All The Tea in China

I’ve been avoiding reviews. That whole mess with the new law took the fun out of it for me ~ making me measure every word and consider it more of a job than an opportunity to share good books. Having said that….

Here is one I just have to tell you about:

Title: All the Tea in China

Author: Jane Orcutt

ISBN: 978-0800731793

When I saw the front cover and read the words: A Rollicking Regency, I got goose bumps. I love Regency era romances. I could just picture the witty banter and the dresses… So many historical romances these days seem focused on the Wild West – or are remakes of Austen (which I do like – but a new story is so nice). Plus look at that cover ~ she has a sword of all things! That certainly makes it interesting already. It is also a very pretty cover. The back shows her whole gown - and she is gorgeous --- so the whole pretty lady and this sword in her hands... it grabs my attention right away. So I crossed my fingers, hoped for the best, ordered and waited… not so patiently. :o)

I was not disappointed. Isabella and Phineas are not at all what anyone expects them to be. They surprise everyone around them and each other. My problem with tackling this review is in telling you anything about this book without giving away any of those surprises. They start so early in the story and just keep going from there.

Let me just say that she did an excellent job painting a picture. I could see the characters, feel the ocean spray and the rocking of the ship… hear Phineas’ voice telling Isabella a story, see Isabella and Julia walking arm and arm under the scrutiny of the fellow passengers… I could even see the poor midshipmen taking their exams on the deck while Isabella watched them tying knots. She made the scene come alive without boring, long descriptions. It was almost like watching a movie instead of reading a book.

I loved the way the author tackled a different side of this era. She covered a social issue without sacrificing the romance in any way. You also felt the characters grow in so many ways – not just closer to each other – but more mature… It was exciting and the side plots were very interesting. This author has earned a place on my favorites list.

I hope you’ll add it to your list of books to read.