Sabrina Jeffries Reviews

Added June 6, 2008

Let Sleeping Rogues Lie

The School for Heiresses Series

Author: Sabrina Jeffries
Publisher: Pocket Books
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: March 2008
Genre: Romance: Historical
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Price: $7.50
ISBN-10: 1-4165-5151-4
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-5151-5
Author Email/Website: www.sabrinajeffries.com
Reviewer: Safiya Tremayne
Rating: 6 Gargoyles

When the Viscount Norcourt, Anthony Dalton, walked into Mrs. Harris' School for Young Ladies with the intention of enrolling his niece, Madeline Prescott's hope of restoring her father's reputation was buoyed. The Viscount was known for his rakehell ways and for giving nitrous oxide parties. Given the fact her letters to Sir Humphry Davy, the leading authority on nitrous oxide, had never been answered, she could only hope to convince the Viscount to introduce her to his learned friend in exchange for securing his niece a position at Mrs. Harris' school. Now she just has to convince Mrs. Harris that letting the Viscount give lessons to the young ladies in how to recognize a rogue was a good idea.

Anthony Dalton never expected to be in charge of raising his brother's child, but he would roast in hell before allowing his aunt and uncle near his niece. After his own painful experiences growing up under their watch, he refused to let his niece suffer the same fate and was left with no alternative but to mend his ways. Securing his niece a place at the respectable Mrs. Harris' school was just one step of proving to the courts he was a fit guardian for a young girl. He never counted on having an ally in the pretty teacher, Madeline Prescott. Nor did he count on Madeline's insatiable curiosity and just how far he would go to satiate it.

While a good story, I found Madeline's plight and her desire and determination to help her father more interesting than her romance with Anthony. And the same thing goes for Anthony; I was far more interested in the reasons behind his determination to give up his rakehell ways than watching him seduce and fall in love with Madeline. As I read the book the second time (a requisite for writing a review), I realized that while the characters were sensual and the writing flirty, the romance was flat. It had the feeling of being told these two were falling in love rather than being shown.

All in all, Let Sleeping Rogues Lie is a fun read. Madeline has this vibrancy and natural curiosity that one finds irresistible. Definitely a good book to pass time on a lazy day weekend.

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Added September 4, 2006

Mossy Creek Hometown Series: A Day in Mossy Creek

Author: Sabrina Jeffries
Publisher: Belle Books
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: February 2006
Genre: Fiction
Format: Trade Paper
Price: $14.95
ISBN: 0-9768760-4-3
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

You won't want to leave Mossy Creek! These pages offer readers a taste of country charm with some characters that feel like family. (Okay, you may not want to have a couple of them as actual relatives, but you will feel closely connected to them!)

This fifth book in the series was easy to follow, considering I hadn't read the previous ones. There was enough background information to understand the characters' motivation, although with a series like this, I would suggest starting with the first book. The stories are clearly building on past events, gathering an emotional momentum that readers won't want to miss.

Each chapter features a different character and is written by a different author. Surprisingly, all of these individual units blend to form a complete overall look at this town and its people. This unique style of writing actually makes the stories more realistic, as readers seem to go from house to house collecting tantalizing tidbits of gossip.

The events in this small town are both fun and fascinating. From yard sales to years-old yearnings, there is something in these pages that touch a chord of familiarity. The mundane appears more meaningful when the characters are loved. And that's where this book shines. The people that walk through these pages are similar to those we know in real life, only better. There is a wonderful emotional connection to them, causing the pages to turn with a steady rhythm.

A Day in Mossy Creek is a Southern soap opera with significance!

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This page was last updated on June 6, 2008

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