Customer Reviews

Marrying the Royal Marine (Harlequin Historical)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The only criticism I could possibly make of this book is that it is too short. Not too short to have a fully developed story, just too short because when reading a Carla Kelly book, I don't want it to end. As usual, the Kelly characters are real people, the kind you feel you would like to have as friends, and the romance builds naturally and warmly. Polly Brandon is the last of the half sisters of this Kelly trilogy (after MARRYING THE CAPTAIN and THE SURGEON'S LADY) to find her true love, Hugh Junot, marine colonel. And, as usual, in addition to a heartwarming romance, Kelly gives us a bit of history, 1812 Britain at war with the French in Spain and Portugal, and a true look at war, not as a good vs. evil struggle, but as good and evil soldiers on both sides in a struggle against each other's country. Polly and Hugh have an unusual courtship, first on the ship over to Portugal from England, where he cares for her during a particularly acute case of seasickness, and later in Portugal when the two are taken prisoner by a French division of troops. Secondary characters such as Polly's half sister Laura and her surgeon husband Philemon Brittle (the protagonists of THE SURGEON'S LADY) play minor roles and are only necessary as the reason Polly is going to Oporto, to help her sister in the hospital there. We also have a very brief reacquaintance with Oliver, half sister Nana's husband (MARRYING THE CAPTAIN). But the true stars of the show are Polly and Hugh and the difficulties and adversaries they must overcome together, all with true grit and humor and optimism. I hope I'm not making this sound like a Pollyanna story. It's not. It's great. It's Carla Kelly. Speaking of which, wouldn't it be nice to have reprints of some of her older wonderful stories, like MRS. DREW PLAYS HER HAND,REFORMING LORD RAGSDALE, LIBBY'S LONDON MERCHANT or THE WEDDING JOURNEY?

A brief synopsis: Polly Brandon, the younger half-sister of the heroines of Carla Kelly's previous two books, (see "Marrying the Captain" and "The Surgeon's Lady") is sailing to Portugal to help out at her brother-in-law's satellite Navy hospital, and meets Royal Marine Lt. Colonel Hugh Philippe Junot on the boat. They get to know one another better after he helps her through a truly horrifying bout of sea sickness and become friends. Hugh is smitten with Polly (he calls her Brandon)but hesitates to continue the acquaintance as he is much older than she is. However, events conspire to bring them together in a harrowing, character-defining journey through war-torn Portugal.

The cover blurb on this book does not do it justice. This is an incredibly moving story about love, inner strength, and the lengths that war drives honorable people to - I found several scenes deeply touching. Though the story is intense, it's leavened with humor and charm. Ms. Kelly has a way of really getting to the heart of her characters.

Highly recommended!

I almost never yearn for some snob to tell me that romances are trash, and if any did, I always cite Carla Kelly's books as proof beyond dispute that they are not, but "Marrying the Royal Marine" proves the point beyond doubt. It is interesting (constantly), funny (occasionally), touching, (repeatedly), and suspenseful (regularly).

There are books I read because they make me laugh. And then there are the good yarns. Some, I fall in love with the characters, usually the men. If I'm lucky, I learn something. With Carla Kelly's book, I receive all four experiences, plus, I become a better person.

I love her heroes: they are truly honorable men, making and acting upon the hard choices, often when they don't want to, except they NEVER hesitate, NEVER even consider "staying in bed." I never doubt, when they have given their hearts away, that they will remain faithful and loving to the end of their lives. For once, the heroines equal the heroes' characters, minds, spirits, and souls. Although young, they have great common sense. This seems like a limp compliment, but it isn't. Common sense, like truth, wears well. Contrary to its name, it is uncommon. Although young and often naive, Kelly's heroines clearly see themselves (especially their liabilities and faults), their obligations and choices, and respond with unfailing integrity and courage. But it's her humanity and truthfulness in those books that make us better people when we read them. Carla Kelly repeatedly shows people who have been tested, and sometimes bested by life. In her novels, life is hard, but because (to judge by her books), she is an optimist, people rise to fight selfishness, loneliness, malice, pain, and violence. They triumph by doing what is right, what is honorable, sensible, and loving. Amazingly, she does so by creating people we love, people of substance, in plots that keep us reading.

If you want a book that gives you a glimpse of the horrors of war (without being sadistic in doing so), creates a couple that you love more and more as the book goes on, a book that is unique, one you won't forget for a long time, go buy "Marrying the Marine."

Carla Kelly packs so much in this relatively short book. There is the beautiful love story of Polly and Hugh. Polly, at only 18, feels she is too young for the handsome and worldly Hugh. Hugh, at 35, feels he is too old for Polly, and is warned off by her older sister who senses his interest. They are very attracted to each other, and miserable apart. Circumstances bring Hugh back to town, and he goes along with Polly on one her missions, as he feels very uneasy about it. SPOILER AHEAD:
Here is where they are captured and we get to see them fall deeply in love as they are held as prisoners of war. They don't know if they are going to survive. Here, Carla Kelly delves into the minds of those on both sides of the battle. You get to see that even the enemy is a person. Wonderful, heartwarming story. Highly recommended.

What an adorable couple Hugh and Polly were. I have come to expect nothing less from Carla Kelly. She took a standard garden variety theme involving much older H (37) falling for a young 18 yr old girl and gave the reader a very grown up story . This is where things get interesting, instead of placing our H/h in a drawing room CK sets them amongst the Royal Navy during the time of Napoleon. They must also endure a forced march behind enemy lines that will test their trust and devotion in each other. I must admit for a moment I was distracted with the age difference but I was won over by the way CK was able to show the love awakening between the H/h that was shaped and molded by the adversity they would face. The reason I like CK books is because she has the ability to make me feel the characters emotions. When Hugh cried I cried, he was not afraid to show that harden Battle worn military men can shed tears for a fallen friend or foe. Polly may be young in years but she possessed something that is missing in our leading ladies lately which is common sense. My only complaint is that this should have been a longer book.

Just wonderful! Especially recommended for those who enjoy an older man/younger woman relationship (he is 38, she is 18) and those who are interested in the Military aspect of the Napoleonic wars as a backdrop.

In this story, Miss Polly Brandon is en-route to assist her sister and brother-in-law who work at a military hospital in Portugal while England is fighting Napoleons armies. While on board, she meets Lt. Colonel Hugh Junot. Suffering from a massive case of sea-sickness, Polly is forced to accept the older Colonel's ministrations, as humiliating as it is. From this humble beginning these two characters grow first as friends, then gradually to much deeper emotions. What makes this growing love so endearing are both characters insecurities , his because of his age - hers because she has always considered herself an ugly duckling. When a routine medical trip results in a horrible slaughter and their capture by the French, their very lives depend upon their trust in each other. The story may not be completely realistic but it never becomes boring and is... sigh... just wonderful to the last page!

I love Carla's writing I just wish these were cleaner books. I try to skip over some of the love scenes because the writting is compelling and real.

To me, this is one of those books that keeps you from starting another book right away. I just wanted to savor it in my head for a while. The characters are well drawn and interesting. There comes a time in many books where you can't believe the characters are "that stupid", and I usually have to put the book down or skip a section to keep the frustration level down, but this one I just wanted to read in one sitting. I had to hurry home from work so I could see what happened next.

Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Junot is the bored royal marine of the title. Bored and restless he may be, but he's not boring. On route from England to Portugal, he meets young Polly Brandon, the illegitimate daughter of nobility, on her way to visit her sister who helps run a naval hospital near the front. Junot is a character with character. He's at home on the water, Polly (whom he nicknames "Brandon") definitely is not. They are forced to ignore the constraints of socially acceptable behavior, first with Polly's seasickness, then when they are captured by the French and marched cross country as prisoners of war. Junot maintains his dignity at all times and helps Brandon do the same. Polly Brandon also shows exceptional character. She may have been captured, but she learns quickly how to stay alive when it isn't always obvious that she will. She doesn't turn into a squeamish girl or the stereotypical "too stupid to live" heroine. I liked that they both showed human emotions, neither one was a super hero, they were both scared, they both cried at times, they were strong when they needed to be. If you are looking for torrid sex scenes, you won't find them in this book, but that's not to say it isn't romantic. Hugh and Brandon are perfect for each other and their love grows naturally and they figure it out soon enough so "does he or doesn't he" is never part of the plot.

The plot is interesting and a somewhat realistic view of the horrors of war. It won't leave you sitting up at night with PTSD, but it doesn't sugar coat atrocities. Hugh is not the kind of leading man who is able to best all his enemies with might, but he's able to roll with the punches and figure out how to keep the two of them alive. Brandon doesn't let being female stand in the way of being heroic, nor does she let being English stand in the way of being human.

This is the third in a series, but I am not sure I can believe that the other two could be better than this one. This book will stay with me for a while and I will definitely be reading it again.

Hugh Philippe Junot is restless. At 37 and a Lt. Colonel in the Royal Marines in 1812, he's dedicated much of his young life to King and Country. Lamenting the grey creeping into his hair at the temples and his single state, he's resigned himself to never having a family of his own, much to his dismay. In an attempt to settle his restlessness and serve his country, he convinces his superior officer to let him travel to the Portuguese front on a fact-finding mission.

On her way to live and work with her sister Laura at a military hospital in Oporto, Polly Brandon happens to be on the Navy vessel Hugh is taking to the Peninsula. Though he finds her charming and is instantly attracted to her, he is certain he is far too old for a mere girl of 19. They end up thrown together, however, when a particularly vicious case of seasickness leaves Polly completely at his mercy. A mutual friendship and attraction forms - Hugh is drawn to her poise and strength and Polly to his kindness and command - and both are sad to part once they reach Oporto, though neither admits it to the other.

When an impulsive decision to join Polly on an errand upriver lands the two of them smack in the middle of a French ambush, they find themselves relying on each other for the strength to survive their ordeal.

The book's strength is in its characterization. Both hero and heroine are a well-balanced mix of strengths and weaknesses. Kelly shows us how badly Hugh wants Polly as his wife and the mother of his children, but feels too old for her at the same time. You can feel his anguish as he forces himself to leave her in Oporto without declaring himself, and his weakness as he flouts decorum and writes her a letter from Lisbon. Polly is attracted to Hugh's aura of dignity and authority, but is sure he sees nothing in her, the 19 year old, bespectacled, illegitimate daughter of a nobleman. She throws herself into helping the women hurt by pillaging French soldiers in an attempt to show herself that she is worthy, that she has something to offer the world than a man like Hugh can appreciate.

This strong base of attraction makes their romance more than just a matter of desperation induced by pretending to be a married couple to survive their captivity. Their reliance on each other feels natural in the face of their unexpressed feelings. They're able to cry on each other's shoulders - and Kelly is the master of letting a man cry and remain a strong hero - without it feeling forced or convenient. There were some moments where they coaxed each other through some extremely tense moments of abject fear, and their regard for each other just made me weepy. Hugh was a veritable well of strength and comfort, and Polly was an admirable blend of courage and humility. Despite their age difference, they make one of my favorite couples in terms of compatibility.

It's a character-focused book, but the high-action plot is spellbinding as well. The French captors are given full personalities, and this richness lends the captivity sequence an ambiguity that ratchets up the suspense. I had a hard time putting it down as a result, staying up until 4am, when my eyes just refused to stay open a second longer.

I'd suggest this for fans of road romance, vulnerable heroes and high-emotion reads.

Others have touched upon the storyline, so I won't rehash it here.

As usual, Kelly's main characters are better than your average human beings. Not perfect but definitely the type of people who get waved through the pearly gates. If you like characters that stick in your mind long after you close the cover, you'll really enjoy this book. I've added it to my Keeper pile, so I can visit them again some day.