Romantic Fiction, Reality Shaping and The Work

[Gwenllian]

The Stolen Mackenzie Bride goes back to the eve of the battle of Culloden, right back to Malcom Mackenzie with his brothers and father. One brother fancies himself a Jacobite for the Bonnie Prince, but not the others, at least so far....

A bit more about the battle of Culloden we can find in this thread: Kilmorgan Castle from Jennifer Ashley Books - Location in Scotland
(Joe and Niall's additions to the thread are particularly interesting.)

@seek10, while browsing on Amazon I found that the second novel entitledThe Rake's Daughter of Anne Gracie's series The Brides of Bellaire Gardens has recently been published (in case you are still updating the romance novels list).

 

[seek10]

@seek10, while browsing on Amazon I found that the second novel entitled The Rake's Daughter of Anne Gracie's series The Brides of Bellaire Gardens has recently been published (in case you are still updating the romance novels list).

Thank you for letting me know. I will update it. There are few other changes to make too.

 

[Voyageur]

A bit more about the battle of Culloden we can find in this thread: Kilmorgan Castle from Jennifer Ashley Books - Location in Scotland
(Joe and Niall's additions to the thread are particularly interesting.)

Yeah, bought the book mentioned in the thread so will hope to learn and unlearn to balance things out.

As for Ashley's Kilmorgan book (Stolen Bride), had finished it, with the story of the the brothers and their father starting 6 or 7 months before Culloden. What would happen to each brother and the father Duke, let alone the original Castle and generations to come is the story told. At the end, Ashley mentions that one could actually read this book first before starting the original series. Think so, as it sure provides background into this clan of Mackenzie's. Moreover, the next book (A Mackenzie Clan Gathering) comes back to Ian Mackenzie while staying at Kilmorgan amongst an art theft that takes place. The theft leads back to the original Kilmorgan and Mary, the new Duke's wife at that time.

Ian Mackenzie, as some know, was featured in the first book and most books thereafter sees him interacting. This book finds Ian in the position of having psychoanalytic work done to him (at a time when it was first being looked at as a method). This is interesting on its own and what comes up from the interactions.

 

[seek10]

Thank you for letting me know. I will update it. There are few other changes to make too.

I made the following changes to the Reading projects Site . Please let me know if you have any questions.

Books Reading Project

Recommended Book List

sites.google.com

BookID	Author	Series	Book #	Book Name	Comments
313	Anne Gracie	The Brides of Bellaire Gardens	2	The Rake's Daughter	Added New Book
312	Kerrigan Byrne	Victorian Rebels	7	The Earl on the Train	Added New Book
311	Mary Balogh	Ravenswood	1	Remember Love: Devlin's Story	Added New Book
297	Mary Balogh	The Simply Quartet	4.5	Once Upon A Dream(Mary Balogh) & The Duke of My Dreams( Grace Burrowes)	Moved the Book from The Bedwin Saga (6.5) to The Simply Quartet (4.5)
310	Scarlett Scott	Sins and Scoundrels	4	Sarah	Added New Book
179	Scarlett Scott	Sins and Scoundrels	5	Earl of Every Sin	Book Number in the series is changed from 4 to 5
180	Scarlett Scott	Sins and Scoundrels	6	Duke of Debauchery	Book Number in the series is changed from 5 to 6
309	Scarlett Scott	Sins and Scoundrels	7	Viscount of Villainy	Book Number in the series is change from 6 to 7

 

[Anamarija]

The night before I finished second book of series Legend of the Four Soldiers. It was 2 AM when I realized that is time for sleep. The series is great, I really enjoying my self and each is better than the other.

Spoiler: To Seduce a Sinner

I'm amazed by Melissande and her truly unconditional love.
The book gives you an idea (no matter how fictional) how it would be possible to heal internal wounds.
Her making a bed for the two of them on the pallet (and for the Mouse when they woke up ) made me feel like my lungs were expanding.
But I cried the most when Melissande revealed her pregnancy secret to Jasper. Those secrets that we have to keep to ourselves, for various reasons, are so powerful while they are inside us, until we say them. And saying them to the wrong person could have disastrous consequences, usually.
For Melissande and Jasper, uncovering those secrets was about developing trust. It's such a rare thing.

 

[Yas]

I finished reading the book Simply Love about two weeks ago and it was BEAUTIFUL.

This story is deeply touching. It really goes into how we can be affected by past experiences and how we can heal them with love, by loving and letting others love us too.

Spoiler: Possible Spoiler, although very general

It is interesting how the characters become these independent strong people who isolate themselves from others because of what they've been through. It's not that they don't like other people or are loners in nature, it's just that they feel other people will reject them because of what they have experienced. This seems to be something very prevalent in people who have gone through very rough things in life.

In the end, they como to realize that they were wrong in this perception and that people wouldn't necessarily reject them. They learn that they were actually cared for and loved, and that they had to let go of the past to open up to what life was offering them. Part of this was to accept that they were more than what had happened to them and to venture into experiences that were out of what they were used to, their comfort zone, so to say. Life brought them out of their 'safe cave' and they had to come to meet life by opening up to it. Another part involved facing what they were avoiding at all costs.

What is also very beautiful about this story is the emphasis in love as a binding force behind it all. So Simply Love isn't just about a romantic love story but also about love in all things and for all. There are some beautiful quotes about it and also about how everything that happens in life brings us to something else that may be better for us even if the events that bring us to that better future can be quite awful at first.

Really amazing story.

I'm going to continue with Simply Magic.

 

[Aeneas]

I happened to find this in an old session speaking about the subject of love. This session happened right at the time when I closed the final chapter of one relationship and life took an unexpected turn towards my current relationship. Perhaps it has already been posted in the thread, but even if that is the case, it bears repeating.

A: A man draws his energy for battle from his "lady fair." When he has this energy, he is supposed to utilize it not only for battle, but also for "building the castle”. When there is any break in the chain, he not only loses his "battle energy" but also his castle. Why do you think the legends of the "grail" speak of these things? And also fairy stories? A true warrior cannot be strong against the enemy without the lady. The lady cannot provide the energy without the castle and the "bower" of love.

Q: (Mr. Scott) What's a bower? (L) I don't know. A bower is... (Ark) German? The builder, yes? (L) Well, what I always heard of as a bower was a place in a garden where you had like a structure that flowers grew on and you had like little chairs and tables and you'd sit there and it was nice and pretty and pleasant. (Perceval points to tapestry behind on wall) (L) Well yeah that's like a bower. Is that the right idea for a bower on the picture behind me?

A: Yes. And the warrior on his knees aiming to please is also a part of the dynamic. After all, it is honorable to bow before the author of the force for good. You don't need the ruffles though. (laughter) Study fairy tales to discover.

One can say that the romance novels also often fits into the category of fairy tales. Where old fairy tales have magical events bringing an infusion of a surprise (chaos) element to the story, in the romance novels, this is done via 'coincidences', like chance meetings, stranded with a stranger during a storm etc.

The same session had this beautiful pearl:

A: [...] In a love relationship, the two people need to understand that the most healing expressions are those that an infant would express. But this must be done strictly from an adult controlled dynamic. In other words, love like a baby but be responsible like a devoted and totally giving parent.

 

[Gwenllian]

I read the Bedwyn Prequel before beginning the Survivor series, and it works very well, as if the heroines of the prequel sets the stage for others to follow [...]

I didn't know about any order, so I read the Survivor series first, but it's really nice to now read the story of Lily and Neville, the Earl of Kilbourne, who also feature in the Survivor series (I can't remember which novel, though). After a few stand-alone Mary Balogh novels which were okay and funny at times I have now begun reading Mary's One night for Love of the Bedwyn prequel. Their love story begins in Portugal during the war against Napoleon. I am glad that I finished Balogh's stand-alone Beyond the Sunrise first which also takes place in Portugal and its main character thus serves in the same regiment - the Ninety-Five Rifles - as Neville did, which I thought was a nice touch.

I also discovered that Second Chances also contains a novella which is another Bedwyn story:

An anthology of four previously published novellas, including “Another Dream,” a Bedwyn story, featuring Eleanor Thompson, sister-in-law of surely my best-known, best-loved character, Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle. Most of the Bedwyns make an appearance in the story.

Another Dream

Eleanor Thompson, spinster head of a girls’ school in Bath, is not as content with her chosen life as she had expected when she purchased the school from its previous owner. She is restless and a bit lonely. On her way to a house party to celebrate the 40th birthday of her brother-in-law, Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle, she is stranded by a torrential thunderstorm at a country inn and enjoys a brief romance with a gentleman who is staying there with his two young children. When they continue on their separate ways the next day, neither realizes that they are bound for the same destination.

I am still very grateful for these romance novels, because they teach us so much. Especially, in these challenging times I think we can draw comfort from them, but also the life experiences of the characters depicted in Mary's novels about the Napoleonic Wars can prepare us for more upheaval and suffering and subsequently a way out (in whatever way, shape or form), OSIT.

 

[Voyageur]

I happened to find this in an old session speaking about the subject of love.

C's: You don't need the ruffles though. (laughter)

Thanks for resurfacing the C's mention, the ruffles part was indeed funny.

One can say that the romance novels also often fits into the category of fairy tales. Where old fairy tales have magical events bringing an infusion of a surprise (chaos) element to the story, in the romance novels, this is done via 'coincidences', like chance meetings, stranded with a stranger during a storm etc.

Looking at the C's reference of "Study fairy tales to discover" to what has been written and what book(s) - probably many books, had a look at what was remembered. Somewhere I've a detailed book with many of the tales, however in The Lost Language of Symbolism, Harold Bayley wrote on fair tales, such a Cinderella, in rather unique way. These tales cross over in different cultures and languages, too.

 

[Steph_rivers]

I happened to find this in an old session speaking about the subject of love. This session happened right at the time when I closed the final chapter of one relationship and life took an unexpected turn towards my current relationship. Perhaps it has already been posted in the thread, but even if that is the case, it bears repeating.

Absolutely beautiful!

I just finished reading the Merridew Series by Anne Grace. So far my favorite series by a long shot.

Out of all the books, the Perfect Waltz hit me really hard.

Spoiler: Brief spoiler

The pain Sebastian Reyne felt for his little sisters made my heart split open. Especially in the end where his little sister was finally happy and able to speak. Her innocence restored with a knowing that she DOES have someone who will protect her after all.

(not afraid to talk about my shame) In a culture that conditioned us to sexualize women, this hits hard for I myself have fallen for this disgusting form of pleasure. Especially adult videos that I was exposed to as a kid, changed my view on females, corrupted it. It only grew to a norm in the military. I still feel it’s pull to this day and struggle immensely. But these books, man. They make me feel a lot of pain, it creates an atmosphere of self awareness that the people I pleasured myself to or with had this innocence, and it was taken from them, and they abuse themselves and we partake in perpetuating this suicidal madness. We see this everywhere on social media.

I just realized that in this series, a lot of the men have these grand estates where they are in shambles, such as Wolfstone for Dominick. It never occurred to me that this is also allegorical.

Spoiler: Probably a spoiler

Our castle, (Wolfstone) has been abandoned, we don’t even recognize it anymore. But LOVE (Grace) has brought Dominick back and sees the life she has given back to this castle and it’s people, and his “fair lady” is there to help him rebuild his castle.

I have a feeling that a lot of the mental (and physical) detox that I am doing is helping me clear the negative noise that has built up in my mind scape. A clearer mind allows to me see that I have a “wolf stone” within my view. And it is in shambles. But at least now I see it. And perhaps this emotional work will one day open a “channel” of communication with my own “fair lady” inside me. And the castle can be restored. Maybe it’s already happening.

I used to cry a lot when I was a little kid. I was afraid of everything and anyone who would hurt me.. and I got hammered even harder because of it. This created a callousness of shell that I grew as I got older, eventually entering the military where it took its final form and became its own identity. It’s funny because I always felt the pain of empathy, only I could hide it now, and my shell of a personality now so powerful it would take its own control and resent the victim and snarl at a persons vulnerability, or see everyone as weak and anyone better than me as a threat.

With a lot of reflection, detox and work, specifically through these books, I can feel myself chipping away at this false self that I believed was me. I am beginning to feel okay with letting tears run down my eyes because something is beautiful or sad. It’s a wonderful thing. I’m not this cold blunt “badass dude”. I care about people and I feel so much pain because of my care for them. And it’s perfectly perfect to do so.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

 

[Tauriel]

I love what you've written @Steph_rivers and although a woman I made a similiar journey with these books.
I still have to gather myself to write a more detailed post about my experience and change but this has to wait a bit more.

With a lot of reflection, detox and work, specifically through these books, I can feel myself chipping away at this false self that I believed was me

Yes. And this was most probably why Laura gave us this task.
I can say with certainty that I'm not the same person anymore.
Thank you for sharing.

 

[Steph_rivers]

I still have to gather myself to write a more detailed post about my experience and change but this has to wait a bit more.

Wonderful. I’m sure a handful of us are looking forward to it.

 

[aimarok]

After a long period of inactivity in this project I got back with reading Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series. She's really good at her trade. Her heroes and heroines are witty, have a good heart and a will to fight for their love — something we all wish to possess.

Someone here said that going through all those stories should ring a bell in us at some point, when we recognize ourselves in fictional heroes. It still didn't happen to me. But in my case that bell rang differently. During a reading it became suddenly clear that there is person I neglected for a long time and this person is me.

For many years I carried on mostly on inertia receiving an occasional speed boost after reading something expiring, reminding of a great cause. And here it is — there is a man who needs care not less than other people, probably even more. The feeling of recognizing a person in myself was somewhat strange — the first thing to come to me was MPD. But after a while worries of loosing my mind subsided and I felt peace with myself.

I can't say that my life changed dramatically, no, it's pretty much the same, but now I don't have "free" time anymore. I want him/myself to be happy and be better at all he/I do, so I try to spend it on him/myself. It was a blind spot for far too long and I'm grateful to this project it's not the case anymore.

 

[Voyageur]

Finished reading the 10 Dukes and Duchesses of The 1797 Club series by Jess Michaels. It seems to me that this series was commented upon early on in the thread, so not a lot needs be repeated.

That was from 2021, and so decided to give the author another go.

Sometimes, mistakes happen and one must be extra careful with what they download before they pay money and push the button. It is as simple as that. In this particular case, though, it was when a Jess Michae[l]s was substituted with, er, a Jess Michae[i]s (darn the 1.5 instead of 2.5 x glasses and Kindle's small print - sticking to that excuse). So, if that should ever happen, be prepared for a whole different author and story, and about the worst possible read unless a 'true' fan. Thus, you know there is something terribly wrong when you are not more than 20 pages into the book and thinking, this cannot possibly be the same Jess. Wrong, when the heroine of the story, the Marchioness, on the eve of her 30th birthday, describes the love of her life at home with her three young children and then forgets all about them, as she, her husband and a new old (birthday present) lover come together for a raunchy bohemian week.

Now, the Billionaire series is not for the faint of heart, it had its skip-quickly-through moments, too, however with some chilling messages being the point linked to reality. This book had no message in its short 13o odd pages - although the author pains to try at some weak emotional wounding so as to make sense of what they were doing.

Anyway, without the need for a spoiler alert or even the book name (I'm guessing the Jess with an , unless a nom de plume, carries that same book theme in series), one learns the three characters had all agreed at the end after ne felt rejected to live forever in love and sexual harmony with each other, with the assumption that they would also raise the children and carry on - The End.

Good grief, however as they say, there is a story for everyone.

-----------------

In the past, had started a Grace Burrowes series (not on the list) called the Windham Series. Had not meant to do this following another of her short series called Mischief in Mayfair (also not on the list). The latter series comes from 2021 publications, and involve a group of men from the war damaged and struggles - Colonel Sir Orion Goddard, Alasdhair MacKay and Captain Dylan Powell.

I did have a chance to finish this series, which is 5 books and a 6th due out this year. In the stories, each heroine character is coming from a life of difficulties, where some know the other or were aware of each other in some way. Where often they are centered around the church; daughters of men of the cloth or outright abandoned in youth or widowed and left on their own - some with children.

As said above of the men, while adding two more to that list, they all share a commonality of being soldiers (who also know each other), of being alone to piece together their lives. Underlying this, are the regular solders of the King's Shilling who are left in tatters to the streets, where the soldiers, often commanding officers, help them in there struggles and give them a home, along with helping so many other men, woman and children trying to make it.

These stories bring them all together from all walks of life, along with individual threads of confrontations, both physical and mental, as deep emotions are turned over to look at, share and understand. All in all, a rather different series and was glade to have read them.

 

[Voyageur]

Sometimes, mistakes happen and one must be extra careful with what they download before they pay money and push the button.

Regarding the Jess Michaels business above, my apologies, I made a bunch of noise over two separate lines of so-called romantic force, that were indeed written by the same author. So, it is funny how the mind works, when something/someone appears to be so antithetical to what one reads before that it can't possibly be from the same person.

Suppose; you would not see Balogh, Burrowes or Gracie do this (IMO), a writer may bend to either ones internal desires, or appease a kinky market request - the latter might be the case here, although there will be something inside that says yes to writing it or, their publishing contract requires it of them.

Most authors and their books are listed on the spreadsheet that accompanies this thread, or mentioned by members here as worthy. Michaels is one such author listed, however, know that they may drift into uncharted waters before pushing the download button, as was the case.

Again, apologies.