Customer Reviews

Lord St. Claire's Angel (Zebra Regency Romance)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a really great different novel. The heroine, Celestine is not beautiful, rich or especially charming. Forced to be a governess by lack of funds and too much pride to become dependent on her aunt, she works at a job which brings her into contact with children-something she fears she will never know personally otherwise. Believing herself new but qualified for her job, she overhears her employers saying that her prime asset for the job was that she was plain and of no possible interest to the soon to visit Lord St. Claire-a handsome rake with lots of charm but little of any other qualities. As expected, the charming Lord St. Claire sees the plain jane governess and immediately understands that his sister in law is putting him in his place(away from any Christmas dalliances) and he is burned. With teaching Elizabeth(sis-in-law) a lesson, he decides to woo the little governess anyway. Is this an improbable story as another reviewer said- most likely yes, but it is a pleasure to read a story where the heroine is not a diamond of the first water and all grace personified but still able to gain a man's admiration and love. Sort of like love in real life-where not all couples match in looks or money and still marry and do well together. Besides, how many regency romance even come close to reality. Is the reader aware that either evening assemblies and dinners were held in near virtual darkness or thousands of candles applied to get some light. Bathing was not a regular occurence even for those well to do and without fans in summer -it does not take much imagination to visualize the state of clothes after a day in them. We read,most of us anyway, to escape today and return to what we want to see as a colorful, more frivolous era-it wasn't by any means and yet, how many of the books we are reading would still be read-if those facts were illuminated for us. Read this book with your eyes and your heart-it is a lovely romance. Want reality-read Les Miserables

This first book by Donna Simpson, an up-and-coming Canadian author with Zebra, is probably her best work to date although BELLE OF THE BALL (her fifth book, I believe) comes close. Both feature unusual heroines and somewhat atypical plots.

This book features Celestine Simons, a governess with arthritis (since she had rheumatic fever as a child) who has been hired by Lord and Lady St Claire (actually the Marquess and Marchioness of Ladymead) precisely because she is plain, arthritic and otherwise unlikely to attract attention. The Marchioness has been plagued by her brother-in-law Lord Justin St Claire (the Lord St Claire of the title), who has fallen into the habit of flirting with the pretty governesses of her two daughters. This, the Marchioness (Lady Elizabeth St Claire or Lady St Claire in the book) does not like, both from the point of view of what is considered proper and also from the point of preserving class differences.

To spite his sister-in-law, Lord Justin St Claire decides to flirt with Miss Simons. She will not respond to him, even though she is attracted by him. Then, he hears her sing in the village choir, and the two experience a rare moment of epiphany in the journey back to the house. Nevertheless, although our hero's feelings have changed about Miss Simons, his casual attitude towards flirtation and governesses have not changed (or he has not realized it). Celestine's well-married aunt Lady Sedgely (Lady Emily Delafont or Lady Delafont in the book) arrives and this precipitates a number of changes.

I liked many many things about this book, even though it was far too short to flesh out all the characters. We had the high-minded Marquess, in love with his extremely snobbish wife (whose behavior and attitudes were normal for her era and station). We had the vicar's calculating attitudes. We have the charming but imperfect (in many ways) children of the Marquess and Marchioness. We have Lady Sedgley/Delafont, whose own history is explored in Simpson's second book (LADY DELAFONT'S DILEMMA). We are also introduced to Lady Grishelda May von Hoffen (heroine of Simpson's third book LADY MAY'S FOLLY).

Since I am a lover of good secondary characterization, this book was a delight in many ways. For example, I kept worrying about the mildly retarded younger daughter after I finished the book - and someday I would like to read a book about these two sisters. Not all the secondary characters were well-rounded of course, but that is more a problem associated with the book length and its necessary constraints.

I did have one major problem with this book - the titles issue. Simpson's first book showed off her strengths (great writing ability, marvellous primary and secondary characterization, an ability to write with emotion and yet restraint about sensitive issues), and they also showed her weakness for her early books - her lack of understanding of British titles and how they work. [In fairness to the author, she has corrected her mistakes in subsequent books]. The problem with this book is that there are two Lord St Claires - the Marquess and his brother (the hero) - in this book, which leads to a misunderstanding at one point. This was a slight flaw in an otherwise nearly-perfect book, because it was completely unbelievable that the housemaids would be calling both the Marquess and his brother by the same title.
I should also add that the British did not recognize foreign titles, and Lady May von Hoffen would not be a real "Lady". At best, she might be called Countess or Baroness socially but legally she would be a mere Miss in the UK.

I have tried not to write too many spoilers, but Celestine's arthritis and her love for her pupils - the two daughters of the Marquess and Marchioness - form the cornerstone of this story. You might disagree with Celestine's actions which jeopardize her health, but they are understandable given the kind of person she was. I hope that in later books, I come across this couple again and find out how they are doing and how well "Lady Elizabeth" is reconciled to their marriage. I would also like to hear more about Celestine's background and that of her aunt.

Recommended, despite a minor flaw.
Grade = 4.4 (A-)
Breakdown = romance element graded at 4.8 (A+; 25%), writing at 4.7 (A; 25%), characterization (of protagonists and secondary characters) at 4.5 (A-; 25%), plot development at 4.2 (B+; 25%). Average = 4.6. Deduction of 0.2 for title confusion which affects the plot.

I am VERY pleased to have happened on this book by a new Regency author. The plot is a bit predictable with the "poor governess/rich nobleman" theme but don't let that put you off. This book is full of interesting people you identify with or want to get to know better.

All the characters have exceptional depth for books in this genre, and I especially enjoyed the secondary ones: the details given about the heroine's aunt Emily make you long for the author to give her a book of her own. Even the antagonists in this book have lots of interesting personality traits. No one dimensional characters here!

My only complaint - and it is not unique to this author - is that she needs a crash course (or a better editor) in English titles. It was especially irritating to me that even the title of the book is wrong. Her hero is NOT Lord St. Claire, as the younger brother of a Marquess, he is Lord Justin.

Celestine Simons knows she was hired as a governess not because of her skills, but because she is so plain. Her employer is trying to thwart her rakish brother-in-law, Justin, from dallying with the servants again.

Partly out of anger, Justin decides to go ahead and charm Celestine, even if she is plain. Then, he sees Celestine sing in the local choir. And everything changes.

In this book, we get to see the rake grow up. Readers can also revel in the quiet strength of its heroine. If you like Regencies that are about people, rather than romps and intrigue, try this one.

I gave this book Desert Island Keeper status at All About Romance.

From the back cover:

An on-the-shelf miss...

Celestine Simons was past the age when a woman could hope to marry. Still, she counted herself blessed, for she held a good position as a governess in the household of the Marquess of Ladymead. But when the Marquess's brother, the handsom Lord Justin St. Claire, arrived for the Christmas season, Celestine's lonely heart caught fire. He was so sweet and understanding. Yet, a marriage proposal from a pleasure-seeking aristocrat had to be merely a cruel joke, if not pity for a poor spinster...

A libertine rogue...

Love was a game for the devil-may-care Lord Justin St. Claire--until he met Miss Celestine Simons. Justin never though he could be felled by cheerful good sense and intelligent conversation. He'd set out to give the plain, timid miss an innocent thrill under the kissing bough--becoming smitten with the gray-eyed beauty was the least of his intentions. But the more he denied his aching heart, the more he yearned to make Celestine his!

And my review:

I absolutely love the Regency period, so I'll buy pretty much any book from set in this time period. Unfortunately, that means I end up with a lot of books that aren't so great.

The rake falling in love with the plain spinster is an old storyline, and one of my personal favorites. But in this case, the rake wasn't charming enough. I like my rake heros to be bluster on the outside hiding a sensitive heart of gold on the inside. That wasn't the case here. Instead, this hero was totally high on himself. He sees a plain woman past her prime, hands crippled with arthritis, and decides that he will give her the thrill of her life--he will pretend to be interested in her. Yeah, leading a woman on, that's so kind of you. Not only that, but his main motivation in doing this is to annoy his sister, who purposely set out to hire a woman he'd have no interest in so that she wouldn't have to lose yet another governess to scandal. How is raising the hopes of a woman you have no intention of offering for (and doing so only to tick off your sister) romantic? It's not. It's cruel!

The last straw was when the hero sees that the town vicar might be interested in our heroine. You would think he would then back off and let her have a chance at happiness with a good man, right? Nope! He figures that it just adds an extra challenge to the game. Now he'll really be able to show his sister! (Not very mature behavior for a grown man.) Never mind that he might be ruining the heroine's one chance for a happy marriage. Never mind that he has no intention of ever marrying our heroine. Again, this is just plain cruel. I was unable to cheer for them to be together. I felt that she was far too good for him.

I would have much preferred to see him not at all interested in her, but then fall in love with her in spite of himself because her mind, intellect and spirit were so amazing. (Kind of like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.) I guess I was expecting too much of a book which is basically the equivalent of a Harlequin romance in the Regency world. Not recommended by this reader.

Disgracefully, this book has sat on my TBR shelf for several months. A dear friend recommended this story and I could no longer avoid her interrogations. Ok, she was right; LORD ST. CLAIRE'S ANGEL is a wonderful story.

Justin St. Claire is the younger brother of the Marquess of Ladymead. He is stunningly handsome; he is a devil-may-care womanizer; he is a playful gambler and he is a remorseless rogue. He lives his life breaking the hearts of countless beautiful women; he enjoys making them fall hopelessly in love with him and then guiltlessly walks away. Justin St. Claire is a cad.

Celestine Simons is a poor, plain spinster. In her life, she has lost a great deal: her father, her home, and her position in society. Now, she works as the governess for the Marquess and Marchioness of Ladymead. They hired her because she is so satisfyingly homely and that unattractiveness will be her best protection from the flirtations of Justin St. Claire. Yet, under the cloak of plainness, lives a beautiful, cheerful woman, a woman accustomed to helping others, a woman who lives her life with optimism despite the cruel hand life dealt her. For not only is Celestine Simons ordinary and plain, she painfully suffers from rheumatoid arthritis - a chronic disease marked by stiffness, inflammation, and deformity. Her hands are especially bad, her knuckles are swollen and red, her fingers malformed. Yes, Celestine Simons' shortcomings would definitely protect her from the advances of that libertine, Justin St. Claire! Or would they?

Justin St. Claire is bored; he is bored with his life. What started as a lark to irritate his tyrant sister-in-law abruptly turns into much more. Suddenly, Justin St. Claire yearns for stability and permanence in his life. Perhaps he should start looking for a wife and begin making little St. Claires to populate his unattended estate. After all, a few of his friends have succumbed to the matrimonial cause. Suddenly, Celestine Simons intrigues him. She is like a beam of dancing sunlight, a herald of joy and spirit. So, why does she refuse his suit?

Donna Simpson did an incredible job on this gentle Regency story. She did, however, gravely abuse English Titles, but I wouldn't dwell on that problem; except, to say WHERE WAS THE EDITOR? Nonetheless, this author did impress me. She has a wonderful writing style and her plot development is first-rate, but it is her application to her heroine's crippling disease that truly is unique. And her brief reflection to dear little Gwen, the Marquess' child - a child with special needs - is decidedly original. However, in the end this reader wondered who would NOW take care of little Gwen? Who would protect her from her cruel, demanding mother? I must check Simpson's subsequent books; surely she does not leave her readers dangling!
Grade: A-

MaryGrace Meloche
Reviewer for: Romance Designs.com

i enjoyed this book immensely. it had a very "phantom of the opera" theme. he falls in love with her singing despite her plainess,status,and arthritic condition. i think this author has great potential

most of the others reviewers summed up the storline very well-I only wanted to add a few points.

First-as someone who reads a lot of regency romance, I was swept up into the storyline and loved the "non-pretty" heroine Celestine and the dedicated rogue Justin. The story is a nice break from the vast majority of Romances when the heroine is "beyond beautiful"-but not much of anything else. Here we see a heroine whose inners qualities show her true beauty, and I loved the realistic addition that she also suffered from a health condition-arthritis .

Seeing Justin "grow up" from playboy to loving, sensitive hero after feeling Celestine's influence was beautifully written.

This book played like a movie in my head as I read it-and I mean that as a compliment.


I finished this book in less than 2 days and would highly recommend it to any historical romance fan looking for something different.

4.5 stars.

This is one of my favorite romance novels ever. Well, written in recent decades. The story is relatively simple, and strangely, thinking over it after the fact, not a lot really happens in terms of action. But it was a great read and so very compelling. The hero is a typical rake and sets out to seduce the heroine, a governess, just to prove he can. But he ends up falling for her instead. But here, Simpson shows her genius. After all, how do you "write" falling in love over the course of an entire book? That's what Simpson manages to pull off perfectly. Despite some teasing (of the reader), there's no sex and this is a very clean book. Loved it. Will read it again.

You know what? This wasn't bad. I really felt for the leading lady, and that hardly ever happens. The book was a short and sweet little thing, which was the point, I think, so it acomplished what it set out to do.