What do you think?
Rate this book
With This Ring
Major Disaster...
It was clear to Lydia Perkins from the first that she was courting scandal when she became involved with Major Samuel Reed. This outrageously impudent officer kept deplorable company in dismal surroundings beyond the boundaries of polite society. Even worse, he was shamelessly, sinfully penniless.
To keep him company would ruin Lydia's already slim chances in the marriage mart. To listen to the shocking proposal he made to her would spell ruin to her good name. To run away with him in a mockery of marriage on a honeymoon journey through the wilds of England was the ultimate folly for a young lady whose family demanded she wed both wisely and well.
Could Lydia say "I do" and accept the Major for better or for worse, or would she risk losing the only man who had ever captured her heart?
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1997
89 people are currently reading
718 people want to read
About the author
Carla Kelly
138 books802 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars. Although she had sold some of her work before, it was not until Carla began work in the National Park Service as a ranger/historian at Fort Laramie National Historic Site did she get serious about her writing career. (Or as she would be the first to admit, as serious as it gets.)
Carla wrote a series of what she now refers to as the "Fort Laramie stories," which are tales of the men, women and children of the Indian Wars era in Western history. Two of her stories, A Season for Heroes and Kathleen Flaherty's Long Winter, earned her Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. She was the second woman to earn two Spurs from WWA (which, as everyone knows, is all you need to ride a horse). Her entire Indian Wars collection was published in 2003 as Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army. It remains her favorite work.
The mother of five children, Carla has always allowed her kids to earn their keep by appearing in her Regencies, most notably Marian's Christmas Wish, which is peopled by all kinds of relatives. Grown now, the Kelly kids are scattered here and there across the U.S. They continue to provide feedback, furnish fodder for stories and make frantic phone calls home during the holidays for recipes. (Carla Kelly is some cook.)
Carla's husband, Martin, is Director of Theatre at Valley City State University, in Valley City, North Dakota. Carla is currently overworked as a staff writer at the local daily newspaper. She also writes a weekly, award-winning column, "Prairie Lite."
Carla only started writing Regencies because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars, which figures in many of her Regency novels and short stories. She specializes in writing about warfare at sea, and about the ordinary people of the British Isles who were, let's face it, far more numerous than lords and ladies.
Hobbies? She likes to crochet afghans, and read British crime fiction and history, principally military history. She's never happier than talking about the fur trade or Indian Wars with Park Service cronies. Her most recent gig with the National Park Service was at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site on the Montana/North Dakota border.
Here's another side to this somewhat prosaic woman: She recently edited the fur trade journal of Swiss artist Rudolf F. Kurz (the 1851-1852 portion), and is gratified now and then to be asked to speak on scholarly subjects. She has also worked for the State Historical Society of North Dakota as a contract researcher. This has taken her to glamorous drudgery in several national archives and military history repositories. Gray archives boxes and old documents make her salivate.
Her mantra for writing comes from the subject of her thesis, Robert Utley, that dean of Indian Wars history. He told her the secret to writing is "to put your ass in the chair and keep it there until you're done." He's right, of course.
Her three favorite fictional works have remained constant through the years, although their rankings tend to shift: War and Peace, The Lawrenceville Stories, and A Town Like Alice. Favorite historical works are One Vast Winter Count, On the Border with Mackenzie and Crossing the Line. Favorite crime fiction authors are Michael Connelly, John Harvey and Peter Robinson.
And that's all she can think of that would interest anyone. Carla Kelly is quite ordinary, except when she is sometimes prevailed upon to sing a scurrilous song about lumberjacks, or warble "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Latin. Then you m
Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars. Although she had sold some of her work before, it was not until Carla began work in the National Park Service as a ranger/historian at Fort Laramie National Historic Site did she get serious about her writing career. (Or as she would be the first to admit, as serious as it gets.)
Carla wrote a series of what she now refers to as the "Fort Laramie stories," which are tales of the men, women and children of the Indian Wars era in Western history. Two of her stories, A Season for Heroes and Kathleen Flaherty's Long Winter, earned her Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. She was the second woman to earn two Spurs from WWA (which, as everyone knows, is all you need to ride a horse). Her entire Indian Wars collection was published in 2003 as Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army. It remains her favorite work.
The mother of five children, Carla has always allowed her kids to earn their keep by appearing in her Regencies, most notably Marian's Christmas Wish, which is peopled by all kinds of relatives. Grown now, the Kelly kids are scattered here and there across the U.S. They continue to provide feedback, furnish fodder for stories and make frantic phone calls home during the holidays for recipes. (Carla Kelly is some cook.)
Carla's husband, Martin, is Director of Theatre at Valley City State University, in Valley City, North Dakota. Carla is currently overworked as a staff writer at the local daily newspaper. She also writes a weekly, award-winning column, "Prairie Lite."
Carla only started writing Regencies because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars, which figures in many of her Regency novels and short stories. She specializes in writing about warfare at sea, and about the ordinary people of the British Isles who were, let's face it, far more numerous than lords and ladies.
Hobbies? She likes to crochet afghans, and read British crime fiction and history, principally military history. She's never happier than talking about the fur trade or Indian Wars with Park Service cronies. Her most recent gig with the National Park Service was at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site on the Montana/North Dakota border.
Here's another side to this somewhat prosaic woman: She recently edited the fur trade journal of Swiss artist Rudolf F. Kurz (the 1851-1852 portion), and is gratified now and then to be asked to speak on scholarly subjects. She has also worked for the State Historical Society of North Dakota as a contract researcher. This has taken her to glamorous drudgery in several national archives and military history repositories. Gray archives boxes and old documents make her salivate.
Her mantra for writing comes from the subject of her thesis, Robert Utley, that dean of Indian Wars history. He told her the secret to writing is "to put your ass in the chair and keep it there until you're done." He's right, of course.
Her three favorite fictional works have remained constant through the years, although their rankings tend to shift: War and Peace, The Lawrenceville Stories, and A Town Like Alice. Favorite historical works are One Vast Winter Count, On the Border with Mackenzie and Crossing the Line. Favorite crime fiction authors are Michael Connelly, John Harvey and Peter Robinson.
And that's all she can think of that would interest anyone. Carla Kelly is quite ordinary, except when she is sometimes prevailed upon to sing a scurrilous song about lumberjacks, or warble "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Latin. Then you m
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
January 5, 2016
I am a stickler for reading a prologue or an author's note at the beginning of a book. WITH THIS RING contained both. *Read them.* They tie into the storyline and give the reader a 'heads-up'. Mrs. Kelly wrote a brief history of the real-life character, General Thomas Picton; he showed up on more than one occasion. She also explained the reason why the hero, Major Sam Reed, needed a wife.
The oldest daughter of a vindictive and snobbish mother and a long-suffering father, Lydia Perkins was a member of the ton. Her much-favored sister, Kitty, was a diamond of the first water but was foolish. It appeared as though she had a pocket of air between her two ears. This family was the definition of dysfunctional long before the word came into vogue.
As is typical in romances by this author, the story was told in third person but the lead characters 'talk to themselves' using the first-person tense. Also, Mrs. Kelly was not afraid to include some very earthy but natural moments. And unlike many Signet regency romances, this was not a silly, fluffy narrative. Blood and death followed the soldiers from the battlefield of Toulouse.
A case in point was how Lydia met Sam. Unaware of the true reason behind the invitation to visit a ward of injured soldiers, Lydia was ashamed that members of the ton were there to gawk and witness death. Without thinking, she took it upon herself to offer support to the men. And, in short, made herself a friend.
Be aware that unlike most Signet romances and after their marriage, Lydia and Sam eventually had sex. It was a healthy union in that respect. It was not too descriptive: some kissing and mild groping. The acts themselves fade to black.
If you have never read a story by this author I would suggest you start with The Lady's Companion or Her Hesitant Heart, my personal favorite. If you already enjoy Mrs. Kelly's romances, then add this one to your to-read list. Sam had a few moments, Lydia wept more than once (for that matter, so did Sam) but the plot was entertaining and there was a nice HEA.
The oldest daughter of a vindictive and snobbish mother and a long-suffering father, Lydia Perkins was a member of the ton. Her much-favored sister, Kitty, was a diamond of the first water but was foolish. It appeared as though she had a pocket of air between her two ears. This family was the definition of dysfunctional long before the word came into vogue.
As is typical in romances by this author, the story was told in third person but the lead characters 'talk to themselves' using the first-person tense. Also, Mrs. Kelly was not afraid to include some very earthy but natural moments. And unlike many Signet regency romances, this was not a silly, fluffy narrative. Blood and death followed the soldiers from the battlefield of Toulouse.
A case in point was how Lydia met Sam. Unaware of the true reason behind the invitation to visit a ward of injured soldiers, Lydia was ashamed that members of the ton were there to gawk and witness death. Without thinking, she took it upon herself to offer support to the men. And, in short, made herself a friend.
Be aware that unlike most Signet romances and after their marriage, Lydia and Sam eventually had sex. It was a healthy union in that respect. It was not too descriptive: some kissing and mild groping. The acts themselves fade to black.
If you have never read a story by this author I would suggest you start with The Lady's Companion or Her Hesitant Heart, my personal favorite. If you already enjoy Mrs. Kelly's romances, then add this one to your to-read list. Sam had a few moments, Lydia wept more than once (for that matter, so did Sam) but the plot was entertaining and there was a nice HEA.
July 7, 2020
This is a Cinderella story about a badly misused girl, whose family offers no support or love, and a Major recovering from wounds he acquired during the Peninsular War. The Major, due to his need for funds had his friend invent a wife for him and now that he has to return home he fills this position with a girl who has been turned out of her own home. They enter into a marriage of convenience.
There are some historical inaccuracies, the most glaring ones being:
1. Mail coaches were more expensive, drove mostly at night, were very fast and were never packed, as they deliberately only admitted a few passengers at a time so CK meant a stage coach not a mail coach, when she spoke of the initial stages of the couple's journey.
2. It makes no sense at all that they should travel from London to Northumberland via Coventry. As this map shows neither is Coventry on the way between the two nor did mail coach routes lead that way between the point of origin and the point of destination.
3. As far as I am aware Almack's balls took place on Wednesdays, not on Fridays.
And there were some plot inconsistencies and things that were really bloody unlikely, most glaring ones being:
1. Lydia's barbershop stint to raise money for their continuing journey (rather than drawing the Major's title to borrow money from the highest ranking person locally, not to mention drawing on Sir Percy, whom the Major does not mention for no adequately explained reason)
2. The aunt giving money to the Major because he is married, even though she knows he isn't (either him being married is so important to her that she does not fund his improvements to his estate until he is married, or it is not so very important to her after all, it makes little sense that she wavers somewhere in between).
There is probably more, but despite all this I gave the book four stars because frankly from start to finish I was entertained and amused. I rather liked the main character, Lydia, even though she cries too much for my liking, and I liked the beta-type hero, Major Reed. Their romance is sweet, despite the presence of sex it is never smutty or profane, so it is very tastefully handled. The dialogue was amusing, the writing competent and it's easy forgive the above when I finished the book with a smile on my face. An enjoyable read overall.
There are some historical inaccuracies, the most glaring ones being:
1. Mail coaches were more expensive, drove mostly at night, were very fast and were never packed, as they deliberately only admitted a few passengers at a time so CK meant a stage coach not a mail coach, when she spoke of the initial stages of the couple's journey.
2. It makes no sense at all that they should travel from London to Northumberland via Coventry. As this map shows neither is Coventry on the way between the two nor did mail coach routes lead that way between the point of origin and the point of destination.
3. As far as I am aware Almack's balls took place on Wednesdays, not on Fridays.
And there were some plot inconsistencies and things that were really bloody unlikely, most glaring ones being:
1. Lydia's barbershop stint to raise money for their continuing journey (rather than drawing the Major's title to borrow money from the highest ranking person locally, not to mention drawing on Sir Percy, whom the Major does not mention for no adequately explained reason)
2. The aunt giving money to the Major because he is married, even though she knows he isn't (either him being married is so important to her that she does not fund his improvements to his estate until he is married, or it is not so very important to her after all, it makes little sense that she wavers somewhere in between).
There is probably more, but despite all this I gave the book four stars because frankly from start to finish I was entertained and amused. I rather liked the main character, Lydia, even though she cries too much for my liking, and I liked the beta-type hero, Major Reed. Their romance is sweet, despite the presence of sex it is never smutty or profane, so it is very tastefully handled. The dialogue was amusing, the writing competent and it's easy forgive the above when I finished the book with a smile on my face. An enjoyable read overall.
July 19, 2013
I often mention how Balogh is my favourite regency writer. When I realised I had read most of her back list I went in search of another author who be as satisfying. Although I haven't loved every Carla Kelly I've read I think I can safely say that I always open her books knowing that a good, well written and original story will come out of it. This book has been in my TBR pile for more than three years now so it seemed like the perfect pick for this months challenge - regencies are a classic of the romance genre and so are "marriage of convenience" type plots such as the one we find here.
One of things I like most in Kelly's books is how she picks common people, with worries and troubles that always make them seem real. She paints a colourful picture of the regency period but, unlike most books out there, she focuses on the changes the war brought. In this story the heroine finds herself helping care for wounded soldiers who are kept in terrible conditions and are viewed by the ton as a source of amusement.
There meets Major Sam Reed and as she becomes close to him and his man they start developing a relationship of sorts. But when Lydia decides to champion the wounded soldier's cause she is thrown out of the house by her mother and her only recourse is to accept Major Reed's offer of a marriage of convenience. To placate his mother and aunt while he was fighting in the Peninsula he told them he was married and now he must present a wife when he gets home.
And so Lydia and Sam journey to Northumberland, to Sam's ancestral house and on the way they deepen their friendship, their affection grows and they also meet some perils and unexpected turns.
I really enjoyed to see their relationship develop. I liked both Lydia and Sam and although Sam's story seemed to crazy to be true the fact is that it was great fun to see them try to follow things to the letter and then discover that there was really no need. I liked how they had moral values and worries other than a pretty dress or your next ball. I also liked the glimpses that Kelly gives us of the historical background connected to the war.
This made for a very satisfying read and, as the blurb on the cover of the book says " Carla Kelly is always a joy to read".
Grade 4.5/5
One of things I like most in Kelly's books is how she picks common people, with worries and troubles that always make them seem real. She paints a colourful picture of the regency period but, unlike most books out there, she focuses on the changes the war brought. In this story the heroine finds herself helping care for wounded soldiers who are kept in terrible conditions and are viewed by the ton as a source of amusement.
There meets Major Sam Reed and as she becomes close to him and his man they start developing a relationship of sorts. But when Lydia decides to champion the wounded soldier's cause she is thrown out of the house by her mother and her only recourse is to accept Major Reed's offer of a marriage of convenience. To placate his mother and aunt while he was fighting in the Peninsula he told them he was married and now he must present a wife when he gets home.
And so Lydia and Sam journey to Northumberland, to Sam's ancestral house and on the way they deepen their friendship, their affection grows and they also meet some perils and unexpected turns.
I really enjoyed to see their relationship develop. I liked both Lydia and Sam and although Sam's story seemed to crazy to be true the fact is that it was great fun to see them try to follow things to the letter and then discover that there was really no need. I liked how they had moral values and worries other than a pretty dress or your next ball. I also liked the glimpses that Kelly gives us of the historical background connected to the war.
This made for a very satisfying read and, as the blurb on the cover of the book says " Carla Kelly is always a joy to read".
Grade 4.5/5
May 3, 2025
Ms Kelly always delivers!
July 31, 2009
A beautiful love story about a marriage of convenience with a heroine who is a real women who suffers and fights and has weaknesses unlike all the other typical romance novels. Lydia is a normal woman with an unsatisfactory life living in a family that fails to acknowledge her worth. Sam is the Major back from war, but suffering war injuries and hoping that he can find a lady to marry to cover up some drunken lies from 2 years past to his family.
I enjoyed this story, mostly because of the growing relationship that they had, that did not follow a fairy tale pattern and followed a real course. Lydia did not fall in love at first sight. Sam is not the omnipotent man that protects his woman from all evils. It had a taste of a modern style writing, with realism anchoring the characters. There was no glamor and there was no need for it.
Possibly, my only complaint was the long amount of time that was spent on her taking care of her unconscious, invalid husband and she grew as a strong, self-sufficient person. It was almost like a coming-of-age novel with that part. Not bad, but I would have enjoyed more interactions between the H/H.
I enjoyed this story, mostly because of the growing relationship that they had, that did not follow a fairy tale pattern and followed a real course. Lydia did not fall in love at first sight. Sam is not the omnipotent man that protects his woman from all evils. It had a taste of a modern style writing, with realism anchoring the characters. There was no glamor and there was no need for it.
Possibly, my only complaint was the long amount of time that was spent on her taking care of her unconscious, invalid husband and she grew as a strong, self-sufficient person. It was almost like a coming-of-age novel with that part. Not bad, but I would have enjoyed more interactions between the H/H.
May 4, 2025
This feels like an old-school category through and through. MOC turned love but no one says it until quite late in the game. Hero sees character work the heroine needs to do, so manipulates matters so she grows as a person (without giving her any agency in the matter). Selfless caretaking to prove one's worth. It was a fun, fast read with snappy dialogue and some handwaving required, aka some of the hero's motivations and actions never got fully explained, too late we're pulling up to HEA-town, no time to think too hard about it.
Underappreciated Lydia is a drudge in her family, her beautiful but dim sister is the real star. She finds some agency and value volunteering with wounded soldiers, and catches the eye of their captain Sam. For Truly Elaborate Romance Reasons (and the very valid one that she is thrown out of her home, and its basically his fault) they end up married. "You're not afraid of hard work, and Sam is hard work" is a very strong thesis statement for this book. She nurses him through almost certain death, works herself to the bone to provide for them, steps out of her comfort zone again and again and he's just Ken. They get to his estate and he just vibes off and leaves her on her own, and doesn't support or listen to her like maybe he should. Lydia thinks "I have worked hard to get him to a state of health where he can return to his family and friends and ignore me completely." and she's not wrong.
The first part of this book when they are getting together and getting to the estate pushing against society's rules and expectations and growing together is fantastic. The end relies heavily on the patriarchal assumptions and Heroes Doing The Least of categories written at the time. Like I said, fun, fast read.
Underappreciated Lydia is a drudge in her family, her beautiful but dim sister is the real star. She finds some agency and value volunteering with wounded soldiers, and catches the eye of their captain Sam. For Truly Elaborate Romance Reasons (and the very valid one that she is thrown out of her home, and its basically his fault) they end up married. "You're not afraid of hard work, and Sam is hard work" is a very strong thesis statement for this book. She nurses him through almost certain death, works herself to the bone to provide for them, steps out of her comfort zone again and again and he's just Ken. They get to his estate and he just vibes off and leaves her on her own, and doesn't support or listen to her like maybe he should. Lydia thinks "I have worked hard to get him to a state of health where he can return to his family and friends and ignore me completely." and she's not wrong.
The first part of this book when they are getting together and getting to the estate pushing against society's rules and expectations and growing together is fantastic. The end relies heavily on the patriarchal assumptions and Heroes Doing The Least of categories written at the time. Like I said, fun, fast read.
October 4, 2022
WHAT A PERFECT FREAKING BOOK
July 20, 2021
3.5 stars
December 13, 2016
Premise: heroine is the oldest daughter in a dysfunctional provincial family that has come to London to marry off their very beautiful younger daughter. To meet young people of quality, the shrewish mother of the family forces the daughters to go visit a makeshift hospital for wounded veterans of the Napoleonic wars. The younger daughter, who is a twit, conveniently and attractively faints and has to be taken home. But the older daughter stays and begins to assist the wounded. She meets an Army officer who is also an aristocrat (who for complicated reasons requires a wife ASAP) and after her own family throws her out, she marries him and roadtrips back to his home in the north of England.
Carla Kelly is a very good writer. There are some odd little blips in this story, but the prose is so smooth and goo, the characters are real humans. It's just very good, if you're in the market for a quiet little Regency story where not that much happens and it's mostly about two people learning to deal with each other.
This isn't a book where the sexual tension or attraction is very intense. It's a pretty quiet book. The heroine's family is very cruel to the heroine, and the book seems to feel that she needs to toughen up and learn that she can take care of herself and her new husband, so there's an extended sequence in a small village where she learns to support them in difficult circumstances. Even though hero and heroine are both of the ruling classes, the significant majority of the book takes places in very humble settings. It was a different and refreshing read if you've read too many carbon-copy "season in London" books in a row!
Carla Kelly is a very good writer. There are some odd little blips in this story, but the prose is so smooth and goo, the characters are real humans. It's just very good, if you're in the market for a quiet little Regency story where not that much happens and it's mostly about two people learning to deal with each other.
This isn't a book where the sexual tension or attraction is very intense. It's a pretty quiet book. The heroine's family is very cruel to the heroine, and the book seems to feel that she needs to toughen up and learn that she can take care of herself and her new husband, so there's an extended sequence in a small village where she learns to support them in difficult circumstances. Even though hero and heroine are both of the ruling classes, the significant majority of the book takes places in very humble settings. It was a different and refreshing read if you've read too many carbon-copy "season in London" books in a row!
July 22, 2019
The thing I like about Kelly's books is that the stories are about common/real people with some real problems and issues. They're pretty earthy and not just about the fripperies and fancies like in other HFs. A sweet, romantic story with likeable hero and heroine. The troubles facing them were somewhat unbelievable (in case of Sam) but overall an entertaining and likeable read.
April 29, 2022
All the stars!!! You get them all!!!
Adorable.
But also sad
But also funny
But also, I don’t know…comfy?
It was just an excellent read from start to finish. I would have loved more steam, but there was just enough to satisfy the perv in me 😂 Highly recommend if you enjoy war/romance/gore and humor.
Adorable.
But also sad
But also funny
But also, I don’t know…comfy?
It was just an excellent read from start to finish. I would have loved more steam, but there was just enough to satisfy the perv in me 😂 Highly recommend if you enjoy war/romance/gore and humor.
March 18, 2019
I've liked most of what I've read by Carla Kelly, but this one was not for me. I don't like plots predicated on THE LIE and this one lasted until nearly the end. Plus, the circumstances are bit contrived to say the least. The story would've been so much better had we heard from the H's perspective as well. I think this is the first story I've read by this author that did not have at least two different povs, if not more. The H's feelings and thoughts about the h would have done a lot to make this story more interesting. As it was however, the h bored me.
The beginning third of this story was much better than the rest. The series of events that led the MCs getting to know each other was interesting and poignant. However, once the tension of her horrid family disappeared, everything started to go downhill.
This story was safe and there was no OP drama. The H didn't seem to be a rake, either, which is another plus in my book. However, this story was just plain strange.
The beginning third of this story was much better than the rest. The series of events that led the MCs getting to know each other was interesting and poignant. However, once the tension of her horrid family disappeared, everything started to go downhill.
This story was safe and there was no OP drama. The H didn't seem to be a rake, either, which is another plus in my book. However, this story was just plain strange.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2020
Kelly's books have a style that I like but they are all very similar. Her characters are amazing people that you fall in love with but once you've read one of her leading men or woman you've read what they are all like. I can only read one of her books every couple of years because of this. I loved Sam and Lydia. They just make this book a sweet read. This is one of her earlier books and I would pay it is pg13. There is talk of war and it's ravages' on solders. There is some sensuality and sex scenes that are very tame.
July 31, 2010
A lovely Carla Kelly. Horrid mum and sister, they were unforgettable.
Added to say, such a poignant Cinderella story: I defy anyone to read it and not get a lump in their throat. The hero rescues the heroine from a cruel situation -- she has been escaping to help minister to wounded soldiers and that's where they meet. Part road trip, part misunderstanding, this unlikely couple faces formidable medical and financial challenges with elan and courage.
Added to say, such a poignant Cinderella story: I defy anyone to read it and not get a lump in their throat. The hero rescues the heroine from a cruel situation -- she has been escaping to help minister to wounded soldiers and that's where they meet. Part road trip, part misunderstanding, this unlikely couple faces formidable medical and financial challenges with elan and courage.
![Profile Image for ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1572968006i%2F3840999._UX200_CR0%2C33%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
April 4, 2017
My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts... for more, visit Punya Reviews...
I’m on my usual Carla Kelly book binge, and just finished another of her earlier works, With This Ring. Have to say, this one didn’t quite float my boat. Very unfortunate because I loved it for the first 60% so, then it lost its sparkle and ended with a dull thud instead of the bang I was hoping for.
Lydia, eldest daughter of a somewhat wealthy peer, is no catch at all. Or so her mother keeps drumming into her. She’s too plain, too clumsy, too forward, too this, too that; someone who has nothing to be proud of. On the other hand, her mother’s pride and joy is her youngest daughter, the beautiful Kitty, more like their mother in looks and dubious charms than Lydia will ever be. Lydia probably takes after her meek father (so meek that I forgot his title LOL), who is always afraid of his wife and tip-toes around, hiding away in the library when the sound of tantrums from his wife or youngest daughter is heard from the other side of the house.
Lydia’s ‘mother’ loves abusing her in every way possible, just because she’s not good enough in her eyes to catch an earl or a marquess. The reason why they’re in London right now is to give Kitty a Season, who, according to their mother, will surely catch the best bachelor in town with her golden locks and baby blue eyes. Who is also tall and graceful and....... quite completely ‘empty in the brainbox’ (as someone with some sense termed her in the book). She’s also quite snooty, spoiled, selfish and mean. Her mamma has trained her well after her own shallow self. :D Both of these worthless POS gave Lydia so much trouble, and pain, that the poor girl had no self-confidence left. She was made to become a meek, biddable maid-of-all-tricks without any pay for Kitty and her mother. I mean, at one point, I was thinking how can I even explain the things I’m reading?! There are simply no words!
One day, while accompanying Kitty to the latest ‘cool thing’ that every cool people of the Ton were doing, which was to visit the filthy, stinky wounded or dying soldiers in the equally filthy, rat-infested St. Barnabas, a crumbling church, Lydia had the most eye-opening experience of her life. While her sister was just striking a pose here, and crunching up her face in disgust there (but she had to make herself look ‘cool’ among the other visiting ‘cool’ Ton peeps!), Lydia was overcome with sadness by the sight of these soldiers. Obviously the care they received was extremely inadequate. The few doctors and volunteers couldn’t quite keep up. And death was everywhere. Some soldiers came here almost dead, some stuck around for a few days until one infection or the other took over and handed them over to a slow, painful death.
Some of them were not quite at death’s door but suffering still with a limb or limbs lost, or with a horrible wound somewhere in their body. Much like Major Sam Reed, who was one of the best that fought under General Thomas Picton. Lydia meets him while tending to other soldiers. She couldn’t just stand there and watch them suffer. She felt a visceral need to give them a bit of warmth and whatever comfort she could offer as they lay dying. She was a woman possessed, even when somewhere in her brain she knew her mother would be so mad, she may kick her out of their home for ‘sullying their name’ with these ‘common, filthy soldiers’! But at that time, she simply didn’t care. And Sam Reed, who had a vicious saber wound on his back, was nothing if not honorable... and quite persuasive when the occasion called for it. Who also cared about his own men, so much so he didn’t move to a better care when it was offered cause his men were suffering here. Someone was intent on lopping off his head so he was one lucky bastard to still have that attached is how Sam liked to think about the whole thing to bear the excruciating pain on his back that kept him up day and night. Lydia came into his dreary world with such freshness and so much hope that he had only eyes for her. She felt it too, beginning to care for Sam quite unknowingly.
I will not divulge just how Sam made The General himself to go over at Lydia’s and ‘persuade’ her mother so Lydia could come back and continue to help at St. Barnabas, because that was quite the brilliant scene! It was just so much fun to read. Also, there was the scene where huge bouquets of flowers were send by Sam to impress her mother. It struck the woman into quite a state of speechless; probably her first in so many years. :| It happened when one of his deputies who accompanied her home took one look at her mother (also heard a few choice lines from her mouth) and knew what Lydia has to deal with every single day. To the Major, Lydia coming to St. Barnabas was a fruitful venture for everyone concerned. She won everyone over with her strong personality, which was hidden beneath all those years of abuse, and kindness. For the first time in her life, Lydia felt genuinely needed.
The author spun Lydia and Sam’s relationship over the couple chapters in such mastery that I was anticipating every single page to see what happens next. It was a slow built but the attraction and something else was there no doubt. Sam would stare at her quite intensely at times and Lydia would feel butterflies, especially when they all told her she’s quite beautiful and smells wonderful. That she’s quite tidy and hardworking, and very careful with the soldiers’ wounds while giving them a wash or trimming their hair and shaving them.
Then one day, Lydia does the unthinkable. While attending a soiree with her mother and Kitty, she finds herself with the so-called ‘cool people’ of Ton who had been around St. Barnabas. Those were the people who stood apart from the stinking solders, made faces then went away without offering anything at all. Recently, two POS snobs made a horrible wager on a dying soldier, something Lydia couldn’t even imagine someone with a little soul doing to another human being. It didn’t end well when Major Reed got involved, and Lydia knew she will have to pay for it. Words spread quickly, and in that soiree things took a terrible turn. First, she finds out those were Kitty’s bosom buddies and her mother is enraged when Lydia tries to warn Kitty off those imbeciles. In that soiree, they start ignoring Kitty because of Lydia, which inevitably turn into a tantrum from Kitty. But the worst was yet to come. When it turned out that one of those wagering a$$holes were going to be mentioned in honor for ‘visiting the wounded at St. Barnabas’ is when Lydia lost it. She was so angry that she forgets that she’s the meek and biddable Lydia. That after this, her mother will certainly kick her out. Lydia stands tall and narrates what has REALLY been happening in St. Barnabas. The pain, the suffering, the horrible condition in which the Heroes of this country are kept until they’re released; either from the hospital or from this world. And the humiliation they took from the so-called high profile visitors.
While Lydia’s little speech earns the soldiers still at St. Barnabas the much needed comfort and help, it earns Lydia a slap on her face so hard that she was bleeding from it. Then there was that inevitable threat from her mother, a subtle-but-not-so-subtle ‘I will make you pay for what you did to my poor Kitty’s chances at the marriage mart’. From her own mother, the woman who gave birth to her! I couldn’t even imagine....... *SMH* Lydia knew either she’d be kicked out or made to leave for Devon, their country home and will never see London again. She’d probably be exiled there for the rest of her life, alone and ignored.
So Lydia had to think fast. She gathered her meager belongings and a few coins her father gave her and ran out when no one was watching. Major Reed wasn’t there at St. Barnabas, so Lydia finds herself in a big dilemma. What will she do? Where will she go? She has no help, barely any money to speak of. She doesn’t know anyone here and the skills she possess, she doubts will help her get a decent, honorable job. She’s good at mending and does excellent haircut. She could even stretch her expertise and shave men. But there was no way she could earn anything with these skills!
Fortunately, she does find Major Reed, who took one look at her and knew what has happened. He has heard of the debacle of the other night, and knew, despite everything, Lydia already had quite a few admirers. But at that moment, she had no one and she sought him out. Incidentally, there was one other pressing matter that Sam needed to attend to. He needed to find a wife, and soon, before he could travel to his home at Northumberland. You see, it all started as a joke from one of his good friend Percy. Sam needs the money from his elderly and rich as Croesus maternal Aunt to take care of his own estate. His Aunt is childless so Sam is supposed to inherit it all. However, because his father was a notorious womanizer, her Aunt gave him the ultimatum. He must marry and work to produce an heir as soon as possible to show that he’s settling down and serious about the matter at hand.
Now Sam, though not a saint, hasn’t ever been anything like his father. But he had no time to court anyone or produce anything in between the bouts of war in the past 6 yrs since he’d joined the army. But Percy, damn his hide, had made sure through some letters that he had a wife whom he’d married somewhere in the battlefield. Not only that, he and his Delightful (they were drunk, don’t ask) now had a daughter as well! Now where will he find a wife and make a daughter in such a short notice? What will he do if his Aunt is put off and crosses him off her will? Sam had a lot on his mind and it wasn’t just that nasty wound on his back which, he felt, was festering because it wasn’t taken care of well.
Lydia came as a solution to him of course. He liked her, no make that adored her. But he wasn’t good with words, yet she seemed to be amenable to his offer of a MOC, which could be annulled secretly later if they didn’t want to make it real. As for Lydia, she had such a crush on the not-quite-handsome-but-there’s-something-about-him Major Reed that she would do that and more for him. Plus there was the matter that she had nowhere to go. At least, now she’ll have a husband and a country estate until she could think of something else. Cherry on top, Major Reed was also an Earl, even if impoverished, titled as Lord Laren. How surprised her mother would be now?!
So they were Mr. and Mrs. Reed AKA Lord and Lady Laren on the same day. They even adopt a small child from an orphanage to complete the ruse. Up until that bit, I was really enjoying the story. Actually I was loving it when they started their journey together towards Sam’s estate. It was quite a bit of ride, at another side of England, and Lydia became increasingly worried about Sam’s injury. He was in constant pain. Even though General Picton’s surgeon had a look at his wound and cleaned it, he couldn’t do it well cause Sam couldn’t handle it. Lydia knew something had to be done or else it could prove to be fatal. But Sam was stubborn as hell and wouldn’t let her do anything.
Break came in the form of a robbery where Sam is wounded again. This incident marks as a prominent part of the story which will later push Lydia’s boundaries as a woman to see how far she’ll go to keep her husband and child safe and sound. From a meek, abused girl, her transformation into someone with amazing willpower and grace would make anyone happy for her. Lydia will also learn that people like her mother and sister aren’t the only type in the world. Thankfully, there are people out there, who may not be rich with coins, but they’re rich with kindness and goodwill.
As Sam got well, Lydia does her best to keep him that way. They even manage to consummate the marriage at one point. However, even as the days passed and the time nears when they’d have to leave this village where Sam was recuperating, Lydia becomes increasingly demoralized. Even when she was happy, Sam seemed to remind her of the origin of their marriage quite often. Not with any malicious intent, but still... The reminder was there like a millstone. She was reminded that all these were the part of a greater plan, and not because they were crazy in love. Well, she certainly had fallen in love with Sam but does he love her at all? She couldn’t tell. Nor could she hide her anxiety, stemmed from the years of battered self-confidence. She wasn’t sure if she could pull this ruse off successfully cause in her mind, it wasn’t a MOC any longer. She loved her husband and wanted a complete marriage where she won’t have to hide her identity to anyone.
My doubt over Sam’s intentions was also beginning to pile up at this point. Did he really like her or just took advantage of her vulnerability? Yes, he seemed to care for her but I wasn’t quite sure of anything any longer. After all that Lydia has done for him, Sam was quite rude to her a few times, his mind full of various plans to make this work at any cost. It can’t fail; something he had emphasized upon a few times to Lydia. That’s all he could think of. I could try to understand him but I decided I was more concerned for Lydia’s state of mind than his financial woes. He came off as someone very self-centered. He knew how beat-up Lydia was psychologically, yet he did basically nothing to soothe her or tell her how he felt. It ruined my image of him to a certain extent. Actually quite a bit.
After that, with the intro to Sam’s family when they reach his estate, the story began to rush. Their relationship at that point seemed rather dismal. Well, the physical aspect of it was not harmed but emotionally Lydia was dying a bit inside each day with so much uncertainties weighing in; with trying to keep up with such a gigantic ruse not of her making, yet she’d become an inescapable part of. She got involved thinking of Sam, because he made her feel so good, so wanted. Only she didn’t know how deep it would’ve gone, couldn’t imagine how much it would hurt her. She was still very unsure of her place in Sam’s life, even after all they’ve been through together, and it almost killed me that he was so SO callous knowing she needed assurance. It seemed he became so completely immersed in his homecoming glory that he almost didn’t notice Lydia’s feelings about it all. The relationship that took so many pages to build, full of such trials and tribulations, didn’t seem quite as strong as I had initially thought. It hurt me almost as much as Lydia herself, and it’s no joke! I was in pain for her and wanted to box Sam’s ears!
The author didn’t do enough to make me like Sam again cause the story ends pretty fast after the last bit of ‘drama’ which was unnecessary IMO, and kinda stupid. I needed more pages of pure, unadulterated groveling. Nothing else would’ve worked. Sam should’ve kissed Lydia feet twice a day, which I didn’t see him doing, so it was a disappointment of supreme proportions. 3.5 stars. :(
I’m on my usual Carla Kelly book binge, and just finished another of her earlier works, With This Ring. Have to say, this one didn’t quite float my boat. Very unfortunate because I loved it for the first 60% so, then it lost its sparkle and ended with a dull thud instead of the bang I was hoping for.
Lydia, eldest daughter of a somewhat wealthy peer, is no catch at all. Or so her mother keeps drumming into her. She’s too plain, too clumsy, too forward, too this, too that; someone who has nothing to be proud of. On the other hand, her mother’s pride and joy is her youngest daughter, the beautiful Kitty, more like their mother in looks and dubious charms than Lydia will ever be. Lydia probably takes after her meek father (so meek that I forgot his title LOL), who is always afraid of his wife and tip-toes around, hiding away in the library when the sound of tantrums from his wife or youngest daughter is heard from the other side of the house.
Lydia’s ‘mother’ loves abusing her in every way possible, just because she’s not good enough in her eyes to catch an earl or a marquess. The reason why they’re in London right now is to give Kitty a Season, who, according to their mother, will surely catch the best bachelor in town with her golden locks and baby blue eyes. Who is also tall and graceful and....... quite completely ‘empty in the brainbox’ (as someone with some sense termed her in the book). She’s also quite snooty, spoiled, selfish and mean. Her mamma has trained her well after her own shallow self. :D Both of these worthless POS gave Lydia so much trouble, and pain, that the poor girl had no self-confidence left. She was made to become a meek, biddable maid-of-all-tricks without any pay for Kitty and her mother. I mean, at one point, I was thinking how can I even explain the things I’m reading?! There are simply no words!
One day, while accompanying Kitty to the latest ‘cool thing’ that every cool people of the Ton were doing, which was to visit the filthy, stinky wounded or dying soldiers in the equally filthy, rat-infested St. Barnabas, a crumbling church, Lydia had the most eye-opening experience of her life. While her sister was just striking a pose here, and crunching up her face in disgust there (but she had to make herself look ‘cool’ among the other visiting ‘cool’ Ton peeps!), Lydia was overcome with sadness by the sight of these soldiers. Obviously the care they received was extremely inadequate. The few doctors and volunteers couldn’t quite keep up. And death was everywhere. Some soldiers came here almost dead, some stuck around for a few days until one infection or the other took over and handed them over to a slow, painful death.
Some of them were not quite at death’s door but suffering still with a limb or limbs lost, or with a horrible wound somewhere in their body. Much like Major Sam Reed, who was one of the best that fought under General Thomas Picton. Lydia meets him while tending to other soldiers. She couldn’t just stand there and watch them suffer. She felt a visceral need to give them a bit of warmth and whatever comfort she could offer as they lay dying. She was a woman possessed, even when somewhere in her brain she knew her mother would be so mad, she may kick her out of their home for ‘sullying their name’ with these ‘common, filthy soldiers’! But at that time, she simply didn’t care. And Sam Reed, who had a vicious saber wound on his back, was nothing if not honorable... and quite persuasive when the occasion called for it. Who also cared about his own men, so much so he didn’t move to a better care when it was offered cause his men were suffering here. Someone was intent on lopping off his head so he was one lucky bastard to still have that attached is how Sam liked to think about the whole thing to bear the excruciating pain on his back that kept him up day and night. Lydia came into his dreary world with such freshness and so much hope that he had only eyes for her. She felt it too, beginning to care for Sam quite unknowingly.
I will not divulge just how Sam made The General himself to go over at Lydia’s and ‘persuade’ her mother so Lydia could come back and continue to help at St. Barnabas, because that was quite the brilliant scene! It was just so much fun to read. Also, there was the scene where huge bouquets of flowers were send by Sam to impress her mother. It struck the woman into quite a state of speechless; probably her first in so many years. :| It happened when one of his deputies who accompanied her home took one look at her mother (also heard a few choice lines from her mouth) and knew what Lydia has to deal with every single day. To the Major, Lydia coming to St. Barnabas was a fruitful venture for everyone concerned. She won everyone over with her strong personality, which was hidden beneath all those years of abuse, and kindness. For the first time in her life, Lydia felt genuinely needed.
The author spun Lydia and Sam’s relationship over the couple chapters in such mastery that I was anticipating every single page to see what happens next. It was a slow built but the attraction and something else was there no doubt. Sam would stare at her quite intensely at times and Lydia would feel butterflies, especially when they all told her she’s quite beautiful and smells wonderful. That she’s quite tidy and hardworking, and very careful with the soldiers’ wounds while giving them a wash or trimming their hair and shaving them.
Then one day, Lydia does the unthinkable. While attending a soiree with her mother and Kitty, she finds herself with the so-called ‘cool people’ of Ton who had been around St. Barnabas. Those were the people who stood apart from the stinking solders, made faces then went away without offering anything at all. Recently, two POS snobs made a horrible wager on a dying soldier, something Lydia couldn’t even imagine someone with a little soul doing to another human being. It didn’t end well when Major Reed got involved, and Lydia knew she will have to pay for it. Words spread quickly, and in that soiree things took a terrible turn. First, she finds out those were Kitty’s bosom buddies and her mother is enraged when Lydia tries to warn Kitty off those imbeciles. In that soiree, they start ignoring Kitty because of Lydia, which inevitably turn into a tantrum from Kitty. But the worst was yet to come. When it turned out that one of those wagering a$$holes were going to be mentioned in honor for ‘visiting the wounded at St. Barnabas’ is when Lydia lost it. She was so angry that she forgets that she’s the meek and biddable Lydia. That after this, her mother will certainly kick her out. Lydia stands tall and narrates what has REALLY been happening in St. Barnabas. The pain, the suffering, the horrible condition in which the Heroes of this country are kept until they’re released; either from the hospital or from this world. And the humiliation they took from the so-called high profile visitors.
While Lydia’s little speech earns the soldiers still at St. Barnabas the much needed comfort and help, it earns Lydia a slap on her face so hard that she was bleeding from it. Then there was that inevitable threat from her mother, a subtle-but-not-so-subtle ‘I will make you pay for what you did to my poor Kitty’s chances at the marriage mart’. From her own mother, the woman who gave birth to her! I couldn’t even imagine....... *SMH* Lydia knew either she’d be kicked out or made to leave for Devon, their country home and will never see London again. She’d probably be exiled there for the rest of her life, alone and ignored.
So Lydia had to think fast. She gathered her meager belongings and a few coins her father gave her and ran out when no one was watching. Major Reed wasn’t there at St. Barnabas, so Lydia finds herself in a big dilemma. What will she do? Where will she go? She has no help, barely any money to speak of. She doesn’t know anyone here and the skills she possess, she doubts will help her get a decent, honorable job. She’s good at mending and does excellent haircut. She could even stretch her expertise and shave men. But there was no way she could earn anything with these skills!
Fortunately, she does find Major Reed, who took one look at her and knew what has happened. He has heard of the debacle of the other night, and knew, despite everything, Lydia already had quite a few admirers. But at that moment, she had no one and she sought him out. Incidentally, there was one other pressing matter that Sam needed to attend to. He needed to find a wife, and soon, before he could travel to his home at Northumberland. You see, it all started as a joke from one of his good friend Percy. Sam needs the money from his elderly and rich as Croesus maternal Aunt to take care of his own estate. His Aunt is childless so Sam is supposed to inherit it all. However, because his father was a notorious womanizer, her Aunt gave him the ultimatum. He must marry and work to produce an heir as soon as possible to show that he’s settling down and serious about the matter at hand.
Now Sam, though not a saint, hasn’t ever been anything like his father. But he had no time to court anyone or produce anything in between the bouts of war in the past 6 yrs since he’d joined the army. But Percy, damn his hide, had made sure through some letters that he had a wife whom he’d married somewhere in the battlefield. Not only that, he and his Delightful (they were drunk, don’t ask) now had a daughter as well! Now where will he find a wife and make a daughter in such a short notice? What will he do if his Aunt is put off and crosses him off her will? Sam had a lot on his mind and it wasn’t just that nasty wound on his back which, he felt, was festering because it wasn’t taken care of well.
Lydia came as a solution to him of course. He liked her, no make that adored her. But he wasn’t good with words, yet she seemed to be amenable to his offer of a MOC, which could be annulled secretly later if they didn’t want to make it real. As for Lydia, she had such a crush on the not-quite-handsome-but-there’s-something-about-him Major Reed that she would do that and more for him. Plus there was the matter that she had nowhere to go. At least, now she’ll have a husband and a country estate until she could think of something else. Cherry on top, Major Reed was also an Earl, even if impoverished, titled as Lord Laren. How surprised her mother would be now?!
So they were Mr. and Mrs. Reed AKA Lord and Lady Laren on the same day. They even adopt a small child from an orphanage to complete the ruse. Up until that bit, I was really enjoying the story. Actually I was loving it when they started their journey together towards Sam’s estate. It was quite a bit of ride, at another side of England, and Lydia became increasingly worried about Sam’s injury. He was in constant pain. Even though General Picton’s surgeon had a look at his wound and cleaned it, he couldn’t do it well cause Sam couldn’t handle it. Lydia knew something had to be done or else it could prove to be fatal. But Sam was stubborn as hell and wouldn’t let her do anything.
Break came in the form of a robbery where Sam is wounded again. This incident marks as a prominent part of the story which will later push Lydia’s boundaries as a woman to see how far she’ll go to keep her husband and child safe and sound. From a meek, abused girl, her transformation into someone with amazing willpower and grace would make anyone happy for her. Lydia will also learn that people like her mother and sister aren’t the only type in the world. Thankfully, there are people out there, who may not be rich with coins, but they’re rich with kindness and goodwill.
As Sam got well, Lydia does her best to keep him that way. They even manage to consummate the marriage at one point. However, even as the days passed and the time nears when they’d have to leave this village where Sam was recuperating, Lydia becomes increasingly demoralized. Even when she was happy, Sam seemed to remind her of the origin of their marriage quite often. Not with any malicious intent, but still... The reminder was there like a millstone. She was reminded that all these were the part of a greater plan, and not because they were crazy in love. Well, she certainly had fallen in love with Sam but does he love her at all? She couldn’t tell. Nor could she hide her anxiety, stemmed from the years of battered self-confidence. She wasn’t sure if she could pull this ruse off successfully cause in her mind, it wasn’t a MOC any longer. She loved her husband and wanted a complete marriage where she won’t have to hide her identity to anyone.
My doubt over Sam’s intentions was also beginning to pile up at this point. Did he really like her or just took advantage of her vulnerability? Yes, he seemed to care for her but I wasn’t quite sure of anything any longer. After all that Lydia has done for him, Sam was quite rude to her a few times, his mind full of various plans to make this work at any cost. It can’t fail; something he had emphasized upon a few times to Lydia. That’s all he could think of. I could try to understand him but I decided I was more concerned for Lydia’s state of mind than his financial woes. He came off as someone very self-centered. He knew how beat-up Lydia was psychologically, yet he did basically nothing to soothe her or tell her how he felt. It ruined my image of him to a certain extent. Actually quite a bit.
After that, with the intro to Sam’s family when they reach his estate, the story began to rush. Their relationship at that point seemed rather dismal. Well, the physical aspect of it was not harmed but emotionally Lydia was dying a bit inside each day with so much uncertainties weighing in; with trying to keep up with such a gigantic ruse not of her making, yet she’d become an inescapable part of. She got involved thinking of Sam, because he made her feel so good, so wanted. Only she didn’t know how deep it would’ve gone, couldn’t imagine how much it would hurt her. She was still very unsure of her place in Sam’s life, even after all they’ve been through together, and it almost killed me that he was so SO callous knowing she needed assurance. It seemed he became so completely immersed in his homecoming glory that he almost didn’t notice Lydia’s feelings about it all. The relationship that took so many pages to build, full of such trials and tribulations, didn’t seem quite as strong as I had initially thought. It hurt me almost as much as Lydia herself, and it’s no joke! I was in pain for her and wanted to box Sam’s ears!
The author didn’t do enough to make me like Sam again cause the story ends pretty fast after the last bit of ‘drama’ which was unnecessary IMO, and kinda stupid. I needed more pages of pure, unadulterated groveling. Nothing else would’ve worked. Sam should’ve kissed Lydia feet twice a day, which I didn’t see him doing, so it was a disappointment of supreme proportions. 3.5 stars. :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2015
Another lovely book by Carla Kelly. At this point, I think she will never disappoint me. From the 4 books I've read, I have to say this would be in position nr. 4. That does not mean it was not good though.
Once again, both characters are extremely likeable: Lydia and Major Sam Reed. Lydia lives as Cinderella, having to take care of her beautiful but stupid, younger sister, and her mother abuses her. Gosh, how I hated them. I mean, is not that it is her step-mother, but her mother! She treats Lydia as a servant and likes to point out how plain her daughter is and how many prospects she has for her younger daughter. Kitty was not better; she was stupid and whinny and selfish. And her father! Very weak character, who does nothing for her eldest daughter.
So they may catch a husband for Kitty, both girls go to a church where the soldiers are (the war just ended). There both girls show their true colors: Kitty was a selfish, silly girl, and Lydia as compassionate and helpful to others. She meets many soldiers who are wounded and require attention, and among them is Major Reed. The chemistry between Sam and Lydia is instantaneous; such a camaraderie! It was very sweet from the very first moment. Besides, the need of a wife for Sam was a very funny story.
Lydia begins to feel braver because of the way soldiers are treated by the ton, and due some speech she makes in a party and after being abused by her horrible mother, she leaves the house. Somehow she ends up being married and being a mother, in charge of a wounded husband, an orphan girl and in need of money.
Lydia is a wonderful character. She is never depressed (even when she has to be), she is brave and she is the one who saves her new family. She does not need a man, because she can do it on her own (although I would have loved if Sam was more useful). She is not a prude who is embarrassed to do things or who regrets to do things or who gets desperate when she needs help or who gets angry for silly things.
The story that Sam and his friend made up (about him being married for some time and having a daughter, only to please his mother and aunt) was a lot of fun. But I also think that poor Lydia had a lot in so little time. She never complains or pities herself, but to be a mother before even consummate the marriage! To take care of a wounded husband! To be in the middle of nowhere with no money!
And I must confess I love the covers of Signet Regencies. They are really sweet. Like in this book, it shows Lydia cutting Sam's hair (she does that a lot) and they look happy. It is when they may have started to fall in love. Of course, you can't never tell in CK's books because the falling in love is graduate and due to little things.
It is very clean and not cliche at all. If it were, Kitty and her mother may have gotten what they deserve. Ah, well...
Once again, both characters are extremely likeable: Lydia and Major Sam Reed. Lydia lives as Cinderella, having to take care of her beautiful but stupid, younger sister, and her mother abuses her. Gosh, how I hated them. I mean, is not that it is her step-mother, but her mother! She treats Lydia as a servant and likes to point out how plain her daughter is and how many prospects she has for her younger daughter. Kitty was not better; she was stupid and whinny and selfish. And her father! Very weak character, who does nothing for her eldest daughter.
So they may catch a husband for Kitty, both girls go to a church where the soldiers are (the war just ended). There both girls show their true colors: Kitty was a selfish, silly girl, and Lydia as compassionate and helpful to others. She meets many soldiers who are wounded and require attention, and among them is Major Reed. The chemistry between Sam and Lydia is instantaneous; such a camaraderie! It was very sweet from the very first moment. Besides, the need of a wife for Sam was a very funny story.
Lydia begins to feel braver because of the way soldiers are treated by the ton, and due some speech she makes in a party and after being abused by her horrible mother, she leaves the house. Somehow she ends up being married and being a mother, in charge of a wounded husband, an orphan girl and in need of money.
Lydia is a wonderful character. She is never depressed (even when she has to be), she is brave and she is the one who saves her new family. She does not need a man, because she can do it on her own (although I would have loved if Sam was more useful). She is not a prude who is embarrassed to do things or who regrets to do things or who gets desperate when she needs help or who gets angry for silly things.
The story that Sam and his friend made up (about him being married for some time and having a daughter, only to please his mother and aunt) was a lot of fun. But I also think that poor Lydia had a lot in so little time. She never complains or pities herself, but to be a mother before even consummate the marriage! To take care of a wounded husband! To be in the middle of nowhere with no money!
And I must confess I love the covers of Signet Regencies. They are really sweet. Like in this book, it shows Lydia cutting Sam's hair (she does that a lot) and they look happy. It is when they may have started to fall in love. Of course, you can't never tell in CK's books because the falling in love is graduate and due to little things.
It is very clean and not cliche at all. If it were, Kitty and her mother may have gotten what they deserve. Ah, well...
June 15, 2015
Y'all know that I love Regency romances, right? Well, now you do. I love them. And one of my favorites is With This Ring.
With This Ring follows Lydia Perkins as she sort of accidentally starts volunteering for a local army hospital, defending the veterans in society, and getting kicked out of the house, and before she knows it, she's agreed to marry Major Sam Reed, who is desperately in need of a wife because he sort of told his aunt he had one. So that happened, and the rest of the book is Lydia somewhat bemusedly trying to get Sam home without getting him injured further, not to mention dealing with the fact that he apparently also maybe kind of sort of told his aunt they had a daughter? And also there are bandits and Lydia has to be a barber for a while. Oh, and there's Percy. Percy ruins everything. Sir Percy, MOMENT KILLER.
Basically, this is a really sweet falling in love story wrapped up in Lydia's learning to trust and rely on herself, with bonus shenanigans on Sam's part. It is so sweet, I love it so much. I'm so glad I managed to pick up a copy.
With This Ring follows Lydia Perkins as she sort of accidentally starts volunteering for a local army hospital, defending the veterans in society, and getting kicked out of the house, and before she knows it, she's agreed to marry Major Sam Reed, who is desperately in need of a wife because he sort of told his aunt he had one. So that happened, and the rest of the book is Lydia somewhat bemusedly trying to get Sam home without getting him injured further, not to mention dealing with the fact that he apparently also maybe kind of sort of told his aunt they had a daughter? And also there are bandits and Lydia has to be a barber for a while. Oh, and there's Percy. Percy ruins everything. Sir Percy, MOMENT KILLER.
Basically, this is a really sweet falling in love story wrapped up in Lydia's learning to trust and rely on herself, with bonus shenanigans on Sam's part. It is so sweet, I love it so much. I'm so glad I managed to pick up a copy.
December 3, 2015
Barely. The characters are caricatures: her family vicious, his silly, the hero - well he's been thru war and is wounded but he's alienated, the heroine just a wimp. The plot is very thin and at best unbelievable. Kelly had written several good books, this one isn't one.
Read
April 2, 2010With This Ring (Signet Regency Romance) by Carla Kelly (1997)
August 22, 2016
Loved This book.
September 25, 2024
3.5 I enjoyed this one, even if its not the most romantic and includes a lot of realism in it.
The heroine is used to being treated like a servant by her mother and her beautifulr younger sister. Her mother always seems to find fault w her and even seems to actively dislike her older daughter. The only reason I can fathom for this is that the mother find the heroine plain while her sister is beautiful and mother wants to use her as their stepping stone into the Beau Ton. The family of the heroine is quite wealthy but they do not have the enough social standing in society.
It is because of this that, when the mother learns that a few high born ladies have been going to visit the injured soldiers, who are back from war, she sends her two daughters in the hope that the younger daughter will be able to befriend and or meet people of high social standing.
The heroine goes along, but actually feels compassion for the poor soldiers and starts to help them. This is how she meets the Hero. He is their officer, although he is an impoverished Earl, and he is impressed with the compassion that the heroine shows his men.
During one of the dinners, the heroine voices her opinion on the neglect of the government for these poor soldiers and she even takes to task some of the gentlemen who see the suffering of these soldiers as some form of entertainment.
Her mother is so horrified, and thinks the heroine has runied them that she hits the heroine, and the heroine runs away. However the heroine runs back to the place where she has been caring for the soldiers.
The Hero is still injured, but needs to go home. He is also in a dilemma since he told his mother and aunt that he is married. He convinces the heroine to marry him, for convenience, and to pretend to his mother and aunt that she has been his wife all along.
They go on this journey but are beset by highwaymen and the Hero is further injured. He needs to recuperate in a small town. To earn money, the heroine agrees to cut hair and shave the men at a barbershop.
So much of the book is her earing for them this way, the Hero slowly recuperating since his wound needed to be re-opened and sewn up again. Its quite gruesome. They get to know each other better. The Hero does seem to like the heroine a lot. Its quite sweet how he always wants her to sleep beside him. How he massages her bavk and neck after her long day.
The big climax is when they are finally able to go home. The heroine wants the Hero to reveal the truth to his relatives but he is hesitant since it might affect his inheritance.
In the end they resolve it all nicely. This is really a-Hero and heroine who deserved each other and were truly nice people.
The heroine is used to being treated like a servant by her mother and her beautifulr younger sister. Her mother always seems to find fault w her and even seems to actively dislike her older daughter. The only reason I can fathom for this is that the mother find the heroine plain while her sister is beautiful and mother wants to use her as their stepping stone into the Beau Ton. The family of the heroine is quite wealthy but they do not have the enough social standing in society.
It is because of this that, when the mother learns that a few high born ladies have been going to visit the injured soldiers, who are back from war, she sends her two daughters in the hope that the younger daughter will be able to befriend and or meet people of high social standing.
The heroine goes along, but actually feels compassion for the poor soldiers and starts to help them. This is how she meets the Hero. He is their officer, although he is an impoverished Earl, and he is impressed with the compassion that the heroine shows his men.
During one of the dinners, the heroine voices her opinion on the neglect of the government for these poor soldiers and she even takes to task some of the gentlemen who see the suffering of these soldiers as some form of entertainment.
Her mother is so horrified, and thinks the heroine has runied them that she hits the heroine, and the heroine runs away. However the heroine runs back to the place where she has been caring for the soldiers.
The Hero is still injured, but needs to go home. He is also in a dilemma since he told his mother and aunt that he is married. He convinces the heroine to marry him, for convenience, and to pretend to his mother and aunt that she has been his wife all along.
They go on this journey but are beset by highwaymen and the Hero is further injured. He needs to recuperate in a small town. To earn money, the heroine agrees to cut hair and shave the men at a barbershop.
So much of the book is her earing for them this way, the Hero slowly recuperating since his wound needed to be re-opened and sewn up again. Its quite gruesome. They get to know each other better. The Hero does seem to like the heroine a lot. Its quite sweet how he always wants her to sleep beside him. How he massages her bavk and neck after her long day.
The big climax is when they are finally able to go home. The heroine wants the Hero to reveal the truth to his relatives but he is hesitant since it might affect his inheritance.
In the end they resolve it all nicely. This is really a-Hero and heroine who deserved each other and were truly nice people.
January 23, 2018
Carla Kelly has such a talent in making her books feel so authentic and real and in making me care rather quickly about her characters. This book is no different and utilizes the familiar and well-done Kelly formula. In the thick of the Napoleonic war. Medical setting. Sacrifice for the good of the whole. Down-to-earth, good characters. A hard working and brave woman. A kind and honorable man. It just works. To such effect, every time. My only gripe is that the “villains” of the book seem a bit one-dimensional, but I was too busy watching Lydia come into her own with the help of her relationship to care. Really enjoyed this one. (p.s. the book blurb does not do this book justice at all.)
January 27, 2018
You cannot beat a 'Carla Kelly' story. You may think this will be a 'fluffy' romance novel, but you will be wrong. Ms. Kelly adds romance to a terrible period in English history. It takes place at the end of the Peninsula War. She gives the reader a view of the conditions that existed for the injured soldiers returning from the war and the medical treatment available to them. The injured Aristocratic soldiers returning from the war got a different treatment than those from the 'lower' classes. I loved this story about the hero and heroine dealing with their own personal problems while at the same time taking care of those injured soldiers who had no voice. Highly recommend.
October 31, 2017
Weepie
This book had me in tears several times before the end. I know I'm the sentimental sort, but keep a box of tissues handy.
It also had comic scenes and drama, a good mixture, so don't be put off. Perhaps the split nobility-bad, peasantry-good was a bit simplistic, but Carla always tells a good story.
This book had me in tears several times before the end. I know I'm the sentimental sort, but keep a box of tissues handy.
It also had comic scenes and drama, a good mixture, so don't be put off. Perhaps the split nobility-bad, peasantry-good was a bit simplistic, but Carla always tells a good story.
September 27, 2020
This book should have been listed under science fiction. It had little or no legitimate claim to being a historical, regency, novel. Obviously no editor. Shillings are worth the same as a pound? A downtrodden drudge stands up and delivers a lengthy speech on the condition of injured soldiers? Other instances of stupidity too numerous to list. Kelly gives meaning to “hit or miss author.”
August 1, 2017
A five star couple in a 3 star story. It starts out great but falls into a few plot holes. Please explain to me how Lydia's sister gets doused with laudadum every time she has a temper tantrum and our valiant hero has two major operations and doesn't even get a bullet to bite on. Is it any wonder he cried until he passed out.
Also why is an Earl riding the public coach. Oh yeah I remember. He is short on funds and doesn't have a bank account in London. Yet he's been helping the men wounded under him with medical etc. He sent her and her mother a boatload of flowers. What was he using. Master charge. For God's sake borrow a few bucks from one of your titled friends so you can rent a private carriage . Your wounded and on your honeymoon. Your good for it. Frankly the road trip was the weak part of the story for me. It truly made no sense. But I'm still glad I bought it. Plot holes and all its still Carla Kelly.
Also why is an Earl riding the public coach. Oh yeah I remember. He is short on funds and doesn't have a bank account in London. Yet he's been helping the men wounded under him with medical etc. He sent her and her mother a boatload of flowers. What was he using. Master charge. For God's sake borrow a few bucks from one of your titled friends so you can rent a private carriage . Your wounded and on your honeymoon. Your good for it. Frankly the road trip was the weak part of the story for me. It truly made no sense. But I'm still glad I bought it. Plot holes and all its still Carla Kelly.
March 19, 2015
Classic Carla Kelly and one I've been wanting to see available on Kindle. Carla writes great stories about important historic events and doesn't hesitate to include gritty details about the realities of war. In yet another book based in part on wounded English soldiers returning from the Napoleonic War with very little to sustain them as they recover, we are acquainted with a few good people who work hard to make things a bit better for the wounded and dying.
Into this mix comes a young woman, Lydia Perkins, who has been sadly mistreated by her family. She's the older, not quite so pretty daughter, with a younger gorgeous sister, Kitty, whose mother fawns over and actually pins the family's future social status upon. Lydia is pretty much a servant in the home, the father is afraid to show his face outside his study, Mrs. Perkins is a mean lady who pounds Lydia at the drop of a hat.
When it becomes quite the fad for the bored aristocrats to visit the wounded soldiers for a lark, Mrs. Perkins sends Kitty and Lydia off to join the crowd with the hopes this will serve to throw Kitty into the path of society and eligible men. But... Lydia decides to stay and nurse the soldiers which initially doesn't set well with Mrs. Perkins and Kitty. However, a certain Major Sam Reed, AKA as Lord Laren of Laren Hall in Northumberland is very successfull in getting his own way according to General Picton's description of him and it doesn't take Major Reed very long to see the benefit in having Lydia around. Very shortly Lydia is returning day after day to assist with the wounded men. Major Reed is seriously wounded himself, but instead of choosing to be moved to a better facility or even paying for private care, he will not leave his men who are still recovering and sadly some are dying.
Plus Major Reed has a problem. It seems that he went along with one of his fellow soldiers to create a fake wife and child (they surely must have been bored with the war) a few years back and now he's reluctant to go home without said wife and child in tow, lest his mother be disappointed and his aunt choose to disinherit him. This was one of the major foundations of the storyline and of course we know who the wife will ultimately turn out to be, although Lydia resists until I thought she was just plain nuts. After all, Major Reed was a good guy and what in the world did she have at home - cruelty, constant put downs, a father who was afraid of his own shadow, continually acting as servant to the spoiled Kitty to say nothing about being slapped around by her mother. Hello? Get a grip and agree to marry good old Sam - he's an earl for crying out loud and if he cares enough about sticking with his men in the hellhole they've turned into a hospital, how bad of a guy could he be?
Don't get me wrong, the story was very engaging, but, there were a few parts that I just didn't get such as Sam's behavior a few times when it came to stubbornly refusing to believe his mother and aunt would be okay if they were just told the truth. Then, there were a couple of other situations when Sam and Lydia eventually get together and wind up having to spend a few weeks in an inn while he recovers from yet another surgery on his back. He's totally out of it, they've lost their money to highwaymen, and although he has valuables in his trunk, he allows Lydia to worry and fret about money until she finally manages to get a job that absolutely wears her out so she can pay for their stay at the inn, their food and a post chaise that will get them the rest of the way home. Yes, I understand that in the beginning, Sam was out of it due to recovering from surgery, but after he had recovered enough to be fully aware of what was going on, he never told her he had valuables in the trunk. I suppose he knew she needed to gain some much needed confidence but when I was reading this part, I was a bit put out with him.
Sam also had difficulties expressing his deeper feelings for Lydia, but although it became troublesome to her, I thought Sam did show his feelings in many ways. He was continually telling her she was pretty which she had a hard time believing - small wonder, when she was so put down all her life. Still... Lydia would express her feelings for Sam and he wouldn't say anything. But, if there's one thing about Carla Kelly - at least in some of her stories - she gives us heroes who are definitely less than perfect - you can call it what it is - perhaps a bit too much like real life (and my own husband) for my wishful thinking (smile). Still, I found the story fascinating and at the end of the day when Major Reed and Lydia have to face the music, the music is actually quite lovely - everything works out well.
Thank you Ms. Kelly for your wonderful stories. You're a true gift to many of us who love this genre and you are definitely unique. If you chance upon this review, please consider giving us more stories like "Borrowed Light" and "Enduring Light" or even a sequel - two of my all time favorites of your books. I think I'll read them again this week.
Into this mix comes a young woman, Lydia Perkins, who has been sadly mistreated by her family. She's the older, not quite so pretty daughter, with a younger gorgeous sister, Kitty, whose mother fawns over and actually pins the family's future social status upon. Lydia is pretty much a servant in the home, the father is afraid to show his face outside his study, Mrs. Perkins is a mean lady who pounds Lydia at the drop of a hat.
When it becomes quite the fad for the bored aristocrats to visit the wounded soldiers for a lark, Mrs. Perkins sends Kitty and Lydia off to join the crowd with the hopes this will serve to throw Kitty into the path of society and eligible men. But... Lydia decides to stay and nurse the soldiers which initially doesn't set well with Mrs. Perkins and Kitty. However, a certain Major Sam Reed, AKA as Lord Laren of Laren Hall in Northumberland is very successfull in getting his own way according to General Picton's description of him and it doesn't take Major Reed very long to see the benefit in having Lydia around. Very shortly Lydia is returning day after day to assist with the wounded men. Major Reed is seriously wounded himself, but instead of choosing to be moved to a better facility or even paying for private care, he will not leave his men who are still recovering and sadly some are dying.
Plus Major Reed has a problem. It seems that he went along with one of his fellow soldiers to create a fake wife and child (they surely must have been bored with the war) a few years back and now he's reluctant to go home without said wife and child in tow, lest his mother be disappointed and his aunt choose to disinherit him. This was one of the major foundations of the storyline and of course we know who the wife will ultimately turn out to be, although Lydia resists until I thought she was just plain nuts. After all, Major Reed was a good guy and what in the world did she have at home - cruelty, constant put downs, a father who was afraid of his own shadow, continually acting as servant to the spoiled Kitty to say nothing about being slapped around by her mother. Hello? Get a grip and agree to marry good old Sam - he's an earl for crying out loud and if he cares enough about sticking with his men in the hellhole they've turned into a hospital, how bad of a guy could he be?
Don't get me wrong, the story was very engaging, but, there were a few parts that I just didn't get such as Sam's behavior a few times when it came to stubbornly refusing to believe his mother and aunt would be okay if they were just told the truth. Then, there were a couple of other situations when Sam and Lydia eventually get together and wind up having to spend a few weeks in an inn while he recovers from yet another surgery on his back. He's totally out of it, they've lost their money to highwaymen, and although he has valuables in his trunk, he allows Lydia to worry and fret about money until she finally manages to get a job that absolutely wears her out so she can pay for their stay at the inn, their food and a post chaise that will get them the rest of the way home. Yes, I understand that in the beginning, Sam was out of it due to recovering from surgery, but after he had recovered enough to be fully aware of what was going on, he never told her he had valuables in the trunk. I suppose he knew she needed to gain some much needed confidence but when I was reading this part, I was a bit put out with him.
Sam also had difficulties expressing his deeper feelings for Lydia, but although it became troublesome to her, I thought Sam did show his feelings in many ways. He was continually telling her she was pretty which she had a hard time believing - small wonder, when she was so put down all her life. Still... Lydia would express her feelings for Sam and he wouldn't say anything. But, if there's one thing about Carla Kelly - at least in some of her stories - she gives us heroes who are definitely less than perfect - you can call it what it is - perhaps a bit too much like real life (and my own husband) for my wishful thinking (smile). Still, I found the story fascinating and at the end of the day when Major Reed and Lydia have to face the music, the music is actually quite lovely - everything works out well.
Thank you Ms. Kelly for your wonderful stories. You're a true gift to many of us who love this genre and you are definitely unique. If you chance upon this review, please consider giving us more stories like "Borrowed Light" and "Enduring Light" or even a sequel - two of my all time favorites of your books. I think I'll read them again this week.
November 2, 2013
1815. La guerre qui ravage l'Europe depuis une quinzaine d'année. Elle va se déporter sr la Belgique, où sont appelés désormais les soldats anglais.
Le Commandant Samuel Reed, Lord Laren, fait partie des vétérans durement éprouvés par ses cinq années de service sur la Péninsule ibérique. Il ne compte plus les batailles qu'il a menées aux côtés de ses hommes. La dernière, la bataille de Toulouse, a permis de mettre un terme (provisoire) à cette vie guerrière. Les plus chanceux d'entre eux sont de retour dans cette Angleterre si éloignée et si proche à la fois. Les blessés, dont il fait partie, et les mourants de son régiments sont accueillis, bien sommairement, dans une vieille église à Londres. Sam, très proche de ses hommes, refuse d'être cantonné dans les quartiers des officiers. Ce sera là, et pas ailleurs, dans cette puanteur glacial, qu'il se fera soigner d'une très douloureuse et dangereuse blessure à l'épaule.
Dans les beaux quartiers, la vie continue : Lydia a accompagné sa famille, de petits aristocrates issus de la gentry, pour promouvoir la beauté de sa sœur sur le marché matrimonial. Sa mère, un véritable dragon, la mène d'une main ferme : maltraitée, continuellement rabaissée, Lydia doit se plier à toutes ses exigences : c'est une sorte de Cendrillon, dotée d'une jeune sœur incroyablement stupide dont elle ne se fait pas faute de se moquer lors de ses nombreux discours intérieurs.
Or il est de bon ton, dans la bonne société londonienne, de se vanter d'avoir été rendre visite aux soldats survivants (mais le mouchoir parfumé collé au nez, et sans les toucher, tous ces individus hirsutes, puants et souffrants). C'est en accompagnant sa sœur que Lydia fera la connaissance du Commandant, en se mettant au service d'une cause à laquelle elle n'était pas du tout préparée.
Les ingrédients, qui font d'un roman de Carla Kelly un idéal moment de lecture, sont bien présents ici encore une fois, tricotés serrés dans un scénario riche, chaud et moelleux : une jeune femme honnie par sa famille va épouser un officier blessé. Simple? Eh bien non. Cette romantique aventure m'a fait littéralement fondre : l'évolution de Lydia est retracée avec maestria, une vraie bataille pour cette jeune femme étouffée par des années d'humiliation.
Quels héros, profonds et nuancés, brillants, courageux, et qui vont se révéler au fil des pages comme deux êtres que tout destinait à s'unir : des héros qui se parlent beaucoup, se poussent l'un l'autre au dépassement de soi, s'apprécient et s'admirent immédiatement. Quel talent pour communiquer empathie, tendresse, souffrances, joie et chaleur ! Le Commandant Reed est délectable, à la fois fort et autoritaire, et si vulnérable, tout en finesse et en intuition.Exactement le genre de héros qui me fait craquer : un héros imparfait, comme tout être de chair et de sang, qui a peur de la souffrance physique, qui sait se retrancher derrière d'ineffables mensonges, un charmant manipulateur qui a menti sciemment à sa mère pendant de nombreuses années, et qui n'hésite pas à jouer de ses belles paroles. A ce propos, certaines scènes sont juste adorablement drôles : il faut le voir broder autour du thème de la mort de son enfant (imaginaire) en face de la mère supérieure d'un couvent pour y croire ! La virtuosité de l'auteur, d'ailleurs, c'est, entre autre chose, de mêler, sans en avoir l'air, le rire, voire le grotesque, au drame, et certaines scènes m'ont fait passer du rire au larme en une fraction de seconde.
Pour de scène d'amour, elles restent très elliptiques, mais, encore une fois, cela ne m'a pas dérangée, car l’intérêt physique qui s'éveille et la passion sont bien là, exprimés différemment, à petites touches et d'une manière très subtile.
Encore une fois, des rires, des larmes, des instants d'épouvante (la guerre, encore, et les blessures physiques), des personnages secondaires, surtout dans la deuxième partie, qu'on a envie de serrer dans ses bras, bref des serrements de cœur à n'en plus finir, et une envie incontournable de tourner les pages. Et surtout, de ne jamais les quitter, ces héros ordinaires, ces magnifiques créatures...
J'avoue que je n'avais qu'une envie : attraper un autre roman de Carla Kelly et continuer sur ma lancée. Mais je me réserve...
Le Commandant Samuel Reed, Lord Laren, fait partie des vétérans durement éprouvés par ses cinq années de service sur la Péninsule ibérique. Il ne compte plus les batailles qu'il a menées aux côtés de ses hommes. La dernière, la bataille de Toulouse, a permis de mettre un terme (provisoire) à cette vie guerrière. Les plus chanceux d'entre eux sont de retour dans cette Angleterre si éloignée et si proche à la fois. Les blessés, dont il fait partie, et les mourants de son régiments sont accueillis, bien sommairement, dans une vieille église à Londres. Sam, très proche de ses hommes, refuse d'être cantonné dans les quartiers des officiers. Ce sera là, et pas ailleurs, dans cette puanteur glacial, qu'il se fera soigner d'une très douloureuse et dangereuse blessure à l'épaule.
Dans les beaux quartiers, la vie continue : Lydia a accompagné sa famille, de petits aristocrates issus de la gentry, pour promouvoir la beauté de sa sœur sur le marché matrimonial. Sa mère, un véritable dragon, la mène d'une main ferme : maltraitée, continuellement rabaissée, Lydia doit se plier à toutes ses exigences : c'est une sorte de Cendrillon, dotée d'une jeune sœur incroyablement stupide dont elle ne se fait pas faute de se moquer lors de ses nombreux discours intérieurs.
Or il est de bon ton, dans la bonne société londonienne, de se vanter d'avoir été rendre visite aux soldats survivants (mais le mouchoir parfumé collé au nez, et sans les toucher, tous ces individus hirsutes, puants et souffrants). C'est en accompagnant sa sœur que Lydia fera la connaissance du Commandant, en se mettant au service d'une cause à laquelle elle n'était pas du tout préparée.
Les ingrédients, qui font d'un roman de Carla Kelly un idéal moment de lecture, sont bien présents ici encore une fois, tricotés serrés dans un scénario riche, chaud et moelleux : une jeune femme honnie par sa famille va épouser un officier blessé. Simple? Eh bien non. Cette romantique aventure m'a fait littéralement fondre : l'évolution de Lydia est retracée avec maestria, une vraie bataille pour cette jeune femme étouffée par des années d'humiliation.
Quels héros, profonds et nuancés, brillants, courageux, et qui vont se révéler au fil des pages comme deux êtres que tout destinait à s'unir : des héros qui se parlent beaucoup, se poussent l'un l'autre au dépassement de soi, s'apprécient et s'admirent immédiatement. Quel talent pour communiquer empathie, tendresse, souffrances, joie et chaleur ! Le Commandant Reed est délectable, à la fois fort et autoritaire, et si vulnérable, tout en finesse et en intuition.Exactement le genre de héros qui me fait craquer : un héros imparfait, comme tout être de chair et de sang, qui a peur de la souffrance physique, qui sait se retrancher derrière d'ineffables mensonges, un charmant manipulateur qui a menti sciemment à sa mère pendant de nombreuses années, et qui n'hésite pas à jouer de ses belles paroles. A ce propos, certaines scènes sont juste adorablement drôles : il faut le voir broder autour du thème de la mort de son enfant (imaginaire) en face de la mère supérieure d'un couvent pour y croire ! La virtuosité de l'auteur, d'ailleurs, c'est, entre autre chose, de mêler, sans en avoir l'air, le rire, voire le grotesque, au drame, et certaines scènes m'ont fait passer du rire au larme en une fraction de seconde.
Pour de scène d'amour, elles restent très elliptiques, mais, encore une fois, cela ne m'a pas dérangée, car l’intérêt physique qui s'éveille et la passion sont bien là, exprimés différemment, à petites touches et d'une manière très subtile.
Encore une fois, des rires, des larmes, des instants d'épouvante (la guerre, encore, et les blessures physiques), des personnages secondaires, surtout dans la deuxième partie, qu'on a envie de serrer dans ses bras, bref des serrements de cœur à n'en plus finir, et une envie incontournable de tourner les pages. Et surtout, de ne jamais les quitter, ces héros ordinaires, ces magnifiques créatures...
J'avoue que je n'avais qu'une envie : attraper un autre roman de Carla Kelly et continuer sur ma lancée. Mais je me réserve...
March 16, 2019
Read this and other Reviews on Annie of Greener Gables
Book Title: With This Ring
Series: -
Author: Carla Kelly
Fiction/Non-Fiction: Fiction
Genre: Regency/Romance
Number of Pages: 308
Publisher: Smashwords
Date: 25 April – 28 April 2016
Rating: 4.4 Stars
I wonder, sir, will you become mine, or am I the means to an end?
I don’t even know how buying this book happened. One moment I barely had time to read the books I already have and am currently reading, and the next I am two ebooks richer – the other one being Reforming Lord Ragsdale by the same author. (I can’t wait to start reading that one!)
And here’s why I had to have this book. Well, several reasons. First of all, the title. Obviously, “with this ring I thee wed”. …right? Second of all, the description. He has to find a wife and she has to somehow make him love her. Third of all, I tend to over-romanticise these situations. I think, I could read thousands of books with the same and a similar plot and be happy with either an original or a repetitive end. Especially, when there is no cliché in there.
This novel was beyond wonderful considering all these aspects, and more. Also, there was social criticism, …
“I have it on good authority that [going to visit the wounded soldiers] is the high kick of fashion right now.”
(not that they were actually visiting, but cowardly gawking, while being utterly disgusted) …feminism, …
“Were such things not impossible, you would have made an eloquent advocate at the bar!”
…treatment of war veterans and treatment of human beings, …
“Do divulge your treatise delivered to soldiers and now wives.”
… “I would sit them down and tell them that I would never beat them, and that there was nothing we could not discuss.”
(this being a very positive to the other very negative examples in the novel) …self-reflection, …
I think I was never anyone before I was Mrs. Reed, she thought.
…and just a bit of Jane Austen, which had me laughing until I got used to it. Lydia and Kitty. The main characters name is Lydia. She is very responsible, she’s the older of two sisters, and at the beginning she has no self-confidence at all. Her father entirely lacks backbone. Her mother is overly engaged in finding a husband for her more beautiful second daughter, by the name of Kitty, who is annoyingly silly.
“You have no imagination. You never would have thought to faint, would you?”
Watching Lydia develop was probably the best part of the entire book. At first, I thought it a bit bumpy, too sudden, then too slow, but as the book developed, and I learned more about Lydia, it all made much more sense. The circumstances were, probably, a bit coincidental, but I wasn’t bothered by that, neither did it bother me that Sam seemed to develop such a good understanding of her even though he was often quite delirious by pain. I originally had a hard time understanding Lydia’s past, but I can certainly see her future now.
And that plot twist about the entire wife and baby lie!
This was an absolutely lovely, well-rounded (if only at the final page) read that I was very sad to let go of. I’m not saying that this one ended to soon, it was actually a pretty satisfying end, I just needed more Lydia and Sam in my life.
Rating
Idea: 4 Stars
Plot Development: 5 Stars
Pace: 5 Stars
Characters: 5 Stars
Quality of Writing: 4 Stars
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Insightfulness: 5 Stars
Cover/Photos/Illustrations: 3 Stars
Enjoyability/Personal Rating: 5 Stars
General Rating: 4 Stars
Book Title: With This Ring
Series: -
Author: Carla Kelly
Fiction/Non-Fiction: Fiction
Genre: Regency/Romance
Number of Pages: 308
Publisher: Smashwords
Date: 25 April – 28 April 2016
Rating: 4.4 Stars
I wonder, sir, will you become mine, or am I the means to an end?
I don’t even know how buying this book happened. One moment I barely had time to read the books I already have and am currently reading, and the next I am two ebooks richer – the other one being Reforming Lord Ragsdale by the same author. (I can’t wait to start reading that one!)
And here’s why I had to have this book. Well, several reasons. First of all, the title. Obviously, “with this ring I thee wed”. …right? Second of all, the description. He has to find a wife and she has to somehow make him love her. Third of all, I tend to over-romanticise these situations. I think, I could read thousands of books with the same and a similar plot and be happy with either an original or a repetitive end. Especially, when there is no cliché in there.
This novel was beyond wonderful considering all these aspects, and more. Also, there was social criticism, …
“I have it on good authority that [going to visit the wounded soldiers] is the high kick of fashion right now.”
(not that they were actually visiting, but cowardly gawking, while being utterly disgusted) …feminism, …
“Were such things not impossible, you would have made an eloquent advocate at the bar!”
…treatment of war veterans and treatment of human beings, …
“Do divulge your treatise delivered to soldiers and now wives.”
… “I would sit them down and tell them that I would never beat them, and that there was nothing we could not discuss.”
(this being a very positive to the other very negative examples in the novel) …self-reflection, …
I think I was never anyone before I was Mrs. Reed, she thought.
…and just a bit of Jane Austen, which had me laughing until I got used to it. Lydia and Kitty. The main characters name is Lydia. She is very responsible, she’s the older of two sisters, and at the beginning she has no self-confidence at all. Her father entirely lacks backbone. Her mother is overly engaged in finding a husband for her more beautiful second daughter, by the name of Kitty, who is annoyingly silly.
“You have no imagination. You never would have thought to faint, would you?”
Watching Lydia develop was probably the best part of the entire book. At first, I thought it a bit bumpy, too sudden, then too slow, but as the book developed, and I learned more about Lydia, it all made much more sense. The circumstances were, probably, a bit coincidental, but I wasn’t bothered by that, neither did it bother me that Sam seemed to develop such a good understanding of her even though he was often quite delirious by pain. I originally had a hard time understanding Lydia’s past, but I can certainly see her future now.
And that plot twist about the entire wife and baby lie!
This was an absolutely lovely, well-rounded (if only at the final page) read that I was very sad to let go of. I’m not saying that this one ended to soon, it was actually a pretty satisfying end, I just needed more Lydia and Sam in my life.
Rating
Idea: 4 Stars
Plot Development: 5 Stars
Pace: 5 Stars
Characters: 5 Stars
Quality of Writing: 4 Stars
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Insightfulness: 5 Stars
Cover/Photos/Illustrations: 3 Stars
Enjoyability/Personal Rating: 5 Stars
General Rating: 4 Stars
September 27, 2025
Something new for me from my favorite author, Carla Kelly: the new & improved, beautiful cover version of “With This Ring” from Camel Press. (I really dislike the old cheesy covers from some of the oldies, so I wait to buy/replace the older versions when they come out. Just a quirk – I like my bookshelves looking good!)
I liked this one! I thought the characters were well developed and the plot kept my attention. I cared about them from chapter 1.
Seemingly washed-up (in her mother’s opinion, anyway) 22-yr. old Lydia Perkins, is existing in a dysfunctional family where the focus is her silly younger sister’s ton season, and her silly mother’s obsession with said season. Mother and daughters stoop to visiting injured and dying soldiers that have returned from the Battle of Toulouse that are being housed at St. Barnabas Church. For silly mother and silly daughter, the point is to ‘be seen’ by the ton as they pay their respects to the sad soldiers. Of course it is torture for Miss Perfect and her mother, but Lydia on the other hand, is touched to the core by the suffering of these brave warriors.
Silly mother & daughter leave ASAP, but Lydia takes off her hat and offers help and comfort to all. She meets the gallant, but seriously injured leader of the soldiers, Major Sam Reed. Day after day she returns to help in any way she can. It is not a pretty or happy place.
Not long after this, Lydia is forced to leave her silly family and ventures out into the wild on her own. She and Sam Reed connect in a most unusual way. He begs her to become his wife so that he can make a concocted story of his “marriage” come to life, all before he returns home to his mother and rich aunt. After all, she's not doing anything else important so why not! The trip home for Sam, also known as Lord Laren, turns into quite an adventure…
The hospital parts of the story were difficult, tragic and frustrating. It depicted the actuality of the situation. However, there were other parts that were pretty funny: the scene at St. Catherine’s Home was hilarious! And I thought General Thomas Picton (a real person) was a hoot! I’m sorry we didn’t get a better look at his wife, who obviously had to be quite a character too!
Carla Kelly just hooks me and pulls me through just about everything she writes. I love the banter that lots of her characters spar with. She gives her female main characters a strength that is not very common in Regency England due to the rules & regulations of the time. “With This Ring” is another winner that joins the other 30+ Carla Kelly books in my personal library.
Upon my second reading in 2025, I will boost this to 4 1/2 stars.
I liked this one! I thought the characters were well developed and the plot kept my attention. I cared about them from chapter 1.
Seemingly washed-up (in her mother’s opinion, anyway) 22-yr. old Lydia Perkins, is existing in a dysfunctional family where the focus is her silly younger sister’s ton season, and her silly mother’s obsession with said season. Mother and daughters stoop to visiting injured and dying soldiers that have returned from the Battle of Toulouse that are being housed at St. Barnabas Church. For silly mother and silly daughter, the point is to ‘be seen’ by the ton as they pay their respects to the sad soldiers. Of course it is torture for Miss Perfect and her mother, but Lydia on the other hand, is touched to the core by the suffering of these brave warriors.
Silly mother & daughter leave ASAP, but Lydia takes off her hat and offers help and comfort to all. She meets the gallant, but seriously injured leader of the soldiers, Major Sam Reed. Day after day she returns to help in any way she can. It is not a pretty or happy place.
Not long after this, Lydia is forced to leave her silly family and ventures out into the wild on her own. She and Sam Reed connect in a most unusual way. He begs her to become his wife so that he can make a concocted story of his “marriage” come to life, all before he returns home to his mother and rich aunt. After all, she's not doing anything else important so why not! The trip home for Sam, also known as Lord Laren, turns into quite an adventure…
The hospital parts of the story were difficult, tragic and frustrating. It depicted the actuality of the situation. However, there were other parts that were pretty funny: the scene at St. Catherine’s Home was hilarious! And I thought General Thomas Picton (a real person) was a hoot! I’m sorry we didn’t get a better look at his wife, who obviously had to be quite a character too!
Carla Kelly just hooks me and pulls me through just about everything she writes. I love the banter that lots of her characters spar with. She gives her female main characters a strength that is not very common in Regency England due to the rules & regulations of the time. “With This Ring” is another winner that joins the other 30+ Carla Kelly books in my personal library.
Upon my second reading in 2025, I will boost this to 4 1/2 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews