Elisabeth Fairchild - Diane Farr - Marjorie Farrell
Fairchild, Elisabeth - MISS DORNTON'S HERO (Signet - 1995) (4+)
The hero is psychologically scarred. He was the only survivor of his regiment at Waterloo and everyone calls him "Captain Dead." A Regency romance with a beauty-and-the-beast story line. ~Karen W. (kwheless@rockland.net)
Fairchild, Elisabeth - SILENT SUITOR, THE (Signet - 1994) (4)
The heroine, who is blind, comes to town for the season and is torn between two cousins, one nicknamed "Beauty" and the other nicknamed "Beast." Of course, she finds the beast much more intriguing. ~Karen W. (kwheless@rockland.net)
Farr, Diane - FAIR GAME (Signet Regency - 10/99) (4)
We first meet Mr. Trevor Whitlatch in the act of demanding
payment of an old debt from La Gianetta, a noted courtesan. He
is quite ruthless and determined to ruin the woman, until she offers her beautiful daughter Clarissa as recompense. Appalled
as he is by the idea of purchasing this girl, he nevertheless falls blindly in love with her and takes her home, intending to set her up as his latest paramour. Of course, her protestations of innocence are met with disbelief from this self-made man.
Clarissa, the daughter of an anonymous nobleman, has spent her whole life at boarding school. When the school closes suddenly, she is thrown on her mother's "mercies" and this is the result! Now she is at the whim of this intense, earthy man who compliments her outrageously, laughs often, and is very clear about what he's offering her. Clarissa repeatedly refuses wealthy Trevor's carte blanche, much to his chagrin and frustration. She is determined to forge her own destiny and make a respectable marriage.
Diane Farr's latest Regency requires a leap of faith in order to deal with the issue of Trevor's acceptance of Clarissa for his debt. It's soon apparent, however, that this gentle but spirited woman can hold her own against our blunt, besotted hero. He may be darkly handsome, but he is adorable in his single-minded pursuit of Clarissa. FAIR GAME is a wonderful love story, purely centered on the relationship, and any Regency fan will enjoy it immensely. ~Anne Kirby for Bookbug on the Web
Farrell, Marjorie - RED, RED ROSE (Topaz - 2/99) (4+)
This moving and engrossing historical romance explores the issue of illegitimacy in 19th-century society, showing the problems it could create in romantic and other relationships. The opening prologue does an excellent job of tracing the hero's youth and revealing how he becomes the tormented person that he is when he first encounters the heroine. The heroine's own past is less well defined, but she is still a strong character in her own right. The "secrets" of minor characters are entirely predictable, as are many of the story's plot events, but the Napoleonic war backdrop is nicely drawn. There are also two delightful "commoner" characters whose raucous romance is at times comic, and at times incredibly touching—not to mention a cute episode with a pig. All in all, this is one of the better Regency-era historicals I've read in some time, and one that should especially appeal to fans of Mary Jo Putney, Mary Balogh, and Carla Kelly. ~Elena P.
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