Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Results and The Imperiled Poppets Bracket

First the results from The Hocked Locket Bracket. I formatted it for the next contest (which may make some of you start pulling your hair and weeping) but these are all the winners (for the moment):

Darling, I know. It's like they'd never even seen the original cover of Ring in a Teacup.



A Christmas Wish vs.
A Christmas Romance
Henrietta's Own Castle vs.
Dearest Mary Jane
A Kiss for Julie vs.
A Match for Sister Maggy
Not Once But Twice vs.
A Dream Came True
Winter Wedding vs.
Romantic Encounter
Mathilda's Wedding vs.
Never Say Goodbye
Philomena's Miracle vs.
Only By Chance
Midnight Sun's Magic vs.
Fate is Remarkable
Tempestuous April vs.
bye--no contest this week

The only blow-out was Only By Chance crushing Last April Fair and, happily for my constitution, there were no ties to break.

Now onto the final bracket for this round, The Imperiled Poppets Bracket!



In some ways these first round ones are easy brackets because there are a lot more novels that are Fine and Middling to brush aside. But, there is no getting around the fact that there are a TON of books to consider thoughtfully. After this round, the numbers drop but the heartbreak only burns the more.

As ever, if you need a memory-jog, here's our Book Review Archive.


15 comments:

  1. Always and Forever
    The Secret Pool
    The Little Dragon
    The End of the Rainbow
    The Hasty Marriage
    Stars Through the Mist
    Discovering Daisy
    The Convenient Wife
    Tabitha in Moonlight
    Uncertain Summer
    Fate Takes a Hand
    Cassandra by Chance
    The Promise of Happiness
    Once for All Time
    An Ideal Wife
    Damsel in Green
    Roses Have Thorns

    None of these choices were heart-rending for me. I will say that reviewing for this bracket made me revisit my angst over The Secret Pool and I'm deciding I may actually reread it. I've only read it once and I was a total mess afterward. Sad tears over poor Lisa, sympathizing tears with Fran, angry tears at Litrik - my feelings ran the gamut.

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  2. A Kind of Magic
    The Secret Pool
    The Little Dragon
    The Fortunes of Francesca
    Nanncy by Chance
    Stars Through the Mist
    Pineapple Girl
    The Convenient Wife
    Tabitha in Moonlight
    Roses and Champaign
    Fate Takes a Hand
    Cassandra by Chance
    The Promise of Happiness
    Daughter of the Manor
    Hilltop Tryst
    Damsel in Green
    Roses Have Thorns

    Some really easy ones this time. The Secret Pool is incredibly sad, but I do like that Betty makes it clear Lisa isn't going to make it. I hate it when authors sideswipe you with a death (Joyce Dingwell, I'm looking at you).

    Another easy one was The Little Dragon. Hero went all out to win over the heroine. Perhaps even went a little too far. I'm not quite sure the whole "I'm poor, really, I am, just ignore the huge house and the servants, and the car" was necessary. Surely a visit to the free clinic that he runs (you know he has one, most of the RDDs seem to) would have done enough to convince her that money doesn't equal evil.

    Pineapple Girl. I grouse about this one a lot because the hero is just such a clueless idiot. Yeah, I know a lot of the RDDs are when they encounter True Love, but this guy was just a git. But the heroine was adorable, one of my favorites. And I love the meet cute. I just wish I could talk myself into thinking the hero was good enough for the heroine.

    Cassandra By Chance and her blind ogre. One of my early favorites. I need to reread it and see if it moves up (or down) in my ratings.

    The Promise of Happiness. My all time favorite Betty. It took a little time for me to warm up to it. The first time I read it, it didn't even make an impression on me. Second time I liked it. Third time I loved it. No idea why, but it is now firmly my favorite.


    Tabitha in Moonlight. Oil stained shorts. Yes, OIL STAINED SHORTS. It doesn't get more daring than that in Betty's world, and I love this one for that alone, but also love the interactions between the hero and heroine.

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  3. Always and Forever
    The Secret Pool
    The Little Dragon
    The End of the Rainbow
    The Hasty Marriage
    Stars Through the Mist
    Discovering Daisy
    The Convenient Wife
    Midsummer Star
    Uncertain Summer
    Polly
    Cassandra By Chance
    The Promise of Happiness
    Once For All Time
    Hilltop Tryst
    Damsel in Green
    Never the Time and the Place

    Tony vs. Bruce -- tsk, tsk. Bruce the loser won. Well, Once for All Time did.
    Gijs vs. the accountant. Well, no real competition, after all. Uncertain Summer won.
    :o)

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  4. Betty Barbara votes for:

    Always and Forever
    Waiting for Deborah
    The Proposal
    End of the Rainbow
    The Hasty Marriage
    Stars Through the Mist
    Discovering Daisy
    Convenient Wife
    Tabitha in Moonlight
    Uncertain Summer
    Polly
    Cassandra by Chance
    The Promise of Happiness
    Once for All Time
    Hilltop Tryst
    Damsel in Green
    Roses Have Thorns

    Well, this was fun--I got to vote for many of my favorite books. Which will lead to sobbing somewhere down the line, no doubt.

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  5. A Kind of Magic

    The Secret Pool

    The Little Dragon

    The Fortunes of Francesca

    Nanny By Chance

    Stars Through the Mist

    Discovering Daisy

    Grasp a Nettle

    Tabitha in Moonlight

    Uncertain Summer

    Polly

    Cassandra By Chance

    A Valentine for Daisy

    Once For All Time

    An Ideal Wife

    Damsel in Green

    Roses Have Thorns

    ReplyDelete
  6. Always & Forever
    The Secret Pool
    The Little Dragon
    The Fortunes of Francesca
    The Hasty Marriage
    An Innocent Bride
    Discovering Daisy
    Grasp a Nettle
    Tabitha in Moonlight
    Uncertain Summer
    Fate Takes a Hand
    Cassandra by Chance
    A Valentine for Daisy
    Once for All Time
    An Ideal Wife
    Damsel in Green
    Roses Have Thorns

    Both the Daisies were both no brainers in this bracket, although the Promise of Happiness came close, but Uncle Valentine is just too hot. The most difficult choice was between Polly and Fate Takes a Hand; both second-stringers for me but both equally adorable. Also, I reviewed most of the toss-ups in this round at 3am when I was unable to sleep because of some medication I am taking, so I reserve the right to change my mind when I am in a more lucid state.

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  7. Always and Forever
    Waiting for Deborah
    The Little Dragon
    The End of the Rainbow
    The Hasty Marriage
    An Innocent Bride
    Pineapple Girl
    The Convenient Wife
    Midsummer Star
    Uncertain Summer
    Fate Takes a Hand
    Cassandra by Chance
    The Promise of Happiness
    Once for All Time
    An Ideal Wife
    Damsel in Green
    Never the Time and the Place

    I don’t like The Hasty Marriage much, but Nanny by Chance is entirely forgettable; generic. The HM at least I remember, rather vividly. The trickiest one was NtTatP vs. Roses Have Thorns. Ouch! Wild card, maybe? Midsummer Star won a mental coin-toss because I’m a sucker for B&B’s, much as I love Tabitha in her bikini and whasizname in his shorts.

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  8. Always and Forever
    Waiting for Deborah
    The Proposal
    End of the Rainbow
    The Hasty Marriage
    An Innocent Bride
    Discovering Daisy
    (skip, haven't read CM)
    Tabitha in Moonlight
    Uncertain Summer
    Polly
    Edge of Winter
    Promise of Happiness
    Once for All Time
    (skip, haven't read IW)
    Damsel in Green
    Never the Time and Place

    There were a few of these that were toss-ups, but none of them were ones I cared desperately about, so not a problem.

    I'm usually not a fan of the marriage of convenience plot, but End of the Rainbow might be the best of them-- the only Neels that has kept me reading until 2 a.m. (because I couldn't figure out if Elisabeth, she was surprisingly creepy). The ending has one of the few genuine apologies of any Neels hero ever, so I'm willing to forgive the endless misunderstandings of the MOC.

    Tabitha has become one of my top favorites, even though I sincerely dislike the last ten pages. I guess I love a house party. And of course there's the OIL STAINED SHORTS.

    The Proposal is forgettable, I know, but Little Dragon is one of my least faves. I may have to revisit this rant later, because I'm sure it will win in this round, but I'm always so mad at Betty and The Liar by the end that I can barely speak. Too bad, because the first half had the potential to be my all-time fave. The Big Ruse would be fine, even cute, if he confessed all before the wedding, but to MARRY someone under false pretenses? that is so wrong. It's just wrong. Plus he includes his entire family in the joke, thus humiliating her in front of the entire clan. For the rest of her life she's going to be the butt of the joke at every family reunion. Uncle Arndt, in his cups, will be wheezing with laughter as they all retell the tale for the hundredth time. And she thought the butler was just there to POLISH THE SILVER!! I liked the first half so much I might have been able to forgive all if the hero had been even remotely apologetic, but he wasn't. See, I told you. Rant. It wouldn't make me so angry if it wasn't such a great first half.

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  9. Always and Forever
    Waiting for Deborah
    The Proposal
    The Fortunes of Francesca
    Nanny by Chance
    Stars Through the Mist
    Pineapple Girl
    The Convenient Wife
    Tabitha in Moonlight
    Roses and Champagne
    Polly
    The Edge of Winter
    The Promise of Happiness
    Once for All Time
    An Ideal Wife
    Never While the Grass Grows
    Roses Have Thorns

    I almost forgot to come vote!

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  10. Re: The Hocked Locket BracketEight of my seventeen choices wiped out, duh. No top favourites among them, I am glad to say, though I am very fond of A Gem of a Girl and The Right Kind of Girl and therefore sad to see both girls vanquished. Sniff.

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  11. Always and Forever
    Waiting for Deborah
    The Little Dragon
    End of the Rainbow
    Nanny by Chance
    Stars Through the Mist
    Discovering Daisy
    The Convenient Wife
    Tabitha in Moonlight
    Uncertain Summer
    Polly
    Cassandra by Chance
    Promise of Happiness
    Daughter of the Manor
    An Ideal Wife
    Damsel in Green
    Roses Have Thorns

    Whew! Only 2 reallllly close ones
    :D

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  12. I love this blog. I am new Betty convert from 2014. I wish I could vote properly. I have only read about 30 of her books. I will share that Waiting for Deborah is my top favorite.

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