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Title: The Romance
WonderClub
Item Number: 9780783883854
Number: 1
Product Description: The Romance
Universal Product Code (UPC): 9780783883854
WonderClub Stock Keeping Unit (WSKU): 9780783883854
Rating: 3.5/5 based on 2 Reviews
Image Location: https://wonderclub.com/images/covers/38/54/9780783883854.jpg
Weight: 0.200 kg (0.44 lbs)
Width: 0.000 cm (0.00 inches)
Heigh : 0.000 cm (0.00 inches)
Depth: 0.000 cm (0.00 inches)
Date Added: August 25, 2020, Added By: Ross
Date Last Edited: August 25, 2020, Edited By: Ross
Price | Condition | Delivery | Seller | Action |
$99.99 | Digital |
| WonderClub (9296 total ratings) |
Edward Williams
reviewed The Romance on June 30, 2018The above meme best describes the heroine, her mother and society's attitude to them: Belinda ( the heroine ) is one of the 2 remaining unwed Beverley sisters in this series and by this installment her greedy mother has no financial worries since her 4 older sisters have all married hot rich men who help out with regular funding. But, does that stop Lady Beverley from complaining to all and sundry ? Nope. The woman is still obsessed with regaining Mannerling, the evil haunted mansion that used to belong the family. It's an ongoing quest with the heroine, her mother and her younger sister. Her 4 older sisters all tried with stupid, dumb and dangerous schemes ( in the previous 4 novels ) to regain Mannerling but they eventually all fell in love and decided that it was time to move on to happier things. In this story, Belinda takes up the baton and decides that she'll be the one who will accomplish what her sisters didn't. I had liked Belinda a lot in the previous novels because she'd been the quieter and more sensible sister. In this story, however, she just made me so angry because of the utter stupid bullshit she did. Do you know what's worse than an unintelligent dumb and airhead bimbo ? Well, in my opinion, it's an intelligent woman who deliberately puts on an act and behaves like a dumb airhead bimbo !
And, what's even worse than that is when the heroine appears to be giving up on a perfect, rich, handsome, non manwhore hero who is also a marquis ! That just made me want me want to hit her over the head:
Belinda is desperately attracted to the hot and studly Marquis of Gyre but she decides to act like an airhead, flirty bimbo and simper coquettishly over the skinny, dandyish, effeminate and cowardly Lord St. Clair. Why ? Because skinny Lord St. Clair's daddy bought him Mannerling and publicly stated that it's supposed to be a wedding gift for when the dandy picks a bride. Lady Beverley starts to salivate when she hears that news and she encourages the heroine to pursue Lord St. Clair because she thinks that she'll finally be able to get back her old mansion. The stupid woman has conveniently forgotten that the house would still not actually belong to her or to her daughter. She doesn't even think that she might not even be allowed to live there; after all, nobody likes her and all her other sons in law prefer to send her money to stay away from them. In this novel, she's lucky that Lord Burfield ( Abigail's husband ) is nice enough to let her stay at his townhouse during the London season. And, he's only doing that for the sake of Belinda and Lizzie since they're still unwed.
In this novel, the H is almost besotted with Belinda when they first meet and he grows to admire her after they have an intellectual discussion because he admires women who are smart as well as beautiful. Belinda then goes and ruins it by acting like a bimbo airhead because Lord St. Clair ( the effeminate dandy who owns Mannerling ) is dimwitted himself and dislikes intelligent ladies. Belinda acts like this in front of Lord Gyre, the H, causing him to despise her:
‘Indeed,’ gushed Belinda. ‘Shakespeare does send me to sleep. I can hardly refrain from yawning.’
Saint Clair looked at her, struck afresh by this kindred spirit.
‘Demme, if don’t suffer the same ennui. Your honesty is refreshing.’
Again that giggle.
‘And compliments from such an arbiter of fashion are always a delight, my lord.’ At that moment, Belinda saw Lord Gyre staring at her, a faint look of contempt in his eyes. Then he turned away. She blushed with mortification,
M. C. Beaton; Marion Chesney. The Romance (Kindle Locations 331-336). Ivy Books. Kindle Edition.
The bulk of story deals with Belinda's dimwitted bimbo attempts to catch Lord St. Clair while she simultaneously fights her feelings for the hero. The storyline becomes a bit complicated midway, when both Belinda and St. Clair realize that they don't want to marry each other but are forced by their respective parents to continue seeing each other. Belinda realizes quite early on that she really wants the H but she's afraid of disappointing her bitchy mother while St. Clair's father threatens to disinherit him unless he marries either Belinda or another suitable debutante. Then there is more intrigue added to the plot when Percy Vane, an envious cousin of St. Clair's, becomes obsessed with the mansion Mannerling and decides he's going to do whatever it takes to get it. St. Clair hosts a house party at Mannerling to which Belinda and the hero are invited; some of the other guests included the H's former mistress Mrs. Ingram. This lady was a widow who had been involved with the H a few years ago but they had parted on amicable terms and she's not a slutty or skanky type of widow. She's actually a nice lady who isn't interested in chasing after the H. In fact, Mrs. Ingram notices that Belinda and the H are fighting their feelings for each other and she decides to help them out because she thinks that St. Clair and the heroine will make a horrible couple.
Lots of drama happens at the house party:
1. The MC's get more involved with each other, in spite of Belinda's determination to marry St. Clair.
2. St. Clair becomes involved with Mrs. Ingram, even though she's about 10 yrs older than him. I think it's because he has a mommy fixation or maybe he needs a woman who can guide him and control him since he's too stupid. I actually felt sorry for Mrs. Ingram because she's a nice lady and deserved a more manly and intelligent man but the young dandy was the one she set her mind on.
3. Percy Vane sabotaged a rowboat in an effort to convince St. Clair to that Mannerling was haunted.
4. Percy also later goes a bit insane and tries to murder Belinda and St. Clair because he wants his uncle to give him ownership of Mannerling. The H saves them and leaves Percy to burn in the fire that he himself had set for the other 2. That was the best comeuppance for Percy and I had been biting my lip and hoping that nobody would get all saintly and decide to save the villain at the last minute.
5. The H's best friend Gurney plays a malicious trick on the MC's because he doesn't want the H to marry Belinda. Gurney tells some nasty lies to the hero and I think it has a lot to do with some weird man love he's feeling for Lord Gyre. Gurney's jealous because he thinks that the H is paying too much attention to Belinda and will not be able to spend much time in the future with him, carousing and doing whatever stuff that rakes do. The Beverley's loyal governess, Mrs. Trumble, talks to the H and tells him what Gurney's been up to so this actually leads to the final reconciliation between the MC's.
Belinda also lets go of her obsession with Mannerling:
He drew back at last.
‘I go too far and too fast,’ he said reluctantly. ‘I have not even asked your mother’s permission. What do you think she will say?’
‘She will no doubt ask you to buy Mannerling.’ He stiffened.
‘And you must tell her,’ Belinda went on dreamily, ‘that I hate the place and never want to see it again. I fact, I do not know what you are about, wanting to marry into such a mad family.’
‘Because I am mad myself—about you.’
M. C. Beaton; Marion Chesney. The Romance (Kindle Locations 2294-2299). Ivy Books. Kindle Edition.
The dandy St. Clair ends up marrying Mrs. Ingram and the MC's have a huge society wedding of their own. One of the best parts of this novel was when the H becomes the first son in law who actually takes a stand to stay as far away from that mean, greedy old bitch in the future:
Lady Beverley stared at him. ‘If you must, you must,’ she said ungraciously. ‘Belinda has been a sad disappointment to me.’
‘Your daughter has not been a disappointment to me,’ he said crossly. ‘May I see her?’
She rose to her feet. ‘Ironic, is it not, that Lord Saint Clair, who could have been my daughter’s, is now going to marry your ex-mistress?’ She drifted from the room. I will make damn sure that woman never comes near us once we are married, thought Lord Gyre furiously.
M. C. Beaton; Marion Chesney. The Romance (Kindle Locations 2335-2339). Ivy Books. Kindle Edition.
I finished this novel feeling happy that yet another of Lady Beverley's daughter has been fortunate to escape from her clutches.
This is the hero, The Marquis of Gyre:
This is the heroine, Belinda:
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