International bestselling author Nicola Cornick writes dual-time historical mysteries that draw on her love for genealogy and local history. She studied History at London and Oxford and worked in academia for a number of years before becoming a full time author. Nicola acts as a guide and researcher at the stunning 17th century hunting lodge, Ashdown House and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Friends of Lydiard Park in Swindon. She gives talks and tours on a variety of historical topics.
Nicola lives near Oxford and loves reading, writing, history, music, wildlife, travel and walking her dog. She also loves hearing from her readers and chatting to them. She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter @NicolaCornick and Instagram.
Dunque qui abbiamo un romanzo leggero, gradevole e divertente, un po’ sporcato dal controconflitto spionistico. Ma è cosa molto sullo sfondo. Lui è scanzonato, lei sincera all’inverosimile e credulona (la mia controfigura!). Mentre, tuttavia, il personaggio di lui tiene per tutto il romanzo, lei nello scioglimento si scompone e risulta un po’ cretina 🙂
Il fatto è che lui le fa una corte spietata come solo sa fare un esperto libertino e lei, scottata in passato dalle bassezze di un uomo che l’ha illusa, teme e rifugge in ogni modo uno spasimante troppo sicuro del proprio fascino. Siamo sulle coste inglesi, dove si teme lo sbarco delle truppe napoleoniche e misteriose spie stanno preparando il terreno ai nemici. L’autore di tanto tradimento sembra assidere tra le gentildonne di un rispettabile gruppo di lettura. Se i trope del romance inquadrano l’ostacolo tra i personaggi, c’è un modo per classificarli che è strutturale, formale, ed è lo schema delle interazioni. Non ve ne ho mai parlato. Dovete immaginare il grafico di un‘onda come fosse un elettrocardiogramma. Vi posto il disegnino nel commento. Bene all’inizio lei scappa e lui insegue poi qualcosa li lega a metà romanzo e da questo punto in poi le parti si invertono, lei insegue e lui scappa. È uno schema di struttura ( non di sentimenti dunque ) l’inseguire va inteso in modo molto generico come cercare di coinvolgere l’altro, e il rifuggire va inteso come tentativo di allontanare l’altro. Dal punto di vista formale questo romanzo è un inseguimento, come Un celebre libertino della Balogh, come Un Barone per fantasma…
Predictable romance. Delivers exactly what you would expect of a book published under the M&B banner. The heroine Deb is quite annoying. She's supposed to be a respectable widow, but I saw nothing in her behaviour to warrant that reputation. Richard is a little more interesting, but I find heroes and heroines who fall in love at first sight a little tedious.
The romance follows the course you'd expect - he loves her, she professes to hate him whilst secretly imagining them in romantic clinches together. I much preferred the side story of Olivia and Ross - they were much more interesting.
Spoiler ahead... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The smuggler/spy side plot just fizzled out with no resolution despite several clues as to who the perpetrator is. I was hoping that the loose end would be tied up. The ending left it feeling like there's a sequel, and I didn't find out until after I'd read it that this is book 2 in a series of 3 - The Bluestocking Brides. I'm not likely to seek out the other two books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book was so tedious. Every character was stupid and immature.
The heroine was selfish and self centered. She's downright hostile to the hero and it got old really quick.
The hero is a pretty standard romance lead, but his refusal to take no for an answer is the sort of creepy and coercive behavior that should not be romanticized.
I had been kind of looking forward to the story about Olivia and her husband, but that was just as dumb and stupid as everything else. They've been married 6 years, but acting like newlyweds who have never spoken to each other. And that's the whole issue, they just need to have a conversation with each other.
The spy subplot is very weak as well. It's so inconsequential to the book that it may as well not exist. And the espionage is not well thought out. Agents have narrowed down their suspect to 5 women and their best plan is lightly flirting with them?! That's not how any of this works.
[ESP/ENG]: ESP: De momento Nicola Cornick parece darme novelas que entretienen, tienen tramas interesantes y protagonistas bien construidos. Pero aún me falta encontrar ese algo que consiga enamorarme. No tengo una lista de cosas que me hayan desagradado de este libro. Simplemente, ha estado bien. No me parece una mala autora que leer (de los dos libros que he leído de la saga) pero tengo muchas otras autoras que le pasan por delante.
ENG: This is my second Nicola Cornick book and so far so good. They both have been a 3-star for me. They are entertaining, have interesting plots and solid characters. But I've yet to find that "something" that sets her apart. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this nor would I discourage anyone.
I liked this book. Although I don't think that Deborah is truly a bluestocking because she was a bit to flighty and emotional. Getting together to read poetry (gossip) was something all ton women did, as it was a fairly restrictive life style for women. Still I want to read books in the bluestocking brides series.
As usual, I jumped into a series without reading the preliminary book(s). ONE NIGHT of SCANDAL is the middle book of a trilogy ('Bluestocking Brides') by Nicola Cornick. The time is 1803 and the locale is Suffolk. The British and Napoleon are trying to second-guess each other regarding an invasion of Great Britain by the French. There's a bit of a mystery about someone acting treasonously by giving info to the French and using a local book club as the swapping place.
Young widow Deborah Stratton had a disastrous first marriage; fortunately, it was of short duration. She's been acting the retiring widow in Midsummer Village for three years. When she receives a missive from her father demanding that she attend her brother's wedding and move back home permanently, Deborah becomes frightened. Her sedate life is about to be altered by her father and she doesn't like it; Papa wants her to marry a cousin, Harry. Deborah is underwhelmed with the thought of being under her father's thumb again. She also doesn't want Cousin Harry.
So she devises a plan to get someone to enter a fake betrothal with her for her brother's wedding. Lo and behold, the one man she doesn't want to know of her actions offers to help her. Lord Richard Kestrel is a rake tired of the title and women's expectations. He really wants to settle down and he is in love with Deborah.
Deborah whines too much and seems immature. She did not speak to me; her character was impetuous and short-sighted. Richard Kestrel needed his head examined for wanting the flaky Deborah. But all ends well -- except for the treasonous person in Midwinter Village. This thread is left hanging until the final book. I doubt that I will read it.
Blue Stocking Brides 1. The Notorious Lord (2004) ** 2. One Night of Scandal (2004) 3. The Rake's Mistress (2004)
One Night of Scandal is about Deborah Stratton, a widow who has a jaded past and a secret she wants to keep at all cost, and Richard Kestrel, the man who, at first, propositioned her to be his mistress only to realize he was desperately in love with her and want her hand in marriage instead.
I love Deb’s character. She’s feisty, impetuous and she matched Richard very well. I liked that she was trying too hard to deny what she’s feeling for Richard but as the saying goes “its chemical” and in the end she just couldn’t help herself.
A rake with a conscience that’s one way I can describe Richard. It’s fun being inside Richard’s head, his frustration about Deb and their situation, a situation which could be blamed on his reckless behavior when he mistakenly asked her to be his mistress without assessing his own feelings first. Typical male, is all I can say. But for all Richard’s faults he made up for it with other things. On how he treated Deb and how he believes in. I guess reformed rakes really are the best after all.
Deb and Richard’s story is like watching a game of tag. The relentless chase and the scrapes they find themselves into. I enjoyed how they spar with each other and with themselves, how they grew together and how they bring out the worst and the best in each other.
Another thing I enjoyed about this book is the side story of Olivia and Ross. I don’t usually pay particular attention to secondary characters unless they have their own story (a.k.a book part of the series) but I can’t help but fall in love with the two of them. It showed variety on the story and honestly, I re-read their part at least three times just for the laughs. The switched rose-scented aphrodisiac and pig ointment was epic! And I’m glad they sorted out their differences and feelings in the end.
My first book by Cornick, so I can't say whether this was on par with her other books or not. It was OK, but not memorable. There is nothing whatsoever 'bluestocking' about Deborah, so be prepared for a disappointment there.
If being able to read a few poems constitutes being a bluestocking, or being able to write an advertisement for the local rag, fine. But IMHO, she is more sportswoman than reader, always astride a horse, even able to swing to the ground to pick up her hat while galloping away. He seemed a more sympathetic character than she, to be honest.
It is the story of Deborah Stratton and Lord Richard Kestrel who has a reputation of a rake. Deborah is attracted to Richard from the beginning but fights it all the way and that sometimes becomes tedious of course eventually love wins.