Tag Archives: sequel

Item: Velvet Night
Rating: 3
Author: Blue Falcon

Historical Romance Review: Velvet Night by Jo Goodman

TOTAL SPOILER ALERT ⚠

The Book

This review is of Velvet Night, book #2 in the “War of 1812 Series” by Jo Goodman. The review for Book #1, Passion’s Bride, later reissued as The Captain’s Lady, is available on the blog.

The Plot

Velvet Night begins in England, 1805. Kenna Dunne, 13, the heroine, lives with her father, Robert; her stepmother, Victorine Dussault Dunne; her brother, Nicholas; and her stepsister, Yvonne. On this night, the Dunne is hosting a masquerade party at their family estate, Dunnelly.

The festivities will be brief. Before the night is over, an unknown criminal murders Robert.

Fast forward ten years. Kenna, now 23, is visited by Nicholas’ long-time friend Rhys (pronounced Reese) Canning, this book’s hero. And the person whom Kenna believes killed her father.

As the Velvet Night goes on, multiple attempts are made on Kenna’s life. She and Rhys draw close and eventually become lovers. Soon after that, she is kidnapped and brought to a brothel. Before the worst can happen, she is saved by Rhys’ “friend,”–who is also a madam.

Later, Kenna and Rhys marry, and he takes her to America, to Boston. After his father and brother were killed in a fire, Rhys inherited his family’s shipping business in the city. He has brought Kenner there to keep her safe from danger.

velvet night jo goodman — *Velvet Night* (Author’s Cut Edition), 2019

When they arrive in Boston, Kenna and Rhys make friends with Alexis Quinton-Cloud and Tanner Cloud (the heroine and hero of book #1 in this series, Passion’s Bride/The Captain’s Lady); they own Garnet Shipping, the very competitors of Canning Shipping.

Kenna and Rhys also make enemies in Boston’s business and social circles.

Unfortunately, the threats against Kenna don’t stop after she arrives in America. Her life is in peril several more times. The bad guys kidnap her once again before her father’s killer’s true identity is revealed.

Rhys saves her, as the hero always does in these books. They unmask and dispose of the killers.

Kenna and Rhys have their Happily Ever After.

The Upside

Kenna and Rhys are fairly nice characters.

The Downside

Velvet Night reminds me very much of oatmeal or rice with nothing added: okay on some levels, but very bland.

The scenes that are supposed to be exciting (e.g., the many attempts on Kenna’s life) aren’t. Plus, there is little chemistry between Kenna and Rhys in or out of bed.

The “mystery” surrounding the killer of Robert Dunne is pretty easy to solve. I figured out who it was by the 25% point of the book.

Sex

A few love scenes, none of which are particularly hot or sensual.

Violence

There is some assault and battery. Then shootings and killings. The violence is not graphic.

Bottom Line on Velvet Night

Velvet Night is a very pale sequel to Passion’s Bride/The Captain’s Lady. Jo Goodman’s previous Zebra historical was far superior to this lukewarm romance novel.

Rating Report Card
Plot	2.5
Characters	3.5
Writing	3
Chemistry	3
Fun Factor	2.5
Cover	4
Overall:	3.1

Synopsis

HE BETRAYED HER FATHER
Ever since she was a girl, flame-haired Kenna Dunne had hated handsome Rhys Canning for lying about killing her father. Now, even though she hadn’t seen him since the war ended, the vengeance–seeking beauty swore to make the smooth-talking scoundrel confess his crime. But the moment she cop fronted him, all Kenna could do was stare breathlessly at his magnificent body, his ebony hair, and his entrancing eyes. Se knew she should denounce him as a murderer, but somehow all she could do was caress him as her lover…

SHE BROKE HIS HEART
As an American spy, Rhys could never reveal the truth to the fiery Kenna without jeopardizing his mission. It was best that he never again see the provocative temptress … but she d raged in his blood for years and now it was time for the reward or his patience. The brash colonial crushed her lips beneath his and molded his strong hands to her lush curves. Even though he knew she’d detest him forever after this evening, Rhys had waited too long to keep from recklessly plunging into splendor during this long luscious VELVET NIGHT.
Velvet Night by Jo Goodman

Historical Romance Review: Texas Fire by Caroline Bourne

MILD SPOILERS 😉

The Book

This review is of Texas Fire by Caroline Bourne. This western romance, published by Zebra/Kensington in March 1989, is the sequel to her book Texas Conquest.

Heroine: Laureli Cade, 23, Auburn hair, blue eyes. Heiress to the Wildwood ranch empire.

Hero: Court McKennon, 35. Black hair. Gray eyes. Former detective at Scotland Yard, later Texas Rancher.

Locations: London, England. Brazoria, Texas. 1850-1967.

The Plot

Part I

Texas Fire begins in London in 1850 and will span 17 years. A woman is raped and, while trying to escape her attacker, she falls and suffers serious injuries. This will set the tone for the rest of the book.

The scene then shifts to Brazoria, Texas, where Laureli Cade, the heroine, lives on a sprawling ranch. Laureli is the only member of her immediate family in Texas right now. Her father, Matthew, and mother, Mariah (the hero and heroine of Texas Conquest), are in Europe, and Laureli’s younger brother, Timothy, is at West Point.

As she is introduced, Laureli is trying to catch a wild stallion. She will come into contact with two Englishmen. One is Court McKennon, the hero of the book, who arrives with a woman who Laureli erroneously believes is his wife. The other is Wynn Garrett, a man with many secrets.

Laureli and Court clash, but they are also very attracted to each other.

They become lovers. Soon, there is a dark cloud hanging over their relationship: Garrett. In particular, Laureli and Court’s disparate views of him. Lies and deception soon tear the lovers apart, making Court depart from Texas.

Part II

After leaving Laureli and Texas behind, Court goes to San Francisco, then to London. We learn a bit about Court’s family, including his high-in-the-instep relatives.

He then decides to return to Texas and Laureli. They marry and start a family. However, their happiness is threatened by a vengeful man who wants to harm them both.

Part III

In the end, the threat is neutralized.

Laureli and Court become parents. They have their Happily Ever After.

Upside

Laureli and Court are a well-matched couple, and the love between them is written in a very genuine way.

Downside

Ms. Bourne tries very hard to write an emotional book but doesn’t quite get there. Among the issues preventing this: Laureli and Court aren’t well-developed or particularly interesting characters; the supporting characters are in a similar vein. Ditto for the storylines.

Sex

A few love scenes between Laureli and Court, which don’t generate a lot of heat.

Ms. Bourne is more focused on the emotional aspects of lovemaking and not the act itself.

Violence

Assault, attempted rape, battery, shootings, and killings all take place during Texas Fire. None of the violence is graphic.

Bottom Line on Texas Fire

Caroline Bourne’s Texas Fire generates all the heat of one lit match.

It’s a better book than her previous outing, Texas Conquest, but that’s not a particularly high bar to get over.

Tropes: Enemies-to-lovers. Historical romance. Texas.

Rating Report Card
Plot	3
Characters	3
Writing	2.5
Chemistry	2.5
Fun Factor	2.5
Cover	4
Overall:	2.9

Note: Cover points don’t count!

Synopsis

SHE WANTED HIS LOVE
From the moment the arrogant Englishman had arrived at her ranch with a very pregnant woman in tow, he had made Laureli Cade’s blood boil. Not denying his desertion of his wife and baby, the handsome rogue had taken Laureli in his arms and given her the most passionate kiss she had ever known. Outraged, she had ordered the blackguard off her land, hoping never to see him again… But as he stood before her now, she could not forget the way he had caressed her body with his eyes, and the warmth of that kiss he had brazenly taken from her. And she wondered what it would be like to be loved by him, or if she should send this virile stranger away, leaving her to long for him forever….

HE WANTED HER PASSION
For the past seven years Court McKerinon had never once abandoned his mission to hunt down the man who had brutally raped his sister. Until he saw Laureli Cade. She was a goddess, with hair like a sunset on a summer day and lips as pink as roses in first bloom. And he had not forgotten the taste of her sweet mouth nor this fiery creature’s anger when she had pushed him away. Cherishing that memory, all he wanted was to relive it once more, to take from her again and again…
Texas Fire by Caroline Bourne

Historical Romance Review: Purity’s Ecstasy by Janette Seymour

SPOILER ALERT

Youth and beauty were her sole assets on Earth.
PURITY’S ECSTASY

The Book

Like many other late 1970s to early 1980’s bodice rippers, John Michael Butterworth’s (aka Janette Seymour) second entry into his Purity trilogy, Purity’s Ecstasy, is fun. It’s a tawdry, rollicking ride filled with just about every ‘ripper trope and then some.

The Setup

In the previous book Purity’s Passion, Purity survived the French Revolution, and then she was made the ward of the enigmatic and barely-there Mark Landless, with whom she fell madly in love. However, she overcame numerous obstacles before getting her man (namely other men).

The same is–more or less–the case with this sequel.

Here Mark is presumed dead after being captured by pirates. Purity knows in her heart Mark is still alive, and she will do ~~whatever~~ whomever she has to do to find him.

The Plot

Alas, Purity has to search for employment after her cruel in-laws kick her out to the street. In her own words, her “youth and beauty were her sole assets on Earth,” so what’s a girl to do? Put those assets to work!

And… oh… my… God…

Not even halfway through this romp, there were more trashy elements here than the previous five ‘rippers I’d read combined. There was lots of kidnapping, lots of rape-and/or-forced seduction, a female pirate, regular pirates, eunuchs, male virgins, lesbian orgies, multi-racial gang-bangs, whippings, bigamy, and amnesia…

Yet, it was so tastefully done—nary a peep of manhoods, members, or dewy petals here. There were plenty of water-based euphemisms to disguise the naughtiness. Still, it had plenty of titillation.

Purity is thrown into the ravishing clutches of the evil pirate/slave-trader called El Diablo, The Devil. He hides a shocking true identity. For he is the same minister she knew back home in England. Her local friend, Reverend Mauleverer, is the evil pirate/slave-trader, El Diablo.

Debauched by an older boy at Eton, ordained as a man of the cloth at Oxford, the mild-seeming minister reveals to Purity that it was he who kidnapped her husband. He who led the Corsair fleet in the Mediterranean. It was he who took Purity into slavery. And he who ravished her.

And Purity had no clue who he was? This girl is seriously lacking in IQ and EQ.

But as bad as it gets, no naughty escapades and no thrilling, charismatic villains will ever prevent Purity from being with her dull, bland, zero-personality-having soulmate!

Final Analysis on Purity’s Ecstasy

Purity’s Ecstasy was, for the most part, an entertaining romp. Although a romance, it was not!

I don’t know if I will read book #3 (Purity’s Shame) in the series. I assume more of the same will occur. Namely, that Purity and her beloved are separated by mysterious forces. She will have to use her gold-plated “poon” as currency to get back to zero-personality-having, dull-gray Mark.

Just like she always does.

3.5 Stars

Sweet Savage Flame

Old School Romance From Avon to Zebra

Tag Archives: sequel

Historical Romance Review: Velvet Night by Jo Goodman

TOTAL SPOILER ALERT ⚠

The Book

The Plot

The Upside

The Downside

Sex

Violence

Bottom Line on Velvet Night

Synopsis

Historical Romance Review: Texas Fire by Caroline Bourne

MILD SPOILERS 😉

The Book

The Plot

Part I

Part II

Part III

Upside

Downside

Sex

Violence

Bottom Line on Texas Fire

Synopsis

Historical Romance Review: Purity’s Ecstasy by Janette Seymour

SPOILER ALERT

The Book

The Setup

The Plot

Final Analysis on Purity’s Ecstasy

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