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254th out of 258 books
—
355 voters
Marriage of Mercy
by
Carla Kelly
From riches to rags, Grace has had to swallow her pride and get a job as a baker. But everything changes when she's the beneficiary of a surprise inheritance.Her benefactor's deal comes with a catch: give up her life of toil and live in luxury only if she marries his illegitimate son, a prisoner of war. It's an offer she can't afford to refuse. But her husband-to-be is dyi...more
Mass Market Paperback, 281 pages
Published
May 22nd 2012
by Harlequin
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Four solid stars for this historically interesting romance. I read the e-book version. The title is deceiving. There is NO marriage of mercy in this plot. No marriage at all, actually, but it is foretold in the last chapter. The publisher's synopsis is misleading, too.
This review is *mostly* Spoiler Free. I don't give away the main mystery.
Setting: England, primarily from 1814 to 1815. Dartmoor Prison and Quimby, a village in Devon, England, not too far from Exeter. The Napoleonic War is coming...more
This review is *mostly* Spoiler Free. I don't give away the main mystery.
Setting: England, primarily from 1814 to 1815. Dartmoor Prison and Quimby, a village in Devon, England, not too far from Exeter. The Napoleonic War is coming...more
2/5; 2 stars; C
Well, the writing was the high quality I've come to expect from Carla Kelly but the story fell flat for me. First and foremost, I think Harlequin screwed up in a BIG way with the title of this book and the synopsis. It made me think that the pages of the book got put inside the wrong cover. There was no marriage, even at the end, the main couple had yet to be married. There was no mention of marriage in the conditions of the inheritance. It was very strange.
My favorite aspect of...more
Well, the writing was the high quality I've come to expect from Carla Kelly but the story fell flat for me. First and foremost, I think Harlequin screwed up in a BIG way with the title of this book and the synopsis. It made me think that the pages of the book got put inside the wrong cover. There was no marriage, even at the end, the main couple had yet to be married. There was no mention of marriage in the conditions of the inheritance. It was very strange.
My favorite aspect of...more
3 likes · like · see review
The premise is actually slightly different than the blurb describes: The heroine finds out that she has inherited a modest income and lifetime residence of a dower house on a marquis's land, in return for going to Dartmoor to bring home the deceased marquis's illegitimate son, who is an American POW. Her task is only to care for him and oversee his parole in the dower house, not marry him. The solicitor reveals that the deceased marquis had hoped that they would fall in love and marry, but it wa...more
8 likes · like · see review
This book took out like a tornado for me and I read it in record time.
It takes place in England during the French and American wars. The War of 1812 as America calls it has imprisoned many American sailors at Dartmoor Prison. Gracie, born a lady but experienced a downfall is now a Baker's apprentice. She develops a friendship with Lord Thomson who names her in his will provided she releases and takes care of a prisoner from Dartmouth. This has quite a complex plot. Nothing is what it seems nor a...more
It takes place in England during the French and American wars. The War of 1812 as America calls it has imprisoned many American sailors at Dartmoor Prison. Gracie, born a lady but experienced a downfall is now a Baker's apprentice. She develops a friendship with Lord Thomson who names her in his will provided she releases and takes care of a prisoner from Dartmouth. This has quite a complex plot. Nothing is what it seems nor a...more
This book was not a standout for me, especially after reading "Miss Grimsley's Oxford Career," but it held my interest and there was some suspense (not a lot, mind you) to keep the reader wondering which background characters to trust. It was a good read on the whole, but the openly affectionate behavior of the hero and heroine in public (even before they fell in love) seemed out of place to me given the time period and setting. I do have one last snarky thought that persisted for the latter hal...more
First let me say that I enjoyed the book. However, Harlequin really messed up with the backcover blurb and the cover art. There was no marriage required and the people on the front don't match the story at all. Grace had befriended the local elderly Lord Thomson. When he died he left her a small inheritance (not enough for the "luxury" stated) and asked that she assist in the paroling of his illegitimate son who is an American prisoner of war. When she goes to the prison (a horrible place) the y...more
Just a FYI: the back cover copy (and the title, to be honest) have nothing to do with the actual plot. Ignore them!
So, Marriage of Mercy is pretty much The Lady's Companion, but with American prisoners and doughnuts and a ridiculous villain. I know, that sounds rather unlike TLC, but what I meant was that both books feature heroines who have slipped from the gentry into the working middle class--Grace in MoM more so than Susan in TLC, since Grace was working as a baker.
I love when regency-set n...more
So, Marriage of Mercy is pretty much The Lady's Companion, but with American prisoners and doughnuts and a ridiculous villain. I know, that sounds rather unlike TLC, but what I meant was that both books feature heroines who have slipped from the gentry into the working middle class--Grace in MoM more so than Susan in TLC, since Grace was working as a baker.
I love when regency-set n...more
Has the humor, warmth and nicely evolving relationship between the two leads that I would expect in a Carla Kelly romance, but I found the plot and some of the attitudes problematic, especially in the second half of the book which after a steady pace rushed to nearly throw everything but the kitchen sink in by the very end. To niggle just a bit, the United States was still just a fledgling nation during the War of 1812. The Union as we think of it today was still in a precarious state (with New...more
I always read the back cover or inside flap of books to get the main idea of the book. I must say with this book, for the first time ever, I want to find this books editor and shake them and ask if they even really read the book. Even though some of what is on the back is the synopsis for the story, there are major details that are wrong. I thought the editor's job was to edit the book, but it seems this day in age they are just getting paid to spit out books. Really, why are publishers wasting...more
Review by Lady Blue At Romantic Historical Lovers: http://romantichistoricallovers.wordp...
Reviewed by Lady Blue
Grace Curtis has slipped. She readily admits this, and any number of her former friends are willing to tell her, lest she forget. She formerly led a relatively privileged life, but her widowed father, too prideful and blind to see he needed to economize, died penniless and debt ridden. So, at age eighteen, Grace was forced from her home with nothing and nowhere to go.
She approaches Mr....more
Reviewed by Lady Blue
Grace Curtis has slipped. She readily admits this, and any number of her former friends are willing to tell her, lest she forget. She formerly led a relatively privileged life, but her widowed father, too prideful and blind to see he needed to economize, died penniless and debt ridden. So, at age eighteen, Grace was forced from her home with nothing and nowhere to go.
She approaches Mr....more
When Grace Curtis, the daughter of an improvident baronet, inherits nothing but debts, she must make a choice. She can either go into denial about her new poverty as her house falls down around her and the debt collectors pound at her door, or she can accept that she has “slipped.” Not one to enter denial, Grace makes the best choice she can: she sells her father’s manor, settles as many debts as possible, and indentures herself to couple who run a local bakery to settle their enormous bill. Ten...more
Enjoyed the first half of the book, but then the plot hit a plateau. The female character was interesting but Rob was a little flat. I actually liked Smathers more, a much richer character if you ask me. I was disappointed that Rob and Grace didn't get married within the novel. They seemed to act out of character in many ways to their time. There were a few things that weren't explained -- such as how did Rob get the deed to his house? -- and a few skeptical moments for me -- no one was concerne...more
1. The title is wrong--no marriage takes place in the book.
2. The blurb is correct in that there is a substitution of a different man for the dying Captain Dan Duncan.
3. Interesting premise, interesting characters.
4. I liked that the story was stretched out over months--made the romance that much more reasonable--no inst-lust, thank you very much. Indeed, the interactions between Grace, our heroine, and Rob, the hero, are the best part of the book.
5. The motives of the villain are very Over The...more
2. The blurb is correct in that there is a substitution of a different man for the dying Captain Dan Duncan.
3. Interesting premise, interesting characters.
4. I liked that the story was stretched out over months--made the romance that much more reasonable--no inst-lust, thank you very much. Indeed, the interactions between Grace, our heroine, and Rob, the hero, are the best part of the book.
5. The motives of the villain are very Over The...more
I love Carla Kelly's books. This was not my fave. Ignoring the terrible blurb and title, the story was very good. I love learning a little history lesson with my stories and this was no exception. I love they way Carla storyweaves with such compassion for people and their circumstances. Grace was a doll. She was a fighter and never quit no matter how tough things got. I loved her compassion. Rob was also great in his own ways. He was very forgiving and accepting for how hard his life had been. I...more
My first comment about this book has no effect on my rating and is not the author's fault...but I don't think the person who wrote the synopsis for the back cover and the title had actually read the book....The MARRIAGE was not was was arranged at all......OK, that said, this book was just ok. I didn't ever really love either main character and felt that Grace especially acted out of character at times. I felt like the "surprise" turn-about in character of one of the villains was not credible. A...more
I enjoyed this book. It was similar in some ways to The Lady's Companion. This also didn't shy away from some darker aspects of being a POW. Some moments were definitely not as hardcore as Daughter of Fortune but be prepared for the bleakness in the prison.
I found the main characters engaging but the villain of the piece was a bit over the top for me and the ending I felt was a bit rushed.
(view spoiler)...more
I found the main characters engaging but the villain of the piece was a bit over the top for me and the ending I felt was a bit rushed.
(view spoiler)...more
3.5 stars out of 5 rounded up to 4
I agree with others, title is lame and blurb misleading. Also the cover was ill conceived and didn't fit the story. Carla Kelly deserved better than this. Well written as always, no one does naval romances like Carla. A sweet romance with interesting characters, I would have preferred a little more heat. Regardless, I was caught up in the narrative and Rob was engaging as an American POW granted parole through a twist of fate and left in the care of the heroine,...more
I agree with others, title is lame and blurb misleading. Also the cover was ill conceived and didn't fit the story. Carla Kelly deserved better than this. Well written as always, no one does naval romances like Carla. A sweet romance with interesting characters, I would have preferred a little more heat. Regardless, I was caught up in the narrative and Rob was engaging as an American POW granted parole through a twist of fate and left in the care of the heroine,...more
The first Carla Kelly I've read that left me feeling meh. I saw the plot twists coming from so far ahead that I got extremely frustrated with the heroine for being so slow to figure things out--actually, she never did. Even when she was told "the truth" near the end, she didn't want to believe it.
I had more issues with this story, including its extreme anti-British sermonizing. If she'd allowed her heroine to have more love for England, she would have actually had a conflict worth reading. As i...more
I had more issues with this story, including its extreme anti-British sermonizing. If she'd allowed her heroine to have more love for England, she would have actually had a conflict worth reading. As i...more
I adore Carla Kelly and thought that I'd read all her books until I stumbled upon this one. I couldn't believe my luck. I glanced at the blurb, but honestly? It didn't matter; its a Carla Kelly after all.
Before I get to my summary of the story and my thoughts, I just have to toss out there something that occurred to me as I read the book. For some odd reason, the title has nothing to do with the story and the blurb, very little. I put that out there for you to know in case that makes a differen...more
Before I get to my summary of the story and my thoughts, I just have to toss out there something that occurred to me as I read the book. For some odd reason, the title has nothing to do with the story and the blurb, very little. I put that out there for you to know in case that makes a differen...more
What I liked: captivating writing and immensely likeable characters. No lords, ladies or surprise heirs here - the hero is a former indentured servant,now a common sailor, and the heroine is a bakery worker (although her father was at one time a Baronet). I also liked that the romance was slow to progress. Normally that might bore me but in this case it worked. The progression from tentative friends to lovers is sweet and satisfying.
What I didn't like was the cover - the characters look NOTHING...more
What I didn't like was the cover - the characters look NOTHING...more
A book to read on the 4th of July. A book about why Americans are different from their English cousins. All of this wrapped around (IMO) a pretty intense romance.
I did not like the ending. Even though hero and heroine got together in the end – the last couple of chapters, depicting their separation, was hard to read. Man’s inhumanity to man is sometimes hard to read about. The heroine’s reaction to it, mirrored what my reaction was.
The human spirit prevails in this book and love conquered all, i...more
I did not like the ending. Even though hero and heroine got together in the end – the last couple of chapters, depicting their separation, was hard to read. Man’s inhumanity to man is sometimes hard to read about. The heroine’s reaction to it, mirrored what my reaction was.
The human spirit prevails in this book and love conquered all, i...more
I usually adore Carla Kelly, but this was all over meh. (Also, the cover copy has very little to do with the plot.) It was kind of a confusing mess, honestly, and bizarrely anti-British for being set in England among Englishmen during the War of 1812. One character even said that a doughnut recipe turned them into radicals that favored America? I don't even think it was a joke. Gracie was a great character, but I really couldn't care much about any of them.
Forget about the title and the cover picture. This is Carla Kelly.
One of the things I like about her writing is the compassion she shows for the suffering and oppressed, in this case American prisoners of war held in Dartmoor in 1814. One of them is paroled to a woman under somewhat mysterious circumstances. The why is gradually revealed, with some surprises along the way. Perhaps not as good as The Surgeon's Lady, but still good.
One of the things I like about her writing is the compassion she shows for the suffering and oppressed, in this case American prisoners of war held in Dartmoor in 1814. One of them is paroled to a woman under somewhat mysterious circumstances. The why is gradually revealed, with some surprises along the way. Perhaps not as good as The Surgeon's Lady, but still good.
This was an unusual Harlequin, and for that it gets a nice, high rating. I liked the idea behind the story, and I liked the time period depicted as I don't think that I have read another one like it. Now, I have read so many historical/regency novels lately that I think I'm becoming obsessed, but this one is truly worth a look if that's your kind of thing. The love story is believable, and the passion worth the wait. Four stars!
Grace used to be a lady, but has fallen on hard times. She works hard in a bakery where she meets an aging gentleman and treats him with respect rather than fear. When the gentleman dies, he bequeaths money and a home to Grace…but only if she ransoms his POW illegitmate child whom she must nurse back to health.
Marriage of Mercy wasn’t my favorite of Carla Kelly's books, but it certainly taught some interesting history.
Marriage of Mercy wasn’t my favorite of Carla Kelly's books, but it certainly taught some interesting history.
A very entertaining read. From the change in circumstances for the heroine to the poor hero and everyone in-between. The amount of crossing and double-crossing not to mention all of the behind the scenes events was truly amazing. I think my favorite piece of this book is how everyone in the village came to like and support the hero. Not overnight but bit by bit.
Any Carla Kelly is worth reading and this sheds light on an historical episode I knew nothing about. But these characters didn't capture me the way so many of hers did, and there are certain phrases she needs to stop using ("you are a rascal").
Also, I really doubt that bakeries set their breads out where they could be handled in the early 1800s...
Also, I really doubt that bakeries set their breads out where they could be handled in the early 1800s...
Apr 29, 2013
Brook
added it
okay, so i was at the beach:). another carla kelly. i really loved this one--up until half way through. then i had to skip a few scenes... i'm guessing it must depend on which publisher that carla is writing for and how much content there is. again, i loved being introduced to a new angle of historical fiction.
I enjoyed reading this book. There were a few odd twists, and these provided intrigue and a little suspense throughout the story. The ending was somewhat of a surprise - although many readers would have surmised the possibility of the ending! I usually don't see beyond much of the story line! I am not good at figuring out intrigue. Good story.
Aaahhhh! After reading Borrowed Light I was expecting a lot from this author. I didn't realize this was a Harlequin Romance Novel--not a cheesy-Christian-romance novel that is clean. I'll be very careful in the future with this author. What a disappointment.
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars. Although she had sold some of her work before, it was not until Carla began work in the National P...more
More about Carla Kelly...
Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars. Although she had sold some of her work before, it was not until Carla began work in the National P...more
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