Stella Riley

Another lovely, lovely story by this wonderful writer

At the risk of sounding a bit too ‘fan girl’, I believe that, in Cadenza, Ms Riley demonstrates once again the skills that make her, for me at least, the best writer of historical romantic fiction. Her mastery of setting, plot, dialogue and characterisation are again laid before us in a beautifully intricate composition rivalling any of those played or devised by Julian Langham, the hero of this story.

As with the previous five books in show more the Rockliffe series, it is a joy to slip into the Georgian world with its silks and taffeta, fans and snuffboxes and assemblies and balls. Ms Riley is as adept at depicting a run down manor house with all its problems as she is at bringing to life the more austere atmosphere of a ducal mansion. It is also a joy to meet again characters from these previous novels and delight in their ongoing marital happiness.

Like Hazard, the previous book in the series, Cadenza concerns two parallel love stories. I love the contrast between the two. Where one is warm, vital and passionately heartfelt (if not openly admitted), the other is measured and reserved with only brief glimpses at the passion held under strict control - until the denouement of course. Another reviewer mentioned the identity swap being a bit far fetched but this is a work of fiction and we are supposed to suspend our disbelief. I was more than happy to do so because it is the cause of the jeopardy in the story and enabled the author to show her plotting skills and allow the Duke of Rockliffe to pull all the strings with such finesse.

However, it is in the characterisation and dialogue where Ms Riley truly excels. I challenge anyone to read this story and not all in love with Julian Langham. He is gorgeous in every way. Arabella is a triumph too. If you have not read Ms Riley’s Roundhead and Cavalier novels, I would urge you to do so, especially Garland of Straw where Arabella’s great, great,great grandparents fell in love. Shades of Gabriel and Venetia are mingled to perfection in Arabella. As for the other couple, I love how the author has redeemed a character who in Hazard had come across as hugely unlikeable. By a masterful unveiling of his past and through the perceptive understanding of Elizabeth, the author shows how Ralph was more ‘sinned against’ than ‘sinning’ and how he might well be worthy of love. After all, we all love a tall, dark, handsome and intellectual hero - or is it just me?

Engaging dialogue helps bring these characters to life. Sometimes it is sparkling banter and at other times it is more considered and demonstrates their intelligence as they try to learn the attitudes and motivations of their prospective partners. I also love their internal monologues that let us understand them more deeply.

I should also mention the sundry other characters who contribute to such a rounded, enjoyable story. The three children are so real. I just want to hug them all, especially Tom.As for Max Brandon, doesn’t he deserve his own story? I would have loved to have him as my older brother. Even Mrs Phelps with her inedible cooking is portrayed with sensitivity as well as humour.

Ms Riley writes with such warmth, wit, perception and empathy that her characters leap off the pages and into our hearts. Cadenza is a truly satisfying and joyful read. Bravissima, Ms Riley. show less

In this second entry in her Roundheads and Cavaliers series, set during the English Civil Wars, author Stella Riley turns to the story of Venetia Clifford, a minor character in the first book, The Black Madonna. Opening in 1647, in the Interbellum period between the First English Civil War (1642-46) and the Second (1648-49), the book centers upon the marriage of Venetia to Roundhead Colonel Gabriel Brandon, the illegitimate half-brother of her long-time fiancé, Ellis Brandon. Repugnant to show more both parties, the marriage comes about through the complicated will left by Col. Brandon's father, and Venetia consents only in order to save her own family's estate, and secure her mother and sisters' welfare. Gabriel, for his part, is motivated by a sense of duty. As their tense marriage develops, Gabriel and Venetia are caught up in the historical events around them, as the brief second civil war breaks out, and then the king himself is brought to trial. Ellis surfaces, proving through his many selfish and cruel actions that he isn't the man Venetia thought him, and the newly wedded couple must also contend with a shadowy figure intent on assassinating Gabriel...

Originally published in 1993, and then revised and updated in 2013, Garland of Straw is a book that I expected to enjoy every bit as much as its predecessor, and with one notable exception, it did not disappoint. Stella Riley does an excellent job capturing the complicated drama of her historical setting - the heartbreak of a country at war with itself, of families with members on both sides, of individuals who believe in their own cause, only to become all-too-aware that it has gone awry. The history was fascinating, and I came away, much as I did with the first book, with the thought that I should read more non-fiction about the English Civil Wars in general, and about that amazing thinker John Lilburne (Free-Born John) in particular. The best historical fiction makes the reader more aware of and interested in history, and Riley has certainly done that here! It was also a pleasure to meet characters from the author's previous books, from Eden Maxwell and his family - we even get some scenes with Kate and Luciano, back in England for Tabitha's wedding! - to Justin and Abigail, from A Splendid Defiance.

Unfortunately, despite all of these undoubted virtues, and despite the fact that I enjoyed the story overall, I was completely put off by the handling of the rape scene in the story. I began the story disliking Venetia for her snobbery toward Gabriel, and for her failure to act in a way she herself would define as honorable, by informing him of her previous liaisons with Ellis. Then, midway through the book, when Gabriel gets the wrong idea, and forces her to have sex, very much against her will, my dislike swung the other way. It's not that this development felt unnatural, in the context of the story, and given the social mores of the day surrounding sexuality and marriage (the man's 'right' to his wife's body), but the scene was written in such a way that it is incontrovertibly non-consensual, and deeply hurtful, if not physically, then spiritually. So it is that when Venetia realizes she loves Gabriel, and therefore concludes that it was not rape, and that he has nothing to apologize for, I was aghast. I can accept such a change (or development) of feeling, and I can accept forgiveness (on both sides), but the willful denial of reality just left me appalled, and the lack of honest resolution, or some kind of real expiation on Gabriel's part, deeply unsatisfied. I couldn't read any of the subsequent sex scenes without cringing, even though they were all consensual.

I wouldn't necessarily say that this one element ruined the story for me. I did enjoy reading it, and plan to continue with the series, in order to find out what happens to the various characters. But it certainly made the romantic aspects of the tale far less romantic for me! Recommended, with caveat, to readers who enjoyed The Black Madonna. show less

Audiobook Review

I was eager to continue reading this series. Or perhaps I should say, listening. It is as amazing as book two and perhaps a little more so, since we are introduced to Francis Adrian Sinclair Devereux, a man who impersonates so many characters he has lost sight of who he is – and then suddenly finds he must play another part, the new Earl of Sarre.

We meet Bertrand, a three-dimensional, well-developed secondary character whose presence in the story adds depth and show more understanding to the man Adrian is. Riley paints a rich palette of society with enticing supporting characters. Her characters depict people in different walks of life, of various social standing and morals. They, in themselves, are a pleasure to experience.

A decade away from home, Adrian is now obliged to return. A distasteful event because he rather keep it buried -- too much hurt with a scandal, death of the woman he loved, and parental rejection. He enjoyed becoming his own man in France, and was able to forget the pain of the past. Two talents saved him from poverty – acting and counting cards and both he excels at.

His brother, heir to the Earldom dies in an accident. If Adrian values his heritage he must return. He is the new Earl, but the scandal is not forgotten. His once-best-friend Marcus Sheringham keeps it alive for his own purposes.

Caroline Maitland knows she’s not particularly pretty, and knows well her suitors are those who are after her wealth left to her by her grandfather. She has no title. Her mother and half-sisters are village bred with fine values, but their manners and manner of speech, do not fit into Polite Society. Caroline's grandfather made sure she had the best education. Unfortunately, Caroline sells herself short and is ready to have Marcus court her. He’s polite above all else, but she feels he’s somehow not genuine in his character, nor do his pretty words ring true. Her family needs taking care of, her half-sisters need to be introduced to society. She loves them and thinks this is the best she can do.

Marcus Sheringham is on Adrian’s hit list. He will bring him down. Marcus is already well on his way, so it takes little effort on Adrian’s part to bring him to financial ruin. But if he marries Caroline Maitland he may be able to regain his balance. Watch out for Marcus!

I am particularly fond of Adrian’s role when he impersonates, Duvall, a French highwayman. He captures Caroline’s heart and I believe her elder companion, Lady Brassington thought him quite romantic, even though he stole her pearls. He certainly had my heart beating a bit faster.

Wyndham is superb with Duvall's voice and accent as he is with the other men Adrian impersonates.

It’s interesting how Adrian becomes the characters he plays. He is able to lose himself within the roles. In particular, he enjoys Duvall who is complete opposite to his present role of Earl of Sarre.

The Earl of Sarre is a cumbersome role for Adrian. He is rather stoic and unemotional. When both Duvall and Adrian (both the same man remember) show interest in Caroline, her heart picks Duvall. When Sarre’s becomes interested in Caroline for himself, how can he turn her attention to him and drop the highwayman without exposing his secret and suffering her wrath? Would she be able to forgive him? It is all rather complicated and deliciously funny!

Wyndham is a marvelous talent. He shadows and perfectly executes Riley's words, the characters become real, breathing people. When the moment demands it, his pacing quickens, lending edginess to the story. I admire his talent and thrill to the listen. His tone and inflection in dialog are perfectly voiced, and all his characters’s voices are unique and easily recognized.

I hope you jump on the band wagon and begin reading this series. I highly recommend it. show less

Reading this wonderfully engaging work of historical fiction, set during the English Civil War, I kept thinking of William Shakespeare Burton's painting, 'The Wounded Cavalier,' in which a Puritan girl comforts a wounded Royalist, while her disapproving Puritan companion (a brother, perhaps?) looks on. Set in Banbury, in Oxfordshire, Stella Riley's tale concerns the two sieges of Banbury Castle, held by Royalist forces against the Parliamentarians, and a star-crossed romance between Cavalier show more Justin Ambrose and Puritan Abigail Radford. Haunted by the events of his past, and his exile from his family and home, Justin hides his wounds behind a witty exterior, devoting himself to soldiering and to seducing women. The sister of a fanatical Puritan brother - the horrible Jonas Radford - Abigail lives a life deprived of light and laughter. As the events of the war unfold around them, these two souls grow closer, but confront a world where everything seems designed to keep them apart...

A Splendid Defiance is the fourth novel I have read from Stella Riley, following upon the romances A Parfit Knight, The Mésalliance and Lucifer's Champion, and it is by far the best of the lot. It is a romance, but it is more than that. The reader feels entirely caught up in the story, and transported to another time. The main characters are sympathetically drawn, and involve the reader in their struggles, while the secondary cast, whether heroic or villainous, is interesting as well. The historical setting and events are compelling, and the author captures the stupidity and tragedy of civil war. I'm always interested, when reading a story set during the English Civil War, to see how the Puritans are depicted, as so many authors, perhaps influenced by a natural repugnance for religious zealotry, perhaps by the fact that the other side won, tend to cast them as the more villainous side of the conflict, ignoring the repressive nature of monarchy, and of the established church. There was a little bit of that here, but on the whole I thought that Riley did a good job showing that not everyone on the Parliamentarian side of the war was a religious fanatic. Jonas and Samuel Radford, both Puritans, present quite a contrast in that respect.

All in all, an engaging and entertaining work, one that had me staying up far later than I should have, to finish reading it. I will definitely seek out more of Riley's work, and recommend this one to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and/or historical romance. show less