The Charmer: The Liar's Club

Rating:
Summary: Is this book actually out yet?
Review: Barnes and Noble says no. . Amazon says yes, yet I can't add it to the cart. Anyone read it?

Rating:
Summary: Why do women do all the work?
Review: I had a feeling I wouldn't like this romance in this otherwise very likeable series, because of the way the hero was introduced in The Pretender. The heroine is engaging, but since the hero is usually the point of attraction, he matters more to this reader. As aspirant to Isabel's attentions, Collis comes off as young and rather feckless, though his arm injury invites some curiosity and sympathy. He could have blossomed into hero material inthis novel had the heroine not stolen all his valor and glory. Collis is attractive and charming, but the premise that he is the magnetic rising star of the Liar's Club is not credible, as he keeps making mistake after mistake. His lapse of judgment in inviting the king for a lark while drunk, and other dubious judgment calls make him less than heroic.

A problem I've noticed more and more with current romances, of which this is an extreme example, is that the heroine outshines the hero in her new and improved "empowered" role. She rarely needs his help, much less his rescue. Often, she rescues him. Though occasionally, this is amusing, to see romance after romance trotting out this as the new standard in escapist fiction is tiresome and tiring. We women can be empowered in real life; in fantasy, let's let the heroes do some of the rescuing and sharp thinking; let them show that they are really smart, not just eye candy. In this sense, Dalton of the Imposor comes off as a more captivating a figure, while Simon of the Pretender is more endearing and responsible. They are men; Collis is a pretty rich boy coddled by his maid lover.

There is also an unbelievable lack of qualms over the two extreme class spectrums meeting; Collis barely considers this huge class difference, which could have added some intriguing romantic complication. For a better read, try the other Liars' Club books. The Impostor has the better plot, the Pretender the better couple. I do admire Rose, just not her choice of lover.

Rating:
Summary: good read but missing a little something
Review: I've read all this series so far and simply fell in love with them. This was a book I couldn't put down till I finished. While I enjoyed the characters wholeheartedly I was a bit disappointed with the ending. It was rushed and left some things unresolved to my thinking. I wished there had been some dialogue with our heroine and Dalton (The Imposter). If nothing else he owed her some big apolgies! Also, I would have like to have seen Collis given an honorary title and land. If no other reason (since I can't give away the ending) then for saving the Regent or many British soldiers lives. Maybe Collis and Rose will get an honorable mention in the next LIAR'S series???

Rating:
Summary: Wrong Publication Date
Review: If you look on the St. Martin's Press website, they aren't publishing the book until October. Amazon has the wrong date.

Rating:
Summary: strong Regency espionage romance
Review: In 1813, the Liars Club members train the next generation of recruits to serve as spies to protect the country. Two of the better newcomers, former servant Rose Lacey and aristocratic Collis Treymayne are intense rivals trying to better one another in every test.

The leadership is concerned over the rivalry interfering with their progress. So the duo is assigned to a phony scenario to steal a document, but must work together as a team or else. As they fuss over the assignment, they break and enter, but Rose takes the wrong file. Soon the pair finds themselves outside the classroom and in the real world of espionage in which one mistake means death. As the danger mounts, they fall in love, but she is a commoner and he is a nobleman.

THE CHARMER is a wonderful Liars' Club Regency romance starring two fabulous antagonists who compete whether it is on the mats or in the classroom. Rose is a fabulous heroine who though she is a top student and can hold her own even in hand to hand combat, still mentally struggles with her reflex reactions to aristocratic males from years in service. Collis is a perfect counterpart as he loves to get Rose's goat, but hates to lose to her even if he has one bad arm. Together as they struggle to uncover a plot against the Regent, they freshen up a series that will send new fans seeking the previous three espionage romances.

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: Better than expected; not the best of series
Review: Really 3 and 1/2 stars is more accurate; I can't rate it 4, because it's not as good as The Imposter. I was hesitant to read this one because I couldn't see the maid as an appropriate heroine. She is, in fact, a very strong character...perhaps too strong for Collis, as it turns out. The angst is minimal; it should be greater considering the class differences and Collis' disability.

The plot is interesting, but there are no surprises and few real thrills. Much of the humor comes from the Prince Regent, who has a big role. The book almost feels as though Bradley needed a third book, and Collis and Rose were the only leads she could come up with, so she tried to make it work--to questionable success.

I enjoyed the book; it's just nowhere near the quality of the first two. The historical accuracy isn't there either, and it often sounds too modern. Ethan Damont is a very interesting character and could make a nice hero; he's perfectly set for redemption.