A Valentine Wedding by Jane Feather

I never read a valentine themed book before and I found it curious how you would be able to make a romance with a valentine theme different from any other romance? Unfortunately this book did not explain it to me... LOL!

Alasdair Chase and Emma Beaumont had been betrothed three years ago when, after discovering that Alasdair had some secrets in his closet, Emma leaves, jilting him the evening before their nuptials. She runs off to Italy where she stays until her brother, Ned is killed in service of the crown.

Ned was a spy who was killed on his way to deliver important documents to his superior and due to some mix up the letter he meant to send to his sister was deliver to the war office and his 'encoded' message delivered to Emma. Well as you can imagine, Emma is quite sought after this season, and not just the Fortune Hunters are after her.

Wise old Ned did do something right before he was killed and that was to assign as trustee to Emma's fortune his best friend. You guessed it, Alasdair!
Yeah, Ned was trying to play cupid as soon as he got his wings. He knew that there was some unfinished business between these two and by putting them in a situation where they HAD to interact with each other, there was hope that eventually they could clear the air.

At this point, the book is just starting... with spy's courting Emma and Alasdair in her face every time she turns around, the gauntlet is thrown and Emma states that by St. Valentines day (HERE IS THE VALENTINE REFERENCE! DON'T MISS IT!) she will not only have a husband but also a lover. Do we all think Alasdair will let that happen? Think again! Especially when he realizes that he is not quite over her.

There is no real contest here. Emma loves Alasdair and she admits it but her pride is hurt and she doesn't trust him.

What really set this book in the wrong direction was that trust issue, Emma doesn't give it and Alasdair doesn't get why, so they go around in circles and it gets a bit frustrating. At one point Emma shows such lack of trust that I wanted to grab her by the hair and smack her around a bit. She can trust him with her life and know he will protect her but when it comes to her heart, no way, no how. And I could not get the reason why Alasdair just couldn't just disclose his life to Emma. Couldn't he trust her to understand this other side of himself???

It had been awhile since I read a Jane Feather and yet I have 9 more titles by this author on my bookshelf waiting to be read. I'm happy that she has proven to be reliable in the past and now with A Valentine Wedding, that way I can expect pleasant reads whether I read them this year or in 5-6 years from now.

Grade: B

The Wedding Game by Jane Feather

This is the last book in the Duncan Sister Trilogy. The first two books are The Bachelor List & The Bride Hunt which tell the stories of Constance and Prudence Duncan. This trio of sisters has had to find ways to supplement their income after their father loses a large portion of his wealth on a bad investment. The stories take place in the early 1900 which was quite different for me. There really aren't that many books that take place during this time, when the women's suffragist movement was taking root and women were testing the limits society had imposed on them for so long. The sisters decide to continue the suffragist work their deceased mother had started by printing a broadsheet called The Mayfair Lady where not only do they talk about the movement but also run advertisements, an advice column and a matchmaking service. The Go-Between is the matchmaking service which we have seen has had some success in the previous books.

Chastity Duncan goes to interview a potential client and encounters a man she had seen before (in The Bride Hunt). Dr. Douglas Farrell is committed to a slum clinic but he needs funds to afford the medication that his patients cannot afford. He is looking for a wealthy wife that will give him an influx of funds and put him in the path of wealthy clients. He believes that by treating the wealthy and all their imaginary diseases he will be able to treat the truly needy. Regardless to say that his disdain for the wealthy comes through loud and clear during his interview and since he didn't explain his motives for taking on a rich wife, Chastity, who is the most sensitive of the sisters, is livid. When she discusses the client with her sisters, they agree to take him on even though his motives appear mercenary.

The book covers Chastity and Douglas romance, but also Lord Duncan's (the sister's widowed father) romance to an Italian Countess, whose daughter, Laura, is the candidate the Go-Between have chosen for Douglas. The events in the book take place during Christmas which is nice. This is the best story in the trilogy, although the others were good as well. I especially enjoyed that the Hero/Heroine can be seen falling in love. After Chastity discovers what Douglas is doing her attitude changes and she starts seeing the real Douglas. It's a straight forward love story with not alot of complications and barriers (unless you call the fact that Chastity is dirt poor an obstacle).

Grade: B