Rating: 
Summary: A Hilarious Comedy of Misunderstandings
Review: A new talent has appeared on the Regency scene. With incredible wit and charm, Nonnie St. George has written a brilliant comedy romance.When businessman Gabriel Carr decides to marry he does it in a practical manner. He makes a list of requirements and sets out to find The Ideal Bride. He asks all the tenants of the buildings he owns to suggest suitable ladies. Lady Nola Grenvale is searching for a warehouse to house a bazaar for war widows to sell their wares. Gabriel and Nola are introduced but she does not match his list and he will not give her his warehouse. Everyone around them sees that they are perfect for each other. Except Gabriel and Nola. The book follows the scheming of the tenants, two daffy old ladies, an aging butler, two cooks, and a mother all bend on seeing that the ideal couple get together despite themselves. The humor is fast, laugh out loud funny in places, deliciously subtle in others. The plot is well thought out with the twists coming from all the misunderstandings between the two principals. Nonnie St. George has written an exceptional first novel. It has well drawn main characters and equally well drawn secondary characters who add a layer of charm to the whole book. An all around great read.
Rating: 
Summary: I was really prepared to love this book
Review: After reading the stellar reviews, I had no doubt that I would just love this book. Even though I was dying to read it as soon as I got it, I saved it for a plane ride because I knew I would be so absorbed in it that the flight would just "fly by" (get it? ha ha).
Imagine my disappointment when 2/3 into the book, I realized that I just wasn't loving it. In fact, I wasn't even liking it too much. I never finished the book.
I will agree with all the previous reviewers who stated that this book has some screwball comedic episodes. Page one had me hooked (or so I thought). A devastatingly attractive man who makes a concerted effort to not look so attractive. A down-to-earth do-good heroine. I started out liking these characters and enjoying their most amusing meetings.
What really turned me off eventually was that there was absolutely no character development whatsoever. These people, while likable in the beginning, were never really portrayed as anything more than just flat characters. I felt towards them by page 120 the exact same way I felt for them at page 1--that is to say, not much. I did not sympathize with or care for any of them. They didn't seem real to me AT ALL and the feelings between them did not ring true or sincere.
I finally got totally fed up when I realized that the "sensible" heroine was truly falling in love with the hero purely because of his dimples. It never really went beyond that.
Overall, I found the book pretty shallow. And by that, I mean there was no depth to it. No depth to the characters, no depth to their feelings. I read 3-5 regency romances a week, so I don't require too much depth, but this one was lacking in ANY. It became annoying and frustrating to read and I just could not bring myself to finish it.
Rating: 
Summary: She's got potential (I hope)
Review: After reading this book, I could only feel a deep sense of regret for what it could have been. Nonnie St George is clearly a very talented writer, infusing an abused and formulaic medium with wry humor and not entirely cardboard characters. However, the novel falls sadly short of it's mark. It's almost as if it was published too quickly; as if a few more runs through the editting process could have produced a more complete book, and hopefully far less typos. The plot developement is sometimes stunted, frequently repetitive, and often boring. The characters, while potentially likeable, suffer from the mere fact that there are simply too many of them--- you can easily see the author building herself a healthy stock of characers with which to build future novels out of. However, I found myself just wishing that all the aunts and servants and friends would just get hit by a meteor en masse and leave the poor lovers alone. But they are NEVER left alone. There's not even an opportunity for the obligatory nude scene. Some romance novels cannot be expected to be anything more than mediocre, and thus hardly merit the benefit of criticism. This one does, however, because it could have been so much more. Nonnie St George, nice try, but next time, edit a little more, and give yourself enough time to write a really good novel, because I know you can.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful.
Review: For me the best traditional Regency gives a reader clever dialogue, fun plot, a hero and heroine you root for, and memorable secondary characters. St George comes through beautifully (I especially enjoyed the servants, like the cook who creates battlescenes with pickles and almonds). St. George delivers all of it in a lively humorous style that's all her own. The book is a masterpiece of a souffle: fluffy light and wonderful. If you enjoy PG Wodehouse, Barbara Metzger, Mary Balogh's lighter traditionals or Georgette Heyer, you'll feel right at home.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful
Review: Gabriel Carr has rejected the label of "Gentleman" and fled into the soothing routine of Business. When it comes time to choose a wife he figures he can handle it just as he would any other business transaction, make a list, review the candidates, choose a life partner. Enter Lady Nola Grenvale. Lady Nola needs one of Gabriel's buildings to create a bazaar for war widows to sell their handicrafts, She has no interest in being his wife. How could she ever mary a man with a list? These two characters (and the mess of "matchmakers" surrounding them) could very easily have been stereotypical. St. George escapes this very neatly. Nola is not a do good heroine you want to smack. Gabriel...well, sometimes you want to smack him, but he is never stubborn beyond reason merely to advance the plot. The secondary cast never escapes the realm of secondary, overwhelming the plot. This little gem is laugh out loud funny. I was chortling the whole way through. What a wonderful first read from an author. I'm looking forward eagerly to her next!
Rating: 
Summary: His bride list
Review: Georgeous and wealthy businessman Gabriel Carr has decided to marry but hates the giddy females who fawn over his striking looks. He wants a wife who sees more in him than his looks, so he draws up a list of requirements for his ideal bride. He wants his bride to be of the merchant class and definitely not the aristocracy; therefore he asks his merchant tenants to introduce him to suitable young women. When he meets Lady Nola Grenvale, pandemonium breaks lose.
This is an absolutely delightful book. I laughed out loud frequently at the absurd situations and the secondary characters. Ms. St.George has created wonderfully witty dialogue. I highly recommend this book to lift your spirits and will look forward to reading the next book about Gabriel's friend the Duke of St.Fell.
Rating:
Summary: Carr's conjugal crisis
Review: Humour is a welcome novelty in Romance fiction. The genre often endures bad press in mainstream media for various reasons - "thin" plots, "shallow" characters, even the romance element is labelled "stilted". These or other faults are paraded by elitist critics. Rarely encountered, humour has the capacity to sweep away many blemishes, real or perceived. Romance novels almost universally conclude with happy endings. Getting to that point, however, often means slogging through a miasma of dreary events, sombre people or dire prospects. Even worse is the imposition of some deep philosophical issue the reader must unravel. Nonnie St George has broken with some of this tradition with her first book, The Ideal Bride. Setting the scene in Regency London gives her room to apply solid research into people, events and language. St George handles these elements well in both plot and characterisation. England is enjoying burgeoning prosperity. The Continental Wars against Napoleon are over, but issues remain - the widows of casualties for one. Who cares about them? Why would they be important in a story of romance? Gabriel Carr aims to be married. He's a successful property owner and investor. As a man of business, planning is essential in his quest. He's drawn up a list of what constitutes the perfect wife. His mother, disdainful of such a "practical" approach, chides him mercilessly. There's a compulsion underlying his wife-hunting method, of course. He must marry before he's thirty or lose an inheritance. He's dogged, determined, independent. The combination inevitably results in a certain hubris. According to classic pattern, such arrogance, even in a mild-mannered man, must lead to an undoing. Boy meets girl, naturally. Rather, man meets woman, since both protagonists are adults. The woman is of the aristocracy - what the British refer to as the ton. In this era, upcoming businessmen are suspicious of the ton. They are often dissolute, and in many cases, they need money. Nola Grenvale seems little different. But "Saint Nola" is different, in an even worse way. Promoting the cause of the Napoleonic War widows, she's set on helping them obtain independent income. She needs a location for the widows to market their wares. Charity and business are rarely close acquaintances, let alone nuptial partners. Nor is marriage a major concern for Nola. Her aim is an intrusion on Gabriel's life and he's prompt in showing his resentment. Nola isn't a candidate for marriage, anyway. Along with her other priorities, Nola isn't in the running in her own mind. Nola's tall, a redhead in a blonde and brunette world and is spare in the bosom - "she looked exactly like a Pall Mall gas lamppost". They are a difficult pair to reconcile. Nola is nobody's fool. She's outspoken, assertive, and determined to fulfill her own ambitions. More provision for hubris. Mixing two such recipes results only in a spicy stew. St George builds her story solidly through the characters. Alone or interacting, Gabriel and Nola are introduced to us, reflect on their respective values, and leave us smiling over the complexities of life. While St George doesn't distract us with deep issues, the value of self-assessment is clear. She helps us in this endeavour by writing with keen humour. Her fine sense of light irony keeps this story alive and moving. Neither plot nor characters are forced or contrived. She avoids the often stilted language used to "type" historical fiction. It's not great literature, but it's great cottage fare.
Rating:
Summary: Carr's conjugal crisis
Review: Humour is a welcome novelty in Romance fiction. The genre often endures bad press in mainstream media for various reasons - "thin" plots, "shallow" characters, even the romance element is labelled "stilted". These or other faults are paraded by elitist critics. Rarely encountered, humour has the capacity to sweep away many blemishes, real or perceived. Romance novels almost universally conclude with happy endings. Getting to that point, however, often means slogging through a miasma of dreary events, sombre people or dire prospects. Even worse is the imposition of some deep philosophical issue the reader must unravel. Nonnie St George has broken with some of this tradition with her first book, The Ideal Bride. Setting the scene in Regency London gives her room to apply solid research into people, events and language. St George handles these elements well in both plot and characterisation. England is enjoying burgeoning prosperity. The Continental Wars against Napoleon are over, but issues remain - the widows of casualties for one. Who cares about them? Why would they be important in a story of romance? Gabriel Carr aims to be married. He's a successful property owner and investor. As a man of business, planning is essential in his quest. He's drawn up a list of what constitutes the perfect wife. His mother, disdainful of such a "practical" approach, chides him mercilessly. There's a compulsion underlying his wife-hunting method, of course. He must marry before he's thirty or lose an inheritance. He's dogged, determined, independent. The combination inevitably results in a certain hubris. According to classic pattern, such arrogance, even in a mild-mannered man, must lead to an undoing. Boy meets girl, naturally. Rather, man meets woman, since both protagonists are adults. The woman is of the aristocracy - what the British refer to as the ton. In this era, upcoming businessmen are suspicious of the ton. They are often dissolute, and in many cases, they need money. Nola Grenvale seems little different. But "Saint Nola" is different, in an even worse way. Promoting the cause of the Napoleonic War widows, she's set on helping them obtain independent income. She needs a location for the widows to market their wares. Charity and business are rarely close acquaintances, let alone nuptial partners. Nor is marriage a major concern for Nola. Her aim is an intrusion on Gabriel's life and he's prompt in showing his resentment. Nola isn't a candidate for marriage, anyway. Along with her other priorities, Nola isn't in the running in her own mind. Nola's tall, a redhead in a blonde and brunette world and is spare in the bosom - "she looked exactly like a Pall Mall gas lamppost". They are a difficult pair to reconcile. Nola is nobody's fool. She's outspoken, assertive, and determined to fulfill her own ambitions. More provision for hubris. Mixing two such recipes results only in a spicy stew. St George builds her story solidly through the characters. Alone or interacting, Gabriel and Nola are introduced to us, reflect on their respective values, and leave us smiling over the complexities of life. While St George doesn't distract us with deep issues, the value of self-assessment is clear. She helps us in this endeavour by writing with keen humour. Her fine sense of light irony keeps this story alive and moving. Neither plot nor characters are forced or contrived. She avoids the often stilted language used to "type" historical fiction. It's not great literature, but it's great cottage fare.
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 *s A great first book full of fun and wit
Review: I had heard so many good things about this first book by Nonnie St George that I just had to read it - especially with her second book COURTING TROUBLE just out. What a fun book! It's a traditional regency with a screwball comedy twist. I could just picture Cary Grant as Gabriel and Katherine Hepburn as Nola a la BRINGING UP BABY (a 1930's screwball comedy). Such fun - and Gabriel's mother was an absolute hoot! Handsome, precise, fastidious Gabriel Carr has decided that he will marry before his thirtieth birthday and so has created a list of criteria for the ideal bride. While his family and friends all scoff at the notion of his list, Gabriel feels that it is perfectly sound and reasonable to know what you want when making such a momentous decision. At the top of his list is the requirement that her family be from the merchant class so that she will understand his preoccupation with business and necessity to stay in London (no foolish aristocratic Miss for him!). But he meets instead Lady Nola Grenvale, daughter of an earl, and it seems every time he is in her company, some disaster befalls him or he loses his cool. She is doggedly pursuing him, not for himself, but for his warehouse, which she proposes to turn into a bazaar from which war widows can sell their wares to better support themselves. Now, Gabriel is known as one of the most handsome men in London with his dark hair and blue eyes and chiseled features. He plays down his looks purposely, but is still annoyed that Lady Nola seems to be impervious to his charms. Or so he thinks! Lady Nola is all too aware of his handsome face and muscular build but she's determined he'll never know it! He's so pig-headed that he refuses to see that the bazaar could be a sound and profitable venture. But Nola (along with his naughty mother!) is not about to give up and when he injures his ankle and must rely on Nola to assist him in taking care of business, new respect as well as a strong attraction, begin to take root on both sides. But what about that list? Lady Nola doesn't exactly fit his criteria, after all . . . A very enjoyable read and a new author to keep an eye on! I would have rated this 5 stars, but I felt Gabriel's desire to salvage his pride about the validity of his list was a bit too much and a bit annoying. But I loved the running joke of Gabriel asking various friends and acquaintances "you know Lady Nola?" which was invariably answered with "Of course! Everyone does - she helps the helpless widows!" Too funny!
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 *s A great first book full of fun and wit
Review: I had heard so many good things about this first book by Nonnie St George that I just had to read it - especially with her second book COURTING TROUBLE just out. What a fun book! It's a traditional regency with a screwball comedy twist. I could just picture Cary Grant as Gabriel and Katherine Hepburn as Nola a la BRINGING UP BABY (a 1930's screwball comedy). Such fun - and Gabriel's mother was an absolute hoot! Handsome, precise, fastidious Gabriel Carr has decided that he will marry before his thirtieth birthday and so has created a list of criteria for the ideal bride. While his family and friends all scoff at the notion of his list, Gabriel feels that it is perfectly sound and reasonable to know what you want when making such a momentous decision. At the top of his list is the requirement that her family be from the merchant class so that she will understand his preoccupation with business and necessity to stay in London (no foolish aristocratic Miss for him!). But he meets instead Lady Nola Grenvale, daughter of an earl, and it seems every time he is in her company, some disaster befalls him or he loses his cool. She is doggedly pursuing him, not for himself, but for his warehouse, which she proposes to turn into a bazaar from which war widows can sell their wares to better support themselves. Now, Gabriel is known as one of the most handsome men in London with his dark hair and blue eyes and chiseled features. He plays down his looks purposely, but is still annoyed that Lady Nola seems to be impervious to his charms. Or so he thinks! Lady Nola is all too aware of his handsome face and muscular build but she's determined he'll never know it! He's so pig-headed that he refuses to see that the bazaar could be a sound and profitable venture. But Nola (along with his naughty mother!) is not about to give up and when he injures his ankle and must rely on Nola to assist him in taking care of business, new respect as well as a strong attraction, begin to take root on both sides. But what about that list? Lady Nola doesn't exactly fit his criteria, after all . . . A very enjoyable read and a new author to keep an eye on! I would have rated this 5 stars, but I felt Gabriel's desire to salvage his pride about the validity of his list was a bit too much and a bit annoying. But I loved the running joke of Gabriel asking various friends and acquaintances "you know Lady Nola?" which was invariably answered with "Of course! Everyone does - she helps the helpless widows!" Too funny!
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