Miss Truelove Beckons (Zebra Regency Romance) [Paperback]

Donna Simpson (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 253 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082177039X
• ISBN-13: 978-0821770399
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,603,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

When I was a kid, I thought you had to be someone extraordinary to become an author. I always loved to read and write, but was too unsure of myself to believe that I could ever become a published author. I've been fortunate enough in my life to have someone stand by me and repeatedly tell me I can do it. My advice to anyone who wants to write is, find someone who believes in you and cling to them! It's not an easy road, but it's worth it.

I read mysteries - Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, among other authors - and then discovered, quite by accident, Regency romances. I suppose it's no surprise that when I decided to try writing seriously, I wrote a Regency. Absentee Heart, my first attempt, was published by Rubenesque Romances in 1997, but is still available online from Blackfriars Publications.

My first *big* break was with Zebra Books, for their Regency line. Lord St. Claire's Angel, my first with Zebra, is still a favorite among many reviewers. I wrote over twenty Regency romance novels and anthology contributions for them, and adored every moment of it.

But I wanted more' I wanted to write longer and more in-depth stories. I wanted to explore a darker side to life, and go beyond the shores and time of Regency England. I love mystery, and feel that every good story is truly a mystery in a sense; even if there is no murder involved in a romance novel (though there actually *may be* in my newest books - wink wink!!) there is mystery in love.

How are the hero and heroine going to get together? Will they know immediately that they belong together, or will they have to suffer and find each other through turmoil? What will happen to keep them apart, and can they defeat every obstacle to come together finally?

I have been fortunate enough recently to move on to write paranormal (werewolf) historical romance for Berkley Books and am loving every second of it. Set in the Lower Saxony region of Germany in 1795, the 'Awaiting' books are a fabulous and thrilling departure for me. The spookiness of a gothic castle in Germany, lies and deception, twisted family secrets and the dark world of weird occurrences makes for a rich and colorful tapestry when woven with human foibles and thrilling, erotic love and lust!

Romantic Times said about my first paranormal with Berkley, Awaiting the Moon, that: 'By mixing a classic gothic with paranormal overtones Simpson has a winner. This impossible-to-put-down romance belongs alongside Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney and Daphne du Maurier. Here is a pure classic plotline with just the right touch of the ominous, the perfect amount of suspense and plenty of sexual tension to keep you reading late into the night and finish satiated.'

About the second they said: 'Simpson continues the Wolfram saga as a young woman becomes entwined in dark secrets while threads of werewolves myth, greed, passion, lies and deceptions swirl around pulling you into a tightly crafted paranormal romance with gothic overtones. Victoria Holt would be proud.'

I was thrilled! What an honour to be compared to those writers. As I suppose you can tell, dear reader, I'm enjoying the ride so far... long may it last!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a very tasteful romance novel, June 5, 2001

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miss Truelove Beckons (Zebra Regency Romance) (Paperback)

"Miss Truelove Beckons" is a rather touching love story about the meeting of true minds and spirits, misunderstandings, and of how (in novels anyway) true love always triumphs.

Wycliffe Prescott, Viscount Drake, has returned from the wars a weary and broken man. The horrors of the Napoleonic Wars are still fresh in his mind, and his mother's constant reminders that he should marry and set up his nursery, only adds to the his feeling of malaise. He does however attempt to pull himself together, especially as his mother has invited her good friend, Lady Swinley, together with Lady Swinley's beautiful daughter, Arabella, and her niece, Miss Truelove Becket to Lea Park for the summer. Both Wycliffe's mother and Lady Swinley have hopes of promoting a match between Wycliffe and Arabella. However Wycliffe confounds everyone by being drawn to the poor cousin, Truelove Bucket, instead. Her sweet voice and gentle nature is a balm to his troubled soul -- Truelove seems to be instinctively able to sense what is wrong with Wycliffe and to know how to deal with him, much to the horror, chagrin and anger of Lady Swinley and Arabella. Before too long Wycliffe and Truelove have fallen in love with each other, though neither suspects that their love is reciprocated. And then Arabella, suspecting that she is getting no where with the viscount, lies to her cousin that she is in love with Wycliffe herself. Truelove is a humble vicar's daughter who has no expectation of ever winning such a man as Wycliffe Prescott for herself, so that when a letter arrives from her father bidding her to come home, she leaves Lea Park with little ceremony.

Arabella Swinley now makes her bid to win Wycliffe's affections. But she has been trained to be the perfect tonnish young lady, and has no understanding for Wycliffe's humours or the kinds of issues that move him -- making things easier for his tenants, relief for the war veterans, etc. However she must obtain a proposal of marriage from Wycliffe, for Arabella and her mother are quite penniless, and they face a life of abject poverty, unless Arabella marries well. How will things pan out? Will Arabella sacrifice her cousin's happiness for her own self interest? Will Truelove and Wycliffe find true happiness and fulfillment in each other?

I rather enjoyed this novel. The book doesn't boast of a very complex plot, and the characters are all pretty much the average stock of characters: hero, heroine, silly male friend, manipulative older woman, understanding mother, difficult to like younger woman, etc. Truelove Becket is probably one of the gentlest and sweetest of heroines -- I don't think she lost her temper even once in this novel, not even when Arabella was having one of her hysterical tantrums. Wycliffe Prescott is true to form as the troubled and dashing hero. Strangely enough however I was most intrigued by the character of Arabella Swinley, who veered from seeming quite shallow and manipulative to showing some backbone and affection for her cousin. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there is a novel in the works that features the rehabilitation of Arabella. I do hope so for I'm quite looking forward to that!

"Miss Truelove Beckons" is a very tasteful romance novel, and is well worth a five star rating.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars real love, May 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Miss Truelove Beckons (Zebra Regency Romance) (Paperback)

Miss Truelove Beckons is a book with two people who falls in love after a few months in each others company. Lord Drake is a true hero in every sense. He was a major in the war and barely survived. And because of that he has extremely bad nightmares and it does not seem to get any better until True (the heroin) shows up as her cousin's, Arabella, companion, along with Arabella's mother. True and Lord Drake builds a friendship, because she is the only one willing to listen and speak openly about his real experience in the war. After months of friendship they find themselves in love, but her cousin will do what ever it takes to trap the Lord Drake for herself.

I liked the book because they actually got to know each other throughout the summer months. I also liked that they were friends before they fell in love. I did not like True's cousin, Arabella, character. If anything I think she kind of spoiled the book because she would not stand up to her snobby mother until the end and then she still gave in. I also did not like Lord Drake's friend who ended up persuing True's cousin, he was not a true friend. But overall the book was a good book to read on a Saturday.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Starts slow., July 21, 2001

By 

Affaire de Coeur - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miss Truelove Beckons (Zebra Regency Romance) (Paperback)

When Viscount Drake meets Miss Truelove Becket, he mistakes her name for Truelove Beckons. For Drake, the lady's sweetness and purity of spirit do beckon. Wounded in soul from the war and his near death at Waterloo, Drake is plagued with nightmares. With Truelove he finds peace. As their friendship evolves into love, the couples' families resist. Drake's parents expect him to wed Arabella. Lady Swinley, who is Arabella's mother and Truelove's cousin, does not want Truelove to steal this prize. Truelove will seem either refreshing or unrealistically good, depending on the reader. Arabella is an interesting companion wavering between being the sweet child Truelove recalls and the simpering, scheming creature Lady Swinley has instructed her to be. The story gets off to a slow start, but the pace picks up midway through the novel.