Rating: 
Summary: Two extraordinary Regencies in one volume!
Review: Both stories feature flawed, but lovable heroes and loving, resilient heroines who were themselves not strangers to tragedy. I must admit feeling quite envious of Libby having TWO such excellent suitors, and I felt terribly sorry for the one she had to turn down. But she chose the right one, and I know that Ms. Kelly will not long leave him to his self-pity because I have already ordered the sequel, "One Good Turn," in which he meets his own true mate.
Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: I am so glad Signet finally decided to reissue two of Carla Kelly's earlier works(I know they did it as an introduction to the sequel)! As usual Ms Kelly manages to pack more emotion into a 250 page Regency than most romance authors can squeeze out of a 400 page historical. The previous reviewer obviously did'nt realize that Ms Kelly does not do "Regency Lite"! Ms Kelly gives us multilayered tales of love, growth and redemption. Never preachy, Kelly manages to sneak in history lessons and the effect of war on the men who waged it. It is no suprise that Kelly fans will pay upwards of $40 to snag a copy of one of her out-of-print paperbacks.
Rating:
Summary: Not Your Usual Regency
Review: I especially enjoyed LIBBY'S LONDON MERCHANT. There is quite a bit of character development and an unusual ending. If you enjoy this book you will want to read the sequel, ONE GOOD TURN, where you can learn more about the Duke. I like the fact that Ms. Kelly usually has an historic note about real people and/or events included in her stories.
Rating:
Summary: Hoorah! Stories that surprise
Review: I have been reading Regencies since I was a teen and a friend got this tomboy hooked on Georgette Heyer. Her books are still my standard for wit, fun and story, but I am adding Carla Kelly onto my list. Regencies are formulaic, which is ok once you expect it. Handsome peer beats out commoner, usually. The one with the dark secret beats out the obvious good guy. In Libby's London Merchant, though, she really kept me spinning - who does she marry? I take issue with the reviewer who was disappointed that her pick didn't marry her, so the book wasn't worth the time. IT WAS GREAT to be kept guessing! I expected her to do the same thing with the characters in Miss Chartley's Guided Tour, but she didn't. THANK YOU! One problem I have been having with Regencies lately is the amount of sex taking over the books, especially when the leads aren't married. Thanks again for keeping it clean enough to lend to my pastor's wife.
Rating: 
Summary: Money well spent
Review: I've heard lots of good things about "Libby's London Merchant" before I even read the book, and I am glad to say that I wasn't disappointed. Carla Kelly is know for written Regency romances that stand apart from the masses, and this is one such book. In it Miss Kelly has given us an intelligent heroine, two extremely likable men in her life, and a cast of supporting characters that just came alive for me. The only problem is that I liked both Nez and Anthony Cook so much, that I couldn't help but be sad for the one who did not end up with her. If this was the only book being rated, I would definitely give it 5 stars. As a 2 in 1 special edition, however, I had to bring the rating down a notch. "Miss Chartley's Guided Tour" was, at best, a bore and reads for a big portion of the book like a travel guide. The hero didn't make an appearance until 1/3 into the book, and when he finally did, we were deprived of watching the hero and heroine fall in love because that is already being taken as a given. Carla Kelly's strong suit has always been her characterization, but in this book, she chose to focus on plot instead and the result was less than satisfying. As a result, I could only give this combined volume 3 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Money well spent
Review: I've heard lots of good things about "Libby's London Merchant" before I even read the book, and I am glad to say that I wasn't disappointed. Carla Kelly is know for written Regency romances that stand apart from the masses, and this is one such book. In it Miss Kelly has given us an intelligent heroine, two extremely likable men in her life, and a cast of supporting characters that just came alive for me. The only problem is that I liked both Nez and Anthony Cook so much, that I couldn't help but be sad for the one who did not end up with her. If this was the only book being rated, I would definitely give it 5 stars. As a 2 in 1 special edition, however, I had to bring the rating down a notch. "Miss Chartley's Guided Tour" was, at best, a bore and reads for a big portion of the book like a travel guide. The hero didn't make an appearance until 1/3 into the book, and when he finally did, we were deprived of watching the hero and heroine fall in love because that is already being taken as a given. Carla Kelly's strong suit has always been her characterization, but in this book, she chose to focus on plot instead and the result was less than satisfying. As a result, I could only give this combined volume 3 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Hoorah! Stories that surprise
Review: In reading Carla Kelly, it is important to know that the world is not as black and white as it appears in other romances. Many of her heros and heroines do not come from the peerage, and many of them have real issues and little way of fighting them. Like the rest of us, these characters make the best choices they can at the time and miraculously find love along the way. That said, I love the rare Kelly books I've found, and these two stories are right up there with the best. In Libby's London Merchant, we begin with a stock enough situation -- a handsome young Duke agrees to disguise himself and investigate the unknown country miss that his friend is intended to marry. There's a definite attraction there, but...is he the right man for her after all? In Miss Chartley's Guided Tour, we begin by seeing our hero at his lowest point, avoiding his own wedding and leaving Omega Chartley at the altar. Who was to know that fate would bring them together again many years down the road. Can these two older-but-wiser folk make better choices the second time around? Kelly's romances are high on telling glances, low on sexual content -- safe for me to loan to my mother-in-law. They provide some interesting information on the way that the less-privileged classes lived during the Regency period. Give this duology a try, but prepare yourself for something out of the ordinary.
Rating:
Summary: Not your average romances
Review: In reading Carla Kelly, it is important to know that the world is not as black and white as it appears in other romances. Many of her heros and heroines do not come from the peerage, and many of them have real issues and little way of fighting them. Like the rest of us, these characters make the best choices they can at the time and miraculously find love along the way. That said, I love the rare Kelly books I've found, and these two stories are right up there with the best. In Libby's London Merchant, we begin with a stock enough situation -- a handsome young Duke agrees to disguise himself and investigate the unknown country miss that his friend is intended to marry. There's a definite attraction there, but...is he the right man for her after all? In Miss Chartley's Guided Tour, we begin by seeing our hero at his lowest point, avoiding his own wedding and leaving Omega Chartley at the altar. Who was to know that fate would bring them together again many years down the road. Can these two older-but-wiser folk make better choices the second time around? Kelly's romances are high on telling glances, low on sexual content -- safe for me to loan to my mother-in-law. They provide some interesting information on the way that the less-privileged classes lived during the Regency period. Give this duology a try, but prepare yourself for something out of the ordinary.
Rating:
Summary: Ms. Kelly's Books
Review: Let me get it off my chest immediately: this is a really dumb pairing of books. "Libby's London Merchant" is closely tied to "One Good Turn," and they make a natural pairing. So, if you haven't read Carla Kelly before, you haven't lived--no, no! Make that 'you need to start with "Libby." ' Of course, if you like Heyer and you haven't read Kelly, it's also true that you really haven't lived. On the other hand, you'll also be glad to make Miss Chartley's acquaintance: her "guided" tour, which turns out to be very "UNguided," is a delight, and so is she.
Why do I invoke Ms Heyer? Because Kelly, like Heyer, moves her plot along smoothly, and her style, while completely her own, tells you that you are in the hands of a mistress of the genre: quiet, smooth, effective. Like many other modern Regencies, there's a lot more overt sexuality than you would find in Heyer--but that's still less than most, and her "sex scenes" have a way of catching you unawares, just as they might in life. You don't say "Oh wow!" You say "that's right."
READ THIS BOOK!
I could go on & on, but with a 1000 character limit, it's difficult to describe all the things I like. Her characters, for instance: very believable, with bad qualities as well as good ones. Her charm. Her humor. Her fun. And her morality: not preachy, just emerging naturally from the actions of her characters, and the actions emerging from the nature of the charact.....I KNEW I couldn't finish!
Rating:
Summary: Ms. Kelly's Books
Review: Let me get it off my chest immediately: this is a really dumb pairing of books. "Libby's London Merchant" is closely tied to "One Good Turn," and they make a natural pairing. So, if you haven't read Carla Kelly before, you haven't lived--no, no! Make that 'you need to start with "Libby." ' Of course, if you like Heyer and you haven't read Kelly, it's also true that you really haven't lived. On the other hand, you'll also be glad to make Miss Chartley's acquaintance: her "guided" tour, which turns out to be very "UNguided," is a delight, and so is she.
Why do I invoke Ms Heyer? Because Kelly, like Heyer, moves her plot along smoothly, and her style, while completely her own, tells you that you are in the hands of a mistress of the genre: quiet, smooth, effective. Like many other modern Regencies, there's a lot more overt sexuality than you would find in Heyer--but that's still less than most, and her "sex scenes" have a way of catching you unawares, just as they might in life. You don't say "Oh wow!" You say "that's right."
READ THIS BOOK!
I could go on & on, but with a 1000 character limit, it's difficult to describe all the things I like. Her characters, for instance: very believable, with bad qualities as well as good ones. Her charm. Her humor. Her fun. And her morality: not preachy, just emerging naturally from the actions of her characters, and the actions emerging from the nature of the charact.....I KNEW I couldn't finish!
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