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Watch the Wall, My Darling
The title comes from "A Smuggler's Song" by Rudyard Kipling:
Five and twenty ponies,
Trotting through the dark
Brandy for the Parson,
'Baccy for the Clerk;
Laces for a lady; letters for a spy,
And watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!
The carriage that was rolling swiftly along the rainy English marsh on the road from London suddenly stopped. A barricade blocked the way. Dark figures surrounded them. Christina had no time to cry out as strong arms caught her from behind. A hand covered her mouth. She bit it as hard as she could.
She looked up at the tall, masked stranger, and a mysterious, frightening sensation swept over her. Those fiery brown eyes gazed at her in a way she had never known before ...
Five and twenty ponies,
Trotting through the dark
Brandy for the Parson,
'Baccy for the Clerk;
Laces for a lady; letters for a spy,
And watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!
The carriage that was rolling swiftly along the rainy English marsh on the road from London suddenly stopped. A barricade blocked the way. Dark figures surrounded them. Christina had no time to cry out as strong arms caught her from behind. A hand covered her mouth. She bit it as hard as she could.
She looked up at the tall, masked stranger, and a mysterious, frightening sensation swept over her. Those fiery brown eyes gazed at her in a way she had never known before ...
1968 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
93 people are currently reading
1551 people want to read
About the author
Jane Aiken Hodge
54 books82 followersJane Aiken Hodge was born in the USA, brought up in the UK and read English at Oxford. She received a master's degree from Radcliffe College, Harvard University.
Before her books became her living she worked as a civil servant, journalist, publishers' reader and a reviewer.
She has written lives of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer as well as a book about women in the Regency period, PASSION AND PRINCIPLE. But her main output has been over twenty historical novels set in the eighteenth century, including POLONAISE, THE LOST GARDEN, and SAVANNAH PURCHASE, the beloved third volume of a trilogy set during and after the American War of Independence. More recently she has written novels for Severn House Publishers.
She enjoys the borderland between mystery and novel, is pleased to be classed as a feminist writer, and is glad that there is neither a glass ceiling nor a retiring age in the writers' world. She was the daughter of Conrad Aiken and sister of Joan Aiken.
Before her books became her living she worked as a civil servant, journalist, publishers' reader and a reviewer.
She has written lives of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer as well as a book about women in the Regency period, PASSION AND PRINCIPLE. But her main output has been over twenty historical novels set in the eighteenth century, including POLONAISE, THE LOST GARDEN, and SAVANNAH PURCHASE, the beloved third volume of a trilogy set during and after the American War of Independence. More recently she has written novels for Severn House Publishers.
She enjoys the borderland between mystery and novel, is pleased to be classed as a feminist writer, and is glad that there is neither a glass ceiling nor a retiring age in the writers' world. She was the daughter of Conrad Aiken and sister of Joan Aiken.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
December 30, 2018
I was going to be clever and in my review compare the prospective of reading of this book between my young self and my fifty-year-older self. (Whoa, how the heck did that happen) Um, no. Just about every other reviewer has done so.
Obviously curiosity was one of the main motivators in rereading Watch the Wall, My Darling (WtW,MD), along with a strong remembered fondness. When I was trying to reconstruct my reading history for Goodreads, Jane Aiken Hodge (JAH) was one of the first authors I pulled up, and WtW,MD one book that I remembered adoring.
I am thrilled to say I have no reason to make fun of my twelve year old self. I still love it.
A young American woman, Christina Tretton, travels to the wild harsh coast of Sussex, England where smugglers hold sway and the marsh people who eke out a hard existence live under the fear of the smugglers and threat of invasion from Bonaparte. She is there to meet her grandfather and to make peace with him, since her father who recently died had escaped the old man's iron rule.
It is currently 91 degrees out and I want to huddle under blankets, and put on every light in the house due to JAH's descriptive powers. No basement to scream warnings about, Just a gloomy seaside house, Tretteign Grange, with cloisters open to the sky and with hidden rooms.
Her characters are so finely drawn that I could tell you most everything about them including everything JAH didn't even get to describing. I realize now one of the characters is most likely gay, but fifty years ago she couldn't write that in a Regency and I was mostly too dumb to understand. However it was an important part of the story, not her strike for LGBT rights.
The story, the romance, is mostly satisfying. Of course I wish it was just a bit hotter, but then I wished that fifty years ago too.
I highly recommend this to new readers. I really needed a break after the books I've read this week, as much as I loved them. (This has been a great week for reading). It was just nice to sit back with a mostly relaxing book. It certainly did have times of suspense, but with these older books you always know all will come well in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC and a chance to return in time, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Obviously curiosity was one of the main motivators in rereading Watch the Wall, My Darling (WtW,MD), along with a strong remembered fondness. When I was trying to reconstruct my reading history for Goodreads, Jane Aiken Hodge (JAH) was one of the first authors I pulled up, and WtW,MD one book that I remembered adoring.
I am thrilled to say I have no reason to make fun of my twelve year old self. I still love it.
A young American woman, Christina Tretton, travels to the wild harsh coast of Sussex, England where smugglers hold sway and the marsh people who eke out a hard existence live under the fear of the smugglers and threat of invasion from Bonaparte. She is there to meet her grandfather and to make peace with him, since her father who recently died had escaped the old man's iron rule.
It is currently 91 degrees out and I want to huddle under blankets, and put on every light in the house due to JAH's descriptive powers. No basement to scream warnings about, Just a gloomy seaside house, Tretteign Grange, with cloisters open to the sky and with hidden rooms.
Her characters are so finely drawn that I could tell you most everything about them including everything JAH didn't even get to describing. I realize now one of the characters is most likely gay, but fifty years ago she couldn't write that in a Regency and I was mostly too dumb to understand. However it was an important part of the story, not her strike for LGBT rights.
The story, the romance, is mostly satisfying. Of course I wish it was just a bit hotter, but then I wished that fifty years ago too.
I highly recommend this to new readers. I really needed a break after the books I've read this week, as much as I loved them. (This has been a great week for reading). It was just nice to sit back with a mostly relaxing book. It certainly did have times of suspense, but with these older books you always know all will come well in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC and a chance to return in time, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
September 8, 2020
A pretty good romance read, Watch the Wall, My Dar!ing, is almost too chaste. The heroine is strong and capable, but her hero is so uninterested, that it is quite annoying. He, Ross, does not have a great role to play and I often wondered what Christina sees in him.
She arrives unexpectedly from America to her estranged grandfather's estate on the coast of England. Christina is not embraced at first and has to prove her kinship and her worth to the family. She soon has them all in her thrall as she takes over as a housekeeper and saves money for her cantankerous grandfather. Ross is the illegitimate child of two of her in laws. He manages the estate and does smuggling on the side. He hates women, as his mother had an affair with her brother-in-law to begat him and she's sort of a ninny too.
Anyhoo, many adventures later, Ross learns that he has been a fool. It sure took him a while, too long if you ask me.
She arrives unexpectedly from America to her estranged grandfather's estate on the coast of England. Christina is not embraced at first and has to prove her kinship and her worth to the family. She soon has them all in her thrall as she takes over as a housekeeper and saves money for her cantankerous grandfather. Ross is the illegitimate child of two of her in laws. He manages the estate and does smuggling on the side. He hates women, as his mother had an affair with her brother-in-law to begat him and she's sort of a ninny too.
Anyhoo, many adventures later, Ross learns that he has been a fool. It sure took him a while, too long if you ask me.
September 3, 2016
I have no issue with the style of writing, which is adequate, or the historical setting, which is extremely convincing. What I could not abide was the personal story between the protagonists and secondary characters. Too many abrupt about-faces, where a character just veers 180 degrees in personality overnight with no plausible explanation. Too much of a martyr syndrome in the heroine. And a very predictable and disappointing "twist" ending.
It is the early 1800s. Napoleon and Josephine's reign is triumphant. England, particularly the regions on the coast, is frantic, expecting an invasion any minute. Smugglers and spies abound, some pushed by hunger, others by greed, rebellion, or pursuit of power. It is in this hotbed that our American heroine lands, to meet the family that disinherited her father upon his marriage with a French woman.
The book begins with quite a lot of excitement, as Christina is held hostage at night on her way to her grandfather's manor by a band of ruthless smugglers who grope and threaten her. Only to find out the next morning that her own cousin, Ross, is their Captain. An unforeseen intimacy ignites between them, spurred on by Gramps, who hopes to force them into marriage through his will.
Problem is, Ross has no feelings at all for Chris except as one might have towards an amusing acquaintance. He has contempt for the entire female gender (mommy issues) and prefers to style himself as some sort of romantic figure fighting against old Boney's threats and saving his country and his people from being sentenced to a lifetime of Napoleon pastries rather than Beef Wellington.
Ross is a terrible "hero." He honestly has no redeeming qualities that I can see. Foolhardy, uncaring of the safety and reputation of others in his vain pursuit of glory, quite cruelly callous to Christina's obvious feelings for him, yet falling head over heels for her flighty, younger sister. He thinks nothing of breaking the convenient betrothal with Christina, then publically and quite pathetically pursuing her sister to Christina's complete humiliation, then changing his mind again when little sister turns out to be a hysterical shrew, and deciding he is now head over heels for Christina, the only woman he can respect. Excuse me if I don't believe in an HEA to be shared by a monumentally inconsistent, self-centered, foolish fop.
Yet Christina is no better as a heroine, at least for me, because there is nothing I detest more than doormat-martyr heroines. Christina, with her devotion to become housekeeper, nurse, savior, and even intrepid action-hero in a nest of snakes who neither deserve her attention nor do they like it, had me contemplating the empty-headed little sister as the more sympathetic character.
Apart from these issues, there were long stretches of time in the book that were dreary and tedious, with little action, and uninteresting dialogue. The book picks up a bit towards the end, presenting us with an implausible suspense mini-plot designed to conveniently allow the hero to rescue his damsel like a white knight.
The ending of the book, with Christina doing her Big Reveal that the reader had guessed at from the first couple of chapters, is a Big Nothing.
My money on Ross cheating on Christina with her sister (or some other frilly OW) within six months of their "lurve" match.
It is the early 1800s. Napoleon and Josephine's reign is triumphant. England, particularly the regions on the coast, is frantic, expecting an invasion any minute. Smugglers and spies abound, some pushed by hunger, others by greed, rebellion, or pursuit of power. It is in this hotbed that our American heroine lands, to meet the family that disinherited her father upon his marriage with a French woman.
The book begins with quite a lot of excitement, as Christina is held hostage at night on her way to her grandfather's manor by a band of ruthless smugglers who grope and threaten her. Only to find out the next morning that her own cousin, Ross, is their Captain. An unforeseen intimacy ignites between them, spurred on by Gramps, who hopes to force them into marriage through his will.
Problem is, Ross has no feelings at all for Chris except as one might have towards an amusing acquaintance. He has contempt for the entire female gender (mommy issues) and prefers to style himself as some sort of romantic figure fighting against old Boney's threats and saving his country and his people from being sentenced to a lifetime of Napoleon pastries rather than Beef Wellington.
Ross is a terrible "hero." He honestly has no redeeming qualities that I can see. Foolhardy, uncaring of the safety and reputation of others in his vain pursuit of glory, quite cruelly callous to Christina's obvious feelings for him, yet falling head over heels for her flighty, younger sister. He thinks nothing of breaking the convenient betrothal with Christina, then publically and quite pathetically pursuing her sister to Christina's complete humiliation, then changing his mind again when little sister turns out to be a hysterical shrew, and deciding he is now head over heels for Christina, the only woman he can respect. Excuse me if I don't believe in an HEA to be shared by a monumentally inconsistent, self-centered, foolish fop.
Yet Christina is no better as a heroine, at least for me, because there is nothing I detest more than doormat-martyr heroines. Christina, with her devotion to become housekeeper, nurse, savior, and even intrepid action-hero in a nest of snakes who neither deserve her attention nor do they like it, had me contemplating the empty-headed little sister as the more sympathetic character.
Apart from these issues, there were long stretches of time in the book that were dreary and tedious, with little action, and uninteresting dialogue. The book picks up a bit towards the end, presenting us with an implausible suspense mini-plot designed to conveniently allow the hero to rescue his damsel like a white knight.
The ending of the book, with Christina doing her Big Reveal that the reader had guessed at from the first couple of chapters, is a Big Nothing.
My money on Ross cheating on Christina with her sister (or some other frilly OW) within six months of their "lurve" match.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2016
A fun re-read, a solid 4 for me at this time of my life, I liked it better in memory than in reality. I cannot imagine my newly-minted adolescent self appreciated the author throwing so many impediments between the hero and the heroine, but I had less to compare it to then. I appreciated the setting and the historical frame of the story, but am amazed how grudgingly she gave us any romantic pay-off. Well written, as most books with the name "Aiken" are, must be in their DNA. Very quick and enjoyable read, may have suffered a bit from being read in conjunction with Mary Stewart. It is certainly better than most historical romantic suspense on the market. I think the title always draws me in, makes me think of something more or other happening than occurs in the book. More Daniel Day-Lewis embracing Madeleine Stowe on the walls of the fort in The Last of the Mohicans than squelching through the marshes of Sussex in stocking feet. I enjoyed it, but probably my 13-year old self was more easily pleased. Glad to have found Jane Aiken Hodge on Kindle, and intend to keep reading and re-reading her this year.
June 20, 2017
Watch the Wall,My Darling was originally published in 1966.
Should we judge books by their cover? I've heard we should not but I do anyway. This cover really drew me in. This is a suspenseful historical gothic romance. The suspense really built up for me and I wasn't sure what to expect in this darkly atmospheric book.
Pub Date 23 Jan 2014
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Reader for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.
Should we judge books by their cover? I've heard we should not but I do anyway. This cover really drew me in. This is a suspenseful historical gothic romance. The suspense really built up for me and I wasn't sure what to expect in this darkly atmospheric book.
Pub Date 23 Jan 2014
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Reader for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 9, 2011
Although billed as a gothic, there really wasn't much of the gothic about this story set during the Napoleonic Wars.
Better then average writing for this genre, but the story felt too modern to have taken place in the early 1800's, and I wasn't much impressed with the hero or the romance.
OK overall. Hence the 2-stars. Would try more by Hodge to see if this book is just a one-off.
Better then average writing for this genre, but the story felt too modern to have taken place in the early 1800's, and I wasn't much impressed with the hero or the romance.
OK overall. Hence the 2-stars. Would try more by Hodge to see if this book is just a one-off.
April 6, 2010
My favorite JAH book. I first read this as a teenager and have read it several times since. The whole historical romance, spys and fear of "Boney" invading England are a favorite theme for me. Jane Aiken Hodge wrote so many good books, weaving real people and facts into her stories. She passed away in 2009, and I have read her books so often, I feel like I lost a friend, though I obviously never met her.
August 9, 2017
This was entirely delightful. I've never read anything by Jane Aiken Hodge, although I've read The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by her sister, Joan.
I finally broke down and bought this book for the kindle after reading my second Phyllis Whitney reissue, Black Amber, which I've not yet reviewed over here, but which I actually enjoyed even more than Hunter's Green. This book continually popped up in my also boughts, so I've been eyeing it for a couple of years.
And, oh my, how delicious it was! The heroine, Christina Tretton, lately of backwoods America, currently of Dark House in Cornwall, was wonderful. Independent, capable, and handy with a pistol. The hero, Ross Tretteign, born on the right side of the blanket, but everyone knows that he's a cuckoo in the family nest, is a bit swoony, a patriot, smuggler, 100% masculine.
The book is set during the Napoleonic wars, when Boney is threatening an invasion. There's lots of midnight ramblings, a bullying grandfather, a silly French girl who nearly proves Ross's undoing, a neurotic mother, and a French spy.
There are no supernatural overtones to this one, just a good old-fashioned historical romance set in the marshlands, with a wonderful, strong heroine who is most emphatically not TSTL and who is resourceful and fully capable of rescuing herself. One of the most enjoyable books I've read this year, frankly, and quite a surprise.
I finally broke down and bought this book for the kindle after reading my second Phyllis Whitney reissue, Black Amber, which I've not yet reviewed over here, but which I actually enjoyed even more than Hunter's Green. This book continually popped up in my also boughts, so I've been eyeing it for a couple of years.
And, oh my, how delicious it was! The heroine, Christina Tretton, lately of backwoods America, currently of Dark House in Cornwall, was wonderful. Independent, capable, and handy with a pistol. The hero, Ross Tretteign, born on the right side of the blanket, but everyone knows that he's a cuckoo in the family nest, is a bit swoony, a patriot, smuggler, 100% masculine.
The book is set during the Napoleonic wars, when Boney is threatening an invasion. There's lots of midnight ramblings, a bullying grandfather, a silly French girl who nearly proves Ross's undoing, a neurotic mother, and a French spy.
There are no supernatural overtones to this one, just a good old-fashioned historical romance set in the marshlands, with a wonderful, strong heroine who is most emphatically not TSTL and who is resourceful and fully capable of rescuing herself. One of the most enjoyable books I've read this year, frankly, and quite a surprise.
September 21, 2011
A too-perfect heroine surrounded by two-dimensional cast of characters. The reason is easlily explained. When all other characters are self-centered, uncompetent, unreasonable and shrill, the only character who is not all that can't help but look god-like.
The element of intrigue is adequate, but the attempt on romantic front fails miserably. First and foremost, I just don't see what Christina sees in Ross. Second, the way that the author creates a competition for the hero's heart at very late in the story makes his intellect, judgment and loyalty even more questionable - not that they're remotely admirable in the first place.
The element of intrigue is adequate, but the attempt on romantic front fails miserably. First and foremost, I just don't see what Christina sees in Ross. Second, the way that the author creates a competition for the hero's heart at very late in the story makes his intellect, judgment and loyalty even more questionable - not that they're remotely admirable in the first place.
August 3, 2016
I had never heard of Watch the Wall, My Darling until it started appearing in my recommendations on Goodreads, and with such an intriguing title I knew it was a book I would have to consider reading eventually! First published in 1966, it seems to be out of print now in paperback or hardback format, but used copies are available and an ebook version has also been released.
Watch the Wall, My Darling is a gothic romantic suspense novel set on the south-east coast of England during the Napoleonic Wars. As the story begins, Christina Tretton, a young American woman whose father has recently died, is returning to her family’s ancestral home, Tretteign Grange. After encountering a gang of smugglers on the journey, Christina arrives at the Grange – also known as the Dark House – and is met by her Aunt Verity, her invalid grandfather and her handsome cousin, Ross.
Settling into her new home, Christina quickly takes control of the management of the house and the servants. Impressed with his granddaughter, old Mr Tretteign decides to change his will and leave the Grange to Christina – on the condition that she must marry either Ross or her other cousin, Richard. Christina insists that she has no intention of marrying either of them, but her two cousins, who each have their own reasons for wanting the Grange, have other ideas. Despite herself, she finds herself drawn to Ross, but soon discovers that he is involved in something very dangerous – and with England expecting a French invasion at any moment, the lives of everyone at the Dark House could be at risk.
I enjoyed this book – it was a fun, undemanding read with plenty of adventure and intrigue and a touch of romance. I kept being reminded of Daphne du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn, Georgette Heyer’s Cousin Kate and Mary Stewart’s Nine Coaches Waiting, though this is not as well written or memorable as any of those, in my opinion. The historical background didn’t feel particularly strong and Christina felt more like a woman of the 1960s than the 1800s, while I didn’t find Ross quite as fascinating and attractive as she did. The introduction of two new characters towards the end of the book didn’t really add anything to the story either. Still, with smugglers, soldiers and spies, a crumbling abbey believed to be haunted, family secrets and an inheritance to be decided, there was more than enough to keep me happy!
And if you’re wondering, the title comes from a poem by Rudyard Kipling called A Smuggler’s Song:
"Five and twenty ponies
Trotting through the dark
Brandy for the parson,
'Baccy for the clerk;
Laces for a lady; letters for a spy,
And watch the wall, my darling, while the gentlemen go by!"
Watch the Wall, My Darling is a gothic romantic suspense novel set on the south-east coast of England during the Napoleonic Wars. As the story begins, Christina Tretton, a young American woman whose father has recently died, is returning to her family’s ancestral home, Tretteign Grange. After encountering a gang of smugglers on the journey, Christina arrives at the Grange – also known as the Dark House – and is met by her Aunt Verity, her invalid grandfather and her handsome cousin, Ross.
Settling into her new home, Christina quickly takes control of the management of the house and the servants. Impressed with his granddaughter, old Mr Tretteign decides to change his will and leave the Grange to Christina – on the condition that she must marry either Ross or her other cousin, Richard. Christina insists that she has no intention of marrying either of them, but her two cousins, who each have their own reasons for wanting the Grange, have other ideas. Despite herself, she finds herself drawn to Ross, but soon discovers that he is involved in something very dangerous – and with England expecting a French invasion at any moment, the lives of everyone at the Dark House could be at risk.
I enjoyed this book – it was a fun, undemanding read with plenty of adventure and intrigue and a touch of romance. I kept being reminded of Daphne du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn, Georgette Heyer’s Cousin Kate and Mary Stewart’s Nine Coaches Waiting, though this is not as well written or memorable as any of those, in my opinion. The historical background didn’t feel particularly strong and Christina felt more like a woman of the 1960s than the 1800s, while I didn’t find Ross quite as fascinating and attractive as she did. The introduction of two new characters towards the end of the book didn’t really add anything to the story either. Still, with smugglers, soldiers and spies, a crumbling abbey believed to be haunted, family secrets and an inheritance to be decided, there was more than enough to keep me happy!
And if you’re wondering, the title comes from a poem by Rudyard Kipling called A Smuggler’s Song:
"Five and twenty ponies
Trotting through the dark
Brandy for the parson,
'Baccy for the clerk;
Laces for a lady; letters for a spy,
And watch the wall, my darling, while the gentlemen go by!"
January 17, 2017
Well it certainly wasn't a gothic romance (at all) the only thing dark about it was the house , always referred to as "The Dark House" but it turned out to be a pretty good read. I love when the hero feels he's in love with someone else (on account of her beauty) then discovers there's no depth of character , and ends up truly caring for the woman that blends in with the wall (so to speak). I flew through the last few chapters , I wish the whole book was more like that........action!
I would have loved an epilogue....something! The 4 stars are mainly for the last quarter of the book.
I would have loved an epilogue....something! The 4 stars are mainly for the last quarter of the book.
December 15, 2011
I have read and re-read this book so many times that my copy has now fallen to pieces (does anyone know if its available as an ebook?)
I fall in love with Ross every time. I want to be Christina.
I fall in love with Ross every time. I want to be Christina.
March 30, 2017
This author was truly talented and I am so happy that her books have been brought out in ebook form to be forever cherished. This is gothic romance at the highest level.
May 14, 2016
I believe this is my first experience with Joan Aiken Hodge. Based on this novel, I'd possibly try more of her work, but I'd manage my expectations. Watch the Wall, My Darling is passable. Elements of it are predictable, but I could have overlooked that if the romance had been more satisfying. As it was, the hero irritated me, sometimes coming across as a fickle fool, and the heroine was a little too good to be true (wise, clever, attractive, infinitely capable, etc.). The action sequence near the end of the book was entertaining, but the romance-- the meat of the novel-- left me chilly and unimpressed.
Specifics:
--I didn't realize the title was a reference to a poem about smugglers, so I finished the book wondering what on earth that was all about. I mean, the hero never told Christina to "watch the wall"-- what wall? But now that all makes sense, at least...
--The fact that the heroine is American was an interesting twist-- all the more so once I read the brief author bio at the back of the book, where we learn that she was born in America, moved to the UK as a young child, and eventually renounced her American citizenship.
--The scene in which Christina assists Ross
--I've just finished watching the first season of the latest remake of Poldark, so the fact that, early on, two characters named Ross and Verity are introduced was a little jarring.
--I guess that at least all those readers who complain about books with romances between first cousins will
--We hear about Christina's height so often that I wonder how tall she's supposed to be. Her being tall is fine, of course. What did annoy me was that someone so sensitive about her own height (because it was more fashionable to be petite) would so frequently comment on/think about the fact that her cousin Richard is a short man.
Examples:
"'I am so angry, I could...' She saw him flinch. 'Don't worry, Cousin, I would never hit someone smaller than myself.'"
"Exert her full strength, laugh at him, half a head below her there, as she longed to do-- and he would hate her."
--Though it was never going to be a favorite of mine, the place the novel loses major points with me is when Ross
--I don't know if we're supposed to actively dislike Sophie (Christina's sister), but I do. Want an example of why? They're about to go exploring the grange, and Ross comments that her slippers are unsuitable for the mud. "She put a tiny foot on the bottom stair and looked down at it reflectively. 'They're pretty, are they not? I brought you a pair, Tina, from Paris. I bought them three sizes larger than mine. I do hope they will be right.'" ...Wow. What a sweet, lovely girl!
--It seems extremely odd that Christina's family would've just split up like that-- especially back in those days. Anything's possible, but that wouldn't have been a common occurrence.
--Ross' habit
--As annoying as Sophie is, it's still a little shocking that
--"I've worked for it, and that's what makes you love something."
--"It's been shill-I, shall-I long enough." Huh! I never knew that "shilly-shally" came from "shill-I, shall-I"! I'd never heard/seen that version of it before this.
--As if his wishy-washiness and *eyeroll* What a great romantic hero.
--I don't quite "get" the punchline at the very end. Meh. Anyway, that "joke" fell flat for me, and I'm still not sure I'm not missing something...
--I've seen a couple of reviewers say that this is the author's best, which is not encouraging, since I wasn't enthralled. I might try another of her books, someday, but I'm not in a big rush.
Specifics:
--I didn't realize the title was a reference to a poem about smugglers, so I finished the book wondering what on earth that was all about. I mean, the hero never told Christina to "watch the wall"-- what wall? But now that all makes sense, at least...
--The fact that the heroine is American was an interesting twist-- all the more so once I read the brief author bio at the back of the book, where we learn that she was born in America, moved to the UK as a young child, and eventually renounced her American citizenship.
--The scene in which Christina assists Ross
--I've just finished watching the first season of the latest remake of Poldark, so the fact that, early on, two characters named Ross and Verity are introduced was a little jarring.
--I guess that at least all those readers who complain about books with romances between first cousins will
--We hear about Christina's height so often that I wonder how tall she's supposed to be. Her being tall is fine, of course. What did annoy me was that someone so sensitive about her own height (because it was more fashionable to be petite) would so frequently comment on/think about the fact that her cousin Richard is a short man.
Examples:
"'I am so angry, I could...' She saw him flinch. 'Don't worry, Cousin, I would never hit someone smaller than myself.'"
"Exert her full strength, laugh at him, half a head below her there, as she longed to do-- and he would hate her."
--Though it was never going to be a favorite of mine, the place the novel loses major points with me is when Ross
--I don't know if we're supposed to actively dislike Sophie (Christina's sister), but I do. Want an example of why? They're about to go exploring the grange, and Ross comments that her slippers are unsuitable for the mud. "She put a tiny foot on the bottom stair and looked down at it reflectively. 'They're pretty, are they not? I brought you a pair, Tina, from Paris. I bought them three sizes larger than mine. I do hope they will be right.'" ...Wow. What a sweet, lovely girl!
--It seems extremely odd that Christina's family would've just split up like that-- especially back in those days. Anything's possible, but that wouldn't have been a common occurrence.
--Ross' habit
--As annoying as Sophie is, it's still a little shocking that
--"I've worked for it, and that's what makes you love something."
--"It's been shill-I, shall-I long enough." Huh! I never knew that "shilly-shally" came from "shill-I, shall-I"! I'd never heard/seen that version of it before this.
--As if his wishy-washiness and *eyeroll* What a great romantic hero.
--I don't quite "get" the punchline at the very end. Meh. Anyway, that "joke" fell flat for me, and I'm still not sure I'm not missing something...
--I've seen a couple of reviewers say that this is the author's best, which is not encouraging, since I wasn't enthralled. I might try another of her books, someday, but I'm not in a big rush.
November 5, 2012
This story had many gothic elements that I enjoyed - the dark ancestral home, Tretteign Grange, on Romney Marsh near the coast of England, once an abbey and now considered to be haunted; a resourceful heroine come from America to meet the grandfather she's never known because she promised her father on his deathbed she would; and as the title suggests, smuggler's are lurking about while everyone worries about Napoleon's next move.
Set in the late 19th centery, this novel was predictable but pleasantly so as I'm sure I wouldn't be happy if it turned out any other way. I truly enjoyed Christina Tretton's no-nonsense attitude and her deft handling of her bullying grandfather; her high-handed, silly aunt and her devil-may-care cousin and love interest, Ross. The conversations between Christina and Ross were believable and lively. I found myself smiling at their banter with eachother. I was also very much amused by the fact that Christina had to be kidnapped and nearly killed before Ross, who in a day did a lifetime's worth of thinking and came to the realization that she was the one he needed, confessing that it was only when he found her missing and thought he'd never see her again that this suddenly became quite clear to him.
A fun, light-hearted read that proved very satisfying.
Set in the late 19th centery, this novel was predictable but pleasantly so as I'm sure I wouldn't be happy if it turned out any other way. I truly enjoyed Christina Tretton's no-nonsense attitude and her deft handling of her bullying grandfather; her high-handed, silly aunt and her devil-may-care cousin and love interest, Ross. The conversations between Christina and Ross were believable and lively. I found myself smiling at their banter with eachother. I was also very much amused by the fact that Christina had to be kidnapped and nearly killed before Ross, who in a day did a lifetime's worth of thinking and came to the realization that she was the one he needed, confessing that it was only when he found her missing and thought he'd never see her again that this suddenly became quite clear to him.
A fun, light-hearted read that proved very satisfying.
May 21, 2016
Christina Tretton comes back to her family estate after being born and raised in the savage new world of the American wilderness. In an Indian conflict, her father is mortally wounded in the rugged frontier backwoods and his dying wish is that she return to the austere, dark abbey on the marshes of Sussex. This sets the stage for a fascinating tale of smuggling, ambiguous characters and relationships, and heroic courage on the part of Christina.
I have been casting about for a couple of years to find SOMEONE whose writing style approaches the quality, verve, and piquancy of Georgette Heyer -- lo and behold, here is Jane Aiken Hodge. I have already ordered two more of her books. I enjoyed very much the language--so deeply British, thank you. And the sense of place was outstanding -- I really felt the salt sea air and the marsh grasses underfoot.
I found a couple of misspellings, but I'll fault the editors (not Hodge) .... for example, instead of the word "salver," the word slaver (what is that?) was used. But I can get past these speed-bumps fairly easily. The only other thing that grated on me a bit was the mental (testosterone-induced?) density of Christina's love interest, Ross ... I mean, he falls for her prettier younger sister, even briefly? What a blockhead. But the longsuffering Chris--well, I won't say any more. This is a really good book; read it.
I have been casting about for a couple of years to find SOMEONE whose writing style approaches the quality, verve, and piquancy of Georgette Heyer -- lo and behold, here is Jane Aiken Hodge. I have already ordered two more of her books. I enjoyed very much the language--so deeply British, thank you. And the sense of place was outstanding -- I really felt the salt sea air and the marsh grasses underfoot.
I found a couple of misspellings, but I'll fault the editors (not Hodge) .... for example, instead of the word "salver," the word slaver (what is that?) was used. But I can get past these speed-bumps fairly easily. The only other thing that grated on me a bit was the mental (testosterone-induced?) density of Christina's love interest, Ross ... I mean, he falls for her prettier younger sister, even briefly? What a blockhead. But the longsuffering Chris--well, I won't say any more. This is a really good book; read it.
November 6, 2013
An old favorite from my childhood, this gothic romance has all of the usual trappings, a strong heroine, a dark and lonely mansion, a dark stranger with strong arms, and danger.
Told with humor and a mild femininist slant, the story of American young lady Christina Tretton returning to Tretteign Grange, her family's ancestral seat in England, takes its title from a Kipling poem on smugglers. And smugglers certainly appear throughout the novel, as do spies, as the novel is set in England during the Napoleonic Wars and almost all in the English country-side are prone to invasion-mad paranoia.
If there was any lesson that 14-year-old me took away from reading WATCH, it was that beauty is secondary to a good head on your shoulders. This is another book that I reread every couple of years.
Told with humor and a mild femininist slant, the story of American young lady Christina Tretton returning to Tretteign Grange, her family's ancestral seat in England, takes its title from a Kipling poem on smugglers. And smugglers certainly appear throughout the novel, as do spies, as the novel is set in England during the Napoleonic Wars and almost all in the English country-side are prone to invasion-mad paranoia.
If there was any lesson that 14-year-old me took away from reading WATCH, it was that beauty is secondary to a good head on your shoulders. This is another book that I reread every couple of years.
February 1, 2026
Christina Tretton, a courageous and intelligent young woman who was brought up in the USA, returns to her family home in Sussex, during the time of the Napoleonic wars. She's caught up immediately in intrigue and danger, involving smuggling and more; she finds herself attracted to her cousin Ross, yet not sure how far she can trust him.
Exciting, with people who I quickly cared about. Great for general social history too, and understanding a little more about this period in history, although the fictional subplots are the most significant in the book. Recommended to anyone who likes light historical novels.
Latest longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
Exciting, with people who I quickly cared about. Great for general social history too, and understanding a little more about this period in history, although the fictional subplots are the most significant in the book. Recommended to anyone who likes light historical novels.
Latest longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
July 7, 2015
Disappointed
I was very excited about this book at the beginning but, I felt, as I read on, the story started falling apart. I don't know if the author has to have a certain amount of pages or what, but so many books I read seem to loosen and fall apart close to the second half; this one sooner than that. At that point, I just wanted it to be over. That's why I could only give it three stars.
I was very excited about this book at the beginning but, I felt, as I read on, the story started falling apart. I don't know if the author has to have a certain amount of pages or what, but so many books I read seem to loosen and fall apart close to the second half; this one sooner than that. At that point, I just wanted it to be over. That's why I could only give it three stars.
October 28, 2022
“For a moment she felt a thrill of pure rage at Ross. Old people, loaded hastily into farm wagons, might die of cold tonight; babies be born prematurely on the road, and all because Ross Tretteign needed cover for his return from France.”
And this after she recognized and acknowledged her growing feelings for Ross. Ross was in danger, but she made no excuses for him and never once worshipped him as a man who can do nothing wrong. He was gone more than half the time and when he came back, gave her the lamest apology ever made for his jerk accusation and proceeded to ignore her like she didn’t risk her neck for his own ends. He enraged me but her unrequited love still pierced me thru and I loved watching Ross come to his senses.
I am ALL FOR a book that supports a great love story that isn’t the main focus. That’s the mark of a great writer I think, but because Ross really was gone most of the book I felt he and Chris barely had any moments that weren’t life and death and that could build on his feelings for her.
Chris is a QUEEN and I only wish I could be as level headed as she is. She is resourceful and very intelligent while still being human and admitting to weakness and fear when she feels it.
Solid four stars. I’ve had this on my tbr list for a while and I’m really glad I read it. Some great suspenseful moments and a few plot twists, including her awesome French mom that I was expecting to hate but loved.
And this after she recognized and acknowledged her growing feelings for Ross. Ross was in danger, but she made no excuses for him and never once worshipped him as a man who can do nothing wrong. He was gone more than half the time and when he came back, gave her the lamest apology ever made for his jerk accusation and proceeded to ignore her like she didn’t risk her neck for his own ends. He enraged me but her unrequited love still pierced me thru and I loved watching Ross come to his senses.
I am ALL FOR a book that supports a great love story that isn’t the main focus. That’s the mark of a great writer I think, but because Ross really was gone most of the book I felt he and Chris barely had any moments that weren’t life and death and that could build on his feelings for her.
Chris is a QUEEN and I only wish I could be as level headed as she is. She is resourceful and very intelligent while still being human and admitting to weakness and fear when she feels it.
Solid four stars. I’ve had this on my tbr list for a while and I’m really glad I read it. Some great suspenseful moments and a few plot twists, including her awesome French mom that I was expecting to hate but loved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2018
If anyone is a fan of Poldark, they will probably really like this. It's mostly adventure with a romance on the back burner. There are smugglers, spies, family secrets, and so on. Set around the time of the Napoleonic Wars.
October 6, 2023
After a reread 2023, I have to admit, I didn't like this so much. I love all the points still that I mentioned in 2016, but this time around, I hated the pining. It was well written, but I just hated the fact that it existed for a guy who was as inconsistent as the waves, tossing back and forth in what he wanted to do or who he liked.
The plot was more disturbing this time around too, the emphasis on selfish gains of cheap goods that everyone felt was owed to them, and yet Ross still protects them after multiple reasons to give them up. Sigh.
But this did fulfill my need for wintry tales, shut up somewhere cozy. And that mom continues to be my fav.
2016
This was actually really interesting! A little more darker/gothic than I usually read, but it was fast pace, suspenseful, and well written. There was a moment about 60% in where something happened that I wasn't really expecting and I was wondering where the book was going, but it filled in nicely and wasn't just focused on the romance (fact is, which may be a little annoying/disappointing, is that the possible love interest is gone for a major chunk of the book and comes across as a major jerk a couple of times). At that same part, I liked that fact that everything didn't work out how the MC wanted it to be. I loved the characters (especially the French mama) and how multi-dimensional they were drawn. The dandy wasn't just a silly, nonsensical guy. The abandoning mother wasn't just someone who left, etc etc. This is a clean book, the only thing being
The plot was more disturbing this time around too, the emphasis on selfish gains of cheap goods that everyone felt was owed to them, and yet Ross still protects them after multiple reasons to give them up. Sigh.
But this did fulfill my need for wintry tales, shut up somewhere cozy. And that mom continues to be my fav.
2016
This was actually really interesting! A little more darker/gothic than I usually read, but it was fast pace, suspenseful, and well written. There was a moment about 60% in where something happened that I wasn't really expecting and I was wondering where the book was going, but it filled in nicely and wasn't just focused on the romance (fact is, which may be a little annoying/disappointing, is that the possible love interest is gone for a major chunk of the book and comes across as a major jerk a couple of times). At that same part, I liked that fact that everything didn't work out how the MC wanted it to be. I loved the characters (especially the French mama) and how multi-dimensional they were drawn. The dandy wasn't just a silly, nonsensical guy. The abandoning mother wasn't just someone who left, etc etc. This is a clean book, the only thing being
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2023
Jane Aiken Hodge, why did you have to ruin your perfectly good novel like that?
This novel started out great. It had action, suspense, and a competent heroine! The hero was aloof and later on even kind of a jerk, but I easily forgave that because gothic romance heroes often are in the first half of the novel. The second half of the novel appalled me…. So, the hero has been a complete cold fish and spent the majority of the novel mysteriously disappearing for long periods of time. He has shown no romantic inclinations whatsoever to the point that I began to question if the author had, for reasons unknown, thrown in an asexual/aromantic person as the main character's romantic interest. That is until.....
*SPOILER ALERT*
He brings home the heroine's teenage sister. Now THAT sparks his romantic interest. He then spends nearly the rest of the novel completely fawning over too-stupid-to-live teenage sister. Right up to the last chapter of the book he is consistently telling the heroine he could never love her, yet somehow in the last few pages he has the sudden realization that he has in fact loved her all along. Not impressed.
I have a special hatred of the love triangle trope and this was possibly the worst I have ever seen. I am particularly upset because it ruined what could have been such a good novel.
This novel started out great. It had action, suspense, and a competent heroine! The hero was aloof and later on even kind of a jerk, but I easily forgave that because gothic romance heroes often are in the first half of the novel. The second half of the novel appalled me…. So, the hero has been a complete cold fish and spent the majority of the novel mysteriously disappearing for long periods of time. He has shown no romantic inclinations whatsoever to the point that I began to question if the author had, for reasons unknown, thrown in an asexual/aromantic person as the main character's romantic interest. That is until.....
*SPOILER ALERT*
He brings home the heroine's teenage sister. Now THAT sparks his romantic interest. He then spends nearly the rest of the novel completely fawning over too-stupid-to-live teenage sister. Right up to the last chapter of the book he is consistently telling the heroine he could never love her, yet somehow in the last few pages he has the sudden realization that he has in fact loved her all along. Not impressed.
I have a special hatred of the love triangle trope and this was possibly the worst I have ever seen. I am particularly upset because it ruined what could have been such a good novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2016
Jane Aiken Hodge was the sister of children's book writer Joan Aiken, and a graduate of Somerset College, the same Oxford college attended a generation earlier by Dorothy Sayers. She's a solid writer and builds this Regency-era bit of Gothic silliness on solid research. It's quite fun but completely preposterous—sort of a mad cross between "Jamaica Inn," "The Scarlet Pimpernel," "Cold Comfort Farm," and an old fashioned radio-era soap opera.
I enjoyed it—smugglers, ruined abbeys, chases across the moors and marshes, crumbling mansion full of gloomy relatives and all, but it was very silly and without much substance. Sort of like an ice cream sundae with absolutely everything imaginable piled on top of it until it threatens to collapse under the weight of whipped cream and maraschino cherries...
I enjoyed it—smugglers, ruined abbeys, chases across the moors and marshes, crumbling mansion full of gloomy relatives and all, but it was very silly and without much substance. Sort of like an ice cream sundae with absolutely everything imaginable piled on top of it until it threatens to collapse under the weight of whipped cream and maraschino cherries...
February 1, 2008
A romance/historical/adventure based in English history. Christina Tretton arrives from America to stay with her English relatives during Napoleon's threats of invasion. She arrives at night and is threatened by masked highwaymen before she reaches her destination. She finds that her cousins and aunt are unsettled, unhappy Tretteign Hall residents, existing under the thumb of her controlling grandfather.
She arrives as a pauper and later reveals that she traveled to England to discover the circumstances of the Hall and actually is well-to-do. This creates new tensions among the family. Christina realizes that her cousins are playing parts in order to get along with their grandfather. Who are they really? Who holds their allegiance - are they working for or against Napoleon?
She arrives as a pauper and later reveals that she traveled to England to discover the circumstances of the Hall and actually is well-to-do. This creates new tensions among the family. Christina realizes that her cousins are playing parts in order to get along with their grandfather. Who are they really? Who holds their allegiance - are they working for or against Napoleon?
June 26, 2017
I was rather disappointed in this book. I liked the main character quite a bit - she was a logical, level-headed woman who didn't mope about or feel sorry for herself. She had a fiery personality but she didn't argue unnecessarily with people and generally avoided conflict with even the most aggravating of characters (I'm looking at you, Mrs. Tretteign). However, the plot didn't play out in the most engaging way. It was interesting at first, but it started to slog in the middle and by the end I was having a hard time staying interested at all. It was all connected, and yet felt a little...pointless almost.
The constant language - while generally mild - was also nettlesome and took me out of the story.
The constant language - while generally mild - was also nettlesome and took me out of the story.
October 13, 2011
Thank you goodreads! This book was a goodreads recommendation based on my favorites shelf. I had never heard of the book or the author. The library I checked it out from had only one copy in their system and it looks as if it hadn't been checked out for years!
I ended up really liking the story. It came with smugglers; spies; kidnapping; gloomy, English, coastal weather; haunted, crumbling cloisters; humor; romance; and intrigue. Definitely a book I had a hard time putting down.
I ended up really liking the story. It came with smugglers; spies; kidnapping; gloomy, English, coastal weather; haunted, crumbling cloisters; humor; romance; and intrigue. Definitely a book I had a hard time putting down.
July 25, 2016
Good clean historical romance
Very well written, as good as this type of novel gets. The heroine is intelligent, strong, brave, and likeable. The hero is brave also, involved in exciting doings, and has a little angst going....not too much, just enough to make him romantic. What more could you want? Sit back and enjoy!
Very well written, as good as this type of novel gets. The heroine is intelligent, strong, brave, and likeable. The hero is brave also, involved in exciting doings, and has a little angst going....not too much, just enough to make him romantic. What more could you want? Sit back and enjoy!
April 17, 2013
This book stayed with me for years. I'd think back on it as I was riding by myself in Alaska at a hunting lodge. Me, the horse, the dog...and this book in my mind. Kept me company.
I loved it. And the very tattered paperback is still on my shelf!
I loved it. And the very tattered paperback is still on my shelf!
June 30, 2013
Maybe this was more of a 3.5 star book but either way, I enjoyed it!I thought it was going to be a suspenseful mystery and in that way I was dissapointed. However, the characters were so likeable that it made up for it.
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