Educating Emily (Zebra Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: a very satisfying read
Review: I enjoyed reading this novel immensely: not only did it possess a rather touching love story, with a very sweet young heroine and a rather dashing hero; but it also touched on certain social issues of the time, such as the treatment of women, and that of the poor and disppossessed. Mona Prevel handled the subject matters in an intelligent and compassionate manner that reminded me very much of the great female authouresses of the late 18th and 19th centuries. This novel really satisfies on every level.

Emily Walsingham should be looking forward to enjoying her first foray into London society, instead of which her brother, Miles, informs her that he has wagered her in a hand of cards and lost and she is now to marry a near senile and diseased aristrocat. Emily of course baulks at the thought of such a mariage, and runs away from home disguised as a servant. However it looks as if she has leapt from the frying pan into the fire! Emily had hoped to seek shelter with her aunt in Kent, but she is abducted by two dissalute young aristocrats bent on rape. But just as things seem darkest, Emily is rescued by the dashing Lord Northwycke, James Garwood.

James takes her to his home and employs her as a servant. It look as if the previously sheltered Emily is learning some of life's harshest of lessons all at once! James's mother however sees through Emily's disguise and realises who Emily really is. Lady Northwycke has been eager for James to marry for quite a while and eagerly promotes a match between the two. James, quite taken with Emily, and wanting to protect her, agrees to marry Emily. It soon becomes evident to James that Emily is quite in love with him, and while he feels some affection, and much desire for her, he seriously doubts that he is capable of stronger emotions. However the more time he spends with her the more he comes to cherish her intelligence, compassion and her inner strength. Perhaps he is capable of loving afterall. But there are some serious threats to James's and Emily's happiness -- namely that of James's discarded and incensed ex-mistress. Will that lady succeed in her plans to destroy Emily?

While the plot is fairly commonplace, Mona Prevel's handling of this storyline is not. She delves into all kinds of issues from what was expected of a lady in the marriage bed to the plight of women who are frequently powerless (whether it be at their husbands' hands or that of their employers'); and this is what makes this novel alot stronger than it might otherwise have been. The novel is entitled "Educating Emily", referring to all the things that Emily has come to know about since she ran away from home; however it would be accurate to note that James also receives an education of sorts, not only on the plight of those without hope or the power to ease their situations, but also on how to love and cherish a wife -- even Miles, Emily's brother, receives an education on how to be a better and more responsible person.

This novel had everything from a few fashion notes, to a commentary on the social ills of the time, to a charming romance that shows the couple growing towards each other -- so that there is something to satisfy nearly everyone. "Educating Emily" definitely makes for very satisfying reading.

Rating:
Summary: Froth falls flat
Review: Miss Emily Walsingham, keen to avoid marriage to a smelly, lecherous roue, flees London. She is accosted by a group of young blades and only avoids losing her virtue because her screams attract the attention of James Garwood. He takes her home and has his housekeeper set her to work as a chambermaid.

When his mother meets the new chambermaid she immediately recognises her for the young lady she really is. She encourages James to marry Emily, thereby saving her from the lecherous old roue and ensuring the continuance of the Garwood line. With a refreshing lack of fuss for a romance both Emily and James agree to the plan and the marriage goes forward quickly.

The obstacles to complete happiness lie in James's doubts that he can feel more than fondness or temporary lust for any female, and Emily's painful naivety. The advice she receives about the marriage bed and marital harmony only misleads her further, and James seems to have no inkling of how naïve she might be. It's difficult to review a book like this - the heroine's naivety and the reluctance of friends and relatives to set her straight were probably all too common in the period, yet it is these very things which annoyed this reader. Perhaps the annoying thing is that Emily flounders so long without acting to change things, or perhaps it was the hero's passive acceptance of her unresponsiveness in bed, when he clearly wishes her behaviour was otherwise. These two are lost in admiration for each other, and several speeches to that point are a few too many.

Ms Prevel's style is neat and competent if not riveting or unusual. She has a tendency to overplay the hero's virtues, making too much of the simple acts romance readers deem necessary to the character of a hero. James is puffed up in his own conceit, shallow in his emotions and not worthy of the hero-worship accorded him by Emily - and the short scene at the end where he realises his mistakes is not long enough, nor does he realise the major ones - neither does Emily. She has accepted, all along, his casual affection and patronising speeches about what a "sweet little poppet" she is, and so James's supposed turnaround at the end lacks the power it could have had. The story is well-paced, but lacks a concrete drive. "Educating Emily" is more a slice of a married couple's life than a novel with a plot or any development of character.

Rating:
Summary: Froth falls flat
Review: Miss Emily Walsingham, keen to avoid marriage to a smelly, lecherous roue, flees London. She is accosted by a group of young blades and only avoids losing her virtue because her screams attract the attention of James Garwood. He takes her home and has his housekeeper set her to work as a chambermaid.

When his mother meets the new chambermaid she immediately recognises her for the young lady she really is. She encourages James to marry Emily, thereby saving her from the lecherous old roue and ensuring the continuance of the Garwood line. With a refreshing lack of fuss for a romance both Emily and James agree to the plan and the marriage goes forward quickly.

The obstacles to complete happiness lie in James's doubts that he can feel more than fondness or temporary lust for any female, and Emily's painful naivety. The advice she receives about the marriage bed and marital harmony only misleads her further, and James seems to have no inkling of how naïve she might be. It's difficult to review a book like this - the heroine's naivety and the reluctance of friends and relatives to set her straight were probably all too common in the period, yet it is these very things which annoyed this reader. Perhaps the annoying thing is that Emily flounders so long without acting to change things, or perhaps it was the hero's passive acceptance of her unresponsiveness in bed, when he clearly wishes her behaviour was otherwise. These two are lost in admiration for each other, and several speeches to that point are a few too many.

Ms Prevel's style is neat and competent if not riveting or unusual. She has a tendency to overplay the hero's virtues, making too much of the simple acts romance readers deem necessary to the character of a hero. James is puffed up in his own conceit, shallow in his emotions and not worthy of the hero-worship accorded him by Emily - and the short scene at the end where he realises his mistakes is not long enough, nor does he realise the major ones - neither does Emily. She has accepted, all along, his casual affection and patronising speeches about what a "sweet little poppet" she is, and so James's supposed turnaround at the end lacks the power it could have had. The story is well-paced, but lacks a concrete drive. "Educating Emily" is more a slice of a married couple's life than a novel with a plot or any development of character.

Rating:
Summary: A book is a book is a book?
Review: The problem with this book isn't the fault of the author or the book itself. Rather, it is the insistence of the publishing industry that each book must fall into a perceived category. If it doesn't--oh, well, too bad! Once upon a time, a book was a book. If it was really fiction, costumed or otherwise, it could be fiction. It didn't have to pretend to be something other than what it was. These days, however, if a book is perceived to be of interest primarily to women, it must therefore be a 'romance'.

The existence of a love-story in a book does not necessarily make it a romance novel. EDUCATING EMILY is a novel about just that--the education of Emily that will help her become the wife and mother and marchioness that she needs to be, now that's she's married. There's hardly any 'romance' as such, anywhere. There is good writing, however, with well-defined characters, lots of workable plot, and a strong sense of the social ills of the period.

Emily and her brother Miles have been left adrift by the accidental deaths of their parents. Neither are really old enough to be on their own, yet, that's where they are. Miles falls under the spell of an aging gambler who has seen Emily and wants her for his own. Emily has other ideas for her future and they don't include Lord Ruysdale. Accompanied by her maid, Emily runs away, having had the forethought to exchange identities.

When James Garwood rescues her from an attempted abduction, he has no idea that he has just met his future wife. He offers little resistance when his mother recognizes Emily and proposes the marriage to solve numerous problems. Having not had the counsel of her mother about such things, Emily enters the marriage extremely ill-prepared to be a wife, even though she dearly loves her husband.

The characters do grow throughout the book, although not always as rapidly as the reader might wish. I found it to be an enjoyable look at the life of a family in Regency England, albeit one with a social conscience probably not often found in reality. The reader who wants more of a relationship type story will quite possibly not enjoy this book as much as I did.

Rating:
Summary: Style, flair, and wit!
Review: With EDUCATING EMILY, Ms. Prevel provides a lovely, satisfying read with twists and turns that more than once brought on a case of the "oohs and ah-ahs!" Written with style, flair, and wit, this book is destined to be the first of many triumphs for Ms. Prevel.

Rating:
Summary: Style, flair, and wit!
Review: With EDUCATING EMILY, Ms. Prevel provides a lovely, satisfying read with twists and turns that more than once brought on a case of the "oohs and ah-ahs!" Written with style, flair, and wit, this book is destined to be the first of many triumphs for Ms. Prevel.