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Chemsworth Hall #1
Violet
“The whole scheme hangs on you, my love.”
So begins Lady Mulholland’s directive to Henry Granger, her one and only son. He is to bring suitable gentlemen home from Oxford and he is to make all haste. There are seven daughters to be married—Violet, Rose, Daisy, Marigold, Lily and the twins, Poppy and Pansy—an undertaking that will span a decade.
Lady Mulholland, however, is not faint of heart. She devised her plan on a long ago evening when she happened to look down her dining table and note precisely how many daughters were to be had. She is confident of its success, as she is confident in all of her plans. Whether her daughters will cooperate is another matter entirely.
Violet, her eldest daughter, is a scholar. She is shrewd enough to guess at her mother’s schemes and bold enough to thwart them. Lord Smythesdon, invited to the house under false pretenses, considers himself a serious intellectual. He also considers that particular quality to be a man’s purview. As he says, there is no fact ruined faster than hearing a female spout off about it. As Violet is in the habit of spouting off quite a lot, there could not be a more ill-omened beginning.
Smuckers, the fearless butler, is determined to do his bit for his mistress. He will rally the below stairs staff and enact some schemes of his own. Despite his outward bravado, he secretly fears that, in this particular instance, Lady Mulholland shall be defeated. This disturbs his peace for, as he well knows, if Lady Mulholland is not happy, nobody in the house is happy.
In the spirit of Nancy Mitford, Chemsworth Hall follows the fortunes of the Granger family in all their delightful eccentricity. Let the games begin...
Perpetua Langley is the author of the eleven book Sweet Regency Romance Series and a firm believer that life ought not to be taken too seriously unless absolutely necessary.
So begins Lady Mulholland’s directive to Henry Granger, her one and only son. He is to bring suitable gentlemen home from Oxford and he is to make all haste. There are seven daughters to be married—Violet, Rose, Daisy, Marigold, Lily and the twins, Poppy and Pansy—an undertaking that will span a decade.
Lady Mulholland, however, is not faint of heart. She devised her plan on a long ago evening when she happened to look down her dining table and note precisely how many daughters were to be had. She is confident of its success, as she is confident in all of her plans. Whether her daughters will cooperate is another matter entirely.
Violet, her eldest daughter, is a scholar. She is shrewd enough to guess at her mother’s schemes and bold enough to thwart them. Lord Smythesdon, invited to the house under false pretenses, considers himself a serious intellectual. He also considers that particular quality to be a man’s purview. As he says, there is no fact ruined faster than hearing a female spout off about it. As Violet is in the habit of spouting off quite a lot, there could not be a more ill-omened beginning.
Smuckers, the fearless butler, is determined to do his bit for his mistress. He will rally the below stairs staff and enact some schemes of his own. Despite his outward bravado, he secretly fears that, in this particular instance, Lady Mulholland shall be defeated. This disturbs his peace for, as he well knows, if Lady Mulholland is not happy, nobody in the house is happy.
In the spirit of Nancy Mitford, Chemsworth Hall follows the fortunes of the Granger family in all their delightful eccentricity. Let the games begin...
Perpetua Langley is the author of the eleven book Sweet Regency Romance Series and a firm believer that life ought not to be taken too seriously unless absolutely necessary.
251 pages, ebook
First published November 3, 2017
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19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 2, 2020
I came across this novel after one of my favorite romance authors reviewed it on her blog. I have to agree with her that the book is witty and amusing, and I found myself chucking out loud several times. In particular, the household butler, Smuckers, is hilarious and really steals the show.
Which was good, because the rest of the characters in the novel were pretty empty and boring. Our heroine, an educated and spunky young lady of 18, is a proud champion of women and women's education. When she meets a gentleman who seems to have some "backward" opinions (which we have to remember was perfectly normal for the time period), she is eager to prove him wrong and show him that women are just as smart and capable as men (if not more so). She does this by taking offense at almost everything he says, rubbing small errors in his face to prove her superior intellect. The fact that the gentleman was picked by her mother to be her suitor makes their relationship immensely more strained. The hero and the heroine have almost the same personality--they are both well-educated, proud, stubborn and eager to prove themselves. I can't help but wonder if all of the future novels will have the same plot point, i.e. the hero and heroine suffer from the same character flaw, hate said flaw in the other person (while not minding it so much in themselves) but through certain events come to realize the error of their ways and change.
While the story is obviously set up as a romance, there is very little romance actually going on. There is no tension, no attraction or even chemistry between the main characters. I don't think they even kiss at the end of the novel. I'm not sure if this novel is supposed to be a YA, but it felt very YA. Overall, it was a fun, quick read, but I don't think I'll continue with the series.
Which was good, because the rest of the characters in the novel were pretty empty and boring. Our heroine, an educated and spunky young lady of 18, is a proud champion of women and women's education. When she meets a gentleman who seems to have some "backward" opinions (which we have to remember was perfectly normal for the time period), she is eager to prove him wrong and show him that women are just as smart and capable as men (if not more so). She does this by taking offense at almost everything he says, rubbing small errors in his face to prove her superior intellect. The fact that the gentleman was picked by her mother to be her suitor makes their relationship immensely more strained. The hero and the heroine have almost the same personality--they are both well-educated, proud, stubborn and eager to prove themselves. I can't help but wonder if all of the future novels will have the same plot point, i.e. the hero and heroine suffer from the same character flaw, hate said flaw in the other person (while not minding it so much in themselves) but through certain events come to realize the error of their ways and change.
While the story is obviously set up as a romance, there is very little romance actually going on. There is no tension, no attraction or even chemistry between the main characters. I don't think they even kiss at the end of the novel. I'm not sure if this novel is supposed to be a YA, but it felt very YA. Overall, it was a fun, quick read, but I don't think I'll continue with the series.
August 4, 2019
Mixed feelings
I like this author and her wry sense of humor. It's obvious from the beginning that personalities will be exaggerated, and that the tone is sarcastic. It begins immediately with the naming of seven daughters after flowers, and the proud acceptance of this as the mother's need for order in her life. Then, each daughter is given a particular character trait, and they remain strictly true to their trait no matter what the circumstances of the story. This is all silly and humorous, which is okay.
However, there are certain characters that I found annoying and difficult to endure. First is Lady Mulholland, the mother, whose opinion is apparently the only one that matters. Although she cares about her family, her wishes are always satisfied, no matter who may suffer for it. Her insistence that she's always right I found insufferable.
Then there's the Viscount, her husband, who is portrayed as somewhat dim and scatter brained. He is blatantly managed and manipulated by his controlling wife, and seems to have very little interaction with his children.
Last is Smuckers, the butler, who I find slightly creepy with his practice of always lurking and eavesdropping outside doorways. He is a beloved servant, and he has good intentions, but his meddling I found strange.
The book is well written and well edited, and the humor is nice. The romance in it seemed contrived, not a lot of good chemistry between the two main characters. But I recommend it.
I like this author and her wry sense of humor. It's obvious from the beginning that personalities will be exaggerated, and that the tone is sarcastic. It begins immediately with the naming of seven daughters after flowers, and the proud acceptance of this as the mother's need for order in her life. Then, each daughter is given a particular character trait, and they remain strictly true to their trait no matter what the circumstances of the story. This is all silly and humorous, which is okay.
However, there are certain characters that I found annoying and difficult to endure. First is Lady Mulholland, the mother, whose opinion is apparently the only one that matters. Although she cares about her family, her wishes are always satisfied, no matter who may suffer for it. Her insistence that she's always right I found insufferable.
Then there's the Viscount, her husband, who is portrayed as somewhat dim and scatter brained. He is blatantly managed and manipulated by his controlling wife, and seems to have very little interaction with his children.
Last is Smuckers, the butler, who I find slightly creepy with his practice of always lurking and eavesdropping outside doorways. He is a beloved servant, and he has good intentions, but his meddling I found strange.
The book is well written and well edited, and the humor is nice. The romance in it seemed contrived, not a lot of good chemistry between the two main characters. But I recommend it.
August 15, 2018
Good story
I enjoyed this book. The writing is witty and a pleasure to read.
Violet is the eldest of six daughters. Her mother gave an order to the son of the house to bring home a friend from Oxford. The idea being that the visitor would fall in love with Violet. But Violet is known for her scholarly pursuits as well as her contrary attitude. And unfortunately the visitor is a gentleman who thinks females to be deficient in intellect. They do not get off to a good start.
The older daughters all have definite personalities and those who do ride do not use a side saddle. The gentleman's sensibilities are shocked, though he is too well-bred to say anything.
Bertie finds himself at odds with Violet, and he foolishly attempts to prove he knows better than she -- and that he can do anything. He falls from a beast of a horse and breaks a leg. While he recovers he has time to revise his opinions about women and the sort of female who would be a good match for him.
This is a very clean Regency, and that lack of steam - for me - was disappointing. Other than that I recommend reading it.
I enjoyed this book. The writing is witty and a pleasure to read.
Violet is the eldest of six daughters. Her mother gave an order to the son of the house to bring home a friend from Oxford. The idea being that the visitor would fall in love with Violet. But Violet is known for her scholarly pursuits as well as her contrary attitude. And unfortunately the visitor is a gentleman who thinks females to be deficient in intellect. They do not get off to a good start.
The older daughters all have definite personalities and those who do ride do not use a side saddle. The gentleman's sensibilities are shocked, though he is too well-bred to say anything.
Bertie finds himself at odds with Violet, and he foolishly attempts to prove he knows better than she -- and that he can do anything. He falls from a beast of a horse and breaks a leg. While he recovers he has time to revise his opinions about women and the sort of female who would be a good match for him.
This is a very clean Regency, and that lack of steam - for me - was disappointing. Other than that I recommend reading it.
March 20, 2020
Read It !
That is a high four star rating! This was a good read! It takes place In the family of a Viscount , in the country, 1 son attending Oxford, a scheming mama, and 7 sisters, 1 horse, 1 dog, and a butler. At the the start, Violet, has a streak of contrariness of which she is aware and trying to correct.An invitation is made, horses are ridden, adventures are had, Stimulating conversation is to be made. The resulting end of the book leaves you, funnily enough, with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.I am quite looking forward to the next book in the series, and I really enjoyed this author's writing. Character driven, clean, well edited, a deft hand with the period , un-self conscious. Thanks, Ms Langley!
That is a high four star rating! This was a good read! It takes place In the family of a Viscount , in the country, 1 son attending Oxford, a scheming mama, and 7 sisters, 1 horse, 1 dog, and a butler. At the the start, Violet, has a streak of contrariness of which she is aware and trying to correct.An invitation is made, horses are ridden, adventures are had, Stimulating conversation is to be made. The resulting end of the book leaves you, funnily enough, with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.I am quite looking forward to the next book in the series, and I really enjoyed this author's writing. Character driven, clean, well edited, a deft hand with the period , un-self conscious. Thanks, Ms Langley!
April 14, 2021
Clever
As I read this book I kept wondering how is rate it. It's a little slower, and yet it was also very clever. The characters are unique and it's a very classic clean regency. The humor is dry and the story makes you think about a woman's role in this society without ever being heavy or dull. It was a fun, interesting read. I wish there had been a little more interaction between the h and H, but overall it was enough to feel complete.
As I read this book I kept wondering how is rate it. It's a little slower, and yet it was also very clever. The characters are unique and it's a very classic clean regency. The humor is dry and the story makes you think about a woman's role in this society without ever being heavy or dull. It was a fun, interesting read. I wish there had been a little more interaction between the h and H, but overall it was enough to feel complete.
January 21, 2026
Another wonderfully fun read
I quickly read this story. I enjoy the plot with all the amusing turns. This is a sweet and a happy ending story I enjoy. I can't wait for the next and the next till done.
I quickly read this story. I enjoy the plot with all the amusing turns. This is a sweet and a happy ending story I enjoy. I can't wait for the next and the next till done.
November 29, 2017
This book was a delight from start to finish. Every character was a comedic masterpiece, from Lord Mulholland, deeply suspicious of anyone emanating from a different county, to Smuckers the butler, seeing himself as a knight of old, rallying the troops below stairs to ever greater feats.
The premise is a simple one. Viscount Mulholland and his lady wife have managed to produce one son (Henry) and seven daughters (Violet, Rose, Daisy, Marigold, Lily and twins Poppy and Pansy). Now that Henry is at Oxford, Lady Mulholland instructs him to bring home one of his new friends so that she may begin her campaign of marrying off the daughters, in strict order of seniority. So Violet is to be paired with Lord Smythesdon, the eldest son of an earl. Since Violet is the academic of the family, and Lord Smythesdon considers education the domain of men, sparks are bound to fly.
The tale of how these two overcome their troubled beginning, learn to appreciate each other and in time find their happiness is delightful, enlivened by the helpful or otherwise efforts of their two families, the neighbours and the servants. There is laugh-out-loud humour on every page, every character is both funny and yet very real, and the historical details were accurate enough not to trip up a self-confessed pedant like me. My only quibble is that the author uses ‘shall’ relentlessly instead of ‘will’, which soon grows tiresome. But it’s a minor point. For anyone looking for a whimsical, humorous and sweet Regency (or possibly Victorian) romance, this is highly recommended.
The premise is a simple one. Viscount Mulholland and his lady wife have managed to produce one son (Henry) and seven daughters (Violet, Rose, Daisy, Marigold, Lily and twins Poppy and Pansy). Now that Henry is at Oxford, Lady Mulholland instructs him to bring home one of his new friends so that she may begin her campaign of marrying off the daughters, in strict order of seniority. So Violet is to be paired with Lord Smythesdon, the eldest son of an earl. Since Violet is the academic of the family, and Lord Smythesdon considers education the domain of men, sparks are bound to fly.
The tale of how these two overcome their troubled beginning, learn to appreciate each other and in time find their happiness is delightful, enlivened by the helpful or otherwise efforts of their two families, the neighbours and the servants. There is laugh-out-loud humour on every page, every character is both funny and yet very real, and the historical details were accurate enough not to trip up a self-confessed pedant like me. My only quibble is that the author uses ‘shall’ relentlessly instead of ‘will’, which soon grows tiresome. But it’s a minor point. For anyone looking for a whimsical, humorous and sweet Regency (or possibly Victorian) romance, this is highly recommended.
November 29, 2017
What a hoot!
This is a very funny Regency story. The characters were engaging and sweet. Not one vulgar word and no explicit sex - what a novel idea! I highly recommend.
This is a very funny Regency story. The characters were engaging and sweet. Not one vulgar word and no explicit sex - what a novel idea! I highly recommend.
May 7, 2020
Delightful humor and characters! Many LOL moments!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews