Happy Release Day! Gambled Away: A Historical Romance Anthology (ARC Review)

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About the book:

Get revenge. Pay a debt. Save a soul. Lose your heart.

Spanning centuries and continents, five brand-new novellas from beloved historical romance authors tell the stories of men and women who find themselves wagered in a game of chance and are forced to play for the highest stakes of all: love.

“Gideon and the Den of Thieves” by Joanna Bourne

London, 1793 – Soldier of fortune Gideon Gage has come home from halfway around the world, fully prepared to face down a ruthless gang to save his sister. But there’s one member of the gang he could never have been prepared for: fascinating Aimée, driven from her own home by the French Revolution and desperately in need of his help.

“Raising The Stakes” by Isabel Cooper

California, 1938 — When the flute she won in last night’s poker game unexpectedly summons an elven warrior bound to her service, two-bit con artist Sam takes quick advantage. With Talathan’s fairy powers at her command, her shakedown of a crooked preacher is a sure thing ... but would she rather take a gamble on love?

“All or Nothing” by Rose Lerner

England, 1819 – Architect Simon Radcliffe-Gould needs someone to pose as his mistress so he can actually get some work done at a scandalous house party. Irrepressible gambling den hostess Maggie da Silva would rather be his mistress, but she’ll take what she can get ...

“The Liar’s Dice” by Jeannie Lin

Tang Dynasty China, 849 A.D. — Lady Bai’s first taste of freedom brings her face to face with murder. A dangerous and enigmatic stranger becomes her closest ally as she investigates the crime, but can she trust her heart or her instincts when everyone is playing a game of liar’s dice?

“Redeemed” by Molly O’Keefe

Denver, 1868 — After agonizing years in the Civil War’s surgical tents, Union doctor James Madison has nothing left to lose. But when beautiful, tortured Helen Winters is the prize in a high-stakes game of poker, he goes all in to save her -- and maybe his own soul.

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My Review:

When one of your favorite authors contact you about an anthology she is in, and mentions the names of more of your favorite authors, you drop everything and read it. Gambled Away features 5 brand-new short stories that all explore the theme of gambling.

In the first story, All or Nothing, Rose Lerner's Simon Radcliffe-Gould is drawn to Maggie da Silva, part owner of the gambling den he frequents. Simon believes he can take better care of Maggie -- every time he visits, he longs to talk to Maggie and ask her questions about herself and her life -- but, mainly, he wants to ask Maggie why she continues to stay and work in the gambling den and allow her business partner/friend/lover to use and objectify her.

When the opportunity finally arises, Simon is surprised by Maggie's frankness -- and discovers that he had been mistaken in his assumptions of her. Maggie doesn't need saving or taking care of. She's fine as she is, but, what she needs, at this moment, is a diversion.

Simon receives a commission from a former classmate, and he knows he must accept the job, even if it means revisiting awkward relationships from his past. Simon comes up with an arrangement with Maggie: pretend to be his mistress, and accompany him on this trip. Of course Maggie agrees to go -- curious to find out more about Simon. It's a business trip that becomes an occasion for self-discovery -- and Maggie and Simon explore the extent of their desire and sexuality.

I think Rose Lerner gambled on two levels when she wrote this story: for one, this is a story unlike any of her other stories. Her characters are uninhibited and very honest and open about their relationships. I love that both her hero and heroine are morally ... neutral. It allows her characters to move and speak outside the boundaries of politeness. It's a short story, yes, but it does not skimp on, what I consider, signature Rose Lerner: a thoughtful discussion and reflection. This time, she examines religion, gender roles, and sexual habits.

The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin takes you across the globe, and into the midst of a young woman about to break out of the confines of her sheltered life, and embark on an adventure. All Wei Wei wanted to do was visit a tea house -- something that she has read about in her studies. The experience proves to be as she had imagined ... and more: on her way home, she meets Gao, an enigmatic man (who is obviously not a scholar, but who knows her brother), and they both witness a murder.

I thought the author did a really great job crafting the mystery: Wu Kaifeng (from Lin's The Jade Temptress) is investigating the murder and asks for Wei Wei's assistance. Wei Wei wants to help, but, as the mystery unfolds, she discovers a connection between the victim and her brother. It becomes a difficult situation for Wei Wei -- if she continues to help Wu Kaifeng, she might be endangering her brother, his reputation and his career. The situation is made more uncomfortable by her growing attraction to Gao, who isn't of her world or rank.

What made this story enjoyable was the experience of the culture and observances of China -- at once different, but also the same. Wei Wei is bound by the rules of society, much like the ladies of our historical romances set in the West, and she faces the same dilemma: if she follows her heart, she turns her back on her family, but, if she chooses her family over Gao, she would be betraying her heart. I was also engrossed with the crime, the uncovering of the motive, and the subsequent resolution.

Of the five stories, Isabel Cooper's Raising the Stakes, took on the greatest challenge: to build a world where elves and humans exist, and weave a romance (between an elf and a human) within this very short format. Sam is female, but this hasn't stopped her from trying to make money to help her family. I liked Sam: I liked how she really did everything she could to survive, and I liked that, despite the difficulties she faced, she never turned her back on her family.

She wins an antique flute in a card game, and it summons Talathan, an elven warrior, bound to the flute and to whoever owns the flute. Talathan is described as charismatic, very handsome (in an other-worldly way), and a fierce warrior. But I would've wanted to know more about Talathan, and about his world -- unfortunately, the author decided not to delve too deeply into it. Instead, she proceeds to lay out the details of Sam's scheme: with Talathan's help, Sam plans to con a conman -- a preacher who hasn't exactly been doing good works. I enjoyed reading about how Sam and Talathan carried out their plan, though, I have to admit to being confused at certain points in the story. (When the plan comes to fruition, I didn't feel the excitement or the characters' satisfaction over their success. It felt a bit "meh" -- and then the hero and heroine just moved on.)

Amidst the world-building and the confidence game, what suffered most in the story is the romance: from time to time, the author did well to hint at the attraction between Sam and Talathan, but I didn't really see any meaningful chemistry.

Where Isabel Cooper infuses fantasy into her story, Molly O'Keefe brings the dark, bleak, and dangerous world of drug addiction and PTSD. James Madison served as a doctor during the Civil War, and, while he was busy saving lives, he was also becoming addicted to chloroform. The addiction costed him his career, and his life -- and he now lives in a brothel, where he still battles the demons and nightmares from the war.

Helen is known as the Northern Spy, a brave woman who infiltrated the South during the war, gathered information and helped free slaves. Now, she is slave to Mr. Park, a cruel and vindictive Southerner, who intends to make Helen pay for her role in the South's defeat. Helen has been regularly given morphine and laudanum to control her spirit, and she's been put in a gilded cage to imprison her body. And, every so often, she is put up as the prize in a high-stakes poker game: win the game and win a night with the Northern Spy. But the game isn't really a game, because, no matter who wins, they eventually discover that they've lost. Helen in a cage, with no will or say of her own, is a difficult and painful thing to witness, but no one dares go against Mr. Park and his assistant, Guy.

There's a part of James that wants to help, but he knows that his days of being a hero are long passed. But you can see him struggling between self-preservation, and saving Helen. Throughout his life, James hadn't been very good with using his gifts -- despite his education, he had damned himself with his addiction. And, his gift with cards (and gambling) had damned him in the eyes of his family. We're told that no man is an island -- but James certainly lived like one. Cast far, far away from anyone or anything that would have reminded him of better times. But Helen comes along, and it stirs a determination inside James.

As I read Redeemed, I really thought Helen and James had no chance of escaping -- they were trapped in a brothel, and trapped by their own circumstances. Even if they managed to escape the brothel, they would have to contend with Helen's withdrawal from drugs -- while on the run. And who would they turn to for help? Because of James' addiction, he had been disowned by his family, and he has chosen to distance himself from the few friends he had left.

Despite the shortness of O'Keefe's story, it succeeds in twisting your insides in that uncomfortable, and excruciating way. You will really empathize for Helen and James, who are so, so broken, but who both so, so deserve to have a chance at life. The author's villain is truly one for the books -- it was skillful how the author presents the many sides and effects of war: James, Helen, Mr. Park and the other characters in the story came home from the war changed for good -- but, where James struggles to save himself (and to protect others from his addiction), Mr. Park has chosen to use his brokenness as an excuse to break others and make them as miserable as himself.

Joanna Bourne's Gideon and the Den of Thieves rounds out this collection of stories of strong, independent women. Aimee is French, and escaped during the French Revolution. She works as the appraiser in Lazarus's den of thieves. It is not a situation she was born into, but it's the situation she is in right now -- and she makes the best of it, rising through the ranks to become one of Lazarus's most trusted cohorts.

Gideon Gage is a wealthy man who willingly walks into the den with one goal in mind: to rescue his sister at all cost. He is armed and ready to fight for his sister's freedom, but he is unprepared for the complex and dangerous rules that Lazarus and his thieves live by. Our hero quickly discovers that Lazarus has kidnapped his sister for a reason, and Daphne would not be set free unless she paid the price.

Joanna Bourne is an amazing, amazing storyteller -- and this short story packs as much punch as her longer novels. I loved seeing the young Adrian Hawkhurst, who provided moments of levity -- but also reflected just how deceptively dangerous the world is. He is very cavalier, but he is also always on guard. Aimee is beautiful, calm and elegant -- she stands with, but also stands apart from the rest of the thieves in Lazarus's employ. She serves as Gideon's guide through Lazarus' Lair -- much like Dante's Beatrice, and the den is Gideon's own inferno. The den of thieves is an intriguing character of its own. It is, literally, an underworld: existing in the dark corners and warrens of London. The idea of Honor Among Thieves is exemplified in how Lazarus governs over Aimee, Hawk, and everyone else. But, like anything created by humans, it is not absolute -- and there are some in the den who seek to usurp Lazarus's power.

Bourne piques your curiosity by hinting at undercurrents of tension and uneasiness -- why doesn't Daphne want to leave? Why is Aimee so worried? Even Lazarus is behaving strangely. Aimee heroically tries her best to protect everyone: Gideon, Lazarus, Hawk, Daphne, and herself. It takes a while for Gideon to figure things out, but, when he does, I admired how he was able to exercise restrain -- trusting Aimee to take the lead, but also being ready to step in if the situation needed it.

Lazarus is a character that previously appeared in Joanna Bourne's other books, but I loved him in this story. He's a figure that inspires fear, but also respect. He is, at once, seemingly invulnerable, and painfully human -- and at the heart of Lazarus is, surprisingly, a heart -- one that recognizes justice and fairness.

Overall, I thought this was a well-balanced anthology, and a great showcase of the five authors' unique styles and voices. I will say that the romances here aren't what one usually finds in longer novels, but, as with the theme, I'd like readers to take a chance and read this.

Disclosure: I received this ARC from Rose Lerner. Thank you to Rose, Joanna Bourne, Isabel Cooper, Jeannie Lin, and Molly O'Keefe for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

To find out more about this book, visit the website.

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About the authors:

Joanna Bourne

Joanna Bourne lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge with her family, a medium-sized mutt and a faux Himalayan cat.

She writes Historical Romances set in England and France during the Napoleonic Wars. She’s fascinated by that time and place—such passionate conviction and burning idealism ... and really sexy clothes.

Website: http://joannabourne.com/

Isabel Cooper

Isabel Cooper spent a large part of her childhood in Southern California, but was more or less law-abiding at the time, and only learned how to gamble later. (Her sister always beat her at card games, too. Accusations of cheating were rampant. And loud.) After moving around a lot, she now lives in Boston, where she plays geeky games of all sorts, occasionally goes dancing, and sometimes attempts to cook. She may be the only person in the world who likes circus peanuts.

Website: https://isabelcooper.wordpress.com/

Rose Lerner

Rose Lerner discovered Georgette Heyer when she was thirteen, and wrote her first historical romance a few years later. Her writing has improved since then, but her fascination with all things Regency hasn’t changed. When not reading, writing, or researching, she enjoys cooking and watching TV. She lives in Seattle with her best friend.

Website: http://roselerner.com/

Jeannie Lin

Jeannie Lin started writing in 2005 while she was teaching high school. After a long journey through rejections and contests and revisions, her manuscript, Butterfly Swords, won the 2009 Golden Heart® award for historical romance. Her first two books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and her second novel, The Dragon and the Pearl, was listed as one of Library Journal’s Best Romances of 2011.

Her stories are inspired by her love of adventure, history, and fantasy in both western and Asian traditions. From an early age she was fascinated by legends of King Arthur and the fantasy of Lord of the Rings as well as the Chinese wuxia (martial arts) fiction. As a result, she writes heroic characters in epic situations while interweaving a strong romance to make larger than life characters human.

Website: http://www.jeannielin.com/

Molly O’Keefe

Molly O’Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write.

She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn’t looked back. She loves exploring every character’s road towards happily ever after.

Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she’s not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.

Dishing It Out, her last Harlequin Flipside, won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for best Flipside in 2005. Her Superromance Baby Makes Three won the RT Reviewer’s Choice for best Superromance in 2006. Her novella, “The Christmas Eve Promise” in The Night Before Christmas won the RITA in 2009. And her full length contemporary romance Crazy Thing Called Love won the RITA in 2013.

Website: http://www.molly-okeefe.com/

Book Review: Listen to the Moon by Rose Lerner

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When their employers married each other, Sukey Grimes, Phoebe Sparks's maid, and John Toogood, Nick Dymond's valet, both found themselves out of a job. Sukey was able to bounce back quickly, but John isn't having the same amount of luck: in a small and simple town like Lively St. Lemeston, there's very little demand for a valet -- and, with Nick's mother, Lady Tassel, openly expressing her displeasure with her son's marriage, John discovers that his prospects for a job in London are also a bit bleak.

With his funds dwindling, he decides to rent the same room that Phoebe Sparks just vacated -- and finds himself re-acquainted with Sukey Grimes. In his previous life, John would never have spoken to Sukey, maid of all work -- as a "gentleman's gentleman", John's interaction was limited to one person, and, being employed by the Dymonds also meant a bit more exclusivity. It's interesting to see that, much like the titled class, there also exists a hierarchy (and snobbery) among the servants -- where a maid-of-all-work like Sukey would never have had the opportunity to interact with a higher-ranking valet. But Sukey, with her Sussex tongue and innate cheekiness, is undeniably charming and refreshing -- and is, literally, the first person John has allowed into his world in a very long time.

John is 40, and Sukey is 22 -- he's old enough to be her father, and John is torn between caring for Sukey as a father would a daughter, and caring for her as a lover because the attraction is there, and it is mutual. The age gap is just one of the many differences between them: John is urbane and cosmopolitan, having grown up at the Tassel Hall with the Dymond family, and Sukey is unsophisticated. How they speak, and how they think, and how they behave are worlds apart.

Sukey is always one mistake away from getting sacked, so she's very careful with her money and very careful with her heart. Her father is the greatest absence and the greatest influence in her life -- because of how he abandoned her and her mother to start a new family far away, Sukey is cynical about love and relationships. It's easy for her to work at a boarding house where people come and go so often, because she doesn't want to form attachments to anybody. She has her mother, but they're both busy trying to survive and to make a living, that they only see each other once a week, and only for a portion of half the day. Sukey is a walking antithesis: she engages people, but she keeps them at arm's length.

I love how the author is able to expand on the very practical concerns that affected the lives of the working classes: John finally gets a lead on a job, but it is for the position of butler at the vicar's house, and the vicar requires the butler to be married. John's father is the Dymond's butler at Tassel Hall, and it's a position that John swore he would never, ever occupy. He saw how it consumed his father completely, at the cost of alienating his own family and losing what few friends he had. But, beggars can't be choosers -- so John seeks an interview with Reverend Summers. The second requirement is marriage, and, again, I love how the author appropriates the wealthy class's notion of "marriages of convenience" and applies it those in service. When Sukey hears of John's (business) proposal, she realizes that it is a very good opportunity for her: she will be promoted to upper housemaid, and, working in a bigger household, means a chance for further advancement. Then there's the extra, added bonus of being John's wife.

It seems to be an ideal agreement, but, John and Sukey soon discover that it truly is difficult to mix business with pleasure. John's worst fears about himself comes true: he is like his father, and his obsession for perfection and efficiency does not make him popular in their very small household of 6 (not counting the vicar) -- and he feels a sense of betrayal when Sukey sometimes takes the side of the other servants.

Sukey wants to enjoy her work, but John, as butler, demands so much of her (and the rest of the staff), and she wants to speak up: but how does she distinguish the conversation a wife has with her husband, in which they are both on equal grounds, and the conversation a maid has with the butler, in which case the butler has the power to sack her for her insubordination?

Listen to the Moon is a complex, and thoughtfully written romance, and there's just so much to talk and love about it. Fans of Downton Abbey will enjoy reading about the day-to-day drama in the vicarage, as John tries to manage (and control) two very young maids, one with a rebellious streak, and one who is melancholy, a foreign cook, and a very impressionable, but trainable footman.

Perhaps the absolute best part for me was when Rose Lerner promises, in her author's notes, that there are "more books on their way". Yay~ ^_^

This is book 3 in Rose Lerner's Lively St. Lemeston series. To find out more about the author and her books, click below:
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ARC Review: True Pretenses by Rose Lerner

Click here to pre-order the book on Amazon. Release date: January 13, 2015
It's hard to talk about this book without spoiling it, because it is such an intricately-written story. Lerner has taken a number of plot threads and tackled them in her story.
- sibling dynamics
- values, friendship and political drama in a small town
- a marriage of convenience and how love figures into it
- Jews (and Catholics) and the Church of England
- orphans and workhouses

This is a story with a lot of texture and emotion: at the beginning of the story, Lerner shows how deeply invested Ash and Lydia are in their younger siblings and how devastating it is when Rafe and Jamie decide to make their own way in the world. They've long defined themselves by the purpose they served to Rafe and Jamie, and, now that that's gone, Lydia and Ash are both forced to redefine their identities.

He had brought Rafe up to take him for granted, to believe him strong and capable and impervious to the world's blows. He had wanted his brother to feel safe, as he himself never had. Fear, anxiety, illness, sadness -- he'd protected Rafe with fierce care from them all. It seemed bitterly unfair that this was his reward.
- loc 63

Ash's clothes are always a bit rumpled and ill-fitting, as though they were not meant for him to wear. It's a great parallel for his place in society: to avoid discrimination/persecution, Ash has had to hide his Jewish heritage and has pretended to be Church of England for as long as he could remember. He never says it, but, I think this was a turning point for Ash -- if he was going to live his life fooling people into thinking he was something he wasn't, he was going to live his life fooling people period, and he has been quite successful in both enterprises.

The fine thing about the country, unlike London, was that no one knew enough about Jews to know when they were looking at one. Give a false Christian name, and he was safe as houses.
- loc 232

It's hard to describe Lydia Reeve's role in Lively St. Lemeston. Her family has served as the Tory patron of their town for generations, and Lydia, herself, served as her father's political hostess since she was 17. We get to peer into Lydia's mind quite a bit, and she's constantly thinking about everyone -- about the upcoming Gooding Day auction, about the forthcoming winter and new coats for the children at the workhouse, about Parliament and her brother taking his seat, about her correspondences with fellow Tories, and about how she could afford to remain the patron of their party now that her brother has announced that he was not interested in taking over their father's role and responsibility in their town.

Lydia was in danger of becoming a flat character, but I realised that this was part of her tragedy -- she had always been the one who took care of everyone. My impression was she was the go-to girl for anyone who needed anything done, but no one seemed to be taking care of her. It's such a subtle, but quite powerful shift when Ash enters her life. For the first time in Lydia's life, someone was paying very, very close attention to her (Granted, it was, initially, for less-than-honest intentions), and for the first time, Lydia is forced to pay attention to herself and her needs.

"You don't owe these people this. Don't sell yourself so cheaply. You're worth more. I thought you would be happy with my brother."

Tears pricked unexpectedly at her eyes, that he would say that. She blinked them away. "I'm glad you think you know who to set a just price on me," she said dryly. "But I don't consider that I am selling my self at all. I am choosing to do what I must to get what I want. ..."
- loc 1567

Ash and Rafe Cahill are swindlers who have conned their way through England. Ash has never thought to live any other life but the one they have, but, when Rafe announces that he wants out and plans to join the army, Ash is forced to reassess their situation. Ever the hustler, Ash has figured out a way to keep Rafe safe: he'll find Rafe a wife and make certain he settles down into a nice, quiet life. When Ash hears about Lydia Reeve and her circumstances, he knows he's found his mark. Unlike their previous swindles, this one held a bit more significance for Ash, because he was doing it for Rafe -- and it wasn't for a short-term goal this time, but for life. It isn't surprising that Ash gets emotionally involved in his own situation. It's frightening just how easily Ash slips into his role and there was always, always a tug of war between sincere honesty (the redundancy is intended) and dishonesty -- is he saying all this to get what he wants? What does Ash want anyway?

He was full of small kindnesses, and if they were calculated, she didn't think that made them less kind.
- loc 2853

Because they are so deeply personal, religion and politics we are told to avoid them as topics in conversations, but Rose Lerner has decided to tackle both in her novel, True Pretenses. It's a lot of very important things to talk about in a novel, but, instead of the tangled mess of strings that Ash describes in the novel (Chapter 14, loc 2357), Lerner has deftly woven all these elements into a most glorious tapestry.

True Pretenses got me thinking how some other stories seem to put the hero and heroine in a vacuum: letting the world fade into the background, while allowing the main characters to explore and deepen their relationship without much distraction or interruption, so I don't know how Rose Lerner did it. She was able to talk about everything in depth without taking the focus away from her central characters: Lerner even revisits characters from the first book, Sweet Disorder, and we see Phoebe, Jack and Caroline Sparks still contend with bills, the press, and, for Caroline, her strange situation as a Tory married to a Whig. (It's wonderful to see them continue with their lives -- while they are all happy and settled, their stories haven't really ended yet.)

There's also Mary, a young girl from the workhouse and her younger sister, Joanna. Mary's situation mirrors that of Lydia and Ash's. Lerner really has written about the world and was able to put it into a "nutshell" (being 305 pages) -- and, while the world of Lively St. Lemeston isn't all rainbows and sunshine, it also isn't about gloom and misery either. There is an optimistic undertone to the story, but the characters must work, strive, and sacrifice to attain this goal.

This is a romance novel unlike any other romance novel that you've read before: it's a page-turner, not because there's something exciting happening, but because there's something important happening. There's a quiet thoughtfulness to Lerner's writing, but the message she conveys is resoundingly clear: the world of Lively St. Lemeston isn't perfect and the characters aren't paragons, but there's beauty and value in their flaws and imperfections -- and there's a story to every wrinkle, crease, smudge and tear.

One caveat: I've had the benefit of reading Sweet Disorder, and I wonder how True Pretenses would read as a stand-alone.

This is book 2 in Rose Lerner's Lively St. Lemeston series. To find out more about the author and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I requested this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Rose Lerner and Samhain Publishing for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

Review: Sweet Disorder by Rose Lerner

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Phoebe Sparks is a Whig, but such a fact is not useful to her. A widow, Phoebe has chosen to live independently, without relying on her late husband's family or her own and she makes ends meet with her writing. Despite the meagreness and simplicity of her life, she is happy because she is independent and makes her own decisions, living the life she wants to live. But it is election time and Phoebe's late husband's vote will make the difference between who will win the elections in their town. The Tories want that vote and so do the Whigs -- and the only way for Phoebe to give that vote is by marriage ... something Phoebe has sworn never to do again.

Suddenly, plain and quiet and ordinary Mrs. Sparks is the center of both party's attention and each one has a candidate for Phoebe's hand in marriage. But Phoebe is busy with other things: her younger sister just revealed that she is pregnant and has been booted out of their mother's house. Her brother-in-law, Jack Sparks, (a Whig) is in love with the Tory MP's daughter -- it's all a big mess, really ... and it's up to Phoebe to fix everything.

Phoebe didn't want this shop to go under. All she had to do, to ensure it and Helen's security both, was marry the man. Why couldn't she say the words?
- Chapter 8

It doesn't help the situation when Nick Dymond, the brother of the Whig candidate arrives in Lively St. Lemeston for the very specific reason of courting Phoebe's vote -- and while Phoebe tries her best to like Mr. Moon and Mr. Fairclough, she finds it easier to like Mr. Dymond, and she's not supposed to.

What unfolds next is a most charming, most engaging portrait of small town politics and of a young woman navigating her way through the tricky (and tense) line between the two parties.

Phoebe is such a complex and complicated character. She's so incredibly outspoken and blunt -- but there's also a vein of vulnerability to her. She tries her best to keep everything together, but there is a limit to every person and Phoebe is nearing hers. She juggles her sister's and her brother-in-law's affairs, as well as her own -- and I really admired how calmly and fairly she handled the two gentlemen vying for her hand and vote. She's a strange mix of abrasive and loveable -- and incredibly real. My heart broke for her during her confrontations with her mother and my heart was giddy, especially when she was accommodating Mr. Moon. In some sense, I really wanted her relationship with Mr. Moon to succeed. It was fun reading about her visits to Mr. Moon's and sharing her love for reading while he would share his love of desserts. I love how she was gracious and tried to mask her dislike of sweets, which I thought was a weird quirk (what woman doesn't like sweets? ^_^) -- but I saw it as a reflection of who Phoebe is as a character. She's unlike any other heroine that I've ever read about and she isn't afraid to go against the grain.

She hid a smile. He wasn't, after all, much more tactful than she was. "I didn't mean to be rude. As I said, I haven't read his lordship's work. I might like it. Plenty of others do."

He smiled. "No, I do believe rudeness comes to you quite unconsciously."
- Chapter 2 (Phoebe and Nick are discussing Lord Byron)

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"...My heart doesn't start and stop at my command. Or yours, or your mother's for that matter."
- Chapter 9

Nick doesn't fit into his family, either. The Dymonds have been involved in politics forever, but Nick chose to become a soldier -- and then he returns home with a limp. In a family that values perfection and conformity, Nick sticks out like a sore thumb. The only reason why he agreed to help out his brother is because of a wager he made with his mother.

She had never had the slightest bit of faith in him. Nick tried not to let it sting. Why should she have? It was only in the army that he had found something worth working for, worth fighting for. He'd been useful there, even valuable. He'd became someone to be relied on.,

Now he was useless again.
- Chapter 1

I did like how Phoebe and Nick rubbed together. While their stations in life were not equal, it didn't stop them from engaging/interacting with each other as equals. The love that develops between the two is very natural and is the product of the logical progression of events: they spend a lot of time together, they communicate very well with each other, they've shared secret pains and hopes with each other, etc. It isn't driven by lust or physical attraction (well, Phoebe does find Nick very handsome) -- but is rooted in a sense of companionship and connection that goes beyond the body.

But this point leads me to the one aspect of the story that was jarring for me: the sex scenes have a very different tone and voice compared to the rest of the story. While they were very well-written, those scenes felt disjointed (and a bit dark) (read: Chapter 17).

The most fascinating aspect of this book is how Rose Lerner has woven politics and romance into a cohesive story. I am amazed by how thoroughly she has presented the bipartisan politics that existed (and still exists) in England today. At certain points, I was tempted to view this book as historical fiction with a splash of romance. Fellow readers, be assured that the romance is present and it is as practical and as no-nonsense as Lerner's heroine.

Sweet Disorder is an interesting commentary on the role of women in politics. On one hand, I am happy to read that Phoebe actually holds such power -- but, on the other hand, I am sad that she could not use the vote herself and must give it to her husband. I thought Lerner set her story against a very interesting time, where women had greater involvement in their community -- it is an encouraging story, but also one with a gentle reminder: we still have far to go.

"But what if you say no, and he's angry? He could tell everyone you kissed him."

"He won't," Phoebe promised as they half-ran towards the Drunk St. Leonard.

"How do you know?" Helen held her skirts up with one hand and her hair carefully in place with the other.

Phoebe just knew. "He wants me votes," she said flippantly.
- Chapter 10

Finally, I appreciate how clear and distinct Lerner's voice and style is. It's very new to me and I find that I lack the words to accurately describe her writing. ^_^ It's a wonderful mix of pastoral (?) and social commentary and I loved the details she included to make Lively St. Lemeston so real, so homelike, and so alive.

Congratulations to Rose Lerner for this wonderful book! I look forward to the next instalment in her Lively St. Lemeston series.

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