Customer Reviews

Ransome's Honor (The Ransome Trilogy)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

At approximately 350 pages, the author packs in a lot of plot twists, and descriptive detail of life in the mid-1800s of British Navy personnel values and tradition focusing on the daughter of an Admiral who is not the traditional simpering beauty. Others have summarized the plot, so I will just say that I found all the characters appealing yet realistic, and even though we all know there will be a happy ending, the tension was well maintained by the author as to what will happen until the finale.

As other reviewers have pointed out, the author incorporates a component of the character's lives usually omitted from novels: a religious/spiritual component. When I heard this, I was a bit cautious approaching this novel. Yet after reading the novel, I think the author reflected a more realistic portrayal of life than most every other novel I've ever read which is scrubbed free of anything hinting of prayer or religious belief. Like many real people throughout the world of many religious faiths, these characters "speak" to God when troubled or when feeling grateful. I did not find this offensive or prosletizing, as it was usually quite brief and seemed natural to the circumstances---actually quite realistic. Fearful of making the wrong decision, one of the characters might think "God, please help me make the right decision, one that protects me from future regret, but one I can live with today." The character then may feel "relieved, having turned her worries over to God." That would be a representative example (although totally made up by me). So if that type of thought bothers you, you may not like this book.

Otherwise, this is a great romance, with happiness throughout the book, and you can't help cheering for the main character, who truly is a good person.

I started reading this book after finishing another historical romance (which I did not like at all) without very high expectations. And here I am less than 24 hours later writing a review - because I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. Ms Dacus (or is it Dascus? - it's spelled different on the title page) gave me characters I cared about from the first page. She also did not hit me over the head with spiritual messages or the full telling of the gospel (multiple times) as I've seen in a few recent books I've read - but it did still have a good strong spiritual theme. There was a very strong plot and it moved along at a really good pace. There were a couple of times when I thought the characters might be going off into their own thoughts a little too much but then Ms Dacus/Dascus would hit me with a twist or a surprise.

Rundown of the characters - Julia Witherington is an unusual Regency heroine because she's twenty nine years old when most of them are in their teens or early 20's. She also has run her family's sugar plantation for the last few years. She's a strong character but fits in with the time period unlike many other heroines of historic novels. SPOILER - even though toward the end, Julia acted with some naivety I like the fact that Ms Dacus had the character be woman enough to admit she probably acted foolishly.

William Ransome is a man I would go back in time to meet and fall in love with. He is everything a romance hero should be - even at the times when I just wanted to shake him. He has flaws but they are endearing flaws and realistic. It's easy to see he regrets the past and even though he's not big on change he's looking forward to the future.

Charlotte Ransome is a character that at first I didn't understand why she had her own point of view scenes - even though an intriguing bit of information is planted in her very first scene, which is hinted at throughout and finally somewhat revealed later in the story. But it wasn't until the end that I understood why she was an important character. Well played, Ms Dacus.

Even though I love William Ransome is it wrong for me to admit that Sir Drake Pembroke was my favorite character in this book? All he needed was a mustache to twirl and a set of railroad tracks to tie Julia to for him to be the perfect villain. It was so fun to get inside his head in his scenes to see what he was thinking behind everything he did. I think it was brilliant for Ms Dacus to include his point of view because that way we got to see he wasn't just a typical greedy relative of the heroine she's trying to outwit. There were reasons behind everything he did. But not only that, Ms Dacus made his scenes fun by somewhat poking fun at him within his own point of view, especially towards the end.

I just looked at Ms Dacus' website and saw that the next book doesn't come out until next July. I will be pre ordering it as soon as it's available here. And I saw she has other books out that I'm going to get to read in the mean time.

RANSOME'S HONOR is the first in the Ransome trilogy by Kaye Dacus. At the onset, we watch as Julia Witherington anxiously awaits a proposal from William Ransome, a prodigy of her father, Admiral Sir Edward Witherington. When her dreams are dashed, she vows never to forgive William. She leaves England for her family's sugar plantation in Jamaica. It becomes her home and the love of her life.
Skip ahead twelve years. Julia is visiting England at the same time Captain William Ransome has come to port for reassignment and to see to the repairs to his ship the Alexandra. Their paths cross on several occasions and try as she might, Julia finds herself once again drawn to the dashing William Ransome, while William's decision of twelve years prior continues to haunts him. His feelings for Julia were always strong, but without wealth or title to offer her, he felt he had no right to her hand.
When Julia finds herself being pressured into a betrothal to her unscrupulous cousin so that he can inherit her substantial dowry and her family's wealth, she turns to William and offers him a business agreement. A marriage of convenience. If he will agree to marry her, she will give him her dowry and consent to an annulment in one year's time. Then, she will be free to return to Tierra Dulce, and live out her life in Jamaica.
I enjoyed RANSOME'S HONOR, though I felt the first half of the book moved a little slower than I would've liked. I continued reading because of the conflict the back cover promised. I'm glad I did. I breezed through the second half of the book, the momentum of the story carrying me quickly to the end. Of course, the formula of the book was typical of any true romance novel, but Kaye Dacus delivered it in a fresh new way. While most Regency novels speak with the voice of society's elite, Ms. Dacus chose instead to write with the voice of those who's lives and loves made up the Royal Navy. A refreshing read. I look forward to the rest of the series.

This is a good book with an interesting cast during the Regency period. It was a little slow at times which is why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars.

I havent given up on this author, I still plan read the second book in this trilogy.

I would recommend this book

I love historical fiction and really enjoyed reading Ransome's Honor. The title fit the story perfectly. It was like a blend of Marylu Tyndall's pirate stories as well as Linore Rose Burkhard's novels. I've never read Jane Austen (oh the shame...) but I hear it has a similar feel to it. Ransome's Honor was filled with culture and details about the mid 1800s that gave it an authentic feel. Plus the use of language from that day in age made it seem like I was part of the era as I read along. I found William to be quite the gentleman and an exciting hero as well.

The story had just enough romantic tension to make me smile when things got tense between them. Julie was a likeable heroine and I found her feelings and responses to be authentic. I loved that she didn't wuss out and that she cared about other people more than herself, especially toward the end. It was interesting, too, how this book contained the other man's POV on occasion as well as a few other characters. It wasn't distracting like it often is when you get just a snapshot from one character's POV. In Ransome's Honor it added to the story rather than distracting from it.

All in all, I found this story delightful and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys Regency era novels.

Wow! Ransome's Honor by Kaye Dacus is a winner. From first page to last, I was swept into the world of Regency England, brought to life through her vivid descriptions. I could visualize the bustling town of Portsmouth, smell the salty sea air and hear the lap of waves against the hulls of the Royal Navy's magnificent sailing ships.

Amidst the spectacular setting, we encounter a wonderful cast of characters. I liked both Captain William Ransome, the epitome of a distinguished naval officer, and Julia Witherington, a bright, determined, resourceful admiral's daughter. The secondary characters, from Julia's garrulous best friend to William's unrefined but well-intentioned steward-cum-valet, are engaging, although Dacus crafted a set of scheming scoundrels sure to raise your hackles, especially the blackguard Sir Drake Pembroke.

Rejected by Lieutenant Ransome, seventeen-year-old Julia vowed never to forgive him for not proposing to her, as all believed he would. When circumstances bring them together twelve years later, they must face one another--and their long-denied feelings. Now a captain complete with fame and fortune, William is pressed into service as Julia's protector. When deceitful relatives unveil a plan to rob her of her sizable dowry and force her to marry a cousin she reviles, she turns to the man her father loves as a son, the same man who shattered her heart. To keep her from harm, William agrees to the business arrangement she offers him--a one-year marriage in name only--in exchange for her legacy. But can they deny their reemerging feelings for one another?

Dacus is a talented author. I read her contemporaries, Stand-in Groom and Menu for Romance, and enjoyed both. I wondered, however, if her voice would lend itself to historical romance. Indeed, it does. Her research and attention to detail are remarkable, as are her command of the fashions, furnishings and dialogue of the period. She does a fine job incorporating the faith element into Ransome's Honor and has produced an inspirational Regency I enthusiastically recommend.

I picked up a copy of this book because I love regency era novels. I am a huge fan of Lawanna Blackwell and have recently enjoyed Julie Klassen. I hoped this would be another author whose books I could add to the pile of 'rewards' I give myself. (who needs a chocolate sundae when you can get lost in a good book?)

The story is interesting, and I particularly appreciated that the heroine was older and wiser than the typical 17 year old beautiful, misunderstood, looking for love but on her terms Victorian leading lady. I love a leading lady who is smart and courageous, and it seemed that Julia was. But then enters the villains... they are down right annoying and Julia's inability to do anything about their plans is irritating. Here is a woman who could run a plantation and convince her father, at the ripe age of 14, to free the slaves that worked on this plantation. When she is summoned back to England at the age of 29 to deal with the strictures of English society I dreamed of delightful tales of her outwitting them all! But in her first few weeks she lets herself be controlled by an aunt everybody knows is trying to get her hands on Julia's father's money. When this aunt throws her son, Julia's cousin, in her path as a suitor whom Julia obviously has no interest in Julia continues to play 'polite and proper'. Why? I had hoped for a tale of a woman who used her mind and her wits once she discovered what mattered to her. The love story between herself and Captain Ransome is somewhat propelled by the bad guys but it doesn't need to be. What if she had outwitted her aunt and her evil cousin early on by confiding in the Captain? By creating ways to escape the situations her aunt had manipulated that proved she was a woman who knew her mind and did not need the approval of others? Alas, she does not. Julia plays the passive pianoforte playing Victorian lady who cannot do much else but attend parties and make polite conversation. I found myself flipping to the back of the book to find out if she EVER stands up for herself.

I love a book that has strong and consistent characters. I might give this author another read, but I grow weary of plots that are driven by a 'bad guy'. There is plenty of inner turmoil and life circumstances to make for conflict in a story. Relying on sinister people keeps us from relating on more levels. I personally do not know of any evil people planning my demise...

All that said, I know that my preference is for books with character development that drive the plot. I like a good plot twist here and there that enhance the character's growth but I'm not one who likes suspense for suspense sake. But if you are looking for an interesting story set in the Victorian age, this fits the bill.

The story starts when Julia Witherington is seventeen her father Admiral Edward Witherington has been awarded knighthood they are at a ball where Julia is expecting to see Lieutenant Ransome, who she is expecting to make an offer for her. Julia has been in love with him for a long time. When he eventually arrives he comes to speak with her father, then asks Julia to take a walk with him she excitedly agrees, they go into the garden, but the offer she is hoping for does not come. William Ransome explains that he cannot consider a wife he has nothing to offer, being a poor Lieutenant. Leaving Julia devastated.
Twelve years later Julia is living in Portsmouth with her father, she is almost thirty an old spinster. When who should make a reappearance but William Ransome now a captain. Julia decides to avoid the Captains company at all costs but that does not work out too well as he is one of her father's favourites. Julia spent a lot of her life living in Jamaica with her mother while her father was on his commissions for the Royal Navy. She loved Jamaica living on her father's plantation. But after her mothers death she had to move to Portsmouth to live with her father, her Aunt Pembroke also lives with them at Sir Edwards request to introduce Julia into society. Julia's Aunt has a son whom she plots to have married to Julia for her fortune. But does the handsome Captian Ransome still love Julia? And has she forgiven him for his rejection twelve years before!
This is a very well written story. The author has a good knowledge of the period, and the book is very well detailed. The characters are very well defined especially the two leads. The authors style is reminiscent of Jane Austin, I found many similarities to her stories in particular "Persuasion". This is a really good read and I thoroughly recommend it. There are two books to follow in this series that I will be sure to read.

I read a couple of Kaye's contemporaries, and they were great, but when I read this historical, I thought it was fantastic! Kaye Dacus did a wonderful job of whisking me back in time. Her attention to detail and descriptions is exceptional! I really enjoyed learning about the royal navy, and look forward to reading more. She did her homework with her research, and her writing. I am anxiously awaiting the next two novels in this series, as I have fallen in love with William Ransome, and Julia Witherington.
There are just enough plot twists to keep the pages turning. I won't reveal any because numerous other reviews have already done so, but I wanted to give this book a thumbs up on Amazon. Kudos to Kaye Dacus!!!!

I was pleasantly surprised at how easily and thoroughly this novel captured and retained my attention. It was certainly of sufficient length, yet never became boring or repetative. The characters were surprisingly complex and believable, and the mannerisms and speech patterns and societal nuances of the early 19th century were seamlessly integrated without interfering with the story or the understanding of the story elements. I won't give a plot rehash, since others already have, but let's just say there was plenty of mystery, danger, friendship, loyalty, love, and honor in this story. In addition, there was a little religion, or more precisely faith, which was definitely not overdone or out of place or obtrusive. I really enjoyed this book and highly ecommend it. I will be purchasing the other two as well.