Regency Brides – Not Quite Ordinary

Underestimating Miss Cecilia

Posted on July 30, 2019 by Ann B. Hibbard

A couple of years ago, I was introduced to Carolyn Miller, an author of Christian romantic fiction set in nineteenth century England. I typically don’t enjoy reading romantic fiction just for the sake of reading romantic fiction. I like a romantic component, but I prefer it to be a side story or a vehicle by which something more intriguing (especially history!) is shared. So, while I agreed to review Miller’s novels, I honestly didn’t expect her to become a favorite author. Yet, somehow I kept coming back to her.

I finished her Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace series and enjoyed all three books. Although I missed her second Regency Brides series (A Promise of Hope), when I had the chance to pick up Underestimating Miss Cecilia, book two in Daughters of Aynsley, the third Regency Brides series, I figured I’d give it a whirl. And I’m glad I did.

Obviously, it’s always dangerous to pick up the second book in a three-book series without having read the first book. But, this particular gamble turned out well. Although there were clear references to the first book, as well as indications that I was missing some details from having not read A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh, I found Underestimating Miss Cecilia to be sufficiently self-contained. The characters were easy to get to know, and the flow of the story carried itself well.

When reading a romantic novel, it goes without saying that the girl gets the boys and vice versa. That is simply the nature of romantic fiction. But, once again, Carolyn Miller artfully weaves the story to keep the reader engaged and interested, even knowing what the end result will be. The how is the key, and Miller handles the how well.

She also includes a treasure that makes this book even more fun for me: history! This particular history includes the struggle for labor and representation reform in England in the first half of the 19th century, revolving around the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. (Yes, I had to look it up!) I enjoy novels that breathe life into history I’m either unaware of or have only seen facts about. How did real people interact with those events? What impact did they have on actual lives? What did the people at the forefront of change experience and sacrifice to see the change come to be? As William Wilberforce gave his time, energy, and even health to the fight to end the slave trade, so did others surrender much to see that common laborers received fair representation in Parliament. Carolyn Miller’s weaving of this portion of history into the fabric of a romance makes for captivating reading.

There is one more aspect of the Regency Brides books that I enjoy. Many historical novels are written such that the characters may be fully in their own time period, but their language more reflects our own. On the one hand, I understand this. Language changes, and authors must choose whether to adhere to the language of the time or write in a way that our modern sensitivities can grasp. I think Carolyn Miller does a good job of bridging that gap. While I do think many of the thought processes reflected in Underestimating Miss Cecilia and the other books in the Regency Brides series more match modern culture than the early 1800s, there are also many references, comments, dialogues, and behaviors that are clearly foreign to us. Little idioms caused me to pause and contemplate. Phrasings caught me off guard. I loved those moments and those little glimpses into how culture grows and changes.

All that to say, for those who enjoy Christian romantic fiction, especially of a British flair, Underestimating Miss Cecilia is definitely a title to check out. And yes, I’d also recommend it to those who like historical fiction and don’t mind it being presented in a strong romantic frame. Overall, I am definitely finding Carolyn Miller to be an enjoyable author when I’m in the mood for a fun, even predictable read while still wanting depth and an element of surprise.

THIS BOOK WAS SENT TO ME BY KREGEL PUBLICATIONS IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW.

Reviews

The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey

Posted on October 26, 2017July 29, 2019 by Ann B. Hibbard

When you pick up a novel that includes romance, it is almost always obvious from the beginning which characters will fall in love by the end. The challenge for an author is to recognize that the conclusion is not a mystery, yet keep the reader wondering how in the world it could possibly come to fruition. That is the key to writing romance well, and it is a key that Carolyn Miller handles with finesse.

The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey is book three of Carolyn Miller’s Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace series. I was introduced to the series this spring with The Elusive Miss Ellison, and enjoyed book two, The Captivating Lady Charlotte over the summer. The delight of the series is such that, although it was relatively easy to see which character the author would focus on in each subsequent release, the playing out of each lady’s story was anything but predictable. In fact, Carolyn Miller tackles quite the challenge with this third title when she takes a young lady who was somewhat of a villain in the first two books and turns her into the lead character of The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey.

Miss Clara DeLancey was once among the most eligible of London’s high society. But when the Earl of Hawkesbury, the one man who held her interest, rejected her in favor of the “unworthy” Lavinia Ellison, bitterness toward both the earl and his bride buried itself deep into her soul. Then, if the rejection had not caused enough damage, scandal visited her family in another fashion, reducing them from the most admired of London society to the subjects of juicy gossip. Retreating to a modest life in Brighton, Clara finds every foundation of her life – her beauty, wealth, and status – stripped away, leaving her with little to stand on.

Clara finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Mattie McPherson and Tessa Kemsley, two sisters who exhibit a genuine love unlike anything she has ever known. Unfortunately, the Viscountess Winpoole, Clara’s mother, still clings to the pride of their station and considers her daughter’s newfound friends to be appalling company. But something stronger than society and status keeps the desperate Miss DeLancey hungry for the company of her new friends, not to mention their somewhat intimidating brother, Captain Benjamin Kemsley.

Anyone who has read the first two books in the Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace series will expect a beautiful romance in The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey. But the true beauty of this novel is not the love story between and man and a woman. It’s the love story of redemption. Of the way God works in even the most prideful of hearts, turning them toward Himself. This story is woven naturally and seamlessly into the fabric of the novel, turning a delightful historical romance into something so much deeper.

My girls and I have fallen in love with the Regency Brides series and definitely recommend all three titles!

This book was sent to me by Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest review.

Reviews

The Captivating Lady Charlotte

Posted on August 1, 2017July 29, 2019 by Ann B. Hibbard

Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to review The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller, and I enjoyed it immensely. So, when The Captivating Lady Charlotte, book two in the Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace series, came available for review, I was delighted to take the opportunity.

Once again, readers can visit a world where the meeting of social class expectations is critical and deviation is frowned upon. Novel after novel has been written about socialites who have bucked against the expectations of their class or their parents, declaring that love or personal ambition is more important than fulfilling social expectations. But is that always the case? Can embracing the expectations sometimes be the correct solution?

That, in a nutshell, is the conflict in The Captivating Lady Charlotte. And Carolyn Miller handles the conflict beautifully, processing through both the spiritual and social aspects of the question. How does independence flow with maintaining a relationship of honor and respect with one’s parents? Can social constraints and expectations always be categorized as positive or negative? When is a desire to break free of social expectations honorable and when is it self-centered?

Throughout the process of grappling with this conflict, Carolyn Miller also explores spiritual growth and relational dynamics while weaving a beautiful romance. Readers who enjoyed getting to know Nicholas and Lavinia in The Elusive Miss Ellison will enjoy seeing them again as their lives intersect with Lavinia’s cousin Charlotte.

Once again, my lack of familiarity with the culture and social construct of British high society in the early 1800’s left me pulling out the encyclopedia or running quick web searches now and then to explore just what the author was referring to when a specific destination or “current” events story was mentioned. What induced daily conversation among Britain’s elite in 1814 did not always reach the American history books of my day! But, although it might have been easier for me as the reader to have had a little more explanation worked into the storyline, it was also fun to stop and do a bit of research on my own, learning something new about a segment in history with which I have limited interaction.

Carolyn Miller’s second installment in the Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace series is definitely one that I both enjoyed and gladly recommend. My daughters are enjoying the series right along with me, and we look forward to reading book three, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, when it comes out this fall!

THIS BOOK WAS SENT TO ME BY KREGEL PUBLICATIONS IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW.

Reviews

The Elusive Miss Ellison

Posted on March 24, 2017July 29, 2019 by Ann B. Hibbard

The popularity of television shows such as Downton Abbey reflects a literary popularity that has been steadily growing for some time now. Authors who loved Jane Eyre and the various heroes and heroines of Jane Austen as teens are now penning their own Christian versions of stories from the same period of history.

I did love Jane Eyre as a teenager, but only recently has my overall taste for historical fiction branched from my preferred American pioneer or World War II genres to include the collision of the genteel and popular British culture of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. So, I recognize that I still have much to learn. The various ranks and habits of the British nobility remain a bit unfamiliar to me. The stories, however, are very fascinating.

As with other favorite genres, I am trying to explore new authors as I have the opportunity. Carolyn Miller’s The Elusive Miss Ellison came up for review through Kregel, and the plot sounded intriguing. I was not disappointed!

Miss Lavinia Ellison is the not-so-eligible daughter of Reverend Ellison and crusader for the plights of the poor villagers in her father’s parish. When Nicholas Stamford, the new Earl of Hawkesbury, arrives to evaluate the situation of his holdings, he finds Lavinia Ellison formidable, opinionated, and disturbingly intriguing.

The Elusive Miss Ellison is very obviously a romance. Readers know quickly that the anticipated romantic tension will exist between Nicholas and Lavinia, and it is obvious that the pair will be forced to conquer challenges posed by the expectations of two very different social stations. It is not an uncommon theme for romantic fiction of this genre. So, what makes this particular novel stand out?

I enjoyed “watching” the relationships explored in The Elusive Miss Ellison. Friendships, both new and longstanding, formed a foundation for the story. But, my favorite relationships were those that quietly and steadily shared the love of Christ. It was fascinating to watch various characters discover the spiritual standing of other characters. I also enjoyed the fact that the Christians in Carolyn Miller’s novel were real people who had to work through their faults and struggles like anyone else – but they had both the encouragement and the correction of the Holy Spirit to make it happen. Discipling relationships were sprinkled throughout the novel. Discipleship through relationships is a passion of mine, and I love to see it explored in fiction as an example for real life.

I also appreciated the author’s approach to bringing the romance to fruition. I won’t explore this particular point too deeply, because to do so would give away too many spoilers. But, despite the familiar ebb and flow of a Christian romance novel, the author introduced creativity in the storyline that kept it from being overly predictable.

My familiarity with early nineteenth century British culture and society is still limited, so I admit to getting lost a few times when “popular” references were made or when members of the nobility discussed their society from an insider perspective. I missed the significance of much of the banter, simply because I had no context for it. It did not diminish my enjoyment of the story, but it did show me that I am not in the “in” group when it comes to readers (and writers) of this genre.

So, would I recommend The Elusive Miss Ellison? Definitely! It is a good read for teens and adults alike. I’m not sure I would encourage readers with little or not exposure to early 19th century British culture to start here, but it is definitely a good read.