Rose LernerReseñas

This was very good - it kept me constantly wondering how this relationship con would work. A Jewish conman and a political heiress agree to marry so she can access her funds and he can buy his brother a military rank. They are not supposed to fall in love, they are supposed to sell the relationship; ahh but love finds its way. The Lively St. Lemeston series focuses heavily on class, and I feel this book did even more so than the previous? Anyway - it's sort of slow-burn and often frustrating but in a way I have come to enjoy from Rose Lerner.

The thing with Rose Lerner's books is there will be lines like this: "The rest of the dress lay crumpled on the table. It didn't lie entirely flat. The bodice in particular was still stretched, hinting very gently that it had last night contained the most splendid bosom in Sussex," and then my day is ruined because these are such lovely observations. Sigh.

I loved this book, but there are some CWs that folks should have prior to reading! The book deals with miscarriage, discussion of depression & PTSD, period appropriate ableism, and parental neglect/emotional abuse, death of spouse. For all the joy I found within the pages of this book, I wouldn't say it is a light read.

Wow! What an exceptionally unexpected ending! It was such a rewarding conclusion to Simon and Maggie's story. I have loved every book I've read by Rose Lerner; and this is no exception. Each one has been so different tonally. However, I think they all share the same world - and I love spending time in that world.

* I was provided an ARC for an honest review

"I am a pocket calendar. A cheerful, conscientious pocket almanac calmly eating its sandwich. I am not thinking about Augustus Brine spreading me open on my desk with casual authority, his hands smoothing my pages before he jams his pen right into me."

JEWISH HOLIDAY ROMANCE! Sailors, Contracts, Pining and Mitzvot - huzzah!
Sailor's Delight is a sweet book about a gentile Royal Navy sailor, Augustus Brine and his Jewish bookkeeper, Elie Benezet. Taking place throughout the Days of Awe, what starts out feeling like unrequited love unravels into mutual admiration and yearning. Told from Elie's perspective as Brine's ship docks for a few weeks, we learn of how Elie has loved Brine for many years believing it was always one-sided. I loved how Jewish this book was - more Jewish histrom please (or just more Jewish romance in general).

I was worried Augustus's fiance, Sarah, would make a love triangle but my worries were assuaged. Sarah is an independent woman who only has Brine's best interests at heart. I came to appreciate her curt interrogations of Elie. I also loved how close Elie's family was - Elie even wanting to introduce Brine to his mother (awww).

CW's: low angst but still a bit of pining, death of parents (historical, mentioned), antisemitism (mostly historical), fear of violence, alcohol use

GOTHIC as in Moody With a Haunting Atmosphere.

A Sapphic Jane Eyre with Jewish mc's

This book is heavy - heavy in theme and heavy in details (check CW's please). I felt like I could cut the building tension with shears - I loved every word. Chapters end abruptly or end on cliffhangers so you are encouraged to keep going bc OOOOH the suspense- and I actually really loved this. From what I understand, this was an audiobook first and I think reading this via audio would have made that device even more suspenseful. Anyway, I was in need of a gothicky tale and this delivered.

Also, something I have come to admire about Rose Lerner's books featuring Jewish characters, is that they are often Sephardic or Dutch Jews. Jewish folks are under-represnted in media, and any Jewish group outside of Ashenazi descent receives even less representation. Most Jewish people are defaulted to Ashkenazi Jews in media and most cultural Jewishisms are Ashkenazi in origin - think all the Yiddishisms we use. So to have Sephardic and Dutch Jewish representation is meaningful because their minhagim and languages are vibrant and distinct from Ashkenazim.

Bang In the Night Bingo #ReadGayDoCrimes

CW: gaslighting, domestic abuse, anti-Semitism, mentions of torture and death by fire.

4.25 he offered to clean her boots stars.

Lerner's debut regency, In For a Penny was a surprising, delightful read. Between the careful development of the relationship between Penelope and Nev and the burgeoning social issues of the time, Lerner crafted a well thought out, entertaining and enchanting novel.

The premise itself isn't anything new or revolutionary--penniless titled gentleman seeks out rich heiress to fill the family coffers and fix all the money problems he has. What surprised me most was that instead of having either one or the both of them fall instantly in love with the other, Lerner detailed the various stages that veritable strangers go through to learn about one and other. Several times throughout the novel either Penelope or Nev would think to themselves that there was still so much to learn about the other.

Certainly their personalities were a good fit--they were both at opposite ends of the spectrum in most ways. Where Nev was careless and debauched, Penelope was careful and calculating. Where Nev could only see one extreme or the other (restraint vs. free reign), Penelope could only think in moderation. The two of them, more than anything else, taught the other how to compromise their ideas. Penelope didn't always have to be the perfect lady and Nev didn't always have to be the perfect embodiment of virtues either.

Lerner also sets up the scene for the background plot of the social confusion and evolving idea of class and class treatment as well. Through Nev we see the ton, through Penelope we see 'new money' and through the tenants of Lowestowe we see the worker class. Since the French Revolution all 3 classes have undergone changes--some swift and some gradual--as the world moved towards a new era of society and class reform. Because of the position Nev finds himself in--trying to restore the profitability of Lowestowe--we can clearly see how disastrous mismanagement can lead to absolutely terrible conditions for all.

Admittedly some of the plot threads and inclusions weren't as neatly tied up. I'm still confused about Tom Kedge and what exactly was going on there, and Amy's reappearance was abrupt and given scant thought unless the plot needed that obstacle.. I would have also liked more development between Louisa and her beau.

On a whole I believe In For a Penny was a sparkling, delightful and engrossing debut.

Re-Released Review. Originally reviewed on 3/10/2010 as a Dorchester title. This book is being re-released by Samhain Publishing on 6/3/2014.

Interesting characters and more plot than your standard romance.

Super points for an unusual Regency setting, a really unusual Regency plot, a disabled* main dude, a (unapologetic) fat main lady, a disabled* side lady, and nary a duke in sight. I'm rating up to 4 instead of down to 3 for that stuff even though I didn't actually "really like" it. I'm not really a fan of the writing style, unfortunately. I will try another of this author's books for sure, hopefully one that will click a little better for me.

*The disabled folks are regular folks who happen to have disabilities and not just Inspirational Angels or Embittered Jerks. I think that Lerner writes about them in a way that is respectful, but I'm not an expert.

Just as lovely the 2nd time around.

Beautifully done regency. Well researched and set firmly and correctly in the time period. The writing was flowing, immediate and interesting. The plotting was pretty tight. Most of the book was the hero, Nev, and the heroine, Penelope, learning to adapt to their marriage and working together to try to put right his neglected ancestral estate. Some of the problems current in England at the time were part of the plot, things relating to corn laws and enclosures and class struggle etc.

Nev was one of the best heroes I've read in a very long time. He was only 23 and had been used to partying around London unheeding of where his money came from when his father dies. He immediately straightened up and began trying to find his way out of the very deep debt his father left them in. He is incredibly sweet. He tries very hard while knowing that he is vastly unprepared to deal with finances and whatnot and knows that he is not really bright when it comes to finances. He marries a rich merchant's daughter for her money but he had already met her and had been taken with her. He treats Penelope like a princess though. He stands up for her and protects her and quickly comes to care for her. He is also very honorable and kindhearted but he does have a backbone of steel and can use his innate power as an Earl unconsciously when he needs to.

Penelope is 19 but is a pretty grownup and composed 19. Her parents love her and don't want her to marry for a title but she insists (I would too, if Nev were offering) and so they let her. She understands Nev's personality and knows that while she is good with numbers, he is good with people. She is sweet and caring.

They both try hard to make their marriage work while being a bit unsure of each other. This is not one of those books that revolve around the tension of 'will they or won't they go to bed'. The love scenes are lovely and sweet while still being hot.

I can't recommend this highly enough.

I liked this I just guess I am grading it against this author's [b:In for a Penny|36453426|In for a Penny|Rose Lerner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1508616699l/36453426._SY75_.jpg|7385934] and it's going to be hard to beat that one. This one had a plump heroine who was a widow who needed to choose someone to marry for a vote which only makes sense in this English historical setting.

Enjoyed the characterization. For example she was plump and felt no need to change it. And the hero was all into her bounty. I liked them both.

Oh yay, I’ve found a new romance author to love!

Made me remember how much I love Joanna Bourne's books. Hawker at his youngest. I enjoyed the other stories as well.

When I first heard that Rose Lerner was writing an f/f/ gothic retelling of Jane Eyre, I was thrilled. My expectations were high! Then Audible picked it up as an Audible Original and I got even more excited knowing I wouldn't have to wait for one of those days when my brain can read words on a page. This book on audio is long--a little over 16 hours. I'm happy to report, however, that it's very much worth the time investment.

Like the classic novel it retells, The Wife in the Attic is a gothic novel full of questionable motives, suspense and the creeping terror of being trapped inside a house with strangers who may or may not be trying to kill you. (Or assault you, in this case.) Lerner excels at building the suspense gradually and her use of single POV was perfect for the slow reveal of shady goings-on.

Though I knew the Mr. Rochester character, Sir Kit, was keeping his wife imprisoned, I was swept up in Deborah's (Jane) initial attraction to this charismatic man who presents himself as a lonely and kindhearted man with a "mad" wife and young daughter. He is too tenderhearted to send her to a mental institution, you see. His wealthy, long-confined wife Jael does present herself as quite violent and unstable, kept away from human company for so long. She sneaks visits to her daughter at night and views Deborah as Sir Kit's ally, there to take young Tabby away from her.

The Wife in the Attic is a work of carefully- and expertly-wrought character development. Deborah's Jewish family was broken by persecution and murder, but her grandmother raised her to be proud of her people, even if she had to keep quiet to protect herself. Lerner explores generational trauma, PTSD and the wearing-down of a soul from decades of micro and macroaggresions. (Please see the content warnings below if you need them.)

Overcoming manipulation and gaslighting from both Sir Kit and Jael, Deborah forges her own path forward even as she questions her sanity and motives. Does she want to liberate Jael and Tabby just because she wants to be in a relationship with Jael? Or because Sir Kit is actually causing harm? When is murder justified?

This is a long book, but I was absolutely enthralled. 16 hours of audio in two days? Why not? (I listen at 1.5x, it wasn't quite that long.) I cannot recommend it enough.

Audio Notes: Elsa Lepecki Bean was a great fit for this book. The production itself was great, but one thing that stood out to me is the use of guitar throughout. Though her fingers were broken by Inquistors, her grandmother taught her how to play guitar, specifically Portuguese songs that she's felt she needs to hide. Deborah brought her guitar--one of her few possessions--with her to the house and she and Jael bond over some of the songs. It's a beautiful tribute to the ways in which cultural touchstones keep us connected to our families, our ancestors and our faith.

I first became aware of “True Pretenses” during the big controversy last year (or was it already in 2015?) about the ‘Jewish heroine x Nazi hero’ trope that some mainstream romance novels have been using. Besides outrage, one reaction by the Jewish romance community was to highlight works with Jewish heroes, which are sadly few and far between. However, since Rose Lerner’s True Pretenses came up again and again and since I liked the plot premise – a marginalized conman tries to find a good life for his little brother but finds love himself – I decided to give it a try, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed.

THE TROUBLE WITH LITTLE BROTHERS

I am a big sister to a little brother myself, and so I tend to sympathize with characters with little brothers quite a bit. Sibling conflicts are a central part of “True Pretenses”, not just to the plot, but also to the characters’ personalities, histories and motivations – both Ash’s and Lydia’s plans for their future are caused by their brothers not understanding their wishes and not wanting to continue on the way of life that they have been on before, and both Ash and Lydia act like they do because their brothers have a certain amount of power over them – in Lydia’s case, this power is more literal, since her brother Jamie controls her fortune, while in Ash’s case, the power Rafe holds over him is more psychological, since Ash has basically lived his whole life just to make sure that Rafe is well cared for.

But let’s talk about both of our protagonist in detail. First, there’s Lydia, a young noble woman whose politically very active father just passed, leaving all of his belongings to Lydia’s younger brother, Jamie, who believes that both his and Lydia’s past political engagement were just a means to please his father, and who would far rather spend his days in his garden (and with his very attractive gardener) than do any kind of charitable or political work. Lydia, on the other hand, loves her charitable work, and up to her father’s death she used to do so with his financial means, under the front of helping with his campaigns. She is still grieving her father’s death, a process Lerner describes with a lot of insight and detail, but she also worries about the poorer inhabitants of the village, who she used to support through her work, because Jamie, who, while being a very sweet young man, has a very anti-social streak, is not willing to let her have the money she needs for this support.

Lydia still has one ace up her sleeves: If she marries, she will be given a sizeable amount of money to household with. The only thing she needs to get her hands on that money now is to find a suitable husband.

Ash, the son of a prostitute who died when he was tiny, has spent his childhood stealing on the streets of London and his adult life conning people for money all over England, all so his little brother, Rafe, didn’t need to live in abject poverty. All his life, Ash has done whatever he could for Rafe, but now Rafe doesn’t want their life anymore; he is becoming tired of conning people, so Ash decides that he will steal one last thing for him: A respectable life, even if it means that he won’t be able to live with his brother anymore.

While both Ash’s and Lydia’ actions are influenced by her brother, Lydia’s love for Jamie isn’t self-sacrificial in the way Ash’s is. Lydia never actually had to sacrifice anything, and while she did emotionally care for Jamie when he was younger, she never really had to give something up so Jamie could have a better life. Jamie has political, societal power over Lydia; Rafe has emotional power over Ash. Their relationships with their brothers are completely different, but at the same time these relationships connect them with each other. Lerner portrays sibling dynamics with a lot of knowledge of the human condition and without romanticizing anything, and the relationships are so much more realistic and heart-wrenching for it.

THE PROBLEM WITH HONESTY

Besides the sibling relationships, Lerner does another thing that you will find very rarely in romance novels: She actually has her protagonists be honest with each other nearly from the start. Ash hardly gets his con underway before Lydia figures him out, but even though she knows, she makes Ash a proposal – she’ll marry his brother as long as she will keep control over her fortune. They are on the same page here, even though Lydia soon starts falling for Ash, and Ash for Lydia, and that becomes a problem a lot more interesting than your usual misunderstanding-fueled plot: They already have an agreement, and Ash knows that this life is Rafe’s, not his, because he doesn’t want a honorable life, that is Rafe’s wish, and he has no right to take for himself what he has meant for Rafe, but at the same time, he can’t stop himself from falling more and more for Lydia… After all, it’s hardest to be honest to yourself, isn’t it?

The plot of True Pretenses is great, dense, and full of tension. And it just gives the reader so much more information on the time and the world these characters live in than most historical romances do.

The first example here would be the machinations of village politics in Lydia’s case, which might sound rather boring, but which was really interesting for me, since I generally love all kinds of political intrigue, even if it’s just about local elections in a tiny English village. This background made Lydia all the more three-dimensional, and it really made the reader root for her to get her money.

The second example, of course, is the glimpse into the life of a Jewish person in 19th century Great Britain. We get a lot of backstory for Ash and Rafe, a lot of which takes place in London, and there is just so much detail that ties in both with their religion and with their early life of poverty. Heroes from minority ethnicities are rare enough in historical romance, but having somebody actually write a romance with a Jewish hero and do it so well, with so much background on his life, is basically like a breath of fresh air. I loved Ash a lot, even though it was sometimes frustrating just how much he kept giving without ever really taking back – half the time I just wanted to hug him and tell him that it is okay if he wants something for himself.

I just really loved Ash and Lydia, and even though Rafe and Jamie were both majorly annoying at times, especially since I’ve got a little brother of my own who has kept making trouble since he was about 8, I still grew fond of them at the end. Jamie is one of the few LGBT characters you’ll find in straight historical romance, and his sexual orientation was treated extremely respectfully (though I’d really like to read a story about him in the Lively St. Lemeston Series). At one point he and Rafe flirt, and it’s seriously the cutest thing.

So if you like historical romance with a bit of a different plot than your usual fair, and if you like reading about Jewish history and Jewish characters, you really, really have to pick up True Pretenses. It’s a joy to read, from the writing style over the plot to the representation, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.


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The first story is m/f. The second is m/m and interracial. The third is f/f. The book came about out of spite and post the 2016 election. It was a great story and exactly the diversity we need more of in romance!

I had to dnf this book. The writing is really good, don't get me wrong. However, I just wasn't feeling any of the romance between the two main characters. Nor did I find myself invested in either of them and the whole political factions sub-plot.

I feel this novel would appeal to those who love their characters flawed in many ways and have a strong interest in the political factions of this time period.

Rose Lerner reimagines Nick and Phoebe--and it's delightful.

Promised Land is easily one of the best novellas ever. I'm baffled by lower marks on it, frankly, although I know I get along with Rose Lerner's style. 5 stars. To a novella? It's a second chance where a Jewish American couple reunites outside the battle of Yorktown. When they reunite, Rachel has chosen her love of country over her love of Nathan, her loquacious, slight, beautiful and annoying husband. It was quite emotional, idealistic and wonderful. It's a 5 star novella. I believe I have 2 of those of all that I've ever read. They are dirty, they are tired, they don't know how to trust each other but they really really want to.

Unfortunately, the results are descending. I loved the collection, but almost wish I'd read them separately (though I did space then well enough)

For The Pursuit Of... By Courtney Milan I give 4 stars. A remarkably upbeat sparkly little novella with trademark Milan humor and ideals. Again, Henry a British officer is loquacious, and upbeat and meets his match in John Hunter, a black man trying to make his way back to his sister. What results is a compelling philosophical journey and a really strong novella. 4*

And... That Could Be Enough

Alyssa Cole writes some of the best historicals set in the US. I often find them so jam packed with plot I feel that the romance doesn't shine as a central piece. Here, it felt weirdly stilted, brought on by insta love and progressing into the exchange of feeling. I think this needed a longer format because I enjoyed the characters but it was paced all wrong for me. 3*

This book is a delight from beginning to end. All three novellas are wonderful, and I love the mix of relationships (m/m, m/f, and f/f). I picked it up more for the authors than for the Hamilton theme. Hamilton himself (or, more precisely, Eliza Hamilton's search for stories about him after his death) provides the frame for the collection, and he is a minor character in one or two of the novellas, but the draw here is the beautifully told hopeful romances set during the youth of the nation.

The theme here is that love and meaningful lives can flower and persist in the midst of difficulty and oppression. A resonant theme in any era, but most particularly in such a time as this. Highly recommended.

Really a 4.5, but I liked it enough that I'm rounding up. This is a lovely, unusual romance. I love its combination of straightforwardness and twistiness, and its odd couple that turns out to be a perfect match. The infusion with politics is intriguing and done differently than I've seen elsewhere. The writing is engaging and fast-paced.

As Eliza Hamilton interviews everyone she can who interacted with Alexander Hamilton during his lifetime to collect his stories and cement his legacy, three stories are revealed: in "Promised Land," a Jewish woman fakes her own death and runs away to join the Union Army, but when her husband enters their camp, she believes him to be a spy. In "The Pursuit Of..." a Black Union soldier - in the company of a British deserter - leaves the army after the Battle of Yorktown to return to his family in Rhode Island, walking 500 miles home. In "That Could Be Enough," Eliza Hamilton's servant Mercy Alston, who has sworn off love, reconsiders when a beautiful dressmaker visits the Grange.

"Promised Land" by Rose Lerner (Rachel Mendelson a.k.a. Ezra Jacobs and Nathan Mendelson)

"The Pursuit Of..." by Courtney Milan (John Hunter and Henry Latham)

"That Could Be Enough" by Alyssa Cole (Mercy Alston and Andromeda Stiel)½

So this was a romance buddy read with WhiskeyintheJar/Kyraryker and Sam (AMNReader). The three of us I think all really enjoyed this though Sam is still finishing up. I really loved the entire plot (a marriage of convenience) with heat. The two main characters, Sukey and John were great and I loved how they did things differently though they were both part of the servant class. The sex scenes were highly explicit, but very very hot, I loved them and liked that we actually had these two trying their best with each other and wanting their marriage to work. I do wish the book had ended with more of a resolution between John and his terrible parents and with Sukey letting her mom know about something that she did. Other than that, I got a kick out of this book from beginning to end.

"Listen to the Moon" follows John Toogood and Sukey Grimes. Both of them are members of the servant class, though John is considered higher up on the ladder due to John being trained up to be a valet. Due to John not telling his former employer about her son's romantic entanglement he finds himself dismissed and unable to find another job. He moves into rooms across the street from a boardinghouse that Sukey works in. From their first meeting John and Sukey find the other one intriguing. However, Sukey vows to never marry and John feels as if he's too old (he's 40) to be trying to marry. He's focused on finding another position as fast as he can. John is given a lead at a local vicarage though the only problem is that the vicar refuses to hire a man that is not married. So John proposes that he and Sukey marry in order for them to take over running the vicarage. What follows from there is a great book that takes a look at servants in a household and the type of things they had to put up with in order to not be dismissed (sexual harassment, rape, etc.) I feel really foolish for never reading a historical romance that focused on the servants in the household instead of members of the "ton."

John was great. I loved how he wants to be a better man this his father and we find out why he's so reluctant to be a butler like his father. He is careful to not take out his frustrations with Sukey and is so kind and caring though he's a super type A person. My favorite scenes with him were definitely with him showing how much he thought of Sukey beyond the physical. There's a boot cleaning scene and a bath scene that I adored. Usually you get the heroes in historical romances being all big and powerful and it feels as if they can't be in the wrong. John owns his mistakes and actually tries to be a very good husband to Sukey.

Sukey is 20 and though she doesn't want to marry (due to her family history) she finds herself attracted to John. The new job situation would be perfect and we see her realizing that she has to change how she behaves towards others. We can see why Sukey is so defensive and her wondering if she and John will fit since he is much more educated than she is, but I thought she was gutsy and charming.

We have the two leads dealing with several problems in the vicarage and then a big question comes up which can change their lives.

I loved the secondary characters we get to know such as Mrs. Khaleel and Molly. Mrs. Khaleel especially had a very intriguing story-line and had me wanting to read more about her.

The writing was very good, I thought Lerner did a good job with the language in the time period we were reading and her being able to show us what duties that John and Sukey and an entire household would have. Also she did a great job of showing us how trapped you can get as a woman in this world.

The flow was very good switching between John and Sukey's third person point of view.

The book's setting is 100 percent focused on the servants in this one. We hear about the "ton" and political parties and we know that affects things to a certain extent, but we really get a sense of how precarious these people's lives are if their employer takes up against them. The world is small and you can find yourself without a job or reference.

The book's ending could have been tighter I thought since there were still a few things left in the air regarding John's parents. Other than that, I really enjoyed this one.

For such a short novel, there was way too much happening. It felt really unfocused, jostling between Simon's relationship with his ex and his relationship/infatuation with Maggie. Their bond never quite convinced this reader, and I was left with little to no emotional connection. Lots of hot sex, but that's it.

I know my reviews are often personal and transparent. I know I like personal connections in books to me--to identify (why character-driven will always be my jam and I'll appreciate the art of the thriller etc)...but I try not to come on here posting about daily life other than to say "man reading helps me escape."

I have walked around in a sleep-deprived, work driven anxious fervor. I commit to reading. Because I do need time where the curiosity and focus in my brain can unwind or--at the very least--be distracted by things other than data and problem solving. I'll jump into a buddy read (horribly, sorry!) to keep me honest in this drive to do this thing I love. Read about...love. And every night I was cursing my chapters in Well of Ascension, but looking forward to soaking in Listen to the Moon.

Rose Lerner is so good. (ok, I'm no expert, I've read two).Her books are so sexy....

I appreciate her in the way I appreciate Milan and Charles. It takes you away to the era, but it's not about who you expect, necessarily, and there's much more packed in this book than your typical historical romance...it's about a maid and a butler here.

And I loved it. I mean seriously. Okay, back to the first paragraph, the heroine and hero here were both so familiar, but from life, not from romance. A heart-stingy heroine despite being generous of spirit. A heart generous hero who takes a lot of pride in his work.

And the boots. I mean,the boots.

And the hero is 40. She is 22. This is definitely a part of the conflict in a very understandable and well-done way. But the hero is 40. And tries to shave his silver whiskers. We like the silver, John. Keep it. And Sukey, keep him. He's a keeper.

Rounding this out were some great family conflicts and complications, relationships to jobs and the people therein....and just...it's great.