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Casting Samson
Finding your boyfriend in the shower with another woman isn't high on Deborah Kemerton's "best birthday presents ever" list. Her life in London shattered, she retreats to her sleepy hometown to heal her broken heart. There, she's quickly swept up in planning a pageant to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the village church. Tasked with casting the perfect Samson, Deborah may have found her man in Josh Lancaster—onstage and off…
Fellow committee member Anne Lindsay is convinced a 12th-century crusader is buried under St. John's. As the story goes, Hugo left for the Holy Land after his true love Maude was given in marriage to his brother. Professor Toby Duggan is equally convinced Anne is wrong, and is determined to prove it. Neither of them counts on their mutual passion for history turning into a passion for each other…
When romantic entanglements and small-town dramatics come to a head, local legend proves to be more than just a story…
68,000 words
Fellow committee member Anne Lindsay is convinced a 12th-century crusader is buried under St. John's. As the story goes, Hugo left for the Holy Land after his true love Maude was given in marriage to his brother. Professor Toby Duggan is equally convinced Anne is wrong, and is determined to prove it. Neither of them counts on their mutual passion for history turning into a passion for each other…
When romantic entanglements and small-town dramatics come to a head, local legend proves to be more than just a story…
68,000 words
ebook
First published October 17, 2011
1 person is currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Melinda Hammond
105 books50 followersI write under the names of Melinda Hammond and Sarah Mallory.
I have been telling stories for as long as I can remember - many of them born of frustration when I was stuck in a classroom longing to be rescued! I love anything romantic, whether it is a grand opera or a beautiful painting. It doesn't necessarily have to be happy, as long as it is inspiring.
I was born in Bristol and grew up on Barton Hill, an area of small terraced houses built in the nineteenth century between the mills and the railway. I think my love of adventure stories is due to the fact that I grew up with three older brothers and lived in a street full of boys! My love of history and the English language was fostered at grammar school, where I soon discovered the delights of Georgian and Regency fiction, first of all with the works of Jane Austen and then Georgette Heyer.
I left school at sixteen to work in companies as varied as stockbrokers, marine engineers, biscuit manufacturers and even a quarrying company, but I never lost my love of history, and when I wasn't reading and researching the Georgian and Regency period I was writing stories about it.
When I was at home with my first child, I decided to try my hand at writing seriously, and my first historical novel, Fortune's Lady, was published by Robert Hale in 1980. I have now published more than twenty novels, over a dozen of them as Melinda Hammond, winning the Reviewers Choice award in 2005 from Singletitles.com for Dance for a Diamond and the Historical Novel Society's Editors Choice in 2006 for Gentlemen in Question. Writing as Sarah Mallory for Harlequin Mills & Boon, The Earl's Runaway Bride won a coveted CataNetwork Reviewers Choice award for 2010 and the RNA's RoNA Rose Award in 2012 and 2013.
For many years I lived in an old farmhouse on the edge of the Pennines in West Yorkshire, literally a stone's throw from open moorland. Now I live by the sea in the wild Highlands of Scotland. I love walking to think up my latest plot, or just to clear my head ready for another session of writing.
I have been telling stories for as long as I can remember - many of them born of frustration when I was stuck in a classroom longing to be rescued! I love anything romantic, whether it is a grand opera or a beautiful painting. It doesn't necessarily have to be happy, as long as it is inspiring.
I was born in Bristol and grew up on Barton Hill, an area of small terraced houses built in the nineteenth century between the mills and the railway. I think my love of adventure stories is due to the fact that I grew up with three older brothers and lived in a street full of boys! My love of history and the English language was fostered at grammar school, where I soon discovered the delights of Georgian and Regency fiction, first of all with the works of Jane Austen and then Georgette Heyer.
I left school at sixteen to work in companies as varied as stockbrokers, marine engineers, biscuit manufacturers and even a quarrying company, but I never lost my love of history, and when I wasn't reading and researching the Georgian and Regency period I was writing stories about it.
When I was at home with my first child, I decided to try my hand at writing seriously, and my first historical novel, Fortune's Lady, was published by Robert Hale in 1980. I have now published more than twenty novels, over a dozen of them as Melinda Hammond, winning the Reviewers Choice award in 2005 from Singletitles.com for Dance for a Diamond and the Historical Novel Society's Editors Choice in 2006 for Gentlemen in Question. Writing as Sarah Mallory for Harlequin Mills & Boon, The Earl's Runaway Bride won a coveted CataNetwork Reviewers Choice award for 2010 and the RNA's RoNA Rose Award in 2012 and 2013.
For many years I lived in an old farmhouse on the edge of the Pennines in West Yorkshire, literally a stone's throw from open moorland. Now I live by the sea in the wild Highlands of Scotland. I love walking to think up my latest plot, or just to clear my head ready for another session of writing.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 3, 2020
I love that this is likened to one of my all-time favourite comedies; The Vicar of Dibley, which in my humble opinion is by one of the best comedies. So when I read that Casting Samson had a hint of Vicar of Dibley to it I was very excited, I knew it was going to be good especially with the great Melinda Hammond at the helm. But even I was surprised by how wonderful this little story is, which is full of laugh’s, fun and romance with a touch of mystery and history thrown in for good measure. Melinda is an amazing author, she can so easily grasp the reader's attention and never fails to match the most perfect characters together…I will talk about a certain character later…I may need to delve into the gif folder for this one, sigh!!
When Deborah finds her sleaze of a boyfriend in the shower with another woman, the life she had found for herself in London has crashed around her ears. She decides that the best thing for her and the best way to heel herself is to retreat back home, back to her sleepy little village of Moreton-by-Fleetwater. Once there her dad, who owns the local café persuades Deborah to join the local committee which is currently organising a pageant which will be to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the local village church. Which is where she meets the eclectic group of senior citizens that make up the village committee.
I love this little band of people they are a real hoot getting to know, they really add that ye old very English village eccentric charm to the book which I love ….definitely Vicar of Dibley… and some of the things they come out with did at times have me laughing out loud, just the thought of a not so young village parish committee discussing employing male strippers just tickles me; which is really one of the reasons I thoroughly enjoyed this book, is that it made me laugh.
In a topsy-turvy world, we need more laughter and this book is just the ticket to make anyone smile.
As always I strayed off-topic, so the committee is wanting to cast the part of Samson in their pageant and apart from some wanting to involve any undressed man they lay their hands on, it falls to Deborah who may just know the perfect person; Josh Lancaster, part-time stripper full-time chef who just happens to drop into her family’s café as the troupe are moving through. He is perfect for the part, as handsome as sin with his roguish slightly feral gypsy like dark looks and a body that any woman with a pulse would become enthralled with, plus….there is an always a plus with me…he is a thoroughly decent chap who…and this is really the cherry on top of the cake…he can cook!!
Yep, I am in heaven…just leave me on the floor where I have fallen into a swoon!
While on the other side of the village fellow committee member; Anne is on a bit of a history hunt as she is adamant that the 12th century Knight; Sir Hugo founder of their little church is buried beneath the said church and she wants to use his legend to promote the village and the pageant. Only like our Deborah, she finds herself entangled with a good looking man where romance may blossom, that’s if they stop bickering and butting heads long enough to see what is in front of them.
I adore this little village where everyone seems to know each others business this is such a feel-good story with a host of eclectic characters and not one but two sweet little romances, then; boom in drops the Knights Templar and the story went from sweet whimsical good fun to something else….oh, how much do I love a Knight?? – Really all you have to do is mention the word ‘Knight’ and I am on it like a pack of hyena’s on juicy carcass….hmm, maybe a bit of morbid a comparison!
I absolutely adore the duel timeline, something that when done right is such a joy to read and this is just that; a real enlightening joy and so different to what I’ve read by Melinda Hammond before. It’s brilliantly structured neither of the two timelines merges together which could cause confusion they travel alongside by side in perfect harmony, Melinda has done a great job keeping both sides of the story entertaining and I do hope that there will be more stories from Melinda along the same lines of this.
As you may have guessed, I thoroughly enjoyed this, it’s different and at the same time has that much loved Melinda Hammond fabulously cosy and comforting stamp all over it. This is feel-good, enjoyable and gently paced romance with a difference.
When Deborah finds her sleaze of a boyfriend in the shower with another woman, the life she had found for herself in London has crashed around her ears. She decides that the best thing for her and the best way to heel herself is to retreat back home, back to her sleepy little village of Moreton-by-Fleetwater. Once there her dad, who owns the local café persuades Deborah to join the local committee which is currently organising a pageant which will be to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the local village church. Which is where she meets the eclectic group of senior citizens that make up the village committee.
I love this little band of people they are a real hoot getting to know, they really add that ye old very English village eccentric charm to the book which I love ….definitely Vicar of Dibley… and some of the things they come out with did at times have me laughing out loud, just the thought of a not so young village parish committee discussing employing male strippers just tickles me; which is really one of the reasons I thoroughly enjoyed this book, is that it made me laugh.
In a topsy-turvy world, we need more laughter and this book is just the ticket to make anyone smile.
As always I strayed off-topic, so the committee is wanting to cast the part of Samson in their pageant and apart from some wanting to involve any undressed man they lay their hands on, it falls to Deborah who may just know the perfect person; Josh Lancaster, part-time stripper full-time chef who just happens to drop into her family’s café as the troupe are moving through. He is perfect for the part, as handsome as sin with his roguish slightly feral gypsy like dark looks and a body that any woman with a pulse would become enthralled with, plus….there is an always a plus with me…he is a thoroughly decent chap who…and this is really the cherry on top of the cake…he can cook!!
Yep, I am in heaven…just leave me on the floor where I have fallen into a swoon!
While on the other side of the village fellow committee member; Anne is on a bit of a history hunt as she is adamant that the 12th century Knight; Sir Hugo founder of their little church is buried beneath the said church and she wants to use his legend to promote the village and the pageant. Only like our Deborah, she finds herself entangled with a good looking man where romance may blossom, that’s if they stop bickering and butting heads long enough to see what is in front of them.
I adore this little village where everyone seems to know each others business this is such a feel-good story with a host of eclectic characters and not one but two sweet little romances, then; boom in drops the Knights Templar and the story went from sweet whimsical good fun to something else….oh, how much do I love a Knight?? – Really all you have to do is mention the word ‘Knight’ and I am on it like a pack of hyena’s on juicy carcass….hmm, maybe a bit of morbid a comparison!
I absolutely adore the duel timeline, something that when done right is such a joy to read and this is just that; a real enlightening joy and so different to what I’ve read by Melinda Hammond before. It’s brilliantly structured neither of the two timelines merges together which could cause confusion they travel alongside by side in perfect harmony, Melinda has done a great job keeping both sides of the story entertaining and I do hope that there will be more stories from Melinda along the same lines of this.
As you may have guessed, I thoroughly enjoyed this, it’s different and at the same time has that much loved Melinda Hammond fabulously cosy and comforting stamp all over it. This is feel-good, enjoyable and gently paced romance with a difference.
November 23, 2011
Who would have thought a novel about a village pageant would contain such a variety of intriguing sub-plots and fascinating characters? If this were a movie, I'd probably gush about the genius of the director and perfect timing of the editor, but this being an ebook, I'm left with a weak 'masterfully crafted' evaluation that does little justice to the quality of the writing and plotting.
I've read dozens of romantic stories set in homely rural villages. Casting Samson is the first to make me consider living in one -- if it ever existed outside the author's imagination.
The two burgeoning romances would have been enough to carry the story, but the addition of a local church that may or may not have been connected with the Templars, and the skilful flashbacks to authentic historical events, boost this book to the top of rankings in this genre.
The vivid descriptions brought back fond memories of wandering around ancient rural churches and absorbing the peaceful, tranquil atmosphere.
A beautiful feel-good novel that pulls the reader into a world of fun and joy. The perfect antidote to big-city stress.
I've read dozens of romantic stories set in homely rural villages. Casting Samson is the first to make me consider living in one -- if it ever existed outside the author's imagination.
The two burgeoning romances would have been enough to carry the story, but the addition of a local church that may or may not have been connected with the Templars, and the skilful flashbacks to authentic historical events, boost this book to the top of rankings in this genre.
The vivid descriptions brought back fond memories of wandering around ancient rural churches and absorbing the peaceful, tranquil atmosphere.
A beautiful feel-good novel that pulls the reader into a world of fun and joy. The perfect antidote to big-city stress.
February 16, 2020
As reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-18J
When Deborah Kemerton catches her sleazy boyfriend in the act of cheating on her with a co-worker, she’s crushed. She leaves him, her job, and London, and returns to her hometown, where she becomes a part of the committee planning a special pageant. The parish of St. John is celebrating what it believes to be its 700th anniversary, and there is going to be a big gala. All of the biblical scenes which are depicted in the church’s stained glass windows are going to be acted out. There’s just one problem -- they’ve lost their Samson!
A group of four young men comes to town, and they’re playing in a “tasteful” male stripper revue. (If you read the book, you’ll love their name.) The committee is never afraid to ask, so they query whether any of the young men might become the new Samson. One of the men, Josh Lancaster, has only been filling in temporarily, and is currently looking for new employment. He eventually comes back and agrees that he’ll take part in the pageant. Romance seems to be in the air, as Josh and Deborah immediately hit it off, though Deborah wonders at her own quick attraction to another man when her heart just got broken.
Anne Lindsay is a 40-ish widow who is handling the publicity for the pageant, and she hints to the press that local legends indicate that their church may have ties to the Templars. A local professor, Toby Duggan is so certain that she’s wrong, and so outraged that she would even hint at such a falsehood, that he comes to confront Anne directly. While the sparks that fly between this couple are originally antagonistic, they soon become sparks of another kind.
As the pageant draws ever nearer, the fledgling romances suffer from misunderstandings, miscommunications, and plain old mistakes. The pageant starts off strong, but evolves into a comedy of errors, including the return of Deborah’s sleazy boyfriend. Meanwhile, the current day tale is interwoven with the story of Hugh/Hugo, the Templar Knight who may, or may not, have built the church. CASTING SAMSON is an unusual, but enjoyable book, with a lot happening. I couldn’t wait for Deborah to grow a backbone and tell her awful ex to hit the road. Despite his actions, she still seemed to be unable to stand up to him. There are a lot of excellent secondary characters who add some additional smileworthy moments to the story, while sexy Josh is my favorite. CASTING SAMSON is a lighthearted contemporary romance which made for a delightful read.
When Deborah Kemerton catches her sleazy boyfriend in the act of cheating on her with a co-worker, she’s crushed. She leaves him, her job, and London, and returns to her hometown, where she becomes a part of the committee planning a special pageant. The parish of St. John is celebrating what it believes to be its 700th anniversary, and there is going to be a big gala. All of the biblical scenes which are depicted in the church’s stained glass windows are going to be acted out. There’s just one problem -- they’ve lost their Samson!
A group of four young men comes to town, and they’re playing in a “tasteful” male stripper revue. (If you read the book, you’ll love their name.) The committee is never afraid to ask, so they query whether any of the young men might become the new Samson. One of the men, Josh Lancaster, has only been filling in temporarily, and is currently looking for new employment. He eventually comes back and agrees that he’ll take part in the pageant. Romance seems to be in the air, as Josh and Deborah immediately hit it off, though Deborah wonders at her own quick attraction to another man when her heart just got broken.
Anne Lindsay is a 40-ish widow who is handling the publicity for the pageant, and she hints to the press that local legends indicate that their church may have ties to the Templars. A local professor, Toby Duggan is so certain that she’s wrong, and so outraged that she would even hint at such a falsehood, that he comes to confront Anne directly. While the sparks that fly between this couple are originally antagonistic, they soon become sparks of another kind.
As the pageant draws ever nearer, the fledgling romances suffer from misunderstandings, miscommunications, and plain old mistakes. The pageant starts off strong, but evolves into a comedy of errors, including the return of Deborah’s sleazy boyfriend. Meanwhile, the current day tale is interwoven with the story of Hugh/Hugo, the Templar Knight who may, or may not, have built the church. CASTING SAMSON is an unusual, but enjoyable book, with a lot happening. I couldn’t wait for Deborah to grow a backbone and tell her awful ex to hit the road. Despite his actions, she still seemed to be unable to stand up to him. There are a lot of excellent secondary characters who add some additional smileworthy moments to the story, while sexy Josh is my favorite. CASTING SAMSON is a lighthearted contemporary romance which made for a delightful read.
October 21, 2011
Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner
This book really appealed to me. It looked like a sweet, interesting contemporary romance, set in a small town, with a hot hero and a secondary storyline that was even more enticing than the main one. Unfortunately it didn’t deliver as promised and I was left wondering how a story with so much potential ended up being such a disappointment.
Deborah Kemerton’s birthday is going from bad to worse. The spa appointment she had got cancelled and when she goes back home she finds her boyfriend naked with someone else. When she confronts him, he tells her that he had an itch to scratch and that she shouldn’t make such a big deal out of it. Heartbroken and unemployed (the boyfriend was her boss) she goes back to her hometown to put her life back together.
It so happens that her town is celebrating the 700th anniversary of the village church, a place that, according to the legend, is the burial site of a Templar Knight. Part of the celebration includes a reenactment of Samson’s story and Deborah is in charge of casting the main lead. That’s how she meets Josh Lancaster, he’s in town to help some friends with their show and in the process he ends up being cast as Samson and falling for Deborah.
While the town prepares the celebrations, Anne Lindsay gets an email from a history professor telling her that there’s no way a Templar Knight is buried in that church. So of course Anne is determined to prove him wrong but that also means that they must spend time together and so you probably can imagine what happens next.
This is your typical small town story full of endearing and meddler characters. The setting is beautiful and the author does a good job at making you feel like you’re right there with them. I always enjoy novels like this one because of that homey sense. My problem wasn’t the setting or the plot, I actually found amusing how the town was so excited about the celebration and how much work they put into it and I think that if I ever visit a small town in England, this is how it might be. The problem were the characters, the only one I liked was the hero, the rest of them I didn’t like, at all.
The heroine starts fine, she goes through this terrible situation with the guy she loves and she comes home to heal and to find a way to restart her life. She was in her early twenties, was immature and inexperienced -which explains why she fell for that guy in the first place-.
Now, to really understand my issues with her, you need to know that her ex was a jerk. He basically used her as his maid, she cooked for him and cleaned the house, and she did everything he wanted. He was a pretentious bastard. At one point she explains that he made her feel like she was bad in bed and undeserving of his love. And part of the book is supposed to show us how she comes to her senses and realizes that she deserves way better, but we never see it. The worst part is that when the big misunderstanding happens, and she thinks that the hero is leaving, she feels like there’s nothing left for her there (even though earlier in the book she talks about how she feels safe and at home there, unlike in London where she didn’t even have friends) and she actually considers getting back with her ex:
This is Bernard (the cheating ex) talking to Deborah:
The love story wasn’t satisfying either, the hero was such a great guy but I never understood what he saw in her to make him love her. Although to be fair, neither one of them actually thinks or says I love you. And Deborah is confused the entire book, she keeps thinking about Bernard and so I never felt like she loved Josh. I can’t believe in their happily ever after because I’m not sure their relationship will last.
The secondary story was slightly better. Anne and the history professor were interesting and likeable, but they also had a crazy misunderstanding by the end of the book and he basically calls her a whore, but instead of feeling hurt and angry, she kind of agrees with him and feels guilty. I never did get why they were fighting, but the resolution was terrible.
There’s a third storyline, and this one was sad. We get flashbacks to see what really happened with the Templar Knight who might be buried in the church, and his is a depressing love story because he was in love with his sister in law (she loved him back) and he joins the Templars so he won’t betray his brother. This part is a spoiler so skip it if you don’t want to know. . Under different circumstances this might have been a bittersweet love story, and a good one at that, but since it came with the other two I just found it pathetic.
I know I’m making it sound really bad, but the book wasn’t a train wreck. It had some redeeming parts, particularly the beginning, the hero and the setting, but it just didn’t work for me. It wasn’t engaging and I couldn’t see past the unappealing heroine and the lacking love story.
Source: we received an e-ARC of the book through NetGalley for review purposes.
This book really appealed to me. It looked like a sweet, interesting contemporary romance, set in a small town, with a hot hero and a secondary storyline that was even more enticing than the main one. Unfortunately it didn’t deliver as promised and I was left wondering how a story with so much potential ended up being such a disappointment.
Deborah Kemerton’s birthday is going from bad to worse. The spa appointment she had got cancelled and when she goes back home she finds her boyfriend naked with someone else. When she confronts him, he tells her that he had an itch to scratch and that she shouldn’t make such a big deal out of it. Heartbroken and unemployed (the boyfriend was her boss) she goes back to her hometown to put her life back together.
It so happens that her town is celebrating the 700th anniversary of the village church, a place that, according to the legend, is the burial site of a Templar Knight. Part of the celebration includes a reenactment of Samson’s story and Deborah is in charge of casting the main lead. That’s how she meets Josh Lancaster, he’s in town to help some friends with their show and in the process he ends up being cast as Samson and falling for Deborah.
While the town prepares the celebrations, Anne Lindsay gets an email from a history professor telling her that there’s no way a Templar Knight is buried in that church. So of course Anne is determined to prove him wrong but that also means that they must spend time together and so you probably can imagine what happens next.
This is your typical small town story full of endearing and meddler characters. The setting is beautiful and the author does a good job at making you feel like you’re right there with them. I always enjoy novels like this one because of that homey sense. My problem wasn’t the setting or the plot, I actually found amusing how the town was so excited about the celebration and how much work they put into it and I think that if I ever visit a small town in England, this is how it might be. The problem were the characters, the only one I liked was the hero, the rest of them I didn’t like, at all.
The heroine starts fine, she goes through this terrible situation with the guy she loves and she comes home to heal and to find a way to restart her life. She was in her early twenties, was immature and inexperienced -which explains why she fell for that guy in the first place-.
Now, to really understand my issues with her, you need to know that her ex was a jerk. He basically used her as his maid, she cooked for him and cleaned the house, and she did everything he wanted. He was a pretentious bastard. At one point she explains that he made her feel like she was bad in bed and undeserving of his love. And part of the book is supposed to show us how she comes to her senses and realizes that she deserves way better, but we never see it. The worst part is that when the big misunderstanding happens, and she thinks that the hero is leaving, she feels like there’s nothing left for her there (even though earlier in the book she talks about how she feels safe and at home there, unlike in London where she didn’t even have friends) and she actually considers getting back with her ex:
This is Bernard (the cheating ex) talking to Deborah:
“Well, what do you say, Deborah? We could drive back tomorrow, make a fresh start.
A small voice inside her urged her to say yes, to give it another go. After all, what was there here for her?”
The love story wasn’t satisfying either, the hero was such a great guy but I never understood what he saw in her to make him love her. Although to be fair, neither one of them actually thinks or says I love you. And Deborah is confused the entire book, she keeps thinking about Bernard and so I never felt like she loved Josh. I can’t believe in their happily ever after because I’m not sure their relationship will last.
The secondary story was slightly better. Anne and the history professor were interesting and likeable, but they also had a crazy misunderstanding by the end of the book and he basically calls her a whore, but instead of feeling hurt and angry, she kind of agrees with him and feels guilty. I never did get why they were fighting, but the resolution was terrible.
There’s a third storyline, and this one was sad. We get flashbacks to see what really happened with the Templar Knight who might be buried in the church, and his is a depressing love story because he was in love with his sister in law (she loved him back) and he joins the Templars so he won’t betray his brother. This part is a spoiler so skip it if you don’t want to know. . Under different circumstances this might have been a bittersweet love story, and a good one at that, but since it came with the other two I just found it pathetic.
I know I’m making it sound really bad, but the book wasn’t a train wreck. It had some redeeming parts, particularly the beginning, the hero and the setting, but it just didn’t work for me. It wasn’t engaging and I couldn’t see past the unappealing heroine and the lacking love story.
Source: we received an e-ARC of the book through NetGalley for review purposes.
October 19, 2011
I really, really enjoyed this lovely little romance, provided by netgalley.
I read a blog posting by the author in which she described it as Ivanhoe meet Vicar of Dibley, and I have to say, it is the perfect summary. As I was reading it I was thinking of Bridget Jones, that dreadful movie with Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Cameron Diaz (can't remember the name) set in rural England, and even a bit of Sliding Doors, and all those fabulous Christmas comedy specials on the BBC when I was growing up, that just made you feel all warm and happy and helped with digestion of mince pies and Christmas pudding. It was written in a highly visual way, with no ambiguity about what is going on, and the characters are real people, if slightly cartoonesque, with a wonderful backdrop of a village fete. There is an extraneous, but not irritating secondary romance, and an incredibly irritating ex-boyfriend, but the main romance is just wonderful.
It doesn't sweep you off your feet, and the romance is incredibly grounded and solid, but it is written in an accessible, humorous and flowing style, that I really enjoyed. There was absolutely no "work" involved in reading this one, and I enjoyed it so much I read it cover to cover (well, on my kindle, but you know what I mean). The hero and heroine are both pleasant people, and the people living in the village are beautifully described caricatures. The little historical angle nicely breaks it up as well.
I think my only criticism was that the steam was too tame. With all the build-up, I was expecting something a bit more than 'they made love'. It really would have been perfect to work it into some kind of sweet, sexy and also really funny set of scenes, so it felt a bit like a wasted opportunity really.
So, 4 stars, and I shall certainly keep my eyes open for other work by this author, who also writes as Sarah Mallory.
I read a blog posting by the author in which she described it as Ivanhoe meet Vicar of Dibley, and I have to say, it is the perfect summary. As I was reading it I was thinking of Bridget Jones, that dreadful movie with Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Cameron Diaz (can't remember the name) set in rural England, and even a bit of Sliding Doors, and all those fabulous Christmas comedy specials on the BBC when I was growing up, that just made you feel all warm and happy and helped with digestion of mince pies and Christmas pudding. It was written in a highly visual way, with no ambiguity about what is going on, and the characters are real people, if slightly cartoonesque, with a wonderful backdrop of a village fete. There is an extraneous, but not irritating secondary romance, and an incredibly irritating ex-boyfriend, but the main romance is just wonderful.
It doesn't sweep you off your feet, and the romance is incredibly grounded and solid, but it is written in an accessible, humorous and flowing style, that I really enjoyed. There was absolutely no "work" involved in reading this one, and I enjoyed it so much I read it cover to cover (well, on my kindle, but you know what I mean). The hero and heroine are both pleasant people, and the people living in the village are beautifully described caricatures. The little historical angle nicely breaks it up as well.
I think my only criticism was that the steam was too tame. With all the build-up, I was expecting something a bit more than 'they made love'. It really would have been perfect to work it into some kind of sweet, sexy and also really funny set of scenes, so it felt a bit like a wasted opportunity really.
So, 4 stars, and I shall certainly keep my eyes open for other work by this author, who also writes as Sarah Mallory.
May 14, 2012
Ficton; Romance
2.5 stars
Deborah Kemerton is not having a very good day. She has come home to find her boyfriend (who also just happens to be her boss) naked with someone else. Now, not only is she distraught but also unemployed.
Heading back to her hometown to regroup, she soon discovers that in celebration of the anniversary of the 700 year old village church, the community is doing a reenactment of Samson's story. When Deborah helps cast Josh Lancaster for the leading role, she gets more than she's bargained for.
Secondary to the story, we also meet Anne Lindsay. While being a part of the event planning, she gets an email from a history professor who argues against a local legend that the church hosts a burial site for a Templar Knight. Anne prepares for a challenge and meets the professor head on.
This book was better than okay, but not grand. The idea was good and the description hooked me but there were several flaws that could not be overlooked.
As hard as I tried, I never did come to like Deborah's character. Her boyfriend was a sleazy jerk, yet she still waivered in her feeling for him. I wanted to slap her beside the head and tell her to wise up. Josh's character had lots of redeeming qualities and kept me interested enough to keep reading. I sort of expected Anne and the professors relationship to end better than it did. I got the feeling that the author lost interest in these two characters and kind of wrote them off by the end of the story, which was a bit disappointing.
Overall, it was a decent story. I liked the small town setting and reading about a community coming together as well as the addition of the Templar Knight aspect. For me, it is definitely not a re-read kind of book, so I suggest that perhaps you check it out from your local library if you have the opportunity.
2.5 stars
Deborah Kemerton is not having a very good day. She has come home to find her boyfriend (who also just happens to be her boss) naked with someone else. Now, not only is she distraught but also unemployed.
Heading back to her hometown to regroup, she soon discovers that in celebration of the anniversary of the 700 year old village church, the community is doing a reenactment of Samson's story. When Deborah helps cast Josh Lancaster for the leading role, she gets more than she's bargained for.
Secondary to the story, we also meet Anne Lindsay. While being a part of the event planning, she gets an email from a history professor who argues against a local legend that the church hosts a burial site for a Templar Knight. Anne prepares for a challenge and meets the professor head on.
This book was better than okay, but not grand. The idea was good and the description hooked me but there were several flaws that could not be overlooked.
As hard as I tried, I never did come to like Deborah's character. Her boyfriend was a sleazy jerk, yet she still waivered in her feeling for him. I wanted to slap her beside the head and tell her to wise up. Josh's character had lots of redeeming qualities and kept me interested enough to keep reading. I sort of expected Anne and the professors relationship to end better than it did. I got the feeling that the author lost interest in these two characters and kind of wrote them off by the end of the story, which was a bit disappointing.
Overall, it was a decent story. I liked the small town setting and reading about a community coming together as well as the addition of the Templar Knight aspect. For me, it is definitely not a re-read kind of book, so I suggest that perhaps you check it out from your local library if you have the opportunity.
November 21, 2011
First off all, I loved the first sentence, made me laugh when I finally stopped to read the rest of it.
Deborah comes back home after finding her boyfriend with other women on her birthday, and her parents think is good for her to do things and keep busy, so she joins the a group off neighbours trying to organize a carnival for the aniversary off the church.
I first though the book was a little confusing, when sudenlly a chapter start with the Templar story, and there are a lot like this. But others things were really good, like the fact that the author used others characters too, making them also find their happy ending.
The story was well writen and fast paced, and the teasing beween Anne and the professor was very sweet and fun to read and cheer for. Some parts were fun and interesting, like Josh playing with Deborah jeaulosy about Demelza, and carnival.
Overall the book is all very fun, and the Templar part is very self explanatory, I don't know if is historially correct, but you can really feel in the story.
Deborah comes back home after finding her boyfriend with other women on her birthday, and her parents think is good for her to do things and keep busy, so she joins the a group off neighbours trying to organize a carnival for the aniversary off the church.
I first though the book was a little confusing, when sudenlly a chapter start with the Templar story, and there are a lot like this. But others things were really good, like the fact that the author used others characters too, making them also find their happy ending.
The story was well writen and fast paced, and the teasing beween Anne and the professor was very sweet and fun to read and cheer for. Some parts were fun and interesting, like Josh playing with Deborah jeaulosy about Demelza, and carnival.
Overall the book is all very fun, and the Templar part is very self explanatory, I don't know if is historially correct, but you can really feel in the story.
September 26, 2011
Casting Samson paints a whimsical picture of village life in the English countryside. It was cute and funny at times but got bogged down with the secondary storyline. I enjoyed Debs and Josh and was suprised by the other couple - in both a good way and a bad way.
October 4, 2011
This was not really my kind of book. I liked the contemporary story in it and understand that you need the other story to explain things, but it seemed like I was reading 2 stories at one time.
December 31, 2011
1.5 stars - and that's being generous. Choppy, prone to skimming, and "obstacles" that are contrived.
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