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Rating: 
Summary: Captain Cupid Calls the Shots
Review: A darker tale than usual.Captain Alexander Shelbourne, Cupid to his friends, is home from the wars. War weary, and feeling incredibly low, he accepts the invitation of a fellow officer and friend, Valentine Wharton, to return to Valentine's home for a rest. Almost as soon as the men enter the village of Eden, they meet Miss Penny Foster. Shelbourne is drawn to Penny's aura of lonliness and vulnerabilty. Valentine however is both dismissive and rude. Apparently he and Penny share a past. According to Valentine, Penny is graceless and wanton. Shelbourne however is unwilling to believe the worst of Penny, even when it becomes evident that she is bringing up a little girl, Felicity, that everyone believes to be her own illegitimate child. In spite of Valentine's malicious innuendos, Shelbourn goes out of his way to befriend Penny and to make her believe in his good intentions. He also tries hard to restore Penny's tarnished reputation in Eden. Unfortunately all this comes to naught when Valentine makes Felicity's acquaintanc for the first time and realises that she could be his child. Then what Penny has feared all this years comes to pass: Valentine demands that Penny surrender Felicity to him. How will Penny cope with this ultimatum? Will she be able to give up Felicity? And what of Shelbourne, and their budding romance? The first part of this book was rather good: a young woman with a tarnished reputation bringing up a little girl who might or might not be her own; a dashing captain who sees past the gossip to the real woman at the heart of the controversy; and a drunken lout who spews spite left, right and center. The lonliness and isolation that Penny faces through no fault of her own is deftly handled; as well the feelings of remorse and pain that Shelbourne suffers because of all the killing he had to do during the war. But once Valentine comes to realise that Felicity may be his daughter, this novel sinks into melodrama, and rather mundane melodrama at that! My sympathies were with Shelbourne as Penny spent all her time dithering about Felicity and Valentine. Also, there is a sense of indecision where Valentine's character is concerned: is he just another pathetic drunk or a weak-kneed villian? I got the feeling that the author couldn't make up her mind about this character, and it shows! I give this novel 3 stars for the first 3/4 of the book. The last bit of the book could have done with a serious rethink.
Rating: 
Summary: Targets of Scorn and Gossip Triumph
Review: Captain Alexander Shelbourne--Cupid to his friends--carries a wounded heart from the battlegrounds of France with little hope of mending it until he meets quiet, tormented Penny Foster whose reputation is not what people would paint it to be. A moving, sometimes wrenching story of the damage inflicted by mistaken assumptions. Fairchild weaves an evocative, layered spell of language, setting, theme, and characterization rare to find in today's romances. Magical!
Rating: 
Summary: Very emotional story with compelling characters
Review: Don't let the title put you off - this is not some silly romp (not by a long shot!). I'm not normally a reader of the more traditional (i.e., chaste) Regencies, but I came across the write-up and review for the sequel to this book "Valentine's Change of Heart" and I was hooked. I wanted to read that one so bad, but took the advice of reviewers that I should read "Cupid" first. And so I have. And I agree with that advice. Three friends returning from war to the home of one, Valentine Wharton. His companions, Oscar and Alexander (known as "Cupid" for his marksmanship in battle - straight for the heart) are putting off their own homecomings, their feelings mixed and confused after years of war. What to do next? What else are they good for but war? How do they go back to living a normal life? Oscar copes by spending his time fishing, Alexander prefers to walk the desolate fells alone (in the hopes of meeting a certain young lady), and Valentine drinks - heavily and destructively. During the visit, Alexander meets Penny Foster and is instantly attracted by her fair curls, amethyst eyes and sweet but wary disposition. He is also confused by Valentine's nasty remarks and innuendo about her virtue as well as the way the rest of the village treats her. When he discovers the young child in her care, he wonders if this child is hers and could the father be his friend Valentine? Did Valentine once love Penny and is this why he treats her so badly? Has she earned the gossip and speculation that seems to follow her about? Alexander is determined to find out, all the while falling deeper. Penny has sacrificed much for little Felicity and seeing Val again brings back so many memories and fears. How he has changed - it's hard to imagine she ever loved him now. But she is certainly taken with Alexander. He's kind, open-minded and she looks forward to spending time with him. Can he see past the assumptions everyone has about her and see the truth of the woman she is? This is a highly emotional read, so keep the tissues nearby. The author's style is not for everyone, very literary with in-depth descriptions of the surrounding countryside that really brings home the feel of the era and the area. I'm currently reading "Valentine's Change of Heart" and so far that one is a winner as well. I highly recommend these books!
Rating:
Summary: Very emotional story with compelling characters
Review: Don't let the title put you off - this is not some silly romp (not by a long shot!). I'm not normally a reader of the more traditional (i.e., chaste) Regencies, but I came across the write-up and review for the sequel to this book "Valentine's Change of Heart" and I was hooked. I wanted to read that one so bad, but took the advice of reviewers that I should read "Cupid" first. And so I have. And I agree with that advice. Three friends returning from war to the home of one, Valentine Wharton. His companions, Oscar and Alexander (known as "Cupid" for his marksmanship in battle - straight for the heart) are putting off their own homecomings, their feelings mixed and confused after years of war. What to do next? What else are they good for but war? How do they go back to living a normal life? Oscar copes by spending his time fishing, Alexander prefers to walk the desolate fells alone (in the hopes of meeting a certain young lady), and Valentine drinks - heavily and destructively. During the visit, Alexander meets Penny Foster and is instantly attracted by her fair curls, amethyst eyes and sweet but wary disposition. He is also confused by Valentine's nasty remarks and innuendo about her virtue as well as the way the rest of the village treats her. When he discovers the young child in her care, he wonders if this child is hers and could the father be his friend Valentine? Did Valentine once love Penny and is this why he treats her so badly? Has she earned the gossip and speculation that seems to follow her about? Alexander is determined to find out, all the while falling deeper. Penny has sacrificed much for little Felicity and seeing Val again brings back so many memories and fears. How he has changed - it's hard to imagine she ever loved him now. But she is certainly taken with Alexander. He's kind, open-minded and she looks forward to spending time with him. Can he see past the assumptions everyone has about her and see the truth of the woman she is? This is a highly emotional read, so keep the tissues nearby. The author's style is not for everyone, very literary with in-depth descriptions of the surrounding countryside that really brings home the feel of the era and the area. I'm currently reading "Valentine's Change of Heart" and so far that one is a winner as well. I highly recommend these books!
Rating:
Summary: Troubled Hearts Find Happiness
Review: Elisabeth Fairchild's books are evocative of place and time and this one is no exception. One can see and feel the rain and mists, the rugged scenery of Cumbria, and how this fits the state of mind of the main characters. Alexander Shelbourne, the ex-officer who is known as "Captain Cupid", has come home sick at heart over the killing he had to do, traveling with two of his friends. He meets Penny Foster, the young woman looked upon by the townspeople as fallen from grace because of family secrets, the foremost being the little girl in her care. I was enthralled and engrossed in this book as I read, felt all the pain of the trio of troubled souls, and sighed with satisfaction at the outcome.
Rating:
Summary: Ignore the ridiculous title & cover art
Review: The only thing the title has to do with the story is the hero's nickname, Cupid, earned for his astounding marksmanship. And the cover art is insipid, whereas the story is decidedly substantial.
Although criticisms of the heroine's near worship of Lady Anne have some foundation, the criticisms of her attachment to the child do not (or very little at least). Penny has raised the child from birth, after all. But Penny is a very interesting heroine nonetheless, and "Cupid" is a compelling hero.
The story has some very dark elements, including the effect of war upon soldiers, the way suspicion and unfounded prejudices can destroy lives, alcoholism, disease, and more. There is a wide variety of great emotional depth here, as well as romance and passion. Fairchild's descriptions created a realism to the setting that is rarely seen.
Those unhappy with the book's ending -- one that blended both realism and hope -- should read the next book in the series: Valentine's Change of Heart.
A superb book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent. Moving and thought provoking.
Review: The other reviewers have made valid and careful comments and summed up the plot. I would only add that I found this book to be very moving and it raised some uncomfortable issues which were very well handled. I have read the "masculine" regencies, eg Cornwell, Kent, Mallinson et al, and felt that the author portrayed her two main male characters very well, particularly with respect to their experiences and feelings about their actions in the Peninsular campaign. I work with the suicidal through a well-known charity so found Val an especially poignant character who fully deserves to have his own tale told to see if he is able to redeem himself and come to terms with his experiences thereby moving on to accpetance of himself and, hopefully, ultimate happiness. Well done, Ms Fairchild and thank you.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent. Moving and thought provoking.
Review: The other reviewers have made valid and careful comments and summed up the plot. I would only add that I found this book to be very moving and it raised some uncomfortable issues which were very well handled. I have read the "masculine" regencies, eg Cornwell, Kent, Mallinson et al, and felt that the author portrayed her two main male characters very well, particularly with respect to their experiences and feelings about their actions in the Peninsular campaign. I work with the suicidal through a well-known charity so found Val an especially poignant character who fully deserves to have his own tale told to see if he is able to redeem himself and come to terms with his experiences thereby moving on to accpetance of himself and, hopefully, ultimate happiness. Well done, Ms Fairchild and thank you.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best of 2000
Review: Two warnings for potential readers: 1) Ms Fairchild's style is very distinct, and not to everyone's taste 2) This is a very sad book - deeply emotional and heavy with issues The other reviewers have described the plot well, so I won't rehash it. In terms of style, Ms Fairchild's work is either love it or hate it. Readers need to be patient, and need to be willing to succumb to its rich and elaborate phrasing. Ms Fairchild makes the reader work for the story, never overstating or over-explaining. I like this but I know some people find it difficult. The landscape - Cumbria - is brilliantly rendered. It's wet, it's cold, it's rugged, it's beautiful. Without it the book would not have such an emotional pull. "Captain Cupid Calls the Shots" is probably the most compelling rendition of shell-shock and the effects of war on soldiers that I have read in the genre. We have lots of stories of heroes returned from the Peninsula, some of them traumatised, some not, but this one makes the point well, poignantly and without undue angst. As in "The Silent Suitor", there are some very sexy bits in here. Without the h/h engaging in anything more physical than caresses and kisses there are some very sensual moments. Sexiness in a book is all in the timing and the description, rather than in what is actually done. Ms Fairchild has complete command of this technique. The heroine has an abiding devotion for a historical figure named Lady Anne. The interest is, as the hero suspects, unwholesome, and this is never resolved. It makes her, as heroines go, a bit weird, but probably harmless for all that. While off-putting, this is a very, very small concern. Captain Cupid is one of the best heroes I've read in a long time. He's manly and yet sensitive, and not quick to judge others, even when the circumstantial evidence seems conclusive. He clearly loves Penny from early in the book and one senses that his devotion will not wane. The ending, as one other reviewer pointed out, is troublesome. Not, for me, because it's badly written or orchestrated, but because it doesn't give quite the solid resolution and happy aura we expect from romances. Without giving spoilers I can't say more than that while the h/h are sorted out, the other issues in the book are not satisfactorily resolved. Don't be fooled by the frothy title. This is a substantial book. One of the best Regencies of 2000.
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