Customer Reviews

Christmas Angel

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I know that most people think that _An_Unwilling_Bride_ is the best of Jo Beverley's Rogues books. I disagree. While _Bride_ is certainly an excellent book, this book is better. For one thing, this book does not have any desperate villains, just one bumbling (but dangerous) one and one set of phantom villains. This lack of an adventure plot means that the romance must stand (or fall) on its own terms. This is a terrific story.

Both characters are completely believable. Each brings baggage to their marriage, and each learns to shed it in the course of the book. Leander is amazing -- worldly, strong, powerful, and yet strangely alone and vulnerable. Judith is living with the consequences of her early marriage to a stunningly romantic poet who turned out to be a stunningly unsatisfactory husband. The preconceptions they bring to their marriage, about themselves and about each other, need to be untangled before this Cinderella story can be resolved.

The resolution is believable, because the changes in each character are motivated and plausible. This story has lots of funny scenes, and some heart-rending passages, as well. The writing is clean and fluent. All in all, a very good book.

CHRISTMAS ANGEL is #3 in the Company of Rogues series--though like the other books, it stands on its own--and is almost as good as AN UNWILLING BRIDE, the jewel in the series' crown. It's a Cinderella story, but with several original twists. For one thing, the Cinderella heroine is a widow with two young children, not a virginal 18-year-old. For another, she rescues her Prince Charming just as much as he rescues her. The "Wicked Stepmother" is a real surprise, as well!

CHRISTMAS ANGEL also makes great Christmastime reading.

I read in the author's latest newsletter that the publisher will reissue the out-of-print Rogues novels (AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE, AN UNWILLING BRIDE, and CHRISTMAS ANGEL) over the next couple of years, and as Regency historicals. This is welcome news. These books were published as traditional Regencies--at that time, the concept of the Regency historical was only just coming into being--and the book descriptions give no hint of the stories' complexity and scope, which encompasses the entire spectrum of Regency society, even the more disorderly and uncivilised aspects.

If you've been reading Jo Beverley's Rogues series, which began with An Arranged Marriage and continued with Lucien's story in An Unwilling Bride, you'll want to get your hands on this book IMMEDIATELY.

Leander Knollis, Earl of Charrington, didn't appear in the two earlier books, but he was certainly mentioned as a Rogue absent at war. In this book, set a few months after Lucien and Beth's marriage, Leander comes home and, thanks to the war having brought him to a realisation of his own mortality, decides that he really needs to marry and start his own family. However, a few weeks in London shows him only too clearly that he can't choose a bride from the available young women there. For one thing, none of them interest him. For another, they keep falling in love with him! While he can feel nothing more than lukewarm liking for any of them.

Not that he understands why this is the case; as he says to Beth Arden, he's not particularly handsome. And, in fact, standing next to the very handsome Lucien, he's nothing much to look at. Though Beth admits - and this is a very clever device, Jo, using the lens of Beth's thoughts to show us what's attractive about Leander - that there is something compelling about him. And Beth also tells us that what is most likely to appeal to women is the impression Leander seems to give of being alone and emotionally in pain. Which he is - except that he doesn't recognise it.

Leander's problem is that his upbringing has led him to see romantic love as destructive and not worth the emotional investment. Added to this, he doesn't see himself as capable of falling in love. So, he tells his friends, he wants to marry someone suitable, someone he can like, but who won't fall in love with him.

Who better, Beth thinks, than the Weeping Widow? Judith Rossiter, widowed a little over a year since and with two children, who is well known to have been so in love with her husband that she's still grief-stricken. She still wears unrelieved black. So Leander proposes to Judith, secure in the knowledge that she's not going to fall in love with him.

Judith, we learn, ceased to love her husband not long after they were married. The only reason she still wears black is that she can't afford anything else! She's very puzzled by this proposal from a nobleman five years younger than her, and at first thinks he's mad. But events lead her to accept his proposal - and now all she has to do is prevent him from finding out that she does actually have strong feelings for him after all...

What stops me giving this book five stars, as I gave some of the other Rogue books, is that while I enjoyed it very much I felt that something was missing. The romance was very, very understated; while there are some lovely scenes in this book, such as some of the kissing scenes, I didn't actually feel that I *saw* Judith and Leander fall in love with each other. I almost felt that Leander wasn't so much falling in love with Judith as he was with the idea of a family. So that wasn't quite as fulfilling as the first two books in the series, or The Devil's Heiress.

However, one thing I loved about this book was the chance to get a glimpse - well, more than a glimpse - of my favourite heroes and their partners. The book begins with Beth and Lucien at Hartwell, just six weeks after the end of AUB; we see that the promise of a very happy marriage which we were left with in AUB is definitely coming true. And Lucien and Beth play major roles in the first part of the book. Then, towards the end of the book, we get lots of Nicholas and Eleanor (and Arabel), proving that the happy ending of An Arranged Marriage was a lasting one. I do love encountering characters from earlier books later in the series!

Definitely one to add to your Jo Beverley collection!

Despite the title, there is little of the Christmas spirit in evidence in this reprint until the final chapters. However, it is a very sweet book. The plot has been summarized already so I won't get into that. One thing I enjoyed about this book is that the children act like real children, that is, they interfere at the most inopportune moments with their mother's love life! And Leander...who *wouldn't* marry him? He is suave, capable, and also a younger man, a definite plus. Judith, on the other hand... Well, she's just kind of *there*. I wasn't impressed with her, but I didn't dislike her either. She just seemed colorless.

I also agree with the other reviewer's statement that there is little sexual tension or sex in the book. Obviously no one reads these books for sex but it seemed odd to me that the encounters between two newlyweds, even if they were a marriage of convenience, were so far-spaced.

All in all, however, it is a very well-written and sweet book, and I enjoyed reading it. My favorite Beverley is still Forbidden, however, and I can't wait until it is reissued.

Jo Beverley is THE disciplined Regency author. Few can match her historical detail, traditional customs, or setting skills. However, although Jo Beverley's CHRISTMAS ANGEL is a well-written story, somehow, along the way, it lost me!

Leander Knollis, the Earl of Charrington, knows it is time to take a wife, but he has one rigid rule: the woman must never fall in love with him. The perfect candidate is the widow, Judith Rossiter. Obviously, she was deeply in love with her first husband. If fact, in the village, they still call her "The Weeping Widow." Yes, Judith is a good choice and for an extra bonus: she comes with two small children! How marvelous! Suddenly, the Earl of Charrington's "urgent" family is ready!

Although, this "marriage of convenience" is the answer to Judith's nagging financial problems, she still wonders what the man is up to! The Earl of Charrington could have any woman in England, so why her? Yet, Judith is no fool and she readily accepts his proposal and as far as his "golden" rule of: no love! That won't be a problem! Judith's first husband had been a penniless noble-minded poet and their marriage was nothing but a travesty. Silently, Judith vowed never again!

Comments:
"Pitfalls" and Jo Beverley are synonymous and in CHRISTMAS ANGEL, Ms. Beverley has the "mother lode." The Rossiter children are terrific as the story's secondary characters and the "instant" family format is a great idea. It allows Beverley to use delightful humor and helps to build a bustling, believable atmosphere.

So how and when did Ms. Beverley lose me? I suspect it was her handling of the hero's character. At first, the character of Leander Knollis is dark and compelling, then Beverley's inventiveness quietly slipped away. The story's spark and dark-complexion went missing and the story turned into a "leisure stroll." Although, Jo Beverley has the skill to pull it all off, disappointingly in the end, CHRISTMAS ANGEL was a letdown!
Grade: C+

MaryGrace Meloche.

By the title, you may guess correctly, that I am a BIG Jo Beverley fan. This, the supposedly 3rd in the rogue series ( I find just about all tie into the series)is outstanding in the fact that here you have a younger man, pursuing an older, albeit young enough to be able to produce an heir,woman.

He is Leander Knollis, Earl of Charrington, who has issues over seeing the one sided aspect of love (his mother's love for the self centered father). He does not want this, so he looks for a biddable woman, who is unlikely to fall in love with him.

Enter, Judith Rossiter, akda the "Weeping Widow". A woman who to all seems still devasted and in mourning over her dearly departed husband. - OR SO IT SEEMS!

As usual, the dialog is crisp, sweet, funny and you get to actually SEE these two fall in LIKE, then LOVE. You also get to re-visit Nicholas and Eleanor and hear news of the other 'rogues' from the previous novels. What more could you ask for from this brilliant and wonderful author. Just MORE, MORE, MORE! Loved this! So very sweet you could read it over and over again!

Wonderful! Jo Beverley's Rogue series is a delight - stories that hold your attention and satisfy deeply. I have now finished the third book in the series and have enjoyed this one as much as the first two.

Christmas Angel is a very different Christmas story for the season of goodwill is really only a frame to the whole picture and the action leads up to Christmas in only a very subliminal way.

This is a gentler story than the first two Rogue books for Leander Knollis, Earl of Charrington, is presented to us as a much milder man in some ways but one whose passions run so deep beneath the surface that he is in danger of missing great happiness. Nicholas Delaney and Lucien de Vaux, the heros of the first two Rogue books, are seemingly much more passionate and volatile men. Leander is a man who believes self control is of high esteem and, much to his amazement, a woman who is largely fooling herself about her first marriage knocks all of his preconceived notions about love, marriage and partnership askew.

Others have summed up the plot so I won't go into it. I would like to point out that, in this book, conversational interaction is very important and deserves thoughtful reading. The child characters of Bastian and Rosie are well drawn. I laughed out loud at Rosie's conversation with Hal Beaumont (a Rogue I sincerely hope will one day get his own book!!) when she wonders about the loss of his arm, wild animals and death. In a few brief paragraphs, Jo Beverley captures childish innocence and curiosity so well.

Judith Rossiter, our heroine, for all her experience of 13 years of marriage and two children, is virginal and naive in a charming way. How delightful to watch her and Leander dance round each other, striving for something neither can identify!

Nicholas Delaney and his wife Eleanor continue to be a linchpin in all of the Rogue stories and it is very satisfying to follow their progress and that of Lucien and his marchioness. I loved this - and look forward to starting the fourth book. Excellent and subtle, this one!

While true to the Jo Beverley tradition - this was a good book, very well written - I did not find it as compelling as the first two books in this series - AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE or AN UNWILLING BRIDE. But as they say, "to each his own", and this was still a very good read.

Leander is the hero here, and at the start of the book, he is definitely intriguing. He feels he has to marry, immediately, but his reasons are private, even from his best friends. Oh, and did I mention his criteria? He must have a wife who will not fall in love with him.

He confides his dilemma to his friend and fellow rogue Nicholas. He explains his dilemma, but will not explain his reasons. Okay, true to form, Nicholas and his wife come to the rescue. Enter Judith Rossiter, widow of the famous poet . She is known to have been overwhelmingly in love with her husband, and he with her, after all, most of his most famous verse was written to "his angel bride, Judith". And she, too, is still mourning her dead husband, why else would she still be wearing widow's weeds?

When Judith Rossiter is suggested to Leander as the perfect solution to his dilemma, we get to watch the progression of this unusual and interesting marriage. Why is Leander so determined to marry? Why, too, is he so determined to hide his heart? And what of Judith, and their two children - why does she agree to this suggestion? And how will this blended family adapt? How will Leander react to having an "instant" family, complete with two children? And how will Judith react to this re-marriage?

Jo Beverley does "issues" very well, and in this novel, she examines the different pitfalls of a new and instant family - how the normal issues that parents have between themselves, and regarding their children, are now magnified 100 times over by the situation they find themselves in. Many of their dilemmas were funny (and to those of us who have children, ring true to life).

While this book had a very good plot, great characterizations, and great dialogue, I was, in the end, disappointed because I did not feel that I got the insight I was looking for into Leander's character. While Ms. Beverley does explain why Leander is the way he is, she never delves too deeply into his character, and I never got a *feel* of how he *really* felt, or why he was so quick to change, and why he fell in love with Judith so quickly. People are shaped and molded by their childhood experiences, and they turn into who they are because of their life experiences. Can people really change their underlying psychological underpinnings so shortly, and in so dramatic a way? IMHO, this was not explained well at all, or at least, was not delved into adequately enough for me. That is the only gripe I have in an otherwise excellent book - but it is a big gripe, because reading about how people react and change is one of the reasons that I do read these kinds of books.

But all the same, this was an excellent book, with all Jo Beverley's usual trademarks. An excellent plot that is beautifully tied together by the end of the book, very good writing, and excellent characterizations and character development - definitely a notch above most other writers.

Although I gave it four stars, this is in relation to the other "Rogue" books, which I thought were better than this one. But still, I love Jo Beverley's writing, so I guess you could say it's really a four and a half stars.

Although the Christmas theme is a minor element, Christmas Angel is a warm and wonderful book. It is much lighter than the others in the series: no truly dangerous villain, no manic life-or-death scenarios, no excruciating personal trials. Instead, this is a gentle tale of two people coming to terms with their own views about love and marriage and family. There is some danger and mystery, but it is minor compared to most of Beverley's stories.

Judith is a wise, but not worldly, widow who has a wealth of inner strength. She is a great, though somewhat overprotective, mother of two, who marries the younger Leander to provide for them (and herself). Along the way, however, Judith discovers that she has achieved a great deal more. A very real, down-to-earth heroine.

Leander is a dream of a hero: witty, urbane, kind, elegant, wealthy, and handsome, but underneath that cool, diplomatic self-control is a great need that he himself cannot define. Judith and his ready-made family quickly fill the void in his life. Leander is, in many ways, just an ordinary guy; although he has issues to deal with, he is not as tortured or volatile as most heroes. He's so very pleasant, too, that he comes across as the sort of man you really could spend a lifetime with.

So far, this may well be my favorite of the Company of Rogue series (and the Georges), although I am eagerly awaiting the book about the Rogue who most intrigues me, the quiet Stephen Ball. Until then, enjoy this excellent entry.

This is the first *and* last book by Jo Beverley I will ever read. The characters made no sense at all, especially the hero, the sexy parts were anything but and the plot was ridiculous. I gave up on it about halfway through (at the dreadful wedding night) and skimmed through the rest to see if there was any hope for Jo Beverley's redemption, but found nothing. This is the kind of book that gives romance novels a bad name.