Customer Reviews

All Smiles

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

When their father, a rural vicar dies, sisters Meg and Sybil Smiles move to London's 7 Mayfair Square, home of an unhappy ghost, Sir Spivey. The spirit plans to force the two sibling out of his home by matchmaking the outgoing Meg with a nearby resident.

Meg realizes that the sisters have a financial problem. She applies for employment as a companion to seventeen-year-old Princess Desiree of Mont-Nuages, a tiny country on the Italy-France border. Meg's plan is to net a wealthy spouse while serving as a guide to Desiree. Meg needs to persuade Desiree's older stepbrother Jean-Marc, Count Etranger that she can do the job. Surprisingly, Jean-Marc hires Meg. As Meg works closely with Desiree, she and Jean-Marc fall in love. However, he is the heir to the throne and she would never suit as his queen. Then again, his uncle plans to destroy the only contender to being the next monarch of Mont-Nuages even if it means killing Meg.

ALL SMILES is an entertaining Regency romance that provides a fresh look at Stella Cameron's superb 7 Mayfair series. The story line is crisp and the entry of Jean-Marc and Desiree provides a different perspective of the lives of Europe's early nineteenth century aristocracy. Meg is a wonderful and brave character whose antics adds depth to the fireworks. Sub-genre fans will demand Sybil's story soon.

Harriet Klausner

I have to say I was very disappointed in this book. More & More (7 Mayfair Square series, 1) and 7B (3rd in series) were much, much better. I disliked Count Etranger immensely. He was overbearing, arrogant, selfish, foul-tempered, and autocratic. I found it incredibly hard to believe that Meg Smiles' had any difficulty in deciding if she should be Jean-Marc's mistress after what she did with him (and to him) in his bedroom the first day she met him. I found that scene in poor taste since it was so soon in their acquaintance. Jean-Marc seemed to know how to say what Meg wanted to hear. For a man who wanted to coax her into being his mistress (because she wasn't socially acceptable as a wife for him) he did a poor job, even shouting at her in front of people on one occasion.

Oddly enough I liked both characters much better in Meg's sister Sibyl's book, 7B. Although Meg seemed a bit arrogant too there (must be hubby's influence). The interesting thing about All Smiles was its introduction of the Count's half-sister, Princess Desiree. I am hoping she gets her own book - with Adam Chillworth as the hero of course!

ALL SMILES is the second book in Stella's new Mayfair Square series and it is a worthy successor to MORE AND MORE, the first book in the series. It is 1821 and Jean-Marc, Count Etranger from Mont Nuages, has come to London for his 17-year old sister's debut in society, an onerous task but one he is determined to accomplish. When Meg Smiles, the impoverished daughter of a country parson and resident of #7 Mayfair Square, brazens her way into his home offering to help prepare Princess Desiree for her debut, he readily agrees. Not only does he need help with Desiree but he also finds Meg quite compelling in her own right, even though she is far beneath him socially and completely "unsuitable." Add a meddlesome ghost, delightful secondary characters and a huge gray cat and what follows is a classic British romp with quirky characters, sparkling wit, a whiff of danger to spice things up, and plenty of sensuous romance.

Stella has outdone herself in ALL SMILES. The wry, dry wit was just delightful. Jean-Marc, the hero, is a harmless (but loud) blusterer. Meg, the heroine, is a spunky and eccentric foil for him. They are clearly meant for each other no matter how they struggle against it. I cheered them on as they learned about themselves and each other. And as much as I enjoyed the hero and heroine, the secondary characters just glowed. Princess Desiree is a very precocious 17 year old and sister to Jean-Marc. Verbeux is a sexy but very mysterious valet. Ila Upworth is a "fallen woman" with an agenda of her own. Sibyl Smiles is Meg's sister who watches in horror as Meg becomes closer and closer to the unattainable Jean-Marc. And the troublesome ghost, Sir Septimus Spivey, simply cannot remain quietly in his newel post in the front hall of #7 and stirs things up hilariously. The other residents of #7 also make many appearances and each character continues to develop leaving me eager to read their stories.

ALL SMILES is the second book in Stella's new Mayfair Square series and it is a worthy successor to MORE AND MORE, the first book in the series. It is 1821 and Jean-Marc, Count Etranger from Mont Nuages, has come to London for his 17-year old sister's debut in society, an onerous task but one he is determined to accomplish. When Meg Smiles, the impoverished daughter of a country parson and resident of #7 Mayfair Square, brazens her way into his home offering to help prepare Princess Desiree for her debut, he readily agrees. Not only does he need help with Desiree but he also finds Meg quite compelling in her own right, even though she is far beneath him socially and completely "unsuitable." Add a meddlesome ghost, delightful secondary characters and a huge gray cat and what follows is a classic British romp with quirky characters, sparkling wit, a whiff of danger to spice things up, and plenty of sensuous romance.

Stella has outdone herself in ALL SMILES. The wry, dry wit was just delightful. Jean-Marc, the hero, is a harmless (but loud) blusterer. Meg, the heroine, is a spunky and eccentric foil for him. They are clearly meant for each other no matter how they struggle against it. I cheered them on as they learned about themselves and each other. And as much as I enjoyed the hero and heroine, the secondary characters just glowed. Princess Desiree is a very precocious 17 year old and sister to Jean-Marc. Verbeux is a sexy but very mysterious valet. Ila Upworth is a "fallen woman" with an agenda of her own. Sibyl Smiles is Meg's sister who watches in horror as Meg becomes closer and closer to the unattainable Jean-Marc. And the troublesome ghost, Sir Septimus Spivey, simply cannot remain quietly in his newel post in the front hall of #7 and stirs things up hilariously. The other residents of #7 also make many appearances and each character continues to grow.

The mythology of #7 Mayfair Square is developing beautifully and I can't wait to find out who Hunter, Adam and Sibyl will fall in love with. What interesting ghosts will Sir Septimus meet next and will he ever have a change of heart about his lodgers? I guess we'll have to wait and see! I, for one, am looking forward to finding out!

I just love these books, first More & More & now All Smiles! Can't wait for the next installment to hit the market! I fell in LOVE with all the residents of Mayfair Square, they are mysterious, funny & a JOY to read about! I do not usually read mysteries, but Stella has a way of writing that adds fun & of course some GREAT SEX to her books. She is a wonderful author who has the ability to draw new readers to her & make them ever-so glad they came. *G* Meg & Jean-Marc are wonderful together & I also like the fact that Stella doesn't make you sit on the edge of your chair wondering just when the hero & heroine are going to admit to themselves that they care about each other. There were so many people who could have been the "bad" guy that I was kept guessing right up till the end, and I never did suspect the one who turned out to be a part of it all! I can't wait to hear about the other resident's of #7 & Princess Desiree` story. Stella if you see this, I just want to say "THANK YOU" for the joy of reading about these people & the anticipation of the ones to come!

I just loved More and More ... now the All Smiles! We can't wait to read the next episode I easily fell in Love with all the populace of Mayfair Square, they are very inexplicable, hilarious enjoyable to read about. Stella always has a way of writing that adds fun, mystery and great sex to her books. Meg and Jean-Marc are fantastic together. I also love that Stella doesn't make you wait, wondering, just when they are going to admit they want each other! Stella is a great author and never predictable.... that's why I love her works! I can't wait to hear about the other inhabitants.

All Smiles is the second in Cameron's Mayfair Square series. Cameron deftly combines a romantic tale with not one but two separate plots of intrigue upon the main characters. Meg Smiles is a young lady who has found herself in somewhat dire financial straits and when she hears of a Princess moving in across the square who may need a companion for the London Season, she petitions the Princess' brother, Jean-Marc, Count Etranger to obtain the position. She does not count on falling in love with the Count.
Another featured character is the ghost of Sir Septimus Spivey who has made it his goal to rid his ancestral home in Mayfair Square of its lodgers, one of whom is Meg. In the prequel to this novel, Spivey's identity is not fully revealed, and proved a little confusing. In this installment, we are treated to more information about Sir Spivey and more insight into his goals and plots. The author uses Spivey to address the reader and engage her in his scheme, and Spivey refers to the author herself as `that damnable scribbler.' I'm not sure what Cameron is trying to accomplish by employing this convention, as no reader would be convinced either that the tale is somehow true, or that she had any control over how the events would unfold. It's annoying, but able to be overlooked in order to enjoy the rest of the story.
Cameron's secondary characters bring much enjoyment to the tale, and as we know there are several more books to come in which other residents of Number 7 Mayfair Square are to be married off (and effectively removed from Number 7 if Spivey has his way), it is interesting to guess who will become involved with whom in books to come.
As with the previous novel in this series, who is a `good guy' and who is a `bad guy' is not readily apparent, and there are some quite surprising revelations towards the end.
Also, the sexual encounters between the main characters (and a couple of secondary characters) are quite steamy and well written.
I would recommend this book to any fan of Regency Romance novels.

I rolled with laughter as Sir Spivey, the resident curmugeon ghost, attempts to "help" clear his home of boarders. His wit and comments leave a comic edge to a very sensual novel that twists and turns as we unfold the story of Count Etranger and Meg Smiles, a simple parson's daughter. Unlike some romance novels, Stella Cameron, inserts a real mystery that just begs to be solved and leaves you not wanting to put it down until you are done. It is an all night read for me!

Others have already summarized the story for you. I am simply going to say that I found that there were too many unnecessary sub-plots. Meg, the heroine, went from being a free thinking, independent,and passionate woman with Prince Jean-Marc one moment, to a "wimp" with others who were either downright rude or demanding the next. I thought that Cameron couldn't decide who she wanted as her villian and so one minute it was the ghost. The next it was the prince's rude mistress, and yet another time it was her distant male cousin. I believe that romance books should leave me wanting to rush out and buy the author's next novel. I believe that romance novels are a neat past time that entertain better than TV and should make you cry a little and smile alot. This one just made me tired!

I don't usually buy all of the books that I read, however, I too bought this book because of the title, 'All Smiles'. I did read the previous book in this series called 'More and More' and liked it. I was glad to see that Ms. Cameron decided to write another book continuing the tale. The only negative I could say about the book is the ghost. I don't mind him being part of it, but it took me a while to understand that he was against some of events that were happening and he was actually trying to sabotage the characters' plans. Have him help them in some way instead. I do, however, like that he acts as narrator in some spots in the book to give insight into the background of the characters and the plot as it is unfolding.