The Edge of Impropriety By Pam Rosenthal

FINALLY finished with this one.

I think I would have enjoyed this more if the author had spent more time on the sex and less time congratulating herself on her own cleverness. The writing is both self-conscious and smug; toward the end a minor character thinks (thinks!) the word synecdoche, which is immediately followed by a brief definition, AND a disapproving reminder that an educated person would already know it. Urgh! There are frequent mentions of historical details so insignificant to the story that readers can't miss the look-what-I-found-out-ness behind them. And perhaps most annoying of all, periodically a character will think or say something along the lines of if this were a novel, something very obvious would happen here, or worse, this is just what would happen in a novel. Which does not excuse the obviousness of this novel.

I did like most of the characters (but PLEASE spare me meddling children in romance novels), though none ever seemed fully developed. Marina was especially unfocused. What exactly was Rackham's dirt on her? Where did that impoverished sister so suddenly come from? What about the lesbian stepdaughter? On the other hand, who really cares? I didn't, and I never felt fully convinced that I should have. In the end, none of it seemed to matter anyway. Whenever even the tiniest hint of a plot appeared to be developing, it would resolve itself off-screen in the least interesting way possible.

I really, really wanted to like this, but in the end, I just can't figure out how this won a RITA. English A bright brief affair between two seemingly incompatible people. A romance in the old-fashioned sense of the genre.

I found The Edge of Impropriety on a display of books that had never been checked out at my favorite library. I can't say why it languished on the shelf for five years, but I can say that it's a damn shame.

Perhaps the style of the prose is a bit much for your average reader. While the jacket blurb is written in the usual simple, catchy way of such things, the novel itself is written in a style reminiscent of the Regency period that serves as its setting. For someone like me, who grew up almost exclusively reading novels written prior to 1900 (except for the surreptitious devourings of such forbidden fruit as Outlander), the style is comfortable. For the average reader looking for an erotic romance, it may be a bit much. The sex is there, oh yes, but it's done very tastefully and eloquently, leaving room for the imagination to fill in the gaps.

There are a few different narratives interwoven through the pages of The Edge of Impropriety, some more successful than others. But I suppose the only one that really matters was done very well. I enjoyed the mixture of perspectives, and the infrequent use of italics to indicate thoughts (too much of that is annoying). And while there were the usual misunderstandings and misadventures required to make a romance work, they were entirely reasonable. I suppose there was only so little drama that could be had, as the heroine was in her late thirties, and the hero somewhere in his late forties (although the precise age was unclear). As I grow older, I find I appreciate more mature characters. Gone are my days of the bodice rippers with sixteen year old brides (and good riddance).

After having recently read such things as Lord Savage and Rush by Maya Banks (both of which I enjoyed), the more subtle stylings of The Edge of Impropriety were refreshing, and I'll be rescuing Pam's other books from my library's shelves.

Take It 336 Straight up, archive.org is a jewel. 9780451222305 Was in the mood for a comfort read, and picked up an older, RITA award-winning Pam Rosenthal off my shelf. The trade paperback size indicates that this falls on the intellectual end of the historical romance spectrum, not a place where too many authors are writing these days, alas. Love the intertwined romances of the mature couple (a thirty-something countess with a scandalous/sad past and a forty-something antiquary scholar with his own past disappointments) and the younger one (the antiquarian's beautiful, fashionable nephew and the buttoned-up but observant governess of his niece), which are both sharply and warmly drawn. Also love the intelligence of the characters and the writing.

Will be tempted to go back and read Rosenthal's entire oeuvre now... Pam Rosenthal I’ve been keeping this book on my ‘break glass in case of emergency’ shelf. Finally felt I needed the feels. It was â€" as expected â€" a minor masterpiece. The subtle way rosenthal builds this world, the complexity of the emotions, the yearning, the sex â€" nobody does it better.
I didn’t quite love it as much as ‘the slightest provocation’ because the resolution between the h and H isn’t as satisfying. But the B plot is of such delicious sweetness, it almost makes up for it. 9780451222305

Marina Wyatt, popular novelist and beautiful Countess of Gorham, is irresistible fodder for gossip columns, in which her ribald private life is the stuff of public scandal. Of course, Marina's too sharp and resourceful not to realize that the publicity helps sell her romances. In fact, the release of her latest novel happens to coincide with the rebuff of her current lover, the handsome and frivolous gadabout, Sir Anthony Hedges, opening the door to an unexpected and totally consuming new affair.

Anthony's uncle, the noted scholar and antiquarian, Jasper James Hedges, has arrived in London to appraise the art of a wealthy collector. In Marina he sees a priceless work of art of another kind. And for all of Marina's passionate inventions, nothing can compare to what Jasper deliversâ€"an erotic adventure of intrigue and betrayal...a dangerous voyage to the edge of impropriety and beyond. The Edge of Impropriety

I'm almost glad that I didn't review this book right after I finished it because I still have the same sensory reaction that I did in the immediate aftermath, even though the plot is a little hazier in my mind. This book is like fruit that has been sitting in the sun, slightly overripe but still incredibly sweet, a bit sticky. There's no refined neatness here: instead it's overindulging in lunch and stolen sculptures and asking your secret son for tailor recommendations.

Marina is a vivacious widow and writer whose success is partially hinged on the ton guessing who exactly she's getting her inspiration from. Her faux muse is a God of a young man named Anthony, but Marina is much more interested in Anthony's uncle Jasper, a scholar and collector. Jasper and Marina only have nothing in common if you aren't paying attention (party girl and recluse!), but they love art, they love literature, they love each other. Their affair seems like the most natural thing in the world, even though there's no forgone conclusion.

Rosenthal has a specific gift for setting that I don't think I've ever encountered in a historical romance before. There's a slight remove from the character's interiority that sets her apart from Judith Ivory or Sherry Thomas, but I felt like I could hear, smell, and taste everything. I can't wait to read the rest of her work.

045122230X This was quite unlike anything I've ever read before, except perhaps, my last Pam Rosenthal, Almost a Gentleman' [which, memorably, contained a fisting scene [!!] that was somehow sexy and romantic and is also great and you should read it]. It is baffling to me that The Edge of Impropriety has such a low average rating on this site. It doesn't quite make five stars but it's a solid 4.5.

Rosenthal writes mature, adult, modern books, yet she does so in a style which somehow feels like classic Regency writing. She has far more in common with say, Carla Kelly, than she does with Tessa Dare or Courtney Milan. This is not a contemporary in long dresses or even approaching that status but the writing feels fresh. Sometimes that heavier Regency style requires a little more from the reader (which is why I felt almost regretful that I couldn't sit down and glom this over a consistent period of time because I'm sure that I've overlooked some of the magic and the intelligence at work here). There's a subtlety to the characters and their interactions (Rosenthal says it best in the book itself: ‘In a certain situation what was left unsaid might be as important as what was on the page…’ (loc 2560)) and the characterisation overall but the whole book feels incredibly, lavishly detailed. There were some moments where I read a phrase, or a paragraph, or the thought of a character and thought: ‘damn it, why can’t I write like that?’

The novel is multiple POV. So in addition to the H/h we hear from no less than four other major characters and they're all important and they all speak with their own distinctive voices. Sydney, the young girl on the cusp of adolescence, worked particularly well for me.

There's a playfulness to the writing. Marina, the heroine, is an author of scandalous society novels and Sydney is a wannabe authoress which allows Rosenthal to muse on the creation of a novel and characterization and so on. The art of writing is a theme, and, given what she's created, Rosenthal herself is obviously a student.

But let’s get to the nitty gritty: the romance. We have two fantastic central characters. Jasper, studious, academic, wracked with guilt, unsure how to relate to his son and in an adorable surrogate father relationship with Sydney. And Marina wonderful, intelligent Marina who had faced an awful lot and was stronger for it. In Marina’s case her background is never that fully explored (we learn, I think, everything we need to know, but Rosenthal doesn’t lay it on thick) but that’s part of the subtlety I was talking about. Rosenthal trusts her readers to know and understand how the characters have developed into the people they are.

There were certain things about their romance that I loved. Ok, one really significant thing: the chemistry and following on from that: the sex. Holy hells bells: the sex. If you want to read explicit, yet romantic, yet subtle, yet non-purple sex: this is the book for you. There is an anal sex scene in this book and it is amazing in the depth of feeling it conveys. In addition, it is amazing because it assists the development of the romance and the relationship of the H/h. The book is somewhat insta-love (some might say insta-lust, but I don’t think that gives Rosenthal enough credit). This is a rare example of love at first sight working for me. I believed it and I was invested in the relationship from the very first meeting.

Why does it drop half a star? Whilst the love at first sight worked, our H/h don’t do much talking, and, what can I say? I likes my banter. I remember this being an issue with ‘Almost a Gentleman’ as well. If Rosenthal could add some of that in â€" she’d be knocking this out of the park with a five star. The secondary character POVs worked for me but I did feel towards the end of the novel that they were given too much page time (partly to wrap up the charming secondary romance) and our H/h were separated for too long. For some readers these issues might lead to a slashing of more than just a half star but I cannot in good conscience give this book less than 4.5, I thought it was pretty brilliant.

Oh, and the cover art does not contain a half naked man, nips out, with no chest hair. Hurrah! 336 This year's RITA winner in the Historical Category. I can see why. Very different sort of romance--the kind you'd like to write, but couldn't get an editor to accept. Yet, Rosenthal did find a publisher of this tender story between a middle-aged novelist at the very end of the regency period and a bachelor antiquarian who has been raising his brother's two children. 336 I thought Provocation was good; this one is better. It hits my buttons: the Greek mythology, the cheeky candor, the two mature people who know who they are and what they want and yet still learn and grow. It’s earthy and funny and I’ve been waiting to call a book “earthy” since I started this project. (There’s one scene in the middle that, holy smokes, it is HOT.)

The supporting cast of Helen, Sydney, Anthony only adds to the story. Impetuous youth vs. the fullness of middle age. Jasper unfolds like a flower. The blackmailing Rackham is the one shaky note, but I like how his role resolves abruptly and ties a few threads together, so that earns a pass.

In fact, I’d say it’s not unlike Jane Austen, but with the added complexity of sex. That’s how I’d go back in time to sell this book to myself, and I’d read it all over again. 9780451222305 5 immortal stars

This gentle and poetic novel unfolds like a tapestry amid a vivacious London season at the very end of the Regency Era.

The main love story between a 36 yo novelist, Mari(n)a, and Jasper, a middle aged scholar, is both steamy and endearing, thanks to Rosenthal’s evocative prose. One can’t help but feel for their well hidden insecurities and fear of rejection. It’s not easy to allow another person the benefit of your trust, when life has taught you to fend for yourself. I waited with bated breath while they slowly but inevitably shed their armour and carved a place in each other’s life.

“….the damage was done. By making her love him, he’d taught her who she was and what she wanted. The frightening question was whether he could bear to know it as well.”

I found the secondary romance between the ‘very decorative’ sir Anthony and the family’s governess, Helen, equally irresistible and touching. It’s incredible how well developed it is, despite it being devoted 30% of the entire story. Governess x Lord of the Manor romances are my soft spot, so finding one portrayed so beautifully was an unexpected treat.

“Under blowing clouds, a high, hot afternoon sun moved slowly across the sky. Move more slowly, she commanded it. Because if she couldn’t have him forever, she’d make right now feel like it would never end.” This passage reads like pure poetry.

The story is told through multiple POVs, a choice which allows for a dynamic narrative pace and I would normally be slightly annoyed by the non linear timeline sometimes featured in the novel, but in this case it skilfully portrayed to a delicate web of human emotions. I loved the psychological depth given to every single character, even to the most vile antagonist.

The parallels to the ancient world and its mythology and art were always apt and never redundant, and well suited the historical context and the characters’ own struggles. It’s not often you find a clever critique of the English occupation of Ireland in a HR.

After appreciating Rosenthal’s talent in ‘The bookseller’s daughter’ and ‘The slightest provocation’, this book has irrevocably made her one of my favorite authors in the genre. The Edge of Impropriety