Lyon’s Gate

Title: Lyon’s Gate
Author: Catherine Coulter
Publishing Date: 2005
Genre: Historical
Rating: D
Sensuality: Warm

Lyon’s Gate was a big fat disappointment. It is the ninth book in the Sherbrooke Bride series. After reading The Sherbrooke Twins, I was excited for Jason’s story. Unfortunately, it was a real let down. Jason Sherbrooke has dreamed of starting his own stud farm and plans to buy Lyon’s Gate. However, when he and his brother James venture there to look at the property, they meet a rather outrageous young lady Hallie Carrick. There she is on top of a mean horse in britches and a shirt, she can barely hang on to and she wants to start her own stud farm. She plans to have Lyon’s Gate for herself and thinks she can outsmart Jason. It seems they are pretty evenly matched.

The problem I had with this book was that it was sooooooo boring. The beginning starts out really slow because the reader has to slog through numerous characters from previous books and even some that belong in an entirely different series. I happen to know this because I have read the other series. It all seemed unimportant to the story and just bored me to tears. Finally Jason and Hallie meet and even their meeting is underwhelming. Nothing really stands out.

There really isn’t anything wrong with Hallie and Jason per say, it’s just that nothing about their lives is really gripping and intriguing to the reader, at least this reader. Most of the time I was bored out of my mind and my mantra was to hurry up and finish it so I can start on another book. Plus, I was hoping something would capture my attention. I am sorry to say, that nothing really ever did.

Review - The Sherbrooke Twins

Title: The Sherbrooke Twins
Author: Catherine Coulter
Publishing Date: March 2004
Genre: Historical
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm

The Sherbrooke Twins is the eighth book of Catherine Coulter’s Sherbrooke Bride series. James and Jason Sherbrooke are the twin sons of Douglas and Alex Sherbrooke whose story was the first of this series, The Sherbrooke Bride. James and Jason are nothing alike. James is sure and steadfast and enjoys astronomy and land management. Jason doesn’t like to be tied down and is much more impulsive. Their neighbor, Corrie Tybourne-Barrett, has been following James around since she was three years old, worshiping the ground he walks on. Now she is all grown up and James has started to notice her in a different light.

This book really took me by surprise. First of all, this is the eighth book of this series and after reading the last book, I felt the series was getting a little stale. So with great reservations I picked up this book and to my delight I got more than I had bargained for. What started out as a light-hearted romping good time, ended on a much unexpected somber note. It was by no means a perfect book, as there were a few issues I had with it.

First off there is a lot taking place in this book. We have the romance between Corrie and James, which was very sweet. Not a lot of passion, but it was fun to read their interaction with each other. They were cute and funny together. Then there is a mystery when Douglas is shot at in the park. Now the family is coming together to try and stop this threat to their father. Jason meets up with a woman who catches his attention and he can’t seem to put her out of his mind.

At first, I felt like the threat to Douglas didn’t make much sense in context of the rest of the plot. It seemed unimportant and more like fodder to help move the romance along, or allow for silly conversations in drawing rooms and such. But over the last half of the story the mood took on a more serious note and the mystery started to become more important. The conclusion took me by complete surprise. The villain was unexpected and yet his motivation didn’t quite sit well with me. It’s hard for me to express because, on the one hand it made the book original, yet the villain had that whole eeeviill vibe going on. We all know how silly that can seem. I really liked that the author was able to make this book stand out in the series instead of it coming across formulaic with new characters. Plus, she has managed to peak my interest for the next book in the series.

Review - Pendragon

 

Title: Pendragon
Author: Catherine Coulter
Publishing Date: 2002
Genre: Historical
Rating: C
Sensuality: Warm

Pendragon is the seventh book in the Sherbrooke series. Meggie Sherbrooke is eighteen years old and ready to be presented to society. She travels to London to stay with her Uncle Douglas and Aunt Alex for her first season. At her first ball, she glances across the room, where her attention firmly lands on a familiar gentleman. He is her almost-cousin Jeremy Stanton-Greville, whom she had an all-consuming crush on the summer of her thirteenth year. One thing leads to another, and Meggie discovers he is betrothed to another and her young heart gets trampled on.

After the season is over, Meggie just wants to go home and lick her wounds. She has no desire to find anyone else to take Jeremy’s place or mend her broken heart. She is resigned to become an old spinster and race cats. After just leaving church with her little brother Rory, she runs into Thomas Malcolmbe, Lord Lancaster. His father had passed away six months ago and is just now seeing to his estate. He takes one look at Meggie and wants her, but she has other ideas which baffle him. He has no idea why Meggie isn’t interested. Thomas usually has no problem enticing the ladies. He is handsome, intelligent and wealthy. What’s not to love?

After a couple of months, Thomas proposes and Meggie accepts. Here is where the story takes a very bad turn. Thomas becomes a butt-head and Meggie has the most god-awful wedding night. Really, trust me, it’s bad. Meggie, the champ that she is, just picks up the pieces and continues on. If it wasn’t for Meggie’s golden personality, I would have hated this book and not finished it. Thomas was too wishy-washy in his feelings for Meggie. One minute he loves her and believes that she will be loyal to him, and the next he wants to punish her and teach her a lesson. He irritated and annoyed me most of the book. There is a mystery plot involved as well, but it does nothing for the story. It seemed contrived and very unrealistic. I really enjoy Catherine Coulter’s writing. She usually has a way of keeping me turning the pages quickly. Unfortunately, this was not one of those books. Hopefully the next one will be better.

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Review - The Scottish Bride

 

Title: The Scottish Bride
Author: Catherine Coulter
Publishing Date: 2001
Genre: Historical
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm

The Scottish Bride is the sixth book of the Sherbrooke series. This is the story of Tysen Sherbrooke, the youngest of the three brothers. He is a widowed vicar with three lovely, precocious children: Meggie (10), Max (9) and Leo (7). He recently has inherited the title, Baron Barthwick, and Kildrummy Castle in Scotland. He decides a trip to Scotland is in order to make sure everything is in fine order. When he arrives, he discovers that Meggie has secretly ridden along without his permission. That is just the first in a long line of escapades that shortly ensue. Not long after his arrival, he meets Mary Rose Fordyce. She is being pursued, quite persistently, by Erickson MacPhail, and is in need of protection.

First off, let me say that I highly recommend you read at least the first three books in the series before you read this one. The story will be much more enjoyable if you do, because all three couples from the first books make an appearance in this one. Catherine Coulter is one of my favorite authors. She just has a way of sucking me into the story with only a few pages. I find this series a lot of fun and very light hearted reading. It is pleasant to revisit with Ryder, Douglas and Sinjin time and again.

Mary Rose is the perfect woman for Tysen. He takes himself far too seriously. She is able to bring him laughter and joy changing his bleak demeanor. This story is almost farcical in its events. Many of the characters, such as his Tysen’s inherited housekeeper, Mrs. Mac Fardle and Mrs. Griffin are way over the top. Their actions are very far from being realistic and their dislike of the heroine borders on ludicrous.

Actually, much of the plot was far from being realistic. That was part of the charm of this story though. Many children play a vital role in this romance and they put on quite a performance. They say and do some of the cutest things. Again, I was thoroughly charmed. I liked this romance it was light hearted and silly. Both characters were enjoyable. I will continue on with the rest of the books in this series.