Echoes of Splendour (Book one of Katyas Story)

Sverayov is in London trying to negotiate an alliance with England when he meets the heroine. Their paths only cross because he becomes a target of her alter-ego, the newspaper satirist Charles Copperville. The fabulously wealthy, handsome, seemingly heartless philanderer is too big of a target for Caroline to resist. She skewers him quite thoroughly and mostly unfairly in the press. This is where I decided I loved Nicholas. He was a refreshing hero.

He was angry and very annoyed with being written about and spied upon by a "boy" h in disguise but he also has a sense of perspective about it. He is used to being the subject of gossip and having his personal life speculated on and sometimes grossly misinterpreted. He doesn't fly off the handle in quite the way I expected.

In fact, once he figures out that the 'boy' is actually a pretty young girl he has a quite a bit of fun toying with her and not in a malicious way. This is definitely the most lighthearted portion of the novel. It's funny to see Caroline parade in her ridiculous disguises with mustaches that often go askew while actually believing she must be fooling the prince. Given romance novelists' tendency to create heroes who are completely bitter with the world and women, in particular, Nicholas was a breath of fresh air.

There is definitely attraction on both sides, but it is not immediately acted upon. Nicholas is not perfect and he does have affairs as does his wife but he sees a young virgin as off limits. Caroline, on the other hand, is struggling with the disturbing notion that she, 'an enlightened thinker' with strict morals, would find a married man so irresistible. There is no sex until quite far along in the novel and the scenes aren't overly descriptive by current standards. I don't want to give much more of the plot away.

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I just want to say that I thought Joyce did a good job creating characters readers could relate to and even debate the merits of. No one was perfect. I also thought she handled questions of morality and human failings in a very sympathetic way. In Romancelandia we often get characters who are simply archetypes of the alpha male, virtuous heroine, and eeevil villian. The good are good and the bad are bad. That inconvenient wife is always a problem in a historical though. I admit this one lingered on my tbr pile for quite a while because I'm not a fan of reading about adultery or of waiting around for someone to die so my couple can have a HEA.

The very ugliness of that was addressed as well though. Mostly I was very surprised by what I got here. My other experience with Joyce was The Conqueror where the medieval hero was pretty much just what the title suggests. It's controversial, wrecky, and loaded with offensive material, but I will admit that I enjoyed it ducks flying objects. After that experience, I did go into this expecting another over-the-top bodice ripper and, despite my enjoyment of that genre, I was pleasantly surprised by what I ended up with. View all 4 comments.

Originally published in , Splendor is a richly detailed and captivating story which moves from London to St. Petersburg over the course of a few months in the fateful year of You can read the rest of this review at AudioGals Dec 02, Misfit rated it liked it Shelves: This was a very solid read despite my quibbles over the lack of class barriers between our heroine bookseller's daughter!

That said, the hero was deliciously yummy, I'd like to keep him, and the episodes in Moscow as it burned were unputdownable. Things did kind of fall off 3.

Kindle copy obtained via library loans, and I must say the conversation errors are a bit too heavy for the asking price on the Amazon page. Aug 11, Sara rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Keia, Garrace, Cheryl, Terry, Haleigh. Recommended to Sara by: If you have not read this book I am not going to say a word regarding the story.

I don't want to take the chance of ruining it for anyone. I could have read it in a day, however, I kept forcing myself to put it down to make it last longer. One of the best books I have. View all 3 comments. Not as good as The Game but still very enjoyable. Dec 04, Azet rated it it was amazing Shelves: How i love you! I have read more than ten books by her by now,and she never disapoints me. On the contrary she only surprises me,and to that,all books i have til now read by her have earned a five-star!

The lovestory between the handsome and honorable russian prince Nicholas Sverayov and the enlighting and clever but not really TOO clever book-seller Carolyn Browne starts so hilarious and more charming when Carolyn tries to fool Nicholas with her costume as a man.. There are many scenes where i laughed on the first part. Carolyn truly were naive.. In the meantime many twists soon happen,and i just adored the relationship between Carolyn and Nicholas daughter. Nicholas wife was a totally selfish and unloving brat who only loved herself.

I felt sorry for every man who got fooled by her. Nicholas were a uniqe kind of historical hero of Joyce. Many of her heroes are so dynamic,intense and savage-hearted. He has an honor and a duty to his country and family-name he never will betray. But inside him are a warrior and he loves very passionately as any other hero. I have read four deWarenne books and three of the Bragg Saga,and in all of them except "A Lady at Last" fight each other like light and thunder,the heroines and heros either fight each other,and their love.

That is what made their love-stories so angsty-filled and intense. In this one there only are emotional angst as we saw at the near end,when Carolyn screams at Nicholas that she never asked to love him,she asks with a sarcasm that she will leave him,and he screams back "Like hell you will" and he kisses her with a force that fast turns to a passionate embrace.

How i actually wondered how they will get their HEA before that So this story were a very refreshing one,and i find myself easily swept away by the balls,glamour,pain-filled scenes,chocking twists,the war,the humor They are both beautiful souls,and they deserved their HEA. Dec 15, Lia Mcintosh rated it really liked it. I decided to buy this book because of Caroline's recommendation and I was so impressed with the book.

I could easily relate to being 18 years of age with emotions running rampant. Where you want a love that seems impossible, and that you want a fairy tale romance, and you realize there is fairy tales and then there is reality. This one gives you a nice little mix of both. I love that this book dangles on the reality edge with things not always appearing as they seem. With Nicholas being married a I decided to buy this book because of Caroline's recommendation and I was so impressed with the book. With Nicholas being married and having a child, you know you wouuld think that would send a young girl, especially an enlightened thinker such as Ms.

Brown running towards the hills. You would also think that being such an opinionated female, that she would be just fine with a husband like the man who was courting her, Anthony, one that she could talk to about her opinions and have him not say much of anything. Carolyn masquerading as a man is not only hilarious but also a break in the same old love story Plus it gives reader a chance to take a break into the mind of a woman who realizes that she is a woman but just wants to be equals.

Her verbal sparring with Prince Nicolas is wonderful. It shows that she is yes, in fact 19 and young, while he being a man of the world, shows it, but yet does not overpower her. Brown can fully hold her own. I really enjoy the way Brenda Joyce takes you inside of the mind of both characters. Sometimes, with a lot of novels, and especially romance novels, most of the writing seems so one sided, just from one point of view.

And that does not serve for a love story at all. She gives insight from all of the characters, included the estranged ex-wife and Nicolas' brother Alexi.

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I love the use of nicknames in this book, it made it so much more personal, like you could get to know the characters one on one. I also appreciate that the Prince Nicholas character is not so dramatically brooding, he does smile and likes nicknames. The fact that he does smile and has a funny bone is a good thing and a good break in humor in such an emotional read. Marian Hussey was wonderful in her delivery of the story. As my fav genre is historical erotica i took a while to embrace this book but you just cant help falling in love with the characters..

The hero was Strong honourable and amazingly gorgeous in my mind.. View all 5 comments. Oct 09, Cheryl rated it it was amazing Shelves: Words cannot even describe how I feel about this book! It was amazing and so much more than a romance novel. It contained just about everything you could ask for in a story I really do not see how this book has not been made into a movie. It was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed it!! I have added it to my all-time-favorites reading list. I recommend it to everyone, excellent!!! View all 7 comments. Dec 12, Barbara rated it it was amazing Shelves: I know there are mixed reviews on this novel, but ladies I loved it!

I didn't want it to end I believe the infamous Charles Perrault writer of the most popular Cinderella story would have loved Joyce's take on his fairytale. Feb 05, Lover of Romance rated it really liked it Shelves: She had a fierce love of books, but when she found a way to add to their income, she grabbed at it. Carolyne is an enlightened thinker, and she writes witty columns about scandal and deceit of the workings of the Ton and high society.

She disguises herself to get more information, but there is one man that she is intrigued by. He is famous, notorious for his lady loves and his disregard for rules of morality. Prince Nicholas Sverayov, has come to England for a specific reason. He is to try to get a treaty with the British, to aid in their help against Napolean's forces.

But when he spies a stranger sneaking around his home, he is outraged until he learns that the He is a woman. Nicholas is intrigued by this slip of a woman who is so different from any other woman he has ever wanted.

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She is intelligent, book smart, and crafty and very passionate at times. He knows that he is no good for Carolyne, but wants her anyway. But will their love affair turn out to be disastrous or the best miracle they could conceive of? He is a military man, and serves his leader and cousin with honor and distinction. He married a woman he was duty bound to, but despite her beauty lies a deceitful snake inside.

He is grateful for the little girl he claims as his own, even though he suspects she isn't his real daughter but he loves her just as much as if he had help in her creation. Nicholas and his wife have been estranged for over five years. They lead seperate lives. Until he arrives in England, and she follows him there. Because she is lonely and needs some entertainment and brings their daughter. Nicholas is a hero I admired. He is loyal and strong and dedicated to protecting his country and those he loves at all cost.

He isn't perfect though, he enjoys women just as much as any man. But he has never known true love, never though it would be possible. We see how Nicholas changes through the course of the story. He becomes selfless and only wants the best for Carolyne even if it means to lose the only woman he could ever love. She knew her parents loved each other and she dreamed of finding the same.

Carolyne is smart, sassy and pretty.

Anne Ireland

She paves her own path, and does what is necessary. She does have high morals, but the moment she meets Nicholas, she starts to realize that life isn't so black and white, that there are shades of grey. As she becomes more consumed by her feelings of this mysterious Russian prince, she does she begin to doubt herself and where the future leads. Carolyne was a bit different but I really liked her. She stands her own ground, a bit of a feminist at times, but she also dreams of love and is waiting for it.

We see how she handles different situations that stumble her way. She could be a bit naive at times, but when you look at her background, it makes sense. I quite enjoyed seeing the changes in her through the story. So when I saw it on sale at Audible, I grabbed it right up!! I had no idea it was on audio and I started listening right away. A Russian prince and a bookish heroine?? YES I am going to pick that one right up. The only one detail about the story I was a bit unsure about was that the hero is married, albeit estranged for years.

But as the story gets going, I fell in love with the writing and the plot that I just couldn't put it down despite the fact that Nicholas is married. But I did feel that Brenda Joyce handles this aspect of the story very well, much better than I expected. Nicholas Wife is quite a viper in my opinion especially in how she treats her own daughter The daughter, adds a special element to the story.

I loved how Nicholas is with her and is very quiet and shy until she is around Carolyne, and she brightens up and becomes such a happy child. Thus we see Carolyne agree to become her companion, because even though Nicholas needs her around even if nothing can happen between them, he knows how good she would be for his daughter. My heart just ached for this pair, because they love each other and can do nothing about it. I did like how it's not an insta lust type of story. Where they have sex right away Which was wise of the author to do and is pretty light in comparison to more modern romances now.

This story takes us from the streets of London to the exotic lands of St. Petersberg and the war that wages there. This couple really goes through the ringer, but I really liked how it resolved in the end. This story was quite different, is a bit longer than most romances are now but what a blast I had with this story. I just couldn't put it down, I felt so intrigued by this forbidden romance but no worries these two eventually find their HEA.

The Narration In this narrator I found so much greatness here!! I had never heard of this one before, but I liked her from the beginning. She handled the historical details so well and her transferrations of the different characters was very well done!! I am curious to listen to more of her.

I love the Tiara with the pink backdrop. Feb 24, dreamerinexile rated it really liked it Shelves: Love's mysteries 4 stars. Dec 12, Widala rated it really liked it Shelves: I was afraid there will be inequality between Caro and Niki, not just because of the sosial status, wealth and experience but also how young Caro was, although it's not an unusual thing to find in a book. Knowledge is something you can read in a book but wisdom you have to learn by experience.

But Caro really pull her weight in this book, she's a very curious young woman who's not afraid to make a mistake. I imagined her as a cat who would gladly sacrifice one of her lives to know what inside th I was afraid there will be inequality between Caro and Niki, not just because of the sosial status, wealth and experience but also how young Caro was, although it's not an unusual thing to find in a book. I imagined her as a cat who would gladly sacrifice one of her lives to know what inside that box.

And I like the way Niki interact with her. He's cynical and had his SMH moments when facing with Caro's idealism, but he's never condescending towards her. He respected her opinions and giving her good arguments. That's one of the things that made Niki a cool hero. Beyond his golden hotness, there's depth and cleverness.

And despite the rake reputation he got, he could be honourable when it counts. There's one scene involving Charles Brighton, brothel and voyeurism which if it was continued I swear I'll throw this book into the fire figuratively speaking of course since it's an ebook and I love my phone too much.

But Niki stopped it just in time and he never meant to go through with it at the first place. Maybe for some readers, the way he treated his marriage and his affair with Caro could be considered cheating and put some people off, but if we could forgive Rochester for whoring around across Europe then came home to marry his innocent governess, why can't we forgive Niki for falling in love with another woman when his wife was a selfish cold hearted bitch?

My only complain is there's too many things going on in part three, in my opinion. While part one and two was nicely paced, the speed of stuff happening in part three were kind of giving me whiplash. Maybe it was the author good faith to tie loose ends within limited pages left. All in all it was a splendid read. Nov 15, Shirlene added it. Carolyn was five when she overheard her parents arguing. Her mother, Margaret, wanted to ask her own mother for financial assistance so they wouldn't lose their home.

Her father told Margaret that her grandmother wouldn't help because she had married a commoner and had disowned her. Margaret took Carolyn to see her grandmother anyway and was turned away. They both returned home and her mother died shortly afterwards after catching pneumonia while taking the trip. Carolyn was now eighteen and had Carolyn was five when she overheard her parents arguing. Carolyn was now eighteen and had become an author using a pseudonym of Charles Copperville.

She lived above a bookstore with her father. She wrote a political column for London's Morning Chronicle. Her current target was Prince Sverayov of Russia. He was in London working on a treaty with Lord Castlereagh. Russia and England were at war. Czar Alexander had traded places with Sverayov leading the fight against the British and he was losing ground. Sverayov had instructed his wife to remain at home but she followed him to London with her current lover.

She was obviously pregnant by someone other than her husband as they hadn't slept together since their daughter, Katya, was born. Katya was five and Sverayov was fairly certain that she was not his but he loved her regardless. She looked like her mother with pale skin, green eyes, and long black hair. Sverayov was worried about Katya because Maire-Elana was thought to be dying after miscarrying the child.

Katya didn't express any emotion and she didn't play and laugh like Sveryov thought children should. Sveryov's brother came to London to see him. Sverayov told Alexi that he was worried about Katya and that it appeared that his wife would survive the miscarriage. Alexi did not like Marie-Elena. Carolyn was spying at the house where the Russian's were staying and she was observed by Sveryov. She overheard pieces of a conversation as the Dr. Sverayov saw her through the window and was determined to catch her. He followed her to the bookstore and discovered her name when he went into the bookstore to purchase a book.

There was a ball coming up and Carolyn snuck in dressed as a boy. Sverayov saw her as she was sneaking around the back of the house to get under the library window as she was trying to overhear any conversation. She acted like she was waiting for a woman and Sverayov told her to meet him at midnight and he would take her to a brothel so that she would get over the fact that the woman never showed up to meet him.

They met and he took her to the brothel while she was still dressed as a man. He had introduced her to Alexi at the ball and told him that he knew that she was really a girl. Sverayov wondered just how long she would keep up the pretense. They went to the brothel and Sverayov told her that she could just watch him through a window and Carolyn never gave away that she was a woman so he caved and took her home, leaving the prostitute. He showed up at the bookstore the next morning to check on Carolyn and asked her to go riding in the park the next afternoon.

He noticed that her father appeared nervous.

See a Problem?

Sverayov had read the column in that morning's paper and figured out that Carolyn was Copperville. He picked up Carolyn to take her riding and they talked and he told her that he didn't believe in love. She told him that she thought he had a low opinion of women and he agreed. She was very attracted to him and decided to ask him to kiss her so that she would know what it was like. He was surprised at his feeling toward her and a little angry that he seemed unable to control himself around her.

The next morning's column mentioned the Russian prince being seen riding with a blonde haired girl that didn't appear to be a member of the ton. Carolyn didn't write the column and suspected that Sverayov had. She went to his residence on the pretense of bring a book for his sister to see if she could discover if he had written the column. She met his brother, as herself this time. She also met his daughter. She couldn't tell if he had written the column or not but she went to the paper and told the editor to not print anything in her name unless she delivered it personally.

She went to the opera that evening with an admirer, Anthony Davison, whose father she had seen in the brothel. Stuart had come to the opera with one of his illegitimate sons. Situations like this disturbed Carolyn. He didn't seem to approve of her. She also ran into Marie-Elena at the opera and Marie-Elena made a rude comment about her being the daughter of a bookseller.

Carolyn didn't hear from Sverayov for a couple of days so she sent an invitation to meet him at the horse races as Charles Briton. They met and he gave her a couple of drinks. When she was tipsy, she slipped out of her pretense and Sverayov told her that he knew who she was all along. Carolyn had tea with him the next day and he asked her to come work for him as a companion to Katya. Sverayov came by to pick her up before asking her to come work for him and overheard her father in a conversation with Stuart Davison discussing carrying information against their country.

Sverayov used this knowledge and the threat of telling Carolyn to get her father to pass the same information to his countrymen. Andrew invited Carolyn to a ball and her grandmother, whom she hadn't seen since she was a child, sought her out and talked to her. She left the ball early and Sverayov came looking for her at the bookstore. They kissed again and Carolyn returned to his house the next morning.

He wanted her to come to Russia with him because the treaty was signed. They made love that night and Carolyn told him that she wouldn't go to Russia. A month later, Alexi came to deliver a letter from Katya to Carolyn. The letter told how unhappy she was with her father back in command of his soldiers and Marie-Elena in Tver.

Alexi left and came back the next morning. Carolyn made the decision to travel to Russia with Alexi. She arrived in Russia and Niki had a meeting with the tsar and came to the house. He did not know that she was there. He went to his meeting and when he come home, he took Carolyn to his bed with him for the night. He left the next morning to return to the war. Carolyn overheard he and Marie-Elena talking and discovered that the child she had lost in London had been Sasha's.

She also overheard that there was to be a major battle soon, just outside of Moscow. Sasha soon left and Marie-Elena ordered the household to pack up because they were going to Moscow. She protested leaving but did not want to abandon Katya. They almost made it to Moscow when they were stopped by soldiers telling them that Moscow had been ordered to be evacuated. If they were to continue to Moscow, they would have to choose a different route.

They continued to Moscow and Marie-Elana left to meet with Sasha. The rest of the staff had decided they couldn't stay and packed up to leave. When Katya heard that they were leaving without waiting for her mother to return, she ran away. They spend the day looking for her. Marie-Elena showed up with Sasha and her and the servants all left without Katya having been found.

Sasha hated Marie-Elena at that moment. Nicholas received a note from Carolyn telling him that they were headed to Moscow and he arrived and found Sasha. Looters and French soldiers had were setting fire to the homes and buildings in Moscow so the women went back to see if Katya had returned home and found her there. As they were getting ready to leave, the looters arrived to set fire to their house.

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