Customer Reviews

Further Observations of Lady Whistledown

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I read this anthology in just 4 hours, it was that good (well, I speed read, unfortunately). I have loved the mysterious Lady Whistledown all through the Bridgerton series. I was so disappointed with the loss of this wittiest of columnists society's foibles when she 'retired'. Then she popped back up to narrate these 4 stories - each with it's own flavor and just enough sensuality. Using Lady Whistledown to introduce chapters of stories by Suzanne Enoch, Karen Hawkins, Mia Ryan and Julia Quinn was genious. Each story is centered around Valentine's Day - the best time of year for romantics. The stories have intriguing characters who appear in each story briefly; their own stories entertwined. Suzanne Enoch has a betrothed-from-birth groom rushing to London to claim his bride when Lady Whistledown's column reports some rather indiscreet behaviour on the lady's part - I can only say that the story was very romantic. Karen Hawkins adds to the humor with her story of a rogue who begins to be disturbed when his life-long friend decides to marry, well, according to Lady Whistledown, someone comfortable. Mia Ryan's heroine kept me laughing with her habit of blurting out really odd observations - obviously says exactly what she is thinking at any given time. And her thoughts are chaotic as it is! But, finally, we have Julia Quinn's story, which can only be the best of the book. I can't spoil the surprise in this one, but it is one of my absolute favorite story lines, done in the way that only Julia Quinn can do to make it new, fresh and funny. This book is a must for your collection of keepers of the observations of Lady Whistledown and the 5* books she has narrated.

Just the thing for a gray, dull weekend: four delightful short stories, all interrelated via Lady Whistledown's column in the SOCIETY PAPERS, a few characters, and three events -- a night at the theatre, a skating party and a Valentine's Day Ball -- and all quite engaging and charming!

The anthology opens with Suzanne Enoch's "One True Love." Maximilian, the Marquis of Halfurst, and Lady Anne Bishop have been betrothed to each other since infancy. But the pair have scarcely spent any time with each other at all, esp since Maximilian has spent the last few years ensconced in Yorkshire, taking care of his estate and fulfilling his responsibilities as landlord and chief magistrate. But when he reads Lady Whistledown's column and realises that Lady Anne is not behaving in a circumspect manner at all, he rushes up to London in order to confront his errant fiancee. What follows is a rousing tale in which both Maximilian and Anne must decide if they want to spend the rest of their lives together or if they should go their separate ways in spite of the attraction that they feel for each other...

With Karen Hawkins's offering ("Two Hearts"), you can almost hear that old standard playing in background: the one where Ella Fitzgerald sings about making two lovers of friends. When Sir Royce Pemberly (a hardened flirt and rogue) learns that his best friend (who is also 'almost-like-a-sister') Elizabeth Pritchard is seriously considering marriage, Sir Royce must reexamine the exact nature of his friendship with Elizabeth and decide once and for all exactly what kind of relationship he wants to have with her...

In Mia Ryans's offering, "A Dozen Hearts," Lady Caroline Starling realises to her horror that she has fallen for the very man who is at the root of all her troubles -- her distant cousin, Terrance Grayson, who had inherited her father's title and estate and who had summarily evicted both her mother and her from the family home as soon as he had inherited everything! Can Lady Caroline overlook all the heartache that Terrance has caused her? And what of her mother's plans to marry her off to the rich but elderly Earl of Pellering?

The last thing that Miss Susannah Ballister expected, in Julia Quinn's short story "Thirty-Six Valentines," was for the 'staid' and enigmatic Earl of Renminster to pay court to her after the very public rejection that she had suffered at his younger brother's (Clive Formsby-Mann) hands. And yet that is exactly what happens! But while, to Susannah's surprise, being courted by the earl is exactly what she craves, she cannot help but wonder if she can afford to trust another member of the Mann-Formsby family?

All four stories were charming and enjoyable light reads, and exactly the kind of thing to indulge in while on a 'plane, train, etc. Julia Quinn's short story, however, was my favourite and was (I thought) the best of the bunch. And while Mia Ryan's offering was good, I did think that it needed some elaboration and elucidation. The one I was least enamoured with was Suzanne Enoch's short story as Lady Anne rather exasperated me. For goodness sake, Yorkshire was hardly the moon for all her whinnings about the place and Max's occupation as a sheep farmer. (You'd have thought that he was a serial killer the way she kept on carping about his source of income!) Another niggle was the order in which the stories were presented could have been better. For example, some information presented in Karen Hawkins's short story gives away what will happen in Julia Quinn's offering. However, all the stories unfolded smoothly and were engagingly enough, even if the language was a tad modern in all four. But, while this was at times a little jarring, it did not detract too much. All in all, "The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown" was a fun read.

This Regency romance gem of an anthology orchestrated by New York Times bestseller Julia Quinn comes timely in the schmaltzy Valentine season. These four interconnected romance tied by a skating event and Lady Shelbourne's grand Valentine ball are consistently engaging through the observations of Quinn's popular gossip columnist Lady Whistledown that opens every chapter of each story. These four leading ladies gamely joins in the season of scandals and romance starting with the meltingly romantic One True Love by Suzanne Enoch where Lady Anne Bishop is surprised by a sudden visit from her nonchalant childhood betrothed - the Marquis of Halfurst who is determined to pursue her and claim her surrendering heart from his rival Lord Howard. Karen Hawkins fashions her story with timeless chemistry in a conventional tale of how the gauche Liz Pritchard finally gets her friend Royce Pemberley to confront his feelings towards her when she intends to marry the bland rancher Lord Durham in Two Hearts. Ingenue Mia Ryans throws in a delightful fluff A Dozen Kisses where the simpering Caroline Starling attracts the dashing Lord Darington - the man who evicted her mother and her from the house.

Just when you thought the enjoyment was too good to be true, the always- reliable Julia Quinn waltzes in with the most refreshing tale out of the quartet - Thirty-six Valentines with her splendid acumen of wits, humour and passion. Susannah Ballister, after suffering a humiliating thwarted proposal from Clive Mann-Formsby finds a second chance in his reclusive brother Earl of Reminister, David. Ms. Quinn weaves her saccharine romance through a memorable skating affair, a seductive theatrical evening at Theatre Royal and the denouement of feelings between the brothers. The consistency of the four simultaneous romance is a rarity and the pleasure derived from the read is positively infectious from the chutzpah and energy of the four writers. Who ever said Regency Romance was a bore?

Normally I don't enjoy Anthologies because they tend to be uneven. I'll enjoy 2 of the stories, perhaps but sleep through the others. Not the case here!

The Lady Whistledown column entries tied the 4 stories together nicely, and I have to wonder if the authors collaborated on their plots to have them fit so well?

A great anthology for someone who likes a lot of humor with their romance. The sex scenes were racier than a Zebra Regency, but not too graphic.

Definitely a light, quick read I'll keep on my bookshelf to enjoy again.

The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown is the most delightful romance anthology I've ever read. Full of passion, humor and expert storytelling, these four interconnected Regency stories should not be missed.

The reader is treated to the incomparable, irrepressible Lady Whistledown-the wry, wise and compassionate gossip columnist created by Julia Quinn for her magnificent Bridgerton family series. Lady Whistledown shares her wonderfully entertaining observations at the beginning of every chapter of each novella. She is also mentioned in each narrative, her personality because one unifying force in the book, along with theme, place and time.

All four stories take place during the last three weeks leading up to Valentine's Day 1814 in London-so dreadfully cold that the Thames freezes over and aristocratic families flee to town for winter festivities, some right on the Thames! The stories feature the same cast of characters and 3 common events that all characters attend: a night at the theatre, an ice skating party on the Thames and a Valentine's Day ball. Each story is told from the point of view of a different couple who experiences these events and in the meantime falls in love.

In Suzanne Enoch's One True Love, the very independent and intelligent Lady Anne Bishop is enjoying a smashing social life when Maximillian, Marquis of Halfurst, suddenly appears all the way from his estate in Yorkshire to claim her. Having been betrothed to Max since she was an infant yet never before met him, the last thing Anne wants to do is marry him and move so far away from her beloved London.

Max is anxious to return to his beloved Yorkshire but not without Anne, the woman who captures his attention and his passion in a way none other ever has. In the battle of wills that ensues, the reader and Anne come to love the sexy and strong-charactered Marquis, who is a breath of fresh air compared with the other man of Anne's close acquaintance who hopes to capture the beautiful and strong-willed Anne for himself. This is a lovely romance with a satisfying resolution to the couple's seemingly insurmountable dilemma.

In Karen Hawkins' Two Hearts, the supremely confident and flamboyant Liza Pritchard decides it's time to marry so chooses a safe, reliable and boring man while her lifelong best friend, the quintessential rake Sir Royce Pemberley, is determined to stop her from making such a fatal mistake. The lively banter between the two is a joy to watch as each slowly realizes that there can be only one really passionate and happy match for them: what they could have with each other. The friendship between them is just as fun as the passion in this highly enjoyable, quick-witted romance.

In Mia Ryan's A Dozen Kisses, Lady Caroline Starling accidentally meets and falls for Lord Darington, the apparently heartless aristocrat who ejected Caroline and her mother from their lifelong country home after Caroline's father died and he inherited the title. But Dare is actually very different from what his stern and laconic demeanor would indicate and harbors a secret that explains all. This is a warm and passionate romance.

While all the foregoing are very enjoyable, my favorite of the lot is Julia Quinn's contribution, Thirty-Six Valentines. Somehow Julia, with her highly intelligent, discerning and deft touch is able to go just that little bit deeper into character and emotion that makes her work so vibrant, moving and astonishingly real.

Susannah Ballister, having been abruptly jilted last summer by the handsome and charismatic Clive Mann-Formsby-who informed her of his treachery by publicly announcing his engagement to someone else-bravely holds her head high while privately nursing her wounded pride. The last person she wants to have anything to do with besides the now very married Clive is his older brother David, the Earl of Renminster, who admittedly opposed the match.

But David, who at first befriends Susannah just to make amends for his totally self-centered brother, is captivated by the strong and frankly outspoken beauty. She touches him in ways no one else ever has and brings out a lighter side of his personality that longs for release.

For her part, as Susannah comes to know the reserved yet deep, complex and even humorous person that David can be, she realizes that her heart is in more danger than ever. She had superficial fun with Clive, but it is David whom she really loves-and he is even more out of her reach than Clive was.
On the other side, it is equally fascinating to see into David's heart, how he flowers as a person with Susannah and comes to love her with a fervent passion he never thought possible. And the way he tries to court her wins the reader's heart all over again.

In sum, The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown assembles four very strong and highly enjoyable stories in an appealing setting and winning character ensemble that provides hours of pure enjoyment to the reader. No lover of historical romance-or of any fast-paced, colorful and very sexy read-should miss this delightful anthology.

Before I get too involved in my review, I have to say that Julia Quinn is the most clever writer to appear on the scene in years! I bought this book because I am a JQ fan and the wordsmith Lady Whistledown is a literary character you won't soon forget. Although we now know this clever one's identity (ha! ha!-did you really think I was gonna tell you?), it was good to have LW make a special appearance in this clever anthology.

Now, that I've gotten that out of the way-I wanted to say that The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown is the most clever concept for an anthology that I have read in a long time!! Imagine four different authors with four distinct writing styles creating four different stories that take place simultaneouly with ALL of the characters from the different stories interacting with each other!!! That takes talent! And Julia Quinn, Susan Enoch, Karen Hawkins, and Mia Ryan definitely deliver! From the witty "36 Valentines" to the romantic "Two Hearts", you will find something for everyone! There is lots of humor here, too. I laughed til I cried at the ball with Lord Durham (you have to read to know what I mean-wink**). I wept for Lord Darington. I cheered for Royce and Liza. The witty exchange between David and Susannah is classic!!

You must get yourself a copy of this book. You won't be able to put it down. Congratulations to all the authors on creating a new concept in anthologies.

Regencies are made for such collaborative work! I've seen it done in a particular universe for science fiction and fantasy, but always thought historical authors more conservative.
I'm so pleased that Julia Quinn et al have decided to share characters and universes. I liked the way characters from each of the stories shared major events and were mentioned in other stories, all without encroaching onto the other plots - there must have been a lot of updating going on here.
The stories were great, too.
I'd buy more of the same.

I really, really enjoyed this one. This is an anthology, which I usually don't read at all. I generally can't get into the romance before it's already over & there's never enough of a side story to keep me interested. That definitely did not pertain to this one though. I only read this one because I love Julia Quinn's Lady Whistledown & it had been recommended. I just loved how they entertwined the stories. Not only that, but I liked each story individually. Every one of the characters were enjoyable, some witty, some more serious - but always entertaining. I have never read Karen Hawkins or Mia Ryan - but I hope these stories are accurate examples of their books; If so, then I've found 2 new authors. If you like Julia Quinn type Regencys, I bet you'll like this one also.

This was a fun collection for stories by four very talented authors with Lady Whistledown adding her observations throughout. All four stories are tied together and take place at the same time. And are set around the same activities.

In Susan Enoch's story a young girl is having a good time despite the fact that her betrothed is up in the wilds of Yorkshire. Lady Whistledown's comment brings the marquis to London. He realizes that he has been wrong in not coming sooner, and now he is set on winning his betrothed heart.

In Karen Hawkins story lifetime friends realize that what they feel for each other is more then friendship, but both are too hard-headed to realize this. Good thing for Lady Whistledown.

In Mia Ryan's story a young girl who has a rough time at home finds herself drawn to the rogue that had her removed from her house when he inherited the title. What she does not know is that his abrupt manner is not due to being rude, but due to an injury. But fear not there is a happy ending for both of them.

And finally JQ thrills readers with a tale of finding love in the last place that you would look. An Earl realizes that who he thought was an unsuitable person for marriage to his brother, is in fact the best person for his bride. Of course Lady Whistledown has her say here as well.

This was a fast read that many will enjoy. If you enjoy JQ's wit and have laughed over Lady Whistledown in the past you will love this set of stories.

Everyone has come to London for a small season due to the unseasonable cold weather. The Thames has frozen over and this is a cause for celebration. All four stories are set around the same activities and it is fun to follow the different directions each story takes.

If you have enjoyed Lady Whistledown in the past, then you will love these collection of stories.

For me this was the 1st and is the ONLY anthology (so far) that contains stories so well written by ALL of the participating authors. The one bad thing about this book was that the stories were so addictive that I neglected my homework to read them; I read all four stories word for word and finished the book in one day. All 4 stories contained funny moments that made me LOL uncontrollably more than few times (in public places no less!!!).

Pick this book up, and you'll be glad you did.