Belle Of The Ball (Zebra Regency Romance) [Paperback]

Donna Simpson (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821770403
• ISBN-13: 978-0821770405
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,836,996 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

When I was a kid, I thought you had to be someone extraordinary to become an author. I always loved to read and write, but was too unsure of myself to believe that I could ever become a published author. I've been fortunate enough in my life to have someone stand by me and repeatedly tell me I can do it. My advice to anyone who wants to write is, find someone who believes in you and cling to them! It's not an easy road, but it's worth it.

I read mysteries - Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, among other authors - and then discovered, quite by accident, Regency romances. I suppose it's no surprise that when I decided to try writing seriously, I wrote a Regency. Absentee Heart, my first attempt, was published by Rubenesque Romances in 1997, but is still available online from Blackfriars Publications.

My first *big* break was with Zebra Books, for their Regency line. Lord St. Claire's Angel, my first with Zebra, is still a favorite among many reviewers. I wrote over twenty Regency romance novels and anthology contributions for them, and adored every moment of it.

But I wanted more' I wanted to write longer and more in-depth stories. I wanted to explore a darker side to life, and go beyond the shores and time of Regency England. I love mystery, and feel that every good story is truly a mystery in a sense; even if there is no murder involved in a romance novel (though there actually *may be* in my newest books - wink wink!!) there is mystery in love.

How are the hero and heroine going to get together? Will they know immediately that they belong together, or will they have to suffer and find each other through turmoil? What will happen to keep them apart, and can they defeat every obstacle to come together finally?

I have been fortunate enough recently to move on to write paranormal (werewolf) historical romance for Berkley Books and am loving every second of it. Set in the Lower Saxony region of Germany in 1795, the 'Awaiting' books are a fabulous and thrilling departure for me. The spookiness of a gothic castle in Germany, lies and deception, twisted family secrets and the dark world of weird occurrences makes for a rich and colorful tapestry when woven with human foibles and thrilling, erotic love and lust!

Romantic Times said about my first paranormal with Berkley, Awaiting the Moon, that: 'By mixing a classic gothic with paranormal overtones Simpson has a winner. This impossible-to-put-down romance belongs alongside Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney and Daphne du Maurier. Here is a pure classic plotline with just the right touch of the ominous, the perfect amount of suspense and plenty of sexual tension to keep you reading late into the night and finish satiated.'

About the second they said: 'Simpson continues the Wolfram saga as a young woman becomes entwined in dark secrets while threads of werewolves myth, greed, passion, lies and deceptions swirl around pulling you into a tightly crafted paranormal romance with gothic overtones. Victoria Holt would be proud.'

I was thrilled! What an honour to be compared to those writers. As I suppose you can tell, dear reader, I'm enjoying the ride so far... long may it last!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars refreshingly different kind of romance novel, I thought, November 18, 2001

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belle Of The Ball (Zebra Regency Romance) (Paperback)

"Belle of the Ball" by Donna Simpson is quite unlike other Regency romance novels in that it is mostly contemplative in nature -- the heroine, Arabella Swinley, spends much of the novel, reflecting on her unhappy circumstances, examining her past behaviour, which she is quite ashamed of and wondering if there is such a thing as 'love.' The hero of the novel, Marcus Westhaven, also spends quite a bit of time wondering why he's so taken with Arabella especially since she is the embodiment of everything he despises in a woman: proud, self-centered and entirely too preoccupied with finding a rich husband. There isn't much 'action' in this novel -- there is a lot of flirtation between Arabella and Marcus of course, but the novel remains between the parameters of the hero and heroine trying to decide what to do, all the while getting to know a little of each other's true nature as they flirt their way through the Season. Some readers may find the ruminative nature of this novel a little off-putting, however I found it to be refreshingly different and enjoyable.

Briefly, the plot is as follows: after having spent the last few Seasons rejecting all offers of marriage from eligible bachelors for the most specious of reasons, Miss Arabella Swinley is suddenly faced with the unpalatable truth that she must find herself a rich husband this Season, or face losing her family home. And if that wasn't enough to put any woman in the doldrums, there's her mother's constant carping and the fact that this Season's eligible bachelors seem to be a rather sorry lot! And then, Marcus Westhaven, an adventurer who has just returned form the Canadian wilds, bursts upon the London scene. And suddenly the Season begins to take on a more interesting turn for Arabella. For in spite of his rough and unsophisticated ways, Arabella finds herself responding to Marcus's good looks, charm and adventurous spirit. But Marcus is quite poor, and Lady Swinley as already decreed that Arabella must somehow win 60 year old Lord Pelimore for her husband. What will Arabella do? Will she gird her loins and do her duty by encouraging the repulsive Lord Pelimore's suit? Or will she rebel and take a chance on love?

After a steady diet of the usual, it is always fun to come across a novel that is refreshingly different. Arabella was first introduced in "Miss Truelove Beckons," and the Arabella of that novel was not very likeable at all: a little whiny, cold and manipulative. Flashes of a different Arabella only came to the fore now and then. In "Belle of the Ball" we see more of the likable Arabella and see how Lady Swinley's warped preconceptions about station wealth influenced her and not in a good way either. I found myself cheering for Arabella to come out from behind her mother's shadow and to become her own person, with her own opinions and values. Donna Simpson did a wonderful job of presenting a more sympathetic portrait of Arabella, so that we are able to feel for her when she realises that she is no longer the 'Diamond' of the London scene, and we're able to root for her to find happiness with Marcus. Another nice touch, I thought, was the fact that quite obviously both Marcus and Arabella had more or less fallen in love at first sight with each other, but neither of them figures this out for quite a while, spending much of their time wodering why they are so preoccupied with each other. There were however a couple of subplots that really bothered me. One subplot involved the Swinleys sudden loss of wealth. There are a couple of hints here and there as to what really happened, but the novel never really addressed this question. And I found Arabella's lack of interest in discovering why she and her mother were suddenly so poor completely incomprehensible. The other subplot that niggled involved Arabella's best friend, Miss Eveleen O' Clannahan, whose intriguing behaviour and mysterious disappearance halfway through the novel almost stole all my attention from Arabella and Marcus. I can only suppose that this is a kind of setup to whet our interest in an upcoming novel that will feature Eveleen. I do wish that Ms Simpson hadn't done that though as I became quite obsessed with discovering what became of Eveleen, and at Arabella's and Marcus's expense!

"Belle of the Ball" is a definitely an engaging read. Donna Simpson displays her skill as a masterful storyteller by taking a character that most might not truly approve of, and making her completely sympathetic. And this, in spite of the quibbles I had with the subplots, I thought that this novel truly remarkable.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Belle of the Ball?, November 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Belle Of The Ball (Zebra Regency Romance) (Paperback)

This book is the sequel to "Miss Truelove Beckons." It takes up the story of Arabella, the cousin who desperately needs to marry to repair the family fortunes.

I found it disappointing particularly in that it seemed to change the personality of the main character, Arabella, from what she appeared as in "Miss Truelove." She was much more conniving in the first novel and the author made her seem to be only a pawn of her mother in this one, as though the author knew she had to become nicer for us to root for her.

The hero is not developed enough for us to understand why he finds Arabella irrestitable.

And the reason Arabella must repair the family fortunes seems in doubt, too. Innuendos surface which seem to imply that the father could not possibly have gone through all the money. But they are just as quickly dropped to keep the story line.

After enjoying "Miss Truelove Beckons" and "St Clair's Angel," I was very disappointed with this novel. It does, however, remain clean of swear words and lewd scenes.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tender and realistic!, November 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Belle Of The Ball (Zebra Regency Romance) (Paperback)

I thought this was a great book - very moving and tender. Arabella's change from in Miss Truelove Beckons was realistically portrayed. You could tell she was struggling with what she was raised to believe in, and learning what life and love really mean. If you believe that love makes us better people, then this is the book for you! I thought, too, that Marcus was the perfect match for her. Strong but caring.
Love this book! The best one from Simpson yet!