Last review(s) added 9/21/98
The Mandarin of Mayfair
Rated 4.5
Copyright 1995
Reviewed 8/19/98 by Isolde Wehr
Regency
Here is the sixth installment in Patricia Veryans series about the "League of the Jewelled Men" which is a wonderful ending to this series. You must read the funny and exciting story about August Falcon and Gwendolyn Rossiter.
The men around Gideon Rossiter fight against a group of people called the "League of Jewelled Men" who want to overthrow the English King. This time the league wants to kill August and get their hands on his estate.
August isn't accepted by the high society because his grandmother was half Chinese and Russian. His great-grandfather was a Mandarin and that's why his nickname is "Mandarin of Mayfair". He is only tolerated because he is rich.
August knows how cruel the high society can be and so he doesn't allow his sister to marry the man of her dreams, James Morris. Jamie is madly in love with August's sister Katrina, but he will not marry her without the consent of her brother. Gideon's sister, Gwendolyn, is a enchanting young woman with a little limp (she has had that since her birth) who teases August very often. They are friends and Gwendolyn loves August but he also doesn't want to marry.
Also Tummet, temporary servant for August, is a very important part of the story again. Altogether they try to find enough proof against the criminal group so that the gouvernment will believe them. They know the names of a few members of the group but couldn't unmask them officially. Then a member of the group gives August drugs and so he nearly kills Jamie in a duell.
August doesn't know why he did something so cruel. He wants to calm down his conscience and so he tries (sorry - will have to find out the end of this review....)
Rated 4.5
Reviewed 5/3/97 by Isolde Wehr
Copyright 1995
"Never Doubt I Love" is the fifth installment of Patricia Veryan's Georgian series
"Tales of the Jewelled Men."
Here the other stories:
1. "Time's Fool"
2. "Had We Never Loved"
3. "Ask Me No Questions"
4. "A Shadow's Bliss"
6. "The Mandarin of Mayfair".
This books tells the story about Peregrine Cranford (this name sounds familiar to P. Veryan fans) and Zoe Grainger.
Zoe, a country miss, became a new stepmother who don't like her. One day Lady Buttershaw come in Zoe's fathers house and offer her stepmother to take Zoe with her to London to be a companion to her sister Lady Julia. Zoe has no change for an other decision. She had to accompany Lady Buttershaw.
In London she is really surprised because she gets new dresses and her "work" is easy. She only has to go out with Lady Julias dogs and comb the cats.
The first meeting between Perry (Peregrine) and Zoe in a little inn near London is a big misunderstanding. In London they meet again because Lady Buttershaw is looking for a married man for Zoe. Both had no good memories on their first meeting but after a while they become friend.
Little by little happens more stange things and Zoe and Perry must recognize that they are in the middle of a conspiracy against England.
Now they need the help of friends and a lot of courage because the enemies are dangerous.
I had such a lot of fun while reading this book. It is like with every Patricia Veryan book. They are full of humor, surprises, suspense and adventures. You can read the book also without knowing the other stories but if you read all it is much more easier to understand who all the persons are because nearly each friend of Perry has his own story.
Do you also love the enchanting Regency adventures by Patricia Veryan? Then
you can join her fan club, THE QUIZZING GLASS.
Go to: http://www.eskimo.com/~neads/veryan/