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The Songbird's Seduction
Effervescent bon vivant Lucy Eastlake is a young operetta singer whose star is on the rise in Edwardian London. Though struggling to maintain her beloved great-aunts’ household, she holds fast to the belief that “things will work out.” Now, with the fiftieth anniversary of a siege her great-aunt Lavinia lived through approaching, it looks like Lucy is right, because a fortune is due to be divided among the survivors. All Lucy and her great-aunts have to do is travel to a small Pyrenees town to claim Lavinia’s share of a fabulous treasure in rubies. What could be more simple?
Professor Ptolemy Archibald Grant is the brilliant, straitlaced grandson of a British lord who also withstood the siege. When his grandfather asks him as a matter of honor to escort his old love on the journey, the about-to-be married professor agrees, not expecting Lucy to be part of the bargain. Losing the great-aunts en route, the handsome, buttoned-down professor finds himself caught up in Lucy’s quirky, bewildering, and probably illegal efforts to reunite with them, as he is drawn further and further into an inexplicable infatuation with the free-spirited singer. What could be more complicated?
But when unwilling attraction gives way to sizzling passion, both will be forced to confront the ages-old question of whether love trumps honor…or the other way around.
Professor Ptolemy Archibald Grant is the brilliant, straitlaced grandson of a British lord who also withstood the siege. When his grandfather asks him as a matter of honor to escort his old love on the journey, the about-to-be married professor agrees, not expecting Lucy to be part of the bargain. Losing the great-aunts en route, the handsome, buttoned-down professor finds himself caught up in Lucy’s quirky, bewildering, and probably illegal efforts to reunite with them, as he is drawn further and further into an inexplicable infatuation with the free-spirited singer. What could be more complicated?
But when unwilling attraction gives way to sizzling passion, both will be forced to confront the ages-old question of whether love trumps honor…or the other way around.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2014
31 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
About the author
Connie Brockway
60 books726 followersNew York Times and USAToday best selling author Connie Brockway has twice won the Romance Writers of America's Rita award for best historical romance as well as being an eight time finalist. After receiving a double major in art history and English from Macalester College, Connie entered grad school with an eye to acquiring her MFA in creative writing. Soon enough she jettisoned the idea of writing serious literature for what she considered (and still considers) the best gig in the world, writing romance.
Connie has received numerous starred reviews for her romances in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal. Library Journal also named her Her 2004 romance, My Seduction, one of the year's top ten romances.
In November of 2011, THE OTHER GUY'S BRIDE (a sequel to the perennially popular AS YOU DESIRE) was Amazon's Montlake Publishing's launch title. Here next book, NO PLACE FOR A DAME will be published September, 2013. A regency set romance, it is also the sequel to ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.Today Connie lives in Minnesota with her husband David, a family physician, and two spoiled mutts.
Connie has received numerous starred reviews for her romances in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal. Library Journal also named her Her 2004 romance, My Seduction, one of the year's top ten romances.
In November of 2011, THE OTHER GUY'S BRIDE (a sequel to the perennially popular AS YOU DESIRE) was Amazon's Montlake Publishing's launch title. Here next book, NO PLACE FOR A DAME will be published September, 2013. A regency set romance, it is also the sequel to ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.Today Connie lives in Minnesota with her husband David, a family physician, and two spoiled mutts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
March 21, 2016
Historical Romance meets Edwardian fluff (and big hats) making for a lovely and sophisticated screwball-ish romp.
A starchy professor hero and a bubbly aspiring operetta singer heroine, two endearing great-aunts and "the World's Premiere Impersonator of Female Characterizations" all caught up together in a merry chase on the Continent to claim a precious inheritance. Sparkly prose, smart banter, outrageous humour and some winks and nods deftly conjuring the lively 1908 Belle Époque atmosphere. The romance gets lost in all this exuberance, fading to the background and ending up being the least interesting aspect of the story and that's why, considering the genre the story belongs to, I detracted a grade to what would have otherwise been a 5 stars book, but as a whole a very enjoyable read offering an original, polished and witty take on the "opposites attract" trope.
November 16, 2023
4.5 stars
Lucy's parents died when she was seven years old forcing her to be passed around to her father's relatives. Feeling as if each time was an audition of sorts Lucy becomes whatever she feels her new guardian wants her to be. After a term of this she is pawned off to her mother's side. Her two spinster great aunts Lavinia and Bernice take her in despite having no clue about children and having strained pockets. They might not understand their vivacious niece but they love her. When Lucy becomes old enough to move out and find work she takes the skills from her childhood and becomes a singer in an operetta. This just manages to pay the bills and become a place of fulfillment for Lucy. When Lavinia has a health scare, Lucy rushes home to play nurse. Purse strings get pulled even tighter but with a fifty year old treasure about to be paid out, things could be looking up. It seems Lavinia in her youth had a dangerously romantic moment worthy of a penny dreadful. The ending result of this was a lost love and a pouch of rubies to be divided up after fifty years. Gathering their resolve and meager funds Lucy, Lavinia, and Bernice plan to set off to travel to France to claim the inheritance.
Ptolemy Archibald Grant is a young cultural anthropology professor on the rise. He is set to propose and gain a promotion at a prestigious college. After an expensive pen of his is "borrowed" he has a run in with our Lucy. His normally uptight straight edge self can't seem to get the hazel eyed loony imp out of his mind. Summoned to his grandfather's side he learns that due to a dangerously romantic moment from the grandfather's past, he is about to inherit a portion of rubies. By request of his grandfather, he sets off to deliver a letter to a woman named Lavinia where Ptolemy's grandfather states he is giving Lavinia his portion and Ptolemy will accompany her to France as guide. As Ptolemy has always secretly loved being in the field and new caves with pictographs has been discovered in the area they will be in, he is looking forward to the short trip and freedom before he is confined to an office. However, he doesn't count on Lucy answering the door. Thus, Lucy and "Archie" are born and our road romance begins.
Lucy is a character that in real life you either are going to love her or hate her; she dances to the beat of her own drum. It may seem at times that she has her head in the clouds, flittering by in life, and putting on a show. Her light attitude and outlook on life comes from childhood insecurities that slowly become apparent as she spends more time with Archie and begins to open up. Her character becomes more real and deep when she explains that the applause at the end of the show is her favorite moment because it is all for her and not the character she was playing. As she gets closer with Archie and sees he likes her and more importantly understands her for her true self she begins to fall in love with him. Archie's childhood consisted of adults trying to stifle his natural exuberance. As a consequence he is now very restrained and easily allows his almost fiancée to steer him away from his inner desire to do more field work and join the ranks of higher up confined office goers. Lucy and Archie share the combined desire to be understood and be able to be true to themselves.
Their banter back and forth and situations they find themselves in are witty, funny, and delightful. If you're a fan of the screwball comedies of the 1930's (a'la His Girl Friday) then this is a must read for you. Archie and Lucy traveling to get to their destination help the story keep moving and pages turning at a quick pace. Secondary characters stay pretty much in the background with a few exception pages throughout that devote a few insights to their various backgrounds and motivations until closer to the end when the past relationship of Lavinia and Archie's grandfather, that present day Lucy and Archie are somewhat mirroring, culminates. Any complaints I have involve Brockway’s tendency to incorporate many storylines and threads for minor characters that distract from the main characters and make me wish for more. Should this even be a complaint as it leaves me wanting more? I’m not sure but it does split my interest.
The ending had me wanting to hug my kindle, my dog, and the whole world. Brockway has a way of writing light enjoyable stories that covertly interweave deep emotional themes that erupt at the end and leave your eyes surprisingly glistening. This story is different from a lot that is out there right now and so much better for it. The Songbird's Seduction is a screwball comedy that is quirky, upbeat, and lovely. Lucy and Archie were a delight to get to know and I'm once again reaffirmed in my belief that Connie Brockway should write all the books.
Lucy's parents died when she was seven years old forcing her to be passed around to her father's relatives. Feeling as if each time was an audition of sorts Lucy becomes whatever she feels her new guardian wants her to be. After a term of this she is pawned off to her mother's side. Her two spinster great aunts Lavinia and Bernice take her in despite having no clue about children and having strained pockets. They might not understand their vivacious niece but they love her. When Lucy becomes old enough to move out and find work she takes the skills from her childhood and becomes a singer in an operetta. This just manages to pay the bills and become a place of fulfillment for Lucy. When Lavinia has a health scare, Lucy rushes home to play nurse. Purse strings get pulled even tighter but with a fifty year old treasure about to be paid out, things could be looking up. It seems Lavinia in her youth had a dangerously romantic moment worthy of a penny dreadful. The ending result of this was a lost love and a pouch of rubies to be divided up after fifty years. Gathering their resolve and meager funds Lucy, Lavinia, and Bernice plan to set off to travel to France to claim the inheritance.
Ptolemy Archibald Grant is a young cultural anthropology professor on the rise. He is set to propose and gain a promotion at a prestigious college. After an expensive pen of his is "borrowed" he has a run in with our Lucy. His normally uptight straight edge self can't seem to get the hazel eyed loony imp out of his mind. Summoned to his grandfather's side he learns that due to a dangerously romantic moment from the grandfather's past, he is about to inherit a portion of rubies. By request of his grandfather, he sets off to deliver a letter to a woman named Lavinia where Ptolemy's grandfather states he is giving Lavinia his portion and Ptolemy will accompany her to France as guide. As Ptolemy has always secretly loved being in the field and new caves with pictographs has been discovered in the area they will be in, he is looking forward to the short trip and freedom before he is confined to an office. However, he doesn't count on Lucy answering the door. Thus, Lucy and "Archie" are born and our road romance begins.
Lucy is a character that in real life you either are going to love her or hate her; she dances to the beat of her own drum. It may seem at times that she has her head in the clouds, flittering by in life, and putting on a show. Her light attitude and outlook on life comes from childhood insecurities that slowly become apparent as she spends more time with Archie and begins to open up. Her character becomes more real and deep when she explains that the applause at the end of the show is her favorite moment because it is all for her and not the character she was playing. As she gets closer with Archie and sees he likes her and more importantly understands her for her true self she begins to fall in love with him. Archie's childhood consisted of adults trying to stifle his natural exuberance. As a consequence he is now very restrained and easily allows his almost fiancée to steer him away from his inner desire to do more field work and join the ranks of higher up confined office goers. Lucy and Archie share the combined desire to be understood and be able to be true to themselves.
Their banter back and forth and situations they find themselves in are witty, funny, and delightful. If you're a fan of the screwball comedies of the 1930's (a'la His Girl Friday) then this is a must read for you. Archie and Lucy traveling to get to their destination help the story keep moving and pages turning at a quick pace. Secondary characters stay pretty much in the background with a few exception pages throughout that devote a few insights to their various backgrounds and motivations until closer to the end when the past relationship of Lavinia and Archie's grandfather, that present day Lucy and Archie are somewhat mirroring, culminates. Any complaints I have involve Brockway’s tendency to incorporate many storylines and threads for minor characters that distract from the main characters and make me wish for more. Should this even be a complaint as it leaves me wanting more? I’m not sure but it does split my interest.
The ending had me wanting to hug my kindle, my dog, and the whole world. Brockway has a way of writing light enjoyable stories that covertly interweave deep emotional themes that erupt at the end and leave your eyes surprisingly glistening. This story is different from a lot that is out there right now and so much better for it. The Songbird's Seduction is a screwball comedy that is quirky, upbeat, and lovely. Lucy and Archie were a delight to get to know and I'm once again reaffirmed in my belief that Connie Brockway should write all the books.
February 10, 2025
2.75⭐️
Since I’m not a road trip girlie, I knew going in this story might not be for me. Sure enough, I’m still staunchly entrenched in the are-we-there-yet camp. Also, I wasn’t tuned into the physical, verging on slapstick humor. Lucy and Archie’s predicaments stressed me out. Dialogues and repetitive inner monologues continually overshot their targets by a couple of paragraphs.
With that said, I did enjoy the MCs (except in one instance. Looking at you, Lucy). The secondary characters were especially charming and endearing.
Shout out to Marjery, based on Julian Eltinge (referenced in author’s notes).
Since I’m not a road trip girlie, I knew going in this story might not be for me. Sure enough, I’m still staunchly entrenched in the are-we-there-yet camp. Also, I wasn’t tuned into the physical, verging on slapstick humor. Lucy and Archie’s predicaments stressed me out. Dialogues and repetitive inner monologues continually overshot their targets by a couple of paragraphs.
With that said, I did enjoy the MCs (except in one instance. Looking at you, Lucy). The secondary characters were especially charming and endearing.
Shout out to Marjery, based on Julian Eltinge (referenced in author’s notes).
September 14, 2014
1.5 Star Review: The Songbird's Seduction by Connie Brockway
Going into this book, I had been expecting something similar to Downton Abbey only much more light-hearted. I’ve heard of Connie’s books before, mainly a book entitled As You Desire, and wanted to see whether her style of writing peaked my interest. While she’s a good writer, her characters angered me to such heights that I can fairly say her work isn’t for me.
The main reasons this book was hell for me:
1. The damsel in distress who makes ridiculously bad decisions.
2. The hero’s name is Ptolemy.
3. The hero’s disillusionment
4. The part where the characters fall in love was missing.
5. The hero’s name is Ptolemy.
6. The heroine was inconsistent to her character
7. The hero rescues slews of damsels.
Okay, so maybe listing the hero’s name isn’t a real reason for not liking this book. But seriously, his name is Ptolemy. However I was really thankful that I didn’t have to go through the entire book reading “Ptolmy, Ptolemy, Ptolemy I love you.” That would have been terrible. No, the heroine calls him Archie, for Ptolemy Archibald Grant.
That’s a handful isn’t it? Archibald. Archie.
Okay so, basically the story is about Archie and Lucy: a love story. Lucy Eastlake is an orphan. When she was a young girl her great aunts took her in. She doesn’t consider herself a lady, for she’s not. She’s an operetta singer of the theatre. She loves the audience. The applause. But within the home of her aunts comes exciting news, news of rubies. Of past love. Of money they will inherit. So Lucy takes her great aunts overseas to France. They think she’s completely and utterly fluent in French. She’s not, but she assumes she can get around France. How hard could it be?
But Lucy gets separated from her aunts and has to take a different ferry. Then sweet and handsome Archibald comes along. They take the trip together. They trail behind Lucy’s aunts. But there’s always something in their way: love, storms, Gypsy’s, and even the police.
The biggest issue I had with this romance novel was Lucy’s decisions and her inconsistency
I wanted to like Lucy. I thought that a character who works in theatre and who isn’t part of the aristocracy would be cool to read about.
Despite the fact that she grew up with a hard life and how people treated her, she failed to realize the reality of life. Not everything is rainbows and fucking sunshine out the wah-zoo. She failed to realize that a stranger wouldn’t just hand them money because they’d fairly earned it, without them making a deal. She failed to realize that love comes from trust and you have to earn that trust. You can’t just prolong your time together just so they’ll stay with you. It doesn’t work that way in real life.
Lucy also seemed inconsistent to her character. Here’s why:
1. She’s scared of getting sick yet she believes: I am quite within my rights to assume I could enjoy your island despite a few bugs and the straw pallet.”
2. She’ll be proud of herself as a woman one moment and then act like a damsel in distress the next: She liked that he’d leapt to her aid. It made her feel like a damsel in distress. And he played knight-errant so naturally…a tad crabbily, true, but naturally nonetheless, as though he’d rescued slews of damsels…
As for Archie, Ptolemy, Archibald whatever you want to call him, really:
I love the sweet guys, the guys that don’t get a lot of attention, the guy that doesn’t act like an ass. He’s geeky, he’s somewhat clumsy, and sometimes he stutters when he’s embarrassed. I found it cute. However, I felt like some things about his character were odd:
Interviewing indigenous people was an art.
And this:
Due to generations of systematic oppression, the Romani’s distrust of outsiders was legionary and impenetrable. He would have loved the chance to interview them.
What?.....
I get that he’s an anthropologist and sometimes forgets what he’s saying, but this I had a hard time deciphering. At first glance, I wanted to punch him in the nuts. But, I don’t want to make presumptions and say that his character is ignorant of those people. The way it’s phrased makes it seem as if he only looks at those people as studies, kind of like they aren’t even real people. But then again, the attitude of the Edwardian era toward people of different cultures such as the Romani was…. not kind. I don’t think this was the author’s intent, but I do think the author could have left this out.
But then there’s the part of the novel where you’re reading along, you’re reading…and Holy fuck! They’re in love? When did that happen? Did I miss something? Where was the development? There wasn’t even a kiss at this point or gazes. You know the kind of gazing I’m talking about. The ones where the author will describe their eyes for an entire page. Yeah. No chemistry buildup. Nothing. It’s not like I expected extra-horny pants or anything. I just expected relationship development. I could see friendship, but nothing romantic. So I didn’t see where it came from. It just slapped me in the face.
The Writing:
Connie Brockway is actually a pretty decent writer; it’s just that her characters didn’t appeal to me. There are certain quotes that I loved:
“And as for love? Love doesn’t pounce on you like some overly friendly puppy or catch you unsuspecting when your resistance is down like a bad head cold. It’s a process. It comes from a slow discovery, from the security of knowing how someone is going to react or what they are going to say, to shared ambitions and a common base of experiences. And from trust. Trust, Lucy. As in not lying to another person or manipulation them or playing havoc with their lives…”
I loved that Archie said this. It’s a great quote and I completely agree with him.
Often I see writers will write entire chapters wherein the characters do absolutely fucking nothing. In reality, I realize authors may think that it’s part of the plot when they write character’s thinking about love, life, death, and whatever insane decision they’re going to make next. But, it’s not plot. It’s information. It’s the character thinking. It doesn’t matter if it’s character development, the fact is that thinking about love on a train is still going to be the character taking a train ride to insert destination here. I don’t mean to be a pest about this, but it happens so much! As a reader, it’s really frustrating to read one book after the next where the author write chapters and chapter where nothing actually happens but the character thinking about the decisions they are to make in the chapters forthcoming.
While I can see why many others absolutely adore Brockway’s books, she just didn’t work within my taste for romance. However I will say that if you like Downton Abbey, if you like travel romances, if you like unconventional heroines, and if you like geeky heroes you might love this book.
ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Going into this book, I had been expecting something similar to Downton Abbey only much more light-hearted. I’ve heard of Connie’s books before, mainly a book entitled As You Desire, and wanted to see whether her style of writing peaked my interest. While she’s a good writer, her characters angered me to such heights that I can fairly say her work isn’t for me.
The main reasons this book was hell for me:
1. The damsel in distress who makes ridiculously bad decisions.
2. The hero’s name is Ptolemy.
3. The hero’s disillusionment
4. The part where the characters fall in love was missing.
5. The hero’s name is Ptolemy.
6. The heroine was inconsistent to her character
7. The hero rescues slews of damsels.
Okay, so maybe listing the hero’s name isn’t a real reason for not liking this book. But seriously, his name is Ptolemy. However I was really thankful that I didn’t have to go through the entire book reading “Ptolmy, Ptolemy, Ptolemy I love you.” That would have been terrible. No, the heroine calls him Archie, for Ptolemy Archibald Grant.
That’s a handful isn’t it? Archibald. Archie.
Okay so, basically the story is about Archie and Lucy: a love story. Lucy Eastlake is an orphan. When she was a young girl her great aunts took her in. She doesn’t consider herself a lady, for she’s not. She’s an operetta singer of the theatre. She loves the audience. The applause. But within the home of her aunts comes exciting news, news of rubies. Of past love. Of money they will inherit. So Lucy takes her great aunts overseas to France. They think she’s completely and utterly fluent in French. She’s not, but she assumes she can get around France. How hard could it be?
But Lucy gets separated from her aunts and has to take a different ferry. Then sweet and handsome Archibald comes along. They take the trip together. They trail behind Lucy’s aunts. But there’s always something in their way: love, storms, Gypsy’s, and even the police.
The biggest issue I had with this romance novel was Lucy’s decisions and her inconsistency
I wanted to like Lucy. I thought that a character who works in theatre and who isn’t part of the aristocracy would be cool to read about.
Despite the fact that she grew up with a hard life and how people treated her, she failed to realize the reality of life. Not everything is rainbows and fucking sunshine out the wah-zoo. She failed to realize that a stranger wouldn’t just hand them money because they’d fairly earned it, without them making a deal. She failed to realize that love comes from trust and you have to earn that trust. You can’t just prolong your time together just so they’ll stay with you. It doesn’t work that way in real life.
Lucy also seemed inconsistent to her character. Here’s why:
1. She’s scared of getting sick yet she believes: I am quite within my rights to assume I could enjoy your island despite a few bugs and the straw pallet.”
2. She’ll be proud of herself as a woman one moment and then act like a damsel in distress the next: She liked that he’d leapt to her aid. It made her feel like a damsel in distress. And he played knight-errant so naturally…a tad crabbily, true, but naturally nonetheless, as though he’d rescued slews of damsels…
As for Archie, Ptolemy, Archibald whatever you want to call him, really:
I love the sweet guys, the guys that don’t get a lot of attention, the guy that doesn’t act like an ass. He’s geeky, he’s somewhat clumsy, and sometimes he stutters when he’s embarrassed. I found it cute. However, I felt like some things about his character were odd:
Interviewing indigenous people was an art.
And this:
Due to generations of systematic oppression, the Romani’s distrust of outsiders was legionary and impenetrable. He would have loved the chance to interview them.
What?.....
I get that he’s an anthropologist and sometimes forgets what he’s saying, but this I had a hard time deciphering. At first glance, I wanted to punch him in the nuts. But, I don’t want to make presumptions and say that his character is ignorant of those people. The way it’s phrased makes it seem as if he only looks at those people as studies, kind of like they aren’t even real people. But then again, the attitude of the Edwardian era toward people of different cultures such as the Romani was…. not kind. I don’t think this was the author’s intent, but I do think the author could have left this out.
But then there’s the part of the novel where you’re reading along, you’re reading…and Holy fuck! They’re in love? When did that happen? Did I miss something? Where was the development? There wasn’t even a kiss at this point or gazes. You know the kind of gazing I’m talking about. The ones where the author will describe their eyes for an entire page. Yeah. No chemistry buildup. Nothing. It’s not like I expected extra-horny pants or anything. I just expected relationship development. I could see friendship, but nothing romantic. So I didn’t see where it came from. It just slapped me in the face.
The Writing:
Connie Brockway is actually a pretty decent writer; it’s just that her characters didn’t appeal to me. There are certain quotes that I loved:
“And as for love? Love doesn’t pounce on you like some overly friendly puppy or catch you unsuspecting when your resistance is down like a bad head cold. It’s a process. It comes from a slow discovery, from the security of knowing how someone is going to react or what they are going to say, to shared ambitions and a common base of experiences. And from trust. Trust, Lucy. As in not lying to another person or manipulation them or playing havoc with their lives…”
I loved that Archie said this. It’s a great quote and I completely agree with him.
Often I see writers will write entire chapters wherein the characters do absolutely fucking nothing. In reality, I realize authors may think that it’s part of the plot when they write character’s thinking about love, life, death, and whatever insane decision they’re going to make next. But, it’s not plot. It’s information. It’s the character thinking. It doesn’t matter if it’s character development, the fact is that thinking about love on a train is still going to be the character taking a train ride to insert destination here. I don’t mean to be a pest about this, but it happens so much! As a reader, it’s really frustrating to read one book after the next where the author write chapters and chapter where nothing actually happens but the character thinking about the decisions they are to make in the chapters forthcoming.
While I can see why many others absolutely adore Brockway’s books, she just didn’t work within my taste for romance. However I will say that if you like Downton Abbey, if you like travel romances, if you like unconventional heroines, and if you like geeky heroes you might love this book.
ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
September 10, 2014
Another warm and witty winner from Connie Brockway! I love Connie's books because she writes smart romance for smart readers. Utterly charming!
July 24, 2024
Review from 2015
B- for narration / B for content , so I'm leaving it at 4 stars.
Although The Songbird’s Seduction is set in 1908, there is, thankfully, no sign of “Downton Abbey Syndrome”. It’s not set in a country house with storylines divvied up between upstairs and downstairs – in fact, the tone of the book is much more akin to the Screwball Comedies of the 1930s and 40s, and given that’s one of my favourite film genres, that was a very welcome discovery.
The heroine is Lucy Eastlake, a young woman who was orphaned at the age of seven and passed from pillar to post until coming to live with her great aunts Lavinia and Bernice. Now in her early twenties, she makes her living on the stage as a performer in light opera and operetta (think Franz Léhar and Gilbert and Sullivan). Although The Songbird’s Seduction is set in 1908, there is, thankfully, no sign of “Downton Abbey Syndrome”. It’s not set in a country house with storylines divvied up between upstairs and downstairs – in fact, the tone of the book is much more akin to the Screwball Comedies of the 1930s and 40s, and given that’s one of my favourite film genres, that was a very welcome discovery.
The heroine is Lucy Eastlake, a young woman who was orphaned at the age of seven and passed from pillar to post until coming to live with her great aunts Lavinia and Bernice. Now in her early twenties, she makes her living on the stage as a performer in light opera and operetta (think Franz Léhar and Gilbert and Sullivan). She has grown up listening to stories of her Aunt Lavinia’s life in India, whence that lady was dispatched to find a husband when she didn’t “take” during her London season half-a-century earlier. Lavinia never found a husband, although she did fall in love with a young lord, but sadly it seems her affections were not returned. On the eve of the siege of Patnimba, a stranger rode into the British compound, leaving a fortune in rubies in the hands of the occupants for safekeeping, on the understanding that they will be able to lay claim to them if they had heard nothing from him after fifty years. Well, the fifty years is up, and Lavinia is entitled to claim her portion of the treasure.
Lord John Barton has summoned his grandson, the young, up-and-coming professor of Anthropology, Ptolemy Archibald Grant, to his home in order to ask for his assistance. He wishes to have a letter delivered to a woman he met over fifty years ago in India, making over his share of a very valuable treasure to her, and then asks Ptolemy to escort her to France so that she can claim both her portion and his.
Grant is a rather reserved young man who views strong emotions and impulsiveness as the path to ruin; all traces of his boyhood enthusiasms and restlessness have been ruthlessly indoctrinated out of him by his starchy family. His grandfather sees much of his younger self in his grandson, and rather wishes the lad would cast off the bonds of conventionality from time to time, so he is pleased when Ptolemy – who has always preferred field-work to being stuck behind a desk – is enthusiastic at the prospect of travelling to the small mountain village of Saint Gironds in the Pyrenees, as he will be able to study some newly discovered pictograms. He heads off with his grandfather’s letter and is astonished when the door to the house to which he has been directed is opened by the young woman with whom he’d had a frustrating and ultimately rather embarrassing encounter at the Savoy the previous evening.
Lucy, deciding that “Ptolemy” doesn’t suit the piratically gorgeous man who has shown up on her doorstep very quickly takes to calling him Archie instead, completely ignoring his insistence that nobody calls him that. Although his offer of escort is initially turned down, Archie’s conscience won’t let him leave two elderly ladies and one infuriating younger one who, he’s sure, doesn’t speak any French – to make their way through France unaided.
When Lucy is inadvertently separated from her aunts, the Lucy and Archie show really gets going, and a very enjoyable show it is. Lucy is delightfully whimsical and quick witted, changing mental gears at the speed of light which usually leaves Archie rather endearingly bewildered or furious with her. I was impressed with the way the author maintains a good balance in the relationship that develops between them; there’s a danger, when you have a kooky heroine, of her leaving the hero standing so that he emerges as rather dim-witted, but that isn’t the case here. Even though Lucy is the more outgoing and audacious of the two, she doesn’t run rings around Archie. Those little peeks of unconventionality Archie’s grandfather has sometimes glimpsed mean that he is able to hold his own with Lucy, and to put the brakes on the runaway train of her sometimes crazy schemes.
As Lucy and Archie travel through France, they get into a number of scrapes ranging from doing a moonlight flit to joining a group of travelling players. It’s clear that while he finds Lucy exasperating at times, Archie is having the time of his life, but unfortunately, their luck can’t hold out forever. Not far from their destination, they are finally confronted with a situation Lucy can’t talk them out of which threatens to destroy their fledgling relationship.
All the way through listening to this audiobook, I was continually reminded of one of my favourite Screwball Comedies, Bringing Up Baby. Like that film, the hero is a rather stuffy professor with a managing, career-focused (and in this case, would-be) fiancée; the heroine is free-spirited, unconventional and falls in love with the hero almost on sight, unable to conceive of any other outcome than their being together. Their first, antagonistic meeting features a scene in which Archie inadvertently steps on Lucy’s hem and rips her dress – which is surely an homage to the restaurant scene in the film. Lucy’s bright optimism and fearlessness mask a touching vulnerability, rather like Susan’s (Katherine Hepburn) and of course, anyone familiar with it will recall that its male star, Cary Grant, was born Archibald Leach. Not that I’m complaining – Connie Brockway handles it all an incredibly deft touch and it’s impossible not to enjoy the characters’ journey together – both the actual road-trip and their gradually deepening attraction.
While Heather Wilds has generally received good ratings from me for her narrations, the last few audios of hers I’ve listened to have left me feeling somewhat frustrated because she has a number of habits and vocal ticks which have started to become rather obtrusive. She’s a very talented performer and has a beautiful, low-pitched and melodious voice, but her habit of snatching breaths in odd places can make sentences feel unbalanced and un-idiomatic because the inflection ends up in the wrong place. Fortunately, however, those problems happen less frequently here, or I was so wrapped up in the story that I didn’t notice them as much – but whatever the reason, I was more impressed with Ms Wilds’ performance in The Songbird’s Seduction than I have been with some of her other recent narrations.
One of the things I’ve always liked about her work is the way she portrays her heroes. Her naturally deep vocal register is a great asset as she is able to sound suitably masculine without sounding as though she struggles to maintain a lower pitch, and she has a particularly effective way of delivering their lines so as to make them sound both authoritative and attractive. She gives Archie’s speech a slightly clipped quality which emphasises his intelligence and competence without making him sound unappealing. She differentiates well between Lavinia’s aunts, and between all the secondary characters Lucy and Archie meet on their travels, using a variety of accents to (generally) good effect.
Overall, The Songbird’s Seduction is a very enjoyable listen and I’d certainly recommend it to anyone in the mood for something funny, warm and light-hearted.
B- for narration / B for content , so I'm leaving it at 4 stars.
Although The Songbird’s Seduction is set in 1908, there is, thankfully, no sign of “Downton Abbey Syndrome”. It’s not set in a country house with storylines divvied up between upstairs and downstairs – in fact, the tone of the book is much more akin to the Screwball Comedies of the 1930s and 40s, and given that’s one of my favourite film genres, that was a very welcome discovery.
The heroine is Lucy Eastlake, a young woman who was orphaned at the age of seven and passed from pillar to post until coming to live with her great aunts Lavinia and Bernice. Now in her early twenties, she makes her living on the stage as a performer in light opera and operetta (think Franz Léhar and Gilbert and Sullivan). Although The Songbird’s Seduction is set in 1908, there is, thankfully, no sign of “Downton Abbey Syndrome”. It’s not set in a country house with storylines divvied up between upstairs and downstairs – in fact, the tone of the book is much more akin to the Screwball Comedies of the 1930s and 40s, and given that’s one of my favourite film genres, that was a very welcome discovery.
The heroine is Lucy Eastlake, a young woman who was orphaned at the age of seven and passed from pillar to post until coming to live with her great aunts Lavinia and Bernice. Now in her early twenties, she makes her living on the stage as a performer in light opera and operetta (think Franz Léhar and Gilbert and Sullivan). She has grown up listening to stories of her Aunt Lavinia’s life in India, whence that lady was dispatched to find a husband when she didn’t “take” during her London season half-a-century earlier. Lavinia never found a husband, although she did fall in love with a young lord, but sadly it seems her affections were not returned. On the eve of the siege of Patnimba, a stranger rode into the British compound, leaving a fortune in rubies in the hands of the occupants for safekeeping, on the understanding that they will be able to lay claim to them if they had heard nothing from him after fifty years. Well, the fifty years is up, and Lavinia is entitled to claim her portion of the treasure.
Lord John Barton has summoned his grandson, the young, up-and-coming professor of Anthropology, Ptolemy Archibald Grant, to his home in order to ask for his assistance. He wishes to have a letter delivered to a woman he met over fifty years ago in India, making over his share of a very valuable treasure to her, and then asks Ptolemy to escort her to France so that she can claim both her portion and his.
Grant is a rather reserved young man who views strong emotions and impulsiveness as the path to ruin; all traces of his boyhood enthusiasms and restlessness have been ruthlessly indoctrinated out of him by his starchy family. His grandfather sees much of his younger self in his grandson, and rather wishes the lad would cast off the bonds of conventionality from time to time, so he is pleased when Ptolemy – who has always preferred field-work to being stuck behind a desk – is enthusiastic at the prospect of travelling to the small mountain village of Saint Gironds in the Pyrenees, as he will be able to study some newly discovered pictograms. He heads off with his grandfather’s letter and is astonished when the door to the house to which he has been directed is opened by the young woman with whom he’d had a frustrating and ultimately rather embarrassing encounter at the Savoy the previous evening.
Lucy, deciding that “Ptolemy” doesn’t suit the piratically gorgeous man who has shown up on her doorstep very quickly takes to calling him Archie instead, completely ignoring his insistence that nobody calls him that. Although his offer of escort is initially turned down, Archie’s conscience won’t let him leave two elderly ladies and one infuriating younger one who, he’s sure, doesn’t speak any French – to make their way through France unaided.
When Lucy is inadvertently separated from her aunts, the Lucy and Archie show really gets going, and a very enjoyable show it is. Lucy is delightfully whimsical and quick witted, changing mental gears at the speed of light which usually leaves Archie rather endearingly bewildered or furious with her. I was impressed with the way the author maintains a good balance in the relationship that develops between them; there’s a danger, when you have a kooky heroine, of her leaving the hero standing so that he emerges as rather dim-witted, but that isn’t the case here. Even though Lucy is the more outgoing and audacious of the two, she doesn’t run rings around Archie. Those little peeks of unconventionality Archie’s grandfather has sometimes glimpsed mean that he is able to hold his own with Lucy, and to put the brakes on the runaway train of her sometimes crazy schemes.
As Lucy and Archie travel through France, they get into a number of scrapes ranging from doing a moonlight flit to joining a group of travelling players. It’s clear that while he finds Lucy exasperating at times, Archie is having the time of his life, but unfortunately, their luck can’t hold out forever. Not far from their destination, they are finally confronted with a situation Lucy can’t talk them out of which threatens to destroy their fledgling relationship.
All the way through listening to this audiobook, I was continually reminded of one of my favourite Screwball Comedies, Bringing Up Baby. Like that film, the hero is a rather stuffy professor with a managing, career-focused (and in this case, would-be) fiancée; the heroine is free-spirited, unconventional and falls in love with the hero almost on sight, unable to conceive of any other outcome than their being together. Their first, antagonistic meeting features a scene in which Archie inadvertently steps on Lucy’s hem and rips her dress – which is surely an homage to the restaurant scene in the film. Lucy’s bright optimism and fearlessness mask a touching vulnerability, rather like Susan’s (Katherine Hepburn) and of course, anyone familiar with it will recall that its male star, Cary Grant, was born Archibald Leach. Not that I’m complaining – Connie Brockway handles it all an incredibly deft touch and it’s impossible not to enjoy the characters’ journey together – both the actual road-trip and their gradually deepening attraction.
While Heather Wilds has generally received good ratings from me for her narrations, the last few audios of hers I’ve listened to have left me feeling somewhat frustrated because she has a number of habits and vocal ticks which have started to become rather obtrusive. She’s a very talented performer and has a beautiful, low-pitched and melodious voice, but her habit of snatching breaths in odd places can make sentences feel unbalanced and un-idiomatic because the inflection ends up in the wrong place. Fortunately, however, those problems happen less frequently here, or I was so wrapped up in the story that I didn’t notice them as much – but whatever the reason, I was more impressed with Ms Wilds’ performance in The Songbird’s Seduction than I have been with some of her other recent narrations.
One of the things I’ve always liked about her work is the way she portrays her heroes. Her naturally deep vocal register is a great asset as she is able to sound suitably masculine without sounding as though she struggles to maintain a lower pitch, and she has a particularly effective way of delivering their lines so as to make them sound both authoritative and attractive. She gives Archie’s speech a slightly clipped quality which emphasises his intelligence and competence without making him sound unappealing. She differentiates well between Lavinia’s aunts, and between all the secondary characters Lucy and Archie meet on their travels, using a variety of accents to (generally) good effect.
Overall, The Songbird’s Seduction is a very enjoyable listen and I’d certainly recommend it to anyone in the mood for something funny, warm and light-hearted.
August 3, 2020
This ticked so many boxes for me - it's funny, romantic, well-written, intelligent and satisfying. I'm sure I won't be the first to compare this to the screwball romances of the 1930s and that's very much how it comes across - a slightly cookie heroine and an upright uptight hero embarking on a journey across France, with no money, but the prospect of half a fortune in rubies at the end.
Both Lucy and Archie are thoroughly engaging principals, sparring and falling in love as they lurch from one impossible situation to another. Lucy's propensity for throwing herself into trouble is balanced by Archie's dry common sense. I like the bit where Lucy is trying to woo Archie by pretending an interest in cliffs (don't ask):
"I like a good bracing walk along a cliff. One never feels so alive as when one is staring down a two-hundred-foot precipice."
"Oh?" He was regarding her with some concern. "You don't feel compelled to do anything other than stare down them, do you?"
"Heavens,no. Why would I?"
"I don't know. You seem peculiarly ardent."
There's an intriguing cast of secondary characters too including "Marjorie" - a glamorous cross-dresser leading Lucy's maiden aunts outrageously astray. The late Edwardian setting is a refreshing change too.
Great stuff.
Both Lucy and Archie are thoroughly engaging principals, sparring and falling in love as they lurch from one impossible situation to another. Lucy's propensity for throwing herself into trouble is balanced by Archie's dry common sense. I like the bit where Lucy is trying to woo Archie by pretending an interest in cliffs (don't ask):
"I like a good bracing walk along a cliff. One never feels so alive as when one is staring down a two-hundred-foot precipice."
"Oh?" He was regarding her with some concern. "You don't feel compelled to do anything other than stare down them, do you?"
"Heavens,no. Why would I?"
"I don't know. You seem peculiarly ardent."
There's an intriguing cast of secondary characters too including "Marjorie" - a glamorous cross-dresser leading Lucy's maiden aunts outrageously astray. The late Edwardian setting is a refreshing change too.
Great stuff.
October 25, 2024
This was a DELIGHT. I think I tried one Connie Brockway before and it didn't especially work for me so I never went back, but I had so, so much fun with this! I would warn people about the heroine dressing up like a Romani person for performance and the use of the word you might assume would also be present in the text. There is also a male character who but who is treated very, very kindly by the text. If you are in the mood for a romp (or have a turn of the century bingo square to fill), I would recommend this book.
August 18, 2014
I loved this story. The characters were very engaging, and enjoyable to get to know. I have loved many Brockway heroines for their sassiness and spunk, and Lucy Eastlake was just my kind of girl. The back story was simple and not so convoluted you had to read it a couple of times to understand what was going on and it introduced the reader to more of the characters and made you want to keep reading to see what was going to happen. The description of Ptolemy Grant was just enough to tickle ones "fantasy bone". Really, who doesn't love a pirate with "a perfectly chiseled pair of lips set in a straight line above a square jaw and a wickedly cleft chin." Add in thick black hair, black eyes and a great body to boot? Le Sigh. Their adventures were wrought with disaster and humour and the reader is able to see their affection grow into more. The time period of the book is the early 1900's which had an altogether different feeling. Not quite the usual historical, but not quite a contemporary either. It allowed Lucy to have more freedoms and be less restricted in her speech and mannerisms and I found that aspect all the more enjoyable.
As with many of Ms. Brockway's books, I would highly recommend this one. It was a fun and enjoyable read with many laugh out loud moments, as well as tender moments. The character development was excellent and everyone "fit" into the story, one could almost "see" where the characters were going after the fact. Perfect for on the deck with a glass of iced tea or curled up in your favourite chair with a steamy mug of hot tea.
As with many of Ms. Brockway's books, I would highly recommend this one. It was a fun and enjoyable read with many laugh out loud moments, as well as tender moments. The character development was excellent and everyone "fit" into the story, one could almost "see" where the characters were going after the fact. Perfect for on the deck with a glass of iced tea or curled up in your favourite chair with a steamy mug of hot tea.
October 21, 2014
Who but Connie Brockway would give readers an Edwardian-set romance that paired a chanteuse and a professor? I love the unexpectedness of Brockway's fiction, and I loved this book! Reading it left me with the same feeling I get when I watch The Lady Eve, My Man Godfrey, or Bringing Up Baby—total delight mixed with gratitude that someone is smart enough and talented enough to create stories that appeal to my head, my heart, and my funny bone. Lucy Eastlake and Professor Ptolemy Archibald Grant have joined a long list of Brockway characters I adore. And, as usual, Brockway’s secondary characters are richly drawn and memorable. Every Brockway book I read serves to remind me why this author has a long-established, permanent spot on my auto-buy list.
November 7, 2021
I laughed out London several times. I really enjoyed it. Nice and easy with a happy ending.
February 26, 2023
Positively charming. I laughed and swooned and stayed up too late finishing it.
August 26, 2014
Connie Brockway author of "The Songbird's Seduction"
Lucy Eastlake is not your usual young woman, different as night from day. I found her comical-smart-caring and to have a heart of gold. She grew up with two great aunts who themselves were not your usual "old Ladies", The Litton sisters- Lavinia and Bernice, there was a story here in itself of a time that Lavinia had met a young man fifty years earlier who had won her heart and he hers, yet he never told her and they departed. Do you think love can last all those years without seeing one another. they each lived their lives and only allowed themselves to dream of another.
There was a fortune in Rubies held over the years to be shared after 50 years and now was the time to get together and each take theirs. Lavinia and her young man were among them.
Next you add Ptolemy Archibald Grant to the mixture who is a staid professor, Lucy thinks he is handsome but the name doesn't fit so she calls him "Archie". She feels she needs to take him in hand and show him how to have fun...
It appears that Archie is the grandson of Lavinia's young man and he is to help the older women take the trip and gather their fortune.
Lucy and Archie spend a lot of time together once they are separated from the great aunts on the trip and you don't want to miss all the problems and the fun they had as they made their way forward missing the aunts on each leg of the trip.
I have enjoyed reading this funny and well written story by this author that I had not read before, thanks Connie.
Lucy Eastlake is not your usual young woman, different as night from day. I found her comical-smart-caring and to have a heart of gold. She grew up with two great aunts who themselves were not your usual "old Ladies", The Litton sisters- Lavinia and Bernice, there was a story here in itself of a time that Lavinia had met a young man fifty years earlier who had won her heart and he hers, yet he never told her and they departed. Do you think love can last all those years without seeing one another. they each lived their lives and only allowed themselves to dream of another.
There was a fortune in Rubies held over the years to be shared after 50 years and now was the time to get together and each take theirs. Lavinia and her young man were among them.
Next you add Ptolemy Archibald Grant to the mixture who is a staid professor, Lucy thinks he is handsome but the name doesn't fit so she calls him "Archie". She feels she needs to take him in hand and show him how to have fun...
It appears that Archie is the grandson of Lavinia's young man and he is to help the older women take the trip and gather their fortune.
Lucy and Archie spend a lot of time together once they are separated from the great aunts on the trip and you don't want to miss all the problems and the fun they had as they made their way forward missing the aunts on each leg of the trip.
I have enjoyed reading this funny and well written story by this author that I had not read before, thanks Connie.
September 22, 2014
I really loved this Edwardian Romance, which harkens back to the screwball comedies of the '30's. Lucy Eastlake a genteel operetta songbird with a zest for life, meets Ptolemy Grant at the Savoy bar and turns his world upside down. An anthropologist bent on getting his pen back (long story) is swept up in Lucy's cockamamie logic, so much so he is dumbstruck! It's all very funny. Lucy can't believe his name is Ptolemy so she decides to call him Archie - get it? Archie Grant! LOL! Anyway, their paths cross again when it turns out his grandfather once knew Lucy's great Aunt 50 years ago during the Indian Rebellion (funny how I just read a long, long book on the same Rebellion), they fell in love but nothing came of it after they were rescued. Now history is repeating itself and Lucy's not about to let Archie go! Believe me, I'm not doing this book justice, there's lots of laughs, both hero and heroine are adorably cute together and I really enjoyed this lighthearted romp. Of course, there are some tender moments that made me love this couple even more and every thing came together joyfully in the end! Reminiscent of some of Connie Brockway's earlier novels - this was just my speed! A real gem!
4.5/5
4.5/5
September 6, 2014
An interesting setting with interesting characters and a plot with fun, adventure and twist.
I quite enjoyed it.
Lucy was quite a character and her approach to everything was fresh and unique, and Archie - or Ptolemy - grew from boring to lively.
I also like the Aunts and the old love story, but I kinda wished we knew more about it.
But I don't like when coincidence plays too much in a book, and some plot twists were unnecessary.
I think I might have liked the book better if chapter 4 didn't exist.
This review is for a free copy courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley.
I quite enjoyed it.
Lucy was quite a character and her approach to everything was fresh and unique, and Archie - or Ptolemy - grew from boring to lively.
I also like the Aunts and the old love story, but I kinda wished we knew more about it.
But I don't like when coincidence plays too much in a book, and some plot twists were unnecessary.
I think I might have liked the book better if chapter 4 didn't exist.
This review is for a free copy courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley.
August 24, 2014
Smashing! This zany romantic comedy with the happy, carefree Lucy and the piratical-looking but staid Archie as her straight man brought to mind wonderful old movies, especially Bringing up Baby (and Archie was Cary Grant's real first name, was it not?) Every character was a hoot, and each situation that Lucy got them in was fun. I laughed, I giggled, I cried tears of joy, and loved every minute of this lovely book! Ms. Brockway, well done! Another home run!
October 9, 2014
It was light as air. Amusing, but not funny. A love story, but not romantic. A screwball adventure that was painfully contrived. Mostly it was not what I expected from Connie Brockway.
For great romance and adventure read All Through the Night or As You Desire. For great romance and sharp humor read My Dearest Enemy.
Audiobook narrated by Heather Wilds whose performance was fine. The whole thing was just fine.
For great romance and adventure read All Through the Night or As You Desire. For great romance and sharp humor read My Dearest Enemy.
Audiobook narrated by Heather Wilds whose performance was fine. The whole thing was just fine.
February 8, 2022
¿Os acordáis de aquella película de Hepburn y Grant, La fiera de mi niña? Pues esta novela la recuerda mucho. Es una romántica histórica un poco alocada. Se ambienta en la Inglaterra eduardiana, pero ya digo que se da un aire a las screwball comedies de los años treinta. Aquí, la muchacha alegre que despliega desparpajo es la cantante de opereta Lucy Eastlake, y el serio profesor cuya ordenada vida viene a desbaratar, es Ptolemy Artchibald Grant. La química entre ellos es estupenda, aunque es verdad que al final según van pasando las páginas, la cosa se amurria un poco.
Crítica más amplia, en mi blog.
Crítica más amplia, en mi blog.
November 3, 2014
Lucy Eastlake is a rising operetta singer in 1908 London. After her parents' death when she was very young she was passed on from one relative to another, until she arrived at her great-aunts' house. That was that. Aunt Lavinia and Aunt Prudence immediately took her in and gave her a home for good, as well as much love and support.
Now her great-aunts need her assistance, and Lucy is determined to give it. Some 50 years earlier, Aunt Lavinia was a young girl in the market for a husband in India (she didn't 'take' during her London season). She ended up in the middle of a siege, and the last group of survivors ended up in possession of a pouch of valuable rubies. Being all quite respectable and morally upright, they didn't feel it was right to just keep them, so they decided to wait 50 years. If by then the rightful owners hadn't shown up to claim the stones, any survivors from the group would divide the proceeds. Yeah, 50 years felt a bit excessive to me, too, but I went with it. It's just a McGuffin, after all.
Anyway, the 50 years are now up, and Lavinia needs to present herself at a small town in France, where she'll get her share. Both she and Prudence are a bit apprehensive about travelling abroad, so Lucy will be going with them to help. Which means that when one of the other survivors, the man Lavinia loved and lost, offers them his grandson as an escort, they refuse.
But things go all wrong at Calais, and the aunts end up taking the ferry on their own, with Lucy supposed to follow them on the next one. Things keep on going wrong, though, and Lucy ends up following the aunts (and her luggage!) all around France, in the company of the aforementioned grandson, anthropology Professor Ptolemy Archibald Grant. He's a man who's determined to be staid and proper, but who find it really hard in the face of Lucy's charms.
It's not only Lucy that's charming; that's probably the best way to describe the entire book. It's funny, sweet and very entertaining.
I loved Lucy and Ptolemy and their relationship. They seem at first sight to be a bit of a cliché: the flightly, ditzy heroine who keeps getting herself and her companion into trouble, and the stuffed shirt hero who must learn to relax. But they're much more than that. Lucy is very definitely not ditzy. She's actually really intelligent and sensible, and Ptolemy realises that immediately. And he's not naturally stuffy; that's part of his problem. He's got into a situation where it's expected of him, because it's expected that he wants to get into the next step in his profession. All he wants is to do fieldwork, but he's allowed himself to be persuaded that he shouldn't want that. With Lucy and her questions, he suddenly has to consider what exactly it is that he really wants. They made a great pair.
I should mention, since it will be an issue for some readers, that although this is a relationship where it's clear that both Ptolemy and Lucy fancy each other madly, and there's certainly a fair bit of (quite nice!) mental lusting, this is a book with no sex scenes. When sex does happen it's like this: they're kissing, it's obvious they're about to make love, and then we cut to the next morning. And my instinctive reaction is probably a sign of how fed up I am with the romance genre's increasing focus on hot sex scenes and how boring I tend to find them these days: I was delighted.
There isn't a great deal of plot here, just small (but really entertaining) adventures during a road trip, but I didn't mind. It was all enhanced by some fantastic secondary characters. My favourite was Margery, Lucy's cross-dressing artist friend. When Lucy and her great-aunts become separated, Margery continues the journey with them, in his costume (they wouldn't feel it appropriate to be escorted by a man), and they all become great friends. I loved both this friendship (especially how it leads to Lavinia and Prudence's characters developing in some really lovely ways during their adventures with Margery), as well as the sensitivity with which Margery was portrayed.
This is a good one, I should go back and read Brockway's previous Montlake book, which is apparently in the same vein.
MY GRADE: A B+.
Now her great-aunts need her assistance, and Lucy is determined to give it. Some 50 years earlier, Aunt Lavinia was a young girl in the market for a husband in India (she didn't 'take' during her London season). She ended up in the middle of a siege, and the last group of survivors ended up in possession of a pouch of valuable rubies. Being all quite respectable and morally upright, they didn't feel it was right to just keep them, so they decided to wait 50 years. If by then the rightful owners hadn't shown up to claim the stones, any survivors from the group would divide the proceeds. Yeah, 50 years felt a bit excessive to me, too, but I went with it. It's just a McGuffin, after all.
Anyway, the 50 years are now up, and Lavinia needs to present herself at a small town in France, where she'll get her share. Both she and Prudence are a bit apprehensive about travelling abroad, so Lucy will be going with them to help. Which means that when one of the other survivors, the man Lavinia loved and lost, offers them his grandson as an escort, they refuse.
But things go all wrong at Calais, and the aunts end up taking the ferry on their own, with Lucy supposed to follow them on the next one. Things keep on going wrong, though, and Lucy ends up following the aunts (and her luggage!) all around France, in the company of the aforementioned grandson, anthropology Professor Ptolemy Archibald Grant. He's a man who's determined to be staid and proper, but who find it really hard in the face of Lucy's charms.
It's not only Lucy that's charming; that's probably the best way to describe the entire book. It's funny, sweet and very entertaining.
I loved Lucy and Ptolemy and their relationship. They seem at first sight to be a bit of a cliché: the flightly, ditzy heroine who keeps getting herself and her companion into trouble, and the stuffed shirt hero who must learn to relax. But they're much more than that. Lucy is very definitely not ditzy. She's actually really intelligent and sensible, and Ptolemy realises that immediately. And he's not naturally stuffy; that's part of his problem. He's got into a situation where it's expected of him, because it's expected that he wants to get into the next step in his profession. All he wants is to do fieldwork, but he's allowed himself to be persuaded that he shouldn't want that. With Lucy and her questions, he suddenly has to consider what exactly it is that he really wants. They made a great pair.
I should mention, since it will be an issue for some readers, that although this is a relationship where it's clear that both Ptolemy and Lucy fancy each other madly, and there's certainly a fair bit of (quite nice!) mental lusting, this is a book with no sex scenes. When sex does happen it's like this: they're kissing, it's obvious they're about to make love, and then we cut to the next morning. And my instinctive reaction is probably a sign of how fed up I am with the romance genre's increasing focus on hot sex scenes and how boring I tend to find them these days: I was delighted.
There isn't a great deal of plot here, just small (but really entertaining) adventures during a road trip, but I didn't mind. It was all enhanced by some fantastic secondary characters. My favourite was Margery, Lucy's cross-dressing artist friend. When Lucy and her great-aunts become separated, Margery continues the journey with them, in his costume (they wouldn't feel it appropriate to be escorted by a man), and they all become great friends. I loved both this friendship (especially how it leads to Lavinia and Prudence's characters developing in some really lovely ways during their adventures with Margery), as well as the sensitivity with which Margery was portrayed.
This is a good one, I should go back and read Brockway's previous Montlake book, which is apparently in the same vein.
MY GRADE: A B+.
September 12, 2014
Rising operetta star Lucy Eastlake has gotten used to making do. Disowned by her great-grandmother as a child due to the sins of her own mother and grandmother before her, she was shunted from family member to family member for years before landing right back at Robin's Hall, but this time into the unexpectedly welcoming arms of her great-aunts. Of course that didn't mean she still didn't have to make do. Thanks to some unwise financial decisions by her great-grandfather, Robin's Hall is now in ruin and not even her meager earnings on-stage are enough to keep the creditors at bay. But there is hope. The anniversary of her of an Indian siege her great-aunt lived through is upon them, and with it a bounty of wealth for the last remaining survivors. All they have to do is travel to a small town in France to claim the prize.
Anthropology Professor Ptolemy Archibald Grant is about to achieve a greatness his colleagues could only dream about: a directorship at a highly respected university. To seal the deal he is planning on proposing to the woman who has made it all possible. Too bad he would much rather be out in the field than behind a desk. In spite of the upcoming interviews for the position, Ptolemy agrees to accompany the woman his grandfather has always loved and never forgotten to a remote French town in order to claim a prize due to the survivors of pact made fifty years ago during an Indian siege. Unfortunately, the plans of mice and men are not always in sync, and he ends up accompanying the woman's niece on a crazy adventure too big to even believe possible. Could this journey end in happy ever after? Or his ultimate ruin?
This wonderful tale takes place a few years before the time period of a little show that you might be familiar with (*cough* Downton Abbey *cough*). Thanks to this point of reference many readers might squeal with delight when they hear phrases or descriptions of clothing right out of the show. It is obvious that Connie Brockway has paid diligent attention to detail, possibly to appease the eagle-eyed readers who, thanks to the show, now know so much about the fashion and lifestyles of the time. However, this is not the first book into which she has put such care into the detail, so I believe that it is simply her pleasure to do so.
The story line of the book is a great mix of heart-warming romance and the cold reality of the times. The obstacles that both the main characters and their elders have had to face are very realistic, and sometimes almost painful to contemplate. To say that society "back then" was unfair is a gross understatement, but the reality is that this story takes place a century ago doesn't divert from the fact that, in many circles, society is still unfair. After all, less than a century ago a king was forced to choose between his crown and the woman he loves; today, should the current Prince of Wales ascend to the throne, his wife will not. While this story has a happy ending, like all romances must, there is still a sense of bittersweet awareness in it.
The characters more than make up for the bittersweet nature of the book by being the most lively, colorful, and effervescent people that you will ever have the pleasure of reading about. The hero is a conundrum right from the beginning, being the perfect mix of flustered gentleman and energetic wanderer. The heroine is a delightful flurry of motion and whimsy that just keeps rolling with the punches. The supporting cast keeps the main characters on their toes (not that they don't do that to each other) and keeps the reader laughing throughout the whole ride.
If there are any faults in this book at all, they would lie in the complicated back story presented for Lucy that can at times be hard to follow. But this blemish is minor and easily moved past. Overall, this book is beyond delightful. It is not just a love story, but an invitation to fall in love with the whimsical stylings of this fantastic wordsmith.
Anthropology Professor Ptolemy Archibald Grant is about to achieve a greatness his colleagues could only dream about: a directorship at a highly respected university. To seal the deal he is planning on proposing to the woman who has made it all possible. Too bad he would much rather be out in the field than behind a desk. In spite of the upcoming interviews for the position, Ptolemy agrees to accompany the woman his grandfather has always loved and never forgotten to a remote French town in order to claim a prize due to the survivors of pact made fifty years ago during an Indian siege. Unfortunately, the plans of mice and men are not always in sync, and he ends up accompanying the woman's niece on a crazy adventure too big to even believe possible. Could this journey end in happy ever after? Or his ultimate ruin?
This wonderful tale takes place a few years before the time period of a little show that you might be familiar with (*cough* Downton Abbey *cough*). Thanks to this point of reference many readers might squeal with delight when they hear phrases or descriptions of clothing right out of the show. It is obvious that Connie Brockway has paid diligent attention to detail, possibly to appease the eagle-eyed readers who, thanks to the show, now know so much about the fashion and lifestyles of the time. However, this is not the first book into which she has put such care into the detail, so I believe that it is simply her pleasure to do so.
The story line of the book is a great mix of heart-warming romance and the cold reality of the times. The obstacles that both the main characters and their elders have had to face are very realistic, and sometimes almost painful to contemplate. To say that society "back then" was unfair is a gross understatement, but the reality is that this story takes place a century ago doesn't divert from the fact that, in many circles, society is still unfair. After all, less than a century ago a king was forced to choose between his crown and the woman he loves; today, should the current Prince of Wales ascend to the throne, his wife will not. While this story has a happy ending, like all romances must, there is still a sense of bittersweet awareness in it.
The characters more than make up for the bittersweet nature of the book by being the most lively, colorful, and effervescent people that you will ever have the pleasure of reading about. The hero is a conundrum right from the beginning, being the perfect mix of flustered gentleman and energetic wanderer. The heroine is a delightful flurry of motion and whimsy that just keeps rolling with the punches. The supporting cast keeps the main characters on their toes (not that they don't do that to each other) and keeps the reader laughing throughout the whole ride.
If there are any faults in this book at all, they would lie in the complicated back story presented for Lucy that can at times be hard to follow. But this blemish is minor and easily moved past. Overall, this book is beyond delightful. It is not just a love story, but an invitation to fall in love with the whimsical stylings of this fantastic wordsmith.
October 1, 2014
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of classic comedy with romance, especially the trope of the serious guy whose world is overturned by the free-spirited woman who he thinks is All Wrong For Him. But it can't be a movie where the woman's a plot device, a manic pixie dreamgirl with no needs or desires of her own. It has to be a film where a woman is a strong, active character--think Bringing up Baby or Ball of Fire or The Lady Eve or even Born Yesterday. These were great films with strong women and men who (eventually) loved them.
And why don't we get films like this anymore? One reason may be these films were made for adult audiences, women and men, not adolescent boys who like explosions. They had wit, and characters the audience could respond to, and it was a golden age for actresses in Hollywood looking for good films where they were the star, actresses like Barbara Stanwyck and Rosalind Russell and Katherine Hepburn.
But I digress. The preceding rant was to illustrate why I liked The Songbird's Seduction so much. The hero's name, Archibald Grant, is an immediate tip-off. Cary Grant starred in Bringing Up Baby, among other films, and his real name was Archibald Leach. Archie falls in with chanteuse Lucy Eastlake, who's on her way to France to help her elderly aunts claim an inheritance. Along the way there's mayhem galore as Archie and Lucy get separated from the aunts (who end up with the best traveling companion ever), and the couple has to wend their way to the rubies on their own.
The Edwardian setting was also a nice touch. It allowed Lucy to act with more freedom (she has a career!) while highlighting a time and place and fashions that were glorious, but soon to be overturned by World War I.
Fans of Connie Brockway will love this, fans of screwball comedy will wonder why there's not more like this, and fans looking for a historical with a different setting will all enjoy The Songbird's Seduction.
And why don't we get films like this anymore? One reason may be these films were made for adult audiences, women and men, not adolescent boys who like explosions. They had wit, and characters the audience could respond to, and it was a golden age for actresses in Hollywood looking for good films where they were the star, actresses like Barbara Stanwyck and Rosalind Russell and Katherine Hepburn.
But I digress. The preceding rant was to illustrate why I liked The Songbird's Seduction so much. The hero's name, Archibald Grant, is an immediate tip-off. Cary Grant starred in Bringing Up Baby, among other films, and his real name was Archibald Leach. Archie falls in with chanteuse Lucy Eastlake, who's on her way to France to help her elderly aunts claim an inheritance. Along the way there's mayhem galore as Archie and Lucy get separated from the aunts (who end up with the best traveling companion ever), and the couple has to wend their way to the rubies on their own.
The Edwardian setting was also a nice touch. It allowed Lucy to act with more freedom (she has a career!) while highlighting a time and place and fashions that were glorious, but soon to be overturned by World War I.
Fans of Connie Brockway will love this, fans of screwball comedy will wonder why there's not more like this, and fans looking for a historical with a different setting will all enjoy The Songbird's Seduction.
August 30, 2015
Originally reviewed for Buried Under Romance www.buriedunderromance.com
The Songbird’s Seduction by Connie Brockway is a delightful romp through Edwardian England and France. The characters are quirky and fun, and the storyline is creative, compelling and unpredictable.
Lively Lucy Eastlake, a young singer trying to make a name for herself in the London theater circles, lives with her two great-aunts in a crumbling manor house. When one of the aunts comes into a great deal of money that must be collected in France, Lucy is excited to be joining them for the adventure. Little does she know that the highly anticipated trip across the channel will quickly turn into a comedy of errors, or that she will inexplicably be thrown together, in a surprising turn of events, with a previous acquaintance, Professor Ptolemy Archibald Grant, As Lucy and “Archie” travel through the entertaining twists and turns in the story, they fight a growing attraction between them.
The story started out rather slow, but it wasn’t long before I found myself completely immersed and fascinated by the antics of the ever-optimistic and extremely likeable Lucy and her partner in crime, the somewhat stuffy professor “Archie”. And while I thought I had the story completely figured out, the author threw in a zinger that I doubt anyone could predict!!
I am giving The Songbird’s Seduction four stars and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves an adventure! Just don’t stop reading after the first couple of slow chapters. I promise it will be worth it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Songbird’s Seduction by Connie Brockway is a delightful romp through Edwardian England and France. The characters are quirky and fun, and the storyline is creative, compelling and unpredictable.
Lively Lucy Eastlake, a young singer trying to make a name for herself in the London theater circles, lives with her two great-aunts in a crumbling manor house. When one of the aunts comes into a great deal of money that must be collected in France, Lucy is excited to be joining them for the adventure. Little does she know that the highly anticipated trip across the channel will quickly turn into a comedy of errors, or that she will inexplicably be thrown together, in a surprising turn of events, with a previous acquaintance, Professor Ptolemy Archibald Grant, As Lucy and “Archie” travel through the entertaining twists and turns in the story, they fight a growing attraction between them.
The story started out rather slow, but it wasn’t long before I found myself completely immersed and fascinated by the antics of the ever-optimistic and extremely likeable Lucy and her partner in crime, the somewhat stuffy professor “Archie”. And while I thought I had the story completely figured out, the author threw in a zinger that I doubt anyone could predict!!
I am giving The Songbird’s Seduction four stars and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves an adventure! Just don’t stop reading after the first couple of slow chapters. I promise it will be worth it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
September 20, 2014
Lucy Eastlake has lived with her great-aunts since she was a child. Now an operetta singer, she had been struggling to make ends meet for her family. But soon that will all change when her aunt Lavinia comes into an inheritance (a fortune of rubies split amongst the survivors of a siege fifty years before). Unfortunately, they must travel to France to get it.
Just before embarking on their trip, Lucy meets Ptolemy Archibald the grandson of Lavinia's lost love from the siege. Having denied his escort, Ptolemy goes after Lucy and her aunts anyway wanting to make sure they arrive in France safely.
But when he encounters Lucy without her aunts, they must make the rest of the trip alone. What happens when the straight-laced professor and the spunky operetta singer decide not to deny the attraction they feel for each other?
This story does not take place during the historical time periods I usually read, but since it was a Connie Brockway story I picked it up anyway. Brockway did not disappoint!
I liked that the heroine had a career that was a little racy for that time period and that she was attracted to a stuffy ol' professor who turned out to not be so stuffy after all. As usual, Brockway had me laughing out loud at the characters antics and kept me reading to see what else they would get up to.
If you are a fan of the Edwardian era, this is the book for you!
Thanks go out to Montlake Romance via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
Just before embarking on their trip, Lucy meets Ptolemy Archibald the grandson of Lavinia's lost love from the siege. Having denied his escort, Ptolemy goes after Lucy and her aunts anyway wanting to make sure they arrive in France safely.
But when he encounters Lucy without her aunts, they must make the rest of the trip alone. What happens when the straight-laced professor and the spunky operetta singer decide not to deny the attraction they feel for each other?
This story does not take place during the historical time periods I usually read, but since it was a Connie Brockway story I picked it up anyway. Brockway did not disappoint!
I liked that the heroine had a career that was a little racy for that time period and that she was attracted to a stuffy ol' professor who turned out to not be so stuffy after all. As usual, Brockway had me laughing out loud at the characters antics and kept me reading to see what else they would get up to.
If you are a fan of the Edwardian era, this is the book for you!
Thanks go out to Montlake Romance via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
September 27, 2014
I was lucky enough to win an ARC of A Songbird's Seduction, and when I say lucky I mean LUCKY! I don't usually read books set in this time period so I probably wouldn't have bought it if I saw it on the shelves....even though it was written by Connie Brockway, one of my favorite authors. I was so excited when I got it that I immediately started reading it and didn't put it down until I had read the last page. Even though it's set a few years before Downton Abbey I couldn't help but picture the clothing and mannerisms as those from the show. The character of Lucy Eastlake was so very charming and like able. I loved her spirit and snappy comebacks. Professor Ptolemy Archibald Grant, or Archie as Lucy calls him, is the same way. Even though his name, which I love by the way, made him sound like an old uptight Headmaster, My Brockway described him as having "black pirate's eyes smoldering beneath heavy winged brows. A perfectly chiseled pair of lips set in a straight line above a square jaw and wickedly cleft chin." Whoo Whee! I nearly swooned just picturing him :)
The adventures these two get themselves into keep the book moving at a fast pace. So fast that it was over before I knew it...I wanted more of these two. The added bonus of a second love story just made the book that much better. Her secondary characters are just as great as her primaries.
There is a reason Connie Brockway is one of my favorite authors. Even if she wasn't this book would have put her securely in that category.
The adventures these two get themselves into keep the book moving at a fast pace. So fast that it was over before I knew it...I wanted more of these two. The added bonus of a second love story just made the book that much better. Her secondary characters are just as great as her primaries.
There is a reason Connie Brockway is one of my favorite authors. Even if she wasn't this book would have put her securely in that category.
September 28, 2014
This book was delightful. The final pages had me in tears of happiness, which is always a good gauge for me for how good a historical romance is. The hero is a scholar who looks like a pirate, which was another plus. The heroine is an operetta singer who has a heart of gold and lots of spunk. The characters are likeable. There are also some very interesting secondary characters who add much to the story.
The story moved along at a nice place. There were some really fun moments in this book. I like it when things happen which are borderline outrageous when they fit the characters and the story, and this book had some of those events. This was a well-developed and satisfying story in that the characters were truly multi-dimensional.
I appreciated how the historical elements were integrated so thoroughly yet naturally into the story. There was nothing textbookish or awkward about this book. It flowed well and naturally. I would clearly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a light historical romance that has lots of charm, cleverness, and heart, along with a good storyline.
The story moved along at a nice place. There were some really fun moments in this book. I like it when things happen which are borderline outrageous when they fit the characters and the story, and this book had some of those events. This was a well-developed and satisfying story in that the characters were truly multi-dimensional.
I appreciated how the historical elements were integrated so thoroughly yet naturally into the story. There was nothing textbookish or awkward about this book. It flowed well and naturally. I would clearly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a light historical romance that has lots of charm, cleverness, and heart, along with a good storyline.
December 11, 2014
Quirky, fun, and romantic in the Edwardian age! I love the unusual heroes and heroines of Connie Brockway's stories! She takes us on an adventure through Downton Abbey's England and France. A rising operretta star, Lucy Eastlake is used to conforming to everyone's expectations. Passed around to numerous relatives since her parents death at age 7, she has tried to be what everyone needs. Her 2 great-aunts were the last stop for her and she loves them dearly. When the chance to change their future occurs through an inheritance of her aunt Lavinia, she insists on going on the adventure of a lifetime to retrieve it! Professor Ptomley Archibald Grant is a stick in the mud anthropology genius and the grandson of Lavinia's old flame. The chemistry from Lucy and "Archie" (as Lucy says what every reader is thinking... Ptomley, what kind of name is THAT for a hero !), is off the charts romantic. They tumble into love on the road to France in a gypsy troupe. Wonderful writing, Ms. Brockway! This review is for a free copy courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley.
September 15, 2014
I so wish there was a way to add tissues to the ebooks I read and review. This is another "grab and shake you up" story. I don't usually read Edwardian era books but I am so glad this one jumped out at me. There are so many diversions in this book that it is one big spoiler. You will have to read this story to realize the characters are the best I have read recently and I have loved a lot of characters. This story line twists and turns all y the place but it doesn't confuse you. I won't say it is easy to follow but you can follow it. I hope you choose to get this book. I enjoyed this story and didn't want to walk away. Enjoy your reading! I have this book for an honest review for NetGalley.
September 17, 2014
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This is the first book I've read from this particular time period ago I wasn't sure what to expect. It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did, I read it every chance I could until I finished it. I find it very charming and adventurous for the two main characters. The main characters themselves loosely reminded me of Holly Go lightly and Mr. Darcy, with her love of living and his initial tendency to do the appropriate thing and not go by his emotions. Margery was definitely my favorite of all the characters though.
Overall, a lighthearted, sweet and quick moving story. I highly recommend it.
This is the first book I've read from this particular time period ago I wasn't sure what to expect. It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did, I read it every chance I could until I finished it. I find it very charming and adventurous for the two main characters. The main characters themselves loosely reminded me of Holly Go lightly and Mr. Darcy, with her love of living and his initial tendency to do the appropriate thing and not go by his emotions. Margery was definitely my favorite of all the characters though.
Overall, a lighthearted, sweet and quick moving story. I highly recommend it.
September 17, 2014
This is one great book. An absolute breath of fresh air. Enjoy a frolicking romp through the French countryside. You have suspense but it's not overwhelming, lighthearted love (If they figure it out) and entertaining characters of all ages. Connie Brockway has a way with dialogue that is witty while bringing honest emotion along for the ride. Grab a glass or mug of whatever you enjoy the most and set down prepared to enjoy.
September 15, 2014
I love Brockway's books because of her interesting, well developed characters & her trademark sense of humor and this book does not disappoint. There were many laugh out loud moments in this zany comedy but it also had the emotional depth to make it a truly wonderful romance. The perfect recipe for a great read.
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