The Divided Heart (Signet Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: I absolutely loved the heroine
Review: I absolutely loved the heroine, Lady Colby. She was so admirable and not at all helpless. And Lord Nevil was the perfect match for her. The contrast between the two made for a very interesting combination. I liked the way Ms. Rothman made this book more of a heroine storyline instead of a hero. It shows people that just because a person is a woman does not mean that she isn't capable of doing anything she sets her mind to. It really is a must read book!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing Writing.
Review: I read a lot of Regencies, some light and frothy, some a bit gothic. As long as the writing shows some talent, I am generally satisfied. Unfortunately, I found little writing skill in this book and it was not saved by a superior story or rational characterizations. The storyline was promising but taken to a gratingly melodramatic level by the sub-std writing. All the main characters seemed erratic in behavior because of the way they were presented, not because of what they actually did. On top of this, the romantic leads were not likeable at all but should have been by virtue of their histories. Instead, I found them exceedingly irritating and wouldn't have minded if the lunatic succeeded in killing them off as he intended. The characters spoke in such melodramatic prose but with no charm or humor intended or achieved. The only characters who made sense were the family characters because they were not overly written about and the lunatic villain and accomplice characters because the writer's erratic, melodramatic style aptly suited the situation. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Different but Frustrating
Review: The hero, Lord Nevil Browning was so much more likeable than the heroine Lady Colby Mannering. I guess it was the author's intent to have the reader get frustrated by her refusal to admit she even liked Nevil. He tried to be kind to her even though he had not been kind to her on their first meeting. But it was a cold blooded pact they made and Colby was determined to keep herself from feeling anything for Nevil. An heir and his freedom for Nevil and money to restore her home and take care of her family for Colby was what they wanted. The side characters seemed interesting but never fleshed out much. The Paris intrigue and insane man gunning for them in England was hard to follow. An ok read, interesting premise but not a keeper.

Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Book!
Review: This is an exceptional book- a real quality Regency. This book was a breath of fresh air into a genre that can often be predictable and too conforming to publisher's desires. It was charming and the characters were quite well developed. I loved it.