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Rating: 
Summary: Lady Flora's Very Irritating Fantasy
Review: It's a little difficult (and frustrating) to write a review about a novel, enumerate the things that you didn't like and that disturbed, without really giving too much of the plot away, so that you inadvertently destroy whatever pleasure other readers may glean from the book at hand. Especially since a review is basically your own personal response to the novel, and others may not indeed share your view or opinion.The problem I had with "Lady Flora's Fantasy" is that I never really took to the heroine, Lady Flora Winton, and found the blinkered manner in which she viewed people and events taking place around her, extremely frustrating and baffling. In brief, the plot for "Lady Flora's Fantasy" is as follows: while bathing at the sea, Lady Flora spies Lord Richard Dashwood is all his magnificent, muscled glory, and promptly looses her heart (and good sense) to him. And the fact that Lord Dashwood seems to be carrying out some kind of courtship of her, sends her over the moon! What she doesn't know is that Lord Dashwood is a dissolute wastrel and a gambler, and is courting Lady Flora solely because she fits his own criteria for a good wife -- rich and beautiful. Lady Flora is so engrossed with her fantasy of how wonderful and perfect Lord Dashwood is, that, not only will she hear no word against him, but she practically ignores all the other eligible bachelors who vie for her hand and heart, in particularly, Lord Dashwood's neighbour, Lord Lynd. A sober and honourable man, Lynd is appalled that Lady Flora has fallen under Dashwood's spell. He is even more appalled when he discovers that Dashwood is courting Lady Flora for her suitability, and not because Lady Flora has won his heart and esteem. Deeply in love with Flora, Lynd has to grit his teeth and bear it as he watches the pair spend more and more time together as the London season unfolds. Will Lynd be able to hold his tongue, or will he finally break down and enlighten Lady Flora as to Dashwood's true colours, thereby crushing Lady Flora's heart in the process? Here are the things that irked me about this novel: I couldn't understand how Lady Flora, after having been exposed to Dashwood's selfishness and manipulativeness over and over again, could keep forgiving him and cling to a fantasy that was obviously unrealistic, esp when nearly every other gentleman she meets seems to have reservations about Dashwood. Did she seriously think that the entire male population of England partook in some kind of collective male jealousy of the man? After she forgave him for about the fourth time, I completely lost all patience I had with our sad heroine and actually began to root for Dashwood and Lady Flora to ride out into the sunset together! Part of the problem for me was that eventhough the novel unfolds over a period of a year, Lady Flora never seems to grow up. There is no added depth or maturity to the character, until the last chapter. I thought that this gave the novel a really unbalanced feel. And while I was losing what little patience and interest I had for Lady Flora, I found myself getting more and more invovlved with the character of Lady Flora's younger sister, Amy, whom I found much more appealing. And I found myself being much more interested with the problems she faced (and she faced quite a few in this novel), which unfortunately, Shirley Kennedy did not go into all that much because Lady Amy is after all only a peripheral character in this novel. And then there were the lapses into American colloquialisms. Why do the editors never catch these mistakes before the novel gets published? It is extremely jarring: in one moment you're literally pulled out of the 19th century drawing room you were comfortably settled in, and dropped into the 21st century! I suppose I was rather disappointed with "Lady Flora's Fantasy." The premise was really interesting, and I rather enjoyed the flights of fantasy Lady Flora indulged in. But after a while, I felt as if this novel was stuck in a rut. Lady Flora never really evolved: she remained the same blinkered young woman who had fallen for a pretty face, and who continued to wallow in self pity because things were not unfolding as she had envisioned they would. Ultimately however, the previous reviwer, the Book Huntress is right: whether or not you enjoy this novel is going to be a matter of personal choice. I was quite disappointed with this novel, you however, may not be.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good reading here.
Review: Lord Richard Dashwood was handsome, charming, heir to riches, and could have any woman he wanted. He was also selfish, a rake, a gambler, betrayer, liar, without any honor ... Well, you get the idea. His best friend, Lord Sidney Lynd, was the total opposite, except that he was already rich, not just heir-to-be. So any sensible woman would wish for Lord Sidney Lynd! Therefore, I was furious at Lady Flora! Lady Flora Winton was already wealthy. She had rejected several proposals as she waited to find a love match. But she fell in love with Lord Dashwood's looks and words of love. She was blind to everything else and would believe no ill of him, even after he did several awful things to her! He even proposed to her only to jilt her a few hours later for someone with more money! There is much more to tell, but to do so would spoil the book. In fact, I expect many to hate this story due to Flora being so intelligent toward everything and yet be so stupid concerning Dashwood! Yet I can easily recall myself in my "first love". I only too well remember being this blind, no matter what was said to me. The young can be stupid when blind! **** Therefore, consider well before purchasing this one. In my opinion, it was great. I took much delight when Flora opened her eyes to REALLY see Dashwood's true self. But if you hate blind devotion, avoid this plot. **** Reviewed by Detra Fitch
Rating: 
Summary: A REGENCY WITH A DIFFERENCE
Review: Ms. Kennedy steps out on a limb in this latest book to explore what happens to a woman when she falls for the wrong kind of man. It's a new twist for the Regency genre, one I enjoyed to the fullest. As Lady Flora works through her problems, which are plentiful in this wonderfully written book, we root for the hero who must jump through many hoops to win his lady love's hand. I even learned about "bathing machines" in this book, a little bit of history we all enjoy experiencing in a good Regency. Of all Shirley's books, this one is my favorite. Her prose is lovely. I really enjoy a story where I truly have to worry whether the heroine will end up the the hero, and Shirley does make me worry in Lady Flora's Fantasy. If you've not read any of Shirley's books, you'll rush right out and buy all the others after reading this one. Keep `em coming, Shirley.
Rating:
Summary: A REGENCY WITH A DIFFERENCE
Review: Ms. Kennedy steps out on a limb in this latest book to explore what happens to a woman when she falls for the wrong kind of man. It's a new twist for the Regency genre, one I enjoyed to the fullest. As Lady Flora works through her problems, which are plentiful in this wonderfully written book, we root for the hero who must jump through many hoops to win his lady love's hand. I even learned about "bathing machines" in this book, a little bit of history we all enjoy experiencing in a good Regency. Of all Shirley's books, this one is my favorite. Her prose is lovely. I really enjoy a story where I truly have to worry whether the heroine will end up the the hero, and Shirley does make me worry in Lady Flora's Fantasy. If you've not read any of Shirley's books, you'll rush right out and buy all the others after reading this one. Keep `em coming, Shirley.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing heroine
Review: There is nothing much wrong with this book except the heroine. As others have pointed out, she never changes or matures in any way. She is presented as exceptionally intelligent and educated... so much so that she hates London during the Season and recognizes obscure classical literary references... AND as being perceptive about people and very sensible. She then behaves in an utterly idiotic and uncharacteristic way about her first love. And she is 23 and has had several seasons; this is not some 17 year old fresh from the schoolroom! I really feel Kennedy missed the boat here. I have no problem with the idea that the ostensible hero turns out to be a rotter. I just read the re-issue of Libby's London Merchant, which had that same plot, and it was fantastic. But in this case, when Flora turns to Lord Lynd in the end... LITERALLY on the last page... all I could think of was... gee, Flora sure is fickle! (She has been engaged, jilted, married, widowed, and engaged a second time to the one who jilted her already.) Kennedy has written some books I like in the past, but this one failed sadly for me.
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