The Heartbreaker

Rating:
Summary: refreshing Regency romance
Review: As reported by the London Tattler, Viscount James Linford has returned home from spending two years abroad in India, his second trip overseas. Not long afterward, the paper announces that James is engaged to Lady Catherine Winfield. However as also accounted he has two children out of wedlock living with him. His betrothal ends and he hides in the country to escape the turmoil more than the scandal.

His oldest child ten year old Clarissa is a foul mouthed hooligan. Neighbor Phoebe Churchill catches Clarissa stealing from her. She takes the child to task and soon they become friendly. As James is amazed with the way Phoebe "handles" Clarissa, he falls in love with his neighbor. He wants her as his wife and mother to his three children (the third he has not brought home yet), help her raise her niece deserted by her mother, and perhaps have more children with her.

This is a refreshing Regency romance that will shake sub-genre fans not ready for a preadolescent with a vocabulary that would make a sailor blush. James is an intriguing protagonist as he faces up to his responsibilities though that costs him his fiancée and a sure seat on the Council of Foreign Affairs. Phoebe is a practical individual trying to do the right thing as she nurtures life's abandoned ones. However, the tale belongs to Clarissa who sets the tone with her thieving and flow of profanity that will either send readers running away or feeling empathy towards this potentially lost soul.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: lindford character never made sense
Review: I agree with a previous reviewer that the 'hero' of the tale made no sense: a guy who has fathered 3 out-of-wedlock children, finally realizes his responsibility for these children and takes them on despite disapproval from society at large, etc. should have at least shown some real concern and hesitation before doing it again. He might have been tempted beyond his hesitation, but I object to the fact that he didn't seem at all worried about bringing another out-of-wedlock child into the world. Of course there were plenty of men who didn't care at that time, it's just that the author is trying to portray this guy as having seen the light. The previous reviewer talked about wanting to "brain James" and I felt the same way.

Rating:
Summary: Can a rake really changes his ways?
Review: James Lindford, Viscount Farley has lived his life to the fullest with little regard for consequences until his half-sister Olivia's bastard half-brother appeared out of nowhere bitter and looking for revenge on the father who had abandoned him and his mother (the story is told in THE TROUBLEMAKER). Shaken, James seeks out his own illegitimate offspring determined not to make the same mistake. He locates two of three on his return from India and continues his search for the third. James has ambitions in the Foreign Office and to that end, becomes engaged to a woman whose father will be able to assist his career. But when she learns that he intends to raise his bastard children, under his own roof no less (including the half-Indian infant!), she breaks the betrothal and the scandal drives James to his country estate. But taking care of an squalling infant and a foul-mouthed 10 year-old used to running wild through the streets of London proves more difficult than James bargained for. And when his neighbor, Phoebe Churchill informs him that his oldest daughter Clarissa (Izzy) is stealing from her, he's reached then end of his tether.

Phoebe Churchill lives quietly in her own little cottage (since the death of her parents) raising her (illegitimate) niece Helen whose mother abandoned her for a life in London. They barely make ends meet as it is, so when things begin to go missing Phoebe is determined to catch the thief. When she discovers the thief is no less than the Viscount's daughter, she marches her to Farley Park to confront him. The man she meets is devastatingly handsome and for the first time in her life, she feels the lust her mother always warned her against (and that her sister gave in to bringing scandal to the family). After several more encounters and observing Phoebe's winning ways with both baby Leya and troublemaker Izzy, James asks her to become governess to his girls. He's also developed a strong attraction to Phoebe that he doesn't try to hide. And Phoebe is falling for him for more than purely physical reasons. James is truly kind to his girls and is trying very hard to be a good father. He is also intelligent, witty, warm and gentle and Phoebe finds she can't resist him. As a result, Phoebe is unwilling to accept his offer because she knows where their mutual attraction will likely lead - to her downfall and ruin! She needs the money, but ultimately it is another reason, which I won't give away here, that drives her to accept.

Now, here's where others felt the story broke down. James has few qualms about making Phoebe his mistress, or about her possibly giving him even more illegitimate children - he wants her that badly. Other reviewers felt that this did not make sense or that he should have "learned his lesson". And perhaps he should have. But there is a difference between taking responsibility for past misdeeds (fairly easy) and changing your ways (much more difficult!). The real question is, is he simply using Phoebe for sex like all his other women or is this something different, something more meaningful? Something that will cause him to change the patterns of his past life. For me, the answer was Yes. His attraction to Phoebe is not merely physical. He loves her intelligence, her independence, her kind and gentle spirit and her genuine affection for his children regardless of their birth or background. But old habits and expectations die-hard and when his former betrothed arrives wanting him back, he is tempted for the sake of his much-wanted career. Will he marry his fiancée thinking Phoebe will simply accept and remain his mistress? Yes, you'll likely want to smack James upside the head around this point. But give James the benefit of the doubt(or enough rope to hang himself) and see what he does.

I enjoyed this story. The relationship between James and his daughters was sweet and at times challenging, the friendship and affection that grows between the wild, fearless Izzy and the sheltered, sensitive Helen was poignant and fun and the love that develops between James and Phoebe was passionate, tumultuous and ultimately perfect. I recommend this for anyone looking for something a bit different - as long as you have an open mind.

Rating:
Summary: The Children Make This Story Entertaining
Review: James Lingford is finally going to have everything he's ever wanted: marriage, influence and respect. However, one (or rather) two things stand in his way. His children. Born during his "youth" James has two daughters, one nine-months and the other ten, whom he has taken on to raise. Society is shocked by his daring. Eventually, he looses the fiance and his influence. Shaken, he retreats to his country estate in Yorkshire in order to take command of his children and life.

There we meet Phoebe. Over the last eight years, Phoebe has been raising the illegimate daughter of her sister and taking care of her mother on their farm. After her mother's passing, Phoebe and Helen (her niece) continue on, until one day, items come up missing. Eventually, the theif is found to be Clarissa (Izzy) the eldest daughter of James. Phoebe confronts Izzy in front of James, and thus begins our tale.

I had some problems with this book. Although I admire the hero taking responsibility for his actions, I never really felt I knew who James was. I understood that he was coming to love his children, but I did not understand why he was attracted to Phoebe.

Phoebe, on the other hand, did not seem to be able to stand up to what she said very well. Everytime she said no to James, she ended up going back on her word. She did not seem to have a lot of respect for herself throughout the whole novel.

This relationship seemed only glued together by the children in the tale. The couple essentially fall into bed together, while nursing the youngest child (she had chicken pox). There did not seem any common goals or interest outside of sex and the children. Not the ideal courtship to me.

I will not have this book turn me off of Ms. Becnel. All of the previous "-maker" books have been very enjoyable and entertaining. Hopefully the next book will be better.

Rating:
Summary: The Children Make This Story Entertaining
Review: James Lingford is finally going to have everything he's ever wanted: marriage, influence and respect. However, one (or rather) two things stand in his way. His children. Born during his "youth" James has two daughters, one nine-months and the other ten, whom he has taken on to raise. Society is shocked by his daring. Eventually, he looses the fiance and his influence. Shaken, he retreats to his country estate in Yorkshire in order to take command of his children and life.

There we meet Phoebe. Over the last eight years, Phoebe has been raising the illegimate daughter of her sister and taking care of her mother on their farm. After her mother's passing, Phoebe and Helen (her niece) continue on, until one day, items come up missing. Eventually, the theif is found to be Clarissa (Izzy) the eldest daughter of James. Phoebe confronts Izzy in front of James, and thus begins our tale.

I had some problems with this book. Although I admire the hero taking responsibility for his actions, I never really felt I knew who James was. I understood that he was coming to love his children, but I did not understand why he was attracted to Phoebe.

Phoebe, on the other hand, did not seem to be able to stand up to what she said very well. Everytime she said no to James, she ended up going back on her word. She did not seem to have a lot of respect for herself throughout the whole novel.

This relationship seemed only glued together by the children in the tale. The couple essentially fall into bed together, while nursing the youngest child (she had chicken pox). There did not seem any common goals or interest outside of sex and the children. Not the ideal courtship to me.

I will not have this book turn me off of Ms. Becnel. All of the previous "-maker" books have been very enjoyable and entertaining. Hopefully the next book will be better.

Rating:
Summary: Sometimes you want to brain the hero and
Review: shake the heroine.... He keeps falling into old patterns, despite wanting to change (but who ever said real change is easy?). She hasn't the wherewithal to resist him physically.

Apart from those two occasionally annoying truths, The Heartbreaker is an excellent read. The two older children are marvelously wrought. Phoebe is an independent, responsible woman (except for her inability to resist James' advances). her ready acceptance of the children is an important character trait. James is a man trying to do the right thing to make the best of his past indiscretions, but often failing and trying again. Beneath that he truly loves his children, and that becomes one of his most endearing qualities.

The pace rarely flagged and the author usually kept the interest level up. There were moments of realistic tension and emotional pain, and the chemistry between the lovers rang true.

Personally, I found this to be one of the most enjoyable books of the series, along with The Bridemaker and The Matchmaker.

Rating:
Summary: Delightful. ** 4.5 stars **
Review: THE HEARTBREAKER is a story about children: a 10-year-old who has seen the evil side of life, an innocent 7 year-old with an angel-like personality, and a chubby blue-eyed tot with sultry dark skin. Three little girls, who have one thing in common, they share the same biological father - Viscount Farley.

Desperately, James Lindford, Viscount Farley is trying to amend his rakish ways. He is taking responsibility for his illegitimate offspring. He has acknowledged their existence; he has purchased them from their greedy mothers; and now he plans to raise them himself. It all sounds so neat and tidy - it is anything but . . .

Phoebe Churchill is a pure country woman, a woman with a loving manner, and a kind heart. A woman who just happens to have raised one of the viscount's "by-blows" as her own. Phoebe Churchill is not happy when the lustful viscount comes calling.

Rexanne Becnel does a good job with this simple storyline. Phoebe Churchill is a wonderful creation from this writer's imagination - a simple, pure figment. On the other hand, James Lindford is a scoundrel. Becnel writes him as an experienced "man about town", a man who has never heard the word "No!" uttered from a woman's lips. The reader gets to share in the fun as Becnel and Phoebe bring this rogue to his senses. My, my! What diversion the reader has because the author takes her time with this knave. She does not reform him overnight; no, by delaying, the author creates a more digestible story.

However, it is the three little girls and their manner that steal the book's thunder. Becnel has captured the very essence of childhood and the reader gets to savor every minute. A good story, very nicely drawn by Rexanne Becnel. Grade: A-

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.

Rating:
Summary: lindford character never made sense
Review: The Heartbreaker is yet another installment in the "maker" series ("The Matchmaker," "The Troublemaker" & "The Bridemaker") that loosely follows the lives and adventures of the Lindford family and friends. And for me, this novel was an exercise is frustration.

In an unprecedented move, James Lindford, Viscount Farley, has decided to acknowledge two of his illegitimate children and to take them into his home. Unfortunately, because of his actions, James's fiance breaks off their engagement, and James is forced to leave London for his country estate, where he discovers that it's not all that easy thrying to raise two daughters -- Clarissa, his eldest daughter is both wild and resentful and is causing no end of an uproar; while the baby is finding it difficult to settle in. Help (and salvation) comes in the shape of the prickly Miss Phoebe Churchill. Phoebe is raising her own niece (also illegitimate) by herself, and seems to know just how to handle Clarissa. James wants to hire Phoebe to be his daughters' new governess, but Phoebe demurs partly out of pride and partly because she's seems horrifyingly susceptible to James's good looks and virility. But James is used to having his own way with women, and he knows that given time he will be able to wear down Phoebe's resistance. Will Phoebe's good sense persevere, or will she give in to James's blandishments?

I liked the manner in which the authour initially developed the characters of both James and Phoebe. She showed us how much James wanted to do what was best for his daughters and to create a stable and caring environment for them. I also liked how she showed us that there was more to Phoebe than the almost stern and disapproving young lady we first meet, and how the effect of her mother's thwarted desires and her elder sister's loose reputation had influenced how Phoebe acts and thinks. I even liked how Rexanne Becnel portrayed James's eldest daughter, Clarissa, showing us all the uncertainty, anxiety and anger that the little girl felt at being uprooted and forced to live with her aristocratic father in the country. So that when the novel suddenly devolved into the standard "I must bed you because I desire you as much as you desire me, but that there can really be nothing more than sex between us because I'm sort of engaged to another" loop, I felt really cheated. What happened to the caring gentleman who had resolved to change his ways in the earlier chapters? Did he really want another illegitimate child to contend with? Was he perhaps planning to starting his own merchant empire and thought that the best way to do this was to people it with his children? Or perhaps his great desire was to found a musical society, providing all his children were properly talented, of course? In my opinion, "The Heartbreaker" could have been so much more if James and Phoebe had not consummated their relationship. That way, a more romantic courtship could have been developed, and when the young lady that James is 'sort of engaged to' appears, the whole thing could have had a bit more angst to it. And I wouldn't have had to deal with the giant urge I had to brain James with each subsequent page! But that's just me. Other readers may actually not have minded James's very selfish and uncaring behavior.