Customer Reviews

La Petite Four

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

 

 

In Regency England, the girls of La Petite Four (Emily, Priscilla, Ariadne and Daphne) are excited about the ball that will launch them into Society. But then Emily finds out that the vile Lord Robert is planning to marry her--whether she wants it or not. While Lord Robert may be devilishly handsome, Emily is convinced he is up to no good and wants to prove it, especially when he refuses to allow her to attend the ball that La Petite Four has been planning for ages. To convince her father that the engagement should be called off, Emily must provide evidence that Lord Robert is as bad as she thinks he is. So, La Petite Four follows him and tries to catch him committing some nefarious deed. But another man keeps appearing during their investigations: the handsome James Cropper, who also seems suspicious of Lord Robert, although he won't say why.

The author's biography in the back of the book states that her previous works were in the adult romantic fiction genre. This explains to me why this book reminded me of nothing so much as the Avon True Romance series, a series of historical romance books for teens that were strictly G-rated. LA PETITE FOUR would have fit perfectly alongside the Avon True Romance books. When I was in middle school I absolutely loved this series, especially Meg Cabot's contributions, both set in Regency England like LA PETITE FOUR. When I re-read them this year, I was much less enthusiastic.

I have a similar feeling toward LA PETITE FOUR. Although I of course can't say for certain, I'm pretty sure I would have liked the book a lot more if I had read it a few years ago. I devour YA novels, but I place these books in two different categories: YA books that older readers can still enjoy [which I love] and those that really should be left to younger readers (middle school/high school) [which I never like as much]. This book skews to the younger audience (which makes me feel like an old woman already to say that, even though I'm a college student).

As a fluffy romance with a bit of a mystery, it should have been right up my alley. And yet, while reading it I realized that not that much was happening. Lord Robert appears, announces that he's going to marry Emily, her father agrees to this, and then Emily spends most of the book (unsuccessfully) stalking Lord Robert with her friends hoping that he'll do something incriminating in broad daylight (even Lord Robert isn't that dumb). James Cropper swoops in several times to save Emily when she fails to realize that a well-dressed and well-bred young lady shouldn't be without an escort in the bad part of town (her friend Priscilla mentions disguises once, which would have been smart, but they never actually don disguises). And while I'm a huge fan of the they-start-off-hating-each-other-but-really-love-each-other romantic trope (what I call the Darcy-Elizabeth situation), the interaction between Emily and James Cropper didn't seem too romantic to me, since in the beginning she mostly just snapped at him, even when he had just saved her from being mugged or worse. And then halfway through he seemed to have fallen in love with her because of her moxie or some such, when really I thought she had been mostly rude and foolish whenever he encountered her. In the end, La Petite Four did very little to prove that Lord Robert was an unsuitable husband and Emily only realized what she could do to show her father her fiancé's bad side after a hint from James. All of La Petite Four's stalking was fairly pointless; they got more help just listening to society gossip. At the very end of the novel, besides the Lord Robert plot and Emily's art aspirations, nothing else is really wrapped up, which was a bit frustrating, but probably done because, I suspect, this is the first in a series and thus a sequel is being set up. In which case, the lack of resolution is understandable.

Emily Southwell and her friends are finally graduating and looking forward to their Season in the spotlight! Their coming out ball is sure to thrust the girls into the extravagant life of nineteenth century London society. Lord Robert Townsend has other plans and announces his engagement to Lady Emily, ruining her plans.

Her father insists that the match is made and she should accept her future. Even if that means giving up her dreams of being an artist and joining the Royal Society for the Beaux Arts. She decides that she must take matters into her own hands and find a flaw that would make Lord Robert unfit to be her husband.

In her advances to discredit Lord Robert she often finds herself in the company of Mr. James Cropper who also seems to have a vendetta against Lord Robert. With the help of her three friends, La Petite Four, may be able to rescue Emily from the pending marriage and attend her lavish ball.

This was a great read! I love historical fiction and La Petite Four is a wonderful addition to the genre! Regina Scott is an awesome writer! I really enjoyed this book and I hope she continues with books for Young Adults. La Petite Four has a little bit of everything; mystery, suspense, romance and of course really beautiful dresses! The plot is interesting and captivating. It took Emily and me the same time to figure out exactly what was going on with Lord Robert. The story is told beautifully without being overbearing as some historical fiction novels can be. I thoroughly enjoyed these characters as well. Although I would have liked getting to know more about Ariadne, and Daphne, even so I enjoyed their parts as supporting characters.

LA PETITE FOUR
REGINA SCOTT
Historical YA
Razorbill

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Lady Emily Southwell has just found out mere moments after graduating she's betrothed to Lord Robert, as if that wasn't bad enough she soon learns he wants to get married within a week. That means she'll be missing the Ball she's been looking forward to with her three best friends and her Season. There has to be a way to stop such an horrible match, if only they could find something about Lord Robert to tell her father to get him to call off the wedding.

LA PETITE FOUR was an intriguing historical read as Emily tries to find a reason to stop her sudden nuptials so she won't miss out on her Season with her friends, not to mention find a way to gain admittance to the Royal Society of the Beaux Arts. Everything she knows about Lord Robert tells her he isn't the man for her--something that's proven over and over again throughout the course of the book. But none more damaging when during the party to sign the marriage papers, he leans over and tells her that no wife of his will waste time being an artist.

But in the midst of their investigations, they continue to run into the mysterious James Cropper who seems to be tailing Lord Robert too. Emily finds herself soon charmed by the intriguing Mr. Cropper, and becomes even more intent on her search for the truth about Lord Robert's sudden interest in matrimony when she hears gossip he was recently courting another, one who died just before he became betrothed to Emily.

Hands down my favorite scene is between Lady Emily and Mr. Cropper with Warburton and the maid, Mary, as chaperones. The attraction between the two really heats up as much as it can with the two chaperones and Warburton's `coughing' to break the two up is rather amusing to see.

Fans of historical YA will enjoy the sweet story that is LA PETITE FOUR.

Regina Scott started writing novels in the third grade. After numerous short stories and articles in magazines and trade journals, she got serious about her novel writing, published 17 historical romances for adults, and realized it would be a lot more interesting to write for young adults instead. [...].

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
February 2009

Lady Emily is determined to be belle of the ball in this irresistible romantic romp.

La Petite Four is the sweet, playful tale of sixteenyear- old Lady Emily's self-discovery on her way to finding love and having a ball--literally!
Emily and her three best friends can't wait for the year's biggest party: the Coming-Out Ball that will plunge them into the seductions, scandals, and decadence of nineteenth-century London Society. But when dashing Lord Robert puts a wrinkle in their plans, Emily and her crew hatch an investigation to expose his dark side--a move which puts them right in the path of the stubborn, yet curiously attractive James Cropper. Readers will have to fluff up their ball gowns and hang on to their corsets as Emily decides between Robert and James, love and independence, and ultimately discovers just how far she'll go to follow her own heart.

La Petite Four had romance, mystery, friendship, and an unwanted wedding arrangement. Now the mystery really wasn't on the edge-of-your seat, desperately wanting to know who the killer/thief was.It was a different, which of the gossip is true, what is he doing or want, kind of mystery. The friendship part of the book was really good and they had a cute name for themselves. There were some times were their friendship didn't feel believable but then you believed them. Emily was a sarcastic, sort-of independent girl for her times, which was great. The romance was really good and the unwanted marriage arrangement is what starts the story and is where it really starts. Overall this was a very good historical fiction story but it could have been a bit better, but it is still enjoyable and a fun read. The ending left you wondering if there will be a sequel. If there's not going to be a sequel then the ending really wasn't that good.
-Carol
www.bookluver-carol.blogspot.com

Lady Emily and her best friends from boarding school, Priscilla, Ariadne, and Daphne, are all ready to graduate and head back to their homes in nineteenth century London. They're even more excited for Priscilla's coming out ball, which they all are planning on attending. That is until Emily learns that she is engaged to Lord Robert Townsend. This puts a damper on all of the girls' plans as Lord Robert is not planning on attending the ball and doesn't think Emily will be either. While Emily doesn't think that the marriage will work, her father thinks it is a match made in heaven and fails to honor Emily's request to cancel the engagement. Emily knows that if she is ever going to be a member of the Royal Society of Beaux Arts and go to Priscilla's ball that she will simply have to take matters into her own hands. With the help of her best friends, Emily sets off to find something that will prove that Lord Robert will not be a good husband. What Emily finds not only surprises her, but also helps her find something she's been longing for, love.

It's hard to express the way I felt about this book in one word, but I'll try. This book is AMAZING! Actually, the book is more than amazing, it's fantastic, superior, radiant, and any other synonym you can think of! - now can you tell how much I loved this book?! I am always up for a historical fiction and this book certainly lived up and surpassed every expectation I had of it. I mean it contained mystery, suspense and love. What more could a girl ask for? Regina Scott created a great story where the characters were three dimensional and you felt like you were walking the cobbled streets of nineteenth century England. I especially loved Emily's character. I could feel the sarcasm in her words and felt her sadness when she was grieving over not attending the ball. While I had my hunches as to what Lord Robert was up to, there were always little twists and turns that kept me second guessing myself until the moment was revealed. Regina Scott has definitely found her niche in the YA world and I'm crossing my fingers and toes that there will be more adventures with La Petite Four. I really just cannot get over how good this book is! I urge you all to scurry to your closest book provider and get this book as it is....AMAZING!!!

La Petite Four met at the Bardsley School and became close friends for life. Lady Emily Southwell, Miss Priscilla Tate, Miss Ariadne Courdebas and Miss Daphne Courdebas are one for all and all for one even as they look forward to graduating and taking London by storm in their first season.

However, Emily is stunned to learn that her father's arranged betrothal to Lord Robert Townsend has been announced and she will marry him before her season. She refuses as she has dreams of becoming an artist asked to join the Royal Society for the Beaux Arts. Emily and her Petite Four friends seek to find a blemish that would prove Lord Robert is unworthy to be her mate. She alos finds herself attracted to Mr. James Cropper whose loathing of Lord Robert should make him an ally, but she fears he is using her as a pawn in his feud. This LA PETITE FOUR begin the quest.

This first of four tales is a terrific young adult Regency romantic suspense tales starring fully developed characters. Each of the female quartet is physically and emotionally different, which enhances a strong historical tale. The two antagonists who compete for Lady Emily's affection augment the fine story line further. Regency fans of all ages will appreciate the opening salvo with three petite females storming high society to follow.

Harriet Klausner

Lady Emily and her best friends from boarding school, Priscilla, Ariadne, and Daphne, are all ready to graduate and head back to their homes in nineteenth-century London. They're even more excited for Priscilla's coming-out ball, which they all are planning on attending. That is, until Emily learns that she is engaged to Lord Robert Townsend.

This puts a damper on all of the girls' plans, as Lord Robert is not planning on attending the ball and doesn't think Emily will be there, either. While Emily doesn't think that the marriage will work, her father thinks it is a match made in heaven and fails to honor Emily's request to cancel the engagement. Emily knows that if she is ever going to be a member of the Royal Society of Beaux Arts and go to Priscilla's ball, she will simply have to take matters into her own hands.

With the help of her best friends, Emily sets off to find something that will prove that Lord Robert will not be a good husband. What Emily finds not only surprises her, but also helps her find something she's been longing for -- true love.

I cannot express the way I felt about this book in one word, but I will try. This book was truly AMAZING! Actually, the book is more than amazing; it's fantastic, superior, radiant, and any other synonym you can think of! Now can you tell how much I loved this book?!

I am always up for historical fiction, and this book certainly lived up to and surpassed every expectation I had of it. I mean it contained mystery, suspense, and love. What more could a girl ask for? Regina Scott created a great story where the characters were three-dimensional and you felt like you were walking the cobbled streets of nineteenth-century England.

I especially loved Emily's character. I could feel the sarcasm in her words and felt her sadness when she was grieving over not attending the ball. While I had my hunches as to what Lord Robert was up to, there were always little twists and turns that kept me second guessing myself until the moment was revealed. Regina Scott has definitely found her niche in the YA world, and I'm crossing my fingers and toes that there will be more adventures with the La Petite Four.

I really just cannot get over how good this book is! I urge you all to scurry to your closest book provider and pick up a copy of LA PETITE FOUR, as it is....AMAZING!!!

Reviewed by: Tasha

Lady Emily and her best friends Priscilla, Ariadne, and Daphne make up La Petite Four. Their dream is to throw an unforgettable ball to mark their debut into Good Society. However, their plans are dashed when Lord Robert announces his intentions to marry Lady Emily, which for some reason requires their marriage to take place within a little over a week and prevents Lady Emily's attendance of the ball. La Petite Four are appalled; they've been planning this ball for ages! And since Lady Emily detests the very thought of marrying this man, La Petite Four take it upon themselves to discover Lord Robert's secrets or anything that will stop Lady Emily's impending marriage. But when this investigation turns out to be more dangerous than just traipsing all over London, La Petite Four know they must reveal the secret before it's too late.

I will begin by saying that La Petite Four is a slightly misleading title as the story is mainly about Lady Emily and not focused on the exploits of the four friends; however, I did think that name of their little clique of friends was adorable. La Petite Four was a cute blend of high society, friendship, daring escapades, and even danger. I found it amusing to follow the four friends around as they tried to find Lord Robert's secret only to come up with false accusations until the very end. I was a little disappointed that the characters weren't very developed; often I felt that certain characteristics were forced upon me or just snuck in, but that didn't make the story less enjoyable. I felt that the story focused mainly on plot, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but characterization would've made the story much better. However, I really loved the historical angle of the novel, and especially how it affected the rights and roles of women.

La Petite Four was good but not the best. I felt it was a small step down from several of my favorite historical novels, like The Luxe by Anna Godbersen and the A Great and Terrible Beauty series by Libba Bray. However, it was a very entertaining, enjoyable, and light read. Fans of Marissa Doyle's Bewitching Season will like this non-magical version of London's high society.

reposted from [...]

Lady Emily Southwell and her three best friends - Priscilla, Ariadne and Daphne - are known together as La Petite Four. Following their graduation from the Barnsley School for Young Ladies, they decide to plan the best coming-out ball of the season for Emily's debut into Regency England society.

What wasn't part of the plans, however, was Emily's father betrothing her to the horrible Lord Robert. Emily and her friends are determined to find some way to stop the engagement. They decide to investigate Lord Robert to see if he is involved in anything that would cause Emily's father to want to cancel the betrothal. Their investigation leads to adventure, danger, and an unexpected romance for Emily.

La Petite Four is a light and entertaining historical romance for teens set in Regency England. The mystery is a bit predictable as it is rather obvious from the beginning that Lord Robert is up to something sinister. However, it is still an enjoyable story that should appeal to readers looking for a quick and fun historical read, and who enjoyed books such as The Season by Sarah MacLean, Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle, and The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen.

From www.mrsmagooreads.com


Title: La Petite Four
Author: Regina Scott
Grade: B
Ideal Audience: Girls, 11-16
Reading Type(s): The Fun Reader & The Mysterious Reader

Summary: Emily, Priscilla, Daphne, and Ariadne are the best of friends, and call their group "La Petite Four". They all hold high hopes for themselves, especially Emily.

Emily loves painting, and wants more than anything to be accepted into the Royal Society for the Beaux Arts. Although horrid Acantha Dalrymple has been a slight obstacle, Emily knows that if she displays the perfect painting at Priscilla's ball, her future in art will be set.

Leave it to Lord Robert to ruin everything... with a proposal! Lord Robert has asked for Emily's hand in marriage, and her father has already accepted for her. Emily has no choice but to marry him- and miss the ball!- unless La Petite Four can prove that Lord Robert is a cad.

The four girls follow him around London, interrogate their servants, and dig up as many rumors and evidence of foul play that they can. But the day of Emily's marriage is looming closer, and they still don't have hard proof...

My thoughts: La Petite Four is a fun, light read. I liked that, although Emily lived in a time when women were expected only to marry and have kids, she still wanted a future for herself in art and a successful career.

While I think the characters of Priscilla, Ariadne, and Daphne could have been stronger, with more depth, I liked all of the other characters, as well as their multiple layers. La Petite Four is a great read for those who want a fun, girl-power mystery.