Miss Seton's Sonata (Zebra Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: 3 stars -- a bit disappointing though
Review: Can a sweet natured but socially timid young lady (Miss Teresa Seton) who also happens to be a very talented musician, persuade the widowed gentleman (the Marquis of Merrick) she's in love with to cease mourning for his beloved dead wife, and find love and happiness with her? This is the theme of "Miss Seton's Sonata." Unfortunately for me, reading "Miss Seton's Sonata" was a bit like eating a piece of cake and finding that it had been made with too much cream and not enough substance. The book had a lot of promise, but somewhere along the way it seemed to lose momentum and became a bit of a bland read. This is going to be tricky because I absolutely don't want to reveal too much of the plot and spoil things for readers who have yet to pick up the book. So here goes: I liked the first half of the novel quite a bit -- the story was a good one (up until that point at least), Meredith Bond's hero and heroine were both engaging and really nice characters, and the authour's inspired notion of making Teresa's mother a vital part of the story -- all made "Miss Seton's Sonata" appear to have the hallmarks of a 4 star read. However, halfway through the novel everything petered out. Meredith Bond allows her plot and characters to stagnate as old issues are rehashed (the Marquis's guilt over his attraction for Teresa and his fear that Teresa may not survive the sharp scrutiny of the ton without his support) over and over again. And the most promising bit in this novel, namely Teresa's relationship with her beautiful mother, was not examined thoroughly enough (for me anyway). Many readers will likely not share in my disappointment with "Miss Seton's Sonata" because it really is NOT one of those terribly written books with weak plots and characters that make you long to be able to hurl objects, but since I was expecting a book with a little more substance to it, the discovery that it was a great to do about very little, was a severe disappointment. Nonetheless I'd still rate it as a 3 star read.

Rating:
Summary: A page turner
Review: This is a page-turner of a book, with unexpected twists to the plot. What's more, the characters grow on you, so you want to spend more time in their company. I enjoyed reading it, and look forward to more from this newcomer.

Rating:
Summary: A warm, emotional romance -- I loved it!
Review: This is one of the books that I read straight through in one evening -- and one that kept me pleasantly warmed during a cold Massachusetts night. Meredith Bond spins a Cinderella story that has two really attractive characters that grow over the course of the book, a lovely steamy scene, lots of little surprises, and a clever and satisfying ending that echoes the beginning of the book.

The plot is full of twists and turns, but is essentially the love story of two wonderfully flawed people. The hero, Richard, the "Merry Marquis", is charming, witty and kind, but has retreated into a reclusive shell after the tragic death of his wife. Teresa Seton is shy and quiet because of the influence of her dominating mother, but has one great asset -- she is a talented musician who transforms herself into a sparkling and beautiful woman every time she plays the pianoforte.

When the two are thrown together and found in a compromising position, they are forced to marry. Though this is very much a marriage of convenience, it is the start of some great romantic tension, where both are falling in love, but are each held back by their own respective ghosts -- Richard's loyalty to his dead first wife, and Teresa's own feelings of inadequacy. But all this is resolved by a series of events that forces both out of their shells to become the wonderful, attractive, sparkling people they truly are.

What I liked most about the book was the depth of emotion that Meredith Bond evokes, which makes you want to keep on reading because you care a lot about the characters. The main secondary character, Teresa's flamboyant Spanish mother, is also fun. But at its roots, the book is a heart-warming romance, which is an easy and very satisfying read.