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The Malorie Phoenix
“I liked the originality of the story… the savvy and unapologetically sexual heroine is a big plus.” -- Willaful, Karen Know's Best “Everything about this book is brilliant. LOVED it!” -- Farrah Sayyed, Imagine A World “It had romance and a bit of intrigue that was blended well” -- Tracy Stapp, The Book BingeShe plays a deadly game, but nothing is as dangerous as love.Benedict de Malorie, Earl of Trevisan, can never forget the masked woman he met one night at a London pleasure garden. The clever pickpocket stole his heart and his family's prized jewel – the Malorie Phoenix. But the family treasure reappears in Benedict's darkest hour, returned by its thief, along with the unexpected gift of his infant daughter. Believing that she is dying, Jenny Smith leaves her daughter in the custody of the baby’s blueblood father. Seven years later she finds herself in good health and alone, yearning for her only child. To raise enough money to support them both, she takes part in a daring escapade that requires her to impersonate a woman of quality. She fools the ton and Benedict himself.When Jenny finds herself entangled in a murderous plot against Benedict, the father of her child, her carefully laid plans begin to fall apart. All she wants is her daughter back, but she never thought she'd fall in love with Benedict. Revealing her part in the plot means she will almost certainly lose Benedict and their daughter forever. But continuing to play her role puts them all in terrible danger.
185 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 23, 2012
1 person is currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Janet Mullany
19 books104 followersJanet Mullany was raised in England by half of an amateur string quartet and now lives near Washington, DC. Persecuted from an early age for reading too long in the bathroom, she still loves books and is an avid and eclectic reader. She has worked as an archaeologist, classical music radio announcer, arts publicist, and for a small press.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 13, 2012
Pickpocket Jenny Smith and impoverished lordling Benedict de Malorie have a one-night stand at Vauxhall, after which Jenny steals the Malorie Phoenix (a necklace) out of Benedict's pocket and finds herself pregnant. A year later, unable to sell the all-too-recognizable gem and believing she's dying, Jenny leaves her baby with Benedict, the child's swaddling clothes holding the gem. Seven years later, an untrustworthy stranger asks Jenny to impersonate Benedict's former fiancee. She agrees for the money and for the chance to see her daughter again, intending to retrieve the child.
As a first draft, this isn't so bad; as a novel, it's terrible. The pacing is choppy and the character logic strained; the erotic details seem odd and out of place, the sex scenes more detailed than anything else, but all the less plausible for the attention paid to them, so this doesn't work even as erotica. (Jenny and Benedict are both virgins, but he's confident when seducing her, and she thinks twice about the [monetary] value of virginity, then gives in anyway.) The unusual narrative decisions -- Jenny has been a rich man's mistress in the intervening seven years, loved her protector, enjoyed sex (but he was old and unhandsome, because Benedict has to be better in some respects) -- just fall flat; there's no emotional weight to them. Benedict and Jenny make decisions about trusting or not trusting each other that have no impact on their later actions; Jenny knows her daughter's in danger but is passive in protecting her; a climactic confrontation in which Jenny betrays Benedict to save their daughter's life is recounted in summary.
I was impressed by Mullany's first novel, Dedication, but everything of hers I've tried since then has been a disappointment, either well-done but insubstantial (The Rules of Gentility) or ambitious but appalling (Forbidden Shores).
As a first draft, this isn't so bad; as a novel, it's terrible. The pacing is choppy and the character logic strained; the erotic details seem odd and out of place, the sex scenes more detailed than anything else, but all the less plausible for the attention paid to them, so this doesn't work even as erotica. (Jenny and Benedict are both virgins, but he's confident when seducing her, and she thinks twice about the [monetary] value of virginity, then gives in anyway.) The unusual narrative decisions -- Jenny has been a rich man's mistress in the intervening seven years, loved her protector, enjoyed sex (but he was old and unhandsome, because Benedict has to be better in some respects) -- just fall flat; there's no emotional weight to them. Benedict and Jenny make decisions about trusting or not trusting each other that have no impact on their later actions; Jenny knows her daughter's in danger but is passive in protecting her; a climactic confrontation in which Jenny betrays Benedict to save their daughter's life is recounted in summary.
I was impressed by Mullany's first novel, Dedication, but everything of hers I've tried since then has been a disappointment, either well-done but insubstantial (The Rules of Gentility) or ambitious but appalling (Forbidden Shores).
August 6, 2012
Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...
False identities, murder, mystery, and kidnap, The Malorie Phoenix has it all. It would be a mistake to dismiss Ms. Mullany’s book as ‘just another’ same-old-same-old. It is not.
While the plot is not new, the treatment is refreshing, the writing clean, sometimes poignant, well paced and vivid. And the editing, sometimes the bug-bear of the self published, is tight and accurate.
If I had to retrace my reading steps at the beginning and a bit near the end, perhaps it was more a matter of this reader familiarising herself with the writer’s style than plot holes.
Jenny Smith, Ms Mullany’s heroine, is no sweet, simpering pre-Regency Miss. She’s surviving in a harsh environment the only way she knows how. And yet from the start we are shown her integrity and her weaknesses. She's a character who caught my attention and empathy from the beginning. If Jenny made a couple of mistakes that seemed totally out of character, while I found them irritating I had to acknowledge the author had my emotions raised and therefore was succeeding in involving me in her story and characters.
The circumstances of Benedict de Malorie’s meeting with Jenny had me anxious to see how it would pan out. The hero’s subsequent actions took a little believing and perhaps that particular scene was only one of two I had a little trouble accepting. But it plays a pivotal role in the rest of the story which more than makes up for it.
The story plot is well thought out and well paced. The supporting characters all have substance and had me either loving or hating them.
Ms. Mullany offers a few unexpected twists in The Malorie Phoenix which added to the suspense, and I am so glad that the Stanleys took Jenny into their hearts.
I enjoyed The Malorie Phoenix for its story, plot and characters. This is the first book of hers I’ve read, and I would look out for more. If you enjoy a London-based romance set just before the official Regency period, then this is a book well worth considering.
False identities, murder, mystery, and kidnap, The Malorie Phoenix has it all. It would be a mistake to dismiss Ms. Mullany’s book as ‘just another’ same-old-same-old. It is not.
While the plot is not new, the treatment is refreshing, the writing clean, sometimes poignant, well paced and vivid. And the editing, sometimes the bug-bear of the self published, is tight and accurate.
If I had to retrace my reading steps at the beginning and a bit near the end, perhaps it was more a matter of this reader familiarising herself with the writer’s style than plot holes.
Jenny Smith, Ms Mullany’s heroine, is no sweet, simpering pre-Regency Miss. She’s surviving in a harsh environment the only way she knows how. And yet from the start we are shown her integrity and her weaknesses. She's a character who caught my attention and empathy from the beginning. If Jenny made a couple of mistakes that seemed totally out of character, while I found them irritating I had to acknowledge the author had my emotions raised and therefore was succeeding in involving me in her story and characters.
The circumstances of Benedict de Malorie’s meeting with Jenny had me anxious to see how it would pan out. The hero’s subsequent actions took a little believing and perhaps that particular scene was only one of two I had a little trouble accepting. But it plays a pivotal role in the rest of the story which more than makes up for it.
The story plot is well thought out and well paced. The supporting characters all have substance and had me either loving or hating them.
Ms. Mullany offers a few unexpected twists in The Malorie Phoenix which added to the suspense, and I am so glad that the Stanleys took Jenny into their hearts.
I enjoyed The Malorie Phoenix for its story, plot and characters. This is the first book of hers I’ve read, and I would look out for more. If you enjoy a London-based romance set just before the official Regency period, then this is a book well worth considering.
May 21, 2012
I quite enjoyed reading this one provided by netgalley. It has some parts which were rather too formulaic, but on the whole, it was a nice story.
What I liked:
- I loved that the heroine and hero were from such different backgrounds. There are not enough romances that manage to really write well about different classes, and although this one fell a bit too much in the "happy courtesan" bucket, it was nice to see the toffs mixing it up with the riff-raff.
- The heroine was a great mixture of survivor, femme fatale and poor nobody, and I thought she was great.
- I actually really liked the heroine's former protector, even though we only got to see a fleeting glimpse of what he was like
- The plot was OK
What I didn't like so much:
- The plot relied too heavily on two particular coincidences. One - that some bird who'd flipped her skirts for a quickie in Vauxhall Gardens would ever bump into the toff again, and two - that the same bird would actually resemble said toff's former fiancee. I'm not a big fan of coincidences. They're hardly ever credible and it just makes me look at the rest of the plot, no matter how good, with suspicion.
- We never really get to know the hero that well. He's more of a bland good-guy, and a foil to the well-developed heroine's character.
- There are several passages in this book which left me feeling I'd missed a few paragraphs or even pages. For example, why did the heroine decide to flip her skirts for the hero? He promises her nothing and she's a cynical street girl, and I just don't believe she wouldn't sell herself to the highest bidder - she's starving! There were other passages like that also. Now, I have to saw this was an ARC, so it's quite possible that if you read the final book, this will have been resolved.
So, I quite enjoyed this one. It held my attention, and some of the plot was really quite unique, once I got over the coincidences I couldn't believe.
So, between 2 and 3 stars. It was OK/I enjoyed it.
What I liked:
- I loved that the heroine and hero were from such different backgrounds. There are not enough romances that manage to really write well about different classes, and although this one fell a bit too much in the "happy courtesan" bucket, it was nice to see the toffs mixing it up with the riff-raff.
- The heroine was a great mixture of survivor, femme fatale and poor nobody, and I thought she was great.
- I actually really liked the heroine's former protector, even though we only got to see a fleeting glimpse of what he was like
- The plot was OK
What I didn't like so much:
- The plot relied too heavily on two particular coincidences. One - that some bird who'd flipped her skirts for a quickie in Vauxhall Gardens would ever bump into the toff again, and two - that the same bird would actually resemble said toff's former fiancee. I'm not a big fan of coincidences. They're hardly ever credible and it just makes me look at the rest of the plot, no matter how good, with suspicion.
- We never really get to know the hero that well. He's more of a bland good-guy, and a foil to the well-developed heroine's character.
- There are several passages in this book which left me feeling I'd missed a few paragraphs or even pages. For example, why did the heroine decide to flip her skirts for the hero? He promises her nothing and she's a cynical street girl, and I just don't believe she wouldn't sell herself to the highest bidder - she's starving! There were other passages like that also. Now, I have to saw this was an ARC, so it's quite possible that if you read the final book, this will have been resolved.
So, I quite enjoyed this one. It held my attention, and some of the plot was really quite unique, once I got over the coincidences I couldn't believe.
So, between 2 and 3 stars. It was OK/I enjoyed it.
May 13, 2014
This book was heavy on the romance aspect, almost to the point of too much (in a harlequin romance sort of way). There is a great story between the two main characters but somehow it becomes convoluted with an added storyline which pops up every so often without much attention. The book is over shadowed with erotic scenes that really aren't necessary and leave nothing to the imagination. ��I enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters and I wish the story focused more on "their story" than ��taking a very sharp turn to the point of distraction with the added murky plot. The added storyline wasn't ��fluid and felt choppy - it would come in to play at the most awkward times and exit the same. If you enjoy heavy romance, erotica and a light read this is the book for you, definitely romance and not historical fiction. ��
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September 4, 2012
I love this book! Another homerun for historical romance and author Janet Mullany!
When it comes to writing historical and regency romance, Janet Mullany has become one of my favorite authors of the last few years. Beginning with her first novel Dedication, Mullany has been described by many authors of her genre as the ‘love child of Jane Austen and Lord Byron.’ Janet isn’t scared write what readers want and to show them that even in the historical world of Jane Austin-like society, heroes and heroines, can have hot sex with erotic heat that is just as pleasurable as if it happened today. With her sassy twists to tried and true character driven plots, she opens a window onto strong women who are independent thinkers, survivalists is a world that caters to a man’s needs, and who enjoy it all just as much as their male counterparts. We may have been taught about drawing room etiquette, but Janet Mullany’s stories show even the regency drawing room can add spice to an erotic encounter.
In her new historic novella, Mullany gives a new, refreshing twist to an often overused story plot of a woman down on her luck and the surprise baby on the way scenario. In The Malorie Phoenix, we’re introduced to pick-pocket Jenny Smith, whose taste for fancy dressed gentlemen’s pockets gives her more than she bargain for when she makes drunken Benedict de Malorie her mark in Vauxhall Gardens. It doesn’t help that unknown to her; she has pinched the famous family heirloom, the Malorie Phoenix, which Benedict is getting ready to offer to his future bride as an engagement present.
Their one-night accidental encounter sets both Jenny and Benedict on life changing paths that have Benedict jilted by his fiancé, and Jenny finding out she is pregnant. Months later when Jenny is ill and thinking she is dying, she reaches out to Benedict at his estate to deliver their daughter Sarah (who he has no clue about) to raise, and uses the famous Malorie Phoenix as proof of whom she is. Not realizing that Benedict is dealing with the devastation of his family’s prized stables burned to the ground, and is now the new Earl of Trevisan due to both his father and brother being killed in the fire, she disappears before Benedict can even ask any questions about her or the baby.
But this is a romance, and what wouldn’t a good romance be without a jump into the future that finds Jenny healthy and fighting for a fortune her wealthy protector has left her to create a financial future for herself and her daughter. Not knowing how to handle the legal aspects of her inheritance, because of her position, she accepts financial help from a friend of her deceased protector to impersonate the missing daughter of a wealthy businessman. The daughter, a product of rich society, Jenny doesn’t realize she is standing in as, has not only developed a colorful and independent character away from her family and friends, but she’s also the jilting fiancé of Benedict de Malorie.
So what happens when Jenny and Benedict cross paths once again? Will sparks fly? Will Jenny be able to claim her daughter? And why has she been paid to impersonate a woman who has a connection to Benedict? From love, passion, shattered pasts and revenge, this story has it all. I couldn’t put the book down, and I know you will feel the same way. You need to read this book, and I know you will love it. Great job Janet Mullany … I can’t wait for the next one!
When it comes to writing historical and regency romance, Janet Mullany has become one of my favorite authors of the last few years. Beginning with her first novel Dedication, Mullany has been described by many authors of her genre as the ‘love child of Jane Austen and Lord Byron.’ Janet isn’t scared write what readers want and to show them that even in the historical world of Jane Austin-like society, heroes and heroines, can have hot sex with erotic heat that is just as pleasurable as if it happened today. With her sassy twists to tried and true character driven plots, she opens a window onto strong women who are independent thinkers, survivalists is a world that caters to a man’s needs, and who enjoy it all just as much as their male counterparts. We may have been taught about drawing room etiquette, but Janet Mullany’s stories show even the regency drawing room can add spice to an erotic encounter.
In her new historic novella, Mullany gives a new, refreshing twist to an often overused story plot of a woman down on her luck and the surprise baby on the way scenario. In The Malorie Phoenix, we’re introduced to pick-pocket Jenny Smith, whose taste for fancy dressed gentlemen’s pockets gives her more than she bargain for when she makes drunken Benedict de Malorie her mark in Vauxhall Gardens. It doesn’t help that unknown to her; she has pinched the famous family heirloom, the Malorie Phoenix, which Benedict is getting ready to offer to his future bride as an engagement present.
Their one-night accidental encounter sets both Jenny and Benedict on life changing paths that have Benedict jilted by his fiancé, and Jenny finding out she is pregnant. Months later when Jenny is ill and thinking she is dying, she reaches out to Benedict at his estate to deliver their daughter Sarah (who he has no clue about) to raise, and uses the famous Malorie Phoenix as proof of whom she is. Not realizing that Benedict is dealing with the devastation of his family’s prized stables burned to the ground, and is now the new Earl of Trevisan due to both his father and brother being killed in the fire, she disappears before Benedict can even ask any questions about her or the baby.
But this is a romance, and what wouldn’t a good romance be without a jump into the future that finds Jenny healthy and fighting for a fortune her wealthy protector has left her to create a financial future for herself and her daughter. Not knowing how to handle the legal aspects of her inheritance, because of her position, she accepts financial help from a friend of her deceased protector to impersonate the missing daughter of a wealthy businessman. The daughter, a product of rich society, Jenny doesn’t realize she is standing in as, has not only developed a colorful and independent character away from her family and friends, but she’s also the jilting fiancé of Benedict de Malorie.
So what happens when Jenny and Benedict cross paths once again? Will sparks fly? Will Jenny be able to claim her daughter? And why has she been paid to impersonate a woman who has a connection to Benedict? From love, passion, shattered pasts and revenge, this story has it all. I couldn’t put the book down, and I know you will feel the same way. You need to read this book, and I know you will love it. Great job Janet Mullany … I can’t wait for the next one!
May 15, 2020
I could not suspend my disbelief - two virgins, she a pickpocket and he a about to go into the army, meet and make love. She swipes a few things from him including a necklace. The next day he is refused marriage bc he gives his intended the rock the heroine wrapped up in place of the jewel. (he doesnt even bother to unwrap it before presenting it to his very offended ladylove). 9 mos later she had their baby and, near death, travels to his family estate to leave the baby with him, where she finds him fighting a fire that has killed his father and brother, thrusts the child in his arms outside the burning stable and disappears. 7 year later he is now The Lord and raising the child bc the necklace had been sown into her baby clothes. She has just buried her genial elderly protector, older wiser and with some education, and is approached by some acquaintance who explains that he will pay her to impersonate a friend he hopes to protect from scandal. He explains in the last 7 yrs his dear friend, stranded on the continent when war broke out (and, unknown to our heroine, is the woman who'd refused the hero's offer of marriage) was seduced in Italy, lost the baby and has gotten fat, that her family doesn't know and he would like the heroine to impersonate their daughter to protect her reputation and allow the younger sister to debut. Fishy, but she agrees. The day she arrives in the unsuspecting family's bosom the hero pops in to pay his respects and introduce his bastard daughter (whom he adores). She had no idea of the previous relationship but determines to spend time with her daughter. However when the hero and heroine interact she is offended that he is accusatory about the hurt the real lady inflicted upon him and distrustful of her current motives. I couldnt believ we she was going to take his attitude personally. I just wasn't prepared to invest in characters who would develop so speciously. Plus, I'm pretty sure we were about to get another curve ball thrown in and just decided I'd had enough. This was my 3rd go around with the book and I wanted to like it bc the characters were atypical and the dialogue good with a minimal amt of tedious inner dialogue, but the plot shenanigans are just too much for me.
August 16, 2012
How love grows out of such an inauspicious beginning is incredible. Jenny Smith and Benedict de Malorie are not the usual kind of hero and heroine. She is a pickpocket and Benedict has no concern about taking her virginity in a dark alley of London. Yet, the true nature of each of them comes to the fore as the story unfolds and one sees how they came to be who they are morally.
Jenny does what she knows how to do to keep body and soul together and goes that last mile to give her child a better life than she could offer her.
Benedict, who becomes the earl of Trevisan, does what he knows to do to save the family estate. However, his awareness of how he became to earl creates post traumatic stress disorder that plagues him even seven years after the fact.
The way Jenny and Benedict are brought back together after seven years seems too contrived to be believable for me; but I really wanted to know how these two characters fare as time goes on. I kept reading and became engrossed in the intrigues, murder attempts, social manipulations, chicanery, and the unique relationship Jenny and Benedict develop.
A delightful part of this story is six-year-old Sarah. This much-loved child makes the story sparkle at times.
The foreshadowing that hints at who the antagonist is threads through the story in subtle fashion, but it is still a shock to see who it is and just how diabolical and to what lengths he is willing to go to get what he wants.
"The Malorie Phoenix" has an interesting array of secondary characters. Even the dead Roly Ansett’ who was Jenny protector, plays an important role in the outcome. Little Billy, a most unusual horse, is a major influence in the development of events. Some of the characters that one would least expect bring in humor that makes one chuckle while other characters depict true loyalty to both Benedict and Jenny.
"The Malorie Phoenix" is a story of redemption. While it doesn’t, at least for me, flow smoothly at times, it is far too intriguing to stop turning pages. It is satisfying to see such flawed characters grow into what they were meant to be and find their happy-ever-after. Theirs is not an easy journey.
Jenny does what she knows how to do to keep body and soul together and goes that last mile to give her child a better life than she could offer her.
Benedict, who becomes the earl of Trevisan, does what he knows to do to save the family estate. However, his awareness of how he became to earl creates post traumatic stress disorder that plagues him even seven years after the fact.
The way Jenny and Benedict are brought back together after seven years seems too contrived to be believable for me; but I really wanted to know how these two characters fare as time goes on. I kept reading and became engrossed in the intrigues, murder attempts, social manipulations, chicanery, and the unique relationship Jenny and Benedict develop.
A delightful part of this story is six-year-old Sarah. This much-loved child makes the story sparkle at times.
The foreshadowing that hints at who the antagonist is threads through the story in subtle fashion, but it is still a shock to see who it is and just how diabolical and to what lengths he is willing to go to get what he wants.
"The Malorie Phoenix" has an interesting array of secondary characters. Even the dead Roly Ansett’ who was Jenny protector, plays an important role in the outcome. Little Billy, a most unusual horse, is a major influence in the development of events. Some of the characters that one would least expect bring in humor that makes one chuckle while other characters depict true loyalty to both Benedict and Jenny.
"The Malorie Phoenix" is a story of redemption. While it doesn’t, at least for me, flow smoothly at times, it is far too intriguing to stop turning pages. It is satisfying to see such flawed characters grow into what they were meant to be and find their happy-ever-after. Theirs is not an easy journey.
May 11, 2012
This review also appears on my blog at: http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...
Sooooo good! The Malorie Phoenix starts off quickly, with the first scene being a seduction and a theft. After that, it doesn't slow down as a high stakes, incredibly complicated web is spun that traps both of the main characters. From beginning to end, this book is never anything less than amazing.
The characters are intriguing and likable. Jenny Smith is definitely unconventional in the world of romance. She's a pickpocket turned mistress, who has done whatever it took to survive. She gives her child to the father, Benidict-the Earl of Trevisan-to give her a better life. Six years later, she enters a plot centered around the Earl in order to see her child again. She's very devoted to her daughter. She's also unapologetic about what she does for a living. She does what she has to do, accepts the world for the way it is, and doesn't need to explain herself to anyone. It was very refreshing.
Benidict is a total sweetheart, as well as incredibly attractive. He's so adorably sweet to his daughter and a perfect husband to Jenny-even though he doesn't know who she really is. I loved how he was able to accept Jenny as she was, even knowing about her past. When he finds out about the whole scheme Jenny got herself embroiled in, I was surprised about how well he took it; you'd think he was more upset. What's even more surprising is how he finds out. But regardless, I adored this lovely Earl.
The plot, as I said, is fast-moving. You never know what to expect as the scheme gets more and more complicated. The ending is sweet and a perfect tie-up.
Everything about this book is brilliant. LOVED it!
5/5
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy
Sooooo good! The Malorie Phoenix starts off quickly, with the first scene being a seduction and a theft. After that, it doesn't slow down as a high stakes, incredibly complicated web is spun that traps both of the main characters. From beginning to end, this book is never anything less than amazing.
The characters are intriguing and likable. Jenny Smith is definitely unconventional in the world of romance. She's a pickpocket turned mistress, who has done whatever it took to survive. She gives her child to the father, Benidict-the Earl of Trevisan-to give her a better life. Six years later, she enters a plot centered around the Earl in order to see her child again. She's very devoted to her daughter. She's also unapologetic about what she does for a living. She does what she has to do, accepts the world for the way it is, and doesn't need to explain herself to anyone. It was very refreshing.
Benidict is a total sweetheart, as well as incredibly attractive. He's so adorably sweet to his daughter and a perfect husband to Jenny-even though he doesn't know who she really is. I loved how he was able to accept Jenny as she was, even knowing about her past. When he finds out about the whole scheme Jenny got herself embroiled in, I was surprised about how well he took it; you'd think he was more upset. What's even more surprising is how he finds out. But regardless, I adored this lovely Earl.
The plot, as I said, is fast-moving. You never know what to expect as the scheme gets more and more complicated. The ending is sweet and a perfect tie-up.
Everything about this book is brilliant. LOVED it!
5/5
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy
May 4, 2012
I have some misgivings about the book earlier on while I read it and then the later parts where it get interesting. The book are like Harlequin's modern contemporary romance being dumped into historical romance section. I like the idea of a thief meeting with a gentleman but they have really quick speed within a couple minutes they've met. Someone would have done it a bit classier. And of course, the drama in which their first sex meant a successful conception in which a sickly Jenny Smith gave up her child to her lover who had just had the worst moment in his life and subsequent title. And quickly it flash forward in which Jenny Smith are now hired to impersonate a woman who later she found herself face to face with her former lover and her own child. The premise is convincing but the whole book is not. They have some kind of attraction between them that sometimes didnt work and the other time Benedict are like possessive nymphomaniac and kept pressuring Jenny and suddenly they have a scandal (?!) and then they have to get married. Of course, there's a good villain and the usual Victorian society and then the romance...
Honestly, I was a bit confused with the flow of the story as it kept going from filler to descriptive to filler and the character were very unpredictable and confusing the heck out of me.
What made it worst was that the narration interchange between Jenny and then Benedict calling her Evelina. I had read a lot of these types of writing before but still its very distracting.
Well it does have a good ending which is a bit repetitive in any historical romances but somehow this time it doesn't work for me. At most time, I feel the book was forced into the historical romance genre. I find its weird but not all unreadable.
Honestly, I was a bit confused with the flow of the story as it kept going from filler to descriptive to filler and the character were very unpredictable and confusing the heck out of me.
What made it worst was that the narration interchange between Jenny and then Benedict calling her Evelina. I had read a lot of these types of writing before but still its very distracting.
Well it does have a good ending which is a bit repetitive in any historical romances but somehow this time it doesn't work for me. At most time, I feel the book was forced into the historical romance genre. I find its weird but not all unreadable.
May 22, 2012
Jenny Smith is not your average heroine, despite her average name. A skilled pickpocket, her first encounter with Benedict de Malorie has unexpected results. The loss of a treasured family heirloom deprives de Malorie of his intended bride, but brings Jenny the unexpected gift of a child. Desperate and ill, she leaves her daughter Sarah with her father.
Years later, Jenny is approached by two men with a daring scheme: impersonate the long-lost daughter of a wealthy family just long enough for the lady to return to England and her proper place. Despite her misgivings, Jenny agrees, knowing the payment will allow her to search for her daughter.
The impersonation leads both Jenny and Benedict down unexpected and dangerous paths. Jenny’s love for Benedict is only exceeded by the exquisite torture she endures being near her daughter yet unable to reveal herself. For Benedict, trusting the former pickpocket is almost impossible, despite his desperate desire for her.
In The Malorie Phoenix, Janet Mullany has crafted an extraordinary tale with unique and complex characters. The heartrending decisions Jenny Smith is faced with reach deep into the heart, while Benedict de Malorie’s frustration, desire, and mistrust weave a continual misunderstanding between the pair.
The vivid portrayal of poor heroine doing what she needs to survive, coupled with a hero rebuilding his happiness from the ground up has certainly been done before. Yet Mullany’s unexpected twists on the expected Regency plot, her delightful characterizations, and most of all, the continuous symphony of emotions bring the tale to life in a fresh, new way.
Years later, Jenny is approached by two men with a daring scheme: impersonate the long-lost daughter of a wealthy family just long enough for the lady to return to England and her proper place. Despite her misgivings, Jenny agrees, knowing the payment will allow her to search for her daughter.
The impersonation leads both Jenny and Benedict down unexpected and dangerous paths. Jenny’s love for Benedict is only exceeded by the exquisite torture she endures being near her daughter yet unable to reveal herself. For Benedict, trusting the former pickpocket is almost impossible, despite his desperate desire for her.
In The Malorie Phoenix, Janet Mullany has crafted an extraordinary tale with unique and complex characters. The heartrending decisions Jenny Smith is faced with reach deep into the heart, while Benedict de Malorie’s frustration, desire, and mistrust weave a continual misunderstanding between the pair.
The vivid portrayal of poor heroine doing what she needs to survive, coupled with a hero rebuilding his happiness from the ground up has certainly been done before. Yet Mullany’s unexpected twists on the expected Regency plot, her delightful characterizations, and most of all, the continuous symphony of emotions bring the tale to life in a fresh, new way.
August 12, 2012
If I had to pick my favorite genre it would be historical romance set in England. I admit that when reading the title of this book it does not make the reader think it would be a historical romance set in regency England. However it is just that.
This book starts out with Benedict meeting Jenny while at Vaux Gardens. One thing leads to another and Benedict takes something that he can never give back to Jenny.
This book starts out strong and finishes strong. I enjoyed reading about Benedict and Jenny. The plot was well conceived with no editing errors that I saw. The only problem I had was with the pdf file. Oh how I hate that type of file.
Sadly this book is only around 142 pages long. To me as a reader I have never found a book that is too long to read. This was a very quick read for me. I stayed up late reading this book before my last day at work. I admit to only getting 3 hours of sleep that night. I just could not stop reading. I wanted to find out what was happening next. The author kept me entertained for several hours with this book. Granted I was also not worth anything at work the next day but I had a great read and it helped to release all the stress from dealing with idiots at work.
Thanks for a great read Janet.
This book starts out with Benedict meeting Jenny while at Vaux Gardens. One thing leads to another and Benedict takes something that he can never give back to Jenny.
This book starts out strong and finishes strong. I enjoyed reading about Benedict and Jenny. The plot was well conceived with no editing errors that I saw. The only problem I had was with the pdf file. Oh how I hate that type of file.
Sadly this book is only around 142 pages long. To me as a reader I have never found a book that is too long to read. This was a very quick read for me. I stayed up late reading this book before my last day at work. I admit to only getting 3 hours of sleep that night. I just could not stop reading. I wanted to find out what was happening next. The author kept me entertained for several hours with this book. Granted I was also not worth anything at work the next day but I had a great read and it helped to release all the stress from dealing with idiots at work.
Thanks for a great read Janet.
June 29, 2013
Definitely for adults, because of the sex scene within the first several pages. There was also some language, though it was appropriate to the era. Not too much violence, there is a kidnapping and a couple of people killed, but it isn't described in too much detail.
I couldn't tell you how historically accurate this is or whether I think it was very good from a feminist stand point (probably not). It was a fairly quick paced read that kept my interest throughout despite not having any magic, monsters or anything other than romance going on, which is difficult to do. I appreciated the level of detail that the author included because it never bogged the story down, but it helped me picture things. I am glad that it was a Netgalley review because if I had had to carry that cover around, I would have been really embarrassed.
I couldn't tell you how historically accurate this is or whether I think it was very good from a feminist stand point (probably not). It was a fairly quick paced read that kept my interest throughout despite not having any magic, monsters or anything other than romance going on, which is difficult to do. I appreciated the level of detail that the author included because it never bogged the story down, but it helped me picture things. I am glad that it was a Netgalley review because if I had had to carry that cover around, I would have been really embarrassed.
May 2, 2012
I really liked Jenny Smith. She was spunky, intelligent and talented in her own way. She was also dedicated to her daughter. Benedict was also very likable and the two together had some wonderful chemistry. The story line was more original and interesting than the ones in the romances I have read lately.
For some reason I wasn't a big fan of the sex scenes. The first time after marriage seemed especially strange to me.
This book moved very quickly for me. Entertaining.
For some reason I wasn't a big fan of the sex scenes. The first time after marriage seemed especially strange to me.
This book moved very quickly for me. Entertaining.
August 11, 2012
I enjoyed each and every page of The Malorie Phoenix by Janet Mullaney. Her characters were fully developed and sympathetic, the plot held enough intrigue to keep me guessing as to the outcome, and her portrayal of that time period seemed well researched. I was happy to see a book set in this time period that dealt with the “common” folk in a satisfying way. Kudos to Ms. Mullaney, I will be reading more of her work in the future.
March 5, 2013
I'm a masochistic for finishing this drivel. There's a germ of a good idea in this book (nothing original mind you) that is butchered by lack of character development and terrible prose. This book jumps from point A to point B without freaking warning and leaves you with a wicked case of whiplash. This is a far cry from the first book I read from this author which I thought was an amusing hybrid of regency and chick-lit and has killed any desire to try another book of hers again.
May 20, 2012
3.5 out of 5
June 5, 2012
Too much going on in the subplots.
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