When I want a quick, fun read, I like to pick up one of Marion Chesney/M.C. Beaton's Regency Romances. I can usually blow through one of these in a couple of nights and find them quite entertaining. I thought the Daughters of Mannerling series looked interesting, so I downloaded this first book and was instantly drawn into the story of proud, beautiful Isabella Beverley whose family loses everything when her profligate father gambles away the family fortune and home. This is a terrible blow to Isabella and her sisters who have lived lives of luxury and excess up until this point. Not only do they have to downsize to a small country cottage, but they lose their social standing in the community.Isabella becomes obsessed with getting back the family home, which means a great deal to her. So much in fact that she's willing to encourage the attentions of the new owner of Mannerling, the odious Mr. Judd. I really can't say enough bad things about Mr. Judd. He is so repulsive in manner and looks that my skin crawled every time he appeared on the page! In contrast, Isabella's other suitor, Lord Fitzpatrick, whom she meets at the beginning of the story, but quickly disregards as anything more than a friend because he's (GASP) Irish, is a total dreamboat. I enjoyed seeing the development of Isabella's relationship with Fitzpatrick (He proves himself to be a true friend over and over again.) and I liked that despite his feelings for her, Fitzpatrick was not a pushover.There was a good character arc for Isabella in this book, and it was nice to see her adapt to her straitened circumstances and become a better person through her trials. On the other hand, her sisters and parents just seemed to get more awful as the story progressed, so I had to knock off a star from my rating because of that. I just found it hard to believe that all of Isabella's sisters were so desperate to regain their wealth that they were pushing Isabella to marry a man who was clearly a horrible human being. And the youngest of the daughters did something toward the end of the book that I think was supposed to paint her in a tragic/sympathetic light, but it just made me think she was off her rocker!I believe that the rest of the books in this series will each focus on a different sister, so I will continue to read to see if Beaton is able to redeem any of the other Beverleys.
At 151 pages, I would classify this as a novella, personally. It literally took me about two hours to read it, tops.Isabella is the oldest of 6 daughters in the Beverley family, a family of spoiled, vain, arrogant, entitled, pompous and scheming aristocrats with very little redeeming qualities whatsoever. When the patriarch, Sir William Beverley, gambles away their estate (Mannerling), the entire family embarks on a variety of schemes to regain their property. Chief among these schemes is that the oldest daughter, Isabella (whose Season failed dismally due to her terrible attitude and boring obsession with her house) capture the heart and ring finger of the house's winner, Mr. Judd. In the meantime, Isabella will have to decide between Mannerling - and Mr. Judd - and love with Lord Fitzpatrick.Not a new plot, by any means, and when I say Isabella and her family are horrible, I mean they are AWFUL. An entire family of twits and jerks. Isabella grows up, but unfortunately never grows enough of a backbone to really speak out about her feelings to the very end. (Not that that changes anything.) The paranormal aspects - e.g., Mannerling has some kind of hold over people and makes them act weird - just made me roll my eyes. This story was complete fluff and only earned two stars because (a) I liked the fact that Lord Fitzpatrick was Irish (a little unusual) and (b) Isabella did show some growth... I suppose. I see that many commenters say that these books all have the same plot with different characters... yikes. I will skip the rest of this series, in that case, and spend my time on the towering TBR pile I already have.
What do You think about The Banishment (1996)?
First I'll finish happier Travelling Matchmaker Hannah Pym series https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... Re-read for sake of completion, not enjoyment. UK is still incomparable to Canada with sense of belonging for generations in a single place. Perhaps plot loses impact because I've never known anyone suffering as Beverleys do. Favorites are Poor Relations https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and Edwardian Mysteries https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..., even contemporary Agatha Raisins https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and Hamish Macbeths https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..., published as M.C. Beaton alias. Not as individual or focussed on social issues as other series. Not as funny -- quips or people. Romance limited to kisses. More black vs white, bad vs good. Hero, not even given first name, does play practical joke (view spoiler)[, poses as ghost in tower, (hide spoiler)]
—An Odd1
Banishment – Daughters of Mannerling – is the first of a series of Regency romances about six sisters, each of them is determined to regain their ancestral home, which their father gambled away along with the rest of their fortune.The heroine of Banishment is the eldest daughter, the beautiful Isabella, who is chosen to marry the new owner of Mannerling, Mr Judd a rouguish bachelor. “Tempting her away from Mr Judd is Lord Fitzpatrick, an Irish rake who fears Isabella can never love a man as much she does the estate – but is nonetheless determined to convince her to choose a man over manse!”An apt quotation at the beginning of the novel is: “And behold there was a very stately palace in front of him, the name of which was Beautiful.” John Bunyan.The first paragraph sets the scene. “Everyone who had ever visited Mannerling, home of the Beverley family, declared it to be the most beautiful house in England. It was ornamented by the six daughters of the house, all accounted diamonds of the first water.”Isabella has returned unwed from her London Season, “much to her parents’ and sisters bewilderment.” Unfortunately, Isabella has been brought up to believe no one was good enough for her, an attitude which even discouraged suitors who would have liked “a share in the Beverly” fortune.
—Rosemary Morris
I enjoyed this book quite a lot, although it was quite predictable. In a nutshell, the breathtakingly beautiful but haughty Isabella Beverley can't get a man. Her arrogance, you see, is a huge turn-off during her "season." She returns home only to find that the family has to leave their beloved house, Mannerling (not as rich as she thought). Will Isabella lower herself to accept the attentions of the handsome and wealthy but inferior Irish lord who has recently arrived in the neighbourhood? Or will she succeed in reclaiming Mannerling by wedding the new owner? The book is set in Regency England and aspires to be like Pride and Prejudice, but of course comes nowhere near. The writing is at times anachronistic (did she actually write "guys"??). But, as I said, I still enjoyed it. It was a light, breezy, quick read. I think the writing in M.C. Beaton's other books (e.g., Hamish Macbeth) is a bit stronger. But, I would consider reading the other books in this series--probably from the library.
—Holly
