This book was so good I ended up buying the audiobook too and I was definitely not disappointed. This writer never ceases to amaze me with her stunning storytelling abilities. The characters were all relatable and you cant help growing attached to them. She is my favorite author right now and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

I was really pleased that Jenny Frame has written a book with Bridget Claremont at the centre of it. HIgh profile master of illusion, Finnian Kane has withdrawn from the spotlight after the death of her sister and Bridget Claremont is heading towards it purely by dint of being an out lesbian in a job where some people still have issues with the fact that she is woman.
As with all her previous books, ione character is femme and the other butch, but I feel that Bridget is less subservient than other femme characters have been.

What a delicious love story! I had all kinds of good intentions for getting things done today, but when I opened this book (just to preview a chapter) I couldn't put it down and read it straight through the day. It's about a lot of things, but mostly it's about believing in the power of love. Well worth reading. I hope there's a follow-up story soon.

This review will be posted on my blog, Foxes and Fairy Tales on 17 March 2018.
https://foxesfairytale.wordpress.com/2018/03/17/review-charming-the-vicar

Charming the Vicar just really wasn't for me. I had two sort of -- bugbears, I guess? -- with it that I just couldn't push through. That being said, contemporary romance isn't my usual genre (I picked this ARC because its FF and I liked the cover), so I might not be the best person to judge.

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover.

On a totally superficial level -- and a misjudgement on my part -- I just didn't get what I was expecting. The cover shows an idyllic, quaint English village. And that's not a misrepresentation -- the book is set in a cute village. But I'd (wrongly) taken the cover -- the imagery, the font etc. -- to imply a fluffy, sweet romantic story. I wasn't expecting all the BDSM aspects which suddenly wormed their way into the story. Add to that the fact the main character, Bridget, is really dismissive and mean towards the love interest... Meh.

What's In A Name?

Oh My God, if I had to read Bridget call Finn boy or Magician, one more time... She uses 'boy' to describe the other woman constantly. And I understand boi (Is this what the author is trying to refer to? I don't know for definite.) is a term some lesbians do use, but no-one I've ever spoken to does, so personally, it felt a bit cringe-y at first. And then she uses it again, and again, and again.... It comes over as super patronising and -- considering they barely know each other when she starts it -- super sleazy.

Ultimately I gave up at 38%. There wasn't much of a plot up to that point, and certainly not enough to keep me reading.

I loved the author's debut novel and was very keen to get my hands on this book after reading the synopsis. Unfortunately I was disappointed. Bridget and Finn both had interesting back stories and considering the unique premise this could have been a really amazing book - but I just didn't 'buy' the idea of a kinky, lesbian, leather clad vicar in red lipstick. It felt too over the top. And I cringed every time she referred to Finn as 'boy' or 'magician'. I'm a fan of the author's but sorry to say this book just didn't do it for me.

First of I didn't realise this was a continuing series. So I can not really advise if by reading book one would enhance your enjoyment of this book. I found I quite liked this book and I never read one. There are a couple of times a reference to book one but not often enough to feel you're missing something.

This book is about Finn a famous magician who has moved in order to find solace and grieve the death of a loved one. She doesn't do religion. Which makes falling in love with the local village a little bizarre. When Finn and Bridget meet (Bridget is the vicar), Bridget sees that Finn is hurting and wants to help.

The romance is mediocre at best. It is an enjoyable read but maybe for a Sunday afternoon in the sun. I gave it 3 stars because I kind of expected more. Enjoy!

*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2284559957

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2HSFO9XLASK65/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

While I ordinarily enjoy works by Ms. Frame greatly, the virtues of this book were exceeded by certain flaws. First, the presentation of Bridget in this, the second book in the series, was (in tone and substance) a departure from the initial impressions that I derived about her in "Courting the Countess." I found her far less endearing and more bothersome was her tendency to apply the "boy" descriptor to Finn so, so frequently. Understood-she was butch. And? While I assumed that the author meant for it to be daring, even sexy, I was unimpressed and annoyed. Demeaning designations for the person that you have romantic interplay would doom the relationship for me. Finn deserved more. Still, the writing remained strong and at points, was reminiscent of works like "Unexpected." I will return for more from her, but this was not a total win.

What a delightful romance! I have read of all Ms. Frame’s books and have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Charming the Vicar certainly met all my expectations. This is the second book in the Axedale Series. I do not feel, however, it is necessary to read the first one to enjoy this book, but I believe the readers would enjoy reading both of these books in order.

The two main characters are Finnigan Kane, a famous magician, who has experienced a devastating loss of her sister and, as a result, turns her back on her old life. She moves to a little cottage in the village of Axedale and gives up magic and performances. Finn just wants to be left alone to grieve.

Bridget Claremont is the Vicar of the village. She sees Finn as a lost soul and takes it upon herself to help Finn deal with her loss. Both characters are so well developed. The reader will form a bond with them from very beginning of the story. Finn’s sadness is so deep that you are cheering for her to find happiness. Bridget faces her own problems in accepting her passionate side.

The storyline is believable and very smooth. From the opening chapter you are drawn into the story. The sexual tension builds throughout the book until it finally explodes. Ms. Frame also deals with the issue of acceptance of the very current topic of same-sex relationships within the church.
Readers of the series will love that Harry, Annie, and Riley are back again in this book. I also enjoyed Quade’s character and hope that she will be the main focus in the next book.

I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

I was given this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

I really love a good romance story. I couldn't put it down. Jenny Frame is truly a awesome romance writer and knows how to grab a person into the story and keep them wanting more. I look forward to more of her wonderful stories to come.

From the very first book Jenny Frame has kept me coming back. This story is definitely one of my favourites. If you want a story than will feed your imagination and leave thinking love is out there for all of us, then give this a go. You won't be disappointed.

Stevie‘s review of Charming the Vicar (Axedale, Book 2) by Jenny Frame
Contemporary Lesbian Romance published by Bold Strokes Books 16 Jan 18

I have a bit of a thing for LGBT stories featuring spiritual leaders; I’m not drawn specifically to those involving Church of England clergy, but that does seem to be the faith in which the majority of those protagonists seem to crop up. Rural communities are also a common factor, possibly because it’s trickier both to be different and to meet like-minded people in a village setting, compared to in the big city. Having recently read Beacham’s story about a romance between a female vicar and an atheist, I was keen to see how Jenny Frame tackled a similar set-up, so much so that I read the first book, set in the same village, immediately beforehand, in order to get some idea who all the other residents might be.


Bridge Claremont cropped up in the first book as the best friend of one of that book’s heroines, as well as the local vicar. This time around, it’s her turn to fall into a relationship with someone who she considers totally unsuitable. Finnian Kane is renowned for her big stadium magic shows, as well as for her television programmes debunking spiritual healers and other charlatans who prey on the beliefs of the unwary. Following the death of her younger sister, however, Finn worries that her outspoken opinions – greatly at odds with her sister’s New Age beliefs – may have caused hurt at a time when the comfort of that belief was all her sister had left. Finn cancels all her upcoming engagements and retreats to a place where she expects no one to look for her.

Bridge and Finn are attracted to each other – and also at odds – from the moment they meet. Bridge is nothing like the clergy Finn has met before: especially the TV evangelist father, now serving a long prison sentence for fraud and attempted murder, that Finn and her sister ran away from as teenagers. Meanwhile, Bridge finds their verbal sparring awakening facets of her personality buried since before she decided to study theology and turn her back on her previous persona of Mistress Black. Although the two turn many of their arguments into rational debates, and are encouraged in their burgeoning relationship – in the absence of Bridge’s best friend and her new wife – by the only other lesbian in the village, they face opposition from at least one of Bridge’s parishioners, not to mention her homophobic bishop.

I loved this book so much; Bridge is a wonderfully unconventional vicar, even compared to some of the eccentric clergy I’ve met in my parents’ village. Finn had the potential to be annoying, but she never quite came across that way, and I was delighted by how various of the other characters from the previous book were further developed without ever overshadowing the main protagonists. I was also pleased to see that while Bridge had friends in high places, it was actually her hard work for her current and previous communities that really helped her overcome the opposition to the choices that she made. In a real turn-up for the books, the sex scenes were right up my street too. Of course, now I want to find out if Quade, the lesbian farmer and assistant estate manager, is going to get a romance of her own too.

Another auto-buy author to add to my list.

Grade: A

With this book Ms Frame takes us back to the village Axedale where we met Harry and Annie. We watched them fall in love and start their life together in the book 'Courting the Countess’. Now the author has her eyes sat on finding a match for the vicar who we first met in 'C the C’. Bridget Claremont comes from wealth but finds herself being a Vicar for the small village of Axedale. It's a job she loves. Nothing would make her happier than finding someone to share her life with. Finnian Kane is famous for not only being a great magician but for debunking people who make a living defrauding people using their religions and spiritual beliefs. But she's having a hard time dealing with the untimely death of her sister. She's an Atheist and she's starting to question her beliefs. Ms Frame has again given us a very enjoyable read. I might be wrong but I think her next book will be about finding love for Bridget and Finnian good friend Quade. At least I hope so.

Unfortunately I had to DNF. There were no content warnings for cancer, which is horribly triggering to me and I can`t deal with cancer-related grief. Please put sufficient content warnings in your blurbs, I would`t`ve requested the ARC if I knew about the content

I unfortunately had to DNF this book. I went in expecting a historical romance and got a contemporary and from their everything became very jarring

The fact that this is also supposed to involve bdsm was a surprise and would normally be plesant but not in this case. Also the killing off the younger sister with cancer was the last straw. I cant do cancer grief books. I honestly think this book would have been better of a historical than a contemporary romance

Jenny Frame really knows how to write the perfect butch. In ‘Charming the Vicar’ she has written 3 very different butches- all of them completely adorable. Finnian Kane is an illusionist grieving over the death of her sister and has moved to Axedale to keep out of the public eye. She is a beautiful boyish butch, an atheist and wants nothing to do with local vicar Bridge’s offer of help. But Bridge is stunningly gorgeous, high femme and with something a wee bit unusual lurking beneath the surface. Can Finn keep away? Can Bridge keep her feelings under control when the alternative could lose her all she has worked so hard for?

The sexual chemistry between them is unbelievably hot. It is sexy, lustful and with more than a hint of kink. Bridge has an overpowering effect on Finn as her long-hidden sexuality comes to the fore. The scenes between them are highly erotic – and not just the sex scenes. The tension is ramped up so well that I felt the characters would explode if they did not get relief!

There is also an emotional intensity to their story that is quite breath-taking and endearing. Bridge is a Church of England Vicar and is expected to remain celibate or she faces losing her job, her home and her place in the village. Finn is so vulnerable and her past has made her reluctant to trust. How they deal with these issues as their feelings grow is very well written. I loved the other characters around them and remembered them well from ‘Courting the Countess’. Harry is one of the other butches I mentioned and is very in control – or so she thinks. Her new wife Annie is the real power behind that particular throne. Their friend Quade is a rugged butch farmer and I so want to find out more about her – and I think we will. She is an adorable character who deserves happiness and love. An excellent book set in the most wonderful village – a place I hope to return to very soon!

I was given this ARC by Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley in return for an honest review.

ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this, I’d enjoyed the first book, Courting the Countess, and Bridget and Quade were intriguing characters in that book that I assumed would get their own stories. Unfortunately the Bridget from the first story is not the Bridget who shows up here.

This Bridget is a ‘Mistress’ dressed in vicar’s clothing. Bridget is caring when she’s trying to get Finn to open up, is a wonderful vicar and she loves and is loved by the townspeople. She has great friendships,with Quade and Harry. But it was like she had a split personality. She cares for her flock, but has no trouble demeaning Finn, and wanting to put her in her place. The juxtaposition drove me nuts.

As did the overuse of the term ‘boy’ (I wasn’t sure if Frame actually meant ‘boi’) to describe Finn. First of all, that’s a term you should only use to refer to someone who wants to be referred to that way. Bridget does not bother to ascertain this, just uses it at will, and I assume the reader is just supposed to think Finn is fine with this because she’s butch, but whatever.

Bridget’s ‘secret’ is that she’s into S&M, I don’t mind dom/sub stories, but for some reason the whole ‘Mistress’ thing is a huge turn off for me, so this one left me cold in that area too, I actually skipped the sex scenes because of this.

I did like that Frame didn’t just hook Quade and Bridget up, although that probably had more to do with being able to make this a longer series, still I liked that in a town of three lesbians, all of them are friends and never wanted to be anything else. Quade gets a lot to do here, and I assume will have her own story (one hopes she gets to retain her current personality in that one). Harry has less to do, but still gets a few pivotal scenes. Overall though, I couldn’t buy into the romance, and most of that was because I only liked Bridget half of the time. 2.5 stars.

This book just couldn’t hold my interested.... I’m not sure if it was because of the characters or the setting or the writing or a mix of all of it but it just wasn’t for me. I can’t really pinpoint why it didn’t appeal to me but it just didn’t.

I have mixed feelings about Jenny Frame's books. I've listened to two of them as an audiobook and the each of the narrators greatly influenced my enjoyment (or the lack of it).
I picked up Charming the Vicar as I liked Courting the Countess and Bridge's character in it, but she was a very different person in this one.
Spirituality, religion, bdsm are not really my cup of tea, but as the book progressed I became more and more invested in the story. Many things annoyed me, but my general feeling is good and that's what count in a (romance) book: the way it makes me feel.