Rachel Brimble

From the moment the heroine winks at the hero I should have known this wasnt going to be enjoyable for me-and I was right. I guess I was firmly convinced of it when the hero takes one look at her and falls in lust.

The writing just didnt do anything for me but as I read on something else started bothering me even more. For example when the heroines (evil)fiancee buys her an emerald necklace and then goes on berating her for not being up to his standards I started to be reminded strongly of a certain movie.

When she heard the faint click of the necklace locking into place, Emily closed her eyes. A ball being fitted to a chain. Nicholas’s fingers lingered for an unnecessarily long time at her nape and nausea swirled inside her. "There. Now you belong to me." His breath whispered hot against her ear.

So a historical romance where the heroine is a spirited young woman trapped in an engagement to a bad bad man who buys her a necklace,but she is falling for another man who is lower class.

And the necklace is called The Heart of Kingston.Sound familiar?

"I will never be yours mentally, emotionally, or physically." Pride swelled in her chest. "Will Samson took it all."

He stared for a long moment, revulsion contorting his face until his mouth curved into a slow grin. His eyes gleamed. "Oh, Emily. I am not a fool. I know you are a slut and I know Mr. Samson has had you."

Titanic

Cal:Where are you going? To him? Is that it? To be a whore to that gutter rat?

Rose:I'd rather be his whore than your wife

But in Titanic we have the mother to act as an incentive to the marriage in this...well

Even her own father indicates its fine with him if she breaks the engagement.He loves his daughter too much to subject her to the hell a marriage with this guy would be. But no shes forges on determined to get her hands on the money no matter if she has to marry a domineering violent man. Its for her children (daughters) so they can have a better life

Ok...umm you do know your children would also be HIS childen? So you are willfully wanting to marry a violent man and exposing children to him.

Have you no regard for decorum?"

He smiled. "Decorum?"

Not so long ago you were winking at him while suggestively biting your lip! Now you care about decorum?!

This book supposedly takes place in 1890s but there is nothing about the characters behavior that makes me believe in them as actually living in that time.I also felt no connection with or between these two characters or what their appeal for each other was. I guess they just found each other hot?

Its fine to be inspired by something and take it to put a twist on a story but this was just a forgettable story. .At least it was free.
… (altro)

Pennington's, the finest department store in Bath, and getting a reputation that's spreading through Britain, is still going strong. Changes are coming to the lives of some of the staff, though. Esther Culford is on maternity leave, about to give birth to her first child. Amelia Wakefield is stepping up to act as the window designer rather than the window designer's assistant, and Ruby Taylor is acting as her assistant.

But the RMS Titanic is about to set sail for New York, and Elizabeth Pennington has a plan. She's sending Mr. Weir, the head of the men's department, and Amelia Wakefield, to New York City, to check out the department stores of America's greatest city for ideas and inspiration. It's an exciting adventure for Amelia, a sign Miss Pennington and Mr. Carter have growing confidence in her, and a chance to continue to better herself.

Ruby is also getting a chance to prove herself, taking a responsibility for Pennington's windows she hadn't imagined yet.

Meanwhile, hardworking seaman Samuel Murphy has signed on to the Titanic with his own dreams of possibly staying in America, escaping a life completely bounded by his widowed mother and two sisters, whom he has been completely responsible for since his father died suddenly in a dockside accident. They are demanding and dependent, and his mother won't hear of either of the sisters getting a job. She's absolutely insistent that it's his job to support them and he has no business wanting a family of his own. He's seriously considering not returning, and just sending them regular money from America.

But Samuel is haunted by guilt at his desire not to do what he feels his father would expect. Amelia has a secret that has haunted her with guilt and fear for years. And Ruby has an abusive mother, a younger brother who needs her protection, and feelings for a Pennington's coworker, the widowed Victoria Lark, that she's been taught all her life are wrong and shameful.

Can any of these three ambitious young people who have so much ability and drive overcome the ghosts that haunt them?

Ruby discovers that her new opportunity at Pennington's comes with a nasty, envious gossip determined to wreck everything for her.

Amelia is enjoying the trip on the Titanic, even with Mr. Weir being, with best intentions, a little over-protective. She and Samuel meet when he's assigned to spend part of every shift being friendly and helpful to the second class passengers, and with his help she learns a lot about not just the second class, but also the first and third class, passengers' tastes and choices in all the things that Pennington's might sell them. And they are attracted to each other.

But this is the Titanic, and the reader can't avoid knowing that they have a major challenge to their survival heading for them.

And back in Bath, neither Mrs. Taylor, nor the malicious coworker, want anything good for Ruby.

They all face major obstacles, both from others and from themselves, to achieving their dreams.

As always, the characters are very well drawn, and Brimble very sensitively portrays both the reality of class differences, and the essential equality that Miss Pennington and Mr. Carter believe in and embrace, and which is starting to assert itself in the first part of the 20th century.

I've been really enjoying these stories and the characters we meet.

Recommended.

I received an electronic galley of this book from the publisher, and am reviewing it voluntarily.… (altro)

A Shop Girl at Sea by Rachel Brimble has Amelia Wakefield traveling to America aboard the luxurious Titanic for Pennington’s. Elizabeth Pennington has charged Amelia with studying the department stores in New York and bringing back the information to help Pennington’s. Samuel Murphy longs for freedom and adventure, but he is responsible for his mother and two sisters. He is hoping that this trip will be his chance to break free. He does not count of meeting the lovely Amelia. Ruby Taylor holds herself aloof from her co-workers. She is afraid of letting people get close to her because of her family situation. Ruby needs to keep her brother safe. Victoria Lark, a co-worker, learns of the problem and offers them a sanctuary. Ruby is grateful for the opportunity, but she does not like the gossip that is circulating around the store. Her secret could be exposed, and Ruby’s life forever changed. A Shop Girl at Sea is the 4th novel in the Pennington’s series. It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading this charming series in order. While each book features different characters, the characters from the previous books appear (so she can see how they are doing). I thought the book was well-written that moved along at a steady pace. The story contains strong, flawed characters that are realistic. This is more than a historical love story. It is about people overcoming their pasts, embracing their potential and moving forward with their lives. Amelia suffered a terrible tragedy at the hands of her employer, Samuel has been responsible for his mother and two sisters since he was nineteen years old (and the sisters are pieces of work), and Ruby has an alcoholic mother who is abusive (violent). These individuals are given a chance to change their lives. They just need the courage to make the leap. I like how the author handled the Titanic tragedy. She managed to mix the truth with her fiction beautifully. I always love reading about Pennington’s and the wonderful merchandise they carry. It was a delight to “see” R. H. Macy & Co. (as it was called then) through Amelia’s eyes. There are wonderful historical details that capture the time period. A Shop Girl at Sea is an appealing historical novel with a terrible tragedy, fabulous fashions, wonderful widows, and joyful journeys.… (altro)