Lord Nightingale's Love Song

Rating:
Summary: Too many unsolved mysteries. . . not a convincing romance
Review: Despite having read the first in this four-volume "trilogy" several months ago, I still had difficulty keeping all the characters straight in my mind. And I have to confess to a prejudice against stories that leave "cliffhangers" at the end to ensure that the reader will buy the next book(s). At the end of this one, we still don't know what happened to the hero's mother and brother, and frankly, Lord Nightingale doesn't seem to play much of a part here except to keep singing the little ditty about Hiram kissing someone's sister!

I'll let you in on another secret: I happen to have the next book ("Lord Nightingale's Triumph") on hand (from the book club) and I took a peak at the end to satisfy my curiosity...and discovered yet ANOTHER agonizing cliffhanger! (So I won't be reading THAT one until "Lord Nightingale's Christmas" is in hand.)

A reviewer of "Lord Nightingale's Debut" suggested that these books would have been better as stories in an anthology, and, as a reader, I certainly agree with that. It wouldn't be so difficult to keep the characters straight, the cliffhangers would be resolved in the end rather than making the reader wait several weeks until the next book comes out, and the superficial romances--which are not very convincing in my opinion, at least not for a full-length novel--would not be so obvious.

Rating:
Summary: Too many unsolved mysteries. . . not a convincing romance
Review: Despite having read the first in this four-volume "trilogy" several months ago, I still had difficulty keeping all the characters straight in my mind. And I have to confess to a prejudice against stories that leave "cliffhangers" at the end to ensure that the reader will buy the next book(s). At the end of this one, we still don't know what happened to the hero's mother and brother, and frankly, Lord Nightingale doesn't seem to play much of a part here except to keep singing the little ditty about Hiram kissing someone's sister!

I'll let you in on another secret: I happen to have the next book ("Lord Nightingale's Triumph") on hand (from the book club) and I took a peak at the end to satisfy my curiosity...and discovered yet ANOTHER agonizing cliffhanger! (So I won't be reading THAT one until "Lord Nightingale's Christmas" is in hand.)

A reviewer of "Lord Nightingale's Debut" suggested that these books would have been better as stories in an anthology, and, as a reader, I certainly agree with that. It wouldn't be so difficult to keep the characters straight, the cliffhangers would be resolved in the end rather than making the reader wait several weeks until the next book comes out, and the superficial romances--which are not very convincing in my opinion, at least not for a full-length novel--would not be so obvious.

Rating:
Summary: Good story.
Review: Eugenia Chastain never expected her Season to end with a marriage proposal. Her Season passed exactly as she expected --uneventfully. When her aunt Diana asks her to join her in Kent and help care for 8-year-old Delight, she is glad to be leaving London. She is enjoying a stroll with Delight and Delight's menagerie when they meet the man renting out the neighboring estate. Bradford has retired to Kent with his aging, beloved horse-- Nod. Nod is a strawberry roan that Bradford has owned since he was a newborn foal. Bradford has also been searching for his mother and twin brother, as he has seen neither one since he was eight. He is a bit upset to realize that his neighbors are a trio of females in possession of a puppy, kitten, and a Macaw parrot. His heart has been long locked away, but when Eugenia smiles at him he feels something stir within him, and he is quite sure it is not pity for the young woman who dreams of dancing with him. In spite of her limp. Lord Nightingale's Love Song is the second in what was originally slated to be a trilogy, but is now a quartet.

Rating:
Summary: Good story.
Review: Eugenia Chastain never expected her Season to end with a marriage proposal. Her Season passed exactly as she expected --uneventfully. When her aunt Diana asks her to join her in Kent and help care for 8-year-old Delight, she is glad to be leaving London. She is enjoying a stroll with Delight and Delight's menagerie when they meet the man renting out the neighboring estate. Bradford has retired to Kent with his aging, beloved horse-- Nod. Nod is a strawberry roan that Bradford has owned since he was a newborn foal. Bradford has also been searching for his mother and twin brother, as he has seen neither one since he was eight. He is a bit upset to realize that his neighbors are a trio of females in possession of a puppy, kitten, and a Macaw parrot. His heart has been long locked away, but when Eugenia smiles at him he feels something stir within him, and he is quite sure it is not pity for the young woman who dreams of dancing with him. In spite of her limp. Lord Nightingale's Love Song is the second in what was originally slated to be a trilogy, but is now a quartet.

Rating:
Summary: Lovely, just lovely ...
Review: If, once you've read Lord Nightingale's Love Song, you can honestly say you haven't "falled right down into love" with all the various enchanting creatures that frolic through its pages, then with all due respect to you, the author and the publisher, I suggest that you never again pick up a book by Judith Lansdowne. Because this is, quite simply, classic Lansdowne, one with smiles and giggles and love and laughter on very nearly every page, along with a classic assortment of animals and people you won't soon forget.

There's a lot of plot to go along with all these characters, but after all, this is just book two of a four book series, so there rather needs to be a lot of plot and a lot of characters. And a lot of love and laughter to accompany them on their adventure.

Eugenia Chastain is the second of the three cousins to be featured; the absent, but frequently mentioned Nicky was the first. One can but hope that Neil will be the next. Or if not next, then the next one after that, because one gets the sneaky suspicion that Peter, the long-lost brother of the Marquess of Bradford, will be the hero of book three. Seems only fair, as the Marquess has found his true love in the petite form of Eugenia.

Of course, Delight and Stanley Blithe and Sweetpea and Lord Nightingale--and let us not forget Nod--helped these two who'd thought they'd never find a love of their own, so we can but hope they'll help Peter and Mary, and then Neil and Alice, too. And anyone else who gets in their way, for that matter. What a truly lovely holiday gift to us all! Thank you Judith Lansdowne and Zebra, for your thoughtfulness!

Rating:
Summary: Lovely, just lovely ...
Review: If, once you've read Lord Nightingale's Love Song, you can honestly say you haven't "falled right down into love" with all the various enchanting creatures that frolic through its pages, then with all due respect to you, the author and the publisher, I suggest that you never again pick up a book by Judith Lansdowne. Because this is, quite simply, classic Lansdowne, one with smiles and giggles and love and laughter on very nearly every page, along with a classic assortment of animals and people you won't soon forget.

There's a lot of plot to go along with all these characters, but after all, this is just book two of a four book series, so there rather needs to be a lot of plot and a lot of characters. And a lot of love and laughter to accompany them on their adventure.

Eugenia Chastain is the second of the three cousins to be featured; the absent, but frequently mentioned Nicky was the first. One can but hope that Neil will be the next. Or if not next, then the next one after that, because one gets the sneaky suspicion that Peter, the long-lost brother of the Marquess of Bradford, will be the hero of book three. Seems only fair, as the Marquess has found his true love in the petite form of Eugenia.

Of course, Delight and Stanley Blithe and Sweetpea and Lord Nightingale--and let us not forget Nod--helped these two who'd thought they'd never find a love of their own, so we can but hope they'll help Peter and Mary, and then Neil and Alice, too. And anyone else who gets in their way, for that matter. What a truly lovely holiday gift to us all! Thank you Judith Lansdowne and Zebra, for your thoughtfulness!

Rating:
Summary: Lord Nightingale's Love Song
Review: The blurb on the front cover of the book asks if a spinster can strike "the right note with an eligible bachelor?" And that, in a nutshell, is the plot of this novel. Plain and almost penniless Eugenia Chastain, having spent a dismal and unhappy Season in London, returns to the country, where she again crosses paths with the Marquess of Bradford, a very unhappy and angry young man. Will the gentle, kind hearted and good humoured Eugenia be able to humanise the emotionally scarred Marquess?

The answer, is of course, yes. And while the novel does chart the romantic relationship that develops between Bradford and Eugenia, the story is mostly Bradford's. As the novel unfolds, the Marquess' unhappy childhood and his agonising search for his twin brother are carefully painted in; and Ms Lansdowne does a skilful job at allowing for Bradford's emotionally "thawing" to take place gradually. One small note of criticism: there were times, because of the delicate pace of the book, when I got the distinct impression that Bradford cared much more for his horse than he did for Eugenia.

It is however advisable to read "Lord Nightingale's Debut" first before reading this book. Certain familial relationships within the Chastain family; who Lord Nightingale is and how he fits into the scheme of things (he is a parrot); and certain past events that are alluded to, all make better sense if you have the first book for context. With "Lord Nightinglae's Love Song" one gets a better picture of the Chastain family. Also more clues are dropped as to who, what or where "Knollsmarmer" may be. I believe that this is a mystery that is to thread all four book is the series.

The character that steals the show in this book (as he did in the first as well) however is Neil Spelling, the ne'er-do-well cousin. His is a character that is supposed to be well past redemption. However, I cannot but hope he does end up with a book of his own and that his character is redeemed. He certainly deserves it.

All in all, a pleasant read and a nice way to spend an evening.

Rating:
Summary: Lord Nightingale's Love Song
Review: The blurb on the front cover of the book asks if a spinster can strike "the right note with an eligible bachelor?" And that, in a nutshell, is the plot of this novel. Plain and almost penniless Eugenia Chastain, having spent a dismal and unhappy Season in London, returns to the country, where she again crosses paths with the Marquess of Bradford, a very unhappy and angry young man. Will the gentle, kind hearted and good humoured Eugenia be able to humanise the emotionally scarred Marquess?

The answer, is of course, yes. And while the novel does chart the romantic relationship that develops between Bradford and Eugenia, the story is mostly Bradford's. As the novel unfolds, the Marquess' unhappy childhood and his agonising search for his twin brother are carefully painted in; and Ms Lansdowne does a skilful job at allowing for Bradford's emotionally "thawing" to take place gradually. One small note of criticism: there were times, because of the delicate pace of the book, when I got the distinct impression that Bradford cared much more for his horse than he did for Eugenia.

It is however advisable to read "Lord Nightingale's Debut" first before reading this book. Certain familial relationships within the Chastain family; who Lord Nightingale is and how he fits into the scheme of things (he is a parrot); and certain past events that are alluded to, all make better sense if you have the first book for context. With "Lord Nightinglae's Love Song" one gets a better picture of the Chastain family. Also more clues are dropped as to who, what or where "Knollsmarmer" may be. I believe that this is a mystery that is to thread all four book is the series.

The character that steals the show in this book (as he did in the first as well) however is Neil Spelling, the ne'er-do-well cousin. His is a character that is supposed to be well past redemption. However, I cannot but hope he does end up with a book of his own and that his character is redeemed. He certainly deserves it.

All in all, a pleasant read and a nice way to spend an evening.