This is the book that convinced me I don’t read Jo Goodman solely for the romance, because there was almost no “romance” in this one, yet I still really enjoyed it.
I’ve been listening to Goodman’s Compass Club quartet on audio, read expertly by Jenny Sterlin. The series revolves around four friends who were schoolmates together at Harrow, sworn enemies of the Bishops, a rival group. As adults, they occasionally work for the British government through their contact, the mysterious Colonel Blackwood, and end up battling the nefarious Society of Bishops. The stories occur contemporaneously, which is great fun for the reader.
Everything I Ever Wanted is the third second book, the story of Matthew Forrester, Earl of Southerton (“South”) and actress India Parr. This book is very much like the second book (All I Ever Needed), in that the hero and heroine are both very good, nearly perfect, people, but the heroine finds herself dependent on some horrifically bad people and is reluctant — mainly to protect the hero, but also due in part to shame and learned helplessness — to reveal exactly who is oppressing her and why.
In both books, the conflict in the first half was mainly waiting for the heroine to Spit. It. Out. In the second half (maybe 1/3), it was external conflict – getting the heroine’s situation fixed by neutering the villain.
If this make me sound critical, I don’t mean it to — I have now read four books by this author and I considered each one a delight. I love her writing. I feel liked I’ve been whisked back to Regency England more convincingly than most other historical romance authors I read. I also love the dialogue and the intelligence of the heroes and heroines. I guess we all have our fantasies: as I said in my review of All I Ever Needed, mine is living in a world where everybody is this good, smart, this interesting, this witty, and this well-spoken. Sigh.
I happen to also enjoy careful psychology in my romances, and in this book, as in All I Ever Needed, most of the action is really in the thoughts and dialogue of the hero and heroine. I find myself hanging on the edge of my seat to hear what the next move in one of their conversations is. It’s very detailed — some might find it labored — but I love it:
Smiling weakly, she accepted the glass and drank. “He thinks I’m guilty, doesn’t he?”
“It would be truer to say that he is still willing to be convinced otherwise.”
The laughter that bubbled to India’s lips held not a whit of good humor. She glanced at South uneasily.
“There is not very much difference there.”
“There is enough, India. Help me prove where your innocence lies.”
She did not know what to say to that. Had there ever been a time she could lay claim to innocence?
Yes, of course there had, but it was so very long ago that it seemed more often another person’s life. The glass in her hand was cool, and she held it against her temple for a moment, easing the growing ache just behind her eye.
“Is it a megrim?” asked South.
India shook her head and lowered the glass. “Nothing so wicked as that.” She looked up at him and asked frankly, “Why would you want to help me? If you are honest, you know you are only a little less certain of my guilt than the colonel. How can that be enough for you to want to do anything on my behalf?”
He hesitated. It was not merely that he wondered what she was prepared to hear, but that there were those things he was not necessarily prepared to admit. “Quid pro quo,” he said finally.
“What?”
“You may call it quid pro quo.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You extended your trust to me once,” he reminded her. “I would offer the same to you.”
“I see.” Was she disappointed? India didn’t know.
This novel verges into horror at points. The revelations of who has India under his thumb, what he did to her, and why he did it, shocked the heck out of me. I am not sure I have ever read anything darker in a romance novel. Even more interesting, and disturbing, was India’s compassion and defense of her tormentor. She may have gone beyond the fine line of feminine stoicism and empathy and right into abject victimhood. I would have been happier if she showed more anger, more spark, more interest in her own welfare. Even her acting career seemed not to matter to her.
I said in the beginning that this isn’t much of a romance, and it isn’t. I honestly have no idea how these two fell in love, or when. I don’t think there is a single line of mental lusting, or even internal thoughts about love towards the other person. When they have sex, it’s about as sexy as an ob/gyn exam. India says “You will have me now.” And he does. End of story. I kind of like being let in on the feelings on the h/h when I read romance. If you really enjoy courtship and sexual tension in your romances, this is not the book for you.
Everything I Ever Wanted worked for me as a compelling story about interesting characters. I look forward to reading the other two books in the series.
I was so not down with the villain and his joy in painting trees in such a way that made me go, WTF? I think Jo did more than enough unneeded shocks that made me think of a soap opera with all the reveals.
India fell on her feet too much after many things she endured. And why would she become an actress on the stage where so many would know her? Shouldn’t she have remained under the radar because psycho painter guy was trying to find her because she was he ultimate canvas?
If I had read only this book, I’m not sure I would have wanted to read any other Goodman. Lucky for me, I was raised by anal retentives. I read all four Compass Club books last year and came away with a real respect for Goodman’s writing (despite the villain in this one making me feel like I needed that shower that Meryl Streep took in “Silkwood”).
Just FYI, I’m pretty sure this is actually the 2nd book, though in this instance it doesn’t matter that much.
Though it’s probably best to read the 1st one first and the 4th one last.
“If you really enjoy courtship and sexual tension in your romances, this is not the book for you.”
I was a big Jo Goodman fangirl once, I used to wait anxiously for her books. The Dennehy Sisters and Thorne Bros. trilogy are my favorite. It was the Compass Club that broke me, I just couldn’t get through them and I couldn’t figure out why that was. Your comment above put it in perfect perspective.
Regardless, Goodman is a superior author.
Heartless, a dark dark Balogh (Georgian setting) has a horrific villain … and like India, the heroine, Anna has her reasons for not revealing the unreavealable. I’ll share one “not” secret, since all is discovered on the wedding night. Anna is not a virgin, but she says she’s never been with a man … how can that be? It’s a marriage of convenience with all the courship and love happening on the other side of the marriage. http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=1972
I read this one a while ago and I can’t remember what I thought of the romance but I don’t remember being disappointed. I really like Jo Goodman and I thought the Compass Club series was excellent.
@Janet W – Heartless is my very favourite Mary Balogh book. I heart Luke!
Goodman’s voice just doesn’t work for me. I’ve tried to read her books again and again, because everything I hear about them makes me think I would love them, but I just can’t get through more than a couple of pages at a time. Even with the little bit of dialogue you quoted, my mind kept wandering off. Too bad
You have hooked me…but good. I am heading out on errands and Jo Goodman will be one of them. I will let you know what I thought after I read. Thanks for the new Author!
Mame
It’s been years since I read these books, but after reading the comments I reminded that this was my least favorite of the quartet.
Since Janet W. is my reading twin, it should come as no surprise that in my humble opinion, Heartless is the best book Balogh has written.
@Kaetrin, saying one Balogh out of so many is “the best” is almost impossible for me but yes, right up there!
@Phyl … if we’re reading twins (and What a Compliment!) you won’t mind lending me your copy of the upcoming anthology, “It Happened One Season” … just can’t wait! http://www.marybalogh.com/news.html
@RRRjessica I usually can’t break up series but I don’t care much for West’s book: too dark … but this comes close. As beautifully written as it admittedly is, the villain and his effect on India’s life, is hard reading. But what a hero! Also, a heroine/actress (and not an actress/mistress) is a welcome change too. Like Blanche in Jo Beverley’s Rogue series goes from mistress –> wife & still is actress, as is Belle in Christmas Belle (Balogh) but it’s not that common. And the “happening in real time” across 4 books is really fantastic! Why did I like Goodman doing it and thought Quinn rode the idea (not successfully imo!) all the way to the bank with her matched duke books?
@Janet W, Hah! There are certain things even twins don’t share. Nobody’s touching that autographed copy but me!
I have only read Jo Goodman’s more recent books, and they are among my favorites. I’ve started collecting her backlist titles for eventual reading. I just love the way she writes. I also think that she’s one of the few historical romance writers I’ve found who handles sensitive issues, particularly sexual abuse, in a way I can stomach.
@katiebabs: I agree that the actress thing made little sense, but the abuse worked for me.
@Karenmc: I agree with you that this is not the place to start with this author.
@willaful: Thanks for the correction.
@Scorpio M.: I will have to go back and read the Dennehy Sisters and the Thorne Trilogy, then. Besides the Compass Club, I have only read her newest books.
@Kaetrin: There are many similarities between the two Compass books I have read. I can see forgetting which book is which very quickly after reading them.
@Rosario: I agree that she has a very distinctive voice — and I can see not liking it. But I actually find her similar in some ways to an author you love, Meljean Brook. Like Meljean, Goodman constructs very exciting conversations, with a lot of emotion, subterfuge, deflection, red herrings, and a lot of deep psychology between each sentence spoken.
@Mame: Please let us know what you think.
@Phyl: I read a few Baloghs before I started blogging, but by no means all of them. I’ve put Heartless on my TBB!
@Janet W:
I don’t know. I absolutely hated those Quinn books, with a probably quite unfair intensity. Yet I love how it works in this series. I think with Quinn, I felt the “trick” drove the plot, while in the Goodman, I feel the plot drives the trick.
@SonomaLass:
Agreed. In most other author’s hands, I would have felt the sexual abuse of India was meant to titillate, and I would have felt slimy reading it, much as I often do when reading romantic suspense or garden variety thrillers, where violence against women works essentially like pornography — a kind of turn on, devoid of significance or pathos.