Josephine Blake

Noelle is my first book by author Josephine Blake. This book is part of the series, The Brittler Sisters. It is the fifth book but I was able to enjoy it as a stand alone. There are references to the prior books, especially Dianna, book one. The references only made me curious about that book.

Noelle is the youngest sister in a well off family. She is a very likable character. She dreams of finding a man she loves, one who her parents approve of. I'm not certain I like her mother yet. I think she has dealt with a lot during the series. I will hold my judgement on her until I have read the other books. Most of the other characters are likable. There is a twist that I didn't see coming that was very interesting.

This is a clean story. I would have no problem sharing it with pre-teens and up.… (más)

Isobel Vanderton is dying though she tries to keep her illness a secret. She's a wealthy heiress, but no suitor has tempted her to marriage yet - until Death appears in the guise of a gentleman.
I had high hopes for this book. The premise sounded interesting with the possibility of a Persephone retelling mixed in with Jack the Ripper. It lost me almost at once with the talk about Denise, her lady, accompanying Isobel to a ball. Confused, I reread and then read on, finally figuring out that Denise was her lady's maid. I'm not sure why Isobel keeps referring to her as her lady or even as Denise (ladies maids were generally referred to by their surnames in Victorian households). I ignored the dialogue which constantly uses modern phrasing though that's the kind of thing that stops me cold when I'm reading. The whole scene at Almack's was ridiculous; Almack's was closed by this point, was only open on Wednesday evenings to those with vouchers, and required extremely formal dress (not what one would wear to a tennis match).
I was glad to see the reference to Erewhon and most of the Ripper parts were correct which made it all the more confusing to me as to why research hadn't been done for the rest of the story. Watching Downton Abbey should have been enough to explain how the servants were supposed to work in a wealthy household. Valets and ladies maids don't answer the front door, for example. Also, the author didn't understand how titles work among the nobility. A gentleman can't inherit the title of Earl from his uncle when his father is still alive, especially if all the names are different and his father is a Baron. A duke is addressed as 'Your Grace' and any dukes in England would be well-known; one can't just appear.
It may seem as if I'm being picky, but each time an anachronism appears, it can take the reader right out of the story. Once in a great while, I'll read a book where I can forgive this because the story is so great, but here it was just a not very interesting love triangle. Isobel is spoiled and not that likable. Devon was just bland. Death was the most compelling character, but too often he seemed to develop some trait just in time to fill a plot hole.
In the end, I found this book disappointing. Other readers may feel differently, but it certainly wasn't for me.… (más)

STORY-LINE TWO HEARTS, ONE STONE:

Josephine Blake's, novella Two Hearts One Stone, contains a fast paced romance during the Valentine Season in Churchgrove. Henry Moscows the town grouch, never a smile seen on his face; ever seen with a frown of disapproval. Churchgrove's decorated for Valentines Day. With pink everywhere, Henry feels sick to stomach; what an absolute waste of time! After all, Henry doesn't believe in love or Valentine's Day romance. Even his beautiful daughter, Giselle can not change his mind about Valentines Day.

When the annual courtship auction begins, Giselle enters the festivities. Henry sees a line of young women, waiting for the men to bid. All are young except for the last lady in line, Miss Hadisham. Middle aged conservatively dressed widow, Emily Hadisham, owner of the only dress shop in town, stands in the mist of the town beauties. When no one bids for her, Henry can not allow her the humiliation; he immediately bid $50.00 for the pleasure of her company at dinner.

As a result, an adventure begin for Henry and Miss Hadisham. Come with them, as Miss Hadisham melts Henry's hard heart and his outlook on life. My romance novel review of Two Hearts One Stone follows.

CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:

Although a short novella of 62 pages, Josephine Blake included everything needed to entertain the reader. A light quick relaxing read, I enjoyed watching Henry and Miss Hadishams romance unfold. Novellas by their nature do not give the author time to develop the characters or plot as their parent, the novel. However, Blake did a good job of constructing her romance and bringing it to a successful conclusion.

With characters which were believable, plotting in line with the length of book, and a believable premise, I read Two Hearts, One Stone straight through. The pace of the story, consistent throughout the book, did not blog down or lag.

Finally, in concluding my romance novel review of Two Hearts One Stone, I found a light entertaining book. Perfect for an lazy afternoons reading entertainment; Two Hearts One Stone does not require in depth thought. Suitable for anyone from 13+ to adult, Two Hearts One Stone has a clean wholesome story line. It does not contain sex or undue violence.

TWO HEARTS ONE STONE RECOMMENDATION: STARS 4

I would not hesitate to buy this book for my self or a friend.

FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE:

Additionally, I purchased this book and chose to voluntarily review the book with an honest romance novel review. Lastly, book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion. Consequently, all book reviews on-line and on my blog, are my opinions. In addition, the ARC did not affect my voluntary romance novel review.… (más)