A fun romp through the Regency with a young and beautiful heroine by name of Ariana Forsythe. Ariana is determined to be proper when she enters society, but she has an unfortunately "scandalous wont to speak plainly" that you will adore. Her impetuosity lands her in further trouble in the "Polite World" of Regency London and readers go along for the fun of the ride.
When trouble at home necessitates a stay in London with her aunt, beautiful Ariana Forsythe ends up in a fashionable world of gossip and intrigue in 1813 London. Ariana is young, but even she can't miss that her relative is scheming to marry her off for for the sake of wealth.
Ariana knows she can never marry a man who lacks the Christian faith she was raised in. But when she gets accidentally involved in a shocking scandal with London's darling--and most famously snobbish--rogue, events quickly spiral out of control.
How can she escape the consequences that will force her to live a lie? When Ariana finds herself backed against a wall and betrothed to the wrong man, can things ever be made right?
Excerpt
"Ariana!"
Mr. Mornay leapt to prevent her from going overboard, but too late. He watched as her feet sank beneath the dark, cold water and she disppeared from sight.
He jumped at the boatman. "Stop the boat! Stop!" After a few terrible seconds of seeing nothing, Ariana's head, covered by a dripping bonnet, struggled to the surface. She was unable to stay afloat, having never learned to swim, and began to flounder. Soon she had gone under again, without having made a sound, too busy fighting for her life to cry for help.
The boatman was trying desperately to turn around but they floated farther and farther from the struggling girl. Mr. Mornay meanwhile, grumbling under his breath, undid his neckcloth and removed it; this was followed quickly by his double-breasted jacket, after which he jumped, boots and all, in a beautiful dive, into the murky water.
A strong swimmer, he swam masterfully towards Ariana, got his arm around her and pulled her head out of the water. With an arm around her, he dragged her back towards the boat and with the help of the boatman, managed to hoist her, dripping wet, aboard; then he pulled himself over the side.
Ariana was collapsed silently across a wooden bench, not able to cough or breathe. Mr. Mornay turned her over with both arms, a look of intense concern on his face. She began coughing, and he supported her in his arms.In a minute or two, during which she coughed and expelled some water, she became fully alert. "Are you all right?" he asked her, in a gentle tone.
She nodded, but she felt ill and was filled with shame for having caused such a disaster. Tears brimmed in her eyes. She shivered, and he pulled her up to huddle against him. Spying his jacket, he managed to lean forward and clutch it and then wrap it around her shoulders.
Despite a chemise beneath the thin muslin gown, Ariana's outfit clung like a second skin.The bonnet was dripping large rivulets down her face and neck, and her reticule hung, dripping, from her wrist.
"Take off the bonnet," he instructed, and she did. The weather, meanwhile, was rapidly growing worse. The mildly chilly air had completely given way to an outright cold front, and the threatening sky was growing darker by the second. Both of the drenched people in the the boat were quickly feeling the effects of a sharp drop in temperature.
The boatman was apologizing profusely but Ariana's companion was not in a forgiving mood. No matter it had not been the man's fault. "Enough!" he spat out. "It will suffice if you can manage to take us ashore without another disaster!"
Ariana began shivering uncontrollably. The combination of cold air and frigid water, and the frightening struggle to stay afloat, left her weak and shaking. She tried to snuggle against Mr. Mornay, forgetting any concern other than warmth, and he allowed it, closing strong arms around her.
Professional Reviews
Highly recommend!
Before The Season Ends is a charming romance set in 1813 Regency England with a strong Christian theme which, while a constant thread in this book, is not overwhelming. The author draws the readers into the time period with feisty characters and an entertaining story.
Ariana Forsythe is a strong-minded, impish 19-year-old living in small village with her close-knit religious family. However, she is causing her family concern as she has decided that her "calling" is to marry a man of the cloth. Given that the only man meeting her criteria in their village is 60 years old, the family has a dilemma. Ariana is certain and unyielding in her decision, and so a solution must be reached quickly.
Each season their wealthy aunt, a London socialite, has begged the family to allow her to sponsor their daughters as they came of age. It was not at all unusual for a girl to be sent to London for the season. Although Ariana's family thinks they are the best judge of who is right for her, they feel that they must send her.
In London she is quickly entangled with London society's most formidable bachelor, Mr. Mornay, whose reputation is his delight in ruining any young girl's season should she dare approach him. Everyone looks to his approval--and simply by ignoring the girl who crosses his path, it can destroy her in society's eyes. Her aunt has warned her to avoid him at all costs. She tried, but she literally runs smack into him during her first society affair.
Ariana also meets a young man who is just what she is looking for. Why is it that despite this seemingly perfect match, her thoughts are constantly coming back to Mr. Mornay?
Well-written, interesting, captivating, romantic, inspirational, and addictive, I highly recommend this book. It shows how the Lord can influence every part of your life without being overly preachy. To be honest, this was my first "inspirational" Regency romance, and I was not expecting much. However, to my surprise, I could not put it down, and I am now recommending it to all my friends.
Armchair Interviews agrees.
Christian message shared in well written romance,
Reviewed By Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (1/06)
For anyone looking for a truly refreshing romance, this beautifully written story is just that and more! "Before the Season Ends" is about 19 year old Ariana and her quest to find the husband that she is certain God has chosen for her. The problem is that young Ariana believes God's choice for her is Mr. Hathaway, the sixty year old town rector. The story is unique because this historical romance takes place in 1813 at Regency England. To my surprise, this enhanced the whole story and made it even more enjoyable!
I found everything about this book to be entertaining and enjoyable, but also educational. Linore Rose Burkard obviously did her research on the Regency England, because she describes the time period in great detail throughout the story, and it is very interesting! I also learned many new words that were spoken by those of that time period, but again, it was fun and easy to grasp the meaning in the context of the story. When Ariana hesitates to return the advances of the rich and dashing Mr. Phillip Mornay, Aunt Bentley tells Ariana, "You must be mad to cavil at such a match! What fustian!"
I loved the characters created by Burkard. Each main character has such a vibrant personality with a real passion for what each believes in. What makes it all so exciting is that each character is so unique and in such contrast to the others. Ariana is described as vibrant, smart, spunky, a friend to the poor, and she knows and obeys God with a passion. She has been brought up to behave with proper manners and etiquette. She has tan eyes that mesmerize because when she looks at you, they sparkle like gold. In contrast, Mr. Mornay is "a rogue of the first order" with eyes that blaze with reproof, and his eyes rarely make contact with any of the available, young debutantes. He is said to be feared by many because of his standoffish ways. He has an acid-tongue, ignores those he is bored with, refuses invitations for no reason, and he cannot be depended upon to show up when he says he will. Most importantly, he does not know the Lord. Still, Mornay is an object of admiration and affection and has a winsome charm and thoughtfulness that make all else forgivable.
Burkhard was quite successful at giving the reader such a real and complete mental picture of the time period. Burkard described the beautiful and ornate clothing worn by the female "fashionables", the sparkling jewelry, fancy hairdos, exquisite homes, unique items of men's clothing, and their modes of transportation (carriage, gondola). Their manners of speaking were usually polite and proper, and everyone was treated with respect, something so often missing these days unfortunately. So complete and inviting were the descriptions that I could just "see" the story as it unfolded, and I could imagine being right there in England with Ariana.
Burkard had a Christian message to share with us in this well-written romance, but it was not overly done or at all preachy. The story was a reminder to us that God is in control of everything, and He has a plan for all of us. But, we need to listen carefully to what He tells us, and obey. Do not worry! Everything will work out if we just trust in Him!
This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys Christian Romance. It is fast-paced and exciting from cover to cover. "Before the Season Ends" is one of the best stories I have read, and in my opinion, Linore Rose Burkard is an excellent and intelligent writer. I will definitely be looking forward to more work by this talented lady. She tells us a sequel is almost ready for us to read, and Linore is promising a series of five books in this Regency Inspirational Romance. I cannot wait!
A Really Nice Surprise!
A really nice surprise! This is definitely an original regency romance and more in the style of Georgette Heyer rather than Amanda Quick.
I was impressed that Burkard made good efforts to get a Regency Tone rather than relying on (as is often done) bad use of slang to imply this tone. Her whole structure and manner was very well done.
This is a Christian Regency and the christian theme is predominant in this. This was my only niggle with it but I don't think it was a drawback to it - or shouldn't be for other readers. It is definitely a unique feature in her writing to use this as an underlying theme. It is also interesting to use this theme in a Regency where standards of conduct were judged by whether you did it in public or private. The times were certainly changing and a greater emphasis on good Christian conduct was entering society - a precursor to the more devout Victorian era.
It is always nice to read new Regency authors, and I will be reading more of Burkard, as her tone and originality were refreshing.
I just finished reading Before the Season Ends. I highly recommend it. This book captured my attention on the first page. It is fast paced and held my attention to the very end. At times I held my breath wondering what would happen to Ariana and Philip. It is a sweet Christian romance. I can't wait to read her next book.
Synopsis
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