Review: Talk Sweetly to Me by Courtney Milan

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What intrigued me about this book is that it features a computer: my initial thought was that Rose was a living machine who did what modern computers do, but, then, I had to track back my thoughts and remember that a computer is "one that computes" -- what is extraordinary about Rose is that:

1. She is a female computer.
2. Her family background is very humble.
3. Rose is black.

Stephen Shaughnessy is a fun-loving rake, who writes the "Ask a Man" column for Free Marshall's newspaper. He's good with words, but finds that he loses them when he's in Rose's presence -- content to listen to her talk about numbers and calculations. (I loved reading about her talk about numbers with such passion and life.)

One would think that Mathematics was the least romantic and least emotional of all the academic disciplines, but Courtney Milan has shown us otherwise. I love and admire Rose -- to live in a fixed place, to live knowing there's a glass ceiling above you that limits you, and tells you how far or high you can aspire for -- I thought her situation was, at once, inspiring and heartbreaking. She's broken down one barrier and is working at the Royal Observatory, but there are yet more barriers for her to break down.

This novella is about discovering one's heart's desires -- Rose has lived her whole life believing she would marry like her sister and live her days like her sister, but, when she meets Stephen, she realises she wants something more for her life. The question is whether she's brave enough to reach out for it. Stephen hadn't really thought about his future. When he began his flirtation/courtship of Rose, he really didn't think to see beyond the present and beyond himself.

She did not dream timid dreams. She didn't want to dream timid dreams. She just knew the truth: She didn't belong in his sphere, and women like her were not invited to join men like him in matrimony. The only way she would have a man like him was if he did seduce her. They could with each other very well alone. It was only when she imagined ... oh, anyone else at all around them that it all fell to pieces.
- p. 45

It's a story about opposites-attract: he's too carefree, and she's too cautious; she lives in a world of precise calculations, and his is a world of fluidity and humour; he's well-established in society and she's a quiet shopkeeper's daughter.

But, like all Courtney Milan romances, this is also a story about something more: Rose's story is a reflection on a woman's social role, position and limitation -- and about Stephen's (and the world's) role in correcting these social conventions.

Talk Sweetly to Me is Book 4.5 in The Brothers Sinister series by Courtney Milan. To find out more about Courtney Milan and her books, click below:
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Review: The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan

The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan
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The first meeting between Edward and Free ends with Free handing Edward her card and telling him to call on her if he ever needed exclamation points. I find that I need them right now, quite a number of exclamation points, actually, in order to express just how much I loved this book.

I knew that, when I started reading this book, I would not be able to put it down. I started reading at around 9 in the evening, and finished before midnight. My e-reader's battery had gone from 60% to 20% -- and I hadn't noticed any of that until I had finished the book.

There's a point in the book where Edward talks to Oliver, and Oliver isn't surprised at Edward's reaction (and subsequent attraction) to his sister. You'll either love Free or hate her, he says, -- in my case, it was love, love, love at first read. Long before this book, there was something about her spirit that was just so captivating -- you just had to follow her around, curious about her ideas and actions.

And she is, indeed, a woman worth listening to and worth watching. She put her Aunt Freddy's money to good use and is championing the rights of women. She knows that she is in the minority, and she has already gained the enmity of a number of people. Free is afraid. She's received threats and letters detailing malicious intent -- but she is so, so incredibly brave to face her fear and stand at the forefront of this particular battle. It's easy to forget that Free is human because she is a force of nature -- so tireless and dedicated to her newspaper and her cause -- but, Milan reminds us of the very human, very fragile part of Free when she writes about Free's nightmares.

The idealist vs the realist. At the first sign of resistance, it would have been so easy for Free to close shop, and go home to her parents' house and live the rest of her days in relative peace, safety, quiet and comfort -- but Free is so, so incredibly driven. It's an aspect of Free that baffles Edward as well -- who has taken a shot at the glass ceiling and failed. He suffered terribly because of his youthful idealism and life has made a realist of him. He's been to where Free is going and he doesn't understand why she keeps going forward, when there is nothing but failure at the end of the road. He doesn't try to sway her or stop her, but actually walks alongside her as she fights against the tides.

Edward claims that his reasons are selfish and that he doesn't care about Free, but, his actions say otherwise. He epitomises the anti-hero and, for some strange reason, I kept picturing Pedro Pascal, while reading about Edward. He's been burned by life: betrayed and abandoned by his family. He had intended to stay away forever, but he had a debt to pay to his lifelong friend -- and so he has reluctantly returned to England. The tragedy of Edward's life is that he lost his dreams a long time ago -- the rose-colored glasses have been shattered and he thinks he sees the world for what it really is: cold, cruel and unforgiving. But even he cannot deny the existence of kindness and goodness, and so he strives to protect Patrick, Stephen and Free from the world and from himself.

James's eyes widened. "Was it bad?"

"No," Edward lied. "But only because I learned to be worse in response. Trust me, James. I'm no longer fit company. I know who Viscount Claridge is supposed to be. I had enough lectures on the meaning of our family honour to recall that. I can't be him."
- Chapter 2

There is a villain in this story and a really nefarious plot to discredit and destroy Free's newspaper. James Delacey is Edward's younger brother who stands to inherit Edward's title once Edward is legally and finally declared dead. It wasn't an easy decision for Edward which side to choose, because he still believed in his brother's goodness and he did try to find the best solution to all their problems. What I appreciated about how Milan used the conflict in The Suffragette Scandal is how it served to redefine such words as "family", "brothers", and "honour" -- when the dust finally settled, I think Edward and Free got a clearer picture of what it was they truly needed.

Love Conquers All. Love is such a powerful and resounding force in this novel -- it agitates the characters out of their comfort zones and batters down walls and chips away at carefully-guarded hearts -- and it does all this in quiet patience. Between Free and Edward, I was expecting there to be a power struggle and, in the beginning, there was that amazing display of intellectual prowess (read Chapters 3-4) -- but, as the story continues, our hero and heroine come to know and respect the other. There are no worldviews colliding or battle of wills -- what happens between Free and Edward is that they manage to find the best of both worlds -- and create a new one for themselves.

"Which of my myriad flaws is making you uneasy, Miss Marshall?" He gave her a long, slow smile. "Is it my arrogant conceit or my wicked sense of humour?"

"Neither," Free answered. "I rather like both of those. It's just that you're trying to use my attraction to you to set me on edge." She smiled at him. "It won't work. I've been attracted to you since the moment I laid eyes on you, and it hasn't made me stupid once."
- Chapter 6

As the final* installation to the series, Free's story brings everything to a full circle. It was wonderful to see Oliver and Robert and Sebastian again and especially enjoyed the scene between Robert and Free. While this series is supposed to be about the three men, I can't help but see this as a celebration of wonderful, unique, driven women who weren't content to stand in the shadows, but to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the men in their lives.

I can always count on a Courtney Milan novel to engage me completely: heart, mind and everything else in between. When I finished reading this, I felt giddy, exhilarated, inspired -- and wanting more. ^_^

The Suffragette Scandal is Book 4 in Courtney Milan's The Brothers Sinister series. To find out more about Courtney Milan and her books, click below:
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*Courtney Milan is releasing an e-novella that features Stephen Shaughnessy and a gifted mathematician named Rose Sweetly, Talk Sweetly to Me.

Review: The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan

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The Countess:
(I was eating a square of dark chocolate while reading The Countess Conspiracy.)
There's milk chocolate, which everyone loves. It's sweet and milky -- a taste that is easy to understand and appreciate. And then there's dark chocolate, it is a chocolate that shouldn't be chewed but allowed to linger in our mouths to melt a bit. But what does "dark" taste like exactly? It isn't sweet but a mix of bitterness and creaminess that doesn't come from cream or milk. It's a complex flavour that challenges the palate.

Courtney Milan's heroine, Violet, is the same way. She knows she isn't like her sister Lily or like any other woman she knows and refers to herself as a puzzle. She talks about herself as a challenge, hoping that no one would dare undertake the task of figuring her out, but Sebastian Malheur is not daunted or intimidated and is more than willing to piece out the puzzle that is Violet. If only she would let him.

Violet only acknowledges the bitter side of herself because this is the side of herself she has known in her many years of marriage. It did not help that her mother, the foremost expert on how ladies should behave (and even wrote the book on it) has trained her daughters rigorously in what she believes is proper, ladylike decorum, so Violet is so hyper-aware of who and what she should be but isn't -- and it destroys her little by little. What Violet has is her passion for plants and her study of it -- but she cannot even claim ownership of it for fear of social censure. It is Sebastian who presents Violet's works and Sebastian who accepts both the admiration and the scorn for Violet's genius.

"You, of all people, should understand. I keep everything hidden because there's nothing about my true self that anyone likes. I'm not difficult, Sebastian. I'm the easiest person around. I don't belong, and I spend all my life pretending I do. Sometimes I get weary of it, and that makes me angry.

...

...You think it's hard spending time with me? Imagine being a blacksmith puzzle made by a madman. You're unable to perform the basic functions of your existence. You never bring anyone joy. You learn not to hope when someone picks you up. Because no matter how high their anticipation runs upon starting, you know what will happen in the end: They'll throw you away in disgust."
- Chapter 5

How could one person bear such a burden? How could one person lie so well and so long for another, at the expense of one's own self? Because love. Unfortunately, Sebastian's love is not an easy thing for Violet to accept or reciprocate -- and this is part of the mystery that is Violet, Countess of Cambury.

I knew I would love Sebastian the minute I read about him in the earlier books in the series and I wondered what his story was -- I really admire the love that Sebastian feels for Violet and, while reading about it, I was reminded of this poem by Edna St. Vincent-Millay:

Not in the summer casket cool with pearls
Or rich with red corundum or with blue,
Locked, and key withheld, as other girls
Have given their loves, I give my love to you;
Not in a lovers'-knot, not in a ring
Worked in such fashion, and the legend plain --
Semper fidelis, where a secret spring
Kennels a drop of mischief for the brain:
Love in the open hand, no thing but that,
Ungemmed, unhidden, wishing not to hurt,
As one should bring you cowslips in a hat
Swung from the hand, or apples in her skirt,
I bring to you, calling out as children do:
"Look what I have! -- And these are all for you."

It is a love with the same purity and intensity and intention -- a love that Sebastian has waited so many years to offer to Violet. What is more impressive is that, even when Violet showed an inclination to refuse what he was offering, Sebastian quietly continued to lay himself bare to the woman he loves. Complicated does not begin to describe Violet and Sebastian's relationship -- and I wonder if there is a single word that exists that would encapsulate that, but it is engrossing to read about how they struggle to make sense of the nebulous feelings that course through them when they are with each other.

"I wish every day." His hand was still clasped in hers. "Every day that passes, Violet. But I watched you during your marriage -- and if you'll pardon me -- I don't think you need another man to get angry with you."
- Chapter 9

The Conspiracy:
Violet is brilliant and talented in a world that doesn't allow her to be. It's actually a world that doesn't really allow for any sort of forward thinking for either man or woman, as can be seen in the reception Sebastian receives when he delivers the lectures. Without witnessing it, Violet knows that it would be catastrophic if the world knew that it was hers.

It also happens to be an ironic life: Violet studies how plants propagate but her own married life was childless. This is another mystery of Violet: she never talks about her marriage or her infertility. So everyone else has written Violet's story for her: her sister Lily, her mother, Sebastian, we readers -- we have all presumed a story about Violet's life -- and she never disputes it.

There's also Sebastian's brother, Benedict and Violet's sister, Lily -- who epitomize what Sebastian and Violet strive for: acceptance, normalcy, belonging. Sebastian struggles to be worthy of Benedict's esteem and it is always like walking on broken glass for Violet when she is with Lily and her perfect husband and her eleven children and her fecundity.

There is so much silence, so much obfuscation in Violet's life -- and this is what makes her story so interesting: with each page, we find a piece of the puzzle, another clue to solving the mystery. It's detective work, which will ultimately lead to the reader unlocking the truth behind Violet.

Piecing the puzzle:
Courtney Milan's writing is so intricate and the pace she set was so deliberate for telling this story. I really felt the impact of her words intellectually and, more importantly, emotionally: there were parts where my heart just hurt so much for Violet and Sebastian. But, there comes a point farther forward in the story, when enough is revealed and we understand the author's plan for her characters ... and we just have to lean back, put our copies down, and marvel at Milan's brilliance.

I've sat on this review for over a week now -- and, in the interim, have read five stories and reviewed three -- but this story lingered with me. I had to write and rewrite my thoughts because, up to this very moment, I am not certain I've pegged down what it is exactly that made this story work -- except to say that it did work for me. That I loved every page and every word that Milan had written ... and that I wish there was more of Sebastian and Violet to read.

This is a love story -- but it is also a love letter to all women: to continue to dream, to do and to dare.

The Countess Conspiracy is the third book (and fifth instalment, counting the novellas) in Courtney Milan's The Brothers Sinister series. To find out more about Courtney, click below:
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Review: The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan

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This is actually the third draft of this review and I still can't figure out a way to write this and give the book the praise it deserves. It is a wonderfully written story -- and Courtney Milan's most experimental endeavor to date:

Here's why you should read this book:
1. If you have been following this series, The Heiress Effect presents an interesting reflection on history repeating itself.
Jane Fairfield grew up in the country with no guidance. At 19, she discovered that she was an heiress and was thrust into the social spotlight with no preparation, no training in social graces. It was not a surprise that she ended up a complete disaster. Now that she is of age, and in complete control of her inheritance and continues to repel potential suitors with her garish outfits and her outrageous manners. But this is all part of Jane's plan: she must remain unmarried for another year and a half if she wants to protect her younger sister from their very managing, very controlling, very restrictive uncle.

Oliver Marshall has mapped out a grand future for himself, including, someday, becoming prime minister. But, first, he must win the vote on the Reform Bill. If he wins the vote, it will cement his reputation as a politician and is a step one in achieving his dream. One man holds the key to a block of 9 votes, which would mean either Oliver's victory or defeat and the Marquess of Brandenton wants something in exchange: Jane's humiliation.

For half of his life, Oliver was happy being Serena and Hugo Marshall's son. Then the Duke of Clermont walks into his life, acknowledges him and changes the course of Oliver's life forever. He enjoyed all the benefits of being a duke's son and a duke's brother, gaining access to Eton and then Cambridge and he also experienced all the disadvantages of being the bastard son and bastard brother of a duke.

It took Oliver a while, but he finally figured out his place in society: to be quiet, to be observant, to agree -- to be "part of the proper order" (loc 635) -- for the longest time, Oliver was fine with his role and his place -- he used his position to get things done without seeming too overreaching or ambitious -- but Jane Fairfield's arrival changes everything for him. Who is this woman who can't seem to stay put in the box she was placed in? Who is this woman who keeps overstepping the boundaries set by society? She is the most infuriating, most scandalous woman Oliver has ever met -- and she also happens to be the bravest, boldest, most attractive woman Oliver has ever met.

Oliver is caught between his ambition and the fate of one woman. It is a very similar situation his father, Hugo, found himself in in The Governess Affair. Hugo chose the woman and lost all chances at the dream he had worked on all his life. Oliver saw the outcome of his father's choice. He knows the right thing to do but will he do it?

2. I also really, really loved Milan's take on story as both fiction and reality.
There are a lot of stories in The Heiress Effect: there's the story about his father and his mother and the Duke of Clermont. That one is true. There's the story of Jane Fairfield and her one hundred thousand pounds. That one is also true.

But there are also the stories that our characters have woven: Oliver brokering the vote for the Reform Bill, which will put him in the spotlight and is a step forward in his plans to be prime minister. In his mind, Oliver already knows how his story will begin and end: with the perfect wife/political ally and the admiration of everyone who dared ridicule and belittle him as a Duke's bastard son.

There is also Jane's story, about how she is pretending to be a magnified, more offensive version of herself, to ward off people for a year and half, just long enough until her younger sister comes of age and they could finally leave her uncle and live happily together.

It's interesting that we use the word "story" to refer to something factual and also to something fictional. There is a push/pull between the two definitions as Jane and Oliver, and Emily and Anjan, sort out the stories of their lives. Which ones are real? Which stories will they participate in? How will they come about their happy endings?

"...I'm just telling you a story, that's all."

A story. A story. She swallowed, trying to envision the story that would follow. It wouldn't be an easy life, that much she knew. He rarely talked about how he was treated, but she hadn't received the impression that many people were kind. Quite the reverse. And that would be what she entered into? That would be what her children would experience? She felt too young for children, let alone for a decision of this magnitude. She wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Here's another story," she said quietly. "I'm not of age. My uncle hasn't even let me come out because of my fits. He would never let me marry." ...

"Would you?" he asked. "Would you consider the wait, if we were in a story?"

But as much as she'd pretended this was an escape, this wasn't a story.
- (Anjan and Emily) loc 2762

* * *

She sighed. "The stories never mention that saddles built for one rather than two make your backside go numb. Also" -- she turned in the saddle, just enough that he had to hold her more tightly from slipping -- "did you know that your thighs are extremely hard? And I thought the squabs of the carriage were uncomfortable."

"You'd like it even less if I had pillowy thighs," Oliver replied.

She leaned back against him. "Mmm. Pillowy thighs. Those would be lovely right now. Thighs that I could shut my eyes and sink into. Your thighs are like oak logs. Very unrestful."

"Yes, but here's the problem. If I had pillowy thighs, I would have reached down to swing you atop my fiery gelding, and when I tried to heft you in the air, I would have dropped you. 'Damn it!' I'd proclaim. 'I just threw my back!'"

She laughed softly.

"All the stories are wrong," he told her.

He meant it just how he said it -- they were filled with falsehoods and euphemisms. But he also meant it how he didn't say it: that they were wrong to be here.
- (Oliver and Jane) loc 3970

The idea of story as fact and fiction takes on a very poignant, very tearful turn when Courtney Milan introduces the two Freddys. Frederica the elder is Oliver and Free's aunt who is agoraphobic. Frederica the younger is known as Free and is everything Oliver was at her age: confident, daring, secure in her abilities and her place in this world. (Read Chapters 17 and 28-29)

3. It's "experimental" --
Jane and Oliver's love story happens in two parts: the first in Cambridge and the second one a few months later. Courtney Milan could have ended their story after Cambridge and given them their happily ever after then -- but, perhaps, it wasn't the right time for Oliver and Jane to have their happy ending: Oliver still had his career and Jane still had her sister to worry about.

Their journeys from "I" to "we" isn't complete yet and, while reading how their romance unfolded, I kept thinking about all the essays on the phenomenology of love that I read for Philosophy classes at university. I think Courtney Milan has found the missing link that makes this love story believable: from the first sight, to the first kiss, to the first "I love you" until the end. In many romance novels, the romance sometimes feels too sudden, too shallow --

In Jane and Oliver, we see the transformation, we see what precipitates the transformation, we see the time that it took for the transformation to occur -- and Courtney Milan makes every step excruciatingly painful but also exquisitely cathartic.

This is also a work that doesn't quite follow a typical dramatic structure: introduction, rising action, climax, resolution, etc -- the action rises several times and there are quite a number of climactic moments for each of the characters.

4. It's by Courtney Milan.
This is a story that will make your heart soar in a way that you won't quite understand -- but, just enjoy the process. ^_^

The Heiress Effect is the second book in Courtney Milan's The Brothers Sinister series. To find out more about Courtney Milan and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I won a copy from The Season for Romance

To read my reviews of the rest of the series, click below:
Book 0.5: The Governess Affair (e-novella)
Book 1: The Duchess War
Book 1.5: A Kiss For Midwinter (e-novella)

Review: A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan (e-novella)

Lydia Charrington is the daughter of the magistrate in Leicester Square. She is, perhaps, the most popular girl in Leicester -- and one of the most sought-after. She's vivacious, bright, outgoing and friendly -- the perfect girl with the perfect life.

But, nearly seven years ago, Lydia found herself in a most delicate situation. She nearly died from the experience and, according to the doctor who treated her, she was as good as dead anyway because of her ruination. But, no, she and her family refused to accept their fate meekly and were able to change the course of Lydia's future.

Outside of her family, only three people knew of her secret: the doctor, her best friend, Minnie (read: The Duchess War) -- and the new doctor, Jonas Grantham.

Jonas was a student on his way to medical school when he first encountered Lydia. He knew the old doctor's prescription and treatment of Lydia was outdated and would likely kill her, but he kept his silence -- in exchange for the practice and the bright future it promised him. But that moment and his silence has haunted Jonas ever since -- he could never forget the look in the young girl's eyes and the desperation and sadness he had seen in her face.

Only when he returned, five years later, did Jonas discover that young girl's name when he decided to introduce himself to the "eleventh prettiest young lady in Leicester"*, Lydia Charrington.

Lydia could not imagine the gall of Doctor Grantham to approach her. Did he think she was an easy target because he knew her shameful secret?

Jonas was stunned when "number eleven" responded to him with such venom, such anger. Then when she started talking of their past did he remember -- and understand her indignation and her wrath.

But, now that he had met her, how could Jonas leave her alone? How could he walk away and never have her in his life? In his life as a doctor, in his world of disease and death, Lydia's vibrance is exactly what he needs.

I loved Lydia in Minnie's story and was so glad when Courtney Milan published her story shortly after she released The Duchess War. At first glance, Lydia may seem happy-go-lucky and carefree -- but Lydia has backbone and she showed it when she stood up for her friend Minnie and again in this book.

While she was hapless when it happened all those years ago, Lydia learned from her experience and grew from it. You could feel her strength emanate from within her as she interacts with the people around her. (I don't know how Courtney Milan did it -- but I really could feel the brightness shining through in Lydia.)

I love Lydia's family even more. They are such wonderful, supportive, understanding parents -- who saw past Lydia's problem and saw their daughter who needed their strength. Together, they withstood the calamity and came out almost unscathed. And their love for their daughter is so ... enormous. (The only word that seemed to fit.)

Silence plays an important role in this novella. Lydia's parents refused to stay silent and to quietly accept their future as the old doctor described it. No, said Lydia's father. No.**

He stood up for Lydia and helped her through her darkest moment.

Jonas didn't speak up when Lydia needed him to and it damned him. Now he finds himself an a similar predicament: will he keep his love for her secret?

Jonas and Lydia represent the two extremes: death and life. Jonas's world is a world of disease, decay and death. And Lydia has filled her world with all that is bright, happy and beautiful. And, yet, they live in the same world and walk the same streets and breathe the same air.

The word counter is very interesting and both meanings of the word seem to apply to Jonas and Lydia. In one sense, they stand opposite each other. It is a retaliatory relationship. But, in another sense, counter might mean complementary. And that is the relationship Jonas seeks to have with Lydia.

He saw so little hope in the world, and she saw far too much. There were days he wanted to sit and watch her, to figure out where all that good cheer came from.

He knew he tended toward gloom. It made him consider blood poisoning and heart attacks when someone else might see a touch of indigestion. Those carefully considered worst-case scenarios made him a good doctor, but they also made him feel like a dark little raincloud.

When Lydia Charringford was around, though, he felt like a smiling dark little raincloud.
- loc 371

I'd love to write more about this novella -- to talk about the fathers in this story, the role of fastenings and of the cold winter season -- but, this review is overlong, as it is. And this is part of the wonder of Courtney Milan's writing. A Kiss for Midwinter is an e-novella -- a story in a relatively short form -- and, yet, it contains a very rich, very layered world within it. It is a world that contains big things and small things -- a palpable world with bleakness, harshness but also love and joy.

A Kiss for Midwinter is part of Courtney Milan's ongoing The Brothers Sinister series. The next book, The Heiress Effect will be released first part of 2013. To find out more about Courtney Milan and her books, visit her website. She's also on Facebook.

*loc 150
**Three times, loc 48

Review: The Duchess War by Courtney Milan

Since she was twelve, Minnie has been taught to be quiet, to stay in the shadows, to not call attention to herself -- to be as small and as insignificant as possible. As Wilhelmina Pursling, Minnie is plain, quiet, biddable -- but Minnie is, in reality, Minerva Lane, a woman possessed of a remarkable talent and of a horrible, indelible scandalous reputation.

There is nothing typical about Minnie. Her scars aren't hidden from the world but out there. On her face. It is a constant and permanent reminder to herself and to everyone who knows of her former life and she and her aunts have struggled hard to erase as much of her past as they could -- downgrading Minerva Lane to a Minnie.

Minnie. Mini -- to be so small, to make small, to reduce -- to be the least. Minnie has almost forgotten who she was. Of her brilliant talent and of the bright future she was deprived because of her father. But, upon encountering Robert for the first time, I think, deep down, Minnie recognized a kindred soul -- another being so caught up in hiding himself -- that she was able to find the courage to let out all the good she has kept hidden from the world.

De Minimis. At first glance, any regular fellow would instantly make the connection between Minnie and the pamphlets. De Minnie Mis. (And a regular fellow did make this connection. Read p. 15)

De Minimis. An insignificant thing. A small risk. But there is nothing insignificant or small or harmless about the real author of the seditious pamphlets being distributed around Leicester Square.

All his life, Robert Blaisdell has wanted to step out of the shadow of his father's cruelty -- instead of concerning himself with the idle, indulgent things that dukes typically think about, he is busy doing the opposite: he has set out the right the wrongs done by his father, the former duke -- and he is starting out at Leicester Square.

Robert has lived with the legacy his father has left him -- the former duke's selfish abuse of Oliver's mother (read: The Governess Affair), the terrible work conditions at Graydon Mills, etc. Robert is young and most people would think that what he is doing is bourn of youthful exuberance and naivete -- but Robert is determined and relentless.

Robert is a duke -- the highest title in the peerage -- but Robert would like nothing better than to cast off his title. The gifts of his heritage weigh down heavily on him and he considers the wealth, the position, etc. as a burden. He hates being referred to as "His Grace" because he doesn't feel that he is one. A grace. A blessing. A virtue. Instead, Robert feels that his presence is a blight -- but he is trying to make amends.

I think this was the perfect book to start the year with -- it's a sort of reset after a year of reading over 130 historical romance novels.

What Courtney Milan has done is to challenge our perception of heroes and heroines. Of dukes and duchesses and of the working man. And she has done so in a most sublime and wondrous way.

Robert challenges Minnie but, instead of cowering, Minnie stands unafraid.

"You have all those things," she said. "But then, I have one thing you do not."

He leaned in, not wanting to miss a word.

"I," she said, "have a sense of tactics."

...

"You haven't done anything," he said.

Her expression didn't change.

"I'm winning," he announced. "You can't bore me into a surrender."

...

"That's the beauty of strategy. Everything I do contains a double threat. If you don't back down from spoken words, you reveal your character. Everything you say, everything you do, every charming smile and sweet protestation -- the most you can hope for is to change the manner of my victory. The fact of it, though, is a foregone conclusion."
- pp. 45-46

Minnie challenges Robert but, instead of retreating behind his title and his wealth and his power, he lays himself bare -- exposing everything to a most ordinary woman. (Read p. 97-98)

They bring out the best in each other. They bring out the worst in each other. They bring out the truth in each other.

Family. Love. Identity. Belonging. Fiction. Reality. Dreams. Connections. Scars.

These were the words I wrote down right after I finished reading The Duchess War. Courtney Milan touches on so many different themes but, rather than encumbering the story, the author has found a way to weave them all together into a spellbinding, breathtaking (and very cohesive) love story.

How can two so imperfect people from such disparate backgrounds be so perfect for each other? Read this story, find out how and be captivated. ^_^

Final note: This line left me breathless:

Take your time," he said, stepping closer to her and leaning in. "And in the end, Minnie, take me."
- p. 148

Pay It Forward Giveaway Hop (International)

This event is being hosted by Roofbeam Reader and Shooting Star Mag and the idea is

to share "a book, author, or item which you believe deserves more attention, thus “paying it forward” to your readers and the author/product who you are promoting." (from the Pay It Forward Giveaway Hop post on Roofbeam Reader's blog.)

For this giveaway, I'd like to share one author, one novel, and one blog:

The author I'd like to feature is Courtney Milan.  Three months into opening my blog, I had a readership of two (me and a friend).  Courtney Milan happens to be one of my favorite authors and one of my earliest reviews was for her novel, Unraveled.  I read it, enjoyed it thoroughly and wrote my review of it.

Then the most amazing thing happened:  Courtney Milan blurbed me! -- That was probably the most happiest, most awesome moment of my life. ^_^

She's currently working on a new series, The Brothers Sinister and she introduced the series with an e-novella, The Governess Affair.

It's a wonderful e-novella and has one of my favorite heroines for 2012.

This will be followed by The Duchess War, which will be available late Summer 2012.  The rest of series will be released late 2012 to early 2013.

To find out more about Courtney Milan and her books, visit her website. She's also on Facebook.

The novel I'd like to share is Ruined by Rumor written by Alyssa Everett.

Love Saves the World is a young blog and I consider myself to still be in the baby stages of blogdom. I'm excited for every milestone that my blog experiences: my first comment, my first follower, my first giveaway, etc.

Ruined by Rumor is the first ARC that I received. I had requested about 3 and was promptly rejected by 2 of them, but Carina Press was kind enough to allow me to read Alyssa Everett's debut* novel.

It's an amazing story and I felt grateful to Carina Press for allowing me an early view of such a great work.

When the book was released, I was going to buy myself a copy but, I decided that I would, instead, share the joy of reading this book with another reader. I've just been waiting for an opportunity to do so and I am glad that I stumbled upon this giveaway hop, which is an excellent chance for me to say "thank you" to Alyssa Everett.

To find out more about Alyssa Everett, visit her website. She's also on Facebook.

Finally, I'd like to share Leah's blog: White Sky Project. Leah offered a really great prize during one of her giveaways, a chance for a feature on her blog. I won it and was so excited to do my first guest blogpost. ^_^



My favorite feature on White Sky Project is T-Shirt Thursday where she highlights t-shirt designs that she's found online.

*This giveaway is via Rafflecopter and is open to International Readers
*One entry per household, per IP address.
*This giveaway will run until June 30.
*Rafflecopter will select two (2) winners:

1 winner will win an e-copy of Ruined by Rumor by Alyssa Everett (via Kindle only)

1 winner will win an e-copy of The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan (via Kindle or Smashwords)

Click here to read my review of Ruined by Rumor.
Click here to read my review of The Governess Affair.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Hop on to the other bloggers and read about how they are "paying it forward":

Linky List:

Roof Beam Reader (Int) Shooting Stars Mag (Int) Karen White Audiobooks (USA) BookHounds (USA) BookHounds YA (USA) Jinky is Reading (Int) Abel G. de la Cruz (UK) Noble Valerie (USA) There's A Book (US/Canada) Life as a Spaz (Int)

Tales of an Intrepid Pantster (USA) Leeswamme's Blog (Int) The Lupine Librarian (USA) Sweeping Me (USA/CAN) Kristen Pelfrey Writes (USA) Love Saves the World(Int) Reading With a Broken Heart (Int) Book Addict (Int) Cheryl Rainfield (Int) Candace's Book Blog (Int)

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan (e-novella)

Hugh Marshall has a very specific agenda -- it involves sticking with the Duke of Clermont long enough in order to collect on a wager they made. The prize would be big enough for Hugh to build on the dream he's had since he ran away from home when he was 14 years old.

He's on track to winning the bet -- until the Duke brings to Hugh's attention a very delicate problem.

Hugh feels no love or loyalty to the Duke -- he is merely a means to his ends, but, anything that affects the Duke's finances, affects Hugh's --

Serena Barton had her life and future destroyed by the Duke and she is determined to make him pay. She's a woman with no means or resources -- so she does the only thing she could --

Every day, she sits on the bench outside the Duke's house -- hoping he would give in to her demands or, if not, hoping that the gossips will do what they do best --

But it is not the Duke who is disturbed by Serena's presence in Mayfair -- Hugh stares out the window and wonders what terrible deed the Duke has done to Serena to incite such a display of defiance. Deep inside, Hugh knows the Duke and he knows he does not need to stretch his imagination too much to find the answer.

Serena has nothing to lose; Hugh has everything to lose -- it is a contest of wills that neither one can afford to forfeit.

Courtney Milan introduces her new series, The Brothers Sinister with this e-novella (a Book "0.5") -- what is so amazing about this piece is how rich and complete the story is -- it is short but, in 50-or-so pages, Milan provides us with a panorama of emotions and narrative.

Hugh and Serena are not wealthy or important people -- they are people at the lower rungs of society, struggling to make a life that defies social expectations.

Hugh is a coal miner's son and ex-boxer -- but he is in control of the decisions of one of the most important men in London. And he is determined to make something of himself: the richest coal miner's son in all of England - loc 674, 1659, 1672

Serena ought to be devastated and damaged from her ruination -- but she is done being a victim and is fighting for her future. The odds (and the weather) are against her, but she refuses to be cowed by anyone -- including Hugh.

I am done with things happening to me. From here on out, I am going to happen to things.
- loc 424

Milan shows us that there is dignity in their struggle and a nobleness to their aspirations. Milan tells their story beautifully with a bittersweet innocence --

I love the letters exchanged between Serena and Hugh -- in a different life, in a different situation, their letters can be viewed as flirtatious and the attraction they feel as playful -- but, in their particular situation, there is a silent edge to their exchange: a need to "one-up" the other.

I address one final thing. You are not mine, and I'll thank you not to address me in so familiar a fashion.
S. Barton
- loc 849

Still yours,
Hugo
- loc 860

This is the tragedy of Serena and Hugh. Even something as simple as flirtation can not be simple -- everything, everything comes at a cost.

This is business, not romance.
- (Hugh) loc 1221

The Governess Affair is an extraordinary love story -- one that has left me breathless, enchanted and wanting more. I look forward to reading about Robert, Oliver and Sebastian. ^_^

The first book in the series, The Duchess War (Robert's story) is scheduled for release Summer 2012.

For more on the author (and her amazing work), visit her website.

Unraveled by Courtney Milan

In one word? Wow.

In two words? Ohmygod. Wow.

Of the three brothers, Smite was always the most interesting and his story is aMAzing.

Smite is a magistrate and is known as Lord Justice because he is uncompromising, exact and deliberate. He has been that way all his life and in all aspects of his life.

His brothers, Ash and Mark, and their wives have all accepted who he is and tiptoe around him -- as though he were surrounded by broken glass.

But Miranda refuses to bend to his personality. She has seen glimpses of a different Smite and she likes what she has seen.

Smite is equally fascinated by Miranda. It is obvious that she doesn't belong in the slums of Bristol but he can't figure out where exactly she ought to be.

In an impulsive move, he asks her to be his mistress for one month -- hoping he could indulge and then move on.

But Miranda's life is complicated and she brings these complications with her. She is indebted to The Patron, an unknown entity that rules the slums.

Smite is also very complicated. The sight and sound of water upsets him. He can't have his face touched. He allots only 20 minutes for sentiment each day. And he has a photographic memory -- which means, he can never, ever forget his past.

But Smite keeps it all in check. He is very together, which infuriates his older brother (who wishes he could help Smite with something ... anything.)

I love the Turner brothers. I love the names their mother gave them. The impression from the very first book in the series is that the three brothers hate their names and keep it a secret.

One realizes that Miranda is truly special when Smite reveals his true name andall Miranda says is, "Your mother named you after the rainbow?" -- it is Miranda's very unique point of view that Smite needs in his life.

Miranda and Smite are wonderful characters. Complex without being convoluted. Broken without being fragmented. Challenging without being irritating.

This is Courtney Milan's first major foray in self-publishing -- she took her time with this book. (Originally scheduled for release earlier in the year) -- and I appreciate it.

It was masterfully written -- and wonderfully balanced.

I can go on and on with superlatives.

To say this was a page-turner would be an understatement.