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54 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
You read Kinsale For the Depth, January 23, 2010
If you have read her books in the past, then you know they tend to fall into two categories: challenging and serious - or a bit more lighthearted but with depth. This falls into the latter category and has a lot of whimsy and charm but with the same Kinsale trademarks: - strong male character who is definitely flawed, unsure, and 3 Dimensional. It's in her heroes that her strength lies - they aren't cookie cutter ciphers but do things that are unwise or even self destructive (just as a normal person does). You don't have the usual historical hero who is wealthy, knowledgeable, self assured, super intelligent, a 'rake', and utterly perfect - and then falls for random spirited girl. Instead, you have a 'wounded' man who finds a light at the end of the tunnel with someone who can understand his pain. - female lead who isn't the prototypical "spitfire" who says and does dumb things just so she can be rescued from her own 'spirit.' Instead, Kinsale often gives her heroines quiet strength and dignity. That's what really draws me to Kinsale's protaganists - that sensibility. The heroes and heroines play the same game we all have to play - not knowing the true feelings of the other or why they do what they do. - Obsessive love. It's complete and unconditional and Kinsale is really good at making the reader feel the depth and commitment (and reasoning) that the male character is so in love with the female character. - A lot of pathos and depth to the characterization of many of the people in the book. No one is purely bad or good and many are just doing what people do normally - be selfish or unobservant. Kinsale is wonderful at plumbing psychological depths and characters don't act irrationally just to create a 'situation' that moves a plot. - The book is well written and not given to lazy or sloppy sections. For this particular book, the story moves over a short one week time period which suits the plot of two people who really cared for each other but were separated by circumstance. At times, it does feel a lot like an Austen book since the banter can be very witty and makes sense for a couple in their late 20s who once shared a close intimacy. And you do get the feeling that neither are quite sure of what time has done to change the other. In all, the book is a very enjoyable read. It's not one of Kinsale's challenging works (the English of For My Lady's Heart or 'plot in letters' in My Sweet Folly). Instead, it is lighter and more pleasant, with a great supporting cast of characters and two protagonists that are deeply developed and not cardboard cliches of the genre. I give it one star less because of a plot point that I really thought was ridiculously coincidental and could have been constructed differently to achieve the same effect. I don't read romance much any more and Kinsale is the only romance author whose books I still buy. As soon as they are announced, I put them on preorder on Amazon. I know that whether she challenges me or makes me smile, I can always look forward to a well written story devoid of usual hoary cliches that can really turn one off of the genre.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly Entertaining Historical Romance, January 28, 2010
She's back. And what a lovely way to come back. In Lessons in French Laura Kinsale has written a beautiful love story about friendship and loss, loyalty and love. She's made the heiress wallflower a charming character and the dashing Frenchman endearing in spite of his misadventures. Callie and Trev were each other's first love, then circumstances tore them apart. Now Trev is back, whether for good or not remains to be seen. There's something about stories of first love that we romance readers can't help but be drawn to. Add to that a second chance at love and we just have to find out what happens. Will they finally get their HEA (Happily Ever After)? For Callie and Trev the road to HEA is filled with one detour after another. It's an adventure of laughter, love, friendship, narrow escapes, hiding from the law and waking up in the arms of your true love. It's been nine years since Trev left. In those nine years Callie has had three fiancés along with three broken engagements. She is now twenty-seven and unsure of her future. She has recently come out of mourning for her father, the late Earl of Shelford. With her cousin Jasper now the earl and his wife Dolly wishing for both Callie and her younger sister Hermione gone from Shelford Hall, Callie no longer feels welcomed in her own home. It looks as though Callie's hope lies in her sister marrying someone willing to allow Callie to live with them. Not exactly the brightest of futures. Then Trev comes back and her world is turned upside down as she is once again caught up in his adventures. Callie is a wonderful heroine. She's practical but has this fantastic whimsical side where she daydreams of romantic and humorous scenes of her life as she would imagine it. A fairy tale of sorts with her in control of the outcome. She also has wonderful sense of humor that she shares with Trev. Their banter and joking with each other goes back to their early years together. Another side to Callie is her love of animals, specifically Hubert her large but docile bull. Callie shows that she isn't afraid of hard work and getting her hands dirty when taking care of Hubert. Then something happens to Hubert and Callie is trying so desperately to hold on to her composure, to keep the tears at bay. It's one of those moments it's obvious why Trev loves this wallflower so. Trev was an amusing, devil-may-care hero. He returns because of his love and concern for his mother. He doesn't expect to find Callie unmarried and still there. He has no plans to stay long but with Trev, plans tend to change and as he and Callie renew their friendship he finds himself pulled towards this woman who he thinks is out of reach. Trev seemed to enjoy becoming involved in plots of intrigue and adventure. When he wasn't engaged in daring plans he was caring for his mother and trying to be a friend to Callie. His love for both of these women came through, making him both vulnerable while still giving him that air of danger. Trev is far from perfect. He makes mistakes and acts rashly with some less than stellar outcomes. But even when he is engaging in some reckless behavior, his love of life and of Callie makes him hard to resist. There were moments when I couldn't help but laugh as I thought, "Oh, what has he done now?" Kinsale's quick wit and way with words comes through in the dialogue and descriptions of the village, the people and the emotions that make this a fun, boisterous story. Any problems I had with the plot or storytelling were minor. The ending wrapped up a little too neatly with problems that had seemed insurmountable, swiftly taken care of. Then there was Trev's French mother, who I enjoyed but it became a bit annoying when she would get the English word wrong when using phrases and clichés. It was cute the first few times, after that, not so much. Lessons in French could certainly be called lighter fare than what Kinsale is more widely known for. I would call it an enjoyable love story full of laughter and adventure. Here's to hoping we don't have to wait too long for the next Laura Kinsale release.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A richly charming Regency, January 15, 2010
After young lovers Callie and Trev are separated by an angry earl, nine years' passage of time is not enough to make them to forget one another. When the characters meet again, it is clear they are still achingly in love, but as the chapters quickly unfold, the nine years' separation (and ensuing consequences) must be dealt with. This is "classic Kinsale" in that her effervescent wit and prose styling defies the reader to not smile or even laugh aloud. There is a bit of mystery, some upending of cliches, madcap humor, and conflicting claims of possession--and that's just for Hubert the prize bull! The same and even more applies to Callie and Trev. One of the best aspects of Laura Kinsale's writing is her sunlight-and-shadows portrayal of her characters. There's a poignancy about both Callie and Trev that makes them more than cardboard cutouts on a Regency paper stage. Their mistakes, eccentricities, miscommunications and efforts to both cling and let go make them fully dimensional characters. Add in lyrical eroticism and page-turning pacing, and this book becomes a gift to the reader.
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