Dreaming

I typically enjoy Ms Barnett’s work, a lot. But this was a trial. It’s hard to get excited for a heroine who is so annoyingly stupid, birdbrained and lacking in sense or self respect. Hero slightly better, but only slightly. The characters in both books in this short series are so much alike there is little to choose between them. Bewitching is better, marginally.

"Letitia Olive Hornsby believed in fate, in hearts destined, in love at first sight. And she had loved him forever." At age eleven, she met Richard Lennox, her next-door neighbor, and the man of her dreams. She watched him ride his white steed onto the bridge, and knew it was love at first sight. Then she accidentally knocked him into the river. Richard, now the Earl of Downe, has been the object of Letty's affections for years. He has also been the object of her good intentions, which continually go astray. Like the time she accidentally dislocated his shoulder, or when she drove his curricle over his foot, forcing him to use a cane for two months. Richard's friends have been concerned about him of late, and finally convince him to return home from London. He's been putting all his effort into running from his mental demons, by indulging in drinking, gambling, dueling, and bedding every willing woman he could find. Now that he's home, things are about to get even worse. Letty, or as Richard refers to her, "the Hornsby hellion", is spying on him from a tree, and has another mishap. This mishap results in their capture by smugglers, who place them together in a cell aboard ship. And to make matters worse for Richard, Letty's "hellhound" dog, Gus, is also captured with them. Being trapped with Letty for days at sea may prompt him to realize his feelings for her...if Letty doesn't sink the ship before they manage to escape.This is the sequel to "Bewitching" which I accidentally read in the wrong order. I believe this may be the funniest story Ms. Barnett has written. I don't think I've ever laughed so much while reading a book. But it isn't all laughs because the story is also very sweet and touching. You may even shed a tear. I read this book in one day because I absolutely couldn't put it down. Letty is the klutz with a huge heart, who sees the world through rose-colored glasses, and loves Richard unconditionally. Richard is the bad boy who suffers the pain of all her accidents, and tries to chase her away for her own good, but can't help falling in love with her. Normally, I don't read books more than once very often, but I know I will read this one again. This is one of my all-time favorite romance novels, and it will remain on my keeper shelf. I really do recommend you read "Bewitching" first, because characters from that story are brought back here, and I remember feeling there was a history about them unknown to me. "Bewitching" is an extremely good read also. So, read both...you won't be disappointed!!

This is actually on my keeper shelf. I've read it countless times and if you're in the mood for a light, kind of fluffy, careless read that is funny and sweet, this is it. It's a sequel to Ms. Barnett's Bewitching, which was also a lovely story. I think you should read that first to maybe get a full impact but the book can stand alone if need be.In this book, Letty, the heroine is a dreamer. Extremely silly and innocent, she contrasts with our hero, Richard who is cynical and jaded. Letty's somewhat accident prone which is often agonizing for Richard since he's often the brunt of her humorous accidents. She loves him and is convinced that he's a hero (really) despite him insisting that he isn't. It's a very amusing and touching story on the way to find out who's actually right. Almost all the secondary characters from Bewitching are included. Joy, Alec, Joy's Aunt, Seymour and several new characters as well. It's very well written and put together. It is also very imaginative and I can't describe enough just how funny it is.

But Letty, the awkward, disaster-prone, girl-next-door, sees that the true Richard is indeed the knight-on-a-white charger that she's dreamed of all her life. The hard part is convincing Richard of that....I don't normally care for reluctant heroes, nor heroines who wear their hearts on their sleeves. But there's something about Jill Barnett's writing that makes it acceptable--the characters, the dialog, the hilarious situations, the suggestion that the most unlikely dreams can actually come true in spite of all odds.I haven't read "Bewitching" either, but you can be sure I will as soon as I get hold of a copy. In fact, I'm going to be hunting as many of Jill Barnett's backlist as I can find!

This is my favorite book, possibly of all time. My copy is falling apart. The characters, established in its predecessor Bewitching, begin as shallow characters. However, through the course of the novel, they begin to reasons for their behavior and they leap off the page and into my heart every time. Richard becomes the hero that he hints at in Bewitching. Letitia reminds me of all the antics I have done in the name of childhood love. The two characters just evolve throughout their journey together. Notable secondary characters include Neil, Giana, Letitia's father (whose name escapes me right now), and of course Alec and Joy and the MacLean, and a cast of smugglers. I recommend this book to anyone who can stay long enough to hear me rave about this book.

At first, i really hated Letitia. I thought she had no pride. She only thought of her feelings for Richard, and gave no thought to how others might perceived her feelings. But slowly, I started to admire and respect her courage. She is brave enough to say how she feels, with no strings attached. Slowly, like Richard, I came to care for her and to feel the pain that she was ffeling. Jill Barnett has really done wonders with this character that you just feel like you are in her shoes. Towards the end, you begin rooting for her happiness, and Jill Barnett has delivered it with style and full of charm. A definate MUST!!!!!