Customer Reviews

Fair Game (Signet Regency Romance)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was, to use a cliche, blown away by Diane Farr's FAIR GAME. When I picked it up in the bookstore, I had no idea it would prove more than an average Regency novel (and that is quite a good recommendation in itself). But as I began to read, I found myself being greatly impressed by Farr's skill as a writer.

Early in the book, I found myself delighted by the way she showed the hero's personality. For example, when he's pacing a room waiting for the heroine to get ready: "If he had a tail, he would have lashed it." Is that not a vivid, realistic image? And then she describes his view of women: ". . . women, far more than men, seemed to conduct their conversations in a kind of code, a code that was all the more deceptive because it resembled ordinary English. Beneath the surface of their elliptical discourse lurked messages and meanings outside the hearing of a plainspoken man." And then: ". . .women . . . invariably held him accountable for crimes he had no idea he had committed." Is this not the way females seem to males? These comments are so universal that I knew I was in for a good read.

Trevor Whitlatch, the hero, is a fascinating character. He has many admirable qualities, yet he is so locked into his culture's view of what a woman should be that he has to be knocked upside the head to finally "get it." He is also very human in the way he keeps squelching the pangs of conscience because he knows that if he pays attention to it, it will interfere with his pleasure. I found him a well-rounded character despite his trappings of the typical Regency hero: devastating looks and great wealth. At least he isn't an aristocrat; as I read I was thinking that the members of the ton would be astonished to realize that people lived and loved and pursued their life's goals and became happy totally without any reference to them and their limited circle.

I also like the heroine a great deal. She tends to perceive the world as it ought to be rather than as it is, which makes her refreshing and delightful. It also helps her to drive the hero crazy, because she does not see why she should accept a categorization of herself that she neither wants nor deserves. In fact, I would have liked to see Trevor squirm and suffer even more, even though he was a likable guy, just because he took so long to see her as a person rather than as a convenience for the male.

The emotional power of the novel truly impressed me. There are few physical expressions of the love between Trevor and Clarissa, but I felt the underlying current of her love for him and the feelings that he was too male to admit to. No wonder the novel got a Mary Jo Putney blurb--it's the sort of thing she does so well!

Farr was not well served by the cover. The woman was pretty homely, not at all like the heroine, who could not find a position because she was too beautiful. And the man looks more boyish and besotted than the hero looks in my mind. This is a real case of "Do not judge a book by its cover"!

After reading this book, I looked for Farr's first novel, THE NOBODY, and enjoyed it every bit as much. Farr is an extraordinary writer, and I expect to see her become one of the best in the business.

When Trevor Whitlach calls in an old debt owed to him by the infamous courtesan La Gianetta, she offers as payment a beautiful young woman who she claims is her innocent daughter. Mr. Whitlach would normally have nothing to do with such an arrangement, but he is so stuck by the girl's incredible lovliness that he agrees, thinking to make her his mistress. After all, no daughter of La Gianetta could actually be an innocent!

Clarissa's married nobleman father had at least arranged for her the best education money could buy, at Bathhurst Ladies' Academy. In the very short time she has been in her mother's household, it has been so horrid that she has no doubts that going willingly with Mr. Whitlach will be her best chance to escape and find a post as a governess somewhere.

Trevor is a plain-spoken man, but not without honor. Clarissa is intelligent but an idealist. They are together most of the 214 pages of this book, talking, debating, getting to know each other, and becoming friends. The story is not overburdened with adventure, suspense, and wild plot twists, but an is intimate look at two people and how their relationship grows. FAIR GAME doesn't need any fancy frills to make it an enjoyable read--Ms. Farr's solid, superb craftmanship stands on its own.

Kimberly Borrowdale Under the Covers Book Reviews

VERY well-written Regency. Excellent characterization of both principals. For a novel that is mostly conversation (little action), it didn't bore me once. The conversation had a naturalness and sparkle, and I wished that it were a BBC production so that I could see skilled actors in luscious costumes in an elegant manse emoting subtly over their well-crafted dialogue.At first, I thought I would dislike the plot --and Trevor. But it quickly became apparent that this guy was a good soul trapped in his role and in the ideas of what society approves/disapproves. He was a man who did not know his own soul as well as, eventually, the heroine does. He THINKS he's this brazen fellow who can just take what he wants, but what we see and what is confirmed is this industrious, generous, sort of mushy idealist. Yes, idealist: This is a man who actually believes in love and wants to MARRY for love, and plans firmly to be a devout and faithful husband. Talk about bucking Regency male ideas of sexuality even while married!Trevor doesn't know himself; neither does Clarissa. She isn't aware of just WHAT she really wants in life--she thinks that respectability and children will be enough, or a governess position and a quiet dutiful life. But WHAM!--Trevor's presence and coming to know him over several weeks show her that she has passion as well as virtue, that she has a longing for good things, and genteel poverty isn't to her taste. She wants the lovely clothes,the beautiful house, the passionate embraces, the companionship of a kindred soul. The wonderful thing Farr does is show the development of both Clarissa and Trevor as they come to that marvelous climactic scene in the snowdrift stranded carriage. He wants her, loves her so totally, that he'll cast aside his ideal of who is suitable wife material and propose. Clarissa acknowledges that her wants have gone beyond her previous notions, and she's willing to sacrifice virtue for happiness. And Farr handles it so well that we readers CAN believe they have genuinely turned those corners in self-awareness.An excellent Regency novel in terms of prose, characterization, dialogue and structure. The ending--where he plans La Gianetta's comeuppance via granchildren--brings us back to the beginning with a humorous twist. The book also has many small touches of intimacy between Trevor and Clarissa that drew me in, made me feel like a hovering spirit watching their interplay, and it felt cozy and warm.Most satisfying. : ) My only regret is poor Mr. Henry. But he'll recover. ; )Strong A-.**Mir***

This is the first Diane Farr book I've read, and it won't be the last. The set-up may seem a little unusual, but I didn't find it beyond the bounds of credibility at all, and once past the initial scenes at La Gianetta's home I began to enjoy the tale very much.

Clarissa is a splendid heroine, determined to keep her virtue regardless of the alternatives, and Trevor - determined though he is to seduce her - displays an impressively keen sense of conscience once he is convinced that she is really a virgin.

Farr develops the growing friendship between Clarissa and Trevor in a sensitive and humorous fashion, at the same time showing the sexual attraction between them which refuses to go away no matter how much Clarissa wishes it would. I did find Trevor's own attitude towards marriage and love a little contradictory, true - he was determined to view his marriage as a stepping-stone to Society, but on the other hand he wanted to marry for love. However, I saw that as displaying a lack of understanding of what Society was like; after all, Trevor is very much on the fringes of the ton.

I did think the climax of the book was a little rushed; I would have liked a lot more of the character introspection which Far gives us earlier on in the book. However, that doesn't spoil the story for me.

Diane Farr is like the best race horse-always a good bet. Even her earliest work is of exceptional quality and should not be missed. Fair Game is the delightfully entertaining story of a wealthy ladies man who meets his match in an intelligent and highly principled innocent with exceptional qualities.

As with all Farr novels, summarizing the plot does not do justice to the reading experience. The plot may not be unique but Farr's style is. She writes deftly with exceptional grace and beauty about very appealing and well-drawn characters whom she puts in high stakes emotional situations that ring true and completely capture the reader's interest.
In Fair Game, handsome and powerful Trevor Whitlatch forgives a huge debt an infamous harlot owes him in exchange for taking possession of the harlot's extraordinarily beautiful twenty-one year old daughter, Clarissa Feeney. Unfortunately for him, his new exotic lady of the night turns out to be an innocent reared at a ladies' boarding school who has no intention of giving her virtue to any man.

Clarissa will either be a governess or a wife, and Trevor, who has high social aspirations, is not in the market for either, at least not for a bastard whose mother is a harlot. However, he cannot resist Clarissa's honesty, frankness, kindness, and goodness, which is in stark contrast to all his previous mistresses.

And so begins an intense battle of wills and hearts as Trevor can neither get nor give up on his quest to make Clarissa his mistress, and Clarissa has sworn to never follow in her hateful mother's footsteps, yet she cannot resist falling in love with Trevor.

When Trevor cannot get Clarissa to agree to become his mistress, he positions her as his ward, while still doing all he can to wear down her willpower. However, everything changes when Clarissa's position as ward brings on a young and very ardent suitor.

Don't miss this beautiful story of two people who learn to discover the best in themselves and the best in each other as they come to love and cherish one another. This fast-paced, moving, and sensual story will please every romance lover.

What did I enjoy about this book? Everything! I can't believe this is only the author's second book. This is one of the best books I have read this year, well-written and entertaining from start to finish. It's refreshing to read a romance where the conflict between the characters never gets nasty or petty or mean. Both the hero and the heroine were extremely likeable, yet the obstacles to their relationship were believably insurmountable, which made the happy-ever-after ending particularly satisfying.

Diane Farr only gets better with her second Regency effort. Her knowledge of the Regency period is expert and Fair Game's plot and characters immensely compelling. Fair Game exudes sensitivity while entertaining us to the fullest. My only question is - since this is only her second Regency novel, how will Ms. Farr top this? I am looking forward to finding out.

First, I concede that Farr is one of the top five Regency authors currently writing. But of her four published books (including "The Nobody," "Falling for Chloe," and "Once Upon a Christmas") "Fair Game" is her worst book. The story plot is fine (although I admit I don't like the force-to-be-the-mistress-till-we-fall-in-love plots), but the characters are lacking. The heroine, Clarissa, is sweet and poignant, but it takes awhile to really develop her beyond a passive ninny. However, the "hero," Trevor, is a jerk. He is dishonorable, unlikable, and unattractive. Thus, the attraction between the two was unbelievable: she falls for this guy even though he has so little respect for her that he cannot stop scheming to get her into bed regardless of the number of times she tells him she's not interested. What part of "no" don't you understand, Trevor?

Although I never liked (or respected) Trevor, I did grow fond of Clarissa by the end of the book. That, well-drawn secondary characters, and the very smooth writing moved this book up to 3 stars. However, I recommend any of Farr's other books or short stories over this one.

What I have always loved in Diane Farr is her ability to write wonderfully humourous stories - in Fair Game I feel she has departed to a more sensitive and almost sensuous story, but leaving out some of the lighter moments. Farr is such a competent writer that this probably isn't such a great draw back, but I do have a preference for lighter comedy. (Her Novella in the Regency Collection "A Regency Christmas Eve" has to rate as my absolute favourite piece of writing - but on to Fair Game....

In this story I think Farr has taken slightly more serious themes, and treats them with a bit more respect. The famous courtesan, La Gianetta, has stolen some valuable property of Trevor Whitlatch's in the past and has now embroiled his friend in trouble. Whitlatch is determined to get reparation. La Gianetta ends up bartering her daughter, Clarissa, to clear the debts.

Unfortunately, Trevor's ambitions for Clarissa are not quite realised. While he thinks she is La Gianetta's daughter and so might be used in the same way, and as easily as her mother, in fact it turns out to be a quite a different matter. Clarissa has had a sheltered upbringing in a girls school - first as a pupil and then later teaching. She must now make her way in the world and she is determined not to do it as her mother has - Trevor Whitlatch's ambitions or not!

This is a lovely story of the attraction between these two people, of Trevor's growing realisation of his feelings for Clarissa, and how he must reconcile that with the need to keep her reputation and his need to exact revenge against her mother. Its a very clever little story.

There are light points in this book of course - Clarissa's escape from Trevor in London being one of great fun. However if you are looking for quite a tender serious romance than this is definitely the one to try.

Just finished this extraordinary book and had to write a review. All I can say is Wow. I didn't want it to end. This is romantic fiction at its best. When you close the book you close it with a smile on your face and then turn back and reread your favorite parts. Farr writes with flair and wit which added terrifically to my enjoyment of her characters, but it was the characters that really made this book for me. What's great about these two people is that they are so different from each other, and they are genuinely at odds with each other, but you see immediately that they are perfect for each other, too, and you really root for them to find a way to be together. Clarissa is a pure sweetheart, but she's a sweetheart with brains and courage. Trevor is fascinating. He's a brilliant, complex man and the thing that makes him most interesting is that his view of himself is way off the mark. He thinks he's a ruthless, forceful, cutthroat businessman who is always in charge of every situation he encounters and doesn't care what anybody thinks of him. If you pay attention to his words instead of his actions he's funny but exasperating. His actions, however, give the lie to his own view of his character. He is consistently honorable, almost in spite of himself, which eventually clues us in to the fact that he's a genuine hero at heart. He argues with Clarissa but never uses his power over her, or his brute strength for that matter, to force her to his will, which in those days he might have done. I got a kick out of the fact (in retrospect) that Farr gives a clue in chapter one about this guy: we learn that he had a gorgeous courtesan completely at his mercy for several days and never touched her, precisely because she was at his mercy - so taking advantage of her would have been dishonorable. This is a true historical novel in the sense that the hero and heroine are people of their times with the mindset of their times, and the conflict they struggle with would be no struggle at all today. To them, it is very real and their struggle is riveting. These two strong-willed people are plunged into a situation so poignant that it didn't need any trumped-up conflict, mysteries to solve, or any other kind of extra junk to make it a page-turner. This book honestly surprised me, I think because the cornball cover art does it a disservice. Many readers will pass it by (and that's a shame) because people actually DO judge a book by its cover. If Fair Game had a different cover I believe more people would pick it up and word of mouth would do the rest, and it would turn up on the New York Times list eventually. It's that good.