Lady Fortescue Steps Out The Poor Relation series Book 1 edition by MC Beaton Romance eBooks
Download As PDF : Lady Fortescue Steps Out The Poor Relation series Book 1 edition by MC Beaton Romance eBooks 
The impecunious Lady Fortescue, widowed and alone save for two loyal, unpaid servants, has sold off almost all of the furnishings in her large Bond Street home and faces a grim future as a member of the aristocracy too proud to seek employment or charity, yet too poor to survive on the infrequent largess of wealthy relatives oblivious to her plight. Salvation arrives in the unlikely form of old Colonel Sandhurst, an equally impoverished retired military man who falls at her feet in a hunger-induced faint one afternoon in Hyde Park. The two decide to join forces the Colonel will share Lady Fortescue's home, and they will invite others of their station and situation to live with them and pool their resources. Thus is born what eventually becomes one of London's most popular hotels, The Poor Relation, to which the nobility flocks to enjoy the novelty of being waited upon by members of their own class.
ABOUT THE SERIES
One of London's most popular hotels provides a unique service for nobility – the novelty of being waited upon by members of their own class. Run by the blustery and sarcastic Sir Philip and the eccentric hoteliers' concerned mother hens, the still unmarried Miss Tonks and Lady Fortescue, the series hinges on the group's efforts to find suitable suitors for guests, to resolve the hotel’s solvency problems, and to triumph over the myriad of disasters that befall the hotel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
M. C. Beaton is the pen name of bestselling novelist Marion Chesney. The author has written under various names, most notably as M. C. Beaton for her Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin series. The Agatha Raisin novels have recently been adapted into a hit television show starring Ashley Jensen and are available to watch on Acorn TV. She is also the prolific writer of Regency romances, beloved for their wit and historical accuracy. The Poor Relation series, which chronicles adventures of love and scandal at one of one of London’s most popular hotels, has also been optioned for television. Marion has also has written under the names Sarah Chester, Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Marion Gibbons, Jennie Tremaine, and Charlotte Ward. Born in Scotland, the author began her writing career as a fiction buyer for a Glasgow bookstore and has worked as a theater critic, newspaper reporter, and editor. She has lived in the United States, but now splits her time between the Cotswolds, England and Paris, France.
Lady Fortescue Steps Out The Poor Relation series Book 1 edition by MC Beaton Romance eBooks
I have wanted to read a book by MC Beaton (aka Marion Chesney, etc) for some time and finally, due to an Audible Deal of the Day, snatch up my first one. Rather than one of her mysteries, I picked up one of her light Regency Romantic Comedies and it was a gem of a story that left me not only eager for the rest of the series, but for more of her books.Lady Fortescue Steps Out is the first book in the Poor Relations series. The series title says it all as this is the story of a group of people, starting with Lady Fortescue, who come together out of necessity. They are the poor relations of various high society families and they are sadly left to shift for themselves while their family and friends carry on. They struggle to maintain their gentility and rank with no income to support it.
At first, the story focused on the the overall series set up with the introduction of each 'Poor Relation' to the story, but then it became a dual focus of a reunion romance and how the Poor Relations open a hotel to help ends meet.
It is gently paced and the characters and setting well described so that I saw it all so well in my mind and enjoyed the company of this group. Sir Phillip persuades the others into the hotel venture and helps finances it by cunning and a relaxing of morals on his part though they all go right along with it. It was a unique set up in a Regency story and I was captivated by the hijinks going on. I enjoyed the humor throughout and the mild adventures of the Poor Relations group. The story was left open-ended for further adventures that will likely focus on each member of the group.
There is a romance that is surrounded by the greater story involving one of the Poor Relations and Lady Fortescue's ducal relation. Its a reunion romance of sorts since the pair met and danced once with neither forgetting the occasion. It becomes a class difference romance because Rachel is now in trade and her suitor is a duke, no less. Others connive to part them or put them together in a series of circumstances. I enjoyed the pair and thought their romance was handled well.
The audio narration was handled by the incomparable Davina Porter. She did well with the large cast of characters and voices. I've enjoyed her narration in other historical settings and she has a voice suited to these stories so well.
All in all, it was a splendid outing for my first book with the author. Happily my local library is well stocked. I would recommend this one to those who enjoy light and fun historical romance set in a wider story of a circle of friends.
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Lady Fortescue Steps Out The Poor Relation series Book 1 edition by MC Beaton Romance eBooks Reviews
This book is a treasure and happily, the start of a series. The writing is excellent with witty and descriptive turns of phrase that allow the reader to picture the scene or person exactly in their mind's eye. The characters are all those who have been shunted off into the category of the genteel poor. They have barely enough to subsist on, but not enough to buy new clothing or adequately heat their homes or feed themselves. Their families have preferred to forget them, assuming that they are alright.
At the beginning of the story Lady Fortescue, meets a gentleman in Hyde Park when he faints at her feet from hunger. She and Colonel Sandhurst come to the conclusion that by pooling their resources, they would both be better off. Pretty soon, they're trolling through the park again, loking for other poor relations who might want to live with them. They end up with a core group of six. The group decides that they don't really have enough money to keep up with the bills and heating and food, but what if they turned the house into a hotel and then they'd either make enough money or shame one of their rich relatives enough into buying them out.
The characters are interesting and well rounded. The lovely Miss James who became the cook because she was trained by her parent's French cook becomes the heroine of sorts for the romance in this story. The hero is the Duke of Rowcester, the nephew of Lady Fortescue, (and it turns out also related to Sir Philip, another of the poor relations). He had met and liked Miss James when she was first presented on the Marriage Mart, but after her first ball, she disappeared. It turns out that her father had an apoplexy and died during her first week in London and after that, her mother never returned and died within a short time also. The Duke is furious that his aunt is opening a hotel and Miss James shames him by explaining why they are all there and how his aunt was starving.
The plot is interesting, the insights into the foibles and pride of people are priceless and the writing is excellent with beautiful prose. The witty and insightful descriptions remind me of the writing of Jane Austen, gently poking fun, and yet so true. I like having to think about the genteel poor, to us, the lower middle class, who used to be upper middle class but kept sliding down and couldn't stop it. There's a lot of that still going around these days. There is a sexual scene at the very end, not graphic, but this is a clean read. I will look forward to reading the rest of the series about this little family.
Heat factor mild.
I have wanted to read a book by MC Beaton (aka Marion Chesney, etc) for some time and finally, due to an Audible Deal of the Day, snatch up my first one. Rather than one of her mysteries, I picked up one of her light Regency Romantic Comedies and it was a gem of a story that left me not only eager for the rest of the series, but for more of her books.
Lady Fortescue Steps Out is the first book in the Poor Relations series. The series title says it all as this is the story of a group of people, starting with Lady Fortescue, who come together out of necessity. They are the poor relations of various high society families and they are sadly left to shift for themselves while their family and friends carry on. They struggle to maintain their gentility and rank with no income to support it.
At first, the story focused on the the overall series set up with the introduction of each 'Poor Relation' to the story, but then it became a dual focus of a reunion romance and how the Poor Relations open a hotel to help ends meet.
It is gently paced and the characters and setting well described so that I saw it all so well in my mind and enjoyed the company of this group. Sir Phillip persuades the others into the hotel venture and helps finances it by cunning and a relaxing of morals on his part though they all go right along with it. It was a unique set up in a Regency story and I was captivated by the hijinks going on. I enjoyed the humor throughout and the mild adventures of the Poor Relations group. The story was left open-ended for further adventures that will likely focus on each member of the group.
There is a romance that is surrounded by the greater story involving one of the Poor Relations and Lady Fortescue's ducal relation. Its a reunion romance of sorts since the pair met and danced once with neither forgetting the occasion. It becomes a class difference romance because Rachel is now in trade and her suitor is a duke, no less. Others connive to part them or put them together in a series of circumstances. I enjoyed the pair and thought their romance was handled well.
The audio narration was handled by the incomparable Davina Porter. She did well with the large cast of characters and voices. I've enjoyed her narration in other historical settings and she has a voice suited to these stories so well.
All in all, it was a splendid outing for my first book with the author. Happily my local library is well stocked. I would recommend this one to those who enjoy light and fun historical romance set in a wider story of a circle of friends.
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