TEST
It’s rare that I find a historical romance that has a premise that seems custom made just for me. But a tale about a mill owner who had pulled himself up by his boot straps and a lady who involves herself in workers’ affairs would definitely be right up my alley. Throw in a tie to that greatest of all Christmas novels, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and you would have a book that completely catches my attention. Unfortunately, the execution of this gem of a premise is not quite as fantastic as the idea itself.
Barbara Lampett may be a lady but she is assuredly not living a life of luxury. Her father was injured trying to save the local mill when the workers burned it down, and has been addled in his wits ever since. Theirs was never a household of excess but this latest blow hasn’t helped in the least. Now a new mill has been built and the owner is using a loom design that calls for fewer workers. The men are up in arms, in no small way thanks to her father’s leadership. The injury has made him a firebrand, incapable of restraint and reason. As Barbara finds herself repeatedly rescuing him from the new mill owner, she develops a growing fascination with this enemy who treats her with more kindness and respect than she has seen in many a year. Can there be peace and even love growing between them, even as they stand on opposing sides of a bitter argument?
Joseph Stratford finds his thoughts far too much on local lovely Barbara and far too little on business. And even though it is the holiday season, he can’t afford a break from planning his newest venture. He had determined to use the Christmas holiday to woo investors as well as to woo a bride, Miss Anne Clairemont. By wedding her he will secure a place in local society for himself and his future children. So why does he find himself more fascinated by the feisty Miss Lampett than the woman he is actually courting?
Then the huge house party he had planned is crashed by three rather odd ghosts who are determined to show Joseph that there is far more to life than business. Is it too late for him to learn the lesson?
The story starts out strong. Joseph saves Barbara from being trampled during a demonstration against his mill, then aides her when her father turns to more violent means of protest. As the two run into each other, both at the mill and about town, a spark springs up between them. Joseph admires Barbara’s frank opinions coupled with mild manners. She has a spark of liveliness to her that his future fiancee is woefully lacking. Barbara for her part is deeply impressed by Joseph’s intelligence. He doesn’t just have a head for trade, but is well read and creative. And there is a passion between them that the two carefully indulge, certain that a few kisses kept in secret can not harm either of them.
Had the book continued in this vein I would have been utterly delighted. Barbara and Joseph were doing a good job of getting to know each other and moving hesitantly towards a romantic relationship. Barbara had some spirit but it was gently mellowed by her intelligence and sense of propriety, keeping it from moving her into the TSTL territory so many feisty heroines occupy. Joseph was very invested in his business ventures, but he also had compassion and a willingness to learn. His industry was central to his character, and that added depth and poignancy to something that could easily have been boring. I loved that the author wove the business and character of the man together to give us a more complete whole.
The ghosts actually played a complimentary position to what was happening in the real world. They were opening Joseph’s eyes to what Barbara was trying to tell him; while the new mill was a welcome boon to the community, he had done a few things (such as closing off a local dairy area thereby removing a needed food source) that were hurting the village. With a few changes, life in their small community could thrive under his leadership. And, of course, the spooks also showed him how he was marrying the wrong girl. Everything was on target for the big change in Joseph and the inevitable HEA.
Then for reasons I can only attribute to needed page count, Joseph and Barbara both began to behave like complete idiots. Barbara especially seems to do an about face in her behaviors. While the story comes back on track in the last pages, it is not enough to save itself from the damage done.
An additional problem crops up with the big secret of why Barbara is estranged from much of the community. It was extremely unrealistic given the nature of life at that time. While I might believe the mother and father of the girl holding Barbara responsible, I simply couldn’t buy everyone else following suit. I appreciated the author showing the unreasonableness and general stupidity of Mr. Clairemont; that certainly helped here, but it did not explain why others would not eventually have spoken out against his ridiculousness. Had Barbara been more directly responsible – enticing the girl out on a cold, rainy day or encouraging her to skate on thin ice – I would have understood people’s response, but not under the circumstances given. It is never wise to do a buildup towards a complete fizzle, which is what happened here.
This tale had promise but unfortunately was not able to fulfill it. While it isn’t a bad book, the middle sections pull it straight into ho-hum territory.
Grade: C
Book Type: Regency Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 28/10/11
Publication Date: 2011/10
I've been an avid reader since 2nd grade and discovered romance when my cousin lent me Lord of La Pampa by Kay Thorpe in 7th grade. I currently read approximately 150 books a year, comprised of a mix of Young Adult, romance, mystery, women's fiction, and science fiction/fantasy.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.