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Rating: 
Summary: A regency with a social conscience
Review: Emma may seem like a brash Irish servant, but Lord Ragsdale soon discovers a well-educated upper class woman dealing with harsh Anglo-Irish reprisals has become his servant. Great characters and depth of feeling emerge as Ragsdale sobers up and takes notice of his surroundings, and of Emma in particular.
Rating: 
Summary: This one took a while.
Review: For some reason I bought this one but it took me quite a while to sit down to read it. It's a good book and another Kelly novel that I really enjoyed. However, to be honest, I think that "Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand," "The Ladies Companion," and "With This Ring" are better.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful love story with characters you'll believe in
Review: I didn't think Carla Kelly could equal 'Mrs Drew Plays her Hand' for a heart-warming love story with moments which make the reader want to cry, laugh, and ache for both hero and heroine. But she's done it with this one. I know this book was written before 'Mrs Drew,' and in some respects it shows: Kelly's narrative style and vocabulary aren't quite as much in keeping with the period and some Americanisms creep in. But the book is so good that these errors failed to jolt me out of the story.Ragsdale is a wonderfully complex but sympathetic character, initally seeming to be a dissipated rogue, but we quickly discover that underneath he has a very kind heart despite the episode in his past which makes him predisposed to hate Emma because she is Irish. Emma is no ordinary servant, despite being in fact a slave (an indentured servant, forced into servitude for no pay for a fixed period). She too has reason to hate the British, and that hate initally becomes focused on Ragsdale as the epitome of that uncaring nation. But both discover very quickly that first impressions are rarely accurate, and we are given insights into the reactions of both characters as they find themselves reluctantly drawn to each other. And despite the fact that Emma has set herself the task of reforming Lord Ragsdale - which involves healing his pain along the way - she also ends up being the subject of his attempts at reformation. As someone originally from Ireland, I was very impressed with Kelly's use of Irish history as a backdrop; so many American writers have a tendency to write Irish people and Irish history in a very 'twee,' romanticised manner far divorced from reality. Kelly captures the atmosphere perfectly. This book is now very difficult to obtain, and I got my copy through an Amazon auction. Now, having read it, I'd have paid twice as much as I did for it, including postage. It's really that good.
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Summary: When opposites attract each other
Review: John Staples is a rake of the worst kind. He gambles, drinks and keeps a mistress of whom he's tired. He doesn't enjoy his life, but doesn't find the courage to take the necessary steps to change it. When Emma Costello steps into his life, as the servant of his American cousins, he loathes her on the sole purpose that she is Irish; losing his father and his eye in a battle against her people didn't help in making him friendly towards them. And yet he saves Emma from being gambled in a game of cards. He buys her indenture back and finds himself "owning" a woman he hates. He doesn't treat her as a slave, though, but employs her as his secretary. He never suspects what ideas are up her sleeve, and he isn't careful enough when she makes him sign a document allowing her to reform him and make him a respectable gentleman until he can marry Lady Clarissa Paltridge. John's growly reaction to Emma's first few actions to lead him to a righteous way of life are hilarious, but soon we realise that he's more willing to obey than he appears. But is his goal to become the gentleman that Lady Paltridge has set her eyes on? Or is he more interested in his reformer than he wants to admit? And can Emma ignore the desire that this dangerous rake stirs in her? This is another must-read by Carla Kelly. The antagonism between the two main characters makes their journey to love enthralling. John hates the Irish, and yet he will help Emma in her search for her family, supporting her in her search at the Criminal Office. John does all he can to find answers to the questions haunting her. Their friendship is refreshing and proves that even a war between their people can't keep our two heroes apart. I've seen several readers mention that Carla Kelly writes about people before all, and this is true of this novel again. My one and only regret, although Reforming Lord Ragsdale remains an outstanding novel, is that the first kiss between Emma and John wasn't showed live. The way it was written lessened its impact, I'm afraid, and I wish Carla Kelly had showed us what happened between the characters *when* it happened and not afterwards. But this nitpick is very much compensated by the depth of character development that Ms Kelly devotes to her every novel. Reforming Lord Ragsdale is no exception when it comes to the quality and care brought to the personalities of both Emma and John.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best Regencies written
Review: Unfortunately, most Regency books are churned out with uninspired stock characters, plots, and endings - with only a few exceptions. "Reforming Lord Ragsdale" breaks the formula Regency with compelling charm and originality. The title character is quite simply wonderful: he's funny, flawed, deep, and complex. His reformer, Emma, is equally rich and imperfect, and the two together are possibly one of this limited genre's most engaging couples. I loved this book and couldn't help falling a little in love with Lord Ragsdale - as will anyone else who reads it. It's Carla Kelly's best and will spoil the reader for other Regencies, most of which will seem pallid, silly even, in comparison. Get a hold of this book any way you can, you'll read it over and over - it's that irresistible!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best Regencies written
Review: Unfortunately, most Regency books are churned out with uninspired stock characters, plots, and endings - with only a few exceptions. "Reforming Lord Ragsdale" breaks the formula Regency with compelling charm and originality. The title character is quite simply wonderful: he's funny, flawed, deep, and complex. His reformer, Emma, is equally rich and imperfect, and the two together are possibly one of this limited genre's most engaging couples. I loved this book and couldn't help falling a little in love with Lord Ragsdale - as will anyone else who reads it. It's Carla Kelly's best and will spoil the reader for other Regencies, most of which will seem pallid, silly even, in comparison. Get a hold of this book any way you can, you'll read it over and over - it's that irresistible!
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