Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Victoria (Sunfire #13) by Willo Davis Roberts the girl sleuth and other stories. Usually series like Sunfire are created by adult romance publishers who want to introduce young readers to the genre before they’re old enough to know better. A variation on the ol’ candy-flavored cigarette trick, basically. A later series in a similar vein, Avon True Romance, would make this explicit; books like Nicola and the Viscount and Tess and the Highlander introduced middle-grade readers to standard romance tropes like the Regency ton and kilt-clad Scots. Sunfire was launched by Scholastic, who only markets to children—remember those mail-order book club sheets you used to get in grade school?—so presumably hookin’ ‘em while they’re young to ensure future sales wasn’t one of their major priorities. Nevertheless, Sunfire shares plenty of common ground with adult historical romance, and it’s entirely unsurprising that many adult romance readers reference it as their introduction to the genre. The problem with using Sunfire as an intro to romance tropes and themes is that it’s a strictly American series, and historical romance is a genre that looks overseas more often than not. We lose our Regency dukes and our Scottish highlanders, British rogues and Medieval knights and those harem-owning sheiks. (For a middle-grade series, dropping that last one is probably for the best.) But Sunfire retains a number of the American- set romance novelist’s favorite devices: pirates and Southern belles, pioneers and Native Americans. There are other historical romance tropes, too, not limited to American ones: the widower learning to love again in Jessica and the cross-dressing heroine in Caroline . Kathleen borrows a bit from Cinderella, while Laura ’s cribbing from every from-best-friends-to-lovers story in existence. Caroline and Amanda rep the road romance. Perhaps the most common romance novel theme Sunfire cadges is the wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance— Emily, Nicole, Marilee , and Nora , among plenty of others, all marry someone outside of their social class. And don’t forget those infuriating cliches that span every romance genre, like I Hate You/I Love You ( Susannah, Gabrielle ) or The Big Misunderstanding That Could Have Been Resolved a Hundred Pages Ago If Only You’d Just Talked To Each Other Like Normal People ( Susannah ). But Sunfire offers an alternative to the traditional romance cliches, too, by setting stories in situations that the romance novel largely eschews. It’s a subject over which much ink has been spilled by romance critics; once a setting proves popular, it’ll be done to death—hence the Regencys that have overwhelmed the adult historical market for a couple decades now. With the advent of self-publishing, it’s become a little easier to find less popular settings, but conventionally published romances are still dominated by Regencys with the occasional frontier romance, Georgian or medieval. And adult romance publishers have historically been skeptical about settings that fall too close to major wars, because they assume readers will find the books’ happily-ever-afters compromised if, five or ten years down the road, the hero will be called up to battle Napoleon or Hitler. But Sunfire has no qualms about milking that tension for drama. Will he come back from the war alive? is a central conflict in Susannah and Victoria . In Marilee , it’s how she realizes which suitor she truly loves. As a reader who loves her historical romance settings out of the box, one of the best things about Sunfire is its ability to enliven times and places that are rarely touched on in historical romance or even historical fiction. Writing a long series without repeating settings forced writers to stretch, and for the most part, it works. Diana ’s setting is one of my favorites—during the handover of the Louisiana Purchase, incorporating both New Orleans and Saint Louis (two of my favorite American cities) and the journey of Lewis and Clark—but try as I might, I’ve yet to find another romance novel from the major publishers that’s set during that era. Emily ’s Gilded Age setting—another favorite–has made a bit of a resurgence lately, but it’s still comparatively tough to find. Gabrielle ’s showboat setting is another winner, and an uncommon one. And just try to find a romance novel set in a Puritan colony or the Lowell mills, two settings that I thought would be totally unromantic—but their Sunfire authors make them work. But Sunfire’s most interesting deviation from the adult romance genre is its love triangles, a fluctuation from the one-woman/one-man set-up that adult romance publishers require. As the demands of the romance genre grew more restrictive over the years, publishers began to eschew true triangles, insisting that it interfered with the believability of the romance between the hero and heroine. How could we buy that he truly loved the heroine if he’d been flirting with another woman at a ball just a week before? (A fair question.) So love triangles, if they exist in nowadays’ romance novels, are largely of the “misunderstanding” variety: she thinks he was flirting with another woman at a ball, but he was actually just chatting to his cousin. Sunfire’s return to legitimate, full-blown love triangles thus harkens back to a tradition of pre-genre romantic stories like Gone with the Wind or Persuasion . Sunfire’s choice to structure their stories around them does two interesting things: it limits the epic, pre- destined love story that adult romances often contain—a smart choice in a series about teenagers, where one epic romance might be believable, but thirty-plus in a row is pushing it–and it emphasizes the heroine’s agency. In Sunfire, the force of the universe isn’t what brings the couple together. The relationship isn’t arranged by her parents; there are no marriages of convenience. She ends up with her man because she chooses him—and that is a beautiful idea. Victoria Roberts. Sorcha Gunn has realized the error of her ways and wants to make amends for everything she’s done. But when her cousin mysteriously disappears and Sorcha suspects her father is responsible, she needs to make a choice: betray the man who has given h. Kill or Be Kilt. It's been three years since Lady Elizabeth Walsingham ended her childish crush on Laird Ian Munro, the fierce Highlander who scared everyone but her. She's a grown woman now, heading to London to find a proper English gentleman. But when the wild Hig. Kilts and Kisses. Since the deaths of her parents, Ceana Gunn has lived in the shadow of her uncle and his family. She wants nothing more than to see her clan the way it was when her father was still laird. But her uncle has other ideas. Ceana soon discovers that the . Kilts and Daggers. Ever since Lady Grace Walsingham discovered her uncle and sister are spies for the Crown, she has yearned for adventure. She's counting the days until she can leave barbaric Scotland behind, even if she must endure Highland captain Fagan Murray's com. My Highland Spy. This Highland Laird won't bow to the Crown Laird Ruairi Sutherland refuses to send his only son away to be educated by the English. And he most definitely will not appear in Edinburgh to pay homage to a liege who has no respect for Scotland. So he d. To Wed a Wicked Highlander. She Always Wanted to be One of the Boys. Sybella would do anything to prove she's just as valuable to the MacKenzie clan as her brother is. She'd go on any hunt, take any dare. But her father has a different sort of mission in mind: marriage. It. X Marks the Scot. He was wicked with a bow and arrow and just as wicked with the ladies. Declan MacGregor hadn't a care in the world beyond finding a soft bed and a willing woman. until he had to escort Lady Liadain Campbell to the English court. The last living rela. After the Fall. A picture book for adults by beloved New Yorker cartoonist Victoria Roberts. This whimsical novel introduces us to a quirky Upper East Side family: Pops is a mad inventor; Mother a well-intentioned if flighty socialite; young Sis a tiny, madcap th. Temptation in a Kilt. She's On Her Way to Safety It's a sign of Lady Rosalia Armstrong's desperation that she's seeking refuge in a place as rugged and challenging as the Scottish Highlands. She doesn't care about hardship and discomfort, if only she can become master . Market Day. Visit the market and learn about colours, opposites, shapes and numbers. these four little board books introduce early learning themes through jolly rhyming text, bold illustrations and friendly characters. The Best Pet Ever. A little girl really wants a pet and with a very active imagination, finds all types of objects that transform into the best pet ever--a rock, a glove, a candy wrapper and even a balloon all serve as substitutes--until one day, she really does find t. Eighteenth Century Gentlemen. Originally published in 1930, the main focus of this concise volume is on the figure of Samuel Johnson, particularly in terms of his relationship with the surrounding cultural climate of the eighteenth century. Four essays on Johnson constitute the m. Snakes in the Garden. Following in the footsteps of her late father, Annella Poley is an assassin for the Crown. She's determined to avenge her father's death, no matter what the cost. But then a brawny Highland captain crosses her path and helps her uncover secrets of he. Willo Davis Roberts. Willo Davis Roberts wrote many mystery and suspense novels for children during her long and illustrious career, including The Girl with the Silver Eyes , The View from the Cherry Tree , Twisted Summer , Megan's Island , Baby-Sitting Is a Dangerous Job , Hostage , Scared Stiff , The Kidnappers , and Caught! Three of her children's books won Edgar Awards, while others received great reviews and other accolades, including the Sunshine State Young Reader's Award, the California Young Reader's Medal. See more. Willo Davis Roberts wrote many mystery and suspense novels for children during her long and illustrious career, including The Girl with the Silver Eyes , The View from the Cherry Tree , Twisted Summer , Megan's Island , Baby-Sitting Is a Dangerous Job , Hostage , Scared Stiff , The Kidnappers , and Caught! Three of her children's books won Edgar Awards, while others received great reviews and other accolades, including the Sunshine State Young Reader's Award, the California Young Reader's Medal, and the Georgia Children's Book Award. See less. Sunfire Romance Novels In the 80s, the world was lit by Sunfire! Victoria is Sunfire #13. This was the last Sunfire entry by Willo Davis Roberts. Victoria Front Cover. Front Cover Blurb : Texas’ pride was in her blood, burning love was in her heart. Back Cover Blurb: A dashing Texan or a proud Mexican. Which man would win her love? Main Character: “Beautiful, lovely” Victoria Winters. (I always giggle at that description on the back. Hey, guys who wrote the summary, you DID know that “beautiful” and “lovely” are pretty much the same thing, right?) Vickie has curly “chestnut” hair, i.e. reddish brown, and hazel eyes. The book starts on her 16th birthday. She is the daughter of a poor doctor, Hamish, and his former Southern-belle wife, Nora. They, Vickie, and her brother Dane lead a somewhat nomadic existence as Hamish wanders Texas treating patients. Suitor #1: Cade Riley, a blond, blue-eyed Texas Ranger. He and Vickie meet when he saves Vickie when she falls off a raft. He, his grandfather, and sister Naddy are neighbors to the Winters family and own the Rocking R ranch. Suitor #2: Luis Arista, black hair and dark brown eyes, the son of a wealthy Mexican rancher. His 19th birthday is celebrated at a huge fandango at Rancho Arista. Although of Mexican heritage, his family is allied with the Texans. Luis is mourning a sweetheart who died. I must admit, Vickie may be the luckiest of the Sunfire girls. She has two absolutely fantastic men to choose from. Neither is a secret jerk, although the reader may wonder at intervals if Cade is heading in that direction. Luis is a dream and would be MY choice, just because he’s all sensitive and smart and AWESOME. Setting: The fight for Texas independence from Mexico, starting in April 1835 and ending in May of 1836. Most of the action takes place in southeastern Texas. Front Cover: Middle, Victoria, looking like she was dressed by the wealthy Aristas in a lush Mexican gown. She is also sporting one of the more obvious 80s hairdos. Wow, is there a wind machine going? Vickie looks like she could dump the dress and slither onto a car hood for a Whitesnake video. On the right is Cade, looking as all-American…er, Texan…as it’s possible to look. Do you think he had an orthodontist? On the left is Luis in his fancy fandango garb. I’m assuming that the embracing couple on the bottom is supposed to be Vickie and Luis, but…WHA? No, no. Doesn’t look like Vickie, doesn’t look like Luis, and this embrace only happened in a fond father’s dreams. Yeah, I know it’s probably SUPPOSED to be them, but in my mind, it’s Cade’s sister Naddy and Vickie’s cousin Billy, although why Billy would be in fancy Mexican clothes is anyone’s guess. Just humor me, okay? Behind Luis we can see the Alamo. Back Cover: Most likely the Alamo being overrun by the Mexican army. If you look closely, you can see what looks like some dead bodies. Victoria Back Cover. I had to reread this one to do the quick notes because I didn’t remember enough of the details. I’m not really into Texas history, so I was shocked at how much this book pulled me in. It was on a slow burn from start to finish, a feat that never could have been accomplished in the shorter Sunfire format. I love how much tension you get as you learn what precedes the Alamo. Roberts helps this along by putting Hamish and Cade in conflict over whether a fight is really necessary. I also love how Vickie and Luis aren’t IN the Alamo but nearby, so they’re in the action but not there to muss up historical facts. (You can bet if this had been a Schurfranz book, the herione would have been marching to face Santa Anna all by her special little self.) Roberts also throws every kind of social conflict you can possibly imagine into this book. We’ve got soldiers vs. pacificts; settlers vs. Native Americans; the question of slavery; differences in language, culture, religion, and even ability. I love how Victoria finally puts things in perspective for “crippled” Naddy by asking if Billy had come home with a limb amputated, would she love him any less? Vickie herself is a breath of fresh air. She is a romantic, clearly looking to become a wife and mother and have her own home, yet she still stops to ask herself severl times if she’s really in love with Cade, especially if she can get her head turned by Luis. She doesn’t shirk from any duties, from household chores to helping her father amputate a leg. She’s girly enough to love a pretty pink dress, but pragmatic enough to fight her mother about only riding sidesaddle. All in all, this book left me very sorry that it was the last by Willo Davis Roberts in the line. Scholastic. I can also order books for my own child in another teacher’s class (by clicking Shop as Parent after signing in as a teacher). Have an account? Sign In. Sign In Create an Account. Pinkalicious Trio. Images. Grades: PreK - 1 Ages: 3 - 6. 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