The Charm School (Calhoun Chronicles, Book 1)

Susan Wiggs always providres a good reading experience; making it hard to put the book down. Hard to wait for the next book in the series.

Emotional depth, and a story that pulls you in from the very first page.

Imagine being able to live as the main character gave me such delight. The characters well developed and the scenery quite vivid. Transported me as the story unfolded into the story not wanting it to end.

This is a light pirate story full of fun, rugged, and sea worn sailors who are also kind and sensitive of course! Well, most of them anyway. Not the sea captain however. There is a serious subplot about slavery that is informative and touching in it's aspects vis a vis ownership of other human beings. Another subplot concerns the stifling lifestyle that so many women lived at that time. Not only in behavior but in clothing and style as well. The timid main character sheds her awkward self as she drops the many layers of constricting clothing. As she leaves off with each petticoat, she frees herself emotional and physically from societal restrictions. A fun and interesting read.

I so enjoyed the two main characters: Isadora and Ryan. The tension between them led them to a great love. I love how Wiggs puts the reader in unusual settings In this case on board a ship, in the tropical Rio de Janiero and in the old Plantations in Virginia. The character of Isadora is transformed from one of timidity to one of power, beauty and control. Wonderful read!!

I have read a lot of Susan Wiggs' novels. I have never been disappointed. Her characters are so rich and the stories so enthralling, you can't wait for the next chapter. Unfortunately there is always the LAST chapter. Then it's the search for her next book! Who but Susan Wiggs could fashion a wonderful adventure story with pirates and slavery and jungles and snooty society wretches? It works! Loved the book.

I enjoyed this book, but I cannot say it was great writing. The love scenes were sweet and sexy, but a little sophomoric for me. Of course I've been "mature" for a loooong time. :-) Also, near the end of the book I began to be a bit sceptical about how time seems to get suspended while our heroine too easily arranges a coup and out-talks and out-smarts a man who is older and a longtime business man. I had to just read that and go on. On the plus side, I very much enjoyed the characters. Very much. Their development and Wiggs's development of them is quite good and very interesting to follow. The physical descriptions of people and places are easy to follow. I'm waffling now about the 3 stars. Perhaps it should have 4, but I can't forget that there are masterpieces out there, and this has to be compared to them, too, on some level.

I ordered a number of used books and all but one arrived as expected. Saves a lot of money to do this.

I thoroughly enjoyed the delightful transformation of shy,plump, lacking in confidence Isadora Peabody through her experience of life at sea with the radically Ryan Calhoun. Just lovely !

All books rule!

I loved this book. It shows the pain, but also the power of love and friendship. It furthermore shows that one should look for the core of a human and not his or her exterior. I did like how the hero supported the heroine in her struggle for a new identity. The story was detailed and vivid. I could imagine myself as a member of the crew of the ship they sail. There was a friendship and companionship between the heroine and the crewmembers as well as among the crewmembers themselves, the members of the Calhoun family and among Journeys' family that really touched me. The story contained no mystery, but it was suspenseful nonetheless. Although I can't judge by experience, due to a lack thereof, the story makes me believe in the power of love.

I am very surprised that this book got 5 stars from other readers, there really is nothing special about this book, there are a lot of cliche's written and no great writing at all. The story line is boring, similar to that of other romantic seafaring novels, It was an o.k read but I didn't even bother finishing it, as I got really bored halfway through. Not sure what others see in the book to be honest. I have read better, in my opinion this book does not deserve 5 stars.

Fun light read.