Melody Thomas

I can't bring myself to finish this. Already 100 pages in, and the only---only!---words I can use to describe the hero and heroine are "supposedly protective" and "supposedly intelligent," respectively. Surely at this point, I should have a strong grasp of who these people are and what matters to them.

...And judging by the cryptic, melodramatic conversations they keep having, I can only assume that they, and the author, believe I already understand them quite well. (But I don't; I have no show more bloody clue what they're on about. Except that it involves Something Serious That Happened Long Ago, Something Serious Happening Now, and that all of their Dire Life and Death Problems are as nothing when they look into one another's eyes. Right.) show less

I loved the setting for Must Have Been the Moonlight - late 19th century Egypt. The opening scene particularly is riveting and full of promise. Brianna Donnolly and her sister-in-law Lady Alex from the previous book have been stranded in the desert for days after their caravan was attacked. They barely managed to escape with their lives, but are being pursued. Major Michael Fallon, who was supposed to meet up with the caravan, is on their tail, but for the women it's very uncertain whether show more he's friend or foe.

Must Have Been the Moonlight was kind of rough in places - the prose especially could do with some polishing, but still the characters managed to shine through and capture my attention. Brianna is strong and intelligent, and I ended up liking her a lot - she's a suffragist, a photographer, a philanthropist, and something of a troublemaker. Michael Fallon is your disreputable rake type, but I like that he really lives up to the vocation and can be very naughty indeed. He certainly doesn't harbor any noble intentions towards Brianna. But what I like best about the book, about their romance and these two characters, is that Brianna doesn't either. She wants an affair, and ends up having to be the one to do the pursuing. Her aversion towards marriage seems sincere, credible, and consistent with who she is, especially with her suffragist leanings. I was impressed that Brianna didn't end up seeming desperate in her continued pursuit of Michael. Even after they do the deed, and he has no intention of contacting her again, and she can't keep away, it's clear that she's the one being honest with herself and him. Michael wants her just as badly but holds back for various reasons. He finds himself unable to disentangle from Brianna as easily as he would have liked - and ends up wanting to keep her.

While I liked the characters well enough, and their romance, the action/adventure bits and the plot got tamer as the book progressed. Still, I love the initial setting and the way Thomas describes the landscape of Egypt – beautiful. When we move to England about half way through, though, and the book settles into the more conventional frame and events of a romance novel, I'm disappointed to say the least – especially when the mystery element of the plot kicks in full force. The rest of the book was ok, the mystery not the best. The change in setting made it seem conflicted, and the second half wasn't nearly as interesting as the first. I have to wonder at this fixation on England for romance settings. It's a big world out there. Romances should try and venture out into it once and a while, and not turn tail and scamper back to the mother country whenever a first tentative step is taken beyond its hallowed shores. show less

3.5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised with how sweet the hero was in this, pretty gone for the heroine once meeting and getting to know her.

Had some magical elements trying to tie in Arthurian legends but was ignored for most of the middle of the book. Some other mystery murder, hidden villain threads that were too loose to make a lot of sense and care about. The last 15%ish was about wrapping those up and I felt it killed the HEA good feelings a bit.

Wish this had focused on the couple more show more because they were so very sweet and good together. There was a scene towards the end where the hero arrived home after weeks of being away that nailed the emotion and heat perfectly.

Definitively worth a read if you can find it show less

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Sep08

I just love reading romances that leave me with a sappy smile on my face! “Passion and Pleasure in London” by Melody Thomas is just such a novel. It has a dastardly villain with a witchy daughter that both receive their well-deserved comeuppance at the hands of our hero and heroine who then live happily ever after. Happy sigh.

Winter carries the weight of what’s left of her family, a demented mother and younger brother, on her small show more shoulders. At only 16, after her father’s death, her horrid uncle weaseled her family’s fortune and home and left them destitute. When Winter tried to fight back he raped her and threatened her mother and brother if she didn’t keep her mouth shut. So Winter and the locals have embarked on an underhanded method of evening the scales. They rob the Baron’s high society guests every chance they get and use the proceeds to help out those whose families are affected by the Baron’s greed and cruelty. When Winter spots an unknown, yet handsome toff, she’s sure he must be headed to the Baron’s and decides to relieve him of his wallet. Things quickly spin out of Winter’s control but the results will be marvelous!

Rory is half Gypsy, half Lord, and all rake. He’s also been summoned to his Grandfather’s deathbed to take over his duties as the Marquess. He’s not happy. He thoroughly enjoys his life as a spy with no ties and no real responsibility other than staying alive. When he catches sight of Winter during a brief stop, his loins tingle! When he catches her trying to open his saddlebags in the stable, HE steals a kiss. It’s not until after she’s gone that he realizes SHE stole his wallet! She may walk and talk like a Lady, but no mere thief will get the better of him.

What a great pairing. These two are both strong characters who have to learn to trust and compromise. The heat practically leaps off the page and the love scenes ROCK! Thomas does a great job with the attending mystery of exactly who is trying to kill Rory. I didn’t figure it out until the author provided the solution which is unusual, especially in historical romances (at least for me). The gradual revealing of the breadth of the problems facing Winter and Rory was just right. There’s quite a bit more going on than in my brief synopsis and it all wraps together nicely. The reasoning behind the actions of all the characters rings true for me and is crucial to both the plot and their developing romance.

I’ve read a few other books by Melody Thomas but I think this is my favorite (so far). It’s got some humor, drama, mystery, action, and steam! I can’t quite think of what else I could ask for in a historical. So for a novel with fiery passion that’s truly a pleasure to read, don’t miss “Passion and Pleasure in London”. show less