Autoren-Bilder

Donna Hatch

Autor von The Stranger She Married

21 Werke 254 Mitglieder 24 Rezensionen Lieblingsautor von 2 Lesern

Über den Autor

Beinhaltet den Namen: Donna G. Hatch

Reihen

Werke von Donna Hatch

The Stranger She Married (2008) 80 Exemplare
Queen in Exile (2010) 41 Exemplare
The Guise of a Gentleman (2010) 21 Exemplare
Winter Collection (6-in-1) (2012) — Mitwirkender — 13 Exemplare
The Reluctant Bride (2011) — Autor — 13 Exemplare
A Perfect Secret (2013) 13 Exemplare
Autumn Masquerade (Anthology 3-in-1) (2015) — Mitwirkender — 12 Exemplare
The Suspect's Daughter (2015) 12 Exemplare
Summer House Party (Anthology 3-in-1) (2016) — Mitwirkender — 10 Exemplare
Unmasking the Duke (2017) 5 Exemplare
Courting the Countess (2016) 4 Exemplare
The Matchmaking Game (2017) 3 Exemplare

Getagged

Wissenswertes

Geschlecht
female

Mitglieder

Rezensionen

Since I tend to prefer a little steam in my romances, I don't usually read a lot of sweet, PG-rated ones. However, I can definitely enjoy a romance sans love scenes as long as the writer is talented enough to make me feel something. The most important thing for me when reading any romance is the desire to sense an emotional connection between the characters within the story as well as having them connect with me as the reader. I know I'm always going to get that when I read one of Donna Hatch's stories, which is why she's become my current favorite go-to author for sweet mainstream romance. The Suspect's Daughter, her latest release and the newest book in her Rogue Hearts series fits the bill perfectly. I didn't end up liking it quite as well as the previous two books in the series, but it was still a really good read.

Oddly enough, my main reason for marking this book down a half star is probably the exact same reason most other readers are giving it the highest rating of any book in the series thus far. And that's its hero, Grant. Grant is a very cold, cynical man, a little too much so for my taste. However, this didn't really surprise me based on his appearances in the previous books of the series. He's essentially an honorary Bow Street Runner. As the son of a earl, he doesn't really have to work, but he's not the type of man to sit around indolently the way he feels many aristocratic men do. He's good friends with the magistrate who saved his life during the Napoleonic War and feels he owes the man a debt of gratitude. In part, to pay him back, Grant works with Bow Street on a number of cases as a sort of independent consultant. His latest case investigating a possible assassination plot against the Prime Minister places him in close proximity with the two types of people he dislikes the most, aristocrats and women. He has little use for either one and isn't particularly fond of going undercover among them.

I could live with Grant's internal commentary on the ton, but his thoughts about women did tend to grate on occasion. Early on, he's pretty difficult to like and I couldn't quite understand what Jocelyn saw in him. Luckily, though, the author does hint at some vulnerability in his past and perhaps a woman who did him wrong. I suppose everyone deals with things in their own way, and I'll admit that some pretty terrible things happened to Grant, but there were times when his methods of dealing seemed a little extreme. He doesn't want to have anything to do with women at all, ever again, and thinks they're all manipulative, conniving witches who always have an ulterior motive. Given that he had a mother he seemed to adore and two sisters, as well as three sisters-in-law whom he likes well enough, it was a little hard to grasp his extreme views. Thankfully, this begins to improve about halfway into the story. We see some selfless actions on his part, become privy to compassion that he's shown others, and his past starts to be revealed in bits and pieces. Because of these things I can honestly say that I gradually started liking him much better, but when he was still questioning Jocelyn's motives over ¾ of the way into the book, when she'd been nothing but sweet and kind to him, I wanted to slap him silly. Grant did grow on me and I did sympathize with him after all that he'd been though, but he was just a little too distrustful and jaded for me to wholeheartedly fall in love with him like I did with his brothers, Christian and Jared. I guess I simply like my heroes to be a little softer and more personable.

Jocelyn was the perfect foil for Grant's hard-edged, misanthropic personality. She's a sweet girl who's given up her season to act as her father's hostess to further his political career. She's upbeat and always has a genuine sunny smile for everyone. Jocelyn adores her father and when she finds out that he's the prime suspect in Grant's investigation, she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wouldn't do something like that. She's no delicate shrinking violet like Grant expects her to be. In fact, she insists on helping with his investigation so that she can prove her point. She also does a lot of things, such as acting as a healer and midwife, that are completely unexpected to Grant and that don't fit his preconceived notions of what a woman of her station is like. Jocelyn is a deeply caring and compassionate person, always willing to lend a helping hand. I love how she genuinely wanted to do something when faced with the extreme poverty of her maid's sister and her children. Best of all, she exhibits the patience of Job and is extremely bold and determined in her dealings with Grant. I don't think I could have dealt with a man like him the way she did, but I admire her for it. Without her genuine sweetness and dauntless pursuit of him, he would have easily written her off as just another spoiled society miss.

Other than wishing Grant would have softened up a bit more and a bit sooner, the only other thing that bothered me were the typos. If there are only a few, I try to overlook them, but in this case there were enough to be a bit distracting. Otherwise, I very much enjoyed reading The Suspect's Daughter. The mystery was well-done, and according to the author's note at the end, it's based on factual historical events. I also enjoyed visiting with Grant's three brothers and their wives from the previous books, and his two sisters put in an appearance too. I think that Ms. Hatch has plans to write their stories as well. I really like Rachel's geekiness, and it appears that Margaret is trapped in a horrible marriage and needs an HEA of her own. I'll certainly be on the look-out for their books and hope that Ms. Hatch will be writing and releasing them soon.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
… (mehr)
½
 
Gekennzeichnet
mom2lnb | 1 weitere Rezension | Sep 11, 2022 |
I had the privilege of meeting Donna Hatch several months ago at a local event, and upon returning home, I looked up her website to find out more about her debut novel, The Stranger She Married. I was thoroughly intrigued by the synopsis and excerpt of the book I found there, and immediately put in on my TBR list, so when Ms. Hatch recently contacted me about reviewing the book, I was more than happy to oblige. The plot of The Stranger She Married is reminiscent of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss' A Rose in Winter, a classic romance novel that has been on my favorites list for many years. In spite of the similarities between the two books, Ms. Hatch still managed to keep me engrossed in her storytelling and often second-guessing what would happen next. The Stranger She Married is written in a more traditional regency style. Most of the story is of a rather low-key nature, and it is very character driven. It is also, without a doubt, a PG-rated romance, making it appropriate, in my opinion, for both younger and more sensitive romance readers. It has no curse words, minimal violence, and aside from a couple of passionate clinches, the love scenes are merely implied and take place off the canvas with no explicit details whatsoever. With its more subdued nature, I wouldn't necessarily characterize this as a passionate, heart-stopping romance, and I normally prefer my romances to have a bit more steam. Still, in spite of it not being quite like my usual fare, The Stranger She Married had a very appealing quality that made me like it a lot.

I think that there were two key elements which contributed to my enjoyment. First, the settings of the Regency balls, parties, social events and even the quiet solitude of a country estate were so beautifully and vividly rendered, it truly made me feel like I had been transported back in time to that era. The author certainly seems to have a good grasp on the history of the period, which lent the atmosphere a wonderful air of authenticity. The other thing which truly impressed me was the dialog. I don't think I have ever read dialog that is quite so fresh, varied and robust to the point that it is not only woven seamlessly into the plot, but it almost becomes a living, breathing thing in itself. I have certainly waded through my share of vapid conversations in romance novels, but the dialog in The Stranger She Married is never boring or inane, instead I felt that it really gave the story more genuineness and depth. The author skillfully uses it to build relationships, and occasionally there was some sharp, witty bantering which brought a smile to my face. It seems to me that writing truly good dialog would be rather challenging, but in my opinion, Ms. Hatch has done a wonderful job with it here. In fact, my only minor quibble would be that it is formatted in a rather unusual way which I have not seen before. This made it difficult at first to discern who was speaking, but once I got used to the pattern, I didn't really have any further trouble with it.

I also found the characters in The Stranger She Married to be an appealing bunch. There are essentially two heroes, cousins, Cole and Nicholas Amesbury who represent two sides of the same coin. Cole outwardly has a reputation as a charming and careless rake, but inside he has a heart of gold. He has tired of the social scene which he sees as nothing more than a marriage mart, and is quite taken by Alicia's looks and personality, which are so different from the other young women who typically pursue him. I loved his innate sense of honor and his desire to protect Alicia at all costs. The only thing about Cole that didn't quite ring true is that there was an allusion to dark things in his past which made him think of himself as something of a blackguard, but nothing ever came to light that made him seem like anything less than a gentleman to me. He also spent a good deal of time fighting his feelings for Alicia, which didn't really seem necessary given the direction the story took. Nicholas is the gentle, patient beta hero who mostly contents himself with simply spending time with Alicia. I loved how the author built their relationship through everyday things like talking, walking, playing games and sharing of knowledge. Nicholas, however, is a scarred man who is literally shrouded in mystery from head to toe. Then there is our heroine, Alicia, who finds herself in the confusing position of loving them both. Sometimes it seems like she is trying to have her cake and eat it too, but she is not unlike many Regency heroines who find themselves in the untenable situation of being a penniless orphan from a financially strapped noble family, wanting to marry for love but needing to marry for money. Alicia initially can't quite forgive Cole for his duel with her brother which ultimately left him dead, and by the time she is able to, circumstances have already forced her to marry Nicholas. I thought that Alicia could have stood out a little more, but then again, she was a wallflower. What I liked most about her is that she had the intelligence to realize that her family's deaths may not have been the accidents that they seemed, meaning that she too was in danger, as well as eventually putting the pieces of the puzzle together to discover the game that her husband was playing. There was also a nice group of secondary characters including Cole's matchmaking Aunt Livvy and his three brothers (only two of whom actually appeared in the story) who all have wildly varying personalities. All in all, I thought it was a very well-rounded cast.

There were many things that I liked about The Stranger She Married, but one thing I thought could have been better was the murder mystery. To be honest, if the synopsis hadn't alluded to some danger and intrigue, I probably wouldn't have recognized the mystery for what it was until it was staring me in the face. There were very few clues and no red herrings to speak of, so I wouldn't have been able to even hazard a guess as to a suspect or motive. The answer to the puzzle is basically just handed to the reader on a silver platter. I like a little light mystery in my romances from time to time, but half the fun is in being given enough information to speculate about what's happening. Also, the denouement of the suspense was pretty cliched with the villain making one of those tacky deathbed confessions which I thought lacked finesse. Overall I felt that the mystery/suspense element could have been much stronger, and the general plot ideas could have been more original. In the end though, I found myself waffling a bit over my star rating, and if those two things had been a little better, the book probably would have earned keeper status from me. Otherwise though, I really enjoyed The Stranger She Married. The pacing was good, never lagging, and the story kept me engrossed and wanting to continue. Readers who like more historical ambiance in their Regency romances should find some pleasurable entertainment in this one. The Stranger She Married is the first in a planned series titled Rogue Hearts. According to Donna Hatch's website, the next book, Guise of a Gentleman, is due to be released sometime this summer, and although there are very few details about it yet, I strongly suspect that Cole's dashing pirate brother, Jared, will be the hero. In my opinion, The Stranger She Married was a good debut novel from a very promising and talented new author, and I definitely look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
… (mehr)
 
Gekennzeichnet
mom2lnb | 6 weitere Rezensionen | Sep 11, 2022 |
I had the privilege of meeting Donna Hatch several months ago at a local event, and upon returning home, I looked up her website to find out more about her debut novel, The Stranger She Married. I was thoroughly intrigued by the synopsis and excerpt of the book I found there, and immediately put in on my TBR list, so when Ms. Hatch recently contacted me about reviewing the book, I was more than happy to oblige. The plot of The Stranger She Married is reminiscent of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss' A Rose in Winter, a classic romance novel that has been on my favorites list for many years. In spite of the similarities between the two books, Ms. Hatch still managed to keep me engrossed in her storytelling and often second-guessing what would happen next. The Stranger She Married is written in a more traditional regency style. Most of the story is of a rather low-key nature, and it is very character driven. It is also, without a doubt, a PG-rated romance, making it appropriate, in my opinion, for both younger and more sensitive romance readers. It has no curse words, minimal violence, and aside from a couple of passionate clinches, the love scenes are merely implied and take place off the canvas with no explicit details whatsoever. With its more subdued nature, I wouldn't necessarily characterize this as a passionate, heart-stopping romance, and I normally prefer my romances to have a bit more steam. Still, in spite of it not being quite like my usual fare, The Stranger She Married had a very appealing quality that made me like it a lot.

I think that there were two key elements which contributed to my enjoyment. First, the settings of the Regency balls, parties, social events and even the quiet solitude of a country estate were so beautifully and vividly rendered, it truly made me feel like I had been transported back in time to that era. The author certainly seems to have a good grasp on the history of the period, which lent the atmosphere a wonderful air of authenticity. The other thing which truly impressed me was the dialog. I don't think I have ever read dialog that is quite so fresh, varied and robust to the point that it is not only woven seamlessly into the plot, but it almost becomes a living, breathing thing in itself. I have certainly waded through my share of vapid conversations in romance novels, but the dialog in The Stranger She Married is never boring or inane, instead I felt that it really gave the story more genuineness and depth. The author skillfully uses it to build relationships, and occasionally there was some sharp, witty bantering which brought a smile to my face. It seems to me that writing truly good dialog would be rather challenging, but in my opinion, Ms. Hatch has done a wonderful job with it here. In fact, my only minor quibble would be that it is formatted in a rather unusual way which I have not seen before. This made it difficult at first to discern who was speaking, but once I got used to the pattern, I didn't really have any further trouble with it.

I also found the characters in The Stranger She Married to be an appealing bunch. There are essentially two heroes, cousins, Cole and Nicholas Amesbury who represent two sides of the same coin. Cole outwardly has a reputation as a charming and careless rake, but inside he has a heart of gold. He has tired of the social scene which he sees as nothing more than a marriage mart, and is quite taken by Alicia's looks and personality, which are so different from the other young women who typically pursue him. I loved his innate sense of honor and his desire to protect Alicia at all costs. The only thing about Cole that didn't quite ring true is that there was an allusion to dark things in his past which made him think of himself as something of a blackguard, but nothing ever came to light that made him seem like anything less than a gentleman to me. He also spent a good deal of time fighting his feelings for Alicia, which didn't really seem necessary given the direction the story took. Nicholas is the gentle, patient beta hero who mostly contents himself with simply spending time with Alicia. I loved how the author built their relationship through everyday things like talking, walking, playing games and sharing of knowledge. Nicholas, however, is a scarred man who is literally shrouded in mystery from head to toe. Then there is our heroine, Alicia, who finds herself in the confusing position of loving them both. Sometimes it seems like she is trying to have her cake and eat it too, but she is not unlike many Regency heroines who find themselves in the untenable situation of being a penniless orphan from a financially strapped noble family, wanting to marry for love but needing to marry for money. Alicia initially can't quite forgive Cole for his duel with her brother which ultimately left him dead, and by the time she is able to, circumstances have already forced her to marry Nicholas. I thought that Alicia could have stood out a little more, but then again, she was a wallflower. What I liked most about her is that she had the intelligence to realize that her family's deaths may not have been the accidents that they seemed, meaning that she too was in danger, as well as eventually putting the pieces of the puzzle together to discover the game that her husband was playing. There was also a nice group of secondary characters including Cole's matchmaking Aunt Livvy and his three brothers (only two of whom actually appeared in the story) who all have wildly varying personalities. All in all, I thought it was a very well-rounded cast.

There were many things that I liked about The Stranger She Married, but one thing I thought could have been better was the murder mystery. To be honest, if the synopsis hadn't alluded to some danger and intrigue, I probably wouldn't have recognized the mystery for what it was until it was staring me in the face. There were very few clues and no red herrings to speak of, so I wouldn't have been able to even hazard a guess as to a suspect or motive. The answer to the puzzle is basically just handed to the reader on a silver platter. I like a little light mystery in my romances from time to time, but half the fun is in being given enough information to speculate about what's happening. Also, the denouement of the suspense was pretty cliched with the villain making one of those tacky deathbed confessions which I thought lacked finesse. Overall I felt that the mystery/suspense element could have been much stronger, and the general plot ideas could have been more original. In the end though, I found myself waffling a bit over my star rating, and if those two things had been a little better, the book probably would have earned keeper status from me. Otherwise though, I really enjoyed The Stranger She Married. The pacing was good, never lagging, and the story kept me engrossed and wanting to continue. Readers who like more historical ambiance in their Regency romances should find some pleasurable entertainment in this one. The Stranger She Married is the first in a planned series titled Rogue Hearts. According to Donna Hatch's website, the next book, Guise of a Gentleman, is due to be released sometime this summer, and although there are very few details about it yet, I strongly suspect that Cole's dashing pirate brother, Jared, will be the hero. In my opinion, The Stranger She Married was a good debut novel from a very promising and talented new author, and I definitely look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
… (mehr)
1 abstimmen
Gekennzeichnet
mom2lnb | 6 weitere Rezensionen | Sep 11, 2022 |
A nice short story, reminding us of how we use what we hear to determine our perspectives on people and whether we like them or not.
 
Gekennzeichnet
JevKim | Apr 22, 2022 |

Listen

Auszeichnungen

Dir gefällt vielleicht auch

Nahestehende Autoren

Sarah M. Eden Contributor
Annette Lyon Contributor
Heidi Ashworth Contributor
Joyce DiPastena Contributor
Karen Peakes Narrator

Statistikseite

Werke
21
Mitglieder
254
Beliebtheit
#90,187
Bewertung
3.9
Rezensionen
24
ISBNs
31
Favoriten
2

Diagramme & Grafiken