The King's Touch

The King's Touch by Jude Morgan
Review, 2002
536 pages
Historical Fiction; Charles II
DNF

Source: Library

Summary: James is the first illegitimate child of Charles II, exiled would-be king of England.

Thoughts: I've talked before about how I love Jude Morgan so that is the reason why I wanted to read this. But I could just not finish it and I believe it contributed to my reading slump.  When I decided that I would just return it to the library, I felt so much happier.  Knowing that I wouldn't have to slog through this cheered me.  I still plan to read it someday so that I can say I've read all of Jude Morgan's works but I will need to be in a different frame of mind.

Charlotte and Emily

Charlotte and Emily by Jude Morgan

Also known as "The Taste of Sorrow" in the UK

St. Martin's Press, 2009

373 pages

Historical fiction

Source: Library

Summary: A literary treatment of the lives of the Brontes with special focus on Charlotte as the longest lived.

Thoughts: This is the Bronte book I most wanted to read when I signed up for the Bronte challenge so I'm glad it finally came to the states and that my library owns it. I am not a fan of the title (there are THREE author sisters! and there was a lot of sorrow in their lives making the original title appropriate) but the title doesn't really matter.

Focusing on the plot I was so angry about treatment of Branwell versus the girls by their father; of course the boy is supposed to succeed while the girls are practically useless!! It just made me really angry how Branwell was petted and beloved while the girls were disposable. It was also devastating how Mr. Bronte outlived his wife, his sister-in-law, and all of his children.

I was most interested in the chapters which overlapped the period of Sheila Kohler's Becoming Jane Eyre (which I reviewed here) and it used the same technique of shifting perspectives in order to better understand their point of view.

Overall: 4/5. Fantastic from Morgan as always but not my favorite subject matter.

Cover: I like the covers and the font of the title.

An Accomplished Woman

An Accomplished Woman by Jude Morgan

Summary: Lydia Templeton rejected eligible bachelor Lewis Durrant ten years ago and has gone on to live a perfectly enjoyable life. When her godmother asks her to look after her ward in Bath though, Lydia begins to rethink some things.

This is a story in the vein of Jane Austen with a main character who is largely an Emma (without as much of the matchmaking) with a bit of Anne thrown in. I had read Morgan's Indiscretion which is also Austenesque and enjoyed it so when I realized he had a similar story out, I had to buy it.

Lydia is delightful and I loved her-part of my problem was I wanted more of her love story and less of her companion's. Lewis Durrant (another hero I pictured as Richard Armitage) is her Mr. Knightley/Darcy/Wentworth and perfectly wonderful in my opinion. Lydia is looking after Phoebe Rae and helping her decide between the two suitors as she thinks she is in love with both. Mr A and Mr B as Lydia thinks of them are quite different and there is a host of other characters to provide color.

Overall: 4.5/5 I loved this book but there were some parts toward the end where I was a tad bored. But I highly recommend this for any Janeites out there [Also Indiscretion]; there are many similarities to the Austen novels with characters and even one page musing on themes of persuasion and sense and sensibility but it is not just a retread as Morgan creates his own world.