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A Rather Charming Invitation (2010)

by C.A. Belmond(Favorite Author)

3.96 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0451229088 (ISBN13: 9780451229083)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

NAL Trade

series

Penny Nichols

review 1: C.A. Belmond writes another luxe mystery for readers who want a wonderful escape interlude. Seriously, I feel I should read this while reclining on an elegant art deco chaise lounge like you might find on a movie set for Carole Lombard or Myrna Loy. Truly escapist literature that takes you from the London Bloomington-area style salons to the French Riviera aboard an antique roadster or a one-of-a-kind train journey. In fact, I actually read this during one of the dreariest February winter weeks in recent memory and really enjoyed not only the journey that Penny takes from one PLACE to another, but also the journey her fears travel while deciding if marriage is the culmination or the end of romantic love. It made me remember my own sense of concern - not whether my husband ... more(of 35 years now!) might not be right for me, but whether marriage itself was a doomed character. This is a fun book. Lighthearted, romantic, makes-you-wish-you-could-be-there reading which follows two equally enjoyable novels with the same characters. If you haven't read the first two books yet, READ THEM. And Ms. Belmond, do keep writing! So many novels today are just DREARY, they have no fun, and the characters aren't anyone with whom I'd care to spend my time. I really like Penny's optimistic attitude toward people and I love vicariously experiencing her lovely, curious, and charming adventures.
review 2: While I enjoyed this entry in the series, I did not enjoy it as much as the first two books. I like that the mysteries in this series are not focused around murder, but rather around something involved with the past. In this case, the mystery surround a wedding tapestry. However, in this case it moved a bit slow and was at times overshadowed by the wedding preparations and the hesitancy of Penny. Penny and Jeremy are likable enough, although in this book, I found her to be almost given to swooning and him to be almost too perfect. I’d like to see the character be a bit stronger. However, this is minor and didn’t overly detract from the book. I also thought the ultra rich Parker Drake was a bit over the top, though I did like his wife’s little revenge in the end. While it took a bit to get there, I did like the final solution of the mystery of the tapestry and the outcome in general. There were a couple of new characters that I greatly enjoyed and would hope would to see in future entries to this series namely Penny’s cousin, Honorine, and the private detective Monsieur Felix. I was glad to see that Rollo was back and assisting where he could. I’ll more than likely read future books in this series. less

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