Playing with Fire

I cannot agree with the reviewer from Newton, Ma. This book is a fantastic read by anyone's standards, and I only wish it were longer. The heroine, Tansy, is sympathetic yet strong, the hero, Martin, is delicious! The villain and villainess get their comeuppance by the end, but in the meantime have one whale of a time being wicked. And if the cats are clever, it's because cats ARE clever. Doesn't everyone know that? This book is one that I will definitely read again and again, and I recommend everyone to try it too..

"Playing with Fire" is an incredibly enjoyable read that is brimming with all kinds of plot devices from Egyptology to magic, to two incredibly intelligent cats, incriminating letters, a missing heir and a blossoming romance between the poor relation (the heroine, Tansy) and a dashing naval officer (the hero, Martin Ballard). But what makes this novel all the more noteworthy is that the authour has not only managed to control all these plot devices in a deft manner, so that we're never overwhelmed, but she has also managed to keep things light and entertaining. And this, is no mean feat!Rich, beautiful and incredibly spoilt Amanda Richardson, is on her way back to England in order to marry Randal Fenworth, the Earl of Sanderby. Amanda is also being accompanied by her plain and sweet natured cousin, Tansy, who is also (unfortunately) poor as a church mouse, and who is often the butt of Amanda's cruel jibes and tantrums. The journey back to England for the two young ladies however is anything but smooth: first their ship flounders and is wrecked, then they are kidnapped by pirates, and only narrowly escape being captured by the French before they are rescued by a dashing naval officer, Martin Ballard. Tansy falls for Martin almost as soon as she claps eyes on him, but Martin only seems to have eyes for Amanda. And when Amanda discovers that Tansy is quite smitten with the naval officer, she spitefully sets out to win Martin's regard. Will Martin fall under Amanda's spell? Or will he see past the veneer of beauty to the cold and callous heart that lies beneath? And what of Tansy's quiet regard for him?I've only outlined the subplot dealing with Tansy's and Martin's rocky path towards happiness -- there are also two other subplots that are as interesting and as compelling, and they deal with an incriminating letter that could affect Amanda's ambition to be the reigning London belle, and another dealing with Egyptian artifacts and a magical piece of papyrus. And all in all, this was an incredibly fun read. The plot unfolded smoothly and briskly, and the characters were realistically and well depicted. However, I'll admit that this novel's greatest strength (for me anyway) was the novel's villainess, Amanda. Spoilt, manipulative, self-centered and vicious though she was, the novel only really came alive when she was 'on the scene.' Which was a little disconcerting for me as I usually prefer romance novels with heroines like Tansy. But in this instance, Tansy was completely upstaged by Amanda, and this was actually a good thing, because otherwise this novel may have ended being a little bit of a bland read.

Even if you don't ordinarily care for cats-in books or out of them-you're sure to adore Ozymandias and Cleopatra, the feline hero and heroine of this scrumptious book. No, they're not the main characters, exactly, but they're certainly very strong protagionists, nonetheless. Of course, there are a human hero and heroine, as well-in fact, two sets, plus the most delicious villain and villainess you'll come across in a great many pages.And, if that's not enough, there's just a hint of magic here and there, interwoven with the exotic ambiance of Ancient Egypt. Not a time-travel, however, but rather, because of the French military presence in Egypt around 1800, the British were there, also. In fact, the Rosetta stone, which unveiled the ancient Egyptian heiroglyphs, was discovered there in 1798, and brought to England for further scrutiny. Sir Julian Richardson has never married, although he has most certainly loved. Frustrated at not being able to have his adored Felice as his own, he has turned his interest to Egyptology. His two brothers did marry, and each produced one daughter. Amanda is the blonde, beauteous one, whereas Tansy is the loving one. When Tansy's father died rather suddenly, she was sent to Constantinople, where Amanda's father served in the British diplomatic corps. When he was transferred to Australia, it was decided that both girls should return to England, and Hermione Entwhistle, the widow of an English vicar, is engaged as their chaperone. At this point, the troubles begin. Their British ship is attacked and sunk by pirates, and the women are abruptly cast ashore in a hidden and quiet branch of the Nile, where they fear being discovered by the French, who are noisily nearby, industriously preparing to abscond with a vast amount of stolen artifacts. Instead, the ladies are found by Tusun, a Mameluke who is friendly with the British, and who triggers their rescue.Lt. Martin Ballard has been put ashore on a reconaissance mission, and it is his aid that Tusun engages-along with, in the process-the theft of the French ship. Eventually, the humans and the artifacts-and one small tabby cat that Tansy has named Cleopatra-end up on a British ship heading homeward. Because Martin has been shot at and seriously wounded, they determine to put him ashore at Sir Julian's estate, along with the women, rather than risk the longer trip to Portsmouth. And then the fun begins in earnest! Amanda has been betrothed to the Earl of Sanderby-Randal Fenworth-Felice's son, as it happens, but whose father caused a scandal blackening Sir Julian's name among the scientific and historical societies of London. There is a secret in Randal's past, and fearing its discovery, he selected Amanda as his future bride because of her wealth. These two really deserve each other, for a shallower pair you'll never find anywhere. At about this point-while Martin is recuperating, and Amanda is busily trying to sneak out to see Randal-Ozymandias and Cleopatra decide to