Kinsale, Laura - For My Lady's Heart

[oyceter]

(reread)

Mostly I reread this because I wanted to see if it would get better. Alas, no. It had all the potential to push every single one of my buttons, but it just never quite got there. This may be in part because of the sort-of-Old-English that Kinsale uses in the dialogue, and partly because I never quite get the sense of menace and threat that I should have if I am to believe in Melanthe's character.

Melanthe is the princess of Monteverde, one of the three warring kingdoms in Italy (the other two being Navona and Riata). The death of her husband means that there is a chance for either Navona or Riata to take over Monteverde through marriage, but all Melanthe wants to do is escape the political turmoil and retire to her childhood home of Bowland in England. Ruck somehow ends up protecting her.

Haha, I am too lazy to give good summary today.

I think originally I thought I would like the book because Melanthe is a pretty cold heroine. Being embroiled in the complex schemes of the Riata and the Navona, as well as the precious dowry she bears, has been enough to teach her that she should never show her emotions, never care about people. Eh, ok, I am strange, but this interests me. And while the book is on Melanthe learning to love and the like, which is a story that does interest me, it's more about her fear and her insecurity and her desire to flee. I'm not sure if she ever does overcome that. She just ends up finding a better protector in Ruck. I suppose a big part of the book is her learning to trust enough to depend on Ruck and not push him away when Navona comes for her, but that bit just doesn't work for me.

There's a distance from the characters that keeps me from being interested in their story. Also, I sort of resent the fact that Melanthe gives up Monteverde to keep Bowland and that Ruck gets a Secret Destiny. I hope I am not spoiling anything, as the whole set up with him as a nameless knight pretty much begs for a Secret Destiny.

Anyhow, I get the feeling that the book is about Melanthe finding a protector and being able to escape from that which made her dangerous and coveted in the first place, and while that is a perfectly fine story to tell, it just doesn't seem to be one I am very interested in right now.

Well, at the very least, this makes parts of Shadowheart (one of my favorite romances ever) make a whole lot more sense.

Comments

[oyceter]

Ooh, yes, the romance conversion kit is evil. It got me on a giant romance reading kick early last year and finally found good stuff.

I've had a really hard time finding good stuff on my own, and I feel like I'm running out of recs, which is sad. At least right now I'm glomming onto Loretta Chase, who has a giant, giant backlist, yay.

I very much like the last book of Brockway's latest trilogy, though it tends to peter out a little (I find Brockway's strongest point is definitely not plotting, though not in the same crack-laden way of Kinsale). The first two were a bit meh for me... And hey, if you find any good new romance authors, I would love to know! My reading pool is getting so small =(.

[heresluck]

Well, as I said, I've tried a few things not on the rec lists... and didn't like them. So I think every romance I've read, finished, and kept is by an author I found via mely or oracne (and most are specific books they mention), and thus I doubt I have any cool new info for you.

Totally agree with you about plot not being Brockway's strong point. But her characters are so much fun (for both charming and angsty values of "fun"), and her writing is so blessedly not-clunky (for the most part), that I am willing to cut her almost infinite slack on the plot thing.

I went on a Loretta Chase binge a while back -- found some of the reissues of her Regencies. I thought Isabella and The English Witch, in particular, were utterly charming. And she has a new one out -- Mr. Impossible, or whatever it is -- that I've already picked up and am looking forward to; I think that'll be one of my post-dissertation rewards. I didn't know she had a giant backlist, though; I may have to pursue her stuff a little less haphazardly. Anything you've particularly liked so far?

[oyceter]

Well, I guess her backlist is probably not as ginormous as Nora Roberts', say, but hey, it means at least 7-8 romances of hers that I have not read! Joy! I've got to read Isabella and The English Witch now. I've read her Mr. Impossible, The Last Hellion, The Knave's Wager and The Devil's Delilah; I know the last is Mely's favorite. I've actually liked all of them. I think The Knave's Wager is less charmingly fun, from what I remember, but I read it a year back, so I don't quite remember. I adored Mr. Impossible. Well, and the rest! I've gotten warnings from several people that The Sandalwood Princess would probably cause my head to explode in sheer frustration due to the Orientalism, so I've been hesitant about picking that one up. Otherwise, all the reviews have been good!

It's strange, because I kept not picking up her books because her premises aren't ones that tend to appeal to me, but her characters are just so nice and funny that I end up incredibly delighted at the end of each book.