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Sterling Redmond
Set in Gilded Age America, a young woman must choose between circumstance and destiny. Orphaned as small children, Sterling Redmond and her older sister Charlotte are raised by their grandfather at the family’s Maryland country estate of Northampton. Charlotte blossoms into a famed Baltimore beauty, but Sterling is more interested in books and horseback riding than feminine pursuits. Concerned that her niece will never find a suitable husband among the local Baltimore gentry, Madame De Chant whisks Sterling away to Belle Époque Paris in search of a gentleman who can understand her. In their absence, Nicholas Pembroke, the son of an English earl, takes up residence in the manor bordering Northampton. When Sterling and her aunt return to America for Charlotte’s wedding, Sterling finds that her perfect husband is living right next door. But there is a problem: he is already engaged to marry Charlotte.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 2011
6 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Kim Nathan
2 books7 followersKim Nathan is a life coach and author of historical and contemporary romance fiction. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, she relocated to Seattle, Washington in 1994, where she lives with her husband and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 23, 2012
Terrific book, I don't want it to end ....Please Kim, take them to America and write a sequel
January 25, 2014
This is a hard one for me to review. The plot was terribly engaging. I read like crazy just to see how it would turn out. And the author's prose style is pleasant. Nice sentence structure, good flow. But... this was one of the most thorough examples I've ever read of telling, not showing. There were pages and pages of exposition. Everything happened in someone's head, or it was told to us by this third person narrative voice. The actual interactions and scenes of dialogue were so sparse that sometimes it was jarring to stumble on one.
I kept reading because the story being told was good, but I can't help but wonder how much better this book could have been if it had been written in such a way that the reader was viscerally drawn into the moments instead of being told how it happened. Instead of getting in the characters' heads and making us feel in our gut the way the characters felt, we're told how they felt, which is distancing and diminishes the story's impact.
I kept reading because the story being told was good, but I can't help but wonder how much better this book could have been if it had been written in such a way that the reader was viscerally drawn into the moments instead of being told how it happened. Instead of getting in the characters' heads and making us feel in our gut the way the characters felt, we're told how they felt, which is distancing and diminishes the story's impact.
February 22, 2012
I got this as a freebie on kindle and it was an amazing quick read you feel drawn in.Sterling, is a likable character, who has gone through so much at a young age. All the way through I found myself rooting for and hoping she would get her happy ending.
December 12, 2012
This is a perfect example of why you should not rate a book after the first fifty pages. I will be honest with you. When I began reading this, I figured I would give it a 3-star rating. After all, it was a typical historical romance and probably had a lot of sappiness about it. Boy, was I wrong!
As I read on, I discovered that nothing could be further from the truth. This book had an interesting twist--that you will have to read about. Maybe it deserved four stars. The characters were well-developed, and I just had to know if the characters received their happy endings.
Today as I finished the book, I was mesmerized! The book deserves every ounce of the five stars. The twists and turns are too numerous to list--and they would be considered spoilers. Just know that this is not your typical historical romance. This story has meat and discusses issues that I am certain were around during this time period but were often hushed up. Scandals were not broadcast back then like they are today.
There are a few instances of profanity, and while not necessary, I could overlook that. I was glad that there were no major sexual details nor descriptive bedroom scenes. At first, I did not like that Sterling occasionally interrupted the story to give her own thoughts, but then I found myself enjoying this literary technique.
My favorite element of this book was that it showed that immorality is not rewarded without consequences. What I mean by that statement is this. In some books, they like to put forth the idea that true love will overcome everything, and the means to get there are no big deal. Do whatever you have to do for you to achieve happiness, and you will. Sleep around, lie, cheat, steal, and kill. Everything will be forgiven, and there will be no lasting ramifications. This is not true. The ends do not necessarily justify the means. This story points out that even if a "happy ending" is imminent, you will still bear the scars of your bad choices, and sometimes the scars of others' bad choices.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
As I read on, I discovered that nothing could be further from the truth. This book had an interesting twist--that you will have to read about. Maybe it deserved four stars. The characters were well-developed, and I just had to know if the characters received their happy endings.
Today as I finished the book, I was mesmerized! The book deserves every ounce of the five stars. The twists and turns are too numerous to list--and they would be considered spoilers. Just know that this is not your typical historical romance. This story has meat and discusses issues that I am certain were around during this time period but were often hushed up. Scandals were not broadcast back then like they are today.
There are a few instances of profanity, and while not necessary, I could overlook that. I was glad that there were no major sexual details nor descriptive bedroom scenes. At first, I did not like that Sterling occasionally interrupted the story to give her own thoughts, but then I found myself enjoying this literary technique.
My favorite element of this book was that it showed that immorality is not rewarded without consequences. What I mean by that statement is this. In some books, they like to put forth the idea that true love will overcome everything, and the means to get there are no big deal. Do whatever you have to do for you to achieve happiness, and you will. Sleep around, lie, cheat, steal, and kill. Everything will be forgiven, and there will be no lasting ramifications. This is not true. The ends do not necessarily justify the means. This story points out that even if a "happy ending" is imminent, you will still bear the scars of your bad choices, and sometimes the scars of others' bad choices.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
April 2, 2012
I'd like to rate this 2.5 stars but can't. It was a very interesting story with very compelling characters however, it's very tragic. First off, there is a violent character who reappears occassionally in the story and he's very disturbing to read about. The story centers around the title character and the members of her family. The problem with this book is, nobody marries who they love and back in 1889, affairs were considered a normal part of life, acceptable as long as you were discreet. I don't mind hearing from the hero's point of view occassionally as in most romance novels but it's odd to occassionally, for just a few pages or part of a chapter, to get into the head of passing characters like the Doctor, the mistress, the doctor's sister, etc. The trouble was, although you were in the heroine's mind most of the time, and then her lover's usually otherwise, occassionally being in the head of (story from their point of view) of literally anyone else, main character, side character, or someone just passing through is just very strange. And there is no warning so you don't know when it changes and sometimes it takes awhile to know whose thoughts you're hearing, and it may change in the next paragraph with no warning. Confusing the reader is never a good idea. The tragic tales of everyone's love lives, with everyone falling in love but all marrying the wrong person gets old quick. And alot of tragedy befalls this family. Historical romantic fiction taking place mostly in Maryland in 1889, but a wee bit in England and in Paris.
Read on my ipod as a free kindle download.
Read on my ipod as a free kindle download.
October 28, 2012
Dancing about in an era with a storyline that reminds one of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, the author has created a compelling story, complete with the fanciful society setting of the time. It was a quick read despite the length, and the characters of Sterling and her sister are reasonably well-developed, with Sterling being far more flushed out and complete.
The one complaint I do have with this story was the ever-variant point of view. While we have the majority of the story told in Sterling’s point of view, there are passing inputs and perspectives from other characters that are not clearly defined, often requiring me to go back once I have realized the voice had changed. It was the one strong mark against the book in my count, although there were a significant number of deaths, which did mute the tone somewhat.
It was, however, a fun read and as her first published book, certainly one that should encourage readers to follow this author’s career.
I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review for IOB Tours. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.
The one complaint I do have with this story was the ever-variant point of view. While we have the majority of the story told in Sterling’s point of view, there are passing inputs and perspectives from other characters that are not clearly defined, often requiring me to go back once I have realized the voice had changed. It was the one strong mark against the book in my count, although there were a significant number of deaths, which did mute the tone somewhat.
It was, however, a fun read and as her first published book, certainly one that should encourage readers to follow this author’s career.
I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review for IOB Tours. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.
April 5, 2012
I got this as a free Amazon Prime lend because even though it had mixed reviews the blurb about it sounded like something I would enjoy, and well, it was free.
Oh man, I loved this book.
Sure a lot of what people complained about was true. No one in it ends up married to the person they love. There is a lot of adultery going on. And yeah - it's not exactly a happy book.
BUT -
Watching and waiting for how Sterling and Nicholas will end up together, because you know they just have to, kept me going. Plus the way that nothing stopped them from loving each other, not even them trying not to, was just so heartbreaking and romantic. It was like a Victorian romance brought slightly up to date.
To top it off, this book was a super fast read. Once I got into the book I just couldn't put it down.
Oh man, I loved this book.
Sure a lot of what people complained about was true. No one in it ends up married to the person they love. There is a lot of adultery going on. And yeah - it's not exactly a happy book.
BUT -
Watching and waiting for how Sterling and Nicholas will end up together, because you know they just have to, kept me going. Plus the way that nothing stopped them from loving each other, not even them trying not to, was just so heartbreaking and romantic. It was like a Victorian romance brought slightly up to date.
To top it off, this book was a super fast read. Once I got into the book I just couldn't put it down.
December 29, 2013
Kim Nathan’s work is encouraging with this novel, especially for those fans of the genre and era. In particular, the heroine is likeable, believable, and the reader will cheer for her. Heartache and missed opportunity abound, but what good period piece is complete without those elements? Those characters worthy of a reader’s admiration are well thought out and portrayed, while the villains equally sicken us along with the other players. It seems a long and painful road to the end, but the result is well worth the journey.
November 27, 2012
Kim pens "Sterling Redmond" a historical romance with fascinating characters that are well developed. A fantastic love story that hooked me in and kept me turning the pages from the start. One of those rare stories that you just don't want to end! Highly recommended to all romance fans.
This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review.
This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review.
November 26, 2013
This story is painful. Lots of love, lots of heart break and heaps and heaps of pain. This story is also filled with flashbacks and can be overly descriptive at times. It is still a very good story and worth a read.
December 4, 2013
A lot of melodrama but enjoyable romance between the two main characters. Some events seemed contrived.
May 20, 2014
Excellent read! Not usually my favorite historical period or place, but the characters were so compelling.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews