Miss Gillian Harwell was sure that getting caught in a compromising position would thwart her family's scheme to marry her off for money. But her plan worked too well. With her reputation ruined, she had no choice but to marry Viscount Prescott Avery, a lonely widower with three unruly children. And caring for Prescott's children was to spark a surprising romance...
--This text refers to the
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
not the usual fare, but enjoyable nevertheless,
By tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Family For Gillian (Zebra Regency Romance) (Paperback)
If you think that "A Family For Gillian" by Catherine Blair is the usual run of the mill Regency romance novel in which a badly scarred widower marries again for the sake of his children, and where the new wife spends all her time trying to live up to the memory of the near perfect first wife, and where the dead first wife is finally proved to be a real shrew, think again. "A Family For Gillian" is unique in that while Viscount Prescott Avery does indeed marry again in order to provide his three children with a mother, and the romance novel does focus on Gillian's attempts to be good mother to the children and a helpmate to her husband, the whole 'the-first-wife-was-a-real-witch' motif is refreshingly absent. Gillian Hartwell has decided that the mother's idea of the 'right' husband and her own are vastly different. And so she sets out to ruin herself (a little) socially. Unfortunately, her plan works only all too well, and she is completely ruined. And so Gillian has little choice but to accept the marriage proposal that Viscount Prescott Avery makes via a letter. His loneliness and his obvious need of a wife and mother moves Gillian, and she hopefully sets off for Ireland to start her new life. Unfortunately (again) there were several things that Avery left out in his letter -- the fact that he was very much in love with his wife, has yet to get over her death, and that he has no immediate intention of consummating the marriage; and that his children are incredibly hostile to the notion of their father marrying again. Definitely, Gillian has her work cut out for her. But with patience, kindness and compassion, Gillian sets out to win the hearts of her new family. It proves to be hard going, but she has hopes of succeeding with the children at least. Now, if she can only convince their father that he needs her tender care as well... The novel takes place over the space of a year; and the pacing of the novel is as careful and as restrained as is Gillian's handling of her highly fractious family. Catherine Blair does a wonderful job of portraying Gillian's determination to win her new family's acceptance, the setbacks she suffers, and her uncertainty in wondering if she is doing the right thing. Blair also does a wonderful job of portraying the guilt that Avery feels because he is beginning to appreciate Gillian and all she has to offer; and all the emotional upheaval these disloyal thoughts are causing him. And while this is a romance novel that deals with the love that blossoms between Gillian and Avery, the focus of this novel is more that of family -- the healing of the wound that death causes, and the forging of a new ties and relationships. "A Family For Gillian" is not quite the usual Regency fare, but I found myself enjoying this somewhat grown-up book, that didn't deal with the usual Regency preoccupations of a London Season, dresses, and beaux; and I found myself completely empathising with Gillian, and rooting for her to succeed in her quest to win her new family's collective hearts. And I definitely approved of the fact that Blair allowed for Avery to appreciate the differences between Gillian and his first wife, Elizabeth, without the usual trashing of Elizabeth's character. That was a definite twist for the better. If you're looking for something a little different from the usual, "A Family For Gillian" should definitely satisfy.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Regency title with a modern slant,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Family For Gillian (Zebra Regency Romance) (Paperback)
Catherine Blair has really grown as an author - I read all her stuff because she has a real sense of humor about her heroines; they aren't just fluttering gamine nellies but people I can really identify with. After a while of reading other romances, the foregone formula of a wedding on the last page can destroy the tension - A Family for Gillian is really different, but still maintains a tight sense of romantic (even sexual) tension between the lovers. Initially I thought having children in the story would slow it down but not at all! They added lovely poignancy in their relationship as well as natural humor. I enjoyed this book best of all of Ms. Blair's!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT FOR A CHANGE OF PACE!,
By
This review is from: A Family For Gillian (Zebra Regency Romance) (Paperback)
Loved the story and especially how Gillian related to the children and always keeps their welfare in good focus! Although sometimes Prescott seems to doubt this. It is a delight to find a man portrayed with an interest in his children for this time period and not as a lecher or a rake [although there is a fascination in taming a dangerous and unpredictable man] I have always wondered how a story could be handled with a woman taking over the care of another woman's children in this time frame. I really enjoy using a good Regency to take away the sour taste sometimes left by the contemporary novels and do recommend this as a very enjoyable read.
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