Castaway Hearts

Rating:
Summary: Butler achieves reader expectations
Review: I would recommend this book to any reader of the romance genre just because this particular book steps away from the "Regency" aspect and targets more on adventure and espionage. But don't get me wrong, there's still enough romance to enjoy ((and *spoiler* in some scenes I'm pretty surprised at the sexual tendencies of the main characters.))
The writing and storyline was original and was done with great care.
The only "bones" I have to pick with this read is as follows and explains why this didn't make 5 stars:
1) Frobisher (our hero) could have been a little more physically appealing. My first impression of him was that he was old because Lydia mistook him for an old tar. Though I thought it was refreshing in the same aspect that he was different from the "tall dark and handome" heros we so commonly read about. But his charisma was not lacking.
2) Though the storyline is well-paced, I think that there should have been more concrete reasons for the two to fall in love so quickly. But it in no way setracts from the story.
3)AND SKIP IF YOU DON'T WANT A BIG SPOILER!!!! But I had no idea that they ever married until the 2nd to the last chapter. What in the world did I miss?! I highly doubt the writer failed to include that, but I'm upset that I potentially missed reading that part of the book.
All in all, I think this book is a keeper and is recommended to read for a good spell away from the norm.

Rating:
Summary: a lasting romance
Review: I've never been disappointed by a Nancy Butler book. And "Castaway Hearts" is no exception.
I appreciate the fact that she rarely follows the typical regency formula. Her characters have such depth and this is a touching and beautiful story. The hero, Matthew, is not the usual gentleman. He's human, with faults and fears. Lydia is not the usual 18 year old debutante, but a woman with courage who's determined to follow her heart.
The two find in each other something deeper and more precious than either thought possible. And they refuse to let anything, including a horrid villian, keep them apart.
We also get to revisit Arkady Pelletier and Gilbert Marriott from "Lord Monteith's Gift". Perhaps Ms. Butler will give them stories of their own some day.
Thank you Nancy Butler! This book is a keeper!

Rating:
Summary: a lasting romance
Review: I've never been disappointed by a Nancy Butler book. And "Castaway Hearts" is no exception.
I appreciate the fact that she rarely follows the typical regency formula. Her characters have such depth and this is a touching and beautiful story. The hero, Matthew, is not the usual gentleman. He's human, with faults and fears. Lydia is not the usual 18 year old debutante, but a woman with courage who's determined to follow her heart.
The two find in each other something deeper and more precious than either thought possible. And they refuse to let anything, including a horrid villian, keep them apart.
We also get to revisit Arkady Pelletier and Gilbert Marriott from "Lord Monteith's Gift". Perhaps Ms. Butler will give them stories of their own some day.
Thank you Nancy Butler! This book is a keeper!

Rating:
Summary: Nancy Butler does it again!
Review: Lydia Peartree, daughter of a princess, is a composed, capable young woman and used to a comfortable life. Twenty-seven years old and having never fallen in love, she decided to marry her good friend, Donald. Her betrothed had the misfortune to catch measles when she came to visit his family. So a good friend arranges a day trip on Captain Frobisher's sleek black ship, while she kicks her heels waiting for her fiancé to get well. The chance for a nice afternoon on the river beckons her and the trip changes her life!

Although she sails her little boat on the lake back home, it cannot compare with the sea. She is thrilled by the fury of the sea when a squall blows up, sending the Captain, Lydia, and a crew of adolescent boys to the coast of France. The Captain and Lydia find a connection neither was looking for. The story takes a dangerous turn when some of the travelers are recognized even in the tiny coastal French town.

This wonderful Regency romance, set far from London and its drawing rooms, includes spies, power hungry villains and the shifting political atmosphere in France near the end of the Bonapartist rule. Nancy Butler has included a peek into the irresistible passion and developing intimacy between two adults who feared they would never find love.

Rating:
Summary: Be warned: this is NOT a Regency
Review: When a friend arranges for her to set sail from the coast of Devon, Lydia Peartree is expecting a one-day joyride. She is also expecting something different in the captain, who she accidently mistakes for a scarred old seaman.

But Captain Matthew Frobisher is much, much more than she expected. She becomes intrigued by Matthew's pirate-like appearance and adventurous spirit. And it's a big surprise to learn he's a schoolmaster... he's training young men to become spies!

Lydia, the daughter of a Russian princess, is also something of a surprise to Matthew. She is much more willful than he ever expected. Together (with the young spies-in-training), they embark on a venture beyond their wildest dreams.

I was really looking forward to this book, because Nancy Butler is one of my favorite Regency writers. ...And I stress the word REGENCY. There is a big difference between a "mainstream historical romance" and a "regency romance." I have read many books from both genres, and I've come to appreciate the charm and sweetness of a Regency more than I enjoy the escapades and (for lack of a better word) smut of a Historical. Despite the time period similarity, this book, "Castaway Hearts" is definitely more like a mainstream historical romance. I've read a few Signet "Super" Regencies, and the "Super" usually refers to the extra 80-or-so pages. That is not the case with this book.

There is also a pointed difference between these characters and the typical charming, society-minded Regency characters. Matthew Frobisher is an often-overbearing Alpha male who intrigues Lydia with his brusque attitude. Lydia is a former darling of society who COMPLETELY shirks proprieties. These two fall in love very quickly, and their romance heats up very fast. In terms of romance, it left something to be desired.

I suppose it all amounts to preference. I prefer Regencies. This book did not transport me to the Regency world, nor was it enfused with the depth and insight I've come to expect from Nancy Butler. If I judge it against the mainstream historicals I've read, this book gets 3 1/2 stars. There were enough fights and rescues to satisfy any adventure fan. ...Personally, the thing I liked about this book the most were the young spies-in-training. One, in particular, stole my heart. If Gilbert Marriot isn't the star of his own story, I will be distraught.

Rating:
Summary: Be warned: this is NOT a Regency
Review: When a friend arranges for her to set sail from the coast of Devon, Lydia Peartree is expecting a one-day joyride. She is also expecting something different in the captain, who she accidently mistakes for a scarred old seaman.

But Captain Matthew Frobisher is much, much more than she expected. She becomes intrigued by Matthew's pirate-like appearance and adventurous spirit. And it's a big surprise to learn he's a schoolmaster... he's training young men to become spies!

Lydia, the daughter of a Russian princess, is also something of a surprise to Matthew. She is much more willful than he ever expected. Together (with the young spies-in-training), they embark on a venture beyond their wildest dreams.

I was really looking forward to this book, because Nancy Butler is one of my favorite Regency writers. ...And I stress the word REGENCY. There is a big difference between a "mainstream historical romance" and a "regency romance." I have read many books from both genres, and I've come to appreciate the charm and sweetness of a Regency more than I enjoy the escapades and (for lack of a better word) smut of a Historical. Despite the time period similarity, this book, "Castaway Hearts" is definitely more like a mainstream historical romance. I've read a few Signet "Super" Regencies, and the "Super" usually refers to the extra 80-or-so pages. That is not the case with this book.

There is also a pointed difference between these characters and the typical charming, society-minded Regency characters. Matthew Frobisher is an often-overbearing Alpha male who intrigues Lydia with his brusque attitude. Lydia is a former darling of society who COMPLETELY shirks proprieties. These two fall in love very quickly, and their romance heats up very fast. In terms of romance, it left something to be desired.

I suppose it all amounts to preference. I prefer Regencies. This book did not transport me to the Regency world, nor was it enfused with the depth and insight I've come to expect from Nancy Butler. If I judge it against the mainstream historicals I've read, this book gets 3 1/2 stars. There were enough fights and rescues to satisfy any adventure fan. ...Personally, the thing I liked about this book the most were the young spies-in-training. One, in particular, stole my heart. If Gilbert Marriot isn't the star of his own story, I will be distraught.