A Hero's Homecoming (Zebra Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: i read the first two chapters........
Review: .....and i had to put it down. The little boy 'jamie' annoyed the mess out of me. He is a little two year old that acts like he is at least five. he has the manners of a much older child even for the regency era, and he speaks much better than my own five year old and she never shuts up! i get annoyed when authors write the child talking like an adult. a two year old would barely be talking in complete sentences and reading this book was like having a itch that you just can't scratch. Maybe i put the book down too early but when i feel like i want to throw said book against the wall and shake the author for ruining a wonderful plot, it is time to go into the trash heap.

Rating:
Summary: a nice 3 1/2 star read
Review: A follow up to "The General's Daughter," "A Hero's Homecoming" focuses on Isabella Grimsby and Philip Lyonsbridge, the couple whose elopement ended badly in "The General's Daughter," and Philip's attempts to woo Isabella and to prove to her that he is changed man.

Two years ago, Isabella Grimsby was contracted to marry war hero, Adam Lyonsbridge. But Isabella, the daughter of a much decorated and much admired general, had decided that she had no desire to marry a man just like her father -- also, she had fallen violently in love with her fiance's older brother, the rakish Philip Lyonsbridge. The couple eloped, only to have their elopement thwarted when Adam caught up with the couple on the London Road, and shamed Philip into abandoning Isabella and joining the army in order to prove his mettle. Now, 2 years later, Philip has returned, a war hero, in order to face Isabella, and to dazzle her with his heroism. Except that the flirtatious, fashionable young lady he left behind has changed: older, wiser and much more mature, Isabella greets her erstwhile love with bitterness and derision. Taken aback, Philip decides to woo Isabella to the best of his abilities anyway, for he is still very much in love with her and cannot imagine a life without her at his side. What Philip doesn't know is that Isabella has a secret, one that could change his life forever...

For starters, "A Hero's Homecoming" cannot, in anyway be classified as a "light" romance novel -- the tone is just a bit too dark and poignant for that. Both Isabella and Philip suffer from having had parents who seemed to have spent their entire lives disapproving of them, and as such, have had their characters and needs shaped by this. And I thought that the author did a good job of conveying this. However, I was a little disappointed that the author never went into why Philip's father behaved the way he did. I was also disappointed that somehow the subplot involving General and Lady Grimsby seemed to overshadow Isabella's story, esp since I had been looking forward to reading Isabella's story ever since I read "The General's Daughter." But those were truly minor quibbles; my main gripe was that this should have been a much longer novel. The author obviously had a lot of ground to cover, and the usual almost 300-odd pages novel length was just not enough! All in all though, "A Hero's Homecoming" made for a satisfying read. The newly matured Isabella and Philip, both deserve a happily ever-after ending, and it was nice to read of them achieving this.

(As for the period details that the previous reviewer mentions, I thought that when the author wrote of Philip's a passage for Vienna being booked, she might have meant the crossing of the Channel by ship and then the journey by coach onto Vienna; and as for Viennese pastry shops, well Viennese coffee shops date back to the 1700s, presumably some cakes were served in them by 1814? I didn't spot any other historical gaffes, but then, I'll admit, I was reading rather swiftly.)

Rating:
Summary: Completely unbelievable
Review: Despite sudden shows of strength and character at the end, both lead characters were weak and cowed by their parents. Philip could not have had any honor as a gentleman to leave Isabella as he had. She is a seriously permissive maternal figure and a spoiled brat who often cannot understand anything outside her own desires. The two-year-old boy is not just precocious; he's completely unbelieveable. A number of characters are unlikeable (and I don't think they are supposed to be), and the author often makes details about them or the plot confusing or contradictory. There are also a number of highly questionable (if not outright erroneous) historical details. I could barely make myself finish it.

Don't bother.

Rating:
Summary: Needed more research or editing
Review: I had hopes for this light romance. I'm a long-time fan of Georgette Heyer and, later, Mary Balogh, Julia Quinn, et al. I especially like when the author gets the period details correct.

That's why I was disappointed in this book. I liked the characters and was enjoying a nice light read. Then I ran into to some things that really challenged my ability to suspend disbelief! One example: the hero (a cavalry captain) is posted to the Congress of Vienna. He travels from England to Vienna BY SHIP; sorry, but the last time I looked at a map of Europe, there is NO WAy you can travel to Vienna by ship. Austria is land-locked! And the way the hero's father speaks about going to get Viennese pastry before going to their hotel when his son gets off the ship ... there's just no other way to read it. That was ONE of the errors that could and should have been avoided with more research and/or better editing.

I would have liked to give the story a better rating but I couldn't overcome those problems (only one of which I mentioned) Better luck next time??

Rating:
Summary: What a treat!
Review: Readers who loved Kate Huntington's bestselling The General's Daughter will be delighted to know the sequel, A Hero's Homecoming picks up the story a few years later with the runaway eloping beauty Isabella and her mysterious "nephew" she now has in tow. Besides his "Aunt Isabella" adorable Jamie seems to have too many parents!! And why is the suspected daddy accused of being a complete rotter, when at the same time he's a national hero all Engand hails? Kate Huntington delivers more fun in this sweet, sweet Regency romance made for a rainy day's escape reading.

Rating:
Summary: How unfortunate...
Review: Two years ago, when Philip Lyonbridge attempted to elope with his brother's fiance, his brother gave him quite a talking to. Thereafter, Philip decided to join the army and become the man he always wanted to be. In doing so, however, he leaves behind the love of his life.

At the start of the novel, everyone belives Philip Lyonbridge is dead, including Isabella, who has been harboring a huge secret. Just two years ago, Isabella Grimsby was a silly girl who would indulge in her every whim. However, raising her "sister's" child has matured her quite a bit. When Philip Lyonbrige is in fact NOT dead, she cannot muster any excitment for him. In fact, she hadn't hoped to see him at all, after the way he left her. Will time heal her wounds?

"A Hero's Homecoming" is a sequel to Kate Huntington's "A General's Daughter", which was a vastly more entertaining read. In fact, I would STRONGLY recommend that anyone embarking on "A Hero's Homecoming" should read "General's Daughter" first. Having read its predeccesor will greatly effect your enjoyment of the sequel. The background on the characters is pretty essential.

That said, I was really disappointed by "A Hero's Homecoming." First of all, it was too long. How the author managed to stretch such a simple story into 280 pages, I still have no idea. It took me a long time to read it, because I could only read it in small increments. Also, there were times when I thought the book was too modern in its views.

I will have to agree with the other reviewers, however. The most distracting element was two-year-old Jamie. Had any REAL two-year-old spoken like this child, it would be a prodigy and a genius. Every time the child opened its mouth, I wanted to hold my breath.

Overall, I give the novel 2 1/2 stars, borderlining on 2. I feel terrible for having to give such a low score to an author I generally enjoy, but I have to be honest.