A House for the Season by M.C. Beaton Wrap-Up

Woohoo! So I set myself the goal of finishing these books by the end of June and I did it Yipee! Why did I do this? Because I took these on holiday with me last year and I didn't get round to reading them and there was no way I was going to have them glaring at me from the shelf when I got back from this years holiday. So, there you have my reason.

Wrap-Up time!

I was going through my wrap-up post for The Travelling Matchmaker series and I've found my thoughts for these books are pretty much the same.

There were two that I really enjoyed, Plain Jane and The Adventuress but the rest I found a bit so-so and could have left unfinished but I was too stubborn to not finish the series.

I think it all boiled down to me not liking the recurring characters enough. Lizzie the scullery maid was really the only member of the staff that I cared for and wanted to see happy.

SLIGHT SPOILER

They are stuck in a miserable position with low wages and not enough fuel or food in winter because the agent of the owner of the house is basically blackmailing them into remaining by saying he will not give them references if they leave.

Now, I didn't really understand why they remained in such a horrible situation. There had to have been a way around it but instead at the beginning of every book we got told how miserable the previous winter had been. Although in all fairness that wasn't always the case.

A pet peeve for this book was that the same information about the staff would be regurgitated in the first two chapters at some point in most of the books.  This works lovely in that you can pick up any of the books, in any order and be told everything you need to know. But when it came to reading then in a row I was getting a wee bit annoyed.

These are great books to read if you are looking for something to get through in one night.

I think I did do the books a disservice by reading them one after another, so with the next Beaton series I will make an effort to spread them out a bit more.

On a good note to leave on I will say that I LOVED the introduction to the chapters. Poetry from Byron and other artists of the time on their observations of Society and the Season were wonderful to read and I will be trying to hunt down some collections of those.

Rainbird's Revenge by M.C. Beaton

When the Duke of Pelham returns to his town house at 67 Clarges Street, he is grimly determined to find a suitable wife--but completely unprepared for what the Season has to offer. The duke’s title alone has always brought him more than his share of feminine attention; claiming not to believe in love, he has never been spurned by a lady. The duke’s self-imposed search is soon disrupted by the arrival in London of Miss Jenny Sutherland, a spoiled but beautiful country girl whose vanity is her tragic flaw. According to her guardian Aunt Letitia, lack of competition has made Jenny put on airs; in London, she will get the set-down she sorely deserves. Indeed, at her first important London party, Jenny’s blatant disdain for the duke leads to certain disaster. But no one has counted on the intervention of John Rainbird, the shrewd and resourceful butler at 67 Clarges Street. Rainbird befriends Jenny, suggesting she look in the mirror a little less often. The result is a mischievous scheme that will insure Jenny’s social success and determine the fate of the close-knit family of servants at 67 Clarges Street.

This is the final book in the A House for the Season series and I found it a bit of a let down on the whole.

The Lovers
I found Jenny to be utterly unlikeable and even by the end of the book all I could think was, yes, that's all good and well but
a)no one can change that quickly in so short amount of time and
b)what is to stop her from going back to her old self loving self
as soon as I close the book. She felt like she should be instantly liked and forgiven because of her appearance and she was not a very mice person with her self-centred attitude.

The hero was just as bad. He felt like his looks, title and wealth should have women falling at his feet and he is very out out when he proposes to a woman and she refuses him. I felt like it was a reality check he was deserving and he needed to go and grow up a little bit.

This has to be the only book in the series where the hero and heroine spend the least amount of time together and I could not see the marriage working at all.

Of the new characters introduced in this book the two I loved the most where Jenny's Aunt Letitia and her friend Mrs Freemantle. Her aunt was a sweetheart and cared for her niece despite the fact she was not nice and Mrs Freemantle was so carefree. They were lovely.

The Staff
The only thing that kept me reading this book was to see how the staff would end up and to see everyone get there happy endings.

I completed the series where I started with Joseph the footmen. I really didn't like him and wanted to hit him over the head for his attitude. And I still loved Lizzie to pieces.

There was the matter of Luke - the footman from next door that wasn't tied up - but other than that there were no loose ends.

All in All
A disappointment on the whole but worth the read to see the staff of 67 Clarges Street settled and happy with their lives.

The Adventuress by M.C. Beaton

WARNING!!! SOME SPOILERS TO THE END OF THIS POST!

Beauty is a powerful magnet, and every man in the ton is drawn to the exquisite loveliness of Miss Emily Goodenough, who has rented the Clarges Street house with her rather peculiar old uncle. Only Rainbird, the butler, suspects that Miss Goodenough's origins might be less than genteel--in fact, that the beauteous Emily may be a runaway chambermaid and her "uncle" a fellow butler! But Emily has fallen desperately in love with the handsome, haughty Earl of Fleetwood, and since the bogus upstairs couple quickly wins the downstairs' servants' hearts... Rainbird and his friends are determined to make a lowly maid the catch of the Season for high society's most desirable Lord!

Very nearly at the end of the series now.

The Lovers
Emily spends the book as a nervous wreck, frightened that everyone would discover that she was an ex-servant and not a proper lady. The paranoia was realistic and not as annoying as I thought it would be from the beginning.

She is very headstrong and she has a goal in mind as is determined to achieve it. And with the help of the staff she goes from being a nobody to a somebody thanks to them spreading gossip to get society interested in her.

I found Fleetwood a bit annoying with his constant complaining about the servant class. Because he had a bad experience with his own servants when his wife was murders he tarred them all with the same brush and now can't stand them. This of course leads to plenty of internal conflict for Emily.

Fleetwood had also written a book that is about a servant girl hat sends Emily into a tizzy and has her jumping at her own shadow thinking someone based the book off of her.

What I did enjoy about this book was that it went past the wedding day, that made a nice change.

The Staff
I had my second 'Oh Lizzie'moment in this as she fancies herself in love with next doors footman after a bit of flattering from him and trusts him with the servants savings...

I still love her to bits though and she does meet a nice stranger in this so I can't wait to see where that leads too.

All in All
One of the more enjoyable of the series with a likeable heroine (even if I did want to shake her a couple of times).

Rake's Progress by M.C. Beaton

Lord Guy Carlton, late of His Magesty's regiment and weary from the war in France, has only wine, women and song in mind when he rents Number 67 for the Season. He certainly has no desire for a serious attachment - and marriage, never! Then his merry eyes spot the lovely but very proper Miss Esther Jones. But what will be her fate if she falls in love with the notorious Lord Guy? Though Esther's business acument has made her one of the rivhest women in England, her innocence could make her a victim of the wild ways of the ton, unless the downstairs staff at Clarges Street devise a campaign to reform the rake who is laying siege to her heart

Here we have a hero who just wanted to have a good time after just coming home from the wars (even if he didn't go about it in the best of ways) and a heroine who was around at the wrong time to see it.

The Lovers
Esther was a headstrong heroine who was used to looking after herself and her younger brother and sister and was more than capable of doing so. Until it came to society matters and then she was a fish out of water.

She made no secret of the fact that she disapproved of the hero after seeing 67 Clarges Street at the end of a party that he had held.

She means well and puts herself out to help people, even very nearly committing social suicide to help a young girl.

Guy did not get off to the best start in this book and when he wakes up in bed after the party with three women in his bed and can't remeber exactly what had gone on I was ready to write him off entirely. But he did grow on me through the book - not much though.

There is a sneaky valet with his own agenda who tries to put a spanner in the works and he almost miraculous curing of Guy's PTSD had me uttering a 'Yeah right'. It went down hill a bit near the end when there was a kissing/groping sessions between Esther and Guy which was a bit of a shame.

The Staff
The storyline with the romance involving Rainbird finally comes to a conclusion in this book. Thank goodness.

Unfortunately I did have my first 'Oh Lizzie' moment. She had finally got fed up of being a servant at the bottom of the food chain and puts an advertisement in the paper looking for a husband, yeah, that didn't turn out too well...

All in All
An ok addition to the series. Not the best, but then again not the worst either.

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The Wicked Godmother by M.C. Beaton

Lovely but penniless Harriet Metcalf is aghast when a nobleman's will names her guardian of his snobbish twin daughters when they come out during the next London Season! But is innocent Harriet wily enough for the intrigues of the ton-or its two most eligible bachelors, the Marquess of Huntingdon and Lord Vere? Harriet sees them as suitors for the twins, while the gentlemen see only Harriet's charms. Soon she is falling in love with one of the dashing rakes... but a cruel betrayal will be her ruin unless the Clarges Street servants can save a lady's honor when she loses her heart.

Another year and another season for 67 Clarges Street.

The Lovers
Not my favourite so far.

Harriet (the heroine) was irritatingly naive in this book nearly o the point of me putting the book down. She made some of the silliest, unsafe decisions and was blind to the actions of others that should have been glaringly obvious. It really grated on my nerves after a while and then when she did finally find out the truth I felt a little cheated by the outcome.

The hero was a numpty at one point and very nearly crossed the line in his actions towards the heroine which sent my opinion of him plummeting.

As far as the supporting characters go I loved Harriet's spinster friend. She was lovely and only wanted the best for Harriet.

The Staff
The romance(ish) with Rainbird from book two continues (kind of) in this book. I just wanted that side of the story to be over. I didn't like a mopey Rainbird at all.

All in All
Not my favourite so far...


 

Plain Jane by M.C. Beaton

"Oh, to be as beautiful as Euphemia!" plain Jane heart sighs when she joins her sister Euphemia at number 67 for the season. Then Lord Tregarthan might notice her...as she had noticed him and forever lost her heart to the most eligible bachelor of the ton.

But Euphemia's fate is to flirt through balls and into the arms of a marquis, while Jane's is to stay home, amusing herself with snooping into the strange death of Miss Clara Vere-Saxton, a former number 67 tenant...until the downstairs staff transforms a plain miss and sends her waltzing dangerously close to the secret of Clara's demise...and into a daring liaison with the lord of her dreams.

This is the second book in the series and joins the staff of 67 Clarges Street for another Season, a year after the events of The Miser of Mayfair.

The Lovers
In this instalment there is a murder mystery mised in with the romance, and as I like a good who-dunnit I did enjoy this aspect of the book.

Jane takes an interest in the death of an ex-tennant of 67 and decides to find out for herself just what happened to the young woman.

The hero decides to lend a hand because it amuses him to do so and he needs something to divert him from the boredom of the Season.

Jane was lovely and so human. She would make spur of the moment decisions and then instantly regret them. She fell in love with the hero when she was ten years old and suffers a severe reality check when she sees him in the flesh as an adult. I got a giggle out of Jane (18) thinking that 30 is old - specially as in her mind she had never thought of him as aging. She admits her own silliness though which made me like her even more.

The Staff
I love Lizzie the scullery maid. She is a sweetheart who is in love with Joseph the fickle footman who sees himself as being above her and only pays attention to her and he feels like being fawned over.She is a darling and I am sure that Joseph will never be good enough for her.

There is a wee romance involving Mr Rainbird the butler which added a new (if a bit annoying) side to the story.

All in All
A fun instalment to the series with a likeable heroine. I am really enjoying getting to know the regular character more too.

The Miser of Mayfair by M.C. Beaton

#67 Clarges Street is unlucky. Rental agent Palmer blackmails butler Rainbird and staff to stay for pittance of wages. From Scotland for the London Season, dazzling orphan Fiona sets her sights on haughty Earl of Harrington, and gives the servants first cut of her gambling winnings, insists she is the sole heir to her father Roderick Sinclair, a miser with a failing heart.

Yay, another M.C. Beaton series...although I do think it will take me a little while to get used to the recurring characters.

Thumbs Up
As with The Travelling Matchmaker series I think these books are going to be great escapist reading. In 200 pages, girl will meet boy, and after some drama, girl will get boy. Brilliant.
The heroine of the hour - Fiona - has a head on her shoulders that she uses to her advantage by acting like she has no brain at all and although she is the person that fixes situations everyone is still more than happy to continue thinking that she is nothing but an air head.
As for the recurring characters, I think that Mr Rainbird the butler and Lizzie the scullery maid are going to be my favourite members of staff from 67 Clarges Street.

Thumbs Down
Our hero of the book was a bit of a numpty and too happy to jump to conclusions about Fiona and he very nearly goes too far in a situation and this sent my opinion of him sent my opinion of his plummeting.
Although the servants of 67 are certainly a collection of characters (and I suppose we are meant to find some aspects of their personalties endearing?) but I didn't like how they treated Lizzie the scullery maid and I hope things improve where that is concerned.

All in All
Not the best introduction to a series but with the mentioning of a murder being linked to 67 I'm sure it will pop up in future books and liven things up a bit.

The Travelling Matchmaker by M.C. Beaton Wrap-Up

Yip, I finally finished the Travelling Matchmaker books by M.C. Beaton (writing as Marion Chasney).

To say that there are only six books in this series and each of them coming in at under 200 pages each I found it a bot of a slog after I reached the half way point.

I just didn’t care all that much about the characters I was reading about. In most of the books there was a MAIN romance and then there was a backing couple who although not the main focus of the story had their own issues to overcome in order to find happiness. Now in the case of the fifth book I found the supporting couple a lot more interesting that main one – now I don’t know about you but I don’t think that is how it is supposed to work.

Not a lot of time seemed to be spent in fleshing out the characters – except for Hannah but on the whole the series is about her anyway – and because of this most of them appeared to be very shallow and would miraculously within a matter of a few days have a complete 180^o personality change by the end of the book. Sure. I mean, I am not saying that this isn’t possible but I am meant to believe that they can change the mind set and habits of a lifetime in a matter of a few days. And then this new them and the future spouse of their choosing are going to live happily ever after…. Really.

But (yeah you guys knew there would be one somewhere didn’t you) the series was worth reading for the recurring characters. Namely Hannah Pym – our matchmaker of the title, Sir George, and Hannah’s footman Benjamin (who joined the series in the third book when Hannah helped in stopping him from being hung).
 And then of course we have the recurring baaaaaaad lady who we eventually see get what is coming to her.

I am happy to say that the last book if the series was the most likable for me so it did leave me with a happy memory of the series – thankfully.

I think the series is worth reading for some nice, clean, fluffy romance and a little bit of mystery (and I mean a little ;))

Yvonne Goes to York by M.C.Beaton

No coach journey is ever dull with Miss Pym aboard, and this one proves no exception: Hannah meets Yvonne Grenier, fleeing the Horror in France, and very soon determines to find a suitable match for this beautiful and charming Frenchwoman.

This is going to be quick and sweet.
And this was why I kept reading the series. Out of all the six book in the Travelling Matchmaker series this one has to be my favourite!
1st – It had – in my opinions – a bunch of the most likable characters in the series.
Our heroine, Yvonne, was not a complete ditz, neither was she a spoilt brat who thought her biggest problem was the hero thinking of her as a child. Thank goodness. Instead she was a girl who has had to learn how to take care of herself from necessity.
And our hero wasn’t a wastrel. Yay.
2nd – All loose ends are tied up very nicely.
3rd – the romance between our hero and heroine – although being uber quick to develop like in all the books (but hey, there is only 200 pages I don’t expect amazing relationship developments) – was a lot more believable and natural.
4th – Hannah (our Travelling Matchmaker) gets the happy ending she deserves.
My favourite of the series!

Deborah Goes to Dover by M.C. Beaton

Miss Pym has her matchmaking work cut out for her when, enroute to Dover, she meets Lady Deborah Western, a lovely lady who is determined to be a tomboy.

I really don’t know why I kept reading this series. The characters sure as hell ain’t that likable, and more often than not I found then shallow and lacking any character at all.
And this book wasn’t really any different.

It used up a few hours I suppose but on the whole…very forgettable.

Sheesh this is making me sound like such a snob.


In this book our ‘heroine’ Deborah is a twin and takes more delight in dressing as a boy and galloping around the country side than she does in acting the lady and going to parties. That is of course until she meets our hero for the…second or third time and decides that she doesn’t want to be seen as a child in his eyes anymore but as a woman.
Predicable much.

That  being said ****SPOILER**** he has already kissed her and of course this has already started to change HIS view of her. Because as we all know all it takes is a snog and seeing a girl dressed up in a nice gown to fall head over heals in love. *sigh* and they say romance is dead.

Deborah struck me as being very immature and down right rude at points – and for a 19 year old I don’t think she really had much of an excuse.

Sorry, but I just didn’t find the romance believable at all. But then given the length of the book there isn’t exactly a lot of opportunity I suppose to draw out a relationship…but then when there is a page dedicated to telling me how various royals have a history at a spot in London surely some step can be taken to flesh out the romance.

Maybe I am just being extra harsh on this because I did not like the previous book in this serious either *shrug*.

It was a quick read, good for spending a few hours.

Emily Goes to Exeter by M.C.Beaton

A dead employer's legacy of five thousand pounds allows spinster Hannah Pym to resign from housekeeping and find adventure travelling the English countryside by stagecoach. 

But adventure soon finds Miss Pym in the form of Miss Emily Freemantle, a spoilt violet-eyed beauty fleeing an arranged marriage to a rake she has never met.

This is the first novel in the Travelling Matchmaker series by M.C.Beaton and I really enjoyed it.

It is not an overly complicated romance with nothing serious and deep happening and it probably sits at a level between a Mills and Boon romance and a Barbara Cartland book.

Hannah Pym has always wanted to travel and when her employer dies and leaves her with £5,000 (which according to one site I looked at would be about £5 million in today’s money). And so, the first thing she does is buy herself a ticket on the coach to Exeter. And so her adventure begins.

Hannah does strike me as being a little too pushy, so sure that she know what is best. This is fun to read and I do like her but I think that if I were in the receiving end of her matchmaking I wouldn’t be too blunt about telling her to mind her own business.

Emily (our secondary heroine) is a bit of a drip/ In good old shallow romances tradition she has fallen in ‘love’ with a man because of his looks and has ran away from home to escape the marriage that her parents had arranged for her.

That being said Emily does lose her shallowness and becomes a better person by the end of the book.

Lord Harley is once again your typical 30 odd regency bachelor who has suddenly realised that a few heirs wouldn’t go amiss and of course starts viewing Emily as a spoiled child (*cough* which she is).

The surrounding characters and background romance added a great level to the story as did that not so mysterious mystery.

Brilliant fun read!