Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Novel But A Lukewarm Romance
Review: "The Wedding Journey" is a tender and beautifully written novel of a marriage of necessity during the Napoleonic Campaign in Spain. If you are a lover of British history or you enjoy reading a well-crafted story with well-drawn characters, you will appreciate this latest offering from Carla Kelly. However, if, like me, you are also looking for a story with a grand romance or an unforgettable passion at its center, "The Wedding Journey" will disappoint you. Like Kelly's other books, "The Wedding Journey" features rather ordinary characters who are thrust into extraordinary situations. The hero, Jesse Randall, is a Captain and surgeon from Scotland, and the heroine is the daughter of another Captain who is a gambler and a wastrel, Elinore ("Nell") Mason. Jesse marries Nell in order to save her from being "sold" by her father to Major Bones, a nasty piece of work. I have to disagree with other reviewers who call these characters middle-class. Carla Kelly lets us know that Jesse Randall comes from a well-to-do family in Scotland which has a large house and employs several servants. Both Jesse and Nell's father, Bertie Mason, are Captains in the British Army and would have had to purchase their colors or rank --a very expensive proposition available only to the aristocracy and gentry in those days, not to the very small early 19th century middle class of shopowners and tenant farmers. Jesse and Nell are a courageous, unselfish couple who fall in love quietly as they follow the retreating British Army through Spain to the Portugese border. Their adventures along the way do draw a very vivid and sometimes gritty portrait of what life must have been like during the war between France and England. However, Jesse and Nell are no Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. There is no grand passion between them nor any other strong emotion besides quiet affection. Two weeks from now, will I remember them? Probably not. If you have liked Carla Kelly's other books, you will undoubtedly enjoy this one, but if you are looking for a story about characters who will live on in your memory and heart long after you finish reading the book, then you may be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Novel But A Lukewarm Romance
Review: "The Wedding Journey" is a tender and beautifully written novel of a marriage of necessity during the Napoleonic Campaign in Spain. If you are a lover of British history or you enjoy reading a well-crafted story with well-drawn characters, you will appreciate this latest offering from Carla Kelly. However, if, like me, you are also looking for a story with a grand romance or an unforgettable passion at its center, "The Wedding Journey" will disappoint you. Like Kelly's other books, "The Wedding Journey" features rather ordinary characters who are thrust into extraordinary situations. The hero, Jesse Randall, is a Captain and surgeon from Scotland, and the heroine is the daughter of another Captain who is a gambler and a wastrel, Elinore ("Nell") Mason. Jesse marries Nell in order to save her from being "sold" by her father to Major Bones, a nasty piece of work. I have to disagree with other reviewers who call these characters middle-class. Carla Kelly lets us know that Jesse Randall comes from a well-to-do family in Scotland which has a large house and employs several servants. Both Jesse and Nell's father, Bertie Mason, are Captains in the British Army and would have had to purchase their colors or rank --a very expensive proposition available only to the aristocracy and gentry in those days, not to the very small early 19th century middle class of shopowners and tenant farmers. Jesse and Nell are a courageous, unselfish couple who fall in love quietly as they follow the retreating British Army through Spain to the Portugese border. Their adventures along the way do draw a very vivid and sometimes gritty portrait of what life must have been like during the war between France and England. However, Jesse and Nell are no Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. There is no grand passion between them nor any other strong emotion besides quiet affection. Two weeks from now, will I remember them? Probably not. If you have liked Carla Kelly's other books, you will undoubtedly enjoy this one, but if you are looking for a story about characters who will live on in your memory and heart long after you finish reading the book, then you may be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Deeply moving
Review: Captain Jesse Randall, surgeon for the Number Eight Army Hospital, knew Elinore Mason when she was just a little girl. Even as a little girl, she possessed a strong will and an admirable spirit. Now she's a young woman, and he has no doubt in his mind that he's in love with her. But Captain Randall has a problem: he's painfully shy. He's so shy that some of his fellow soldiers have teased him about it. Captain Mason, Elinore's father, owes major debts to a man named Major Bones (one of the most despicable villains to grace the pages of a Regency). In exchange for Elinore, all debts would be paid. In order to protect her, Jesse weds Elinore just before a retreat. And so begins Major Bones' revenge. Jesse, Elinore, and a few others (including some of the sick patients) are left behind, hoping to beat their enemies to the Portugeuse border. Hence, the title: "The Wedding Journey." There are no words strong enough to describe how strongly I feel about this book. Jesse Randall was a welcome change from all the typical romance heroes. He's not arrogant, he's humble. He's not sure of himself. He's not nobility, and he's not incredibly attractive. He's sweet, but not saccarhine. Elinore Mason has more courage than 100 London ladies put together. The supporting characters are fleshed-out and memorable: Wilkie, Harper, Sheffield, Leger, "the count." The book wouldn't have been the same without them. There is so much adventure and power packed into such a small book. It's quite astounding. You feel the pain of the characters, you cheer for them, you share in their tragic laughter. It is SO much more than a romance novel. I don't know how Carla Kelly does it! If you prefer a light-hearted book, this book may not be for you. Most of the time, it's quite depressing. If you're looking for fun & laughter, pick up a Barbara Metzger book. If you're looking for a deeply moving piece with complex characters, read this. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Story of love, rather than a love story
Review: Carla Kelly always writes with compassion, understanding and depth; never glossing over the harsh realities of life during this period of history. Indeed, the pivot of most of her stories is usually a particularly hard fact of life - and often death as well (something not often emphasized in a romance novel per se).
Both hero and heroine are well drawn and the reader is soon definitely sympathetic to the feelings of each. The truth of war and its true cost are definitely underlying this tale. Jesse's love for Elinore is obvious from the start, and throughout we are actually more shown his deep feelings and point of view, than hers. His strength of character is obvious, but his realization of it himself is a large part of the enjoyment of the story. Elinore's feelings are not so easily discerned by the reader, perhaps because she is resolutely not wanting to know them herself due to her hard life.
I was only prevented from giving it a top mark, by two things. First, the very melodramatic resolution of their return to the British Army. It just seemed a stroke too much. Second, the short conclusion of the story in a summation of Jesse and Elinore's married life in England. I wanted to be shown some of their happiness - to contrast with the wrenching suffering & the vale of tears through which they had passed.
Well written and an undeniably engrossing story.
Rating:
Summary: Love tested, tried, and true--gritty, and great!
Review: I had read a review of this book elsewhere, so I knew enough about it not to expect this to be a book about your average "honeymoon" wedding trip. This book certainly isn't for the faint-hearted, because it graphically depicts the horrors of war, but there is enough humor and tenderness to add a balance and relieve the starkness. It was great to read a book with a military doctor as a hero(having been one myself, and being married to one I am a bit biased!) I feel that Jesse's love and hate relationship with his profession accurately describes what physicians often feel. The hero and the heroine were so busy helping patients, and fighting for their own lives, that there wasn't a lot of time for them to spend alone with each other, but the author portrayed how their love started and grew with time, in a masterful manner. Their love was deeper than physical attraction, although the sensual tension between them was evident, and was consumated in an earthy, yet romantic way. I really liked some of the secondary characters, and felt that they were presented with their flaws and their assets in a way that was realistic. All the characters were human, and most of them were likeable. The villain was a bit over-the-top, and the negligent father of the heroine was reformed a bit too thoroughly, too quickly. Despite these few nit picks I have with the plot, the whole thing worked together very successfully to make a tender love story and a gripping drama that will linger in my mind for a long time, until I next re-read this book which will be on my keeper shelf.
Rating:
Summary: another great romance from Carla Kelly
Review: I have been a fan of Ms. Kelly's for a long time and have, I believe, a complete collection of her Signet regencies (including novellas). Ms. Kelly never fails to produce a story with well-imagined characters in a realistic milieu; her particular strength, from my point of view, is her use of "middle class" characters - rare in Regency romance. Many of Ms. Kelly's novels feature characters in the military professions, all of whom are fully drawn and none of whom engage in anachronistic behavior. It is wonderful to read about such lifelike people; their conflicts are never trivial and their affections always both sincere and believable. I read a lot of genre fiction, including romance, and Ms. Kelly is the one author who consistently can make me laugh *and* bring a tear to the eye within a single chapter. I am in constant dread of her retirement from writing romance! Despite the rather inane packaging of this title, I recommend "The Wedding Journey" to readers of adventure, in particular, as well as to romance lovers.
Rating:
Summary: Take yourself through this JOURNEY
Review: I just literally finished reading this book and am ashamed that I allowed it to sit for weeks on end on my bookshelf before forcing myself to make time and read it. This was literally THE BEST signet regency book I've ever read and I truly loved and adored the characters that were fully developed and unique and every possible way. Despite the summary located on the back of the book that is NOTHING to what the book has in store.
The story all begins with Captain Jesse Randall, surgeon to the English army serving in northern Spain against the dreaded French. He has always loved the young Elinore Mason, a poor beauty with heart and soul. He is not your typical war hero with no fear and all about guts and glory. He is a new type of protagonist I've been waiting to read about. He's kind, shy and always thinking of others before himself. Ms. Kelly delves deep into his feelings and really brings readers to love him and want him to survive ALL that he goes through.
I cannot help but think to myself that this book would make the best movie of all time. It is a great war epic that has (of course) all the things that many love to read about: Romance (naturally), intrigue, drama, and action. There was not one character that didn't stop the even flow of the book and every point and detail given in the narratives only helped you understand situations more. I've never read a more "feeling" book than this and this is number one on my recommend list.
Rating:
Summary: Take yourself through this JOURNEY
Review: I just literally finished reading this book and am ashamed that I allowed it to sit for weeks on end on my bookshelf before forcing myself to make time and read it. This was literally THE BEST signet regency book I've ever read and I truly loved and adored the characters that were fully developed and unique and every possible way. Despite the summary located on the back of the book that is NOTHING to what the book has in store.
The story all begins with Captain Jesse Randall, surgeon to the English army serving in northern Spain against the dreaded French. He has always loved the young Elinore Mason, a poor beauty with heart and soul. He is not your typical war hero with no fear and all about guts and glory. He is a new type of protagonist I've been waiting to read about. He's kind, shy and always thinking of others before himself. Ms. Kelly delves deep into his feelings and really brings readers to love him and want him to survive ALL that he goes through.
I cannot help but think to myself that this book would make the best movie of all time. It is a great war epic that has (of course) all the things that many love to read about: Romance (naturally), intrigue, drama, and action. There was not one character that didn't stop the even flow of the book and every point and detail given in the narratives only helped you understand situations more. I've never read a more "feeling" book than this and this is number one on my recommend list.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: Nell Mason found herself in an odd pickle. Her father owed gambling debts to Major Bones. Bones made it known that if Nell married him, he would cancel the debt. Nell had no idea how she could get out of marrying the horrid man. Captain Jesse Randall had been in love with Nell for several years but had kept silent. When he learned of her plight, Jesse offered Nell his hand in marriage with the promise of an annulment, if she so wished, once Bones had given up on her. Jesse had hope that he could woo Nell into falling love with him before that happened. He hoped to win Nell's hand forever! major Bones did NOT give up easily. Revenge would be sweet. This is an amazing story with a few twists from the "normal" type of Regency Romances. I cannot recommend it highly enough! I look forward to Carla Kelly's next release! Reviewed by Detra Fitch.
Rating:
Summary: A Deeply Moving Regency!
Review: Never have I read such a book. I adore Mary Balogh and Joan Wolf, nothing can top their characterizations and plot development. I was wrong. I have read this book three times and I will read it again, and again. Like the reader in England, I was deeply moved and humbled as well. His shyness, and quite manner, his steadfast loyalty and love made him a believable and wonderful hero. The inner strength and integrity of the heroine was refreshing. I started crying right from the beginning of the book, and continued crying right down to the last page. The unassuming cover and title does not do justice to the powerful and moving love story that is written and unfolds between the covers of this book. Please, please, buy this book and read it! You will never regret it!
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