The Guardian

Rating:
Summary: My first book by this author and.....
Review: although I thought it was a good read overall, there were several reasons why this book was not a keeper for me.

Anabelle and Stephen were brought together as children when his father the earl married Anabelle's mother. Stephen immediately befriended the young and scared Anabelle and in doing so won her undying loyalty. As they grew older their innocent childhood affection developed into a passionate love that neither of them could control.
They were desperate to marry but alas Anabelle's scheming and ambitious mother refused to let her daughter marry a younger son. She was determined that Anabelle marry Stephen's brother, the future Earl. She got her wish when Stephen was banished to Jamaica after being caught smuggling.
When Stephen left without any word to her, Anabelle felt betrayed, later when she found out she was pregnant she was terrified. There was no help for it but to do as her mother advised and marry Stephen's brother.
When her husband dies and Stephen is named guardian of her son Anabelle's feelings for Stephen resurface and not even his unforgivable abandonment can quench the love that she feels when they meet again after five long years. How will stephen react when he learns he is a father and furthermore how will he feel when finds out he, by rights, should be the next Earl of Weston? Can their love survive the past lies and deceit?

I found this book to be extremely well written. The heroine's no nonsense personality was a refreshing change from the insipid, too stupid to live heroines that are present on every other historical nowadays. What I didn't like was that the whole story is told from Anabelle's point of view. This was a first for me and although it was a change from the ordinary I found that I didn't like it so much because the reader never gets to know what the hero is thinking or how he feels, only what Anabelle perceives he is thinking. This was the main reason I rated this book two stars, another reason was because I felt the book was a bit slow. I mean forty pages went by before the hero made an appearance. Way too much time was spent on horse talk and hunting nonsense which I found incredibly boring. This, however is purely personal taste.
If you like hot love scenes and an edge of your seat plot, then stay away from this book. If you prefer mild love scenes and don't mine lots of drawing room coversation then this is the book for you.

Recommended with reservations. :0)

Rating:
Summary: Very Enjoyable
Review: I am a fan of regency novels in general but have become somewhat disenchanted with them recently. I find I am bored with missish females and overdone plots. A friend suggested I try a Joan Wolf book. I found this book to be a really good read. Annabelle, widowed with a small son named Giles, finds out at the reading of the will of her now dead husband that he has named his banished brother, Stephen, as the guardian to their son, Giles. Annabelle hates Stephen (or so she tries to tell herself) as they were lovers 5 years earlier. Stephen, however, was caught smuggling and was sent to Jamaica and left without a word to Annabelle. Ms. Wolf writes nicely and descriptively about how the relationship becomes rekindled between them, even though Annabelle still has feelings of hurt. I did not have to wade through 200 pages to have the romance resolved. What was resolved by the end of the book with who was trying to murder Stephen. A great read. My only complaint would be that I never got a firm image of what Stephen or Annabelle looked like. Apparently Annabelle was a beauty but not sure about Stephen.

Rating:
Summary: Very Enjoyable
Review: I am a fan of regency novels in general but have become somewhat disenchanted with them recently. I find I am bored with missish females and overdone plots. A friend suggested I try a Joan Wolf book. I found this book to be a really good read. Annabelle, widowed with a small son named Giles, finds out at the reading of the will of her now dead husband that he has named his banished brother, Stephen, as the guardian to their son, Giles. Annabelle hates Stephen (or so she tries to tell herself) as they were lovers 5 years earlier. Stephen, however, was caught smuggling and was sent to Jamaica and left without a word to Annabelle. Ms. Wolf writes nicely and descriptively about how the relationship becomes rekindled between them, even though Annabelle still has feelings of hurt. I did not have to wade through 200 pages to have the romance resolved. What was resolved by the end of the book with who was trying to murder Stephen. A great read. My only complaint would be that I never got a firm image of what Stephen or Annabelle looked like. Apparently Annabelle was a beauty but not sure about Stephen.

Rating:
Summary: A new twist on Regency romance
Review: Joan Wolf is a great writer. All of her books are interesting. This one is no exception. The story begins after the heroine's husband dies and leaves his brother as the guardian of their son. The first person perspective really lets you in on what the heroine is feeling, especially since much of the story is told in flashbacks. The secondary characters are also entertaining. It has romance, suspense, and plenty of her trademark horses.

Rating:
Summary: A new twist on Regency romance
Review: Joan Wolf is a great writer. All of her books are interesting. This one is no exception. The story begins after the heroine's husband dies and leaves his brother as the guardian of their son. The first person perspective really lets you in on what the heroine is feeling, especially since much of the story is told in flashbacks. The secondary characters are also entertaining. It has romance, suspense, and plenty of her trademark horses.

Rating:
Summary: Lovers cruelly parted come together at last
Review: No one does first person voice in Regency historical fiction better than Joan Wolf. She is an original! Annabelle tells her story here, and readers will be enthralled by this tale of lovers cruelly parted by their families who reconcile at last, after a passage of years. Stephen is a noble hero, much maligned, but true, and he deserves a second chance. Lovely characterization, flowing plot. Check out Wolf's other first-person Regency historicals, too. They are a treat!