First, a disclosure: I'm a Brant fan and was offered the opportunity to read Proud Mary in advance of its public release. So I received a free copy. However, as I had already pre-ordered it, and I wanted to post a very positive review, I went ahead and paid for the extra copy.
There are already plenty of reviews posted on Amazon which provide detailed info regarding the characters and plot of Proud Mary, including one by Lady Wesley, which is so comprehensive it would be an ideal reference for readers (like me) whose memories need jogging when it comes to recognising characters from earlier titles in the Roxton series. Instead of duplicating them, I will just add a few reasons about why this latest Brant title totally captivated me.
I consider Brant to be amongst the top five HR authors currently being published. She does exemplary research and has the knack of creating a life (and setting) for her characters which rings true.
This is well demonstrated in Proud Mary, where the countryside, in particular, breathes magic for Christopher, Mary and her daughter, Teddy - and then entranced me, as well, to the point where I decided I'd like to be there, wandering through the Cotswolds Vale.
Brant also infuses her main characters with a great energy and credibility and, in the case of Proud Mary, genuine warmth. Nothing better exemplifies this than the scene where the reader meets Teddy for the first time. This happens just after we have first met the glorious Christopher (the previously mundane "Squire" now recast as the Adonis on horseback, with wondrous thighs in leather pants "painted on" and a legion of local girls and women swooning after him) and "proud" Mary (who is still somewhat of an enigma, although we know she is considered a "pretty" version only of the Autumn Duchess, Antonia).
Teddy bursts into the room, dressed in an eccentric way (by her loving mother) and immediately unifies the h and H (who have been arguing) because they both adore her.
Mary has leapt on to a chair, because she is terrified by Christopher's dog, which has bounded in with Teddy, bird in mouth. Christopher immediately moves to protect and reassure Mary, even though the dog is harmless. Teddy hugs and praises the dog but apologises to her mother - and, importantly, in no way patronises her for her irrational fear.
Teddy then capitulates to her mother's demand to change for dinner - to wear clothes she hates, solely because Christopher (aka her beloved Uncle Bryce) is joining them.
Teddy is a great character. She is being encouraged (separately) by Mary and Uncle Bryce to be happy and brave and yet to understand that the outside world will demand conformity of her.
Mary's strictures and hugs, plus Uncle Bruce's winks (and warm, loving household) are giving Teddy the inner strength to manoeuvre that minefield and this is immediately obvious.
Just that one factor of Proud Mary gives readers a sign for the rest of the story. These people all love one another. And they deserve a HEA together as a triumvirate. The way that happens, right through to the final scene in the treehouse, is, for me, one of the most powerful threads in the story.
Of course, there is also the passionate love affair between Christopher and Mary that excludes Teddy. It is just as powerful. It's romantic. It's full of angst. It requires Christopher to open up, to take chances, to overcome the anger (and, yes, "pride") of his past, as well as the prejudices that have restrained him. It requires Mary to open up, to overcome her "pride", to take on her mother, to see herself as someone who matters, as someone a man can lust after and love - and to realise that being with a good lover can be a revelation.
Proud Mary isn't just about Christopher, Mary and Teddy. Or just about their respective birth mothers. It's also about Christopher's adoptive parents (and the choices he makes when he discovers he is adopted).
Proud Mary is also about the Roxton family. As a fan of the family, I welcomed the glimpses of them, Antonia in particular. I also loved to see the young Duke in a new light. At first villified by Christopher, he is made more human and kind and giving, when seen with his children and with Teddy. He has been in my bad books since Autumn Duchess and I'm glad that Brant has now given him a male friend in Christopher, as well as providing him with the chance to be more understanding and warm.
Sometimes a long series can become a bore. Not so in this case. Proud Mary proves that the Roxton series is, in no way, a weakening prospect. Instead, it keeps on offering great new stories, with no dimunition in standards. Another five star title. Roll on the next one.
OR
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From the Publisher
More than a Big Dress
What does it take to make cover art that depicts the actual characters, fashions, locations, and even the jewellery described in the story? Find out in Lucinda Brant’s Proud Mary Cover Reveal blog post. See Mary and Christopher come to life in the Behind-The-Scenes covershoot video at the LucindaBrantAuthor YouTube channel. Details in the book.
Love History?
Explore the real people, places, and objects in Proud Mary on Lucinda Brant’s dedicated Pinterest board. Details inside the book.
About the author
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2017
- Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2017
Top reviews from other countries
- Kindle CustomerReviewed in Australia on April 25, 2021
A pleasure to listen to a good narrator tell a great story
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- Beatrix FitzeReviewed in Germany on June 5, 2017
Great read with an interesting plot and plenty of historical interest.
- WendyReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2017
Another wonderful addition to the Roxton Family Saga
- Crystal CarrReviewed in India on August 13, 2020
Another heart warming chapter in the Roxton saga
