Within Courtney Milan’s Brothers Sinister series, exist another series of books which chronicle the improbable adventures of Mrs. Larriger. The books are generally looked down upon by many of the characters as nonsense at best and a dreadful influence at worst. As it turns out, the books allow more than one of the characters to escape the confines of their narrow world. That’s what pop culture does, it allows us to escape through entertainment. Life, even when it’s a life with which we are […]
“My most ardent wish is that you, and everyone like you, will look up.”
Goodreads summary: “Miss Minerva Lane is a quiet, bespectacled wallflower, and she wants to keep it that way. After all, the last time she was the center of attention, it ended badly–so badly that she changed her name to escape her scandalous past. Wallflowers may not be the prettiest of blooms, but at least they don’t get trampled. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing she wants is his attention. But that is precisely what she gets. Because Robert Blaisdell, the […]
Mad about Milan
Historicals aren’t my go-to romance genre of choice, but I sure am drawn to the silk Courtney Milan is spinning. Unlocked is a novella in the Turner series (aka the BEST series) and it’s only tangentially related because some character is casually acquainted with one of the Turners, but no matter. It’s a great little I-hate-you-but-I-love-you story that transcends its somewhat cliched underpinnings due to the strength of Milan’s writing. Plot-wise, it’s very simple: Lady Elaine was the subject of some pretty harsh Regency-era bullying (“Your […]
“Although at the moment, I may be coming a bit unraveled.”
Okay, guys, so this is a big step for me. I have never reviewed a straight up “bodice-ripper” romance novel* on CBR before, and I’ve only done a couple small reviews of them over on Goodreads. In fact, I usually don’t even mark them as ‘read’ over there because it has been a life-long habit for me to conceal my romance-reading from everyone. But this lovely review from Mrs. Julien finally gave me the excuse I needed. *Better known as historical romance. A large part of […]
A Series of Unfortunate Brothers
Last week I had a headache, and I turned off the TV, and turned on my Kindle, onto which I had previously downloaded The Governess Affair, at some point when Amazon was giving it away. And then I spent the rest of the day, and much of the night, reading the entire rest of the series. Which I know is Amazon’s sly marketing ploy – “Reel them in with one story and the simplest ‘One click here to buy the next book’ tactic” – but, […]
A Feminist Treatise Wrapped in a Romance Novel
The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan
The Countess Conspiracy made me cry. I have read scores romances in the past two years. I have laughed, swooned, scoffed, gasped, cackled, writhed, and sighed, but I have NEVER cried. What’s more, I did not cry over the romance, I cried over the gender politics. Once again, Courtney Milan has upended the tropes of the genre and crafted something tremendously entertaining that rises above the theoretical limitations she works within. Violet, Countess of Cambury, and her dearest friend, Sebastian Malheur, have been keeping secrets […]