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Stapleton-Downes #5-6
The Famous Heroine/The Plumed Bonnet
Beloved New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh spins two classic stories of Regency England—splendid novels of mistaken identity and unmistakable passion, where marriage is only the beginning of true love. THE FAMOUS HEROINECora Downes has beauty, spirit, and money, but no breeding. Yet when she gains renown for a daring rescue, she finds herself thrust into high society. Innocent and adrift in a world of beautiful banquets, bejeweled gowns, and snobbish standards, Cora is quickly compromised into a marriage—to a frivolous lord whose interests seem to lie elsewhere. But could piercingly blue-eyed and well-mannered Francis Kneller turn out to be the most unexpected love of her life? THE PLUMED BONNETAlistair Munro, the Duke of Bridgwater, is looking for love outside the bounds of polite society. And that’s what he expects to receive when he rescues a seemingly disreputable girl in a colorful bonnet off the side of the road. Yet Stephanie Gray, a former governess, has recently come into money and is eager for a proper match with a well-born man. Sure that he’s sullied her name, Alistair offers marriage to make amends. And in this unlikely union, Stephanie and Alistair make a welcome discovery—that sometimes it’s possible to marry first, then fall in love.
514 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2011
231 people are currently reading
742 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,343 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
November 26, 2016
3.5 stars. I grabbed this one from the library in one of my "Regency romance brain candy" moods. It's a twofer, with several characters from the first novel showing up in the second one. Both are connected by a theme of "oh crap we have scandalized society so we have to get married even though we don't love each other," but the heroines have vastly different personalities.
In The Famous Heroine, Cora is a wealthy merchant's daughter thrust into high society when her efforts to save a duke's young son from drowning are noticed by the ton. Cora is a little awkward and not exactly petite, and meeting Important People freaks her out. Luckily Francis Keller becomes her buddy, but neither of them intends anything more (he because he's nursing a broken heart, she because she thinks he's gay, and both because their social spheres are so far apart). Unfortunately a couple of compromising situations occur . . .
In The Plumed Bonnet, Stephanie Gray, a governess, has unexpectedly inherited an estate and wealth. Her purse and luggage are stolen while she's traveling to claim her inheritance and, decked out in some gaudy borrowed plumage, she's picked up by a duke who assumes she's a prostitute. He humors her in pretending to believe her claims to be a newly wealthy ex-governess, then finds out she's actually telling the truth. Contrived but enjoyable, with a worthwhile if rather anachronistic message about women having the right to control their own lives.
Not bad overall, but I wouldn't tell anyone to go out of their way to read these romance novels. It was early days for Mary Balogh.
Content advisory: a few post-marriage steamy scenes in both stories.
In The Famous Heroine, Cora is a wealthy merchant's daughter thrust into high society when her efforts to save a duke's young son from drowning are noticed by the ton. Cora is a little awkward and not exactly petite, and meeting Important People freaks her out. Luckily Francis Keller becomes her buddy, but neither of them intends anything more (he because he's nursing a broken heart, she because she thinks he's gay, and both because their social spheres are so far apart). Unfortunately a couple of compromising situations occur . . .
In The Plumed Bonnet, Stephanie Gray, a governess, has unexpectedly inherited an estate and wealth. Her purse and luggage are stolen while she's traveling to claim her inheritance and, decked out in some gaudy borrowed plumage, she's picked up by a duke who assumes she's a prostitute. He humors her in pretending to believe her claims to be a newly wealthy ex-governess, then finds out she's actually telling the truth. Contrived but enjoyable, with a worthwhile if rather anachronistic message about women having the right to control their own lives.
Not bad overall, but I wouldn't tell anyone to go out of their way to read these romance novels. It was early days for Mary Balogh.
Content advisory: a few post-marriage steamy scenes in both stories.
January 22, 2012
4 stars – Historical/Regency Romance
The Famous Heroine is a whimsical, pleasing enough tale, but it’s The Plumed Bonnet, a delightful, feel-good story that really shines and makes this two-in-one edition/collection worth reading.
In The Plumed Bonnet, a starchy duke secretly longing for love and a destitute governess requiring marriage to secure wealth from a recent inheritance find themselves bound by a marriage of convenience. What unfolds is a sweet, truly romantic tale of two people who mask themselves behind what they assume are the desired, perfect roles to play for each other, only to then discover that love might just blossom when they finally reveal themselves. 4+ stars!
The Famous Heroine – 3 stars
The Plumed Bonnet (Signet Regency Romance) – 4+ stars
The Famous Heroine is a whimsical, pleasing enough tale, but it’s The Plumed Bonnet, a delightful, feel-good story that really shines and makes this two-in-one edition/collection worth reading.
In The Plumed Bonnet, a starchy duke secretly longing for love and a destitute governess requiring marriage to secure wealth from a recent inheritance find themselves bound by a marriage of convenience. What unfolds is a sweet, truly romantic tale of two people who mask themselves behind what they assume are the desired, perfect roles to play for each other, only to then discover that love might just blossom when they finally reveal themselves. 4+ stars!
The Famous Heroine – 3 stars
The Plumed Bonnet (Signet Regency Romance) – 4+ stars
November 25, 2011
Happy sighs, happy sighs, happy sighs.
What two delicious feel good stories. I'm always afraid I'll find the more traditional regencies boring, because of the lack of steam, but the opposite happened here, I was quite delighted.
The Famous Heroine is a bit of a farce, and has a bit of a duck out of the water feel to it. But I always love a friends to lovers theme, and Cora and Francis were so utterly, utterly cute together. And it's always great to see that the characters are in love, and that it's obvious to everyone except for themselves. I totally "Awwwwwww"ed aloud when Cora realized her own feelings.
And the misunderstanding of where the true interest of Francis lied was terribly sweet and original as well.
The Plumed Bonnet was completely different and less light, but equally heartwarming. I liked the romantic Duke already in the Famous heroine, and it was quite sad that he had given up on his dream of finding a soulmate. Stephanies pain at not being able to be herself, but feeling duty-bound to be a good duchess was heartbreaking, and it was so incredibly nice to see them finally understand each other and fall in love. I'm such a big sucker for starchy heroes who loosen up thanks to the power of loooooooooove.
So yeah, happy sighs everywhere. Guess I'm not over historical romance after all, I'm just over the wallpaper kind.
Recommended to readers in need of a feel-good book :)
What two delicious feel good stories. I'm always afraid I'll find the more traditional regencies boring, because of the lack of steam, but the opposite happened here, I was quite delighted.
The Famous Heroine is a bit of a farce, and has a bit of a duck out of the water feel to it. But I always love a friends to lovers theme, and Cora and Francis were so utterly, utterly cute together. And it's always great to see that the characters are in love, and that it's obvious to everyone except for themselves. I totally "Awwwwwww"ed aloud when Cora realized her own feelings.
And the misunderstanding of where the true interest of Francis lied was terribly sweet and original as well.
The Plumed Bonnet was completely different and less light, but equally heartwarming. I liked the romantic Duke already in the Famous heroine, and it was quite sad that he had given up on his dream of finding a soulmate. Stephanies pain at not being able to be herself, but feeling duty-bound to be a good duchess was heartbreaking, and it was so incredibly nice to see them finally understand each other and fall in love. I'm such a big sucker for starchy heroes who loosen up thanks to the power of loooooooooove.
So yeah, happy sighs everywhere. Guess I'm not over historical romance after all, I'm just over the wallpaper kind.
Recommended to readers in need of a feel-good book :)
January 8, 2018
(3.5 stars) These two stories tie in nicely as sequels to Dark Angel/Lord Carew's Bride, re-released together in February 2010. Although, for me, Balogh's superior work is found in her longer "Slightly" series, a few of the "Simply" books, and perhaps my personal favorite, The Secret Pearl, her shorter Signet Regencies from the 1990s are top-of-the-line in that category and make for a feel-good read.
THE FAMOUS HEROINE is the story of Cora Downes, whose family has money but no blue blood. She "rescues" the nephew of the Duke of Bridgwater from drowning and is taken on by the duke's mother as a project to be introduced to society and married off to someone eligible, but not super blue-blooded. This story is funny, starts off delightfully and I found myself chuckling many times. The hero, Lord Francis Kneller, younger son of a duke, is the suitor rejected by Samantha in LORD CAREW'S BRIDE and he's still nursing a broken heart. He befriends Cora as a favor to his friend Bridgwater and finds her to be a pleasant distraction from his misery and entertaining company.
Now, Francis favors wearing clothes of all the colors of the rainbow, pink, puce, turquoise, vivid green, you name it, dressed up with lace and elaborately-tied cravats, and he's always immaculately coiffed. Cora, who is totally intimidated by most members of the ton, finds herself comfortable in his company. She also mistakes his sexual orientation, so she enjoys him as a friend and not as a possible suitor. It's all good fun, but somewhere past the halfway point of the story, I was beginning to tire of Cora's ineptness in society and Francis's broken heart, so it wasn't a 5-star romance for me, in spite of the good writing and the satisfying ending.
THE PLUMED BONNET is a bit more angsty and I enjoyed it more. It's another upper-class/middle-class romance, but less humorous. Balogh always does a good job of convincing the reader that young, handsome, rich dukes of excellent character existed in Regency England and that romance with a lovely heroine of lesser breeding would have challenges but is perfectly doable (at least by the end of the story). Her Cinderella stories have always appealed to me more than those of other writers using the same theme, perhaps because of her sympathetic characters and the trademark Balogh style of writing.
Our hero here is the Duke of Bridgwater, of the family that sponsored Cora in the first story. He's on the road traveling and meets up with hitchhiking (Imagine that!) heroine Stephanie Gray. Stephanie is respectable but impoverished and had been working as a governess when she was informed that she has inherited property and lots of money. Instead of waiting for the transportation which was to be sent for her, she sets off on her own but mishaps along the way have her penniless and unable to continue her journey to Sindon Park, her inheritance. She even loses her own cloak and bonnet and is forced to wear a borrowed fuchsia cloak and pink bonnet with pink, fuchsia and purple plumes. In her moneyless desperation she is walking to her destination, without even coins to purchase a meal for herself.
Alistair, the duke, spies her walking the road. Well, she's hard to miss in that get-up. He's bored and feeling unsatisfied with his life so, mistaking her for a lady of ill-repute, he decides to spice up his life with her company and offers her a ride. The rest you just have to read. The beginning is a lot of fun, what with the mistaken impressions both have of each other. When circumstances force Alistair to offer marriage to Stephanie, the rest of the book is about the expectations they have for each other, the importance of communication, and the need to be true to who you are. The characters are well-drawn and sympathetic, the writing is excellent and the ending is just about perfect.
THE FAMOUS HEROINE is the story of Cora Downes, whose family has money but no blue blood. She "rescues" the nephew of the Duke of Bridgwater from drowning and is taken on by the duke's mother as a project to be introduced to society and married off to someone eligible, but not super blue-blooded. This story is funny, starts off delightfully and I found myself chuckling many times. The hero, Lord Francis Kneller, younger son of a duke, is the suitor rejected by Samantha in LORD CAREW'S BRIDE and he's still nursing a broken heart. He befriends Cora as a favor to his friend Bridgwater and finds her to be a pleasant distraction from his misery and entertaining company.
Now, Francis favors wearing clothes of all the colors of the rainbow, pink, puce, turquoise, vivid green, you name it, dressed up with lace and elaborately-tied cravats, and he's always immaculately coiffed. Cora, who is totally intimidated by most members of the ton, finds herself comfortable in his company. She also mistakes his sexual orientation, so she enjoys him as a friend and not as a possible suitor. It's all good fun, but somewhere past the halfway point of the story, I was beginning to tire of Cora's ineptness in society and Francis's broken heart, so it wasn't a 5-star romance for me, in spite of the good writing and the satisfying ending.
THE PLUMED BONNET is a bit more angsty and I enjoyed it more. It's another upper-class/middle-class romance, but less humorous. Balogh always does a good job of convincing the reader that young, handsome, rich dukes of excellent character existed in Regency England and that romance with a lovely heroine of lesser breeding would have challenges but is perfectly doable (at least by the end of the story). Her Cinderella stories have always appealed to me more than those of other writers using the same theme, perhaps because of her sympathetic characters and the trademark Balogh style of writing.
Our hero here is the Duke of Bridgwater, of the family that sponsored Cora in the first story. He's on the road traveling and meets up with hitchhiking (Imagine that!) heroine Stephanie Gray. Stephanie is respectable but impoverished and had been working as a governess when she was informed that she has inherited property and lots of money. Instead of waiting for the transportation which was to be sent for her, she sets off on her own but mishaps along the way have her penniless and unable to continue her journey to Sindon Park, her inheritance. She even loses her own cloak and bonnet and is forced to wear a borrowed fuchsia cloak and pink bonnet with pink, fuchsia and purple plumes. In her moneyless desperation she is walking to her destination, without even coins to purchase a meal for herself.
Alistair, the duke, spies her walking the road. Well, she's hard to miss in that get-up. He's bored and feeling unsatisfied with his life so, mistaking her for a lady of ill-repute, he decides to spice up his life with her company and offers her a ride. The rest you just have to read. The beginning is a lot of fun, what with the mistaken impressions both have of each other. When circumstances force Alistair to offer marriage to Stephanie, the rest of the book is about the expectations they have for each other, the importance of communication, and the need to be true to who you are. The characters are well-drawn and sympathetic, the writing is excellent and the ending is just about perfect.
May 12, 2013
This book is a reissue of two Mary Baolgh Signet Regency stories from 1996. Early Balogh is not as good as later, but even so these are sweet, enjoyable stories. As I understand it, the Dark Angel series (no idea what that name is supposed to imply) is about four friends who embark upon forced, or nearly forced, marriages to women they don't love, or who don't love them. Naturally, they all end up happy.
In The Famous Heroine, Cora Downes rescues a duke's young nephew from drowning in Bath and is brought to London by the grateful grandmother. Since Cora is a wealthy Bristol merchant's daughter, she is clearly out of her element, but the ton, is intrigued by her heroism (and her dowry) and is rather accepting of her anyway. Lord Francis Kneller, a friend of the duke's, agrees to help squire her about to meet an eligible husband, and they become good friends. Because Lord Francis dresses in lace and bright colors, like a dandy (a macaroni, perhaps?), while all the other gentlemen have adopted Beau Brummel's austere look, Cora assumes that he is probably a man who does not perfer women. (It's rather odd that Cora even knows about such things and that she's so accepting of him, but hey it's Romancelandia.) Purely by accident, he compromises her in public, twice, and feels honor-bound to offer for her. Why she accepts is never entirely clear, except that she likes him and enjoys his company. They hie off to the country; misunderstandings ensue; happiness results.
The Plumed Bonnet is about the Duke of Bridgwater (Lord Francis's friend from the previous story) and his marriage to a governess turned heiress, Stephanie Gray. He literally picks up Stephanie on a country road, when she is wearing a fuchsia cape and a pink bonnet with three feathers. He thinks she's an actress or a ladybird and invites her into his carriage, mostly because he's bored and she has concocted a far-fetched story about being robbed on the way to claim her vast inheritance at her grandfather's estate in Hampshire. After they have traveled three days together and arrived at the estate, he is shocked to learn that her story is true. He insists that she marry him, partly to assuage his honor and partly because she will otherwise be forced to marry a creepy relative in order to keep her inheritance. (The will is one of those where she has to marry within six months to get the money. Did people really do that back then?) She accepts and they go to London, where the dowager duchess (the grateful grandmother from the previous story) trains her to be a proper duchess. Indeed, she becomes so proper that her own personality disappears, but she is so grateful to the duke for rescuing her and treating her with respect that she is determined to be the wife he should have. After they're married, he confesses what he first thought about her, and offers her her freedom. I think we all know what happens next.
These books are relatively short, compared to Balogh's later works, so the characters are less well-developed. Like I said, though, they are sweet, fun stories for a quick read.
Kudos to Mary Balogh for working to see that her backlist is published in ebook format.
In The Famous Heroine, Cora Downes rescues a duke's young nephew from drowning in Bath and is brought to London by the grateful grandmother. Since Cora is a wealthy Bristol merchant's daughter, she is clearly out of her element, but the ton, is intrigued by her heroism (and her dowry) and is rather accepting of her anyway. Lord Francis Kneller, a friend of the duke's, agrees to help squire her about to meet an eligible husband, and they become good friends. Because Lord Francis dresses in lace and bright colors, like a dandy (a macaroni, perhaps?), while all the other gentlemen have adopted Beau Brummel's austere look, Cora assumes that he is probably a man who does not perfer women. (It's rather odd that Cora even knows about such things and that she's so accepting of him, but hey it's Romancelandia.) Purely by accident, he compromises her in public, twice, and feels honor-bound to offer for her. Why she accepts is never entirely clear, except that she likes him and enjoys his company. They hie off to the country; misunderstandings ensue; happiness results.
The Plumed Bonnet is about the Duke of Bridgwater (Lord Francis's friend from the previous story) and his marriage to a governess turned heiress, Stephanie Gray. He literally picks up Stephanie on a country road, when she is wearing a fuchsia cape and a pink bonnet with three feathers. He thinks she's an actress or a ladybird and invites her into his carriage, mostly because he's bored and she has concocted a far-fetched story about being robbed on the way to claim her vast inheritance at her grandfather's estate in Hampshire. After they have traveled three days together and arrived at the estate, he is shocked to learn that her story is true. He insists that she marry him, partly to assuage his honor and partly because she will otherwise be forced to marry a creepy relative in order to keep her inheritance. (The will is one of those where she has to marry within six months to get the money. Did people really do that back then?) She accepts and they go to London, where the dowager duchess (the grateful grandmother from the previous story) trains her to be a proper duchess. Indeed, she becomes so proper that her own personality disappears, but she is so grateful to the duke for rescuing her and treating her with respect that she is determined to be the wife he should have. After they're married, he confesses what he first thought about her, and offers her her freedom. I think we all know what happens next.
These books are relatively short, compared to Balogh's later works, so the characters are less well-developed. Like I said, though, they are sweet, fun stories for a quick read.
Kudos to Mary Balogh for working to see that her backlist is published in ebook format.
August 23, 2019
My review for The Famous Heroine is on a copy of this omnibus built solo for that title so that my numbers for the challenge won't be off. Stupid omnibuses.
The Plumed Bonnet is pretty cute actually. It opens with a rather absurd series of events, as Stephanie Gray, a governess who has inherited money and an estate out of the blue, ends up walking there due to having been robbed. Alistair Munro, Duke of Bridgwater, picks her up and, due to her bright, plumed bonnet and outer garment, he thinks she's a lying prostitute and offers to transport her in exchange for services. She doesn't understand but, when she turns him down, he gets a second room at the inn. He decides to take her all the way to her supposed inheritance, expecting to see her lies exposed and then offer her the role of mistress. Instead, he learns it's true and offers her marriage as, technically, he's ruined her.
The set up is pretty cute, and I liked how things didn't always play out as expected. There's drama when Alistair's original intention is revealed, but it's twisted not into pure melodrama but into a commentary in how important it is to communicate open and honestly with your partner. The ship's acceptable but not one that worked particularly well for me, which is why this didn't get nudged up to the four star range.
The Plumed Bonnet is pretty cute actually. It opens with a rather absurd series of events, as Stephanie Gray, a governess who has inherited money and an estate out of the blue, ends up walking there due to having been robbed. Alistair Munro, Duke of Bridgwater, picks her up and, due to her bright, plumed bonnet and outer garment, he thinks she's a lying prostitute and offers to transport her in exchange for services. She doesn't understand but, when she turns him down, he gets a second room at the inn. He decides to take her all the way to her supposed inheritance, expecting to see her lies exposed and then offer her the role of mistress. Instead, he learns it's true and offers her marriage as, technically, he's ruined her.
The set up is pretty cute, and I liked how things didn't always play out as expected. There's drama when Alistair's original intention is revealed, but it's twisted not into pure melodrama but into a commentary in how important it is to communicate open and honestly with your partner. The ship's acceptable but not one that worked particularly well for me, which is why this didn't get nudged up to the four star range.
June 6, 2024
The Famous Heroine
I adored both the hero and heroine. I liked how they stood out as individuals and I loved their friendship and camaraderie. This was such a gentle love story about discovering the one person you never saw coming and getting to spend the remainder of your days with them by your side.
The Plumed Bonnet
I liked the basis of this story and the message about staying true to one’s self. Unfortunately, this book was lacking in the development of the romance and there seemed to be a lot of telling versus showing.
Yet, I did like the cameo from the hero and heroine from the first story; we get to spend time with them six years after their wedding and see their kids.
I adored both the hero and heroine. I liked how they stood out as individuals and I loved their friendship and camaraderie. This was such a gentle love story about discovering the one person you never saw coming and getting to spend the remainder of your days with them by your side.
The Plumed Bonnet
I liked the basis of this story and the message about staying true to one’s self. Unfortunately, this book was lacking in the development of the romance and there seemed to be a lot of telling versus showing.
Yet, I did like the cameo from the hero and heroine from the first story; we get to spend time with them six years after their wedding and see their kids.
November 10, 2011
Ahh, Mary Balogh. How I love you.
I am so glad the backlist is being published.
The Famous Heroine is Cora Downes, who has her "15 minutes of fame" due to a couple of incidents which are much overblown. She is lauded for saving the young nephew of a duke from drowning, when in reality the boy knows how to swim and she does not, and they are both helped by Cora's brother. Later, she attempts to rescue some small dogs from being trampled by a horse, but the dogs really were never in any real danger. In the book it is all humorous, but it's the kind of thing we see every day in our modern world--stories that are exaggerated by the media.
Of course in the 19th century there was no radio or television, but there were newspapers, and among London's society, gossip was a major pastime.
Cora is not of the aristocracy; she is a merchant's daughter but goes to London for the Season with the grandmother of the young boy she rescued. It doesn't take long for Cora to get into a couple of scrapes with Lord Francis Kneller, a friend of the Duke of Bridgwater (who is sponsoring Cora in society) and Lord Francis does the honorable thing and marries Cora.
Francis still thinks himself in love with Samantha (from Lord Carew's Bride) and it takes a long time for him to realize that he has feelings for Cora.
Cora was a lovable heroine; my problem with her was that she was just too self-effacing.
The Plumed Bonnet was even better. The Duke of Bridgwater finds his wife in this book in an odd manner. While traveling toward London for the Season, he spies a woman walking along the road in a bright colored cloak and a bonnet with wildly colored large plumes. He literally picks her up and listens to her tale of being a governess, receiving a large inheritance, traveling to collect said inheritance, and being robbed of her valise and money along the way. He is hugely entertained by what he considers to be her web of lies and intends to make her his mistress.
When they arrive at her new home, the Duke finds out that she is actually an innocent who has told the truth and she is now an heiress. Since he has spent 3 days in company with her in a closed carriage, and they have spent nights without a chaperone in an inn, she is compromised and they must marry.
The Duke brings Stephanie to his mother's home in London and enlists his mother's aid in making and shaping Stephanie into a lady fit to be a duchess. After a time, she rebels and there is much tension--which grows when he finally confesses to her that upon their meeting he thought she was a liar.
Their story works out when he brings her to his country home and she is able to be herself, and has the time to get to know the duke as a person.
Very satisfying read.
I am so glad the backlist is being published.
The Famous Heroine is Cora Downes, who has her "15 minutes of fame" due to a couple of incidents which are much overblown. She is lauded for saving the young nephew of a duke from drowning, when in reality the boy knows how to swim and she does not, and they are both helped by Cora's brother. Later, she attempts to rescue some small dogs from being trampled by a horse, but the dogs really were never in any real danger. In the book it is all humorous, but it's the kind of thing we see every day in our modern world--stories that are exaggerated by the media.
Of course in the 19th century there was no radio or television, but there were newspapers, and among London's society, gossip was a major pastime.
Cora is not of the aristocracy; she is a merchant's daughter but goes to London for the Season with the grandmother of the young boy she rescued. It doesn't take long for Cora to get into a couple of scrapes with Lord Francis Kneller, a friend of the Duke of Bridgwater (who is sponsoring Cora in society) and Lord Francis does the honorable thing and marries Cora.
Francis still thinks himself in love with Samantha (from Lord Carew's Bride) and it takes a long time for him to realize that he has feelings for Cora.
Cora was a lovable heroine; my problem with her was that she was just too self-effacing.
The Plumed Bonnet was even better. The Duke of Bridgwater finds his wife in this book in an odd manner. While traveling toward London for the Season, he spies a woman walking along the road in a bright colored cloak and a bonnet with wildly colored large plumes. He literally picks her up and listens to her tale of being a governess, receiving a large inheritance, traveling to collect said inheritance, and being robbed of her valise and money along the way. He is hugely entertained by what he considers to be her web of lies and intends to make her his mistress.
When they arrive at her new home, the Duke finds out that she is actually an innocent who has told the truth and she is now an heiress. Since he has spent 3 days in company with her in a closed carriage, and they have spent nights without a chaperone in an inn, she is compromised and they must marry.
The Duke brings Stephanie to his mother's home in London and enlists his mother's aid in making and shaping Stephanie into a lady fit to be a duchess. After a time, she rebels and there is much tension--which grows when he finally confesses to her that upon their meeting he thought she was a liar.
Their story works out when he brings her to his country home and she is able to be herself, and has the time to get to know the duke as a person.
Very satisfying read.
December 12, 2017
Three stars is fairly generous.
Having read the "Slightly" series, I can see now how M Balogh used earlier stories to try out different character types and then recycle them.
"The Famous Heiress": Cora is an accident-prone, big-hearted, big-boned, exuberant daughter of a merchant (gasp), and therefore Not The Thing. She's sponsored in London by the widowed Duchess of Bridgwater, and Lord Francis Kneller, the charming, kind and dandy-ish friend of the Duke of Bridgwater (the duchess's son), agrees to first dance with Cora and then decides for himself to be kind to her and to try to help her find a husband, who would certainly not be him because he is on a much higher social strata than her (AND he is still nursing a broken heart since the woman he loved, Samantha, got married in the previous story, Lord Carew's Bride.) (I KNEW Francis had to get his own story since he was so pathetically heartbroken by Samantha, and since he was such a good, cheerful, pleasant guy.)
Cora and Lord Francis quickly develop a sweet friendship, and she subconsciously falls in love with him even though she doesn't think he actually "likes" women.
Ding: Would a more or less gently bred young (heterosexual) lady in early 19th century England have ANY IDEA that men (or women) would actually prefer their own sex, in a romantic sense? I just find it wildly unlikely that it would have ever occurred to Cora, despite Lord Francis' predilection toward pastel waistcoats, that he was gay.
They're caught in one compromising (though relatively harmless and unromantic) situation which everyone is able to let go of, but when they're caught in a SECOND compromising situation (in which it is clear to everyone that Francis was definitely going to kiss her -- because he's realized he's hot for her despite her very very very low birth), Francis knows he must offer for her, and Cora, after some convincing, accepts him.
So they marry, and there's a whole bunch of misunderstandings -- he really doesn't think she is in love with him, she's really too gauche and rustic to be part of the ton, and she thinks he's gay ... and then they clear up the gay thing ... and then he's still tormented by being in love with Samantha (heroine of Lord Carew's Bride) and Cora realizes THAT and is devastated and thinks Francis will never love her and then in like the last three pages it all gets sorted out, including Francis miraculously deciding he's not in love with Samantha anymore even though he's spent most of the story (and the first month of his marriage) mooning over her.
It's a fine story -- Cora and Francis are both kind and happy people who love to laugh and to be with each other. Cora displays shades of Christine from Slightly Dangerous: a lower born, clumsy, loud-laughing, not-quite-right-for-society heroine. However Christine is described as beautiful and trim, while Cora evidently is some sort of heifer. And Francis is definitely not Wulfric ... The earlier version of Wulfric is clearly ...
The Duke of Bridgwater, the "hero" of "The Plumed Bonnet."
This was *not* a romance story. In the first part of the story, the hero and heroine don't know or recognize each other's true identities, and once that is established and their engagement/marriage take place, they are both full of angst and sadness. It is ulcer-inducing.
Alistair, the duke, has appeared in several of the earlier novels in this series, a very proper, correct, polite, haughty (and handsome) aristocrat. In "The Plumed Bonnet," his friends have all been married for several years, have many children, and he's facing his mid-30s alone and bored.
On his travels to London, he has his carriage stopped in order to pick up Stephanie Gray, a woman stranded by the roadside who he assumes is an actress/prostitute. He decides he'll be entertained by the lies she spins about herself, and that she'll probably go to bed with him since she's clearly of loose virtue.
When she resists his kiss at the inn that night (after she's realized to her horror that they've been put into the same room), he tells himself, as he falls asleep in the inn's attic room, that she is playing a long con on him and that he is willing to see how it unfolds.
He finally realizes that Stephanie Gray is telling the truth about herself, that she is truly a lady (and most certainly an innocent) and he knows that honor demands that he marry her, even though she is quite low born and Not The Thing and he does not love her.
This could've been a much better romance if there wasn't SO MUCH GODDAMNED ANGST and if there was, you know, a teeny bit of romance. Jesus Christ, I could hardly stand the angst. Of course, during the month of their engagement, they fall in love with each other, but can they actually admit it? NO. She starts to lose her goddamned mind because she's twisting herself into knots to be "perfect" and proper, and he wonders what happened to the light-hearted and sunny woman he picked up by the side of the road.
They have a terrible encounter about a week into the engagement when they get carried away by their physical attraction to each other -- she is happy and willing to enjoy it, but he stops when they've gotten to about second base and reacts in a horrible way, making her feel guilty AND giving her the distinct impression that she is not to show physically romantic feelings toward him. It is a horrible scene, and, for me, it really drove a knife into what a romance novel is supposed to be.
Sidenote: I actually think Alistair's response of horror to how far they went was more realistic than heroes in other books who don't seem terribly concerned about going far with their lady loves. That's one thing about Balogh -- I think her sex scenes, with the woman almost always lying still with the guy pumping away, are probably more of what it was like in those marriages, although it always makes me laugh when the heroine ENJOYS just laying there and getting pumped a few times. Really, ladies, really?
Anywhoo, the angst and the sadness that both Stephanie and Alistair feel were just killers for me. It was agonizing for them to slog through this pain, this terrible first month of a marriage where he would come in at night, pump her a few times, and then leave. How do they make a romance out of that? And the final resolution literally comes in the last two pages, and they abruptly clear everything up between them and decide they love each other. The end. GAH. Made me want to scream.
Having read the "Slightly" series, I can see now how M Balogh used earlier stories to try out different character types and then recycle them.
"The Famous Heiress": Cora is an accident-prone, big-hearted, big-boned, exuberant daughter of a merchant (gasp), and therefore Not The Thing. She's sponsored in London by the widowed Duchess of Bridgwater, and Lord Francis Kneller, the charming, kind and dandy-ish friend of the Duke of Bridgwater (the duchess's son), agrees to first dance with Cora and then decides for himself to be kind to her and to try to help her find a husband, who would certainly not be him because he is on a much higher social strata than her (AND he is still nursing a broken heart since the woman he loved, Samantha, got married in the previous story, Lord Carew's Bride.) (I KNEW Francis had to get his own story since he was so pathetically heartbroken by Samantha, and since he was such a good, cheerful, pleasant guy.)
Cora and Lord Francis quickly develop a sweet friendship, and she subconsciously falls in love with him even though she doesn't think he actually "likes" women.
Ding: Would a more or less gently bred young (heterosexual) lady in early 19th century England have ANY IDEA that men (or women) would actually prefer their own sex, in a romantic sense? I just find it wildly unlikely that it would have ever occurred to Cora, despite Lord Francis' predilection toward pastel waistcoats, that he was gay.
They're caught in one compromising (though relatively harmless and unromantic) situation which everyone is able to let go of, but when they're caught in a SECOND compromising situation (in which it is clear to everyone that Francis was definitely going to kiss her -- because he's realized he's hot for her despite her very very very low birth), Francis knows he must offer for her, and Cora, after some convincing, accepts him.
So they marry, and there's a whole bunch of misunderstandings -- he really doesn't think she is in love with him, she's really too gauche and rustic to be part of the ton, and she thinks he's gay ... and then they clear up the gay thing ... and then he's still tormented by being in love with Samantha (heroine of Lord Carew's Bride) and Cora realizes THAT and is devastated and thinks Francis will never love her and then in like the last three pages it all gets sorted out, including Francis miraculously deciding he's not in love with Samantha anymore even though he's spent most of the story (and the first month of his marriage) mooning over her.
It's a fine story -- Cora and Francis are both kind and happy people who love to laugh and to be with each other. Cora displays shades of Christine from Slightly Dangerous: a lower born, clumsy, loud-laughing, not-quite-right-for-society heroine. However Christine is described as beautiful and trim, while Cora evidently is some sort of heifer. And Francis is definitely not Wulfric ... The earlier version of Wulfric is clearly ...
The Duke of Bridgwater, the "hero" of "The Plumed Bonnet."
This was *not* a romance story. In the first part of the story, the hero and heroine don't know or recognize each other's true identities, and once that is established and their engagement/marriage take place, they are both full of angst and sadness. It is ulcer-inducing.
Alistair, the duke, has appeared in several of the earlier novels in this series, a very proper, correct, polite, haughty (and handsome) aristocrat. In "The Plumed Bonnet," his friends have all been married for several years, have many children, and he's facing his mid-30s alone and bored.
On his travels to London, he has his carriage stopped in order to pick up Stephanie Gray, a woman stranded by the roadside who he assumes is an actress/prostitute. He decides he'll be entertained by the lies she spins about herself, and that she'll probably go to bed with him since she's clearly of loose virtue.
When she resists his kiss at the inn that night (after she's realized to her horror that they've been put into the same room), he tells himself, as he falls asleep in the inn's attic room, that she is playing a long con on him and that he is willing to see how it unfolds.
He finally realizes that Stephanie Gray is telling the truth about herself, that she is truly a lady (and most certainly an innocent) and he knows that honor demands that he marry her, even though she is quite low born and Not The Thing and he does not love her.
This could've been a much better romance if there wasn't SO MUCH GODDAMNED ANGST and if there was, you know, a teeny bit of romance. Jesus Christ, I could hardly stand the angst. Of course, during the month of their engagement, they fall in love with each other, but can they actually admit it? NO. She starts to lose her goddamned mind because she's twisting herself into knots to be "perfect" and proper, and he wonders what happened to the light-hearted and sunny woman he picked up by the side of the road.
They have a terrible encounter about a week into the engagement when they get carried away by their physical attraction to each other -- she is happy and willing to enjoy it, but he stops when they've gotten to about second base and reacts in a horrible way, making her feel guilty AND giving her the distinct impression that she is not to show physically romantic feelings toward him. It is a horrible scene, and, for me, it really drove a knife into what a romance novel is supposed to be.
Sidenote: I actually think Alistair's response of horror to how far they went was more realistic than heroes in other books who don't seem terribly concerned about going far with their lady loves. That's one thing about Balogh -- I think her sex scenes, with the woman almost always lying still with the guy pumping away, are probably more of what it was like in those marriages, although it always makes me laugh when the heroine ENJOYS just laying there and getting pumped a few times. Really, ladies, really?
Anywhoo, the angst and the sadness that both Stephanie and Alistair feel were just killers for me. It was agonizing for them to slog through this pain, this terrible first month of a marriage where he would come in at night, pump her a few times, and then leave. How do they make a romance out of that? And the final resolution literally comes in the last two pages, and they abruptly clear everything up between them and decide they love each other. The end. GAH. Made me want to scream.
August 8, 2022
What a great book ! Lots of action !!
Read
February 28, 2017I give 5 stars based on the following things: characters, setting, theme, plot/story, and conflict/resolution. There will be SPOILERS. (Although come on. How much spoilers could there possibly be with a romance book?)
Characters
The Famous Heroine
So these characters were a little fun. I loved their interactions with each other and I loved Cora's genuinely awkward, funny moments. Cora was genuine and good and kind and it's about time I read more books with a heroine I actually liked. She stayed true to herself and she grew in ways I never expected. Francis was a sweet guy and I really liked how kind and noble he was. The secondary characters really helped to build up their world a little and to shove those two characters together in a way that made sense. That said, Cora did come off really immature and childish sometimes if not a little...well...dumb? Thankfully Francis wasn't a total idiot although his pining after Samantha started to get really annoying after a while. How miraculous that he got over it in less than fifteen pages when forced into a situation with her and his wife present.
The Plumed Bonnet
It started off awesome. I loved Alistair and Stephanie's interactions and dynamic together. And then, I hated it. Oh gosh, it's like halfway through the book, the characters forgot who they were and they fell apart. They didn't read true to the people introduced in the beginning. That said, I would have believed they had fallen in love in the three days they spent together if there was more evidence of it. As it was, this love thing sprung out from nowhere. However, I liked them enough to begin with so,
1 star for Characters.
Setting
The Famous Heroine and The Plumbed Bonnet
Of course I have to give a star for this. Mary Balogh had the whole regency world down. I believe it.
1 star for Setting
Theme
The Famous Heroine and The Plumbed Bonnet
Finding love in unexpected places is always neat.
1 star for Theme
Plot/story
The Famous Heroine
So, a woman thrust into the light of high society for doing a remarkable deed (ish) and on the way finds love in the most unlikely place. I loved it. The way the two met at the ball and started an unlikely friendship was sweet. How much they came to rely on each other for support and companionship was adorable. How they fell in love without even realizing it was expected. Cora's various heroine endeavors were a little forced and slightly ridiculous, but they made sense. They drove the two together through circumstance. How they ended up together was interesting. It was very, very predictable after they were found together the first time that it would happen the second time. Overall, the story and plot was great.
The Plumed Bonnet
This is where I had a problem with the story. They started off clearly into each other. Even if Alistair's original intent was dishonorable, he liked her. He clearly liked her. And she liked him. She clearly liked him. As soon as she found out who he was and he realized she had been telling the truth, their entire dynamics changed into something so horrific, I could barely watch without dying more and more inside. And then how the "I love you"s came out of left field????? No. Just no. I get that there was building tension in their relationship, but at some point, the word "hate" was thrown around often and then it transitioned into "love?" No. The events making up the story were not to my liking and were completely unprecedented.
(And now I feel like I haven't truely written a review and just a bunch of negative comments. Oy.)
1/2 star for Plot/Story
Conflict/Resolution
The Famous Heroine
The conflict of Cora needing to find a husband and then getting pushed into a marriage with Francis was adorable. How it was resolved, including the things with Samantha, was okay. But this was my favorite of the two stories.
The Plumed Bonnet
Ugh. I liked the conflict, but didn't like the conflict. I liked the resolution (ish)--mostly the whole fete day events thing--, but it was too abrupt. Ugh. I am still having very negative feelings about this book. Therefore,
1/2 star for Conflict/Resolution
Overall impression:
The Famous Heroine
I loved how it built up and loved how it ended. There were a few holes and weirdness, but I liked it for the most part.
The Plumed Bonnet
Started off strong, but waned as I read more into the story. It was grossly disappointing.
Final rating: 4 stars
But it's mostly because of The Famous Heroine. Really. If I read those books individually, The Famous Heroine would have been 4 stars and The Plumed Bonnet 2.
Characters
The Famous Heroine
So these characters were a little fun. I loved their interactions with each other and I loved Cora's genuinely awkward, funny moments. Cora was genuine and good and kind and it's about time I read more books with a heroine I actually liked. She stayed true to herself and she grew in ways I never expected. Francis was a sweet guy and I really liked how kind and noble he was. The secondary characters really helped to build up their world a little and to shove those two characters together in a way that made sense. That said, Cora did come off really immature and childish sometimes if not a little...well...dumb? Thankfully Francis wasn't a total idiot although his pining after Samantha started to get really annoying after a while. How miraculous that he got over it in less than fifteen pages when forced into a situation with her and his wife present.
The Plumed Bonnet
It started off awesome. I loved Alistair and Stephanie's interactions and dynamic together. And then, I hated it. Oh gosh, it's like halfway through the book, the characters forgot who they were and they fell apart. They didn't read true to the people introduced in the beginning. That said, I would have believed they had fallen in love in the three days they spent together if there was more evidence of it. As it was, this love thing sprung out from nowhere. However, I liked them enough to begin with so,
1 star for Characters.
Setting
The Famous Heroine and The Plumbed Bonnet
Of course I have to give a star for this. Mary Balogh had the whole regency world down. I believe it.
1 star for Setting
Theme
The Famous Heroine and The Plumbed Bonnet
Finding love in unexpected places is always neat.
1 star for Theme
Plot/story
The Famous Heroine
So, a woman thrust into the light of high society for doing a remarkable deed (ish) and on the way finds love in the most unlikely place. I loved it. The way the two met at the ball and started an unlikely friendship was sweet. How much they came to rely on each other for support and companionship was adorable. How they fell in love without even realizing it was expected. Cora's various heroine endeavors were a little forced and slightly ridiculous, but they made sense. They drove the two together through circumstance. How they ended up together was interesting. It was very, very predictable after they were found together the first time that it would happen the second time. Overall, the story and plot was great.
The Plumed Bonnet
This is where I had a problem with the story. They started off clearly into each other. Even if Alistair's original intent was dishonorable, he liked her. He clearly liked her. And she liked him. She clearly liked him. As soon as she found out who he was and he realized she had been telling the truth, their entire dynamics changed into something so horrific, I could barely watch without dying more and more inside. And then how the "I love you"s came out of left field????? No. Just no. I get that there was building tension in their relationship, but at some point, the word "hate" was thrown around often and then it transitioned into "love?" No. The events making up the story were not to my liking and were completely unprecedented.
(And now I feel like I haven't truely written a review and just a bunch of negative comments. Oy.)
1/2 star for Plot/Story
Conflict/Resolution
The Famous Heroine
The conflict of Cora needing to find a husband and then getting pushed into a marriage with Francis was adorable. How it was resolved, including the things with Samantha, was okay. But this was my favorite of the two stories.
The Plumed Bonnet
Ugh. I liked the conflict, but didn't like the conflict. I liked the resolution (ish)--mostly the whole fete day events thing--, but it was too abrupt. Ugh. I am still having very negative feelings about this book. Therefore,
1/2 star for Conflict/Resolution
Overall impression:
The Famous Heroine
I loved how it built up and loved how it ended. There were a few holes and weirdness, but I liked it for the most part.
The Plumed Bonnet
Started off strong, but waned as I read more into the story. It was grossly disappointing.
Final rating: 4 stars
But it's mostly because of The Famous Heroine. Really. If I read those books individually, The Famous Heroine would have been 4 stars and The Plumed Bonnet 2.
November 30, 2012
Two full length romances. These are pure romance stories. No bad guys. No outragous adventures. The pace is correct for the story but may seem slow for some readers. But I liked them, that slow slide into love. Both had a few sensual sex scenes.
These are about how two strangers who meet, show an interest in each other (Not and instant attraction) and then circumstances throw them into marriage where they learn about emotional and physical intimacy. Somewhere along the way, they fall in love.
In the first story, the hero dresses like a dandy (wears pinks and lavenders) so the heroine concludes he has a preference for men. She enjoys the friendship he offers not realizing how much he lusts for her even though he's the brother of a duke and her father is in trade.
Circumstances beyond their control cause a scandal that compels them into marriage. She says yes because, having given up on the idea of romantic love at her advanced age, she sees him as a great life-long companion and he can provide her with a home of her own, even though she will have to forgo having children.
In the second story our hero (a duke) picks up a stranded woman from the road. Because of her hat and cloak (the type worn by actresses or whores) he mistakes her for a loose woman. Amuzed by the tall tale she tells, so full of cliches it has to be a series of lies (She's a vicar's daughter who lost her parents and took employment as a governess. But she has inherited her grandfather's estate and money (a man she has never met) provided she marry within four months. She set off for the estate on her own and was robbed of all her possessions and money at a coaching inn.) he doesn't belive a single word. He takes her to the supposed estate all the while enjoying her freshness, thinking that once he exposes her lies, he will make her his new mistress.
When they arrive at the estate and he realizes his mistake - everything she told him was the truth - they had already spent three days and two nights togther, alone and she is a gentlewoman. He sees no choice but to offer her marriage. But when he introduced himself to her in the carriage, he gave her his surname, not his title.
She says yes because time is short and the only other willing gentlman isn't a man she would consent to marry. She isn't certain she will be able to gain another marriage offer in the time left and she wants her inheritance, she wants a home and children.
Both characters have given up on the youthful dream of romantic love.
The adjustment from vicar's daughter/governess isn't an easy one for our heroine who believes the Duke saved her life on the road that fateful day. She's determined (with his mother's assistance) to become his perfect duchess: cold, aloof, dispassionate, lofty.
Those changes drive them apart. He preferred the woman he spent three days with in the carriage: warm, passionate, personable, caring.
These are about how two strangers who meet, show an interest in each other (Not and instant attraction) and then circumstances throw them into marriage where they learn about emotional and physical intimacy. Somewhere along the way, they fall in love.
In the first story, the hero dresses like a dandy (wears pinks and lavenders) so the heroine concludes he has a preference for men. She enjoys the friendship he offers not realizing how much he lusts for her even though he's the brother of a duke and her father is in trade.
Circumstances beyond their control cause a scandal that compels them into marriage. She says yes because, having given up on the idea of romantic love at her advanced age, she sees him as a great life-long companion and he can provide her with a home of her own, even though she will have to forgo having children.
In the second story our hero (a duke) picks up a stranded woman from the road. Because of her hat and cloak (the type worn by actresses or whores) he mistakes her for a loose woman. Amuzed by the tall tale she tells, so full of cliches it has to be a series of lies (She's a vicar's daughter who lost her parents and took employment as a governess. But she has inherited her grandfather's estate and money (a man she has never met) provided she marry within four months. She set off for the estate on her own and was robbed of all her possessions and money at a coaching inn.) he doesn't belive a single word. He takes her to the supposed estate all the while enjoying her freshness, thinking that once he exposes her lies, he will make her his new mistress.
When they arrive at the estate and he realizes his mistake - everything she told him was the truth - they had already spent three days and two nights togther, alone and she is a gentlewoman. He sees no choice but to offer her marriage. But when he introduced himself to her in the carriage, he gave her his surname, not his title.
She says yes because time is short and the only other willing gentlman isn't a man she would consent to marry. She isn't certain she will be able to gain another marriage offer in the time left and she wants her inheritance, she wants a home and children.
Both characters have given up on the youthful dream of romantic love.
The adjustment from vicar's daughter/governess isn't an easy one for our heroine who believes the Duke saved her life on the road that fateful day. She's determined (with his mother's assistance) to become his perfect duchess: cold, aloof, dispassionate, lofty.
Those changes drive them apart. He preferred the woman he spent three days with in the carriage: warm, passionate, personable, caring.
December 23, 2015
Duo of Regency Romances
This book contains two books from the Stanton-Downes series. The books can be read as standalones even though they are books 5 and 6 in the series.
THE FAMOUS HEROINE: Cora Downes is the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Exuberant and without polish, Cora is too physical for refined society. Because she rescued the grandson of a duchess, Cora has been brought to London to find a husband. Francis Kneller is nursing a broken heart. For years he courted Lady Samantha who ended up marrying someone else (book number 4). When Cora meets Francis, she is comfortable in his presence because his foppish appearance relaxes her. She knows that he cannot be interested in her. When the two are accidentally caught in a compromising situation, marriage is the only solution. Cora, however, is surprised to find out that Francis is not the effeminate peacock she thought him to be. This book is incredibly funny as Cora keeps getting into scrapes as she performs "rescues" that might actually be causing more problems than they solve. I love how Balogh creates these slow, intense emotional dramas that are all about the heart of the characters rather than a superficial plot. The deliberate pacing of this book allows these characters to build a relationship between them so that once the marriage is required, they are ready to actually have emotional intimacy. The humor of this book is pitch perfect. Cora is sometimes silly in her assumptions, but this book never makes fun of her instead showing readers her good nature and caring for others that leads her into misadventures. Rating: 4 stars.
THE PLUMED BONNET: Alistair Munro, Duke of Bridgwater is a former romantic who has made himself cynical to protect himself. He is now at an age where he realizes he might need to marry. While traveling, he comes upon a woman in a gaudy hat and cloak walking along the road. Because she pierces his ennui, he agrees to take her in his carriage while she tells him a tale of being a governess turned heiress who was robbed. He doesn't believe her but is amused enough by her story to agree to take her to her destination. He figures that once they arrive, he will make her his mistress. What he doesn't know is that everything that Stephanie Gray is telling him is true. I loved this book. Balogh can write such complex emotional stories. Alistair is playing with Stephanie but she believes him a hero. Her desire to be worthy of his good deeds toward her make her miserable. I loved how these two slowly have to work through their new relationship. These are two decent people who have to learn to deal with one another and build a relationship. Complex and with deep emotional overtones, this is my favorite of the series. Rating: 4.5 stars.
This book contains two books from the Stanton-Downes series. The books can be read as standalones even though they are books 5 and 6 in the series.
THE FAMOUS HEROINE: Cora Downes is the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Exuberant and without polish, Cora is too physical for refined society. Because she rescued the grandson of a duchess, Cora has been brought to London to find a husband. Francis Kneller is nursing a broken heart. For years he courted Lady Samantha who ended up marrying someone else (book number 4). When Cora meets Francis, she is comfortable in his presence because his foppish appearance relaxes her. She knows that he cannot be interested in her. When the two are accidentally caught in a compromising situation, marriage is the only solution. Cora, however, is surprised to find out that Francis is not the effeminate peacock she thought him to be. This book is incredibly funny as Cora keeps getting into scrapes as she performs "rescues" that might actually be causing more problems than they solve. I love how Balogh creates these slow, intense emotional dramas that are all about the heart of the characters rather than a superficial plot. The deliberate pacing of this book allows these characters to build a relationship between them so that once the marriage is required, they are ready to actually have emotional intimacy. The humor of this book is pitch perfect. Cora is sometimes silly in her assumptions, but this book never makes fun of her instead showing readers her good nature and caring for others that leads her into misadventures. Rating: 4 stars.
THE PLUMED BONNET: Alistair Munro, Duke of Bridgwater is a former romantic who has made himself cynical to protect himself. He is now at an age where he realizes he might need to marry. While traveling, he comes upon a woman in a gaudy hat and cloak walking along the road. Because she pierces his ennui, he agrees to take her in his carriage while she tells him a tale of being a governess turned heiress who was robbed. He doesn't believe her but is amused enough by her story to agree to take her to her destination. He figures that once they arrive, he will make her his mistress. What he doesn't know is that everything that Stephanie Gray is telling him is true. I loved this book. Balogh can write such complex emotional stories. Alistair is playing with Stephanie but she believes him a hero. Her desire to be worthy of his good deeds toward her make her miserable. I loved how these two slowly have to work through their new relationship. These are two decent people who have to learn to deal with one another and build a relationship. Complex and with deep emotional overtones, this is my favorite of the series. Rating: 4.5 stars.
November 1, 2011
Book #1--THE FAMOUS HEROINE. My grade: B+. An old regency by my favorite historical romance author. Could a couple be more opposite? Cora Downes and Francis Kneller took a long time to figure out who each other were. The journey, for the reader, was delightful.
Book #2--THE PLUMED BONNET. My grade: B. Alistair, Duke of Bridgwater, and Stephanie Grey almost missed each other--missed learning who the other person really was. They nearly didn't reveal themselves to the other person. Their "transformation/resolution" came together a bit too quickly. I wasn't really sure what compelled Alistair to take the risk of saying "I love you." I understood them but wanted a bit more from them. Plus, I kept wondering why the Dowager Duchess wasn't at the fete. If she had been, there would have been conflict. Of course, it's a small regency. Not enough pages to do all that sometimes. Still, I enjoyed Alistair and Stephanie and their story, even though somehow it seemed more predictable than usual.
Book #2--THE PLUMED BONNET. My grade: B. Alistair, Duke of Bridgwater, and Stephanie Grey almost missed each other--missed learning who the other person really was. They nearly didn't reveal themselves to the other person. Their "transformation/resolution" came together a bit too quickly. I wasn't really sure what compelled Alistair to take the risk of saying "I love you." I understood them but wanted a bit more from them. Plus, I kept wondering why the Dowager Duchess wasn't at the fete. If she had been, there would have been conflict. Of course, it's a small regency. Not enough pages to do all that sometimes. Still, I enjoyed Alistair and Stephanie and their story, even though somehow it seemed more predictable than usual.
February 17, 2013
This review is for the Plumed Bonnet. This is a classic Mary Balogh with a cynical , all-about-me lord and a naive, but spunky heroine who somehow are able to make it work. I liked the book and the plot. I loved the beginning when Alistair is all "You are a liar but I want you so I'll put up with it until you're so humiliated you sleep with me" and Stephanie is innocent and naive and VERY, VERY LUCKY!
It kind of fell apart in the middle when Stephanie was being prepped by Alistair's family. She didn't act the same and neither did Alistair so the story ground to a bore. It got interesting after Alistair OUT OF THE BLUE confesses to her what he really thought about her those first fiew days. I'm not sure why she was upset since I got the feeling he was more upset than she was.
So, at the end, there was a nice HEA for an okay story about likeable characters. The End.
It kind of fell apart in the middle when Stephanie was being prepped by Alistair's family. She didn't act the same and neither did Alistair so the story ground to a bore. It got interesting after Alistair OUT OF THE BLUE confesses to her what he really thought about her those first fiew days. I'm not sure why she was upset since I got the feeling he was more upset than she was.
So, at the end, there was a nice HEA for an okay story about likeable characters. The End.
August 10, 2020
The Famous Heroine-
I am kinda bummed Francis didn't get a better story. He is just so incredibly likable that I wanted to be wowed and blown away with his love story, but it was kinda dull and not what I was expecting. He deserved better, precious man. The ending was SUPER abrupt ... I was reading and literally had no clue I was on the last page. It should have gone out with more of a bang, IMO.
Going to come back to the Plumed Bonnet because I think I will like it better. The Duke is a super stuffy prick- my kinda man lol!! :)
I am kinda bummed Francis didn't get a better story. He is just so incredibly likable that I wanted to be wowed and blown away with his love story, but it was kinda dull and not what I was expecting. He deserved better, precious man. The ending was SUPER abrupt ... I was reading and literally had no clue I was on the last page. It should have gone out with more of a bang, IMO.
Going to come back to the Plumed Bonnet because I think I will like it better. The Duke is a super stuffy prick- my kinda man lol!! :)
April 16, 2012
Two for one bargain! I really should get credit for BOTH books on the reading challenge, but ah well. Two of Balogh's older stories in one volume - lovely. :) As always, I found her characters human, kind, and funny in sweet and kind ways. There is a reason she is my favorite romance author. I'm glad her older works hold up over time.
September 13, 2012
3/5; 3 stars; B
These two books were enjoyable entries in this series. I found it rather frustrating to constantly deal with the big misunderstanding that could have been avoided if people had an honest conversation but it wasn't too destructive. I still enjoyed both stories. I think Balogh's more recent books show a much more polished style and less reliance on standard plot elements.
These two books were enjoyable entries in this series. I found it rather frustrating to constantly deal with the big misunderstanding that could have been avoided if people had an honest conversation but it wasn't too destructive. I still enjoyed both stories. I think Balogh's more recent books show a much more polished style and less reliance on standard plot elements.
January 24, 2012
The Famous Heroine was great, with funny, realistic characters, including the main character who falls in love with a man she thinks is homosexual. The Plumed Bonnet was not as good, it felt rushed, and the changes of emotion between the main characters (love/hate/confusion) seemed random.
September 19, 2019
The Famed Heroine was such a good story. I love Cora and I really identified with her insecurity. I found The Plumed Bonnet a lot less enjoyable. The hero is horribly rude and condescending and I never forgave him, even if Stephanie did.
September 1, 2017
Another light-hearted story by Mary Balogh - that's two now.
I will have to say I didn't find The Famous Heroine as funny as the Black Umbrella because it also has one of my pet peeves in it. The hero just cannot forget that other woman he loved, even when the one in his arms is his perfect match. So, it took me a while to like Francis because he was still mooning over Samantha. By the way, Samantha was the heroine from Lord Carew's Bride. Both books are connected to the Stapleton-Downs stories. Just so you know, Mary Balogh's website has a break-down of all her connected books so you don't get lost. This book was released in 1996 and has been re-released as part of a 2-in-1 book with The Plumed Bonnet.
Cora Downes is a heroine - and I mean that in every sense of the way. She saved the young son of a duke from drowning. Now the grandmother of said child is so grateful that she has brought Cora to London as a reward. She thinks that being part of society is a great honor. Here's the thing: Cora is sort of accident prone and the saving of the young boy didn't really happen quite the way everyone thinks. In fact, he didn't really need to be saved, but oh well - now society has a heroine.
Cora is not comfortable hanging with the elite people. She doesn't fit in. When she meets our hero, Lord Francis Kneller, she is wearing shoes which are too small because everyone knows men like women with small feet. But now her feet hurt and she's tripping over everything. Francis saves her from embarrassment and she's ever so grateful. She feels perfectly safe with Francis and she jumps to the conclusion that Francis is a gay man. You see Francis wears brightly colored clothes, is sarcastic and has lots of female friends. She becomes very protective of him, especially when she thinks someone is slighting his character.
Francis on the other hand thinks Cora is amusing. She is just the distraction he needs to get over his boo-hoo heart. He is drawn to her, but that leads to two compromising scenes - the first one they survive, the second one forces them into wedlock. I liked Cora a lot. She's accident prone and has a habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. She is also similar to the heroine from Black Umbrella because she is constantly saving things or maybe I should say she gets credit for saving things - poodles, horses, the Prince.
There is a pretty funny scene when Cora is surprised when Francis actually wants her in bed. They talk circles around each other for a while until it dawns on Francis just what Cora thinks - pretty amusing. By the way, he doesn't change how he dresses. This is pretty close to being a screw-ball comedy, and I would have liked it so much better if Francis would have stopped the Samantha/Cora comparisons sooner.
And, once again we have another recommendation for an old Mary Balogh's book.
KaysBlog
I will have to say I didn't find The Famous Heroine as funny as the Black Umbrella because it also has one of my pet peeves in it. The hero just cannot forget that other woman he loved, even when the one in his arms is his perfect match. So, it took me a while to like Francis because he was still mooning over Samantha. By the way, Samantha was the heroine from Lord Carew's Bride. Both books are connected to the Stapleton-Downs stories. Just so you know, Mary Balogh's website has a break-down of all her connected books so you don't get lost. This book was released in 1996 and has been re-released as part of a 2-in-1 book with The Plumed Bonnet.
Cora Downes is a heroine - and I mean that in every sense of the way. She saved the young son of a duke from drowning. Now the grandmother of said child is so grateful that she has brought Cora to London as a reward. She thinks that being part of society is a great honor. Here's the thing: Cora is sort of accident prone and the saving of the young boy didn't really happen quite the way everyone thinks. In fact, he didn't really need to be saved, but oh well - now society has a heroine.
Cora is not comfortable hanging with the elite people. She doesn't fit in. When she meets our hero, Lord Francis Kneller, she is wearing shoes which are too small because everyone knows men like women with small feet. But now her feet hurt and she's tripping over everything. Francis saves her from embarrassment and she's ever so grateful. She feels perfectly safe with Francis and she jumps to the conclusion that Francis is a gay man. You see Francis wears brightly colored clothes, is sarcastic and has lots of female friends. She becomes very protective of him, especially when she thinks someone is slighting his character.
Francis on the other hand thinks Cora is amusing. She is just the distraction he needs to get over his boo-hoo heart. He is drawn to her, but that leads to two compromising scenes - the first one they survive, the second one forces them into wedlock. I liked Cora a lot. She's accident prone and has a habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. She is also similar to the heroine from Black Umbrella because she is constantly saving things or maybe I should say she gets credit for saving things - poodles, horses, the Prince.
There is a pretty funny scene when Cora is surprised when Francis actually wants her in bed. They talk circles around each other for a while until it dawns on Francis just what Cora thinks - pretty amusing. By the way, he doesn't change how he dresses. This is pretty close to being a screw-ball comedy, and I would have liked it so much better if Francis would have stopped the Samantha/Cora comparisons sooner.
And, once again we have another recommendation for an old Mary Balogh's book.
KaysBlog
December 28, 2021
I was expecting these stories to be shorter in length, rather than a 2-in-1. I certainly liked one more than the other.
The Famous Heroine
There's something about the heroine, Cora, who reminds me Sophia from Heyer's The Grand Sophy. Maybe that's why I mostly liked her. The author uses adjectives that describe her and ones that I would go on to say have a negative connotation (she was described as "large"), but I still felt clueless as to what she looked like. She was true to herself, most of the times, and really did try to help others/have good intentions. Francis could have sounded pitiful, but I enjoyed his fun in fashion and the moments he was with Cora.
For the romance, meh. Definitely not the shining star. I would say the easy comradery would be it. And I can see how that changed into love, but I wish it wasn't so quick at the end. Plus, Cora's complete lack of self esteem at the end, is a lot.
While I knew what Cora was thinking about Francis, I didn't actually think she thought that. She tends to describe him as unmanly and because he was wearing turquoise, an effeminate dresser. It's strange to me that there were no other dandies in society? No one else wearing lace at the wrist or extraordinary necktie knots? That seems unlikely, that she wouldn't see one other dandy.
The Plumed Bonnet
Did not start off great, but I was open to it proving me wrong. It did not prove me wrong.
If anyone reading this thinks that Alistair Munro is the ideal gentleman and someone you wish to marry. SETTLE HIGHER.
It didn't take me long to dislike Alistair. It did take me a little longer to dislike Stephanie. I think it was when she had her realization of "I love him" after a month of duchess tutorage from his mom, not seeing him that much, being resentful of changing who you were so you could fit in and not embarrass him, and oh yea, remember that time he was about to call her a whore but stopped, because Alistair was mad that she was responding to his advances. Even though, Alistair clearly knows she's a virgin, doesn't even know how to kiss, so she's following her fiancé's lead. And she's in ~love~ with Duke Douchebag.
They continue on, not communicating with each other, until it all comes out and he doesn't even acknowledge that she's been trying to fit this perfect mold, and instead focuses on how she doesn't even know him, so now he has to talk about himself. Which, yes, you two should communicate.
There's some more condescension during sex about how she's not ready to have her clit touched.
They work it out. Hopefully these fictional characters will continue to communicate.
The Famous Heroine
There's something about the heroine, Cora, who reminds me Sophia from Heyer's The Grand Sophy. Maybe that's why I mostly liked her. The author uses adjectives that describe her and ones that I would go on to say have a negative connotation (she was described as "large"), but I still felt clueless as to what she looked like. She was true to herself, most of the times, and really did try to help others/have good intentions. Francis could have sounded pitiful, but I enjoyed his fun in fashion and the moments he was with Cora.
For the romance, meh. Definitely not the shining star. I would say the easy comradery would be it. And I can see how that changed into love, but I wish it wasn't so quick at the end. Plus, Cora's complete lack of self esteem at the end, is a lot.
While I knew what Cora was thinking about Francis, I didn't actually think she thought that. She tends to describe him as unmanly and because he was wearing turquoise, an effeminate dresser. It's strange to me that there were no other dandies in society? No one else wearing lace at the wrist or extraordinary necktie knots? That seems unlikely, that she wouldn't see one other dandy.
The Plumed Bonnet
Did not start off great, but I was open to it proving me wrong. It did not prove me wrong.
If anyone reading this thinks that Alistair Munro is the ideal gentleman and someone you wish to marry. SETTLE HIGHER.
It didn't take me long to dislike Alistair. It did take me a little longer to dislike Stephanie. I think it was when she had her realization of "I love him" after a month of duchess tutorage from his mom, not seeing him that much, being resentful of changing who you were so you could fit in and not embarrass him, and oh yea, remember that time he was about to call her a whore but stopped, because Alistair was mad that she was responding to his advances. Even though, Alistair clearly knows she's a virgin, doesn't even know how to kiss, so she's following her fiancé's lead. And she's in ~love~ with Duke Douchebag.
They continue on, not communicating with each other, until it all comes out and he doesn't even acknowledge that she's been trying to fit this perfect mold, and instead focuses on how she doesn't even know him, so now he has to talk about himself. Which, yes, you two should communicate.
There's some more condescension during sex about how she's not ready to have her clit touched.
They work it out. Hopefully these fictional characters will continue to communicate.
September 22, 2024
Cora is a clumsy merchant's daughter who has become a sensation in the ton after saving a peer's son from drowning. She is somewhat intimidated by all the titled persons but Lord Francis becomes her friend, partly because she thinks Francis is too flamboyant to be interested in women that way and she feels protective of him as well. In truth, he's pining after a woman who married somebody else in another book.
I used to love The Famous Heroine in paperback, in the nineties. Rereading after all this time, it didn't quite hit me the same way. I had forgotten how she stereotyped him based on him wearing colour. But still a fun, nostalgic read and Francis is the kind of a kind golden retriever hero I love.
In The Plumed Bonnet, the stereotyping based on clothing goes the other way around. The heroine Stephanie is wearing borrowed clothing and gets taken for someone's mistress or an actress by the hero. He is a duke and when they get engaged the heroine twists herself into knots trying to become worthy of her new title.
Steam level: Some sexual content.
I used to love The Famous Heroine in paperback, in the nineties. Rereading after all this time, it didn't quite hit me the same way. I had forgotten how she stereotyped him based on him wearing colour. But still a fun, nostalgic read and Francis is the kind of a kind golden retriever hero I love.
In The Plumed Bonnet, the stereotyping based on clothing goes the other way around. The heroine Stephanie is wearing borrowed clothing and gets taken for someone's mistress or an actress by the hero. He is a duke and when they get engaged the heroine twists herself into knots trying to become worthy of her new title.
Steam level: Some sexual content.
May 24, 2020
I searched for The Plumed Bonnet for nearly 20 years!
Long, long ago, when I first started reading romance and discovered Regencies, I happened upon a well-used copy of The Plumed Bonnet and fell in love. And then the book disappeared and was no longer published.
In many ways I've kept reading Regencies because I hoped to find it again, or at least another story that touched me as deeply, and was so wise and heartfelt.
The heroine and hero are thrown together by fate and assumptions, and go on a painful journey of self-discovery, separately and, finally, together. Both are goodhearted and well-meaning, but the strictures of time and place made it so very hard to *find* their true selves, much less *be* them.
But, hey...this is a romance, and one of my most treasured keepers. So of course they lived their HEA joyfully.
The Famous Heroine is part of the same series, and fun, but for me not a keeper.
Enjoy!
Long, long ago, when I first started reading romance and discovered Regencies, I happened upon a well-used copy of The Plumed Bonnet and fell in love. And then the book disappeared and was no longer published.
In many ways I've kept reading Regencies because I hoped to find it again, or at least another story that touched me as deeply, and was so wise and heartfelt.
The heroine and hero are thrown together by fate and assumptions, and go on a painful journey of self-discovery, separately and, finally, together. Both are goodhearted and well-meaning, but the strictures of time and place made it so very hard to *find* their true selves, much less *be* them.
But, hey...this is a romance, and one of my most treasured keepers. So of course they lived their HEA joyfully.
The Famous Heroine is part of the same series, and fun, but for me not a keeper.
Enjoy!
April 8, 2025
This 2 in one book is an excellent example of what a historical romance story should be. Both stories were interesting and held my attention throughout. The Famous Heroine has Cora Downes and women with no breeding but with plenty of spirit, money, and, of course, beauty. Her love interest is Francis Kneller, a frivolous, well-mannered lord. This pairing turned into marriage and became the love of her life.
The Plumed Bonnet has Alistair Munro, the Duke of Bridgwater, looking for love. Enter Miss Stephane Gray, a seemingly disreputable girl in a gaudy, colorful bonnet by the side of the road. He stops his carriage and offers her a ride. Things progress from there. He does not believe the tales she tells him, but he seems to be enchanted with her. Then, as fate would have it, he proposed marriage, and she couldn't believe it, so she accepted. Could they make a marriage of love? They both had dreams of that kind of marriage.
The Plumed Bonnet has Alistair Munro, the Duke of Bridgwater, looking for love. Enter Miss Stephane Gray, a seemingly disreputable girl in a gaudy, colorful bonnet by the side of the road. He stops his carriage and offers her a ride. Things progress from there. He does not believe the tales she tells him, but he seems to be enchanted with her. Then, as fate would have it, he proposed marriage, and she couldn't believe it, so she accepted. Could they make a marriage of love? They both had dreams of that kind of marriage.
October 3, 2017
È stato molto istruttivo affiancare la lettura di un complesso romanzo dell'ottocento inglese con quella di quattro 'historical romance' usa-e-getta (senza voler offendere Mary Balogh, una delle migliori scrittrici del genere) dei nostri giorni. Da una parte, l'essenzialità della trama, capace tuttavia di emozionare grazie alla precisa evocazione di ambienti, stati d'animo, personaggi, con la loro parte di sofferenze e incomprensioni; dall'altra, la bizzarria dei protagonisti e la leggerezza e l'improbabilità di storie destinate, per un implicito patto con il lettore, a chiudersi con un lieto fine.
Ma se l'autore, come fa la Balogh, mostra chiaramente di non volere prendere le sue storie troppo sul serio, chi legge riesce a godersi, senza sentirsi turlupinato, qualche ora di piacevole distrazione.
Ma se l'autore, come fa la Balogh, mostra chiaramente di non volere prendere le sue storie troppo sul serio, chi legge riesce a godersi, senza sentirsi turlupinato, qualche ora di piacevole distrazione.
February 14, 2021
This is 2 novellas in one, the rating is an average of both. I LOVED The Famous Heroine, funny and light and relatable and surprisingly sexy. Mutual pining + accidental marriage delight, and Lord Francis is great. The Plumed Bonnet is okay. It feels like a realistic exploration of the premise -- of course the Duke would be highhanded, accidentally insulting, and repressed, of course Stephanie would be overwhelmed, dutiful, and eventually angry -- but it wasn't actually much fun. I'd rather spend time with Francis and Cora any day. The first novella was such a delight I was ready to start all over again when I finished. I probably wouldn't read the second again. Also the way Balogh keeps casting middle class heroines is interesting, I wonder if that's a theme with her.
The smut is PG-13 but still nicely shivery.
The smut is PG-13 but still nicely shivery.
October 10, 2017
This was another 2-in-1 book that I read where my personal star rating differed vastly on the stories within.
The Famous Heroine - I'd give this 2-3 stars. Well written but the heroine didn't have a brain. She was always rushing in with zero forethought and never once actually needed to 'help/rescue' the person she felt needed saving.
The Plumed Bonnet - I'd give this 5 stars. So well written and I just couldn't put it down - just the heroine's depth of silent emotion had me all choked up. I felt the couple's interactions were very accurate for the hero's station and the time.
The Famous Heroine - I'd give this 2-3 stars. Well written but the heroine didn't have a brain. She was always rushing in with zero forethought and never once actually needed to 'help/rescue' the person she felt needed saving.
The Plumed Bonnet - I'd give this 5 stars. So well written and I just couldn't put it down - just the heroine's depth of silent emotion had me all choked up. I felt the couple's interactions were very accurate for the hero's station and the time.
February 2, 2020
#1 The Famous Heroine - Kind of cute. The hero grew on me. The heroine, Clara, was cheerful and likable. I relapse I have read Clara’s brother’s story, that of Edgar Downes and Helena Stapleton. I reread some reviews of that story and remember - I liked him in his book too, but Helena, not so much.
#2 The Plumed Bonnet. Again, I really like the Duke of Bridgerton, but Samantha bores me. It would have been more interesting if he had said yes he’d sleep with her when she begged for a room at the inn on their second night! It would have totally changed the story!
#2 The Plumed Bonnet. Again, I really like the Duke of Bridgerton, but Samantha bores me. It would have been more interesting if he had said yes he’d sleep with her when she begged for a room at the inn on their second night! It would have totally changed the story!
November 21, 2021
These two books, originally published in 1996, I believe, were quite a bit of fun to read twenty-five years later. They show Mary Balogh’s style, especially her habit of describing certain scenes twice, once from the view of each main protagonist. I think these were possibly steamier than the Westcott series she is currently publishing.
I didn’t feel a lack of maturity in these two books, at all. She had after all been publishing novels for more than ten years by the time these came out.
I’d recommend them to your attention.
I didn’t feel a lack of maturity in these two books, at all. She had after all been publishing novels for more than ten years by the time these came out.
I’d recommend them to your attention.
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