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Ransome's Honor has a lot in common with one of my favorite books, Persuasion by Jane Austen. The main characters are both older with the maturity experience brings. The navy plays a large part as it is central to both Julia and William's families. A close-knit group of family and friends are easy to fall in love with, and an engagement that never happened is in their past. It's truly a pity that Julia and William were such frustrating characters who acted the opposite of their established backgrounds.

Full review: https://rebeccasreadingcorner.blog/review-kaye-dacus-ransomes-honor/ ( )

Wow. What can I say but UGH.

When I started reading this book, I was unaware it was Christian Fiction. It was rather light weight – the preaching, that is – and I was enjoying it. At first.

The writing is good and the plot line is pretty basic. What made this story turn from (as my husband likes to say) “the shit” to “some shit” is a lack of common sense and characters doing things out of their character.

That sounded strange, let me explain:

The book is about a young noble lady (Julia) who was in love with a sailor (William Randsome). He also loved her and her father approved…but he was prideful and did not want to marry her because he was poor. So he gets her hopes up and then dashes them before taking off to parts unknown. She sees hide nor hair of him for 12 years.

During those 12 years Julia moved to Jamaica to live with her mother. She became known for her common sense and ability to run the large plantation that her family owned. Julia moved to live with her father once her mother died. She is 29. At age 30 she will have complete control of her own personal finances ($30,000) and ownership (after her father dies) of the sugar plantation she currently runs.

Julia's father - an Admiral in the Navy - needs to go off for a short tour of duty and in order for Julia to have a female companion – even though she has friends – her father invites her aunt Augusta Pembroke (mother’s side by marriage) to live there. The aunt is grasping, greedy, scheming and a liar. You know, typical romance villain. The aunt has a son, Lord Drake Pembroke, who is a wastrel, a bad gambler, a womanizer, a cheat and he has managed to completely run the family fortune into debt. Which is due now. You know, typical romance villain. Of course, the aunt and son plan to force a marriage between Lord Drake and Julia before she can turn 30 so they can use all her money to have fun, buy crap, womanize, and gamble. You know, typical romance villains.

Julia and her father both realize that the Pembrokes are completely broke, that they have sold off the (Pembroke) family business and that they have nothing but contempt for the Navy. Julia's father is an Admiral in the Navy. Why would Julia's father leave him with Lady Augusta? It makes no sense.

Immediately Lady Augusta isolates a 29 year old Julia to keep her from associating with Navy wives. Ransome is brought in to help take care of Julia and possibly protect her from Lady Augusta. Ooookay.

Time and again the reader is treated to a litany of Julia telling herself how she has to respect her aunt's wishes because her aunt is her elder. Even as she finds out that Lady Augusta and her son are are looking to find a way to force Julia to marry Lord Drake so that he can take over her money. Even as she finds out that the Pembrokes are plotting to try to compromise her. It got really old really fast. You would think that Julia was 12 and not 29.

Throughout this somehow Julia and Ransome fall in love again.


More to come. ( )

Wow. What can I say but UGH.

When I started reading this book, I was unaware it was Christian Fiction. It was rather light weight – the preaching, that is – and I was enjoying it. At first.

The writing is good and the plot line is pretty basic. What made this story turn from (as my husband likes to say) “the shit” to “some shit” is a lack of common sense and characters doing things out of their character.

That sounded strange, let me explain:

The book is about a young noble lady (Julia) who was in love with a sailor (William Randsome). He also loved her and her father approved…but he was prideful and did not want to marry her because he was poor. So he gets her hopes up and then dashes them before taking off to parts unknown. She sees hide nor hair of him for 12 years.

During those 12 years Julia moved to Jamaica to live with her mother. She became known for her common sense and ability to run the large plantation that her family owned. Julia moved to live with her father once her mother died. She is 29. At age 30 she will have complete control of her own personal finances ($30,000) and ownership (after her father dies) of the sugar plantation she currently runs.

Julia's father - an Admiral in the Navy - needs to go off for a short tour of duty and in order for Julia to have a female companion – even though she has friends – her father invites her aunt Augusta Pembroke (mother’s side by marriage) to live there. The aunt is grasping, greedy, scheming and a liar. You know, typical romance villain. The aunt has a son, Lord Drake Pembroke, who is a wastrel, a bad gambler, a womanizer, a cheat and he has managed to completely run the family fortune into debt. Which is due now. You know, typical romance villain. Of course, the aunt and son plan to force a marriage between Lord Drake and Julia before she can turn 30 so they can use all her money to have fun, buy crap, womanize, and gamble. You know, typical romance villains.

Julia and her father both realize that the Pembrokes are completely broke, that they have sold off the (Pembroke) family business and that they have nothing but contempt for the Navy. Julia's father is an Admiral in the Navy. Why would Julia's father leave him with Lady Augusta? It makes no sense.

Immediately Lady Augusta isolates a 29 year old Julia to keep her from associating with Navy wives. Ransome is brought in to help take care of Julia and possibly protect her from Lady Augusta. Ooookay.

Time and again the reader is treated to a litany of Julia telling herself how she has to respect her aunt's wishes because her aunt is her elder. Even as she finds out that Lady Augusta and her son are are looking to find a way to force Julia to marry Lord Drake so that he can take over her money. Even as she finds out that the Pembrokes are plotting to try to compromise her. It got really old really fast. You would think that Julia was 12 and not 29.

Throughout this somehow Julia and Ransome fall in love again.


More to come. ( )

When the headstrong and independent Julia Witherington finds herself in a desperate situation in which her scheming relatives attempt to seize her family’s Caribbean plantation through forcing her to marry, she finds herself turning to a man her father respects, and who broke her heart over a decade ago.

When Julia fell in love with a young sailor so many years ago and expects his proposal, she is deeply wounded and betrayed. Still, she turns to the now respectable William Ransome in order to avoid this planned, forced marriage only to find her heart engaging once more.

Shades of Jane Austen’s Persuasion are evident in Kaye Dacus’ Ransome’s Honor, the first in an expected trilogy. This sweet, Regency-era romance features a great deal of political and military detail (due to Julia’s father and William Ransome’s involvement in the navy) with a capable, confident heroine who finds herself manipulated by the limitations of her role in society. Captain William Ransome is a noble and admirable hero who distinguishes himself by his dedication and protective love.

This is an enjoyable read for fans of modern Regency fiction, and it follows a fairly traditional Regency-romance format. However, there are strong hints of a more adventure-focused sequel, and finale to follow. I prefer the more sedate, traditional Regencies, so I am bidding this series adieu at the end of this first installment. If you choose to do the same, have no fear – there are no cliff-hangers here, and you can read this novel as a stand-alone.

Reviewed at quiverfullfamily.com ( )