Bride to Be

Rating:
Summary: Delightful book!
Review: If you like the regency genre, you will like this book. It is fast-paced with richly developed characters. In fact, I recommend all of Jane Ashford's books.

Rating:
Summary: Jane Ashford Keeps Getting Better and Better
Review: Jane Ashford has written her best book yet with Bride to Be. Her writing improves with every novel she publishes, and I hope to see -- and read, of course -- many more of her novels in the years to come.

Bride to Be is not a completely typical romance, though a Regency romance novel can never really escape the confines of it's genre (nor would the readers want it to), neither the hero nor the heroine are wealthy, and the courtship is not conducted in the . . . usual manner.

What sets Jane Ashford apart from other historical romance writers, and what makes her books so enjoyable, are the historical details and the way she makes the relationship of the two main characters progress convincingly. While there are flaws in the book (more detail about the hero's survival in the South American jungle, for instance, would have been a welcome addition), I know of very few books without flaws, and Ashford's novel is a joy to read and worth every penny. I can't wait wait for the next one.

Rating:
Summary: A real disappointment.
Review: The romance between this couple was under-developed and unbelievable. While Emily's character was full and her motives understandable, Richard's character was sparsely developed. I wish the plot had been more straightforward instead of the many sub-plots which could have been interesting if fleshed out a bit more. The true enjoyment in this book is the relationship between Emily's parents. Since I enjoyed Ms. Ashford's other books very much, this one was a real disappointment.