An engaging tale of a proper Boston young miss who becomes transformed while on a sea journey to find herself. I found this approach to the historical romance genre refreshing. However, I would caution against letting impressionable young ladies reading this.

While the sensuality falls short of page after page of explicit details, there is enough to give one pause. First is the fact that our heroine becomes 'one of the guys' aboard ship after she is hired as translator. One would need to be pretty naive to believe that a band of rough and tumble sailors along with their captain could work side by side with a young woman and not make any advances (or pounces).

When Isadora finally finds the courage to explore her own attraction to Captain Ryan it is under the influence of smoking hemp. Again, not the way a young woman would want to have her first sexual encounter.

The remainder of the story, however, is a quick read and is sure to please the reader who likes stories of the high seas. Captain Ryan's redeeming qualities lie in his efforts to free the slave family of his journeyman, his devotion to his mother, and ultimately his love for Isadora. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. I reminds me of an old Bette Davis movie classic - young unattractive woman blossoms while out from under her family's thumb (including the time in South America!). I enjoyed the character development. I hated the ending. It seemed like the deadline loomed for finishing the book and I found the ending to be silly, implausible, etc. I hate to give things away. By all means, read this book, and I hope you find the ending more satisfying than I did. (This is a romance, so our hero and heroine do find a way...) ( )

http://imaromancereader.blogspot.com/... ( )

ugly duckling. though the main guy wasn't that hot. i mean, he's a ginger and he wear garish outfits. but i love the story. ( )

This is a reissue of a 1999 release.
What a wonderful story about love and transformation Susan Wiggs has penned in “The Charm School”. It combines the lure of “Pygmalion” with the fairy tale of “The Ugly Duckling” and even throws in a dash of anti-slavery activism. And it all comes together beautifully in a story that validates hopes and dreams of love and freedom.

Isadora is the ugly duckling. In her family of slim, pale blondes, she’s a full-figured, tall brunette; and in 1850s Boston high-society she was the fish out of water. Too well-educated, unwilling to merely smile and keep silent, Dora spent her teen years folding in on herself like an old accordion. Humiliation and embarrassment finally drive her to escape the only way she can…she decides to hire herself out as a linguist on a family friend’s trading ship.

Ryan, on the other hand, is beautiful, sexy, and full of charm. He grew up the privileged son of a southern plantation owner. It wasn’t until his childhood friend, Journey, was forced to live apart from his wife and children that Ryan came face-to-face with the true ugliness of slavery. In that moment, his life changed. His purpose became to free Journey and his family, whatever the cost. Now he’s only one voyage away from his goal.

Although not a fan of American pre-Civil War novels, I did enjoy this well-written novel. Ms Wiggs’ skillfully included many sailing and historical facts that I found very interesting. She balanced the seriousness of her subjects with bouts of humor; the hero and heroine first make love while under the influence of marijuana!! I’m pretty sure I can honestly say it’s the first time I’ve seen pot used as a plot device!

The author’s writing is vivid and descriptive. I easily imagined myself caged with the heroine in Boston and learning freedom onboard the ship and exploring Rio de Janeiro. The passion between the lead characters was believable and paced realistically. While I may never become a rabid fan of novels from this era, Susan Wiggs “The Charm School” has certainly made me a fan of this author. ( )