Customer Reviews

The Diamonds Of Welbourne Manor: Justine And The Noble Viscount\Annalise And The Scandalous Rake\Charlotte And The Wicked Lord (Harlequin Historical)

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The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor is an anthology set around the notorious Fitzmanning Miscellany - the various children of the current Duke and Duchess of Manning. To society they are a scandalous brood - his legitimate children with his previous wife, his illegitimate daughter with an unknown mistress, and their illegitimate children together - born before they were both free to wed. Add her legitimate son with her first husband and you have the stuff of a society gossip's dreams.

The reality is far more heart-warming, quarrelsome, loving and fun! With cheeky servants, a gorgeous home, squabbling siblings, entertaining guests and two dogs that steal the show and anything else that isn't nailed down it's a wonderful read for a Sunday afternoon.

The heart of this anthology is the Fitzmanning family. They are rowdy, independent and they adore each other. Not the done thing in 1818 English society. I loved every minute I spent with them.

While each novella is a separate love story, the thread that runs through each of them is the genuine affection these young people have for each other. A close knit family, when they have every reason not to be, they give the reader someone to root for at every turn, someone to conspire with, to laugh with, to cry with and to fall in love with.

In Justine and the Noble Viscount, the ever sensible Justine teaches the British lord with the stiffest upper lip I've ever seen how to smile and how to love and that love and understanding - not to mention patience! - is what makes a family.

In Annalise and the Scandalous Rake, the artistic Annalise learns to accept the woman she really is, she must be that woman outside of the four walls of her studio. In the process she and Ned, her scandalous rake, learn that love is about acceptance, the very thing this family is built on.

In Charlotte and the Wicked Lord, Charlotte (owner of two of the most scene-stealing pugs that will ever melt your heart and make you laugh until you cry!) learns that love is a gift given freely with no thought as to the consequences. Only a fool would turn it down, especially when it is delivered by the man of her dreams who has always longed to be a part of a real family like the Fitzmannings.

This anthology was a sheer delight to read and very much in the tradition of the Bridgertons and the Cynsters. I fell in love with the Fitzmannings and I know the reader looking for a heart-warming escape into a chaotic brood with a talent for trouble will love it too. I hope the authors intend to keep us posted on the scandalous, riotous doings at Welbourne Manor. I had such a good time, I can't wait to visit again!

Just finished Diane Gaston's wonderful novelette, called Justine and the Noble Viscount. It's the first story in "The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor." Justine
and Lord Brenner, the heroine and hero, are as close to flesh-and-blood human beings as you'll ever find in print, and the romance simmers and builds to a fantastic conclusion, with enough twists and turns in the way to keep us guessing.

Gaston's background in social psychiatry shines through, not in a clinical or sterile way, but in the warmth, richness, and REALNESS of her characters. I can relate to them so well, because they are so very much like real people. I've read enough crummy romances (sadly) to know that a 1- or 2-dimensional character just won't cut it. Ironically, it is the reality of Gaston's characters which helps pull you into their world, and away from our own. Masterful writing.

Brava! Now on to the other 2 stories in the book!!

The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor is an anthology about three unconventional, illegitimate sisters. They share Welbourne Manor with their brothers. Welbourne is the grandest of homes, a home brimming with fun, laughter, and love.

Book 1 -
Diane Gaston: "Justine and the Noble Viscount."
Rating: 3 stars Grade: C+ Status: Pleasant read

Mini Synopsis:
Many in society were very critical of the Duke of Manning's boisterous, carefree household. And Gerald Brenner was a firm worshiper in that criticism. When he was ten, his mother had made a choice -- the waiting arms of the Duke of Manning or the loving arms of her frighten, little boy! His mother had become a duchess! And Gerald Brenner had learned to hate.

As he entered the Fitzmanning manor, a glorious house party was in full swing. However, soon all the festivities would come to an abrupt end; the deaths of one's parents could do that! Gerard Brenner was the Fitzmanning's guardian and trustee. It was his duty to help them; to show them what to do, and to tell them what to say. Responsibilities Gerald Brenner did not want! He did not want to have admirable feelings for this motley crew. And to make matters worse, the duke's eldest daughter, the lovely Miss Justine Savard, was suddenly stirring up Gerard's cold, neglected heart.

Reviewer's Comments:
AFTER I grasped the familial connections, I settled into JUSTINE AND THE NOBLE VISCOUNT. Overall, the story was enjoyable, although the childish, adolescent behavior of the Fitzmanning brood did spoil some sections.

". . . Brenner recognized the Duke's legitimate sons . . . whom he had glimpsed in society a time or two . . ."

From that statement the new Duke of Manning, Nicholas Fitzmanning, is a man! Whether he is carefree or not, he should be well trained to take over the ducal duties! Gerald Brenner would not have to "hold" his hand.

Book 2 -
Deb Marlowe: "Annalise and the Scandalous Rake."
Rating: 4 stars Grade: B Status: Sweet page turner

Mini Synopsis:
Deliciously Ned Milford's presence curled around Annalise's heart. She wanted to paint him; she wanted to touch him . . . that is . . . until she discovered his disloyalty and deceitfulness.

Annalise Fitzmanning intrigued him. She tempted him. Initially, it was the smudge of color on her fingers; then it was her quiet appraisal; and finally it was the realization -- Annalise Fitzmanning was a kindred spirit! Annalise Fitzmanning saw the world through color and images too! However, the things Annalise excited in him were best forgotten. Ned Milford was the mysterious Prattle. Secretly, through his popular caricatures, Ned mocked and mimicked the antics of the beau monde!

Reviewer's Comments:
This was my favorite story of the anthology. Deb Marlowe created an enjoyable story, using gentle romance and compatible characters. Although, in the last few pages, part of the shine was lost when ANNALISE AND THE SCANDALOUS RAKE took on a rather hurried tone.

Book 3 -
Amanda McCabe: "Charlotte and the Wicked Lord."
Rating: 3 stars Grade: C+ Status: Pleasant read

Mini Synopsis:
When Charlotte Fitzmanning was younger, Andrew Bassington was her one true love, but for the most part, that love had been denied. Oh, she supposed, Drew liked her well enough; after all, he was her older brothers' friend, but it seemed he was always laughing at her! How embarrassing! But now, Charlotte was no longer a silly girl; she was a young woman of eighteen and it was time to put away the alluring memory of Drew Bassington and move on!

Fondly Drew Bassington remembered his years spent at Welbourne Manor. And vividly he remembered that little sprite: Charlotte Fitzmanning, jubilant Charlotte with all her impish hopes and dreams. Perhaps it was time Drew returned to Welbourne Manor, for it was rumored Lady Emily Carroll would attend the scheduled house party and she was the perfect female for him to wed. Lady Emily Carroll was responsible, respectable, and quiet.

Reviewer's Comments:
"Fair to middling" pretty much sums up CHARLOTTE AND THE WICKED LORD. Although, I must admit, Charlotte's little pugs (dogs) did raise the level of enjoyment. Those little rascals managed to steal every scene in which they appeared.

MaryGrace Meloche.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Diamonds truly are a girl's best friend, especially when said diamonds are specially made for her wedding day! In The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor, we have stories about three sisters who are as different as night and day, and the legacies bequeathed to them by their mother in the form of three one-of-a-kind diamond necklaces, to be worn on their wedding days.

Justine, eldest daughter of the Duke of Manning, is the rock that holds her family together and keeps her younger siblings in line, relatively speaking anyhow. However, her world is upended the day Gerald Brenner shows up at their door with the devastating news that the Duke and Duchess died on their wedding trip to Italy. Now trying to get affairs in order after the death, Brenner and Justine find they are unable to resist each other's allure. But can there ever be marriage between Justine and the Noble Viscount?

Brenner is put in a very awkward position when he is expected to settle the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Manning, and break the news to their family of their deaths. Things are made even more uncomfortable for him when he meets Justine, his stepsister. She is the practical one in the family, which makes her the ideal candidate to help Brenner with his duties. These two are thrown together so much that is was a guarantee tender emotions would develop between them. They have their own struggles to overcome though, not the least of which that technically, they are related, if not by blood. This causes them to fight the relationship brewing as long as possible. I loved seeing them get past their differences and preconceived notions to find happiness and love together.

Ned Milford is the infamous caricaturist for the broadsheets who has found fame through his cartoons cutting down the beau monde, most especially the "Fitzmanning Miscellany." Now he has developed a friendship with the new Duke and his brothers in the hopes of finding enough gossip to cement his position in the papers through one of the exclusive house parties of this scandalous family. However, upon arrival, he finds himself quite distracted by Annalise, one of the Fitzmanning sisters. Now Annalise and the Scandalous Rake find romance brewing.

All three stories in this collection were very good but I'd probably have to say this one was my favorite were I told to choose one. Annabelle is the artist of the family and has always felt a little bit outside of the circle of her family, never quite fitting in. When she meets Ned, she finds in him a kindred soul. Deceit gets in the way, but seeing how Annabelle and Ned overcome the obstacles to their happiness makes for a wonderful story.

Charlotte has been attracted to Lord Andrew "Drew" Bassington for a few years. Yet she fears she is following in the footsteps of her mother by putting her physical desires first in her life, as no proper young woman would do. Now, Drew is back for another visit and is not the same man she once knew. Drew has been worn down by responsibility to his late brother's family and estate but the moment he sees Charlotte again, those tender emotions arise to the surface once more. But is it love or merely physical attraction between Charlotte and the Wicked Lord?

Charlotte is the youngest daughter and is feeling a little bit lost ever since her sisters married and moved away. She's never forgotten Drew, having been fascinated with him in her younger years so when she hears he is coming to the latest house party, she longs to prove to him she's no longer a little girl. I felt for Charlotte as she tried to find her place in the world without her sisters there anymore. While there was humor in all three stories, this one had the most. Every attempt Charlotte made to be ladylike got foiled in some way and there were some laugh out loud moments over the results. Drew needs light in his life though, having grown somber over his new responsibilities. These two are meant to be together, though they each have their own inner turmoil to overcome first. I enjoyed watching these two dance around their emotions as the story unfolded.

I am not usually a fan of Regency era historical romances but I was pleasantly surprised by all three stories in this anthology. Having not read any of these authors before I wasn't sure what to expect but I was intrigued by the premise of the collection and had to try it. I adored the Fitzmanning Miscellany and their wild and crazy adventures. And who can forget those loveable pugs of Charlotte's, Octavia and Oliver? They steal the show every time they make an appearance.

The best thing about The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor however, is the legacy of love the Duke and Duchess left for their "yours, mine, ours" family. They tossed propriety to the wind when they left their respective spouses for each other, setting the example that nothing matters more than true love, whether the ton agrees or not. I hope we get a chance to come back and visit Welbourne Manor again, with stories about the three brothers of the family, Nick, Stephen, and Leo.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, May 2009. All rights reserved.

I loved the anthology. The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor was a perfect escape from everyday life. I look forward to more from these talented authors.

Well, I didn't want to like the family in theses tories because I like my Regency ladies prim and proper, but I couldn't help it. I was won over and can't wait to read more about the Fitzmannings.

This where really cute stories. Fisrt one Brenner and Justine. Second Annalise and Ned. Third Charlette and Drew. All three wonderful and cute stories. Going to get the sequel with Stephen's love story.

After reading Stephen and Mae's as h/h in "How to Marry a Rake," I looked forward to reading this sort of prequel but was left disappointed. I think the novellas should have been novels, at least the first one as there was a lot going on since the Duke and Duchess had just passed away. I also didnt like how Nicholas was portrayed as someone who didnt know how to act like a Duke since wouldnt he have been trained to be one? The second novel was the best of the three but took an unsatisfying turn towards the end. The last story i did enjoy, but after h/h got together, I felt the author didnt know how to take it from there, thus resulting in a poorly executed ending. However, I do enjoy this family and will continue to look for anything else they are in for the authors did make me care about them. Overall it was an ok read.

As a concept I think it was intriguing and full of possibilities. Its also possibly one of the more outlandish premises I've read in any historical novel. Its a 'Yours, Mine and Ours' set up--Manning had his 2 legal sons by his legal wife (Nicholas and Stephen), and his out of wedlock daughter Justine (from a previous liaison), the Duchess has her one legal son by her legal husband (Brenner) and together Manning and the Duchess had 3 children--2 girls and 1 boy (Leo, Annalise and Charlotte). Of all the children Brenner is the only one not to have grown up as part of the 'Fitzmanning Miscellany' as the group is called.

Gaston tackles the story of Brenner, made messenger by his recently departed mother the Duchess (having died on her honey moon trip with Manning) and his romance with Justine. Its a rather dry romance, with both being uncertain and afraid for their own reasons, but sweetly responsive to each other. The more interesting tale was of the Fitzmanning brood and how Brenner dealt with them. His stable, steadfast personality is a wonderful thing for the household and all the children had grown up in awe and respect of him even though they never met him.

Marlowe's story about Annalise and Ned, a friend of Nicholas', is far more spirited though still oddly subdued. The title is misleading as Ned is less of a rake and more like a regular young man of the ton. He doesn't purposely set out to seduce Annalise and is almost resistant because of the secret he harbors. The story takes place roughly a year later, but things haven't changed overmuch with the brood it would seem.

McCabe's story is about the youngest, Charlotte and her long time crush Drew. This story rather hot and cold for me. On the one hand I'm always in favor of long time crushes coming to fruition--who doesn't want their first crush to turn out to be their true love? On the other I think that Charlotte came off less of an ardent admirer and more of a stalker at times. It wasn't any one thing exactly, but she just seemed obsessive in a bad way.

I would have preferred if this had been a series of novels instead of three short stories--this easily could have been 6 books long, one for each kid's romance and it would have given me a better view of each of their individual personalities and traits. As it stood however the three boys--Nicholas, Stephen and Leo--were almost interchangeable at times. Less so in Marlowe's story, where Stephen is clearly the one who plays the most jokes on his siblings, but the fact remained that the overall premise didn't feel like it ended.

This is an anthology of three stories by three different authors. The setting they created for the stories is clearly based on the Devonshire household, but I found the stories far less interesting than the original.

Justine and the Noble Viscount by Diane Gaston

The whole first story had not one but two unbelievable premises. I was so busy trying not to fall in the plot holes in that story that I never managed to make myself care about either the hero or the heroine.

Grade: C


Annalise and the Scandalous Rake by Deb Marlowe

The second story was actually pretty good, but I suspect that it had to be cut down in order to make word count, or something, because the end of it was so incredibly rushed compared to the measured, appropriate pacing of the first three quarters of the story.

Grade: B+


Charlotte and the Wicked Lord by Amanda McCabe

The third story was perhaps the biggest disappointment, since Amanada McCabe has written a number of books I really liked. The plot here was just too contrived and (again) full of holes. I disliked Charlotte so much that I didn't care if she got a happy ending or not, and I actually didn't like the dogs at all.

Grade: C-


One over-arching complaint I have is that the authors were not at all good at writing about one another's heroines. By the time we got to Charlotte's story, I didn't like her. (As it turned out, I liked her best in the second story, but even then, I didn't like her much. In any case, she seemed to be three different people, in the hands of three different authors.) Justine was rather interesting in the first story, but became downright unpleasant in the second story. One of the real challenges of a set of intertwined stories like this about siblings in a close-knit family, is that the authors have to realistically portray the other heroines (and/or heroes) in a way that fits into the story they are writing while being compatible with what that character will do in her (or his) own story. I think that all three authors failed to get this right, and it weakened all three stories.

On the whole, I'd just as soon not have read this book.