Elizabeth Hoyt
Author of The Raven Prince
About the Author
Elizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes contemporary romance books under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in central Illinois with two children, and one husband.
Series
Works by Elizabeth Hoyt
Once Upon a Missive 2 copies
Dialogue: Writing Between the Lines 2 copies
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Finney, Nancy M.
- Other names
- Harper, Julia
- Birthdate
- 1970-11-17
- Gender
- female
- Education
- BA in Anthropology, University of Wisconsin at Madison
- Occupations
- writer
- Organizations
- Romance Writers of America
- Awards and honors
- AAR Annual Reader Poll (Best New Author ∙ 2007)
- Agent
- Robin Rue (Writers House)
Susannah Taylor - Short biography
- Julia Harper is a Midwestern girl, born and bred. She grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota and went to college at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. There she majored in anthropology and took Shakespeare classes for kicks. She spent one brief, ghastly summer doing an archaeological survey in northern Wisconsin for the State Historical Society. During that time, she won the Tick Queen of Wisconsin title for most ticks on a person at any one time (thirty-six). Oddly, she did not contract Lyme disease. Julia is (gasp!) the contemporary romance pseudonym for award-winning historical romance writer, Elizabeth Hoyt.
Elizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in central Illinois with three untrained dogs, two angelic but bickering children, and one long-suffering husband. - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Places of residence
- Urbana, Illinois, USA
St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
One of the best historical romance novels I’ve read in a while! On it’s surface level it’s an absolutely adorable story while still having it’s fair share of suspenseful moments. But more-so, I think it does a great job of making both characters flawed (which can be hard for this genre) and shows great character development (which is rare).
An excellent take on the ‘Sunshine’ character X ‘Grumpy’ character trope because it flips the usual gender roles - in this story I’d say show more our female protagonist is the grumpy character which is a refreshing change of pace (I could go on to talk about how women aren’t allowed to be ‘grumpy’ because then they’re just labelled as ‘bitchy’ but I digress). And while other books of this genre tend to get lost in their subplots -you know, the ones that are put in as a means to set them apart- this story’s subplot is actually quite intriguing and never left me bored!
Bonus points for the Pynch X Sally b-plot!!
Lastly, on a completely unrelated note, I genuinely loved the texture of the cover and paper of this book 😌 show less
An excellent take on the ‘Sunshine’ character X ‘Grumpy’ character trope because it flips the usual gender roles - in this story I’d say show more our female protagonist is the grumpy character which is a refreshing change of pace (I could go on to talk about how women aren’t allowed to be ‘grumpy’ because then they’re just labelled as ‘bitchy’ but I digress). And while other books of this genre tend to get lost in their subplots -you know, the ones that are put in as a means to set them apart- this story’s subplot is actually quite intriguing and never left me bored!
Bonus points for the Pynch X Sally b-plot!!
Lastly, on a completely unrelated note, I genuinely loved the texture of the cover and paper of this book 😌 show less
I'll probably never win another book through Goodreads' First Reads again with this review. What an anachronistic, ungrammatical, unfinished book that was.
The book opens with the widow Temperance Dews wending her way through the dank and dangerous streets of St. Giles, clutching a loaded pistol. She’s on her way back to the foundling home she runs with her younger brother, returning with her maidservant and an infant they pried from the arms of a dead young mother. Along the way, she show more overhears a scuffle in an alley and ends up fleeing from a frightening man with long white hair and a voluminous black cloak who she saw standing over an inert bleeding man. Not long after returning home, however, she discovers that the frightening man has let himself into her sitting room and has a proposition for her that she can’t turn down.
Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching St. Giles for a brutal murderer and he needs help navigating the streets and the people of the dangerous slum. Seeing how easily Temperance moves around the area, and knowing that the home is in dire financial straits, he offers her money in exchange for her guidance around the slum. She accepts, but with the caveat that he also introduce her to polite society so she may find a new patron for the home.
When a book begins with a contrivance, it’s a bad sign. Why, oh why, would a scandalous peer of the realm contract the services of a respectable woman as a guide to a slum in 1737? A woman? 60 years before Mary Wollstonecraft and her A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, I’m to believe a powerful man sees a lower-class woman as some sort of valuable helper?
Ok, but this is Romancelandia, you say, suspend your disbelief, you crone. Fine, I’ll ignore that absurdity. But must I also ignore the piano at the musicale many years before composers wrote for the pianoforte, much less the piano? Or how we never find out exactly what Caire’s title is? And all the anachronistic language? Why bother writing in a unique time period - the early Georgian era - if you’re going to go all wallpaper on me? Wouldn’t it be easier to just go with the familiar Regency period if you don’t want to set a scene? Constantly substituting “of the clock” for “o’clock” does not compensate for the modern tone. Quite the opposite, it grated on me. Set against a voice that could as easily have been telling a contemporary tale, it just glared at me, like a LARPer at the mall.
So, with the time period a silly theatrical setting, I would hope there’s a strong plot to make it all worthwhile. Unfortunately, I found the book alternately boring, absurd, untidy and confusing. Really, if I hadn’t won a copy and felt duty bound to finish and review it, I’d have quit the book at page 100. The suspense plot is poorly done with no clues or red herrings for the reader to use to play along, giving its resolution a shoulder-shrugging “Oh, that person” emotional impact. The hero’s motivation for undertaking the sleuthing is never resolved, just hinted at enough to raise unanswered questions. The side plot involving Temperance’s sister Silence adds nothing to this story but sequel bait. I don’t read romance to read about unresolved marital strife. The Ghost of St. Giles bit was freaking ridiculous. When Caire was ever fighting off hooligans back to back with a caped man in a harlequin mask with a long sword in one hand and a short sword in the other, I started to wonder if Hoyt had switched publishers and was now with Marvel Comics. There was so much going on that I never found myself invested in any of it.
I didn’t find much to like about the romance either. To begin with, I didn’t like either of the characters. Caire says terrible, insulting things to Temperance, mocking her and her dead husband because it amuses him to hurt her. He never makes amends, apologizes or grovels for it either. In fact, it’s Temperance who has to beg him to forgive her at the end. Not that she was much more likeable herself, being at times sanctimonious and others mindblowingly selfish. A breaking point came for me when her brother was sick, she just found out the home was again out of money and a baby was dying and she leaves the home unsupervised as she heads to Caire’s for some punishing rough sex. How could I respect someone so selfish?
***Slight Spoiler***
The bulk of their attraction was lust, rather than any sort of nuanced emotional connection. Throughout the first third of the book, a big to-do is made of Caire’s “unnatural desires,” all the secondary characters obliquely referring to them but not offering any details. As it turns out, Caire, who finds other people touching him to be mentally and physically painful (and bonus points for having the characters discuss mental pain 150 years before the birth of psychology), likes to tie women up during sex. Temperance, apparently, likes to be tied up and manhandled. Match made in heaven...except, Hoyt couldn’t commit to it. She tones down the bondage, having them grow out of it as a result of Twue Love, and ascribes its appeal to all sorts of psychological shortcomings. Now she decides to adhere to outdated medical info, nice. She has the characters freak out about bloodletting, which was definitely SOP then, but embrace the well-debunked idea that bondage is an unhealthy behavior one grows out of. FFS, girl, can we get some consistency please?
***And moving on...***
Added to the scatterbrained plot, unlikeable characters and unbelievable romance is some rather distracting writing. I admit to being a bit of a grammar pedant, but misusing reflexive pronouns in a published novel is just sloppy. Myself, herself and yourself are not fancier ways of saying “me,” “her” or “you.” It’s not okay when work email says “Please send all further inquiries to either Bill or myself” so it’s definitely not okay in something I pay for. See previous comment on “of the clock” for not making the voice sound like authentic 18th century.
I didn’t like the book, but I didn’t hate it either, so I give it two stars. Shamelessly setting sequel bait, more anachronism than a SCA event and a limp story just left me unsatisfied. After having enjoyed so many of her previous books I’m left to conclude that either she’s changed or I have. In any case, I’m reluctant to continue the series. Disappointing.
Also, the hero had long white hair. Long white hair = Sephiroth. Too weird. show less
The book opens with the widow Temperance Dews wending her way through the dank and dangerous streets of St. Giles, clutching a loaded pistol. She’s on her way back to the foundling home she runs with her younger brother, returning with her maidservant and an infant they pried from the arms of a dead young mother. Along the way, she show more overhears a scuffle in an alley and ends up fleeing from a frightening man with long white hair and a voluminous black cloak who she saw standing over an inert bleeding man. Not long after returning home, however, she discovers that the frightening man has let himself into her sitting room and has a proposition for her that she can’t turn down.
Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching St. Giles for a brutal murderer and he needs help navigating the streets and the people of the dangerous slum. Seeing how easily Temperance moves around the area, and knowing that the home is in dire financial straits, he offers her money in exchange for her guidance around the slum. She accepts, but with the caveat that he also introduce her to polite society so she may find a new patron for the home.
When a book begins with a contrivance, it’s a bad sign. Why, oh why, would a scandalous peer of the realm contract the services of a respectable woman as a guide to a slum in 1737? A woman? 60 years before Mary Wollstonecraft and her A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, I’m to believe a powerful man sees a lower-class woman as some sort of valuable helper?
Ok, but this is Romancelandia, you say, suspend your disbelief, you crone. Fine, I’ll ignore that absurdity. But must I also ignore the piano at the musicale many years before composers wrote for the pianoforte, much less the piano? Or how we never find out exactly what Caire’s title is? And all the anachronistic language? Why bother writing in a unique time period - the early Georgian era - if you’re going to go all wallpaper on me? Wouldn’t it be easier to just go with the familiar Regency period if you don’t want to set a scene? Constantly substituting “of the clock” for “o’clock” does not compensate for the modern tone. Quite the opposite, it grated on me. Set against a voice that could as easily have been telling a contemporary tale, it just glared at me, like a LARPer at the mall.
So, with the time period a silly theatrical setting, I would hope there’s a strong plot to make it all worthwhile. Unfortunately, I found the book alternately boring, absurd, untidy and confusing. Really, if I hadn’t won a copy and felt duty bound to finish and review it, I’d have quit the book at page 100. The suspense plot is poorly done with no clues or red herrings for the reader to use to play along, giving its resolution a shoulder-shrugging “Oh, that person” emotional impact. The hero’s motivation for undertaking the sleuthing is never resolved, just hinted at enough to raise unanswered questions. The side plot involving Temperance’s sister Silence adds nothing to this story but sequel bait. I don’t read romance to read about unresolved marital strife. The Ghost of St. Giles bit was freaking ridiculous. When Caire was ever fighting off hooligans back to back with a caped man in a harlequin mask with a long sword in one hand and a short sword in the other, I started to wonder if Hoyt had switched publishers and was now with Marvel Comics. There was so much going on that I never found myself invested in any of it.
I didn’t find much to like about the romance either. To begin with, I didn’t like either of the characters. Caire says terrible, insulting things to Temperance, mocking her and her dead husband because it amuses him to hurt her. He never makes amends, apologizes or grovels for it either. In fact, it’s Temperance who has to beg him to forgive her at the end. Not that she was much more likeable herself, being at times sanctimonious and others mindblowingly selfish. A breaking point came for me when her brother was sick, she just found out the home was again out of money and a baby was dying and she leaves the home unsupervised as she heads to Caire’s for some punishing rough sex. How could I respect someone so selfish?
***Slight Spoiler***
The bulk of their attraction was lust, rather than any sort of nuanced emotional connection. Throughout the first third of the book, a big to-do is made of Caire’s “unnatural desires,” all the secondary characters obliquely referring to them but not offering any details. As it turns out, Caire, who finds other people touching him to be mentally and physically painful (and bonus points for having the characters discuss mental pain 150 years before the birth of psychology), likes to tie women up during sex. Temperance, apparently, likes to be tied up and manhandled. Match made in heaven...except, Hoyt couldn’t commit to it. She tones down the bondage, having them grow out of it as a result of Twue Love, and ascribes its appeal to all sorts of psychological shortcomings. Now she decides to adhere to outdated medical info, nice. She has the characters freak out about bloodletting, which was definitely SOP then, but embrace the well-debunked idea that bondage is an unhealthy behavior one grows out of. FFS, girl, can we get some consistency please?
***And moving on...***
Added to the scatterbrained plot, unlikeable characters and unbelievable romance is some rather distracting writing. I admit to being a bit of a grammar pedant, but misusing reflexive pronouns in a published novel is just sloppy. Myself, herself and yourself are not fancier ways of saying “me,” “her” or “you.” It’s not okay when work email says “Please send all further inquiries to either Bill or myself” so it’s definitely not okay in something I pay for. See previous comment on “of the clock” for not making the voice sound like authentic 18th century.
I didn’t like the book, but I didn’t hate it either, so I give it two stars. Shamelessly setting sequel bait, more anachronism than a SCA event and a limp story just left me unsatisfied. After having enjoyed so many of her previous books I’m left to conclude that either she’s changed or I have. In any case, I’m reluctant to continue the series. Disappointing.
Also, the hero had long white hair. Long white hair = Sephiroth. Too weird. show less
To Desire a Devil
5 Stars
Held captive in the Colonies for seven years, Reynaud St. Aubyn finally escapes and makes his way home to England only to learn that his title, home and money have been bestowed on a distant relative in his absence. Scarred and tortured, Reynaud will do everything and anything in his power to regain his birthright but the traitor responsible for the attack on his regiment has other plans.
An excellent resolution to the series. Beatrice and Reynaud relationship is show more physically and emotionally intense, and the revelation of the traitor’s identity is satisfying as is the final confrontation with him.
Reynaud is a profoundly damaged man even more so than the other heroes in the series. Given the extent of his suffering, it is amazing that he has managed to retain even a semblance of humanity and sanity. The fact that he has makes him all the more endearing despite his violent outbursts of PTSD.
Beatrice is not only intelligent and independent, she is clever enough to live her life to the fullest within the constraints of society’s norms. Thus, she engages in political debate, cares for a disabled friend and braves her uncle’s wrath by accepting Reynaud without reservation.
Another wonderful element of the story is that all the characters from previous installments finally come together in the search for the elusive traitor of Spinner’s Falls, and although the culprit can be guessed at by following the clues, it is not too so obvious as the undermine the mystery.
In sum, The Legend of the Four Soldiers is well written with a compelling story arc and captivating characters. It is bittersweet to be completing the series but I look forward to reading more of Elizabeth Hoyt’s books. show less
5 Stars
Held captive in the Colonies for seven years, Reynaud St. Aubyn finally escapes and makes his way home to England only to learn that his title, home and money have been bestowed on a distant relative in his absence. Scarred and tortured, Reynaud will do everything and anything in his power to regain his birthright but the traitor responsible for the attack on his regiment has other plans.
An excellent resolution to the series. Beatrice and Reynaud relationship is show more physically and emotionally intense, and the revelation of the traitor’s identity is satisfying as is the final confrontation with him.
Reynaud is a profoundly damaged man even more so than the other heroes in the series. Given the extent of his suffering, it is amazing that he has managed to retain even a semblance of humanity and sanity. The fact that he has makes him all the more endearing despite his violent outbursts of PTSD.
Beatrice is not only intelligent and independent, she is clever enough to live her life to the fullest within the constraints of society’s norms. Thus, she engages in political debate, cares for a disabled friend and braves her uncle’s wrath by accepting Reynaud without reservation.
Another wonderful element of the story is that all the characters from previous installments finally come together in the search for the elusive traitor of Spinner’s Falls, and although the culprit can be guessed at by following the clues, it is not too so obvious as the undermine the mystery.
In sum, The Legend of the Four Soldiers is well written with a compelling story arc and captivating characters. It is bittersweet to be completing the series but I look forward to reading more of Elizabeth Hoyt’s books. show less
And this is where I lose any remaining cool points (as many as a grown woman reading YA and smut can have) and emphatically proclaim: I LOVED THIS BOOK. NO, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, I LOVED IT.
I still don't think you get it. First I loved the main character. Anna is an impoverished widow who still has to find a way to feed her household. A lady simple does not work. Selling the odd bit of stitching and lace is acceptable but pounding the payment in search of waged employment just isn't done. show more She inspires an understandably fair amount of gossip when she goes to work as the Earl's secretary. In those days, secretarial jobs (like most all jobs) were reserved for men! I loved how she slapped expectations and societal norms in the face and went to work. Being a lady is all well and good, but a lady still has to eat. She's practical, sensible and I applaud her for getting the hell up and doing what she had to do to feed her family. The fact that she's a woman in a man's job was really only an issue to the gossips. Edward, the Earl of Swartingham's expectations weren't very high- have neat handwriting and finish the work on time. Plus he pretty much wanted to do her from the get go (I would have told her to use this opportunity to ask for a raise).
What was unexpected was my affection for the Earl. He's painted as a very course, foul tempered, unpleasant sort of man and the references to his marked ugliness are numerous. His main appeal was his treating Anna as an equal and his desperate desire to be loved. And not just loved, but wanted. Rather a reversal of roles here- usually it's our heroine seeking emotional gratification whilst all our heros are rakes. Made my heart go pitty-pat.
Now for the naughty bits- When their mutual desire for each other becomes a bit more than either can handle, the Earl takes off to London to visit his favorite brothel in hopes that the ahem, distraction, will make him stop thinking about Anna. Anna, widowed several years now, from a husband who was an ass while he was alive, has long since believed herself to be immune to desire but she can't deny that she wants Edward. So, and here's were we all squeal because it's just TOO much, she does something a lady would never do (or would never admit to) and follows Edward to London where once disguised, she presents herself as his lady of negotiable affection.
While the story is told, Anna is reading from a little book that she found in the Earl's library called The Raven Prince. It was his little sister's book and it is a fairytale about a princess that marries a raven to fulfill her father's debt to him. During the day he is a bird but at night he comes to the princess as a man but she has no idea that her lover is in fact her husband. Curious as to who her lover is, she lights a candle to reveal him and breaks the enchantment. Having been discovered, he is forced by the spell he is under to remain a raven and flies away, leaving her...
Anna is a lady, but a poor one. Edward is an Earl and as such his future wife must be able to fulfill certain social and financial obligations. But none of this matters when his Anna comes to him disguised at night but we know what happened in the fairytale....
Beautiful story, imaginative, and wonderfully written. I didn't put it down until it was finished....then I ran out and bought the sequels, The Leopard Prince and The Serpent Prince. show less
I still don't think you get it. First I loved the main character. Anna is an impoverished widow who still has to find a way to feed her household. A lady simple does not work. Selling the odd bit of stitching and lace is acceptable but pounding the payment in search of waged employment just isn't done. show more She inspires an understandably fair amount of gossip when she goes to work as the Earl's secretary. In those days, secretarial jobs (like most all jobs) were reserved for men! I loved how she slapped expectations and societal norms in the face and went to work. Being a lady is all well and good, but a lady still has to eat. She's practical, sensible and I applaud her for getting the hell up and doing what she had to do to feed her family. The fact that she's a woman in a man's job was really only an issue to the gossips. Edward, the Earl of Swartingham's expectations weren't very high- have neat handwriting and finish the work on time. Plus he pretty much wanted to do her from the get go (I would have told her to use this opportunity to ask for a raise).
What was unexpected was my affection for the Earl. He's painted as a very course, foul tempered, unpleasant sort of man and the references to his marked ugliness are numerous. His main appeal was his treating Anna as an equal and his desperate desire to be loved. And not just loved, but wanted. Rather a reversal of roles here- usually it's our heroine seeking emotional gratification whilst all our heros are rakes. Made my heart go pitty-pat.
Now for the naughty bits- When their mutual desire for each other becomes a bit more than either can handle, the Earl takes off to London to visit his favorite brothel in hopes that the ahem, distraction, will make him stop thinking about Anna. Anna, widowed several years now, from a husband who was an ass while he was alive, has long since believed herself to be immune to desire but she can't deny that she wants Edward. So, and here's were we all squeal because it's just TOO much, she does something a lady would never do (or would never admit to) and follows Edward to London where once disguised, she presents herself as his lady of negotiable affection.
While the story is told, Anna is reading from a little book that she found in the Earl's library called The Raven Prince. It was his little sister's book and it is a fairytale about a princess that marries a raven to fulfill her father's debt to him. During the day he is a bird but at night he comes to the princess as a man but she has no idea that her lover is in fact her husband. Curious as to who her lover is, she lights a candle to reveal him and breaks the enchantment. Having been discovered, he is forced by the spell he is under to remain a raven and flies away, leaving her...
Anna is a lady, but a poor one. Edward is an Earl and as such his future wife must be able to fulfill certain social and financial obligations. But none of this matters when his Anna comes to him disguised at night but we know what happened in the fairytale....
Beautiful story, imaginative, and wonderfully written. I didn't put it down until it was finished....then I ran out and bought the sequels, The Leopard Prince and The Serpent Prince. show less
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