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Rating: 
Summary: A Remarkable Debut!
Review: A Compromising Situation is, indeed, a remarkable debut book. Mark my words, however, you'll be hearing a lot about Shannon Donnelly during the next years; she is an author to be reckoned with, believe me! The depth of the characterization in this book is extraordinary. A sentence, sometimes merely one word, conveys more here than entire pages have in other books. Another plus (at least to this reviewer) is the ages of those characters: Maeve Midden is eight-and-twenty, rather old for a heroine, while the hero, Colonel Andrew Derhurst, now Lord Rothe, is ten years her senior. One of the problems with the primogeniture system is, if something happens to the primo, the secondary is seldom sufficiently experienced, much less trained to step up and into primo's empty boots. Such is the case with the Colonel, a second son who was sent off to the military at the age of eighteen, courtesy of his father who obligingly purchased his colors for him. The fact that perhaps the lad might not have wanted colors had no influence on the father; the older son would be the next Lord Rothe, and there was an end to it. When that older son dies, the by-then Colonel is sent home to take over the estates and the title--plus the widow and teen-aged daughter of his brother. They seem like empty-headed flibber-tee-gibbets to the battled-hardened Andrew, who has no patience with them, nor the drawing room skills needed to build a relationship with the only family he now has left to him. Maeve, on the other hand, was born a gentlewoman, but left motherless at the age of four. Hard-headed and stubborn, she willingly cooperated in her own ruination at the hands of an experienced rake. When her father disowned her, she turned to the only person who had ever been kind to her--her teacher, Miss Midden. Soon, however, Maeve is out on her own again, and becomes a governess. Thus, these two lost souls are brought together in a highly believable manner, and in spite of themselves, are drawn one to the other. Of course, the teen-aged Clarissa protests the title of governess assigned to Maeve, who suggests instead that of companion. And it is thus that this relationship is forged. Clarissa is a rare handful, indeed, and unknowingly brings the two older persons together, in a startling twist to the 'unsuitable elopement' gambit. This is an outstanding traditional Regency romance; you'll find something marvelous on every page. I just wish the author had chosen a better surname for Maeve to assume. But if that's the only gripe I can find in this most satisfying book--well, then, the author must indeed know best. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book from the very talented Ms. Donnelly, and I'll bet you'll feel the same way, too.
Rating: 
Summary: Golden Heart Winner for Best Regency!
Review: An independent governess finds love with an irascible lord! Accustomed to depending on herself and not the kindness of others, Maeve Midden learned long ago to be sensible above all else. So when she is hired for a great deal of money as companion to Lord Rothe's niece, Maeve accepts--though the prospect of living with a spoiled girl and the irritable lord seems less than happy. But there is something vulnerable beneath her employer's dark facade--something that touches her very soul. Maeve knows it's wrong to live for the romantic fancy that Andrew considers her more than a friend, especially when her shameful past threatens to destroy her--and the man she has come to love so well... Look for A Dangerous Situation in June 2001. And Autumn Kittens Anthology 2001.
Rating: 
Summary: Governess gets a second chance.
Review: I enjoyed this story because first, it didn't take place in London during the season. And second, both lead characters are strong willed adults who had to work for a living, not spoiled beautiful members of the ton. Both characters had a bad experience in their first loves, so they both have to work out trusting one another, talk about the pass, and allowing love to enter their hearts.
Rating:
Summary: Governess gets a second chance.
Review: I enjoyed this story because first, it didn't take place in London during the season. And second, both lead characters are strong willed adults who had to work for a living, not spoiled beautiful members of the ton. Both characters had a bad experience in their first loves, so they both have to work out trusting one another, talk about the pass, and allowing love to enter their hearts.
Rating:
Summary: A regency romance for grown ups
Review: I rather liked this book. It reminded me alot of the kinds of plots and characters that novelists like Jane Austen and Maria Edgeworth made famous.
Maeve Midden is hired by Lord Rothe to be a governess to his hoydenish sixteen year old niece, Clarissa. Maeve accepts the position with many reservations: Lord Rothe is too high-handed and seems to have a special talent for setting Clarissa's back up; Clarissa's mother seems to have lost all interest in life with the recent death of her husband, Lord Rothe's brother; and Clarissa is absolutely against the idea of having a governess at her 'advanced' age. However Maeve senses a kind of vulnerability beneath both Lord Rothe's and Clarissa's outward facade, and so Maeve strives to bring uncle and niece closer together and to try and make them understand each other a little better. What Maeve does not bargain for is that she and her employer would be attracted to each other, or that the unexpected kindness and sensitivity that Lord Rothe displays towards her would crack the hard shell Maeve had been careful to cultivate around her heart. Both Maeve and Rothe have secret sorrows and disappointments in their pasts that have coloured their lives. Perhaps it is this that draws them to each other. But can anything good come from it? Afterall lords do not marry governesses, especially ones with tainted histories. This is truly a tale for adults. Shannon Donnelly has created a truly honourable and adult hero in Lord Rothe. In spite of his growing attraction for Maeve, not once does he press his attentions on her. Rothe treats her with honour and respect. There seems to be a kind of revolution going on in the romance world, and I for one am all for it! Finally more and more novelists are actually writing about the nice guys!! Spolit rakes are a fun read for a while but every now and then it's nice to read of men who are actually nice and who are not secondary characters and who do end up with the heroine instead of playing second fiddle to the rake! The ending is a bit rushed, and I think that it might have been a stronger novel if Shannon Donnelly had not introduced the villian at all instead of having him come in for the last three chapters, but that it just my own bias. A satisfying novel. I will definitely keep an eye out for the next novel that Shannon Donnelly writes.
Rating:
Summary: A smashing debut
Review: It's always refreshing to read a debut book and find oneself totally charmed. The last time this happened for me was with Anne Gracie's Gallant Waif. So, I look for a happy future with Shannon Donnelly. The plot for A Compromising Situation has been summed up well by other reviewers so I won't go over it again. I would simply like to agree with others who found this adult story about grown up people a real treat. This book is a little dark; not much in the way of light relief appears. Indeed, at first I thought that the dowager Lady Rothe would be a comic character but we eventually see that she, like the Colonel and Maeve, has her own sadness and regrets. Another reviewer has mentioned the slightly odd choice of the heroine's surname - Midden - and I have to say I agree; afterall the word means dunghill! However, overlook this little distraction and enjoy some excellent story telling, quality prose, well-drawn characters and follow Maeve and Lord Rothe as they find a deep and unexpected happiness with each other. I look forward to joining Clarissa in her London debut and hope to meet the newly married Lord and Lady Rothe again in A Dangerous Compromise.
Rating:
Summary: A smashing debut
Review: It's always refreshing to read a debut book and find oneself totally charmed. The last time this happened for me was with Anne Gracie's Gallant Waif. So, I look for a happy future with Shannon Donnelly. The plot for A Compromising Situation has been summed up well by other reviewers so I won't go over it again. I would simply like to agree with others who found this adult story about grown up people a real treat. This book is a little dark; not much in the way of light relief appears. Indeed, at first I thought that the dowager Lady Rothe would be a comic character but we eventually see that she, like the Colonel and Maeve, has her own sadness and regrets. Another reviewer has mentioned the slightly odd choice of the heroine's surname - Midden - and I have to say I agree; afterall the word means dunghill! However, overlook this little distraction and enjoy some excellent story telling, quality prose, well-drawn characters and follow Maeve and Lord Rothe as they find a deep and unexpected happiness with each other. I look forward to joining Clarissa in her London debut and hope to meet the newly married Lord and Lady Rothe again in A Dangerous Compromise.
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