Lisa Kleypas‘ Midnight Angelis the predecessor to the only one of her novels I’ve been unable to finish, Prince of Dreams. I started Prince of Dreams, not knowing it was a sequel; the Elaine Duillo stepback cover lured me in.
I should have started with this one, which features a Max Ginsburgtip-in illustration, as this is by far the better romance.
The Plot
The story opens with Lady Anastasia Kaptereva. She is in jail, sentenced to hang for a murder she did not commit. Anastasia doesn’t have any recollection of the event.
She flees Russia for exile to England, where under an assumed name, she lands employment as a governess to young Lady Emma Stokehurst.
The hero Luke, Lord Stokehurst, is unique in that he’s disabled, missing a hand, with a hook in its place. He is a widower whose wife died in a fire. And he’s vowed never to love again.
His 12-year-old daughter Emma is in need of care. Emma is the heroine inPrince of Dreams,where she is paired off with Tasia’s annoying brute of a cousin Nikolas Angelovsky. He was such an awful hero; I DNF’d that book. Unthinkable for a Kleypas, but he rubbed me the wrong way. Strange, as he’s not so terrible here in Midnight Angel.
Midnight Angel, Lisa Kleypas, Avon, 1995, Max Ginsburg cover art, John De Salvomodel
Luke is about 15 years older than Tasia (she’s 18; he’s 34). Luke is “tortured” and domineering, not a thoughtfully sensitive but strong quasi-beta male with a cream-puff interior. The power dynamics may be off-putting to some. I didn’t mind.
When Tasia and Lucas get together, the steam factor is hot. Kleypas writes excellent love scenes, which is why the book was enjoyable.
The plot was a bit of a kitchen-sink affair, as there are many factors thrown in: the Gothic aura, amnesia, murder, a nasty other woman, and lots of drama. Plus, there are evil baddies, a tiger, and some paranormal factors. The supernatural stuff is further explored in Prince of Dreams.
My Opinion
Midnight Angel was good, better than its follow-up, but not anything exceptional. If you’ve read my reviews, you know where I stand on the grieving widowers trope, but it was mostly tolerable here. Mostly.
Some aspects were rushed, making my rating for this book drop a few percentage points. It’s melodramatic and cheesy at times. Then again, I don’t mind cheesy.
I liked this historical overall, but I don’t think it’s for every reader. Fans of Kleypas’ romances written in the 20th century–particularly her Hathaway and Ravenel series–probably will not have a good time as I did with Midnight Angel.
The ratings on Amazon and Goodreads are relatively low for a Kleypas romance, with a considerable number of 1 or 2-star reviews.
That didn’t sway my opinion, as I enjoy Kleypas’ 1990s to early 2000s romances more than her “modern” books.
Final Analysis of Midnight Angel
Historical romance is a broad genre and Lisa Kleypas’ is a rare author with broad genre appeal. Midnight Angel is a solid, if not stellar, romance. Tasia and Lord Stokehurst are an unlikely couple, but their story is full of passion, intrigue, and danger.
Opinions are mixed about this one, so your mileage may vary. As for me, while I won’t be returning to Midnight Angel, I am glad I read it.
3.74 Stars
Rating Report Card
Plot
3
Characters
3
Writing
4
Chemistry
4
Fun Factor
3.5
Cover
4.5
Overall:
3.7
Synopsis
A noblewoman of frail beauty and exotic mystery fakes her own death to escape the gallows. And now she must flee. In disguise and under a false identity, she finds unexpected sanctuary in the arms of a handsome and arrogant yet gallant British lord—who must defy society to keep her safe . . . and overcome a tragic past to claim her as his own.
In this review, IntrovertReader can’t gush enough over her love for Secret Fire by Johanna Lindsey, which features a Russian Prince, the aphrodisiac “Spanish fly,” and one of Lindsey’s best heroines.
Secret Fire was the second Johanna Lindsey romance I read, and it cemented her works among my favorites. Published in 1987, this was written during Lindsey’s peak years of output.
The cover is another Elaine Duillo gem, this time featuring white, cream, and brown hues–appropriate for the wintery Russian setting. There’s also a blond male cover model whom I’ve been searching for for years. Forget Fabio and his long-haired colleagues; it’s this guy I have often imagined as the hero of many love stories I’ve read. He’s a perfect model for the ultra-gorgeous hero of Secret Fire, Dimitri. [Note: I have discovered he is the late Gerald “Jerry” Timm, a model and actor.]
The Characters
Dimitri is a half-Russian, half-English Prince who is in England to visit family and smooth over a scandal his sister has gotten into by engaging in an affair with a married man. The uber-sexual Dimitri doesn’t mind his sisters’ affairs, only that she’s so flagrant about them. So he decides to bring her back to Russia on his ship and perhaps find a dutiful spouse for her.
Meanwhile, Lady Katherine St. John, the eldest daughter of an Earl, is enraged to find that her sister has decided to run off and elope. Although Katherine has a father and brother, it’s upon her dainty shoulders that familial responsibilities lie. She concocts a plan to exchange garments with a maid and search the London streets for her sister.
The Plot
As she’s walking about, Dimitri’s carriage is stuck in traffic, and he happens to see Katherine. Although she’s short and rather plain with dull brown hair, there’s something about her that appeals to Dimitri.
As a prince who’s gotten anything and everything he’s ever wanted with a snap of his fingers, Dimitri sends a servant off to procure the woman for a night of passion. Katherine dismisses the man, but he won’t take no for an answer. Before Katherine knows what’s happening, she’s kidnapped and finds herself trapped in strange quarters.
When Dimitri finds out what’s been done, he’s disgusted at first. He was just looking for a quick tryst, not a sex marathon. Dimitri figures he’ll have to let his men have a go with her, as Spanish Fly makes a woman insatiable. Then he enters the room, and those thoughts go out the window. While Katherine might not be the most beautiful woman in the world, she certainly is one of the most sensual visions he’s ever witnessed, naked on the bed and writhing in desire.
And so begins Secret Fire, with a night of pure ecstasy for both Katherine and Dimitri.
Her adamant refusals prompt Dimitri’s servant to ply her with”Spanish Fly” to make her willing for the prince’s touch.
The Prince in Pursuit
However, the next day Katherine is back to her old self and threatens Dimitri’s servants with arrest, as she is the daughter of an Earl. No one believes her, of course. What would an Earl’s daughter have been doing roaming the London docks alone and wearing the clothes of a servant? Still, to prevent any scandal, his servant has the brilliant idea of locking Katherine in a chest and taking her with them to Russia.
When Katherine finds herself at sea, she demands to be returned. Dimitri had not expected to find her aboard the ship but is pleased to see her. Despite his hundreds of past amours, their night together was one of the best in memory, and the lady had been a virgin, to boot!
Dimitri pursues Katherine with an ardor he hadn’t imagined possible. Of course, Katherine rebuffs him at every turn. She’s no common trull but a lady deserving of respect. Dimitri ignores Katherine’s claims of nobility, mostly because he wants to believe that his Katya can be easily had. He knows he has to marry a noble Russian woman to produce an heir for his line, but Katya can be his mistress in the meantime.
Over the seas and rivers, through Europe, and into Russia, Dimitri tries what he can to seduce her back into his arms.
But Katherine has a will made of steel. Even though she wants him just as much as he wants her, she holds out for what she needs–not what he desires.
[He] wanted her. Incredible fantasy. This fairy-tale prince, this golden god wanted her. Her. It boggled the mind. It defied reason. And she said no. Stupid ninny!
SECRET FIRE
Final Analysis of Secret Fire
I love Katherine. Like Georgina Anderson from Lindsey’s Gentle Rogue, she has a habit of talking to herself–a trait I share, to my husband’s annoyance. Katherine’s fiercely proud, stubborn, and resilient. She’s not my favorite Lindsey heroine, but she is up there with the best.
One of my favorite scenes is after Dimitri’s aunt decides to discipline Katherine, and Dimitri’s horrified reaction to it all, combined with Katherine’s stiff-upper-lip reserve.
Dimitri is as equally stubborn and proud as Katherine. But nowhere near as brilliant. That’s ok. His charm and godlike looks make up for it!
This is another of Johanna Lindsey‘s excellent romances that I’ve re-read many times. Secret Fire is an absolute wonder, the hero, the heroine, the plot, the writing, all of it.
Rating Report Card
Plot
5
Characters
5
Writing
4.5
Chemistry
5
Fun Factor
5
Cover
5
Overall:
4.9
Synopsis
He’d caught only a glimpse of her from the window of his carriage, but the young prince knew he had to have her. Within minutes, Lady Katherine St. John was dragged from the London street and carried off to a sumptuous town house — for the pleasure of her royal admirer…
From the tempestuous passion of their first encounter, across stormy seas, to the golden splendor of palaces in Moscow, she was his prisoner — obsessed with rage toward her captor even as an all-consuming need made her his slave. Yet theirs was a fervor beyond her understanding, carrying them irrevocably toward final surrender to the power of undeniable love.
Dakota Dreams starts on November 1, 1833. On this day, in a blizzard, two lives will end, and one will begin. The lives that end are those of Lady Cillia Remington and her husband, Lord Holden Remington, ninth Marquess of Weatherford. The life that begins is that of their son.
Cillia gives birth to her son with the help of Two Moons, an Arapaho war chief. Before she dies, she asks Two Moons to raise her son. Two Moons names the child Dakota, and Two Moons and his wife raise Dakota alongside their biological son, Black Otter.
At first, the two boys are friends and brothers, but as they grow to adulthood, their relationship becomes strained, mostly from Black Otter’s perspective.
After Two Moons’ death, Dakota, now 23, leaves for England. Two Moons asked Dakota to do so before he passed for two reasons. One, for Dakota to truly embrace his heritage, and two, because he feared what Black Otter would do to Dakota.
After receiving training from his friend, hunter, and trapper Levi Johnson, Dakota goes to England, where he meets his cousin, John Donegal, and welcomes further instruction before meeting his wife.
Lady Breanna
Meanwhile, in England, Lady Breanna Kenton discovers that she has been affianced to Dakota by her ne’er do well brother, Fielding. Needless to say, Breanna is not happy with the situation. She’s also concerned about Dakota having been raised as an Arapaho.
Breanna meets Dakota’s grandfather, Quincy Remington, current Marquess of Weatherford, who bluntly tells her that she and Dakota are only in his life to produce an heir, nothing more.
Breanna and Dakota are later married by proxy.
Marriage Then Love
Dakota arrives in England, and the bride and husband finally meet. They are attracted to each other. But both are struggling with being in a world neither understands nor wants, so they are hesitant to make their marriage real.
However, as time goes on, Breanna and Dakota give in to their attraction and become lovers. They fall in love, meaning major storm clouds are on the horizon.
There is a long-running dispute between Dakota’s village of Weatherford and the neighboring village of Saffron. Ostensibly, the argument is only over fishing waters, but what Dakota doesn’t know is that Martin Saffron, Lord Saffron, has a personal grudge against Dakota’s family.
Breanna doesn’t know that Martin’s sister, Lady Rye Saffron, is scheming to break up Breanna and Dakota’s marriage and have him for herself. As part of Rye’s plan, she manipulates Dakota into offering her lodgings.
When Breanna sees them together embracing, she assumes the worst and runs off, later being hit by a carriage. She is rescued by Lord Stephen Glendon, Duke of Clandandon, and his sister, Lady Mary. They nurse Breanna back to health, and she goes back to Dakota.
Dakota learns that Black Otter, whom he thought was dead, is alive and terrorizing people. Dakota decides to leave England and return to America to deal with him.
After Quincy passes, Breanna, John, and Levi go to America. Dakota isn’t happy to see Breanna, but he doesn’t send her back to England, not that she would do so.
As Dakota pursues Black Otter, his relationship with Breanna is stressed. Later Black Otter kidnaps Brenna. She is part of his revenge against Dakota.
A final showdown occurs, and Black Otter is killed—not by Dakota, but by Breanna.
After killing Black Otter, Breanna and Dakota separate again, and she has their son, Holden.
But in the end, Breanna and Dakota reunite and reconcile. They have their Happily Ever After.
Upside
The best part of Dakota Dreams for me is Breanna. First, I love the name! (If I had a daughter, that is what I would name her).
She is a very sweet person who, like Dakota, was thrust into a situation she wasn’t prepared for and didn’t want. She is the best part of the book.
Downside
I liked Dakota at first. Yet as the novel progressed, I grew to dislike him. After being accused of adultery with Rye–no, thankfully, he did not cheat on the heroine–Dakota became more withdrawn, moody, and uncommunicative with Breanna.
But in the interest of fairness:
Breanna did see Dakota embracing Rye.
He did invite Rye to stay in the family estate.
He did buy her clothing and jewelry (this came about because Rye lied to him about being robbed. This was part of her unsuccessful plan to seduce Dakota).
He did all of this while leaving Breanna at the Remington country estate (and not telling her what was happening at home).
So, in a nutshell, while Breanna was wrong to accuse Dakota of adultery without facts, he is guilty of naivete, poor judgment, and failing to communicate with his wife.
Storylines Issues
The Saffron storyline, the appearances of the Duke of Clandanon and his sister, is started and abruptly ends without being finished.
There is also a noticeable lack of depth here. This is a story about two fish-out-of-water people that needed to be explored, but Ms. O’Banyon failed to do so in any meaningful way.
As is the case with WAY too many romance novels, most of the issues Breanna and Dakota faced could have been resolved–or at least minimized–if they had actually TALKED WITH EACH OTHER!
Of course, if romance authors actually wrote books like that, there wouldn’t be a romance novel industry.
Sex
The love scenes between Breanna and Dakota are so mild that they are almost non-existent.
Heat level: As warm and exhilarating as drinking from a water bottle that’s left sitting in your car.
Violence
Assault, battery, shooting, and killings all take place in Dakota Dreams. None of the violence is graphic.
Bottom Line on Dakota Dreams
Dakota Dreams had the potential for a really good book. With Ms. O’Banyon writing the book differently or a different author, it might have happened.
Unfortunately, neither of those things happened, and, as a result, Dakota Dreams is far less of a book than it could have been.
Rating Report Card
Plot
3.5
Characters
4
Writing
3
Chemistry
2
Fun Factor
3
Cover
4
Overall:
3.3
Synopsis
Sold in Marriage… Independent Lady Breanna Kendall couldn’t believe her gambling brother had cashed in on her freedom to pay off his debts. Now she was trapped into marrying not only a stranger but one who had been raised by Indians in uncivilized America. Taking out her fury with a reckless ride, the amber-eyed hothead was thrown — then stunned to awaken in a handsome stranger’s arms. Their attraction was undeniable, and the betrothed beauty couldn’t keep from succumbing to her virile rescuer’s charms. But when she discovered her mysterious lover was her buffalo-hunting fiance, she felt betrayed by the philanderer … and swore she’d never relent to his velvet touch again!
Chained by Heritage … If his Indian father hadn’t forced him into a deathbed promise, towering Dakota Remington would never have left his rugged Arapaho life for stuffy England. Since the muscular white brave had no choice, he decided to happily explore his paleface people’s homeland … until he discovered he’d become wed to one without his consent! But after the raven-haired warrior saw Breanna, he knew he had to conquer her as any male who’d found his mate. He could always leave her behind when he returned to his real nation. For now he’d pursue her, torment her, tease her — and seduce her with the magic of his DAKOTA DREAMS…
Was this tepid, dull romance actually penned by Johanna Lindsey? The Heirwas Lindsey’s first book where I noticed a weird change. Previously, if there was a Lindsey I didn’t like, it was due to a meandering plot or excessive fighting between the leads. There is friendship for sure in this one, but romantic isn’t what I’d call the relationship between Duncan and Sabrina.
The Plot: Friends to Lovers
Duncan, a Highland Scot, is the newly made heir to an English Marquess. Everyone in the county is eager to meet this young laird–er lord–especially the unmarried ladies. Our heroine Sabrina, however, has no designs on Duncan. She’s plump, plain, and orphaned. Sabrina’s not anyone’s ideal candidate for a wife. Certainly not for an heir to a Marquessate.
One of the ladies with eyes on Duncan is the beautiful Miss Ophelia. Ophelia desperately wants to be a Marchioness. She will connive to do whatever it takes to move up the social ladder.
When Duncan and Sabrina meet, there are no sparks. They are cordial to one another, though. A friendship forms between the two outsiders. They meet on walks and talk.
Then, one night–totally out of the blue–Sabrina and Duncan’s relationship turns physical. The pair make love. Boring, boring, love.
Thus, by doing so, Duncan has ruined his dear friend Sabrina.
A Weak Hero With No Backbone
In a shocking twist (not really), Ophelia schemes to make it appear as if Duncan ruined her. So the red-haired idiot decides to do the honorablething: marry Ophelia, the woman he hates. If Duncan truly had any honor, he would have done right by Sabrina. Instead, he cowardly leaves her in the dust. At only 21, Duncan flounders in areas where a more mature man would have acted differently. I can’t imagine previous Lindsay heroes going along with this stupidity.
Of course, Sabrina says nothing about her part, as she wants no part in a scandal. Plus, boo-hoo, she wasn’t cut out for marriage anyway. She’s so fat! Who in his right mind would want a 140-pound schlub like her? (Yes, folks, that’s sarcasm.)
If it weren’t for the only person in this book with any charisma, Raphael, twisting Ophelia’s arm to break the engagement, Duncan would have married a woman he didn’t have to. A woman he didn’t love but despised! As it is, I wasn’t even sure if Duncan loved Sabrina. They were pals. Yes, they conversed with one another without resorting to bickering, like so many Lindsey leads tended to do. Nevertheless, they lacked chemistry.
I wasn’t fond of most of the characters. Raphael was the lone exception. Sabrina was spineless. Duncan was a squish with an annoying brogue. Ophelia was just a nasty witch who didn’t deserve her own book. Oh yes, she gets paired off with Raphael in The Devil Who Tamed Her.
Final Analysis of The Heir
When I saw Duncan’s mullet hairstyle on the inside of the stepback edition of this book, I cringed. Gone were the halcyon days of Fabio. Even sadder, this was one of Elaine Duillo‘s last covers for Johanna Lindsey. An era was over.
I listened to The Heir on audio cassette while I drove to and from work. That’s the only way I could have consumed this story. Reading it would have been a chore. As it was, that daily one-hour round trip should have passed easily with an audiobook to listen to. But it didn’t–because The Heir was not an engaging romance.
It just was. (Does that make sense?)
After The Heir, I’ve only read one “newer” Lindsey I enjoyed: When Passion Rules. That was a mildly better version of Once A Princess, another book I wasn’t crazy about.
Oh well, Johanna Lindsey had a long run as a writer of wonderful novels that made the historical romance genre exciting. She’s now gone to the great beyond to be with her beloved husband. Lindsey leaves behind a legacy of entertaining romances that made tens of millions of readers giddy with joy. Too bad, for me, The Heir wasn’t one of them.
2 Stars
Rating Report Card
Plot
2
Characters
1.5
Writing
3
Chemistry
2.5
Fun Factor
3.5
Overall:
2.5
Synopsis
Has anyone in London ever taken part in the coming-out Season with less enthusiasm than Sabrina? Luckily, the most sought-after lady in the city has agreed to usher this young, lovely country girl through the perils and pitfalls of her all-important first season.
Dashing highlander Duncan MacTavish is even less keen to be in London. Having recently learned he is the sole heir of an English marquis, Duncan is now required to assume his grandfather’s title and estates—and to marry Sabrina’s ravishing, viper-tongued guide, who has been heard to make scathing statements in public about her “Scottish barbarian” groom-to-be.
His unwanted betrothal, however, has brought Duncan into close proximity with the enchanting Sabrina—a kindred spirit whose wit delights him… and whose essence is the exquisite stuff of dreams. But duty, station, and a secret that dwells in the lady’s past forbid Sabrina’s and Duncan’s desired union—unless true love can somehow miraculously find a way.
Rosemary Rogers, the “Grande Dame of Bodice Rippers,” wrote a few exceptional epic romances. Alas, Surrender to Love wasn’t one of them. It’s my least liked of her books I’ve read so far.
The Heroine
Surrender to Love begins in the hot, sultry nation of Ceylon, where the British heroine Alexa lives. Alexa is so spunky. She hates convention. Why-oh-why do rules have to be so strict for women, and why couldn’t she have been born a man?
Look, I like feminist heroines in my bodice rippers. A meek, wishy-washy heroine in one is no fun, but Alexa… It just never ended with her. Everything was political. That attitude is very draining.
But the worst aspect about her is reading her inner monologues. They’re jam-packed with randomly italicized words, sometimes just a couple per page, sometimes dozens. It made me crazy.
Alexa is one of those wild heroines who courts danger and is susceptible to intense mood swings. I got the suspicion it was the author’s menopausal mania slipping in. (I’m feeling it myself these days.)
I got a strong sense of Alexa’s mental instability with her long internal rants. Or when she’s scratching the hero Nicholas’s face off. Or sobbing hysterically in front of him. Basically, every scene underscores her fluctuating moods.
The writing was erratic. For example, POV changes without warning, just within one paragraph.
And did I mention those italics?
The Plot
Alexa wants to be independent in a society constricted by stultifying rules. She meets Nicholas Dameron, who’s as wild as she is.
Their relationship is a tug-and-pull game that goes on for too long. There’s no consummation until page 337 of this 612-page brick, which ticked me off.
The tempo in Surrender to Love is more sluggish than the other Rogers books I’ve encountered, even the profoundly introspective TheWildest Heart. The pacing plods on.
It turned around after Part Two, but it was rough when a book doesn’t have not much happening for the first 200 pages. Alexa gets involved in a few scandals and then marries an older husband who brings her to the “Temple of Venus” to catch a naughty peep show or two.
She is soon widowed and goes to England to take society by storm.
Eventually, I saw where Rogers was going with the plot; it’s a tale of a woman who defies the stifling conventions of the Victorian Era through her overt sexuality.
I wondered if Rogers was ever a fan of Mexican telenovelas. The hidden family secrets, brutish hero, and spunky heroine reminded me of Alondra, which was about a “beautiful, rebellious girl, with very independent and progressive views for that time” (i.e., she has sex with other men besides the hero) who looks and acts just like Alexa.
The cast of the Mexican telenovela Alondra.
Random Observations on Surrender to Love
All the Viscounts of this-and-that running around got confusing. But at least they weren’t Dukes!
Nicholas Dameron was too nebulous, too enigmatic for a hero, which is unusual for me to criticize. Despite learning the history of his first wife, I didn’t understand him at all.
As always, Rogers drew upon themes of women’s liberation. This time it came on a bit thick.
Yes, Alexa, we get it. Being a woman in the 19th century was smothering and oppressive. However, she was part of the wealthy upper class, plus beautiful & widowed. Alexa had privileges that the average woman of her time did not share.
Alexa’s rash impetuosity was a major flaw. She never thought about her actions first. She was capricious and blamed her troubles on outside forces.
Nobody forced her to move to London and deal with the repressive London ton, but she had to have her “revenge” on Nicholas for ruining her in Ceylon.
Sure, Alexa, it was revenge you were after.
The world was that woman’s oyster, but she had a hankering for geoduck:
That’s a shellfish. What did you think it was?
The first two hundred pages could have been condensed to half that amount. The ending was weird (although not the “trial” and a whipping scene, which was awesome). One moment Alexa is engaged to Charles, her consummation with him is glossed over, and then she ends up married to Nicholas.
Happy ending, I guess?
Final Analysis of Surrender to Love
Surrender to Love wasn’t Rosemary Roger’s best romance. She’s written far better.
Strong characterization, a staple of her works, is missing here. The heroine was a manic mess. Nicholas, the hero, was too distant and mysterious to be appreciated.
The villains weren’t exciting. Although I liked Alexa’s evil grandma, she was the Diet Coke of evil: just one calorie, not evil enough. Same opinion of the Marquess. But as long as I kept imagining Mexican actress Beatriz Sheridan as the evil Dowager Marchioness, I had a good time with that particular villainess.
Beatriz Sheridan
I would have given Surrender to Love a less than favorable rating but settled on three stars because the pluses slightly outweighed the negatives.
But, oh, those annoying italicsmade it difficult.
3 Stars
Rating Report Card
Plot
3
Characters
2.5
Writing
3
Chemistry
3.5
Fun Factor
3
Cover
2.5
Overall:
2.9
Synopsis
Under the midnight moon of Ceylon, on the night of her debutante ball at the Governor’s palace, Alexa Howard met her cousin, Nicholas Dameron. And in the sardonic curl of his hard, sensuous lips, in the commanding arrogance of his eyes, Alexa beheld the fierce, implacable passion that would render her helpless to the trembling slavery of desire…
Every kind of love a woman can be made to feel… Within the golden softness of Alexa’s alluring gentility flowed the insatiable fires of an innocent woman’s awakening to lvoe — and the fury of a betrayed woman’s lust for revenge. Through the nightworlds of Naples, Rome, Paris and London, she was pursued by the man who heartlessly wanted her beauty. But her soul was possessed by the man whose touch was unbearable ecstasy, whose cruelty was ravishing torment, whose tenderness was passion’s fulfillment. Nicholas Dameron had taken her virtue and mocked her pride. But his love was the offering of every pleasure a woman has ever dared to dream of…
Ravenby Evelyn Rogers is one of those books with a little bit of everything. Of course, there’s romance–the chemistry between the protagonists was sizzling–but there’s also adventure, painful tragedy, and a dash of gothic intrigue.
The Plot
Raven, an American Southerner living in England, is a broken woman with a tainted past. She has to learn to let go of her hurts to become the mature, independent woman she was destined to be.
Acting is her calling, so our heroine takes to the London stage to be an actress. There, she shines as a bright star. Still, there is an emptiness inside her.
Marcus Bannerman is just the man she needs. He is a wealthy and arrogant nobleman. Marcus is a multi-faceted character, however, as he is also a kind, understanding man.
Marcus is a very patient and dedicated lover. He was an incredibly sensual hero, and the dialogue between him and Raven was so steamy!
Besides having to get over the major trauma she experienced long ago, now there is danger afoot that could threaten Raven’s life!
Final Analysis of Raven
I’ve read several books by Evelyn Rogers, and I’ve always been impressed. This was one of her best romances so far! She was one of the better authors for Kensington’s Zebra imprint and later wrote for Dorchester.
Raven was the second in a series of books about three sisters trying to flee from their pasts. I’ve yet to read them all, although I will correct that very soon because Raven was an excellent read.
4.5 Stars
Rating Report Card
Plot
4.5
Characters
4
Writing
4.5
Chemistry
5
Fun Factor
4.5
Cover
4.5
Overall:
4.5
Synopsis:
A WOMAN OF SECRETS Haunted by memories of the terrible night that left her innocence shattered, Raven Chadwick prefers the world of make-believe to the cruel realities of everyday life. So she leaves her girlhood home of Savannah to pursue a stage career — and uncover a mysterious family secret.
A MAN OF MYSTERY In London, Raven meets Marcus Bannerman, the enigmatic Earl of Stafford. Powerful and hotly sensual, he fills her with doubt — and awakening desire…
A WORLD OF PASSION Then Raven discovers the truth that was once hidden amid the shadows of the elegant Stafford mansion — a secret that could change her life. Only if she believes in herself and the man she adores will Raven be able to take on her greatest role: a woman ready to fight for her true, undying love!
