystery to be solved, and the romantic leads fall in love while solving the mystery. Or perhaps they solve the mystery while falling in love. In any case, they do both. And they express their love fully, if you know what I mean. Which could have been tricky, given the protagonists, but I fully believed that it could have happened as it did, so I was at least as satisfied as Rose with that outcome. And I foresaw the other major points of conclusion, so was satisfied with those, too.
Good characterization all around, really. Rose and Richard are real and rounded and the sexual tension crackles when they're together. The secondary characters are also excellent, and the bullying clergyman, Mr. Pritheroe, is brilliantly painted as a horrifying zealous religious leader whose views about God and women and his place in the world make Lord and Lady Whiteadder look like libertines.
There are more books in this series, and I enjoyed this one enough to give the next ones a try.
This book reads a bit like one of the gothic novels so popular during the Regency (and which Jane Austen satirized to excellent effect in Northanger Abbey). There's a crumbling house, legal wrangling over wills, attempted murder by mysterious assailant, zealot clergymen, downtrodden family members, close-mouthed servants, and even a secret door. (That's my tiny spoiler.)
But that's not all there is to it; it's also an exploration of the period and its mores, and to that end we have titles and nobles and the mention of polite society, though not the presence of it, as all the action occurs at a country estate in the north. There is romance.
There is also a mystery to be solved, and the romantic leads fall in love while solving the mystery. Or perhaps they solve the mystery while falling in love. In any case, they do both. And they express their love fully, if you know what I mean. Which could have been tricky, given the protagonists, but I fully believed that it could have happened as it did, so I was at least as satisfied as Rose with that outcome. And I foresaw the other major points of conclusion, so was satisfied with those, too.
Good characterization all around, really. Rose and Richard are real and rounded and the sexual tension crackles when they're together. The secondary characters are also excellent, and the bullying clergyman, Mr. Pritheroe, is brilliantly painted as a horrifying zealous religious leader whose views about God and women and his place in the world make Lord and Lady Whiteadder look like libertines.
There are more books in this series, and I enjoyed this one enough to give the next ones a try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
February 15, 20162 of 10
248p A passion they never expected 26a mystery that could cost them everything.
Richard and Rose, Book 1
Rose Golightly is a country girl who thinks her life will continue on its comfortable course, but a series of events changes that for good. On a visit to the ancestral estate of Hareton Abbey, Richard Kerre, Lord Strang, enters her life. A leader of society, a man known for extravagance in dress and life, Richard is her fate. And she is his.
Richard is to marry a rich, frigid woman in a few weeks, and has deliberately closed his heart to love. Then a coach accident throws his wounded body into Rose 19s arms.
With one kiss, Richard and Rose discover in each other the passion they thought they 19d never find.
But the accident that brought them together was an act of sabotage. Somewhere, in the rotting hulk of a once beautiful stately home, a murderer is hiding.
Richard and Rose set out to solve the mystery, and find the layers of scandal go deeper than simply determining who is guilty. And that doing the right thing could separate them 14forever.
This book has been revised from a previously published edition.
248p A passion they never expected 26a mystery that could cost them everything.
Richard and Rose, Book 1
Rose Golightly is a country girl who thinks her life will continue on its comfortable course, but a series of events changes that for good. On a visit to the ancestral estate of Hareton Abbey, Richard Kerre, Lord Strang, enters her life. A leader of society, a man known for extravagance in dress and life, Richard is her fate. And she is his.
Richard is to marry a rich, frigid woman in a few weeks, and has deliberately closed his heart to love. Then a coach accident throws his wounded body into Rose 19s arms.
With one kiss, Richard and Rose discover in each other the passion they thought they 19d never find.
But the accident that brought them together was an act of sabotage. Somewhere, in the rotting hulk of a once beautiful stately home, a murderer is hiding.
Richard and Rose set out to solve the mystery, and find the layers of scandal go deeper than simply determining who is guilty. And that doing the right thing could separate them 14forever.
This book has been revised from a previously published edition.
March 12, 2013
I love historical novels, but this one was blah. I am a huge Amanda Quick fan, and this book didn't even come close to what I like. The heroine was boring and gave herself away WAY too quickly. The love between Richard and Rose felt fake. How can he be a man whore one day and turn a 180 just because he met a stranger. I'm sure it could possibly happen, but not believable for me. The book could have been a bit shorter and quicker paced. Overall, it was ok, the only true surprise for me was Gervaise's scandal. Wasn't expecting that. I'll probably read the next one in the series, just because I don't like to abruptly end a story, and also hoping that it gets better. Rose needs to be stronger, and stop playing the "damsel in distress" role.
June 2, 2011
I got this book from Lendle.me; it was a suggested book because I get a lot of romance books. I really wanted to like this book. It had the ingredients that I look for in historical romances but something went wrong. I'm not sure if Rose's 1st person perspective or the fact that I didn't care about the rest of the characters did this book in. One thing I found irksome was verbosity of this book. Did this book have to be so long? No, tighter editing would've made this book tolorable and perhaps the characters more compelling. And it's a series?! Um, I'll pass.
April 7, 2014
I'm obviously in a minority on this one. First I don't like the first person POV and that really detracted from the story for me. Second I just didn't like either Richard or Rose. They fell in love way too fast, Richard was just too kind and caring for the time period, and it required far too much suspension of disbelief for me. Third, the "mystery" they needed to solve was pretty darn weak. It was a real struggle to finish this book. I won't be reading any of the other books in this series
February 17, 2010
I bought this book due to a lot of recommendations at Dear Author and SBTB, and it was a very pleasant read. I like Rose and her family, and Richard and Gervase; the villains were rather one-dimensional in their evilness, though.
There were a few places where I was confused about who was on the scene (Miss Cartwright and her aunt Miss Cartwright in particular). The characters talked a bit too much about their emotions for my taste. Overall, though, a fun read.
There were a few places where I was confused about who was on the scene (Miss Cartwright and her aunt Miss Cartwright in particular). The characters talked a bit too much about their emotions for my taste. Overall, though, a fun read.
December 16, 2013
'Yorkshire' is the first in the eight book 'Richard and Rose' historical romance/mystery series. Loved the Georgian rake hero, wholly masculine and self confident in his red heels, wigs, and maquillage. This is a passionate soul mate love story, with good historical detail and cast of interesting characters with their own stories. I'm hooked and looking forward to reading the next installment in the series.
November 8, 2010
3.5 stars. I didn't quite buy the "insta-love" and I wondered whether the word "infection" was common in 1750 - but when I looked it up on the net, it seemed that the word was in use (nevertheless, the wondering through me out of the story just a little). However, I found the characters engaging and I enjoyed the rest of the book and promptly went and bought books 2 and 3.
October 25, 2009
The thing is, I love romance novels, without a hint of irony (don't hate). Thing is, not a drop of romance in this book. Just mysterious vibe, and bam! Emeril live style, there's a relationship between the two.
February 17, 2013
Entertaining series to spend some time with - the over-the-top romantic entanglements are just plain fun, the settings are interesting, and the plots don't get in the way of a great few hours of time.
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