Customer Reviews

Courtship Dance (Mills & Boon Special Releases)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Okay, so saying that this is the best in the series isn't actually saying much for me, because I did not love the other books in the series. They were pleasant enough, but also very ordinary. The leading ladies in those stories were not as intriguing or likeable as Francesca and the men were nowhere near as magnetic as Rochford. In fact, I found myself skimming through the main storylines while slowly savoring every mention of these supporting characters. I can't say why, but I just loved the strained interactions between the two and the hint of something deep and tragic that happened between them in the past. They stole the show. I actually read the second and third books mainly to find out more about them. So of course, I could not wait for The Courtship Dance to be released.

For those of you who feel the same way about them in the previous novels, let me assure you---the finale will be well worth the wait! I was afraid I had too high hopes for this book and tried to convince myself that it would be difficult for Camp to write an entire novel centered on these two characters without messing it up in some way. It was a relief when I read this that I was not disappointed.

Though we only saw glimpses of their characters in the previous books, their personalities that developed in this book were exactly as I had imagined and hoped. They are both very proud and honorable people, but in a respectable and not irritating sense. I never got annoyed with them as I often do with lead characters with strong personalities, but instead fell even more in love with them. I love how they knew each other so well and had so much history together, so their "grownup-up" relationship had much more depth and substance compared to the whirlwind type romances that are often written. This made the ending much more sweet and satisfying. The main conflict also does not focus on some Big Misunderstanding (not the way I see it, anyway), which was refreshing. Generally, the storyline is rather predictable, but in a good, comfortable and entertaining way (I find most romances to be like this though).

I'm not good at summarizing plot lines and don't want to accidentally give out any spoilers, so I will just leave it at that. I hope everyone enjoys this book as much as I did!

It is time for the matchmaker to find love of her own in this satisfying finish to Camp's "Matchmaker" series. For readers of the series, there was never any doubt that Lady Francesca Haughston, society darling and matchmaker extraordinaire, would end up in the arms of Sinclair Lisle, Duke of Rochford. The chemistry has been there from the series' start, but something in their past prevented them from acting upon it. It was eventually revealed in the last book that Francesca and Sinclair had been secretly engaged 15 years before, but Francesca broke it off when she found Sinclair in a compromising position with another woman, and she would not listen his claims of innocence. Francesca married on the rebound - it was a disaster - and is now widowed; Sinclair never married; and neither has been truly happy since. As it turns out, it was all a terrible mistake, for Francesca discovered just weeks ago that Sinclair had been set up and was completely innocent. Francesca is now determined to rectify the great wrong she did to Sinclair. She believes he swore off marriage after her rejection, so she sets out to find him a suitable young bride. Sinclair plays along with her scheme, feigning interest in the parade of candidates...but in his heart, it is the matchmaker he's hoping to win.

This is a sweet and satisfying end to a charming series. It is clear to the reader early on that Sinclair wants Francesca - and only Francesca - for his wife. She, however, is clueless. It is alternatingly funny and moving to see her jealous dislike of the prospective brides and her struggle to come to grips with her own feelings. There are many good tear-filled moments as Francesca fears that all is lost or mourns what might have been. Sinclair shows he is the absolutely great guy that I have long suspected - generous, brave, steadfast, kind, fiercely protective...and of course passionate.

I DO feel there were a few things missing from the story, such as the impending ball at which Sinclair was to announce his engagement...but which never materialized. Also, in the previous book, Sinclair's sister Callie suspects there are feelings between her brother and her dear friend Francesca ...yet oddly Callie is in this story for only a page or two and seems to have forgotten all about it. And Francesca is a bit more subdued in this book than previously. Overall, though, this is a good read and a fitting and happy culmination of Francesca's matchmaking days. 3 ½ - 4 stars

It has been a long wait for the story of Francesca and Sinclair, after bits and pieces of their interaction and hinted back-history had been dropped throughout the earlier books in the series.

I quite liked the first book "The Bridal Quest"...I think that it really gave this series a strong start, but like some of the other reviewers, I have to concur that the subsequent two books were only okay for me, and I was far far FAR more enthralled by Francesca and the duke, though they were only secondary characters. If anything, the earlier books were great in building up the anticipation leading up to the final telling of their story, which does not disappoint, in my humble opinion.

Definitely worth the wait (though I'm glad I don't have to wait any longer!)

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I loved all four books in this well-written, thoughtful and ultimately quite satisfying Regency romance series. The talented Candace Camp planned the series very well. Although each of the four books in the series stands alone, they all give us a few more teasers about the hero and heroine of this last entry in the series, with tantalizing intimations throughout that "there is some history there" between the imperious Duke of Rochford and gorgeous matchmaker, Lady Francesca Haughston.

Now Ms. Camp has brought her series to a lovely, sigh-inducing conclusion with the story of the contentious, delicious love affair between Rochford and Francesca. As a reader who clearly recalls the earliest days of modern romance novels, (in the 1970s and 1980s) when the heroine could never be more than a virginal nineteen and the hero was always an experienced thirty-five, I have to say that I love these romances between more mature, seasoned and three-dimensional people.

Ms. Camp has created two characters who have been kicked around by life a bit, and who are wary of relationships. Francesca and Rochford are still vital and sexy, but finding love has been elusive and disappointing for them. Francesca has gone through an ill-advised marriage to a man who not only didn't appreciate her, but demeaned her, cheated on her, then died and left her penniless. Rochford has been betrayed in love, and so is approaching middle-age, realizing that he probably should marry sometime, but is not looking for anything other than someone who will give him an heir and live in her part of the castle. But fate seems to have plans for these two strong-minded people, and when they cannot keep away from each other -- fireworks!

I loved the repartee between these two characters and the interesting unfolding of their history and their fascination with each other. I also liked learning a bit more about the fates of the heroes and heroines who made good marriages in the other three books in this series.

The Courtship Dance will be joining The Marriage Wager (Matchmakers), The Bridal Quest (Matchmakers) and The Wedding Challenge (Matchmakers) on my keeper shelf. I have a feeling I will want to enter this lovely world again.

I have read the first book in this series, and thought that it was okay but nothing really caught my attention in it accept for the interaction between Francesca and the duke of Rockford. So I have been waiting for their story to come out. I haven't read books 2 and 3 of this series (no interest), so it is a good thing that this book is a stand alone, the reader doesn't need to have read the other books to understand this book.

I enjoyed Francesca and Rockford's story. The reader gets to know the story behind Francesca's and Sinclair's relationship. The interaction between them was good as always, and the duke's character was really likable. And Francesca was a likable heroine as well.

But while Francesca was a good heroine, she annoyed me a few times. I mean how much would it take for her to figure out that he loved her? And why would the duke never tell her that he loved her, until he realized it in the end and then said it. Most of their problems seemed to stem from their lack of communication. They always don't communicate clearly. It seemed that the author used this ploy to keep the conflict going, but it only served to weaken the plot and slow it down.

Also I would have liked the story more if they hadn't been parted for 15 years, 10 years would have been more than enough.

However, I loved the duke's protectiveness of Francesca. I had initially wanted to give it "3" or "3.5" stars, but then I decided on "4" simply because the duke of Rockford's character was really good and likable. I loved how he waited for Francesca all those years, and he was always there to help her through whether she knew it or not.

All in all, although this book didn't have me engrossed, it was a nice, engaging read.

Candace Camp's THE COURTSHIP DANCE is a well written historical romance, and the interaction between the hero and heroine is delightful. I loved the hero who seemed to be everything a Regency-era hero should be (as presented to a 21st century reader). The heroine, on the other hand, seemed to have a split personality. In this, her own story, and in the previous "Matchmaker Series" books, she is written as witty and knowledgeable; a high-standing member of society and a brilliant tactician who knows the intricacies of succeeding in her world. In several instances in this book, however, she comes across as frustratingly dumb as dirt as she becomes the star of several Big Misunderstandings.

Why did I fixate on these big misunderstandings? Because that's what the author does. Any one of these things would have been annoying, but they are amplified by Camp's internal monologue technique. I was frustrated that so much of the book takes place in the heroine's head while she belabors all the reasons she must act stupidly out-of-character and show none of the spark or gumption that made her such a great character in the first place. The fact that the hero and heroine are so good together but don't spend nearly the time together that we spend in the heroine's head made this book an increasingly unpleasant experience for me.

The story soars when the various characters are interacting, especially the hero and heroine. Their exchanges are fun and romantic. It's clear to the reader that these two people, who have known each other all their lives, have been in love with each other for years. The trouble (for me) starts with the original source of their conflict because it's just one big `ole misunderstanding. I hate Big Misunderstandings, because by definition they are something that could be easily resolved if the characters involved would simply have an honest 10 minute conversation. No matter how well written, very few authors can write a Big Misunderstanding in a way that doesn't leave me thinking that either the hero or heroine, or both, are complete idiots. And the Big Misunderstandings don't stop there! There are a couple of other big ones related to the villain who is vanquished rather painlessly when the heroine finally, after several bouts of pages-and-pages-long internal monologue (where she always concludes that she must handle this on her own), decides to enlist the hero for assistance. And finally, the heroine (again) spends pages and pages thinking about how terrible sex always is for women even though she references her many happily married friends and acquaintances who imply that their marital relations are pretty terrific. Again, a short conversation with any one of these friends could have resolved this. (But then Camp wouldn't have had all those pages of internal dialog from the heroine as she pondered this question repeatedly ad nauseum.)

I still give the book three stars because it's well-written, the hero's and heroine's scenes together are generally wonderful and awash in wit and romance, and my problems with it won't bother everyone.

I'm not really sure why I've continued to read this author's work. I'm consistently disappointed. Well, no, that's not the right way to put it. I'm consistently underwhelmed. This book was not as bad as some of the others in the series, but it was up there.

Francesca went from being a funny, sophisticated, competent woman, to being a whiny, insecure, weepy, stilted woman. As someone else mentioned, the majority of the book took place as her internal monologue. There was almost no input from Sinclair. We have no idea why he felt the way he did, why he acted the way he did. I get that this author doesn't bounce back and forth between point of view, but since there was so little EXTERNAL dialogue we could get no real impression of him.

Also like another reviewer, I am not a fan of the Big Misunderstanding. Even less than that am I a fan for the "I had a poor sex life with my prior spouse, therefore I must be frigid." The CONSTANT references to her "cold nature" and frigidity were tiresome and unnecessary. I get that she felt insecure. I do not get how after consummating the relationship there is no reference to the amazing "recovery" she made.

The whole concept of Francesca finding Sinclair a wife to make up for the Big Misunderstanding was kind of funny at the end of the prior book. In actuality, though, the premise didn't work. The only person it made sense to was Sinclair, given his motives, but we were never privy to his motives! The dialogue is labored, not witty. The best thing I can say about the sex scenes is that they were brief. There is, as always, quivering and molten pooling, but thankfully only 2 references to loins.

Basically, I've given up. I have tried to like this author, I really have. She's not horrible and I know she tries hard. Her *characters* are good. The story lines are okay. But the books are flat. And they leave me rather sad that I've spent the time on them. So I'm done. I'm just calling it a day and saying, straight up, that this author and I are clearly not a good match. So I'm breaking up with her. I'm sure it's not her, it's me. Can't we stay friends? But not ones that see eachother -- just ones that if we bump into each other at the bookstore, there will be no hard feelings.

Others have re-capped the storyline very well, so I'd just like to express how much I loved this book and why. Both the hero (the Duke of Rochford) and the heroine (Lady Francesca) were extremely likeable characters. Simply put...they were just plain old nice people. They loved each other in their youths, were pulled apart with an unfortunate circumstance, and didn't reunite for many years. And while I was sad that it took 15 yrs for them to resolve their issues, and re-realize their love for each other, I was also very happy for them in the end, because their lives were such a journey. Neither character was hateful and overbearing to the other...in this book there was no need.....the drama stemmed from neither realizing they still loved each other. They'd tried so hard to move on after they broke apart years earlier, and tried to convince themselves that they were fine without the other, but the truth of the matter was that when they finally came together again, you saw how two wonderful and engaging people, were never actually "complete" without the other. I ended the book with a happy (and somewhat sappy) sigh. This one struck the right chord with me. Just really, REALLY loved it so much. (So much, that I'm ordering a book to have for my keeper shelf to go along with my original e-book purchase)

I loved this book. I have been waiting for it since book 1 of the series. I was apprehensive that I might be disappointed, as it had been the case with some other hyped-up books. However, Ms. Camp DELIVERED.
I am not going to summarize the plot as many have done so. Buy this book as soon as you can.

Fifteen years ago, then eighteen years old Lady Francesca Haughtson and the Duke of Rochford were engaged though they told no one as he insisted she enjoy her first season. However, she ended their relationship when she learned the truth about her fiancé with Lady Daphne Swithington; she married someone else. All these years Sinclair has never met anyone else he wanted to marry; besides he does not trust women as he tried to explain to his beloved, but she refused to listen.

A widow for five years after an unhappy marriage, Francesca is filled with remorse and guilt because she knows the truth that she was duped with lies when she dumped her beloved Rochford. She wants to rectify her error and though it will hurt use her matchmaking skills to find him a proper wife who will believe his word. However, to find him a suitable wife means being with him. Francesca knows at first look she still loves him; Sinclair has never stopped living her. Although he wants her he knows he can never trust she will stay with him if another misunderstanding surfaces.

The fourth delightful Matchmaker Regency romance (see THE WEDDING CHALLENGE, THE MARRIAGE WAGER and THE BRIDAL QUEST) is a superb tale as this time Francesca's efforts are much more personalized as she owes Rochfort for doubting him. The engaging story line is driven by her and Rochford as she wants to make amends and he wants her; the days of reckoning between them that Candace Camp's fans have waited for have finally occurred.

Harriet Klausner