The Fancy

The Fancy Series #1

by Mercedes Keyes

The slave trader, "fancy" dealer was saving the best for last, for a special auction. However, at hearing how close he'd come to losing his mother - his priorities, his plan shifted. Dr. Quinton Thaddeus Caine had saved his mother's life - for this deed, the young surgeon deserved the best that he could give in compensation. A gift - the best - a Fancy. To his reasoning, what better gift could one man offer another? Especially considering that the new doctor had arrived and settled in their small town off the Port end of Connecticut - with practically nothing. He would need help, in more ways than one - thus - the placing of Suga - his most valuable possession - her skills far exceeded many of those whom were purchased simply to fill ones bed. According to her master, she'd been taught to serve in many more ways... than that one - as her new owner, Quinton Caine would come to find out.

Genres: Historical Romance, Interracial Romance, Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical

260 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 2006

About the author

Born in the south, Mississippi - grew up back and forth between there and Chicago, where she went to school. Keyes married early in life and gave birth to three beautiful children, two daughters, and a son. Currently, she has 7 grandsons and 1 granddaughter

She lives in Colorado now - after relocating from England where she used the backdrop of the small island to learn more about the world's historical past. A past that she's made a point to write about, as Ms. Keyes is a lover of history.

Currently, she is working on Saoirse - her sixth historical with Cromwell's reign that brought about Irish slaves - which will be followed by Fancy Free - another historical surrounding Cora's Daughters - the Fancy Series.

She can be found @ amberswann.org - where she continues to slowly build a world of quality interracial literature!

Drop in and join her blog!
http://amberswann.blogspot.com

Reviews

[Nia Forrester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a skeptic, I'll admit it. I have strong feelings about the antebellum period and hate (yes, I used the word 'hate') the fluffy period books that somehow suggest that liaisons between female slaves and their masters were in some way voluntary. That whole 'Jefferson in Paris' yarn made me puke, for example. So it was with some trepidation that I decided to read 'The Fancy'. But Mercedes Keyes did a masterful job of navigating this very difficult tale to tell (and sell) of a white man and a "fancy" (slave bred to be the 'bed wench' of her master)falling in love. She had a wonderful parallel in his experience to explain why he was seemingly immune to the sensibilities of the time which dictated that those of African descent were necessarily inferior to their white masters. There were some anomalies in the dialogue and a few aspects of the story that were fairytale-like, but they were very, very minimal and did not detract from the overall feat of making it believable that a strong and genuine attachment had formed between these two incredibly unlikely lovers. I highly recommend this book to anyone who might have the same misgivings I had. Ms. Keyes will make a believer out of you. I am almost afraid to break the spell by reading anything else of hers, and am still a little befuddled about which of my shelves to put this book on. Perhaps it deserves one of its own.

[Shadow Jubilee]

DNF

Let me know when this has been seen by a credible editor. As it stands now, I had to give it up before I completed the first "sentence" because the author does not know how to use punctuations to write a proper one.

For once, he was glad that he'd chosen to walk to those needing his care instead of taking his carriage; that day, he needed to breathe, reminding himself why he'd chosen his direction in life, the stroll was to help clear his head, and now concluding his day, the much sought after surgeon, Doctor Quinton Thaddeus Caine, took a deep breath to steel himself; reaching up, he firmly applied the door knocker, giving it three precise raps against the weather worn brass plate.

Full stops/periods are your friends.

[Deloris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, When it starts out Quinton is given Sugah as a gift she is a slave a Fancy ( used for the pleasure of men) . Quinton does not believe in owning slaves but takes Sugah home with him. This is a true love story , love of self and love of others . Quinton teaches Sugah to be a lady he falls deeply in love with her and her with him, she learns that she is meant to be more than a slave. You have to read this story to find out the wonderful treasures inside their are parts of this story that will shock and make you smile but at the end you will be happy like I am now.

[Margie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Fancy was an okay read. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. Thus the two star rating.

The premise of this novel intrigued me. A white man who professes to be adamantly against slavery is gifted with a slave. I wondered what would entice him to keep her. The author actually handled this quite well. She gave plausible reasons for Quinton's decision to keep the slave, and for Suga wanting to stay.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel the connection between the two leads. Quinton continually stated that having Suga around allowed him to attend to other things. He could study, practice medicine, and handle his other obligations because Suga was taking care of the household duties. According to his own avowals, he loved having her around to attend to things he didn't want to take care of. He was happy knowing she was in the vicinity. She need not, and most often was not, in his presence. Quinton was good to Suga, but he showed little true passion toward her.

The plot itself showed tremendous promise. Numerous hurdles were thrust in Suga's path. She had to transition from an illiterate slave to a cultured lady in a very short time. She triumphed in this. She learned to read, perfected her healing skills, and learned etiquette. But she never really got to show it off. Every time she had a challenge she had a cheat. Have to meet someone who might not like her? Make that person ill or poor or in some other way in desperate need of her services. It was all too easy.

One plot point revolved around the purchase of Suga's mother. Quinton agonized over this. He had to secure the assistance of a shipping magnate to carry out the plan. Turns out that he too married a former slave. Hmm? Once they arrived at the plantation where Suga's mother was being held, the transaction was settled in a matter of moments.

Once Quinton and Suga (now Sarah) arrived in England she was still not tested in any fundamental ways. Upon arrival she saw that the servants on the estate were ragged and starving. She was outraged and insisted on raising their standard of living. But again, those she was most fearful of having to face were somehow in a hopeless predicament which she was able to rush in and resolve.

She is eventually invited to a prestigious ball by the wife of a Duke. Finally, she will have a chance to show what she has learned. But this scene occurred at the end of the book and was handled very abruptly. She arrived in a daringly low cut gown, spoke a few sentences and all were enamored with her. This scene was highly unrealistic and felt rushed.

This novel had a lot of potential, however, most of the conflict was resolved too easily, never giving the heroine a chance to shine.

[Deena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't remember if this book was recommended or if I just stumbled across it in my never-ending search for a good read; whatever the case, after reading so many good reviews, I decided to take the plunge. I'm usually hesitant about spending more $$ for a book from an author I'm unfamiliar with, but with all those 5-star reviews, the book has to be good, right? Well...maybe, maybe not.

To be fair, the story itself was pretty good. I love historicals, and was a little hesitant about this one, given the subject matter, but I was pleasantly surprised. There were a couple of scenes where I found myself giving Quentin the serious side-eye, but overall I liked Quentin and Suga a lot. I even liked the dog.

So, why only 3 stars? The book was rife with punctuation errors. Commas and semicolons seemingly were inserted whenever and wherever, which resulted in me having to read sentences several times just so they would make sense. This kind of thing frustrates me to no end and pretty much ruined whatever potential enjoyment I might have had. I would love to read the rest of the series, but I'm reluctant to spend more than $5 for a poorly edited book.

[Emma Harlow]

Oh my god so corny!! Given that, it could've been way worse. There were really only two parts where I was just done, once with him and then the second time with her.

The two parts went with this. The first was his and I think everyone will agree on this SPOILER (how do you hide a small spoiler). It when he rapes her in the courthouse! Ok, so he doesn't want to. He's being coerced, which is shame on the town council or whatever they are, but he could've been gentle. He was pretending to be a snob who thinks he's too good for a slave not a sadist.

The second might just be me, but it's when they're going to his town or w/e and she gets all self righteous b/c of all the poverty. Yeah, it's sad and she was super nice to them, but it was too much for me. Like, what was he supposed to have down from across the ocean in America??? Govern them with good vibrations?

Still, I have to admit, I liked Suga/Sarah a lot.

[B*tchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very leery of how this book would approach the subject matter, but I must say this book was really good. The heroine is strong, and the H isn't a jerk. They did not sugarcoat the atrocities of the era but gave it this modern flare that just makes you want to believe. I should definitely give this a re-read.

[Cinquetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES! YES! YES! I scream when I seem this book was release. It was worth the wait, it is best book I read in long time. I cannot wait to read it again. I giving myself few more days then i am reading the book. I love Suga. If I could be a character I would choose her. I love her strenght her tenicity her courage her sweetest and her iltelligent. Quinton is the man. He was patient kind and he have borderline rudness. Only thing I did not like about him he was 6'0 tall. If he was taller he would had been perfect, at least in my book. The book is well written. The plot is exciting and entertaining. BRAVO! Ms. Keys thank you for this wonderful amazing story thank you!!!!!!

[Manoushka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again...I love happy endings!

[Bukunmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book recommended from {the musings of a romance junkie blog post} (please check her out if you are interested in interracial romance book reviews and recommendations (her reviews do not only include BW & WM but other ethnicities)


ANYWAYS…. onto the book review

The main plot of this book was entertaining, heartfelt and a little steamy..


But where. Was. The. Danger?


I found this book had all the necessary components of a bw& wm historical romance set in a period where not all states had freed slaves yet- i.e slave masters, racial bigotry, conflicting racial tensions etc

But I feel like there were so many missed opportunities for smaller issues to really explode!!

The way SUGA and QUINTON fell in love was sweet and genuine but to maintain that love seemed pretty easy.

Fair enough others disapproved of their relationship but-

nobody.. actually.. did anything.. Substantial.


To threaten that new love?




Please stop here- there are spoilers below…

I thought that things started to spice up after they were ‘forced to be married’ I personally believe Quinton could should have really had a talk with suga after he forcefully took her virginity (although no other way)

He just said some poxy apology and she took it, he never actually explained in the romantic, heart fluttering, coochie quenching , bare chested… stoic way.. that men express sorry for doing something bad and the reasons for it


THEN they literally just upped and left AND the towns people/ the priest/ bad guys LET THEM??


Am I missing a few bolts?

Some storylines were never fully developed?

Evans sudden interest in Suga?

I don’t even understand who was the guy that offed Quinton and Evans mum LOOOOOOOL?

(Not that I cared for Lilith she was moving abit tooo crazzzyyy)

(Almost incestul)

but the author didnt even give her a chance to use her broom stick and be the real witch she had the potential to be….

There are many others but I’m not trying to make this too long-

Some of the grammar used in this book was definitely not from that time era, I felt myself dissociating when I would read a word I knew nobody would say.

Overall I do recommend this book it was fresh and gentle, the pace isn’t slow and it really gets to business from the jump.


I enjoyed the bits that added more context such as discussion sugas hair texture and how she helped her maid maintain it.

[Lesley-gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can not believe that I read this book. In all good conscience I should not have even entertained this book. Not someone with my feminist and anti-racist ideals. Alas not only did I read it, but enjoyed it. Mercedes Keyes weaves a nice adventure. It is definitely a fairy tale, which is probably unfair to say, because anything is possible. Interestingly, I probably liked Quinton more than Suga. So happy that Keyes did not focus on his aesthetics, but more his character. For the most part he was respectful, except for one horrendous experience which could have been better handled. But Suga loved him so much - anything he did, she would have forgiven him. I can't believe Keyes had her choose between freedom and him. It was a hard pill to swallow that Suga, an Enslaved was so accepting of her fate - was unwilling to accept the possibility of freedom and equality. I do understand that some people of colour had and have that mentality. Perhaps I am unable to truly comprehend the mind fuck that slavery was. Caribbean and North American Enslaved have different mentalities. The best part of the book is how she evolved to see her worth, but it was sad that other people had to teach her that. Sad, that she did not have this ingrained within. Regardless, I will definitely re-read at some point, it was comparable to a guilty pleasure like eating chocolate in bed.

[Asia Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I agree that the book could have used some professional editing, but the story itself couldn't have been much better. I was happy to see that the author stayed away from what normally happens in historical stories about slaves, owners, and the old south.

By making him completely compassionate and anti-slavery, it gave a different dimension to the story. Making her pull herself out of the "slave mentality" with his help and friends, she became what she could never envison herself before meeting him.

I also write romance novels, and I remember when I started, that I asked some ladies of color what they would like to see in a romance novel featuring a black heroine. The first thing heard was "Don't give her a stupid name!" So you can imagine my feelings when I saw "Suga". I was so thankful for the name change to something more suitable to how she had progressed. I was also gratified, that she refused to allow others to remain in the state that she found them in.

Keeping with the romance theme, the love story that grew between the main characters was palpable. The love scenes were sensual and not over the top for that story.

I recommend that the author get some editing done and reissue the book. Its already a good read, and the editing is holding it back.

[Tijuanna Ruffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinton and Suga

This book was so good that I had to give it 5 stars. I was lost in Quinton and Suga's story from beginning to end. I liked how Quinton (A doctor) was taking care of people and never thinking of himself. Quinton was so focused on being a great Doctor that he knew he wouldn't have time for a wife until he met Suga. Being gifted to him and not liking slavery, Quinton did the right thing when promising Suga that he would never leave her. I enjoyed seeing Suga grow and become Sarah just as much as seeing her and Quinton's relationship and marriage grow. Quinton was such a good man and had to make some tough decisions for him and Suga to be together. Leaving America and going to England to start their lives was a significant change for Suga and thus Lady Sarah was born. I loved all the family (Cora) and friends and even Moose. I smiled seeing Cora finally find someone (A man) like Heathcote to be with in her free years. Overall I loved Quinton and Suga/Sarah's story and highly recommend it.

[Tiffany Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suga and Quinton

This book was amazing I mean the characters the story the plot so much development and history, even thonsuga was a slave (Fancy) at first sis rose to the top by simply being herself and she had so much to offer, and I loved me some Quinton he did not care who you were u knew that he loved him so suga, I am hoping for a part two simply cause I love drama I need Hayden and Evan to make a move but besides that amazing book thank god Cora was alive and well cause I was scared for when they went on their search and thankgoodness Quintons mama got dealt with she had dome nerve so for.this book 10/10 I will be reading more books by this Author

[Fran Kestel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suga was gifted to Quentin to be his fancy, a slave used as a sex object. Quentin kept her and made her his servant. She made his life much easier by taking care of his house while he provided doctor services to the community and did research. Then the community rallied against him so he took married her and took her home to England. He was an Earl with a large estate.

This novel contained explicit sex scenes.

I expected this to be more history but it was more romance. He taught Suga how to speak, as well as how as how to read and write.

The ending was a surprise to me and did not fit the role of women in society in that time.

[Wilma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does not get 5 ⭐️ because the number of typos and grammatical errors it contains is exceedingly high. It was beyond annoying, to the point of confusing.

The story itself however, is seriously good. I rolled my eyes a bit at Quinton being a tool a few times, but had he been any different it wouldn’t have been believable. As it was, he was almost too good to be true.

The character development of Suga happens a bit fast, but also done in a way that was believable.

Overal, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Jennifer Stewart-evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautiful and uplifting

OMG. This book is AMAZING! I want to be Sugah. She is my new Super Hero. Never give up the fight. Learn as much as you can daily from everything and everyone. Trust is something ppl should earn. Always be aware of your surroundings.... And Ladies, it's OK to take care of your man and pick up/ fill in where he's lacking. Being submissive is not weakness. You are a team! It's going to take BOTH of you to get 💯. It takes a team to win a race! This books has a few messages for all.

[Susan Greene]

Too easy to digest, everything went the right way, there was not enough tension. I have questions about "the exotic gaze" that the author used and the lack of using fact in the historical element. It ended and they all lived happily ever after. That was good because it was really a fairy tale. This was a suggestion from the all knowing Kindle after reading Elizabeth Samson's story The Forbidden Bride. It was nothing like I was expecting or anywhere the same issues.

[Valaura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This book captured my interest from beginning to end. I love the love and patience Quinton had for Sarah. I felt for Cora and how she was bred until she put an end to it herself. Self-mutilating your uterus so you won't produce another child was heartbreaking. It was the only power she knew she had for her life. This author did a great job with this story, and I look forward to reading the next book.

[Althea Benton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stumbled on this and thought that it would be a quick read. Indeed, it was fairly quick, but I found that most of the characters were stereotypical and I didn't really care them any other them. I finished it because I like to complete books or movies that I begin. I really am not interested in reading any other this author's other writing unless she has something in another time period.

[Peace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed his wonderful historical slow-burn romance. 4.5 Stars.

It’s an unexpected romance between an accidental slave owner and an unfortunate slave girl.

The characters were multidimensional with complex backstories that evolved throughout the book. The storyline was fresh and settings were detailed enough to envision.

I recommend this sweet historical romance.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

A truly epic novel with two amazing main characters. Quinton is a kind, wise and generous man, and Suga/Sarah who is brave, compassionate, intelligent and hilarious at times with her hunting antics. If you are a fan of period dramas and interracial romances, I highly recommend this book.

[R Nedrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

nah son

There were no misspellings, the syntax was good but NO. This was either written by or for those that romanticize slavery and it's violence. Not for me and I could go on about it's problematic-ness but I won't. Nah son

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Very enjoyable; surprisingly. New to this author and will check out her other books. Nice balancing act of not allowing the atrocities of the time to overwhelm the love story. Nice read.

[Janisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rags to Riches love

I loved this book. The passion Quinton shows to Suga was lovely to read. I just want to already go back and read it again. Happy to have stumbled on this book. No complaints it was sweet as Suga!

[Pink Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful romance

This book was more than I thought it would be. I enjoyed the romance, and I really enjoyed how Suga came into her own as a woman and touched the lives of everyone around her. Beautiful story.

[Meeca · Rating 5 out of 5]

We deserved a happy ending

I absolutely love this story. I kept waiting for something bad to happen im the end because it always does. I can't believe how hard I expected it to happen. This was beautiful and we deserve that. Beauty from ashes

[Glenda Sparkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love 💘 don't recognize color or Creed

It was riveting!!! .It was a love story plain ,simple.
There were obstacles overcame them with loyalty and compassion allegiance

[veronica thrasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. There were parts that were funny. I love reading books that are a series.

[Loves2Read644 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awwwww this was so good! I love how much they loved each other. No matter what they faced, they do so together. Now if the author would fix her punctuation problems this would have been five stars.