Scandalous Miss Howard by Ryan

Scandalous Miss Howardby Anonymous

Reader Rating:
See Detailed Ratings

March 29, 2004: This is a heart rendering of a love that has gone from innocent to revenge. Young Ladd Dasheroon has tooken for granted his friends love since they were children (Laurette Howard)until one night on their joint birthday she is no longer the girl next door, but a beautiful young lady. They fall in love but hold back marrying each other because of their age and eventually the war. Now the part that is so heart breaking is the seperation that takes place and the fact that Young Ladd is so trusting of what should have been a true friend in Jimmy Tigart a youth whom he befriend for many years and whose poor status still enable him from the help of Ladd's father to enter West Point. Jealousy premiates throughout the story but young Ladd is a sweet innocent person that too much wrong was done to him which almost destroys his character. There is the subplot in the book about the injustice imprisonment of Ladd for more years that it should have been but the author is attempting to explain what happen to people who are just to naive to survive a cruel world. I felt there was good parts to the book, but Ms. Ryan did not give enough depth to Miss Howard. Even though she tried to explain the reason for the her marriage to Jimmy, I just did not buy it. And when Ladd shows up as Sutton Vane she did not recognize her one true love. Talkiing about shallow characters, Laurette had no strength of character but false pride. She came off to me as vain and weak, looking for a way to explain why she optated to marry what was obviously a scoundel, Jimmy Tigart. At the end Ladd (Sutton Vane) decides to not seek revenge on Laurette, but then she turns into a cold, unfeeling, shrew. I felt that Ms. Ryan should have spent more time with the ending, not the fast putting together Ladd and Laurette lovers for life. Also, there was too much time in their last meeting the years between, in which too much was given to the marriage of Jimmy and Laurette. If this had been true love then as a writer Ms. Ryan should have put more depth in placing the two main characters together faster and with a more rounded ending over all it was a good book but should have more explanation to their future life.

Scandalous Miss Howardby Anonymous

Reader Rating:
See Detailed Ratings

March 28, 2002: In Mobile, teenagers Ladd Dasheroon and Laurette Howard fall in love, which leads to deep resentment and jealousy from their friend Jimmy Tigart. Though Ladd and Laurette make love, they hold off their plans to marry until he returns from fighting for the Confederacy. The Northern soldiers capture Ladd and incarcerate him at Devil?s Castle. Northern soldier Jimmy learns about Ladd?s imprisonment and sends word to Laurette that her beau died. He travels to Alabama and in 1865 Jimmy marries the grieving Laurette.

Fifteen years later Sutton Vane arrives in Mobile. He courts Laurette with a passion rarely seen anywhere. Reluctantly and scandalously Laurette falls in love with Sutton who reminds her so much of her beloved Ladd. That is because Sutton is Ladd seeking vengeance on the woman who betrayed him during the Civil War. The only problem for Ladd is that he still loves his Laurette even if he does not trust her with his heart.

THE SCANDALOUS MISS HOWARD is an exciting post Reconstruction Era romance that shows that as late as 1880 the impact of the Civil War and its aftermath on people. The strong story line is filled with depth, yet trivializes the war through how easily Ladd, Jimmy and another associate ?meet?, which leads to the feel of a local skirmish rather than the vast destruction. Still fans of nineteenth century tales will find Nan Ryan?s betrayed lovers a powerful tale.

Harriet Klausner