One Good Turn (Signet Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: This time, Carla Kelly disappoints....
Review: First of all, let me say that I love Carla Kelly. MISS WHITTIER MAKES A LIST is among my favorite Regencies ever. Usually I buy her books without hesitation, and read them with the utmost enjoyment. But this time, with ONE GOOD TURN, Ms. Kelly actually disappointed me.

She does not disappoint in her writing, which is as first-rate and emotional as ever. Nor in her heroine, Liria, who is another of Ms. Kelly's fabulous "heroine-with-a-past"s. My problem was with the hero.

Although I was heartened to see that Nez had matured somewhat from when we saw him in LIBBY'S LONDON MERCHANT, by the middle of ONE GOOD TURN I was about ready to smack him over the head with a two-by-four for being a clueless oaf about Liria and her son. All the information is there, but he just doesn't put it together. When he finally realized Liria's secret, all I could say was "Well, DUH!" And that deflated most of my enthusiasm for the rest of the book.

As much as I enjoy Ms. Kelly's work, I was not impressed by ONE GOOD TURN. For the author at her best, try one of her earlier books instead.

Rating:
Summary: Didn't like the hero or heroine, too disturbing for me
Review: I absolutely love Carla Kelly, and have all her books except this one, which I didn't keep. I didn't like the hero when he was in Libby's London Merchant, and my feelings didn't change. I couldn't get a good feeling for why he and the heroine fell in love. The thing I disliked most was the graphic description of the rape and ultimate murder of the heroine's sister. I don't think I am particularly squeamish, and I can handle Kelly's descriptions of war-time trauma, but after I read about the assault, it kept haunting me. I think it would have been sufficient to leave more up to imagination. As it was, it was very disturbing. That incident, and my lack of feelings for the main characters made this not "a keeper" for me. Maybe I am just too sensitive, but that's how I feel.

Rating:
Summary: Kelly one of the few authors on my auto-buy list...
Review: While I enjoy the works of a variety of authors, only two authors (so far) are on my auto-buy list, and for slightly different reasons - Carla Kelly, and Madeline Hunter. Let me explain why Kelly is an auto-buy (that means I buy her new, immediately). She is one of the few authors willing to write about the darker side of Regency life consistently, without being explicit. That does not mean her characters do not feel passion or desire (or any of the other emotions). Such emotions are part of their backstory (their past history). But Kelly's books are almost PG in their content. The only reason they would be rated PG-13 is that terrible things have happened in the past (or will happen in the course of the story) to the hero or heroine.

One such book, which I strongly recommended in the past, is MISS MILTON SPEAKS HER MIND. Another is THE LADY'S COMPANION. Both books are warmly appreciated by Kelly's fans, although the former is a very dark book at times. And now, Kelly comes back to the Regency fans with a sequel (long-awaited) to LIBBY'S LONDON MERCHANT, a book still in print as I speak, in one of Signet's new double titles. What a wonderful build-up to her latest novel!

The story has been beautifully described by another reviewer. To say more would be to give so much away. Run, don't walk, to your bookstore or order this from Amazon. [I love the fact that Kelly's title is at 1,000-something in sales, well above Julia Quinn's and the others - as much as I respect them. Who says traditional Regency fans don't buy books? Note to myself - buy a couple more copies to send to friends I have newly converted to really good Regencies, along with LLM].

Among the titles I have liked and loved over the past few months, this will stand high. It is not an easy read. Kelly is not a light amusing read (usually); she explores darker (but not necessarily deviant) sides of human action and inaction. In this book, she completes the partial redemption of a man who was incapable of appreciating the true worth of another good woman, and how! Liria's story will bring tears to your eyes. [Fans of Georgette Heyer's THE SPANISH BRIDE, beginning with a scene in Badajoz, will appreciate this all the more].

I do hope that Kelly - and the editors out there - are encouraged to continue publishing good traditional Regencies. Recently I have been trying a variety of new authors, and have only found a few promising gems. While I came late to Kelly (after discovering Balogh), I was quickly converted. For the record, most of her books are out-of-print and very hard-to-find. Look up her back titles in your public library, try to buy them through Amazon and other sources, or badger the publisher to print more double titles.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Reading; Heart Wrenching Tale
Review: Wow, this book is one of those you either love or hate if you read all the reviews. I liked it very much. The writing was excellent and the story compelling!

It is a dark and disturbing tale which might be good to know before you read it. This type of story causes those of us used to light-hearted tales to do some soul searching. Most books do not show the barbarism of war or mention the violence perpetrated against the innocent. Benedict and Liria are both victims tortured by their war experiences. Their journey to love is a path strewn with self-hate and denial. We catch glimpses of their torment along the way. There is not a tremendous amount of romance in this book, but there is a tremendous amount of love! Amazingly, this story centers completely around the duke unlike other Regencies. There was so much caring shown between the men which is very rare to see. I enjoyed reading about the devotion of the butler Luster to his employer. What a good man to have on your side! All the other characters are well fleshed and you are invited (maybe sucked!) into their lives.

Benedict lacks the realization that he is truly a good man. He believes that any good he does is because of someone else-it takes a long time for him to understand it really WAS his nature to help others. But he was no paragon. There were enough demons in his past and some selfishness to make him human. It was very nice to meet old friends from Libby's London Merchant. Liria, of course, carries six years of bitterness and guilt in her heart. You will be heartsick when her life story is told but rejoice to know that life truly is what you make it. She was proud enough to move on. The children are a wonderful balm to both our hero and heroine. There are reminisces and reconciliation along the way.

Wonderful reading; read Libby's London Merchant first if you can - Carla Kelly is a great author and you are always in for good reading when you see her name. Just remember all books are not light reading and look at this book in that light.