Customer Reviews

Beau Crusoe (Harlequin Historical)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Every now and then I read a romance novel that makes me realise the extent to which I've settled, so that I will accept a competently written novel with relatively few flaws and raise it to the status of an exceptional novel. Carla Kelly's "Beau Crusoe" hit this realisation home once again. I'm not saying I won't make this mistake again and again, in the months to come, but for now I'm basking in the satisfaction of having read a romance novel that satisfied on EVERY LEVEL -- a good story, brilliantly fleshed out with characters that were engaging and that made me care and a romance subplot that just had me rooting for the couple from beginning to end.

A beautiful and sweet natured young widow, Susannah Park has spent the last few years of her life living quietly with her young son, Noah, at her parents' home. The trouble is that Susannah had eloped with the man she loved to India, where tragically, her young husband died, leaving Susanna all alone (but for Noah), penniless and with a tarnished reputation. Another sad result of her elopement is her estrangement from her elder sister, Loisa, who holds Susannah responsible for her lack of marriage offers. Susannah's life is far from ideal, but she soldiers on, maintaining a cheerful demeanor and taking comfort and joy from Noah and her godparents, who live in the neighbouring estate. Little does Susannah realise however how much her life is about to change with the arrival of James Trevenen. The first mate of the Orion, which sank six years ago, Trevenen was the only man to survive and lived for 5 years on a deserted island, where, in order to keep his sanity, he spent his time observing the crabs on the island. Now, back in England, Trevenen is about to be presented a medal by the Royal Society for his work. Susannah's godfather, however, has given Trevenen a few further tasks -- that of sorting things out in Susannah's eccentric household and marrying Susannah himself. Trevenen has no intention of marrying, but the sweet-natured Susannah is rather making him wish that he was free to marry, and to marry her...

"Beau Crusoe" was a truly unexpected treat -- I really didn't expect to have the good fortune to read a new, well written, romance novel just now (I do not include the Georgette Heyer reprints in this category). And really how could anyone find fault with a good story well told (no oft repeated and tired plot devices or plot motifs), and peopled with well realised characters (in other words, no heroes or heroines who act rashly and temperamentally and just make you tug your hair in frustration)? "Beau Crusoe" was just pure pleasure to read from beginning to end -- there was just so much to enjoy and to find one's attention engaged by. Like the romance subplot between Susannah and Trevenen: I thought that the author did a really good job of developing the relationship between these two, making the romance that blossoms between them believable and so making it for one to root for them to achieve their happily ever after ending. Also well done was how the author resolved things between the two sisters, how she depicted the relationship between Trevenen and Noah. It is not always so easy to portray relationships between adults and children, and I thought that Ms Kelly did a first rate job. Perhaps "Beau Crusoe" may not be the most. I could go on and on, rhapsodizing about this book, instead I'll just end by urging romance readers who are looking for something truly good and worthwhile, that strikes all the right notes and that doesn't possess characters or plot devices that makes you sigh with exasperation, to give "Beau Crusoe" a go. You won't regret it.

Like many other readers, I've been waiting for Carla Kelly's newest full-length novel, Beau Crusoe, since I finished The Wedding Journey in 2002 , already almost five years ago (!). It's been too long.

Shipwrecked!

Stranded alone on a desert island, he had lived to tell the tale. A triumphant return to the ton saw James Trevanen hailed as Beau Crusoe - a gentleman of spirit, verve and action. But only he knew the true cost of his survival!

Scandalous!

Susannah Park had been shunned by Society. She lived content with her calm existence...until Beau Crusoe determinedly cut up her peace! The beautiful widow wanted to help him heal the wounds of the past - but what secrets was this glorious man hiding?

From this back cover blurb, I was expecting a little lighter Kelly reading experience than what I got. Yes, the blurb says, "Shipwrecked!" but it also says, "triumphant return." And while triumphant return is technically accurate, as James is being awarded a prestigious medal for his scientific observations about a certain type of fiddler crab found on his island, James himself is hardly triumphant. More like hanging on to his sanity by his fingertips. He was alone on that island for five years. All alone fighting starvation and memories of a bitter survival process. This guy has BAGGAGE.

By contrast, the blurb makes Susannah sound a bit more of a pariah than she actually is. No, she isn't received into society due to her youthful indiscretion of eloping with a man far her social inferior, but she doesn't actually care much about that. She's basically at peace with her life as an artist living with a young son, she only wishes her family - and especially her sister, Loisa - could forgive her. And a little financial security would be nice.

While I can't say I regret reading, or even buying, Beau Crusoe, the book does have a number of problems. Kelly throws James and Susannah together by a piece of family manipulation. Susannah's godfather is to host James in London before the awards ceremony, but he uses his gout as an excuse to place James in Susannah's parents' house instead, effecting an introduction to his goddaughter. From the initial introduction, the two of them are off and running, both of them acknowledging that isn't not quite de rigeur for her to chaperone him around as an unmarried, albeit widowed, woman, but using any opportunity to snuggle each other. One or two indiscretions could be overlooked, but James and Susannah kiss in public and wander the house in the middle of the night. She enters his room and stays there - or invites him to her room - when he's struggling with his midnight demons. All of this is highly irregular, and the servants would have noticed and noted. Susannah's widow status would have only given her so much wiggle room; certainly not this much.

Secondly, Kelly resolves Susannah's conflict with her bitter and prickly sister, Loisa, far too neatly. At the beginning of the novel Loisa is awful, the kind of woman who would torment her young nephew as an outlet for her own unhappiness. She is judgmental, sour, and unkind. But all of her character flaws disappear and forgiveness magically emerges after James gives her a small task to do and points out a few home truths. Loisa then finds her own love, a love that presents quite a few challenges for the future, the reader must note.

Finally, there is the problem of Lady Audley, James's former lover. Kelly draws her as an evil nympho, presumably to shrug the blame off of James for his part in committing adultery. She adds nothing to the book except a rather forced plot climax and (an obligatory?) second love scene. It would have been preferable if James's "love" scenes with her had been behind closed doors: whenever he remembers her or thinks of her, his language turns raunchy and crude.

However, despite the above problems, I still can recommend this book. Kelly's clear narrative voice is fully present in Beau Crusoe as is her talent for wringing emotion out of the reader. James's backstory is throat-wrenchingly awful, a true tragedy, and the reader really feels how he suffered on his island and suffers now. His is a touching portrayal of PTSD complete with irrational fears, panic attacks, and an inability to be normal at times. You rarely see actual mental illness in romance, and James's is quite horrible and authentic.

Susannah is a less robust character, but a good match for James, quiet and soft and warm and completely accepting. You can see how being with her would be healing for him, and he needs desperately to be healed.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book from a talented author, warmer than usual in the sensuality department. Readers who want kisses only sensuality from Carla Kelly might be disappointed, but those of us who just want a good story will not.

I am writing this review, not just because this book moved me to do so, but also to respond an earlier review.

I too love Carla Kelly's books...she is an automatic buy and will continue to be one...her books are definitely "keepers" in my library and are well worn from repeated readings. This book is no exception. Although, I do admit to some trepidation when I realized what the "secret" troubling James was. It's easy to discern fairly early in the book what is "haunting" James and I was not sure how this would play in a romance. But, once again, Ms. Kelly takes a subject that's hard to even think about and imbues it with grace and compassion. Her celebration of life and humanity, with all its challenges and triumphs, shortcomings and virtues, darkness and light, is once again seen here in Beau Crusoe. The main characters, James and Susannah, are instantly likable and fun to watch as their relationship develops. They both are quiet, humorous, and self-effacing with a strength they don't seem to recognize until they see it in each other. There is laughter with the tears as they find in themselves the strength they thought was missing. They have each met and mastered seemly insurmountable obstacles, but it is together that they become whole.

The love scenes in Beau Crusoe are more mature than her previous books with a little more description, but are warm, tender, and tasteful. Her books have always taken a healthy position when it comes to the physical side of love...this is just a little "healthier"...and I for one loved it!

Where I disagree with an earlier review of this book is in the handling of the scenes between James and Lady Audley (the adulterous nymphomaniac). I don't see their interactions as trashy or wasted space in this story. In fact, I believe what happened between them is important in understanding James. Ugly it may have been, but it was also reflective of his mental state at the time. Yes, it was ugly, and there should be no sugar-coating of it. The narratives describing it were not lurid or exploitive, but helped to make me feel how shameful and shamed James was by the experience. I have been unfortunate to have read some pretty awful "sex solely for gratification" scenes in books and these were actually very, very mild in comparison.

Well that's my opinion, for what it's worth, on another truly wonderful romance by Carla Kelly. Thank you Ms. Kelly for once again making me laugh, cry, and sigh through to the last page!

Truthfully, it's not my favorite book. That honor is held in rotation by "Miss Whittier Makes a List" and "Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand". But the fact that Mrs. Kelly (my Mum) can branch out into something a bit more risque than her usual prim and proper "regencies" speaks volumes about her ability to adapt. I have the distinct privilige of working at a high-traffic book store and can say first-hand how much more often we sell those "bodice rippers", or as Mum and I call them, "literary porn". Yes, it's true that in her past books, any reference to sex at all was subtle and "correct". However, the fact is, my mum adapted to a new publisher who asked her to go just a bit farther. While reading it, Mum, I often wondered if you were comfortable with what you had produced, but the big picture remains that it is a novel with some lovely characters in it (something you've always been top-notch with), a sometimes morbid, yet gripping plot and a satisfactory ending. None of those silly, flippant females one encounters so often in other novels. Mum, others may "elevate their slender noses" at you for your foray into a more sexual territory, but I'm just pleased that you were able to (again) do something new. I look forward to hearing about the upcoming new ones (oh, I do miss reading over your shoulder!), and wish you a heartfelt congratulations on your soon-to-be-former status at the TR. I love and miss you! And, Mary Ruth, I had to turn on the fan too! ;)

Stranded alone on a desert island for five years, Lieutenant James Trevenen focused his attention on an indigenous species of fiddler crab as a way to keep his sanity. After his rescue and return to England, he documented his observations on the crabs (the Gloriosa Jubilate, as he familiarly named them) in a treatise that was greeted with great acclaim. When Trevenen is invited to London to receive an award from the Royal Society, his would-be host, Sir Joseph Banks, is ill with gout and puts Trevenen in the care of his dotty neighbor, Lord Watchmere.

The Watchmere household is in a state of constant disarray due, in part, to Lord Watchmere's obsessive birdwatching. (He even keeps a pair of disruptive and nasty toucans in his foyer.) Unfortunately, the rest of the household has limited ability to "escape" the situation due to a lack of funds and because they are shunned by the ton as a result of the elopement of the younger daughter, Susannah, with her father's kind but unsuitable secretary, David Park, years earlier. Now widowed and once again living at home with her young son, Susannah earns her keep by painting archival watercolors of newly discovered plants sent to the Royal Gardens of Kew. Susannah's social shame is shared by her mother and her plain-faced and bitter sister, Loisa.

Sir Joseph thinks Trevenen is a very competent young man and sets him three tasks to perform in the two weeks he will be in London: get rid of the toucans, do something about Loisa, and marry Susannah. James Trevenen begins to think he would have been better off remaining in Cornwall, but his resourcefulness and humor enable him to tackle not only Sir Joseph's tasks, but numerous others with modest equanimity, earning him the nickname of "Beau Crusoe" among London's elite.

But amidst the accolades, Trevenen is fighting dark battles--both with the ghostly memories of his unspeakable past, and with a vengeful ex-lover. As Trevenen struggles for his sanity, those who have come to love and respect him struggle to unlock his secrets and save him from his enemies, both real and unreal.*

This book was chock full of interesting characters, historical detail, social commentary, witty exchanges and amusing incidents, and the deep psychological study of a man who would today be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. All of these elements are brilliantly woven together into a compelling story that I will definitely want to reread.

Fans of Carla Kelly may approach this book with preconceptions based on her backlist, but this book does not adhere to the "Regency Romance" formula. Instead, it is an historical romance set in the Regency period--a small but significant distinction. That said, things that other readers might have found objectionable--such as Trevenen's admittedly sordid relationship with Lady Audley--are things that I feel added richness, texture, and believability to the story.

This book does have a few faults--due in part to the length constraints of the Harlequin Historical format--but they are so outweighed by the pluses that I can't help but give it a five-star rating. What Ms. Kelly gets right, she really gets right. I would love to see what she could produce if she wrote a book free of any of the limitations imposed by a specific format. As Mary Jo Putney's cover blurb states, this is truly a "powerful and wonderfully perceptive author".



(*James Trevenen's unsettling haunting reminds me of Ian Rutledge's similar ghostly "souvenir" from his wartime ordeals in Charles Todd's darkly wonderful mystery series.)

While large format Regency has exploded, short format Regency fans are left with little to enjoy. If each were as tasty as Carla Kelly's latest, we'd be fat indeed. The core of the Regency has always been the small interactions that make up a life. Two lives collide, and what changes? In Beau Crusoe's case, everything. Having survived years on a desert island, James arrives to accept an award for his study of the indigenous crab. At once he's given three tasks - each of which he strives to fulfill as the dutiful Navy officer he once was. James isn't a typical Regency Buck - he's not titled, (tho he is wealthy) he's not a womanizer (tho there are women in his past), and he's broken seemingly beyond repair. The way his experiences have changed him, the way he rises above them, all are believable and heartbreaking. James is as fully realized as a character could be. Beau Crusoe finds it's truths in small moments while telling a very large story. A rare book, and one that leaves you wanting more when it ends, while realizing it already gave you everything.

I'll come right out with it--I love Carla Kelly's books and she is on automatic-buy status for me. So even though I have mixed feelings about this book, I still can appreciate what a masterful writer she is, and it was so good to be able to read a new book from her after a long dry spell following her last Signet Regency, The Wedding Journey. Nobody has such a way with prose. You feel like you really know the characters in person, and she spends a lot of time developing the secondary characters as well, with some of them being as memorable and as lovable as the main characters. I had wondered if a Carla Kelly book would be different if it was in the Harlequin Historical Series, and it was. It wasn't the generally "squeaky-clean" regency of her past, to say the least, although even her regencies weren't prudish, and showed love in all its healthy, physical aspects. I really liked the hero, James, and the heroine, Suze. They were portrayed realistically as flawed but lovable people. I'll try not to give away the big secret that tormented the hero--suffice it to say that I figured out at least part of it from the very beginning, and while it was a rather grisly, horrific secret, it didn't taint my enjoyment of the book at a whole. I also didn't really have a problem with the couple having pre-marital sex--although it was somewhat unexpected in a Carla Kelly,it was very understandable to have two lonely people in love anticipating their marriage vows and it was handled tastefully. What I didn't like was the graphic detail of the sex between the hero and an adulterous nymphomaniac. It really went into way too much detail, and pretty much spoiled the book for me. I guess I'd have to say that I'm disappointed in Carla's writing this time. She is generally very sensitive when she deals with love and sex, and I still can't figure out why it was necessary to have such an ugly time, later regretted by the hero, waste space in the book and take on a "trashy," aspect. I think that Carla Kelly, who is a master at portraying human emotions, could have done better, with just enough detail to let us know what happened and leave the rest up to our imaginations, as she has done in past books. The sensitive and heart-breaking handling of the past hurts and losses of the two main characters, and their love for each other got somewhat overshadowed by what I think was an unnecessary dwelling on the hero's past sexual exploits and the amorous advances of his pursuer. Otherwise, I think I would have given this book 5 stars, but it wasn't a Carla Kelly like the past ones I have known and love to re-read.

Dear Carla: This is my first fan letter -- other than reviews I have written on Amazon. I want to thank you for coming back in the fray of publishing Regency Books. I am one of the ones who found your books years ago and have been buying them new, unlike many books I buy as used. I even used the Amazon pre-order feature to get your books.

So this long dry spell has been that for me - a long dry spell periodically cut by searching on Amazon to see if you had anything new coming out. I was delighted to see Beau Crusoe on one of those searches and waited impatiently for your new book to come in the mail. I am a bit dismayed you had to switch to Harlequin Historicals with their mandatory graphic love scenes. I never felt the characters in your stories needed to have spicy scenes to carry the plot or their love stories. As another reviewer said, your "books have always taken a healthy position when it comes to the physical side of love," but it always has been part of the story, not the reason for the story. However, I am aware the market for shorter, `sweet' Regencies has been decreasing and fewer publishing companies are carrying them.

Still, I should have trusted your writer's talent, Carla. Beau Crusoe is another of your great character studies and love stories. The graphic scenes fit into the narrative of the story and made sense into the context of the plot. James had NO human contact for 5 years and it is more than understandable he went overboard when faced with the temptation Lady Audley presented. (What a combination of a sad and really unpleasant person she is.) Your characters always make sense emotionally, besides being fun and people I'd like to know (except for Lady Audley).

So, Carla, I hope all is well in your world and you have a humongous backlog of characters and plots pushing at you to write, write, write. I will continue to do those searches to look for new and wonderful stories from you.

Most sincerely, PBB, a fan.

I've always liked Carla Kelly's regency's because her characters' weaknesses, trauma, and sexuality are dealt with frankly and convincingly, which makes her overall themes of healing and redemption so powerful. She's done it again with Beau Crusoe. Although, some of the sex scenes seem a little more detailed than previous works, they flow well as part of the story line. Furthermore, they are still quite tame compared to most historical romance or even contemporary regencies. Also, Kelly often addresses difficult topics in her works, such as British soldiers gang-raping Spanish children, British soldiers torturing Irish prisoners, or graphic scenes depicting Indian wars in colonial New Mexico. But she never lets her story or plot get mired down by difficult scenes. She makes her characters and her readers move on toward personal resolution. Which is what make all her novels so satisfying.

I have read all her published novels and adore them all. Some more than others but all more than those by other Regency and Western American romance authors. Just add this one to the list. To be honest, it is not one of my favorites by her but it's still better than any other Regencies put out in the last year. Her writing is uniquely identifiable and addictive even if I can't figure out exactly why. All I know is if I want a pleasant lift in life, I pick up any of her books and my faith in humanity also gets a lift. I can't ask for more than that.