Watch This! The Princess Bride

Our first movie of the month happens to rank among my all time favorite movies...ever. This is a movie which I can always watch, anytime, no matter my mood, and it will make me smile. Every time.

Like the book it was adapted from, the story of The Princess Bride is being told to a sick little boy by his Grandfather. The framing of the storybook gives you leave not to take the (rather absurd) story seriously, or at least not entirely seriously. Basically, Wesley is a farmhand who falls in love with Buttercup, a beautiful but air-headed girl. Wesley wants to make money for marriage, so he sets sail for distant lands, but his ship is captured along the way, and he is lost. And that is why Buttercup, concluding that she will never love again anyhow, becomes engaged to Prince Humperdinck, becoming the princess bride the title promised.

The delightfully silly story continues on with a kidnapping, sword fighting, battles of wit, and of course the infamous revenge story between Inigo Montoya and the six fingered man. The details make this movie the charming romp that it is, and of course you must watch it to appreciate that.

But since I'm including this in Romance Month, I am required to talk about the couple. Wesley and Buttercup have the simplest and most uncomplicated form of fairytale love there is to be had. They look at each other, and realize they're in love, and that's the end of that. Their journey to being together is fantastical in that it includes the overcoming of piracy and treachery and death. Most of the overcoming is done by Wesley, who is in all ways awesome--good at everything, persistent, and stubborn. Buttercup, on the otherhand, is intentionally useless. She is dumb and she is helpless, but she is pretty. He one credible trait is loyalty, and faith, in believing that Wesley will find a way to save her, always. And so, in this way, this is perhaps not my favorite story in terms of romance, despite the fact that it is a favorite movie.

I can't imagine there are that many people who haven't yet seen this movie--it's so much fun that it would be a crime not to see it.

On Triangle Trade: A Review of I Kissed an Earl by Julie Anne Long

The first book that I finished in 2013 has a horrible puny title, but it was a surprisingly good story.

Violet Redmond longs for novelty and excitement but is trapped in a world of glittering ballrooms and social niceties. When she overhears talk that suggests her missing brother, Lyon, may have taken up piracy, she seizes the opportunity to board a ship and seek him out. Captain Flint isn't happy to have a stowaway aboard his ship, but at the same time he's drawn in by Violet's tenacity and fierce loyalty. And so, naturally, a romance ensues despite their contrary goals.

Initially I thought Violet might make an annoying heroine, sort of flighty and clueless with her "Whoa is me, life is such a drag," attitude. And there is some of that. Be warned. There are a few select Too Stupid to Live moments where you will groan a bit. On the flipside, though, she's smarter and more adaptable than you might imagine, and her personality is surprisingly charming.

Flinn is very likeable, and a very good match for Violet. He's a man who has elevated himself from nothing to earl, and he needs this one last act to finally have the life he's always wanted. This makes his cause seem at least somewhat sympathetic to the reader, when we might otherwise be tempted to side with Violet. 

Overall I'd say that Long's books (this being my fifth one) have a strong readability. They're just easy to get through and digest, and they're very pleasant. She puts at least some effort into making each story different in tone and plot, which makes up somewhat for the lack of surprising or challenging content. Overall, I continue to recommend the Pennyroyal series both as a whole and individually. 4 stars for this book.

On Getting Shipwrecked: A Review of Castaway Dreams by Darlene Marshall

As promised, a review of a Castaway Dreams, by Darlene Marshall, a book that I read on a whim. Aren't whims fun?

The setting is the Atlantic ocean in 1817. Alexander Murray is a surgeon on a British Navy ship. When he meets fellow passenger Daphne Farnham, he quickly dismisses her as brainless and flighty. But when circumstances force him to be responsible for her, and when the two end up shipwrecked together, Alexander finds that there's more to Daphne than he ever suspected. Daphne trusts the dour doctor implicitly--until it becomes apparent to her that he is much younger and more virile than she initially thought. The attraction is mutual, and a love affair begins--but will it survive outside of their island paradise?

Positive Comments:

My goodness, this book is fun! Who doesn't occasionally think it would be nice to escape to an abandoned tropical island--especially with the right companion? Marshall does an excellent job at creating that grand adventure feel.

I liked Alexander. He's overly serious, but we are given enough background information on him to understand why. I like that he has a profession that he's fought hard for and cares about deeply. It's a nice relieve from the dukes and earls I often see in historical romance.

The banter between Alexander and Daphne is snappy and fun. It's an opposites attract kind of romance, and it works in so many ways. They have great chemistry, both sexually and in their ability to work together. I really love seeing a hero and heroine team up to achieve a goal--in this case, basic survival.

Critical Comments:

Daphne is easily my least favorite type of heroine--fairly shallow, naive, and at times just plain stupid. Unfortunately, she really is the perfect character to offset Alexander, so I can't entirely fault her. But there where some moments of "Oh my God, no one is this dumb!" accompanied by shaking of my Kindle to try to make the ignorance stop. The worst was when Alexander was trying to pretend she was his wife, for her own protection, and she couldn't figure out to play along. At that point, I was pretty sure she deserved to be eaten by cannibals.

Recommendation:

Fans of action driven historical romance--this one is for you! The romance is hot, the writing is smart, and the plot is just plain fun. 4 stars.