Rexanne Becnel

I LOVED The Bridemaker! I actually read this book first of the four and it was this book that had me searching for the others of this “Maker” series.

We are introduced to “The Bridemaker” - Hester Poitevant (don’t like the name!) who earns her living by tutoring awkward young ladies of the ton to be sophisticated prize catches for the season’s marriage mart. She has quite a history of finding just the right clothes, just the right advice, just the right tutoring to make ugly show more ducklings into swans! She hides herself in plain sight as a widow, downplaying her beauty, hoping no one remembers her past.

When her latest charge, Dulcie, sets her sights on Adrian Hawke - the disreputable American merchant, Hester is forced to interact with Adrian to try to dissuade him from courting Dulcie. We actually met Adrian Hawke in The Matchmaker. He was the illegitimate son of the Neville Hawke’s deceased older brother. At the end of The Troublemaker he goes to live with Marshall and Sarah in America.

Although Hester is successful at dissuading Adrian from pursuing Dulcie, he sets his sights on un-peeling the layers that make up the facade of Hester. What results is a wonderfully endearing love story. It has all the glam and glitter of Regency England, that I love, and a swashbuckling hero that sets my heart to pounding. A must read! show less

What a delightful, poignant read this book turned out to be. It was impossible not to love both ten-year-old Anna and Miss Eva, strangers until they take a train ride together just before Christmas. Anna is incredibly mature, big-hearted and caring for such a young girl while Miss Eva is wonderful. She loves her family, traditions and Christmas. However, because she suffers from dementia and often thinks she is reliving he childhood in Nazi Germany, she is desperate to reconnect with her show more family and panics when she sees anyone in uniform. In her confusion she often becomes childlike and it is up to Anna to calm her and take care of her. Her story is heartbreaking!

The secondary characters (except for Anna's neglectful mother) are all endearing and believable, especially Nana Rose. I also had a soft spot for Tom, who unexpectedly finds himself the sole caretaker of his daughter, Anna.

"The Christmas Train" is a story about love, family and responsibility and is an inspiring read for this season fo love, peace and goodwill. show less

It's an okay book, but I struggled with Linnea. She's supposed to be the spunky twin, but she's basically abused by everyone, including her twin who she thinks she's supporting. The ending was a little too facile for me.

I must admit, the first book I read in this series is The Bridemaker. I liked it so much that I searched out the rest of the series. The Matchmaker is the first book in Rexanne Becnel’s latest series -“Maker” books. Rexanne Becnel has apparently been writing books for 14 years and has produced 19 novels. This is the first time I have read any of her books and I was impressed. Some books I read just to pass the time; other books require effort to read, with intricate plots and many show more characters. This series of books fit somewhere in the middle.

Olivia, the heroine of the story, has kept a journal of all the men that she has encountered during her three years on the marriage mart. She prides herself in arranging many matches for her friends, but has yet to meet someone who she considers even remotely suitable for herself. Olivia’s mother has been married and widowed three times. As a result Olivia has a half-brother and half-sister who have different fathers. Olivia’s less than stellar memories of her drunken rake of a father seem to color her views of the opposite sex.

Lord Neville Hawke is our tortured hero. He has lost many people in his life, from friends and fellow soldiers in the war, to his parents and his brother. He escapes the nightmares of battle memories in alcohol, insomnia and fast women. When he meets Olivia he mistakes her for a servant in the household and tries to seduce her. This sets the scene for the beginning of their difficult relationship! Neville flirts with and tries to charm Olivia, but he just succeeds in reminding Olivia of her devil-may-care father. Gradually Olivia discovers that Neville’s scoundrel facade hides a sensitive and lonely man who, of course, is waiting for the right woman to take him in hand!

Upon reading the back of this novel, one would anticipate a light and breezy story, but this is not found to be true. Neville is a tortured hero with problems that justifiably give Olivia pause, but the story ends in a “love conquers all ending”. I feel that the pacing of the story is good until the end where I feel that it is a bit rushed. Overall, a nice, pure romance with enough meat to keep your mind busy and enough believability to keep you turning the pages and looking forward to the next book in the series. show less