Definitely not a standard Regency: if you're looking for blushing debutantes, dashing heroes and glittery balls, you won't find them here. What you will find is an earthy and very realistic story of an unlikely friendship between a courageous but despairing vicar's widow with two young daughters and a cynical, rough-and-ready marquess. Winn is no ballroom dandy; he is a disgraced divorced man with no intention of ever marrying again. Then he meets Roxanna Drew and, without even realising it at first, is drawn to her.

The story contains a number of unexpected twists, but the underlying theme is of two people betrayed by love, who find it difficult to trust, and yet learn that they need to trust each other. Kelly pulls no punches, and at times the book is earthy, shocking and tear-inducing.

I loved it, and will be re-reading it very soon.

Carla Kelly is undoubtedly the best writer of the Regency genre. Her characters are well-developed and completely unlike the cookie-cutter heroes and heroines you usually find. Of all her books (and I have read all of them), Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand is my favorite. I'm not normally a person who re-reads books, but this one is an exception. One Good Turn, her latest book, is also fabulous!

I never really thought of myself as a romance novel reader, but then, somehow, I got sucked into the sub-sub-genre of the regency romance. Ah, the hours spent trolling my local library in search of books entitled "The Rake and the Reformer!" Ah, the mocking I endured from my friends! And the truth is most regencies are pretty bad, completely innacurate, and more than likely to present a dangerously dated scenario--impoverished, weak woman saved by a dominant, rich man, while sexual attraction substitutes for genuine feeling. I don't know what need this sexist formula fulfilled in me, but I read a lot them. And then I happened onto a book called Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand.

In Carla Kelly's works the men and women treat each other with respect. Admiration comes first, love follows. And the protagonists actually like each other before they consumate their relationship. Imagine that! In her books there is none of that "I hate him and yet I'm kissing him! Darn his maddening attraction!" There is only the believable progression from liking and admiration to love.

Roxanna Drew is an impoverished widow who loved her first husband (also something that virtually only Kelly would attempt) and has two adorable daughters. When we first meet her she is trying to avoid the ugly advances of her brother-in-law. Lord Winn is a military hero who doesn't fit in society anymore because of a disgraceful divorce. He becomes her landlord and falls in love with her and her family. As her situation becomes more desperate he offers to help. There are lots of very kind, believable moments as he gets to know Roxie and her daughters. Instead of the usual conflict consisting of contrived misunderstandings and forced bickering which hides "attraction," what threatens Roxie and Winn is her recent bereavement and reluctance to love again. As usual, it's the kind of actual human problem that only Carla Kelly would attempt in this genre. After I read Mrs. Drew I read all her other regencies and now she has effectively ruined me for every other romance writer. Darn her terrific writing ability!

I thought this book was really cool. Something happens between Nancy and Frank, but I'm not going to say what. Anyway, the Nancy & Frank aspect is very exciting. The action is good, the plot is good, but I mostly read these books because of Nancy and Frank. I mean, Frank's girlfriend Callie never helps on cases (she's a very wimpy girl) and we all know who would win if she and Nancy fought it out. Frank should dump the wench. Likewise with Nancy's boyfriend Ned, except that when he helps on a case, which is rare because he's always at "college" (what's he been doing there all these years, throwing frat parties?), he does something stupid like getting kidnapped. Frank and Nancy need to lose Callie and Ned, and go out with each other. Frank cares about Nancy a lot more than Ned does. Maybe Callie and Ned should hook up and leave Frank and Nancy alone. Back to the point, though, the book is really good and I think almost anyone would like it.

Hi! I haven't read this book yet, but I heard it was really good, and I have to say that I think Nancy and Frank should get together because they both like each other. Yeah I know Ned really like's Nancy and Nancy really like's Ned they are just not made for each other. Nancy like's mysteries and Ned doesn't like Nancy running after mysteries. I mean Ned cares for Nancy. Frank loves mysteries and he loves it when Nancy helps him with a mystery. I dont think Frank and Callie should be together. I have read a few of the Hardy Boys books and you almost never here about Callie. I read The Last Resort and Frank and Nancy kiss! Thats how I can tell Frank and Nancy like each other.

Hey e-mail me at onavy100@aol.com and tell me do you think Nancy Hardy sounds good or Nancy Nickerson???

I recommend this book to any book lover! It has mystery & suspense, action & adventure and romance. I love the Nancy and Frank story. He notices every little thing about her. Like how good he thought she looked when they were in the airplane and how beautiful she seemed in front of an exotic sunset backdrop. I love the part when Frank was trapped in a coffin and all his regrets and hopes all washed down on him. And when he saw all the times he could have told her how he felt. I also love the scene in the cab and they were about to kiss.

And when the case ended and Frank and Nancy went out to the hotel's balcony and it was Nancy's turn to feel regret. That she was gonna go back to the States the next day. How she would leave the fantasy of playing Frank's wife and feeling his closeness. And how Frank sort of read her mind, turned her around and kissed her. And how she pulled back because she felt guilty. and the funny part when Bess walked in on their intimate and serious conversation about how they could never be and Frank's reluctantly agreeing with her. It was such a beautiful scene, the Egyptian desert in the background and the sun rising. And how he hugged her. They are meant to be. They shouldn't have left each other! They should've stayed together!

When I first picked up this book, I was instantly thrown into the story. Though slightly confusing, your heart can't help but bleed for 16 year old Julian Drew; an abused child carrying years of guilt and longing for his mother and a family that will never be. Telling the story through the creative aspect of a diary (or NB as Julian calls it) Deem tells a tale of a young boy literally locked within the prison of circumstance, lost and basically alone. With a touching cast of characters and a deep, yet expertly told storyline, 3 NBs of Julian Drew will leave you breathless. The code that Julian writes in at the beginning of the book makes him seem so much realer and so much more believeable, therefore adding to the story another dimension. We watch as he progresses more and more and deserts the code. So, all in all, 3 NBs of Julian Drew is most definitely worth a read--or even two!

This book was, in a word, fabulous! I was a bit confused in the beginning with all the "codes", but after a while I found it enhanced the story's authenticity and made me feel as if Julian was a real, breathing person (and maybe somewhere he is). This story of a teenage boy in search of his past and identity had me itching to read more after I had put it down for only a minute. There is, literally, never a dull moment! Mixed in with the exceptional dialect of this troubled 15-year old are wonderful pieces of "poetry" that express Julian's inner most intelligence and feelings: his work for Mrs. Pope, the concerned English teacher; as well as his thoughts on "U" (you), "43" (he), "543" (she), and "S" (Susan). Despite being misunderstood by family and himself, he somehow finds peace through the writings in his "NB". I picked up this book not knowing what to expect, but was indeed pleasantly surprised. This is a book you cannot afford to put down!

I rate this book a ten star! Too high for a 5 star scale. The code in this book was exiting to figure out and it helped you unravel the story of Julian with him. I read this book in one day and loved it! One of my all-time favorite books! If you don't read this book, you are going to miss out on a wonderful experience!

Now Drew Barrymore is known as a star by younger generation through the hit movies like "The Wedding Singer" and "Charlie's Angels," but she was once remembered as wide-eyed, screaming little girl Gertie of "ET." But later on, she got involved in alcohol- and drug- related problems. After her rehabilitation in hospital she decided to confess what she felt during the nightmare. In 1990, then, "Little Girl Lost" was published.
Some thought, and even now may think, that the book is trying to exploit her scandal, but that is not simply true. The book records minutely her wild days after her sudden fame, but Drew does not lose her level-headed attitudes on her past, and honestly tells what happened in her life.

The book's contents cover the events from her birth to her day of recovery at fourteen, and naturally considerable part is devoted to her days of decline into drinking and drug. Drew doesn't conceal the truth about her personality, difficult relationship with her mother, many adventures resulting from her behavior, and hard days in the hospital. Her first-hand knowledge is, however, what many teenagers would feel in their own life, and probably many teens and adults alike can relate to the honest Drew; that is the best past of the book, and Drew's harrowing personal experience must not be dismissed as a simple, usual, celebrity's gossip you will forget next day.

And thanks to her wise decision, the book includes many pages recording her good days in Hollywood. The most memorable is her memoir during the shooting of "ET" and her friendship with the director Steven Spielberg. Her recollection is full of happy episodes, which are as touching as the film itself, and it is easy to understand that the movie means a lot to them. She also remembers her funny tall tales she made before Spielberg at the audition for "ET," and nervous feelings at her appearance on TV "Saturday Night Live" as a host. Other co-workers too appear in her book (one of them is Stephen King), and it is interesting to read those pages.

"Little Girl Lost" consists two narratives: Drew's own voice written (or probably recorded) in the first-person narrative, and contributor Todd Golds's third-person commentary explaining the background of her life, which includes comments by people around her including Jaid, Drew's mother. Both tell her life one after the other, so the book succeeds in not giving one-sided view on things around her. The book is written well-balanced, and also gives a brief and comprehensive history of famous Barrymore family (of course, you knew she belongs to the legendary Barrymores? If not, it's time.)

There are so many thing I want to talk, but about the rest, you buy the book and read it. The book is readable, and her very realistic account of her wild days, I confess, is gripping and absorbing. Some people say it is sad, and they are right. But she made it; she survived; and after knowing how she did it, you come to like her all the more.

This book was the most amazing book i've ever read! i never read books but this one definatly kept me interested. Ever since i read it Drew has definatly been my idole for getting out of the crap that she was in. I am 15 years old and i just finnished reading it about a month ago. All my friends do drugs but not i b/c i know what kind of stuff it can me into and i don't want the same things that happend to Drew happen to me as well. She's my hero for learning from her mistakes and dealing with then even though it hurt her. She's my hero for telling her father that she's not going to send him any more money. She's my hero for learning so much about life at one time and handleing it so well. She's my hero for being herself. She feels like a sister to me now because i feel that after reading that book somehow we bacame closer, even though i've never met her before. I think i feel like she's told me one of her big secrets or something. I definatly look up to her now and i love her for who she is.

when I first started reading her book, I got into it so much I could not put it down! It's taught me the harmful things drugs can do to your life and that they aren't as fun as they seem. It's also changed my opinion on Drew Barrymore. I didn't like her so much before but now I totally love her! she's really cool and I hope that I can come out with the strength like she did in her book. REcovering from a drug addiction is one of the most complicated things to do in life. And a lot of people wouldn't be alive today, much less continuing on a career like she did. I really admire Drew for her strength and character. She has a wonderful and bright personality. I hope that her message and story reaches out to others as it did me.

My god! I did not realize how many people felt the same way about the Frank and Nancy situation as I did! I mean, What Carolyn Keene and or Franklin Dixon need to do is just get Callie and Ned out of the picture and get Frank and Nancy together. I mean, come on in Secrets of the Nile, they defenatly had sparks between them, especially at the end of the book. Any girl knows that you can not wish for a guy to kiss you like that, and then say "Well, I'm in love with my current boyfriend right now, even though I think about you night and day, whenever we're together on case" That's just craziness! I know that this is just a book, but come on! I just want to see one series when Frank and Nancy are together and I don't care who writes the thing. Heck, if I get the support for it, I'll write the series, if I could get the copyrights to it. Anyways, email me at ... and tell me what you think!

This book was cool because Nancy & Frank... Well, you'll have to find out. Honestly, though, if you were trapped in a cabin with a really hot guy (or girl) and you thought you were going to die, what would you do? Nancy should end up with Frank because Ned is a total wimp and he always tells her to drop her cases. Frank doesn't do that, he helps her get them solved. What a pair they make!

This was a really good book. I loved how there was a good mystery plot and there was romance too. I hated how Ned showed up though. He needs to get a life, he is so insecure. Oh well, I loved the part where Frank and Nancy were in the cabin alone together...that was great. Anyone who hasn't read the book, must! It was really good! And if you liked the Nancy and Frank relationship, read Secrets of the Nile!

This review concerns the original 1934 edition as well as the revised 1965 edition, which is a completely different story than the original. In the original edition, Nancy becomes concerned over the welfare of twin babies recently adopted by the Blairs, an actor and actress, who only adopted the twins to further their social standing. The babies are neglected by the Blairs as well as the nursemaid hired for them and Nancy becomes determined to find the twins mother, convinced that she did not willingly abandon the children. How Nancy finds the babies' mother and reunites another set of twins seperated for many years is an interesting; although, not very exciting story. This edition is very well-written, the characters are well-defined and the story is intruiging, but the book basically lacks a criminal (the Blairs aren't criminals, they're just not nice) and as such there was very little action and excitement. If you read Nancy Drew to be excited, don't read this book, but if you enjoy an interesting story, by all means give this one a try. In the revised edition, Nancy, George and Bess travel to Misty Lake and meet Cecily Curtis who provides the girls with two challenging mysteries. First, her fiance is a successful music artist who suspects that his record company is cheating him out of some of the royalties from his songs; however, the company swears that they are being honest with him. Second, Cecily is searching for a long-lost family treasure she believes is somewhere in the area; a broken half of a locket being her only clue. Also factoring into this story are the apparition of a launch which sank in Misty Lake many years ago and a frightened girl who closely resembles Celily, but continually runs away from Nancy and her friends. This is one of the few cases where I liked the revised edition of a book more than the original. The book is surprisingly well-written considering it was published after the late 1950s when the quality of writing in the series went grossly downhill. The mysteries are very intriguing and the book almost has a spooky quality about it. The original edition I would rate 2 stars, but the revised edition I would rate 3 1/2 stars.

I just loved this book. As a big Nancy Drew fan, I really appreciate the work Applewood has put into reprinting the Originals, just as they were in the 1930s. Wow!!! What a touching sotry. I hope Applewood Books keeps on printing! I love Nancy Drew and this is tied for my favorite story along with THE BUNGALOW MYSTERY.

The Nancy Drew books are all really great. But this one really caught my eye. It's about Nancy, Bess, and George going to meet Cecily, and trying to solve a ghost mystery. They figure out more of Cecily's past and solve the mystery about the mysterious boat. If you want a really great book, read this one and Carolyn Keene's other fantastic Nancy Drew mysteries. (The old ones are better than the new ones, though. Bugt they are also really good.)

This is the second book in the trilogy. We first meet Justin, Duke of Avon, in These Old Shades. (He is NOT the Duke in The Black Moth.) These characters are delightfully developed and sustained in The Devil's Cub with the introduction of Justin and Leonie's son, Dominic. It is marvelous! The Infamous Army is the third book and introduces Dominic's grand-daughter during the war with Napoleon.

This is the sequel to Heyer's 'These Old Shades' which was my introduction to her Regency writings. I liked 'Devil's Cub' almost as much as 'These Old Shades'. There are a lot of un-PC things that both Mary and Vidal do but at the time these books were written, a lot of un-PC things happened every day in normal life. Mary has her morals, Vidal is a charming rake, and they manage to fight more often than not in the first 7/8ths of book. The writing is superb and the plot moves along briskly. It would be wonderful to read the two books consecutively but it's almost impossible to find 'These Old Shades' nowadays.

You guys have got it all wrong! There is a trilogy: These Old Shades, Devil's Cub and The Infamous Army. I love the dialogue. "I am not considered dangerous until after the third bottle" or "No sir, not a gentle man, a noble man." Infamous Army is about the Battle of Waterloo and one of the heroines is the daughter of Vidal and Mary Challoner.(She has her parents and grand parents traits: Red hair, gold painted toenails, compelling sexuality, great rider, supremely unconconcious of the attention she attracts in the ball room, no physical fear). I was reared on these books: I remember Dad and Mum and I all struck down with flu fighting over who would get to read Frederica, the Grand Sophy, Sylvester or Venetia. These and the Avon family series are our favourites.

I love Double Crossing well I love any Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Supermystery well for that matter I love any Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mysterys period ,Anyway in Double Crossing Nan is all set to get aboard a cruise ship for a little fun in the sun vacation,but as she gets aboard she runs into Frank Hardy undercover as the S.S.Duchess's photographer,and finds out that he and Joe are working undercover,Oh and Joe's working as 1 of the kitchen's busboys,but when Nan overhears a plan to sell CIA secrets to another country, her vacation turns into a high-risk hunt for a deadly secret agent,but when murder comes aboard the slueths find they're in the same boat- facing death on all sides. there is some romantic parts with Nan and Frank but nothing big,I wish there was some more romance between them though ,thats always my favorite parts in the book.

This was the first book I read in the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys super mystery book and it is by far the best. I think that the plot is great and I really like the way they solve it.

This was quite a page-turner! I remember the first time that I read this book. I think that I was about 13 or 14 years old. Great stuff! I had read a few Hardy Boys books before, but I liked this a lot better. I really liked Nancy, and the plot was given about 50 more pages to develop. There are plenty of surprises and nail-biting suspense (if you're a young teenager). The search for a spy is central, with a nice sideplot about a thief on the ship. The ending blew me away! The first book in the series, and from what I've read, far and away the best.

I've been waiting for a good NG book, and I was very glad to see this book come out. There's great stuff you can't find anywhere else, and the end of chapter reviews with FAQs are really helfpul. You can also use it to study for the exam, because it covers just about everything that's on it, and you can also get free exam questions from the book's Web site.

I've worked with the Check Point product for a number of years now, and we are just about to implement NG at work. I am very familiar with a variety of books that dealt with older versions
of Check Point(many of them excellent), but this book is head and shoulders above anything I've read before. I've never seen a book that covers so much, so well. Although they have it presented as an Admin. Handbook, anyone studying for the CCSA/CCSE would do well to take a look at this--if i had to describe this book in one word it would be "THOROUGH".

I'm in charge of several firewall-1 (NG). Because of this I got 5 books on this matter. Well, believe me, is like as I only had just one. This one !
In fact all the needed information is not only thoughtfully covered but besides it is well and coherently explained and correlated with the surrounding issues.
If you add up the information scattered in the other books, you'll find the same information contained in this book, only in a lot more hard to handle, diffuse and even contradictory. Firewall-1?. . . with the only help of this book you are done.

Great book. I took a course to pass the A+ certification tests. I decided to do Network+ on my own. This book is the only study guide I used, and I passed. I loved the "Fast Facts" section for quick cramming before the exam. I sat in my car for 30 minutes prior to taking the exam and went through the fast facts section. This book also covers every one of the Network+ objectives in detail. I highly recommend this book. I'm currently studying the QUE publishing book on the Windows 2000 Pro test (70-210). I'm hoping for a hat trick.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book for those preparing to take the Network+ test. One with little to no experience in networking might need some extra study aids (or to invest in a class or two) but if you've taken a class and/or have some real-world experience then this book will help streamline the process. This book has been my bible for the last three weeks and it helps that the authors are clearly informed on the subject matter and are able to convey their knowledge easily to the reader. Examples, review questions, and a cram section at the back of the book make this one of the best Network+ guides out there (although, admittedly this is the only one I looked at). It also comes with a practice test on CD-ROM to help emulate the actual testing environment. The questions on this test were actually tougher than the real thing. Highly recommended and I will definitely use other guides from this publisher in the future!

I would recommend this book to anyone considering taking the Network+ exam. I used this book to revise for the test and was well prepared for the actual exam. The questions gave a good feel for the type found on the actual test. Because the book followed the Network+ objectives, finding the information was very easy. This book was enough for me to pass!