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Tricky Courtships #5
Love Letters to a Lady
Introducing "Love Letters to a Lady": Novel - Discover NOW The New Clean and Sweet Historical Regency Romance Book by Fanny Finch!
She thought no one could impress her. All it took was a mysterious letter to change her life forever.
Miss Julia Weston has no thought in her head of getting married. No man has been able to impress her and she has far too much fun going to dinner parties and balls and bantering with her friend, Mr Norwich. So when her parents inform her that it is high time she wed, she finds herself at a loss. That is until she receives a letter from a person declaring their love for her. But the gentleman has left off his name—who could he possibly be?
James Norwich has been in love with Miss Weston for years. He gave up hope of her returning his feelings, but with a bit of encouragement, he decides to write to her and confess his feelings. But in his nervousness, he forgets to put his name at the bottom of the letter. When Miss Weston replies and asks for his name, he has an idea: woo her through letters.
It’s skirting the bounds of propriety, but this could be the way that James could at last win her over. But what will happen when Julia learns that her mystery gentleman is her longtime friend? And what about the other gentleman starting to court her? And will James find the courage to admit to Julia who he really is?
"Love Letters to a Lady" is a clean and sweet historical regency romance novel of approximately 90,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Enjoy!
She thought no one could impress her. All it took was a mysterious letter to change her life forever.
Miss Julia Weston has no thought in her head of getting married. No man has been able to impress her and she has far too much fun going to dinner parties and balls and bantering with her friend, Mr Norwich. So when her parents inform her that it is high time she wed, she finds herself at a loss. That is until she receives a letter from a person declaring their love for her. But the gentleman has left off his name—who could he possibly be?
James Norwich has been in love with Miss Weston for years. He gave up hope of her returning his feelings, but with a bit of encouragement, he decides to write to her and confess his feelings. But in his nervousness, he forgets to put his name at the bottom of the letter. When Miss Weston replies and asks for his name, he has an idea: woo her through letters.
It’s skirting the bounds of propriety, but this could be the way that James could at last win her over. But what will happen when Julia learns that her mystery gentleman is her longtime friend? And what about the other gentleman starting to court her? And will James find the courage to admit to Julia who he really is?
"Love Letters to a Lady" is a clean and sweet historical regency romance novel of approximately 90,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Enjoy!
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2018
303 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Fanny Finch
274 books266 followersFanny Finch was born in United Kingdom but moved to Denver, Colorado when she was very young. She attended Washington University where she studied for several years and lives with her husband and their bulldog.
Upon leaving university, Fanny found a job as a proof reader for a small press. There, she honed her skills and also met and worked with author Abby Ayles, helping to polish her books to perfection.
But she is also an author in her own right and is working hard to become recognized as such as she starts to publish her own novels through her website.
Her genre is in the Historical Regency Romance category and if you like your reading material to be emotionally clean then you will be undoubtedly thrilled by the characters and scenarios Fanny develops.
When she has time to relax, Fanny enjoys listening to opera music and taking long walks in the outdoors. She writes almost every day as well and hopes to produce many more great books in the future.
Upon leaving university, Fanny found a job as a proof reader for a small press. There, she honed her skills and also met and worked with author Abby Ayles, helping to polish her books to perfection.
But she is also an author in her own right and is working hard to become recognized as such as she starts to publish her own novels through her website.
Her genre is in the Historical Regency Romance category and if you like your reading material to be emotionally clean then you will be undoubtedly thrilled by the characters and scenarios Fanny develops.
When she has time to relax, Fanny enjoys listening to opera music and taking long walks in the outdoors. She writes almost every day as well and hopes to produce many more great books in the future.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
February 4, 2020
I do not think it is possible for me to list and explain all the reasons I love this without quoting the entire story from start to finish. The characters are endearing, relatable, sweet, can often seem confident or flippant but on the inside are much less sure. They are two of my favorite characters, and one of my new all-time favorite couples, of all the books I have read (And I have read quite a few).
I love James, I am pretty sure he is my new book boyfriend and when asked about my favorite male characters of all time he will always be in the top 5. He did all the little things but was to shy for that grand gesture and the young often need that. He was kind and supportive to the point of being in the friend zone. A much relied upon friend.
Julia certainly had the notion that romances were full of passion and secrets and grand gestures (thank you Shakespeare) but failed to recognize that as sweet as grand gestures are once married it is the small things that prove love is there. Them carrying your bags while shopping with you (we all know most men hate that so if they do it they love you) or something like telling the cook to make your pregnant wife a mini apple pie for her every evening so she always satisfies her cravings. The little things that prove they pay attention and know what you need or want without you saying it. That is lasting love right there (especially the pie because let's face it pie is amazing).
The fact that they write letters to get to know one another sharing parts of themselves they never shared with another, and sometimes didn't even admit to themselves. No judgment or expectations clouding them. Just pure honesty so not only do they love the person they already know but they learn to love the person the other hides from the world as well.
definitely a wonderful read. borrowed it in KU, finished it, bought it just in case I am ever without KU.
I love James, I am pretty sure he is my new book boyfriend and when asked about my favorite male characters of all time he will always be in the top 5. He did all the little things but was to shy for that grand gesture and the young often need that. He was kind and supportive to the point of being in the friend zone. A much relied upon friend.
Julia certainly had the notion that romances were full of passion and secrets and grand gestures (thank you Shakespeare) but failed to recognize that as sweet as grand gestures are once married it is the small things that prove love is there. Them carrying your bags while shopping with you (we all know most men hate that so if they do it they love you) or something like telling the cook to make your pregnant wife a mini apple pie for her every evening so she always satisfies her cravings. The little things that prove they pay attention and know what you need or want without you saying it. That is lasting love right there (especially the pie because let's face it pie is amazing).
The fact that they write letters to get to know one another sharing parts of themselves they never shared with another, and sometimes didn't even admit to themselves. No judgment or expectations clouding them. Just pure honesty so not only do they love the person they already know but they learn to love the person the other hides from the world as well.
definitely a wonderful read. borrowed it in KU, finished it, bought it just in case I am ever without KU.
September 1, 2018
I immediately fell in love with the main characters, Miss Julia Weston and Mr. James Norwich. Julia is witty, has a sharp tongue, she is loving, gregarious, entertaining, fanciful and a romantic at heart. James is the ideal companion for Julia. He is thoughtful, indulging, witty, honest, forthright and has harbored a secret unrequited love for Julia for a few years. They have known each other since childhood and continued their close friendship into their young adult years. They are now the closest of friends and each other’s confidant. Julia can talk to James about anything. He does not rebuke her that she may be asking about things that a proper lady would not speak of. They spend time together at balls and dinners. He is well regarded by Julia's parents and shows them the upmost respect. James loves everything about Julia and would never stifle her creative personality. But Julia is blind to James' love for her. James is timid when it comes to expressing emotions. So, when he is around Julia he is in his friendship mode. How could Julia possibly know how he feels? James has not once ever said anything to that affect or acted in a way that would tip her off to his feelings and intentions. Julia was under the impression that James could never feel love for her other than as a little sister. When James finally came to the end of his rope, he decided to declare himself to Julia. He was too timid to do it in person. He decides to write her a letter. He is more at ease writing than verbally expressing himself. In writing, James pours all the feelings he has for Julia and declares that he loves her. In his nervousness and excitement, he forgets one tinny tiny detail in his letter. He forgot to sign his name before sending it off to the post. Oh, how he lamented his mistake and did not know what to do. When Julia received the letter, she was completely taken off guard. It warmed her heart that someone had sent her such a loving letter conveying their deepest regard and esteem. But she did not know who it was from. However, there was a post box number on the envelope. Julia decided she would answer the letter and send it to the post box. Although it was considered improper for a single man to write to a single lady and vice versa without an understanding. But she did it anyway. She felt it was so romantic that someone who considered themselves her close friend and had loved her for years. Yet Julia could not determine who it was. When James received her response, he was no longer in any doubt that he would continue writing to her anonymously. This was the beginning of a secret courtship between Julia and her correspondent (aka James). This book is so endearing and enjoyable to read. The letters between James and Julia were tender, supportive, encouraging and insightful. It was fun to read about the interactions between James and Julia after the writing had begun. Julia was still oblivious to James' true feelings for her. As she continued to dance with others at balls, entertain other men at private gatherings, James falls more and more in love with her. Julia found herself looking forward to receiving her correspondent's letters. She began to feel a kinship with him. She was able to reveal her deepest fears and truths to him. What happens next will cause bumps in the road for James and Julia. It may even cause the end of their friendship. What an emotional read. I highly recommend it.
September 2, 2018
Wonderful story of 2 lifetime friends who only realized they loved each other when it seemed they were to lose each other.
Plot: Julia Weston’s father tutored James Norwich as a young man, which allowed Julia and James to meet and compete in learning with each other. They became as close as a brother and sister. James, who was older by a few years, was first to realize he had developed deep feelings for Julia, but discerned that she still thought of their close relationship as it had always been.
Julia has been “out” at least 2 seasons, and her parents want to see her settled in a good marriage soon, as they have both been ill, and her mother seems to be declining since then. Julia shares the dictum for her parents that she is to accept a suitor and prepare for marriage. Julia’s parents have observed the 2 interacting all these years, and Mrs. Weston tells James that they think Jams and Julia would be a good match. Mrs. Weston begins encouraging him to speak up and declare his intentions, but James wavers in doing that. He decides to write a long letter, expressing his feelings. After recopying it, he forgets to sign it! He does leave a box number on the envelope, which Julia mails her response to him. Thus begins an anonymous courtship, wherein each begins to bare their soul to the other. Julia tries to discern which of her crowd could be the author, but is not successful. Finally, she demands in a letter to make himself known to her. James comes to the house, she is shocked,and does not yet realize, that her feelings for James are already deeply rooted. Thus, James does not propose as he sees she is not prepared to accept him. He leaves Bath in a few days, returning to his estate.
Will Julia come to realize what is in her heart, or will turn to another suitor? Will James find love elsewhere, giving up on Julia. The rest of the story sorts All these tangles out.
Pearl of wisdom; Mrs. Weston gives Julia wonderful advise when Julia confesses her errors in dealing with James when he came to propose. She states : “ “That is all that life is about, my dear. We are all of us constantly learning and growing. There is no need to hurt yourself too much over it. “For it is not truly the mistakes that matter. We are all going to make them at one time or another. What matters is what you do about them once you make them. “Do you sit there and cry about the matter? Do you rail against yourself but take no steps to actually remedy the situation? Or do you step up and admit to your misstep and clean up whatever mess you have made? “That is what matters.”
We all need to think in that manner as we all stumble many times.
Critique: The storyline was very good, and the characters well developed. The pace was good. I did not notice any grammatical or punctuation errors (a good editing job.) Characters from Ms. Finch’s prior novel make appearances in this novel, just as Julia and James had appeared in a prior book. We also see that Georgina and her fiancé are deeply involved in wedding plans. Thus the 2 stories work together to give us a continuing picture of a group of friends taking that all important step of choosing life partners. This is an excellent book, with a HEA, appropriate for all ages.
Plot: Julia Weston’s father tutored James Norwich as a young man, which allowed Julia and James to meet and compete in learning with each other. They became as close as a brother and sister. James, who was older by a few years, was first to realize he had developed deep feelings for Julia, but discerned that she still thought of their close relationship as it had always been.
Julia has been “out” at least 2 seasons, and her parents want to see her settled in a good marriage soon, as they have both been ill, and her mother seems to be declining since then. Julia shares the dictum for her parents that she is to accept a suitor and prepare for marriage. Julia’s parents have observed the 2 interacting all these years, and Mrs. Weston tells James that they think Jams and Julia would be a good match. Mrs. Weston begins encouraging him to speak up and declare his intentions, but James wavers in doing that. He decides to write a long letter, expressing his feelings. After recopying it, he forgets to sign it! He does leave a box number on the envelope, which Julia mails her response to him. Thus begins an anonymous courtship, wherein each begins to bare their soul to the other. Julia tries to discern which of her crowd could be the author, but is not successful. Finally, she demands in a letter to make himself known to her. James comes to the house, she is shocked,and does not yet realize, that her feelings for James are already deeply rooted. Thus, James does not propose as he sees she is not prepared to accept him. He leaves Bath in a few days, returning to his estate.
Will Julia come to realize what is in her heart, or will turn to another suitor? Will James find love elsewhere, giving up on Julia. The rest of the story sorts All these tangles out.
Pearl of wisdom; Mrs. Weston gives Julia wonderful advise when Julia confesses her errors in dealing with James when he came to propose. She states : “ “That is all that life is about, my dear. We are all of us constantly learning and growing. There is no need to hurt yourself too much over it. “For it is not truly the mistakes that matter. We are all going to make them at one time or another. What matters is what you do about them once you make them. “Do you sit there and cry about the matter? Do you rail against yourself but take no steps to actually remedy the situation? Or do you step up and admit to your misstep and clean up whatever mess you have made? “That is what matters.”
We all need to think in that manner as we all stumble many times.
Critique: The storyline was very good, and the characters well developed. The pace was good. I did not notice any grammatical or punctuation errors (a good editing job.) Characters from Ms. Finch’s prior novel make appearances in this novel, just as Julia and James had appeared in a prior book. We also see that Georgina and her fiancé are deeply involved in wedding plans. Thus the 2 stories work together to give us a continuing picture of a group of friends taking that all important step of choosing life partners. This is an excellent book, with a HEA, appropriate for all ages.
August 30, 2018
I now have read more books by this author and this one was a jewel again. A friendship blossoms. The decent young James Norwich, writes a love letter to his friend, miss Julia Weston. He fell in love with her already a while ago. He wants to tell her his feelings and a letter seems to be the best way. But this your man made a foolish mistake, he forgot to put his name at the bottom of the letter. The result: Julia thinks she has a secret admiror and thinks this is quite exciting. The young people correspond without the normal boundaries attached to their acquantance. So this is exactly the way for a lovely innocent love to develop. Though it seems to go a bit slow this adds as well to the innocence of the love... I can easily recommend this book as it is a lovely romance novel and it made me want to forget about e-mails and whatsapp and start corresponding again like in the days before...
August 31, 2018
Julie Weston is upset and dismayed when her parents tell her it's about time she got married. Julie could not change their minds, no matter how hard she tried. She confides in her good friend James Norwich. The young men she knows are so shallow and she has no desire to spend the rest of her life with them. She is looking for romance. Then the mysterious letters start arriving, but she has no idea who they are from, because they are unsigned.
James Norwich has loved Julie for a long time. So he decides he will tell her about his feelings for her. However, James is so nervous about the letter he forgets to sign his name. He decides he will woo her through letters. Julie is flattered, but she wished she knew who sent them.
Will Julie realize the love in front of her i the form of her good friend? Are Julie and James destined to love?
This is a clean, sweet and wholesome book and I really enjoyed it. This is my honest opinion for this ARC.
James Norwich has loved Julie for a long time. So he decides he will tell her about his feelings for her. However, James is so nervous about the letter he forgets to sign his name. He decides he will woo her through letters. Julie is flattered, but she wished she knew who sent them.
Will Julie realize the love in front of her i the form of her good friend? Are Julie and James destined to love?
This is a clean, sweet and wholesome book and I really enjoyed it. This is my honest opinion for this ARC.
August 31, 2018
Anyone who reads this book will love it!
This book was so different. The anticipation throughout was mind blowing. I loved the way the story revolved around the letters written. Two of the same kind of people who had so much in common but never showed the troubled side of themselves on the outside to people, except in their letters to each other. I kept questioning how these two people would come together in the end after the twist it took. I absolutely and positively recommend this book.
This book was so different. The anticipation throughout was mind blowing. I loved the way the story revolved around the letters written. Two of the same kind of people who had so much in common but never showed the troubled side of themselves on the outside to people, except in their letters to each other. I kept questioning how these two people would come together in the end after the twist it took. I absolutely and positively recommend this book.
August 31, 2018
A sweet clean romance evolving between two friends, 1 of whom has a secret and begins writing to the other. In the beginning the book seemed to move slowly but later picked up some speed. The sentiment of the love letters were touching, and I found I also was eager to read the next letter! I love the h's mother's description of when she knew she loved her husband--the apple pie! So touching! I enjoyed this book and recommend it.
September 1, 2018
This is a sweet, gentle, romance. Both people secure outwardly, but vulnerable (as we all are) on the inside. He courts her through letters without letting her know his name, adding his love and a little mystery. It's a delightful read that can be shared with a daughter, niece, mother, or friend. We all need reminders of our own worth periodically, and this book does it well. Thank you Ms Finch for a job well done.
August 31, 2018
This is the first historical romance I have read. It is well written and keeps your interest. Julia Weston is seeking to find a husband. She has a best friend James Norwich. Julia receives letters from an unknown person expressing his love for her.
This is a time when a man sending letters to a woman he is not married to is a social taboo. Julia keeps the letters secret, but cherishes the wording in the letters. Will she meet this admirer or will he remain secret.
This is a time when a man sending letters to a woman he is not married to is a social taboo. Julia keeps the letters secret, but cherishes the wording in the letters. Will she meet this admirer or will he remain secret.
August 31, 2018
She had no interest in getting married. All she wanted was the ball and having fun with him. He has been in love with her for years but he is too shy to say so. He writes a letter but leaves his name off. What will happen between them? See what will happen
I received an advanced copy and I enjoyed it so much that I want to review
I received an advanced copy and I enjoyed it so much that I want to review
August 31, 2018
Miss Julia Weston and James Norwich are friends but he has loved her for a long time and plan to try and win her hand, but someone else wants her. I could not put this book down until I found out what would happen, this is a well-written story.
September 9, 2018
I enjoyed this sweet story! Julie is receiving mysterious, unsigned letters from a possible suitor, who is too nervous to sign his name. Will Julie realize that the secret letters are coming from her friend James?
August 30, 2018
I really enjoyed this refreshing love story. I remember when handwritten letters were a treasure to receive. I can't imagine an entire courtship with letters exchanged between the hero and heroine with neither revealing their identity.
It's a brilliant way to really get to know each other without all the interferences from family, friends and social events.
Beautifully written!
It's a brilliant way to really get to know each other without all the interferences from family, friends and social events.
Beautifully written!
August 30, 2018
A sweet story... of love...
A sweet courtship.... so different... that reveals the feeling, the true heart of the hero and the heroine...
A book for all that love sweet romance and romantic letters.
A sweet courtship.... so different... that reveals the feeling, the true heart of the hero and the heroine...
A book for all that love sweet romance and romantic letters.
August 31, 2018
A wonderful sweet romance that makes your day happier. Surprise love letters without a name, how romantic. Loved it.
September 2, 2018
Love Letters to a Lady by Fanny Finch. Really well written good storyline, fun romance. All the characters are likeable and well developed. My free opinion. Thanks
August 28, 2018
Lovely read
Juliana has come to the point in her life where it is time for her to marry. She wishes to marry for love and nothing else. James Norwich, a former student of her father's, has lived her for a long time. He writes her a letter confessing his feelings for her but forgets to sign his name. They correspond back and forth for a while til Juliana decides it's time they met. How does she react to finding out who she has been writing to read this book and see how it ends.
Juliana has come to the point in her life where it is time for her to marry. She wishes to marry for love and nothing else. James Norwich, a former student of her father's, has lived her for a long time. He writes her a letter confessing his feelings for her but forgets to sign his name. They correspond back and forth for a while til Juliana decides it's time they met. How does she react to finding out who she has been writing to read this book and see how it ends.
August 29, 2018
Sweet romance. Julia's parents decide it's time for her to marry. Her friend James Norwich has been secretly in love with her for years and decides to court her through letters but forgets to sign his name. The letters are beautiful and the journey of falling in love is enchanting. It is very emotional when Julia discovers the truth. A book with delightful characters. I loved it.
August 31, 2018
A young girl is encouraged to marry by her parents, but she doesn't realize her best friend is the man for her. He writes her a letter but does not reveal his identity until later. Moving story.
August 31, 2018
As always a well written story with interesting characters.
August 31, 2018
Just loven this author's books and this one was no different. A great story that I honestly can recommend
August 31, 2018
This is the third book I have read by Fanny Finch, and they just keep getting better and better. I love how the characters from the earlier books carry over into the following books.
August 30, 2018
Such a beautiful story that I highly recommend reading. The characters of James and Julia are so amazing.
August 28, 2018
5 stars
This is such a sweet and heartwarming story. James and Julia are like matching bookends, they fit so perfectly together. I totally loved this book!
This is such a sweet and heartwarming story. James and Julia are like matching bookends, they fit so perfectly together. I totally loved this book!
August 29, 2018
Wonderful
Another charming love story by this author. Two people, seemingly at cross purposes until they put pen to paper. Absolutely loved it.
Another charming love story by this author. Two people, seemingly at cross purposes until they put pen to paper. Absolutely loved it.
November 16, 2018
This has such an intriguing premise: a man is too shy to court the woman he loves openly, so he writes to her to declare himself, but forgets to sign his name. Thus begins a correspondence where both parties can explore their real natures free of the constraints of public society. So much potential, but the execution was sadly lacking.
Let’s get the logistics out of the way first. The lady is able to reply to her anonymous lover because he uses an anonymous post office box to receive his mail. This is set in a time two hundred years ago, when a decent mail service was only just getting going properly. Mail coaches had been operating for a mere twenty years. There was no regular doorstep delivery for most people, you collected your mail yourself (or sent your footman to collect it) from the nearest post office, which might be just a back room in a shop. Same for sending letters - no post boxes to pop them into yet. Most houses didn’t have numbers or even names, street names were very ad hoc, and very often the only information available for addressing letters was the recipient’s name and a town or village. You could direct a letter to John Smith of Anytown, and it would reach him because so few people were literate that the local post office would know every John Smith personally. Where do anonymous letters sent to post office boxes fit in? They don’t. I can’t find a definitive answer, but I’d be prepared to bet that post office boxes were a twentieth century invention, or late Victorian at the earliest.
OK, so moving on. The characters are nicely done. The heroine, Julia, is feisty and smart and witty. The hero, James, is a thoroughly nice man. They have been friends for years, get along well and… really, the only obstacle is his reluctance to declare himself. So the letters strategy is a neat device, and leaving off his name makes an ingenious puzzle for her and allows both of them to talk freely. So freely, in fact, that she falls in love with her mysterious suitor and is disappointed to find out that it’s really boring old James.
And that’s basically the whole plot. There’s a rival suitor and some pressure from her parents, but nothing that really affects the straightforward flow of the story towards a HEA. So why did it take so long to get there? Because both characters angsted about every last little nuance to the umpteenth degree. Every word in every letter was analysed over and over, and it got very tedious. With some decent editing, this story could have been told in half the time, and would have been much better for it.
Apart from the post office box (and I freely admit I have nothing but gut feel to suggest that it’s an anachronism), there were only a couple of glaring errors. James is heir to a ‘count’ who owns a ‘county’, which made me laugh out loud. No counts in the British peerage, and nobody owns a whole county (well, maybe the Duke of Rutland owns the tiny county of Rutland, who knows, but generally nobles don’t actually own the whole of the place they’re named after). And the rival suitor, a Mr Carson, was the heir to a marquis (he’d have had a courtesy title of earl, and his sister would be Lady Something Carson, not Miss Carson). It is insulting when authors profess to write about a specific time and place, and then don’t make the least effort even to get the basics right.
This could have been a great story. The premise is terrific — original and with lots of potential. The characters were solid, too, and thank goodness for no cardboard-cutout villain. But the annoying errors and the endless tedious angsting keep it to three stars.
Let’s get the logistics out of the way first. The lady is able to reply to her anonymous lover because he uses an anonymous post office box to receive his mail. This is set in a time two hundred years ago, when a decent mail service was only just getting going properly. Mail coaches had been operating for a mere twenty years. There was no regular doorstep delivery for most people, you collected your mail yourself (or sent your footman to collect it) from the nearest post office, which might be just a back room in a shop. Same for sending letters - no post boxes to pop them into yet. Most houses didn’t have numbers or even names, street names were very ad hoc, and very often the only information available for addressing letters was the recipient’s name and a town or village. You could direct a letter to John Smith of Anytown, and it would reach him because so few people were literate that the local post office would know every John Smith personally. Where do anonymous letters sent to post office boxes fit in? They don’t. I can’t find a definitive answer, but I’d be prepared to bet that post office boxes were a twentieth century invention, or late Victorian at the earliest.
OK, so moving on. The characters are nicely done. The heroine, Julia, is feisty and smart and witty. The hero, James, is a thoroughly nice man. They have been friends for years, get along well and… really, the only obstacle is his reluctance to declare himself. So the letters strategy is a neat device, and leaving off his name makes an ingenious puzzle for her and allows both of them to talk freely. So freely, in fact, that she falls in love with her mysterious suitor and is disappointed to find out that it’s really boring old James.
And that’s basically the whole plot. There’s a rival suitor and some pressure from her parents, but nothing that really affects the straightforward flow of the story towards a HEA. So why did it take so long to get there? Because both characters angsted about every last little nuance to the umpteenth degree. Every word in every letter was analysed over and over, and it got very tedious. With some decent editing, this story could have been told in half the time, and would have been much better for it.
Apart from the post office box (and I freely admit I have nothing but gut feel to suggest that it’s an anachronism), there were only a couple of glaring errors. James is heir to a ‘count’ who owns a ‘county’, which made me laugh out loud. No counts in the British peerage, and nobody owns a whole county (well, maybe the Duke of Rutland owns the tiny county of Rutland, who knows, but generally nobles don’t actually own the whole of the place they’re named after). And the rival suitor, a Mr Carson, was the heir to a marquis (he’d have had a courtesy title of earl, and his sister would be Lady Something Carson, not Miss Carson). It is insulting when authors profess to write about a specific time and place, and then don’t make the least effort even to get the basics right.
This could have been a great story. The premise is terrific — original and with lots of potential. The characters were solid, too, and thank goodness for no cardboard-cutout villain. But the annoying errors and the endless tedious angsting keep it to three stars.
August 31, 2018
This novel is a very cute take on falling in love through letters. It is a sweet, clean, mostly historical romance with very endearing characters. These characters are a continuation of "A Love Worth Saving". The author does a wonderful job of entwining the characters from previous novels so that it makes you feel like you know each one.
Julia, our heroine, is a rather energetic, headstrong, lively, fun-loving, kind, witty, and always like to please. James, our Hero, is quiet but witty, charming, handsome, honorable and desperately in love with Julia. He finds it difficult to expose his feelings verbally so he writes to her. Hijinks ensue.
This really is an interesting book of how people can come to know one another with out always talking in person. I very much like the concept. And there is quite a bit of funny and amusing dialog.
HOWEVER, there are several strong technical issues that do not allow me to give it 4 or 5 stars. One is very modern language in a historical novel. That creates a huge disconnect to the reader between reading about a time in the past and being thrust over and over again to the present by the modern word usage. Secondly, there is a lot of repetition of certain words and/or phrases. "Fell for" is from the 1920's and is repeated SEVERAL times. There are quite a few other modern words and phrases that would not have been used in this time period, the worst being "morphed". That is an American slang that came about in the 1950's.
I think the reason these issues bother me so much is that 1. I perceive them to be examples of sloppy writing and 2: If I am in a time period, I want to STAY in that time period throughout the novel. That is why I say this book is "mostly" historical. If the verbiage could be brought up to the time period, this would be a very good book indeed!
Julia, our heroine, is a rather energetic, headstrong, lively, fun-loving, kind, witty, and always like to please. James, our Hero, is quiet but witty, charming, handsome, honorable and desperately in love with Julia. He finds it difficult to expose his feelings verbally so he writes to her. Hijinks ensue.
This really is an interesting book of how people can come to know one another with out always talking in person. I very much like the concept. And there is quite a bit of funny and amusing dialog.
HOWEVER, there are several strong technical issues that do not allow me to give it 4 or 5 stars. One is very modern language in a historical novel. That creates a huge disconnect to the reader between reading about a time in the past and being thrust over and over again to the present by the modern word usage. Secondly, there is a lot of repetition of certain words and/or phrases. "Fell for" is from the 1920's and is repeated SEVERAL times. There are quite a few other modern words and phrases that would not have been used in this time period, the worst being "morphed". That is an American slang that came about in the 1950's.
I think the reason these issues bother me so much is that 1. I perceive them to be examples of sloppy writing and 2: If I am in a time period, I want to STAY in that time period throughout the novel. That is why I say this book is "mostly" historical. If the verbiage could be brought up to the time period, this would be a very good book indeed!
August 30, 2023
Painfully Slow
I wanted to like this book. There were moments when I definitely did like it— a phrase or something of the sort. But the majority of this book felt like built up, prolonged anticipation, only to be let down by more pining. Too much of that angers a reader. There has to be some sort of reward to bait the reader if it’s going to be a painfully long slow burn.
Instead, I found that every moment of this book was a ramble. Overly stated, redundant, and drawn out. I’m not exaggerating when I say I literally cursed allowed (a handful of times) at some of the more lengthy monologues. I was often withdrawn from each of the characters in their thoughts and dialogue simply because it went on and on and on, serving no purpose other than to uncover every inch of the thought.
It’s clear that the writing is good and was sometimes witty, but the banter always turned into several paragraphs under each spoken quote, without a break for description or reaction. Just dialogue.
Lastly, there was no true progress in the relationship between the two love interests until literally the epilogue. This was frustrating because as we are given the POV of the man pining after the other protagonist, we are experiencing the agonizing turmoil he feels every chapter up until the end of the book. It was pages and pages of emotional labor with just a smidgeon of a reward at the end.
Anyway, I was disappointed:( The reviews for this book were great. Maybe I just didn’t have the attention span for it
I wanted to like this book. There were moments when I definitely did like it— a phrase or something of the sort. But the majority of this book felt like built up, prolonged anticipation, only to be let down by more pining. Too much of that angers a reader. There has to be some sort of reward to bait the reader if it’s going to be a painfully long slow burn.
Instead, I found that every moment of this book was a ramble. Overly stated, redundant, and drawn out. I’m not exaggerating when I say I literally cursed allowed (a handful of times) at some of the more lengthy monologues. I was often withdrawn from each of the characters in their thoughts and dialogue simply because it went on and on and on, serving no purpose other than to uncover every inch of the thought.
It’s clear that the writing is good and was sometimes witty, but the banter always turned into several paragraphs under each spoken quote, without a break for description or reaction. Just dialogue.
Lastly, there was no true progress in the relationship between the two love interests until literally the epilogue. This was frustrating because as we are given the POV of the man pining after the other protagonist, we are experiencing the agonizing turmoil he feels every chapter up until the end of the book. It was pages and pages of emotional labor with just a smidgeon of a reward at the end.
Anyway, I was disappointed:( The reviews for this book were great. Maybe I just didn’t have the attention span for it
September 8, 2018
Love Letters to Lady by Fanny Finch has the potential to be an excellent book except for two major flaws: Finch uses language that is totally inappropriate to the time period, in fact, might be inappropriate to the modern age of someone of this class. For example: scared. The other huge flaw is the lack of formatting: paragraphs are no formatted with an indentation or a skipped line; using italics or at least a skipped line preceding the beginning of the letter ould better distinguish the letters. This makes the book extremely cumbersome to read.
Another of the issues is how verbose the writing it. People in this age spoke differently that we do and some of that should be carefully modernized, but they did not go on and on. For example, when James turned up to propose marriage to Julia, at her invitation, she went on for several pages before she allowed him to speak. Also, in the epilogue, Julia and James traveled alone to see Captain Wentworth and Georgiana without a chaperone. This would not have been allowed, not would they have found Georgiana at Wentworth's home, with or without a chaperone, before the wedding.
Love Letters to a Lady has the potential to be quite a good book but misses the mark based on lack of research, among other things.
I received this free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Another of the issues is how verbose the writing it. People in this age spoke differently that we do and some of that should be carefully modernized, but they did not go on and on. For example, when James turned up to propose marriage to Julia, at her invitation, she went on for several pages before she allowed him to speak. Also, in the epilogue, Julia and James traveled alone to see Captain Wentworth and Georgiana without a chaperone. This would not have been allowed, not would they have found Georgiana at Wentworth's home, with or without a chaperone, before the wedding.
Love Letters to a Lady has the potential to be quite a good book but misses the mark based on lack of research, among other things.
I received this free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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