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Review by Jodi Israel
If Regency England is your bailiwick, check out Shirley Kennedy's "Lady Semple's Secret". Meg Quincy has been a servant since she was six, but that doesn't mean she is subservient. In fact, for reasons never clear to her, she was educated alongside her employer's children. Which explains why she doesn't bow meekly out of the room when Richard, Lord Beaumont walks in. Instead, sensing his black mood, she reads him one of her favorite poems. Richard is floored. He is also intrigued and attracted. But Meg is only a servant -- isn't she?
Kennedy's prose flows from the page with grace. Her dialogue, complete with appropriate accents, is exceptionally vivid. I found myself reading passages aloud to appreciate the lyric quality. Crisp plotting and attractive characters make Kennedy an author to watch!
Back in America, Lorraine Heath's post-Civil War story, "Texas Destiny", brought me to tears more than once. Amelia Carson can't wait to escape war-ravaged Georgia. Her husband-to-be has described his Texas homestead in such glowing terms Amelia knows she will soon have a new home. Unfortunately, Dallas Leigh breaks his leg shortly before her arrival. Since his ranch is three weeks from anywhere, he sends his brother Houston to fetch her. Everyone knows there will be no impropriety -- after all, Houston's face has been nearly blown to bits in the war. But life plays funny tricks on people, and three weeks of close quarters force both to drop their polite facades. Heath pulls no punches as she drags you through the emotional gamut from tears to laughter and back again. Amelia is gentle hearted and strong enough to bend with the wind, showing Houston that being a man comes from within. This gets my vote for keeper of the month!
Jodi Israel is a member of the Romance Writers of America and can be reached at jodi@tiac.net.
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