Starlight (The Christies, #2)

Jul 02, 2012 E_bookpushers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, romance, series, reviewed

Review originally posted at: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/06/27/...

Publisher: Pocket
Publish Date: Out now
How I got this book: ARC from the publisher

The second exciting, romantic addition to the Christie family series!

Esteemed astronomer Alex Christie, the eldest and most steadfast of the Christie siblings, has never possessed his late father’s ruthless business drive. But to protect his frail infant son from his cruel father-in-law’s bid for custody, the young widower must undertake Sir Willia...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Ni_kii rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance, strong-female-charcter

Published at Scorching Book Reviews
http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot....

When Alex Christie’s Father leaves him a Mill instead of an inheritance, it comes as neither a shock nor a sadness. It isn’t until the abusive father of his deceased wife threatens to take custody of their child that Alex realises that he may have benefitted some from cash. The only way to get his hands on any money, therefore having the funds available to pay to fight for custody, is to travel to Scotland and make a succ...more Published at Scorching Book Reviews
http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot....

When Alex Christie’s Father leaves him a Mill instead of an inheritance, it comes as neither a shock nor a sadness. It isn’t until the abusive father of his deceased wife threatens to take custody of their child that Alex realises that he may have benefitted some from cash. The only way to get his hands on any money, therefore having the funds available to pay to fight for custody, is to travel to Scotland and make a success of the mill. Upon his arrival, he realises that making this work could be quite a task.

Polly has taken over the voice of the Union ever since her Dad became too ill to do the role. She is loved by the workers and hated by the owners; it is not surprising that the first person they arrest after a fire at the mill is her! Dragged in-front of the new Master, she finds herself at the Mercy of one of the handsomest men she’s ever laid eyes on. But he is a Master and she is a penniless working girl, there is no way he would look at her as anything other than a piece of equipment to be utilized.

As much as the attraction flares between them, it is clear that each of them can be pumped for information by the other. Alex wants to find the culprit who burned down his mill and threatened the safety of his son, Polly wants to find out what measures are being put in place by the Masters that could affect the members of her union. As they spend their time together for the good of their families, their relationship becomes more than just flirty exchanges. Their fledgling relationship would scandalise and ruin her reputation, but neither of them can find it in them to particularly care. When their interests collide as they fight for what they cherish the most, can the bonds between them withstand the storm?

Long time readers of this blog will know that I am not an avid Historical reader. I liked the sound of this one because I enjoy stories with a spunky heroine...and boy was she spunky J I will be reading the rest of the series... it was an interesting setting and I’d like to read more J

When we first meet Alex, I was immediately smitten as he gave up all that he knows to give his son the life he deserves. I’m always a sucker for a man who loves his kids...he was on a winner with me :D When he heads to Scotland to the Mill, I liked his attitude towards being the new master. He wanted to know his staff, wanted to deal with the problems internally and was more than willing to try to make his staff happy. He is devastated that the mill may have destroyed his chances at keeping his son, but he tries to remain professional. Although I respected the way he did immediately allow the other Masters to blame Polly for the fire without evidence (they really didn’t like the Union!) I have to say that he gave into the pressure by the other mill masters regarding the changes to the pay conditions surprisingly easy for his earlier stances. I understood his acquiescence, but it happened far too easily for me. His relationship with Polly was lovely. He allowed himself to enjoy his time with her. He had no real previous pleasant experience with sex before Polly and he gives into his desires and doesn’t allow himself to care how improper it all is....I loved him J

Polly was a woman put into a difficult position. As the unofficial leader of the Union, her attraction, and later dalliance, with the Master was unseemly. She was either a traitor to the cause or using her womanly wiles to get information; neither was a particularly appealing scenario. I respected that she really didn’t give a shit. It was naive, but ultimately she followed her heart rather than her head. When she had choices to make about her Union, she did them without consideration to her relationship. In fact they both did; I felt that was true to their characters but potentially disastrous for their relationship. I always love a heroine who is unafraid of sexuality that is willing to do what feels good and Polly definitely does this! It was one of her more redeeming qualities. I was more than a little shocked to hear her use the word “pussy”....I’m too green with Historical obviously.

Overall this was a steamy romance set in a time where lust was considered a sin. With both hero and heroine on opposite sides of a business battle, it is clear that this road to true love will never run smooth. With lots of smutty sex and an ever present set of bad-guys, the tale has plenty of meat to grab your attention and keep you guessing. (less)

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Jul 24, 2012 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 200-books-in-2012, july-2012, read-in-2012

Fans of North and South should enjoy this, for that's what this reminded me of. Union supporter heroine meets master of the mill..sparks fly, passions are roused, hijinx ensue...

This isn't a carbon copy of that story, but it's close enough. My one issue with North and South is Margaret, the heroine. She's stubborn and intractable, but she's also somewhat cold and reserved. I never warmed up to her. That wasn't the case with Polly McGowan. She's full of fire. She had an indomitable spirit, but al...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Sandy M rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

This is my first Carrie Lofty book. And I loved it! Alex and Polly come alive the moment you meet them. Their relationship pulls no punches, and even when they’re at their worst, they’re at their best. They have a tempestuous relationship laced with lust and eventually love, and going along on the ride with them is wild, heated, at times full of fear, and oh-so-much fun.

Alex pretty much has his life set. Since the death of his wife, he’s found someone to help take care of his infant son and he’s...more This is my first Carrie Lofty book. And I loved it! Alex and Polly come alive the moment you meet them. Their relationship pulls no punches, and even when they’re at their worst, they’re at their best. They have a tempestuous relationship laced with lust and eventually love, and going along on the ride with them is wild, heated, at times full of fear, and oh-so-much fun.

Alex pretty much has his life set. Since the death of his wife, he’s found someone to help take care of his infant son and he’s on his way up at the university where he teaches astronomy. Then everything begins to crash around him. His father’s will stipulates that for Alex to receive his inheritance, he must make a success of Christie Textiles – in Scotland, his father’s homeland. Then his father-in-law begins to threaten to take Edmund away from him, and Alex will be damned if he’ll allow his son to be raised by that monster of a man. The beast inside Josiah Todd ruined his own daughter by the time Alex could rescue her by marrying her. So after confronting Todd, Alex decides perhaps Scotland is the best place for him and his son after all.

Having been mentored by her father, Polly is now the one in charge of running union meetings and any negotiations with the masters of local factories. But those masters would rather see the workers beaten down instead of making safe workplaces and guaranteeing decent wages. She’s determined, however, to keep the peace and make the working situation better for all of her people. Taking a chance that perhaps the new master of Christie Textiles may agree with the union’s position, Polly is willing to do anything to make sure that happens. So the dance of distrust, attraction, suspicion, and lust between Alex and Polly begins.

There’s such a connection between them, it doesn’t take long before they’re so caught up in each other, they can’t keep their hands to themselves. Every time they explore one another, there’s an explosion that blows every emotion imaginable off the page. Then they come to their senses, know nothing of the like will ever happen again – only to end up in each other’s arms once more. This is an attraction that just won’t quit. I love Polly’s optimistic attitude. It’s needed to offset the seriousness of Alex. And it’s such fun when they tease one another. Especially when Polly can coax a smile out of Alex.

In and around all of this, however, is the mystery of the saboteur who has been busy with explosions and fire at the factories, including Christie Textiles. Alex knows his board of directors could call a halt to business at any time if repairs are too expensive or too slow, but he’s determined to prove he’s where he should be and does all necessary to get the factory running once again – all the while trying to find the culprit himself. Trying to keep Polly away from investigating is a whole other matter, so they do some digging together, another chance for them to find more out about the other, even when being chased by constables.

There are some very memorable scenes in this book. Alex agrees to a game of football with the locals workers. He once thrived on competition, and it feels good to throw some weight around – literally -and some punches to relieve a little stress. The star-gazing scene with Alex and Polly is wonderfully done -the start of Polly being given the opportunity to see and do things that a girl like her would otherwise never have. Alex demanding Polly’s release from jail after being wrongly accused – again – by the local constables, with a little help from a factory supervisor who has it in for her. This man is a piece of work, and I want to kick him in the bollocks as much as Polly does. And the scene at Todd’s ship near the end of the book is full of tension and love and fear and death.

Ms. Lofty has done her research well. I feel the strife of these people when life decides to be hard on them, but then I feel their happiness when playing a friendly game of football or their children are running and laughing among them. Money and intimidation, along with a few well-placed punches or kicks, are the signs of the times, and they’re each used quite effectively to try to keep the union members in line. Even when everything is out of control and the workers are close to turning violent, it’s Polly who keeps the clam, as much as possible anyway. Tempers are rampant, never a good thing when it comes to a man’s ability to care for his family. All of these things, and more, are portrayed so well that you feel every last emotion of these characters squeeze your heart.

I’m going to try to pick up the first book in the series. I’ve fallen for the Christies, one and all.

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com (less)

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Mar 16, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked the second installment in the Christie series. This one tells the story of one of the brothers, Alex Christie. Alex has two years to turn a profit on his father's cotton mill in Scotland in order to earn his million dollar inheritance. He wants the money so he can finally be free of his evil father-in-law who is trying to take his son from him. The inheritance will guarantee this doesn't happen. Then, there is an arson at the mill and he and the other mill masters are determined t...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Regina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Here's another refreshing addition to the Christies series. As with Flawless (Book 1), Starlight's setting was equally original. This time Alex found himself in industrial Glasgow fraught with union challenges and self-serving mill masters. I can't help but wonder where in the world are the two remaining Christie siblings going to end up? What type of business must each one make profitable in order to claim their inheritances?

I enjoyed watching the intellectual Alex try to deal with his overwhel...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, rom-book-club-possibilities

Just a note that I read an ARC of this book, so my impressions might have been different had I read the published version.

I am of two minds about this book. I loved the setting. It was wonderful to read a book set around and about a mill (I'm one of those North and South lovers). I enjoyed the natural opposition between the two characters and the way they had to struggle to overcome their distrust of one another to help both each other and the mill. I thought both characters were interesting, th...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

A unique legacy left them from beyond the grave in their father’s will sends Sir William Christie's four adult children to the far reaches of the world to accomplish four separate tasks successfully in the time allotted before they can receive their inheritance. Each story in the series are Victorian age adventure romances in a way.

Alex is the oldest Christie child and a recent widower with a young baby son. For him, the challenge to become manager of his father's cotton mill in Glasgow, Scotlan...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Hilcia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read, arc, historical, romance

Grade: A-
In Starlight, Carrie Lofty successfully combines all of the ingredients that I love about her romances. The atmosphere created by the gritty setting in this novel serves as an excellent backdrop, giving this romance the perfect historical touch. The characters that populate the story, both central and secondary, also make it happen, beginning with Polly who definitely belongs in the setting, and ending with Alex whose character grows by leaps and bounds right before our eyes.

Alexander C...more Grade: A-
In Starlight, Carrie Lofty successfully combines all of the ingredients that I love about her romances. The atmosphere created by the gritty setting in this novel serves as an excellent backdrop, giving this romance the perfect historical touch. The characters that populate the story, both central and secondary, also make it happen, beginning with Polly who definitely belongs in the setting, and ending with Alex whose character grows by leaps and bounds right before our eyes.

Alexander Christie is the late William Christie's eldest son. In his controversial will, the industrial mogul leaves Alex the Christie Textile Mills in Glasgow, Scotland with the proviso that he must manage the cotton mills and make a profit within two years in order to receive a $1M bonus, however if he fails, his inheritance will be reduced to $500. Alex is not a businessman, but an astronomy teacher at a Philadelphia university and a widower with a sickly infant son. He resents the situation and doesn't care about the money until his powerful and unbalanced father-in-law threatens to take his beloved son Edmund away, giving Alex the resolve to fight for a future and make a success of his endeavors in Glasgow, Scotland.

Glasgow 1881 is a hotbed of trouble. The cotton mills masters are all powerful, uncompromising and always looking to make the biggest profit, as a result, masters don't care about poor workers' conditions. Mill masters certainly don't negotiate with workers' unions, and when crossed their wrath is often violent and deadly. Polly Gowan is a mill worker and has taken her father's place as the respected leader of the peaceful workers' union. She works at Christie's Textiles where after a suspicious explosion, workers are blamed, the usual suspects rounded up by constables and goons alike, and she meets the new master Alex Christie under difficult circumstances.

Reluctantly, Polly becomes Alex's guide through the troubled political situation with an eye on bringing him over to the union's side. But pretty quickly these two people from different worlds, who stand at opposite ends of this explosive situation, become passionately attracted to each other. Alex and Polly act on that attraction and begin a torrid and passionate affair that has all the hallmarks of a disaster in the making, where each keeps information from the other and trust is gained and broken on both sides.

I loved Polly's character, flaws and all. The first thing you notice about Polly is that she understands her people and selflessly cares about them. She is giving, passionate and tough as nails. Initially, Polly falls in lust with Alex and is willing to take a chance on taking just a few moments for herself (having a little fun), until her feelings for him begin to complicate matters and loyalties are questioned. Her feelings reflect Alex's who also becomes torn between what he feels for Polly and what he has to do to keep his son safe from his father-in-law.

Alex, I adored. Alex almost has a split personality. In Flawless, he is described as an astronomy teacher and that led me to visualize his appearance as that of a rather refined and sophisticated young man. Reading A Little More Scandal prior to reading Starlight, helped me visualize the differences in Alex's physical attributes and physicality. Lofty beautifully captures the duality to his personality and even to his physical appearance in this novel -- both Alex's rough side, the one that comes from William Christie, and the astronomy teacher or New York society gentleman.

Alex is basically sexually starved after what was practically a platonic marriage to a woman he knew since childhood. He is such a beautiful man in so many ways -- passionate, tender, rough, tough, protective and even sexually naive. Alex's attraction to Polly is instant and his passion is boundless. It's interesting because Polly loves Alex's protectiveness, but simultaneously resents his propensity for playing the 'knight' who rescues ladies in distress. I understood Polly!

Together, Alex and Polly are explosive, heartbreakingly tender, frustrating, and loving. Polly is really the aggressor in their sexual relationship. He is passionate but whenever he tries to be a gentleman, she is the one who repeatedly drives and pushes him to the next level in their sexual adventure. Polly is no coy miss! Alex and Polly do resolve their immediate differences as master and textile mill worker in a big climactic scene, although unfortunately there are no scenes showing how the changes affect Calton.

I loved Starlight. The setting, atmosphere, characters, conflict and passionate romance all drew me and kept me reading. There's no way I will miss reading the next installment in The Christies' series. Highly recommended.(less)

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Jul 19, 2012 Komal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

3.5 stars. When I first read the blurb for this book, I thought that Carrie Lofty was going to do a disservice to Scotland and the time period. Writing historical romance novels is no easy feat, let alone writing one that takes place during such an unusual time period (the late 1880s, during the Industrial Revolution). But Lofty did a commendable job, mainly because she didn’t dwell to deep in the history rather she stuck to the romance which I liked.

One of the best things about this book is Al...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Donna Parker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Many people are guilty of it, disregarding and even mocking certain genres of books, movies, or TV shows, sometimes without ever having read or watched them. My goal for this year was to open my mind, read and watch matter I had discounted or disparaged.
I cannot begin with this book however as I have always read romance novels, historical romances, bodice rippers, or whatever you may wish to call them scornfully with a derisive I would never read those sniff or smirk; you may not know what you’...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Lady Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, red-hot-books

I’m usually pretty OCD about reading a series out of order, but the cover for this one seduced me - it’s just so luscious & decadent!

In this story of discovery, exploration, & love, I found myself on an adventure with the eldest of the Christie siblings, Alexander, as he searched for a way to protect his feeble infant son, Edmund. The only means of keeping him away from the evil father-in-law looking to steal custody was to complete a challenge set upon him by his own recently departed f...more I’m usually pretty OCD about reading a series out of order, but the cover for this one seduced me - it’s just so luscious & decadent!

In this story of discovery, exploration, & love, I found myself on an adventure with the eldest of the Christie siblings, Alexander, as he searched for a way to protect his feeble infant son, Edmund. The only means of keeping him away from the evil father-in-law looking to steal custody was to complete a challenge set upon him by his own recently departed father in his will. His task was to manage one of his father’s holdings, Christie Textiles in Glasgow, Scotland & if after two years of doing so, he turned a profit then he would be rewarded with *in my Dr. Evil voice* one million dollars. Just the right price to convince a crooked judge that Edmund would be better off with his father.

What he didn’t count on, however, was the spirited Polly Gowan – daughter of a famous labor union rebel, Graham Gowan. Polly earnestly follows in her father’s footsteps & feels passionately loyal to her fellow mill workers, or “her people” as she calls them. Alex sees her as his key to understanding the union, and she views him as her key to keeping anyone from her union in trouble for an explosive fire at the mill as well as a way to find out who did it (hopefully before he does).

Polly & Alex had a passionate fire between them from the moment they first kissed, however as sizzling as the love scenes were, the vocab was a little awkward which didn’t make them flow as well as they should’ve. In the end, it didn’t matter too much because the build up was well worth the wait, especially for the studly Alex Christie (who never lacked in provocative descriptions)

“Energy shimmered off of him, all around him. Or maybe that was just the steam of hot skin meeting cold air. He looked like a pagan god of war descended to earth for a contest among mere mortals. He scrubbed one hand almost lazily through the swath of hair spread over his sculpted chest, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to stroke such primal masculinity. Polly flexed her own fingers. She wanted another opportunity to touch and explore, this time finding her way to that virile torso. What would his body feel like beneath her palms? Against her cheek? Beneath her tongue?”

As the hero, Alex was more than just a sexy lay, he had some real growing to do in this story - I loved how the mill became more than just a means to keep his father in law from his son; it became something that he can take pride in, something he could make his. I enjoyed watching him learn about Glasgow & his employees at the mill, seeing them as real people the more he got to know them. He grew into something his father would be proud of, making he letter at the end that much more poignant.

This tale of loyalty, perseverance, & love not only had an intriguing twist but left me with a smile on my face. I look forward to going back & reading Viv’s story, Alex’s sister, to get to know this compelling family even better.

*ARC provided by the author

This review & others also found on Red Hot Books(less)

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Aug 08, 2012 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Dunno what it was, but I just couldn't get into this one... maybe I'll try it again later when I'm in more of a gritty historical mood. There wasn't much wrong with the book itself, it just never hooked me. I picked it up several times to read a few chapters, only to put it down for awhile and buzz through something else.

I liked Alex well enough (tho' his stepfather is a rather stereotypical villain), but Polly and her world didn't really come to life for me, and she didn't completely gel as a...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Abby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: recent-reads, romance

I'm starting to think that everything Carrie Lofty touches is gold. She can do no wrong for this Regency-weary reader.

The second in her new Christies series is set in Glasgow, Scotland, smack in the middle of the Industrial Revolution. Our heroine, Polly, is the de facto union leader of the textile mills, as her father is bedridden from illness. Our hero, Alex Christie, must turn Christie Textiles around to win a $1m inheritance from his father.

Alex and Polly are one of the most combustible, in...more

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Dec 07, 2012 J. Leigh Hunter rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance

Characters
With Lofty’s debut novel “Flawless” still fresh in my mind from a year ago, I had high expectations for her follow-up novel “Starlight”. For the most part, I was not disappointed. The characters were as colorful and believable and multifaceted as those in Lofty’s first novel, and I delighted in learning about the complicated mess of Alex’s family and how Polly’s stubbornness and spirit helped lead them to love.

Story and Writing Style
And while the writing was fantastic and I was in abso...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Nath rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, read-2012, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2/5 (D)

Why this book? I read and enjoyed the first book in this series, Flawless. Also, the author is Ms Lofty :) She has a reputation for writing different historical romances and that's why I've been wanting to read more of her books.

What did I like? Okay, so this book really didn't work out for me and you'll find out why in a few seconds. However, two thumbs up to Ms Lofty for the risk she took, the solid writing, the research done and the complex characters.

What didn't work? It's very ironic...more 2/5 (D)

Why this book? I read and enjoyed the first book in this series, Flawless. Also, the author is Ms Lofty :) She has a reputation for writing different historical romances and that's why I've been wanting to read more of her books.

What did I like? Okay, so this book really didn't work out for me and you'll find out why in a few seconds. However, two thumbs up to Ms Lofty for the risk she took, the solid writing, the research done and the complex characters.

What didn't work? It's very ironic because above, I mentioned I wanted to read more of Ms Lofty's books because her historical romances are different, mainly thanks to the settings and time periods Ms Lofty chooses. However, in the case of Starlight, those elements really didn't work out for me ^_^; I like my historical romances more on the light and fun, fluffy side and Starlight was too dark and gritty for my taste. I really didn't like the whole union aspect of the book, how those workers are suppressed and taken advantage of and how union leaders like Polly are framed, etc. It's just not something I enjoyed reading and unfortunately for me, it was a huge part of the book ^_^;

As for the romance, it also didn't work for me. Basically, it's the same complaint that I've had for many other romance books recently: the H/H got together too fast. It's another case of instant attraction and lust as soon as they meet and quickly leads to marriage. Given Alex and Polly's respective positions, I actually expected a lot more obstacles to their relationship. In addition, given Alex' situation, I expected his character to be a lot more reserved. I admire how he wanted to learn the business and how he wanted to be fair and hear both sides of the story, but I admit, I was surprised at how easily he mingled with the workers. So that's why I just didn't believe in this instant connection between Alex and Polly. Perhaps if there's been a slower development to their relationship or less of the union politics aspect, it would have felt more believable... But as it is, the romance felt off to me. The chemistry was there, but from their interactions, they needed more time. I also thought that Alex' marriage to Mamie was a sappy story and served as an convenient excuse for readers and perhaps even Alex to accept he has fallen in love so soon after the death of his wife. Like how Alex loved and cared for Mamie... but more as a friend than as a lover. Then he meets Polly and discovers passion. And finally, I didn't really like the circumstances under which Polly and Alex married ^_^;

My Grade? 2/5. I did not enjoy Starlight, but the reasons have more to do with personal tastes than execution. As such, I will definitively give the next book in this series a try.(less)

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Oct 12, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, adult, historical-romance, read-2012, romance

Review posted at Books to Brighten your Mood

Carrie Lofty's newest release, Starlight, is just further proof of how talented an author she really is. I have no better way to express myself when I review one of her books. Carrie Lofty is simply one of the most talented voices I have ever read.

Starlight, is the second story in her newest series, The Christies, and it's the story of Alex and Polly. Lofty, after Cape Town, travels her readers at Glasgow this time and tells us the story of a father wh...more
Review posted at Books to Brighten your Mood

Carrie Lofty's newest release, Starlight, is just further proof of how talented an author she really is. I have no better way to express myself when I review one of her books. Carrie Lofty is simply one of the most talented voices I have ever read.

Starlight, is the second story in her newest series, The Christies, and it's the story of Alex and Polly. Lofty, after Cape Town, travels her readers at Glasgow this time and tells us the story of a father who would do anything to protect his only child and a woman who fights with everything in her for what she believes just.

Alex and Polly are just perfect for each other and as far as memorable heroines go, Polly surely stands out. She isn't standing out just for her character qualities or because she's a really well-written character - which she is! - but because she's a true fighter, a woman who isn't waiting for her knight in shining armor to run to her rescue, but does anything within her power to make a better future for her and the people she cares for. Yeah, she may be a bit stubborn or use her femininity whenever it suits her but she is loyal and caring and she's not afraid to love and be loved.

Alex on the other hand is so much more than the acclaimed scientist everyone regards him to be. He's a sensual man, possessive and he could be as much a businessman as your typical next door guy. The scene where he plays football with his workers at the mill was just pure delight to read. That one and the one both Alex and Polly go to a bar to investigate some leads. By far the two most enjoying and memorable scenes of Starlight for me.

As I said in the beginning, Carrie Lofty is truly a talented author. The way she writes, the way she sets her stories under unique circumstances just make her novels stand out. I may not have cared in the least for her main couples, but I would still remember her stories for the way she presents them. My only problem was once more that it took me an awful lot of time to finish this book. Like in Flawless, somewhere after the first 2/3 of the book I felt that the story dragged a bit and it tired me. Maybe it's something personal or maybe the story did indeed drag a bit but the thing is that I wanted it a bit shorter to give this book a 5 star rating or maybe I wanted more things to happen in order to sustain my interest.

All in all, Starlight is an incredibly well written book, one definitely worth your time reading. Alex and Polly's story is just too good to miss :)(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Francesca the Fierce ~Eyelet Ecstasy~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-historical, books-read-2012

This review was posted at Under the Covers

Historical romance does not get much better than this! STARLIGHT was beautiful from beginning to end. With a hero you just can't help but falling in love with, a feisty heroine full of passion and courage and a story of two opposites that perfectly compliment each other. This book had it all.

Alex Christie, the eldest of the siblings, thought he wouldn't have to get involved in the scheme his late father had created to have each kid take over a strugglin...more This review was posted at Under the Covers

Historical romance does not get much better than this! STARLIGHT was beautiful from beginning to end. With a hero you just can't help but falling in love with, a feisty heroine full of passion and courage and a story of two opposites that perfectly compliment each other. This book had it all.

Alex Christie, the eldest of the siblings, thought he wouldn't have to get involved in the scheme his late father had created to have each kid take over a struggling business. But he is forced by his father in law to do in order to keep his son with him. His son is the only thing he has left after his wife died and he will do anything to protect him. Even going to Scotland and taking over the textile business his late father owned there and making it profitable again so he can collect on his inheritance.

Not very business savvy and in need of some guidance, who better than the union's spokeswoman, Polly Gowman. She's smart, outspoken, sassy, daring and a lot of fun. She is also loyal to her people and their interests and will protect them with everything she's got.

Alex is definitely my type of hero. He's hard, rough and even brooding but he allows those walls to come down and is playful with Polly. He's intense and had me tingling on more than one occasion. Polly on the other hand is no wilting flower and can stand up to him as well as match him in his desires. Whether that's in the bedroom or in an alley while they're running away from the bad guys.

The element of mystery in this book was also perfectly woven in with the romance. It does not take away from them as a couple but it adds another dimension to what they're going through. And if I have to be honest I did not expect the ending and resolution to turn out the way it did, even though maybe I should've.

Job very well done Ms. Lofty. I cannot wait to read more about the Christies and what adventures await next, but Polly and Alex will be a pretty hard to beat couple in my heart.

*Review copy provided by author(less)

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Jun 27, 2012 Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-new, 2012-all, ebook, historical-romance

I didn't mean to read this so quickly, but as it turns out, I needed a distraction from reality and this was a pretty good one.

One of the things I loved about the first book in this series was how unique it was in terms of period and setting, and this one was definitely different as well. (The mill setting and the mill owner/girl working for laborers' rights did remind me at times of North and South, which was kind of fun, even though that's more or less where the similarities end.) Anyway, I en...more I didn't mean to read this so quickly, but as it turns out, I needed a distraction from reality and this was a pretty good one.

One of the things I loved about the first book in this series was how unique it was in terms of period and setting, and this one was definitely different as well. (The mill setting and the mill owner/girl working for laborers' rights did remind me at times of North and South, which was kind of fun, even though that's more or less where the similarities end.) Anyway, I enjoyed the setting a lot, even more so because Alex had a history of supporting workers' rights in the US with Mamie.

Speaking of Mamie, I thought everything about his first wife was handled pretty well. Realistic given the times, but well done, mostly because of Alex's attitude and understanding. I thought that was pretty refreshing. I think my only concern on that front was (view spoiler)

The romance didn't play out exactly how I was expecting it to, but I think in the end, I liked it better than what I'd anticipated. (view spoiler)

The supporting characters were excellent, and the brief extra look at Viv and Miles in the epilogue was fun (it extends just a little past what we get in the epilogue for Book 1). A really enjoyable different take on historical romance. Even though I feel like I know far less about the twins than I did about Alex, I am very much looking forward to both of their books.(less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Alexia Chantel rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Christies, one of those families that on the surface may have appeared to have it all put together. The tough father, loving mother to all (even those not biologically her children), the siblings all legitimate one way or another, and wealth. As with every family there are stories hidden and feelings kept in the dark.

Starlight brings revelations and love to Alex Christie. Alex sets out to make the mill that his father has left in his hands profitable, a mill that is struggling nearly as muc...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-new, 2012-all, first-reads, romance-historical, romance

3.5 stars

Okay, so truthfully, I finished this several weeks ago. But as I usually do, I read it fairly quickly, and since I got this as a First Reads books, I wanted to take the time to do a "proper" review. In order to do that, I wanted to reread it again, more slowly, but that hasn't happened yet and it's sitting in my sidebar taunting me, so I'm going to just do it off my recollection and possibly come back to amend the review later.

I liked this. Not as much as I wanted to, but a pretty decen...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-2012, romance-regency

After Flawless I was expecting so much more. Alex and Polly are fine characters but I never saw their characters really together-they had lust but love was somewhat unbelievable-at least in the context of the novel. I will read the next because I do love the writing and the premist of the series.

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Mar 08, 2013 Marg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Love that Lofty writes strong historical romances with great characters and unusual settings!

next in this series is set in the vineyards of Australia! Can't wait to read it!

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Aug 27, 2012 Mskchick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Maybe it's because I'm reading it as a hurricane bears down on us, but there is too much angst in this book for me

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Sep 15, 2012 wordgirl added it

Shelves: romance-historic, dnf

I think I will try this again later. It's a library loan, and once i reached chapter 5 I realized I just wasn't into it. I'm just not a Polly fan as of yet, but I'm going to try it again some time.

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Jul 01, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5

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Sep 19, 2012 Diah Didi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, adult, english, fiction, giveaway, historical, own, paperback, my-very-first-of, series, romance, signed

My very first of Carrie Lofty. Didn't realized it's the second book of Christie's. Guess now I should read the first book while waiting the third to come.
Review to come... that is if I remember to do so. :D

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Jun 28, 2012 Ponch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read

I am a sucker for a good historical romance. I recently watched North and South and found some similarities to this novel and I enjoyed both of the stories. I had not read anything by Lofty before but I will be reading more in the future, especially from this series.

I received a copy of this book from GoodReads and Carrie Lofty. Thank you.

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Jan 20, 2013 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19th-century, romance, scots

4.5 stars- I think the end wrapped up a little too neatly, but I absolutely adored the main characters, and loved the non-Regency setting. I will absolutely seek out more Lofty books, as well as the website she mentions in the forward (about romances in non-traditional settings).

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Dec 04, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

A love story, a mystery, and a look into life years ago! Lofty details a torrid love story between two people who shouldn't be together but can't resist each other. Together they try to solve a mystery and...the rest you have to read yourself. Thanks to Goodreads for my copy!

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title link	preview: Starlight
avg rating	preview: Starlight Goodreads rating: 3.63 (76 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13154719-starlight?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336944454l/13154719.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13154719-starlight?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Starlight by Carrie Lofty[/url]

Starlight (The Christies #2)

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