Claudy Conn

This was quite a story, set in the days of Jane Austen, with a bit of her style, but very sexy!

It's also a great character study, as Kate, the h, goes through so much in so short a time, yet manages to stay who she is, despite rebellious moments. No jaded cynicism for her, despite coming across some decadent characters aboard ship, nearly being raped, a suitor who only wanted sex, a shocking discovery about her beloved father, as well as a man she thought loved her, and believing her one show more true love to be one false scoundrel. She remains her impulsive, caring, somewhat stubborn and warmhearted self, and - despite this being written in the late 70's - she only sleeps with the H, Branwell Mannering. He, in turn, doesn't rape her, (though things get a bit rough at one point) and could be very gentle as well as passionate. Typical of HR books, they have their misunderstandings, jealousies, and separations, but it doesn't go overboard and the dialogue is witty and entertaining.

The novel also has some political intrigue, and actual people are part of the story, like Admiral Nelson, Prime Minister William Pitt, Beau Brummel, Charles Fox, Lord Grenville, Lady Hester Stanhope and the poet, Thomas Moore. Current events are mentioned, like the Third Coalition, Trafalgar, Venice being ruled by Austria (the rest of Italy be Napoleon) and naval battles and strategy. You learn some history while being entertained by the story.

The novel also touches on how difficult it was to be different in a judgmental society, as well as a hypocritical one. In a time when the aristocrats could drink, gamble, and have numerous affairs despite being married, they still felt righteous enough to condemn a man for being homosexual, even if that man was with someone he loved and had standards and scruples. There's a character in the novel who's living a lie in order to be accepted, and his story is pretty sad.

The book has its flaws, such as the way Lady Claire, Branwell's former, troublemaking mistress, disappears from the story quite abruptly, after her scheme to trap him into marriage backfires, when he turns the tables on her. She appears only once after that, attempting to make him suspicious of Kate (now his wife) after he returns from months at sea, and then that's it. The same goes for Thomas Moore, the poet who was enamored of Kate and dedicated some sonnets to her, but then he was gone from the scene abruptly, too. But these are minor flaws.

There are supporting characters that keep the story lively, like Lady Sarah Haverly, Kate's charming socialite aunt; Daniel, Kate's friend from back home who becomes pals with Branwell's friend, Wilson (the first mate of Branwell's ship), who falls in love with Kate's former governess/companion, and Kate's saucy maid, Ellen. There's also the villainous Walepole, and two Venetian spies who are stepbrother and stepsister, as well as lovers. So, this is a real never get bored, page turning book.

Read and have fun! show less

The last book I read by this author I gave five stars, but this one doesn't even earn half as much. Sad to say, it started out really well, especially an entertaining episode with rum smugglers, in which the h, Cassandra, participated. (Jack, both captain and King of smugglers, was such an appealing character I wish more of the story had been about him.) There was also mystery, intrigue, drug addiction, mistaken identity, workers' rights, rioting, criminals, spies, and the usual love/hate show more banter between the h and H, but alas, the story did not live up to its potential, as all these incidents got too bogged down and drawn out. And the same goes for the romantic misunderstandings, that went from entertaining to annoying by the middle of the book.

The biggest problem was the h, who was too self-centered and annoying, despite her sympathy for the poor and downtrodden, and her "adopting" a hunchback orphan boy. She could also be TSTL, like when she trusts a strange gypsy man enough to go into the woods with him to water their horses by a stream, and almost gets raped. She also has the annoying habit of running away from the H when things get tough, missing him like crazy, then acting bitchy when he finds her, despite wanting to get naked with him. She acts cold and snarky, does the opposite of what he wants her to every time, just to show him up, keeps threatening to cheat on him, and then wonders why he doesn't love her? I can give you a few hundred reasons! Not to mention how jealous and angry she gets when he kisses another woman, yet she kisses another man, but that's okay. Hypocrite, thy name's Cassandra!

As for the H, Viscount Kirkby, for someone who's supposed to be sophisticated, he sure can act like a bumpkin! He suspects Cassandra of being responsible for his stepbrother Peter's death without any real proof, seduces her anyway, despite his not trusting her and wanting to keep distance, ends up marrying her (in one of the best scenes in the book, too bad it slid downhill right after) and lusting after her, yet can't trust her, though she seems good, but must be bad, on and on ad nauseum. It never occurred to this jackass to be honest with her about his background and talk about Peter and then take it from there? Instead, he's often aloof and evasive, which makes Cassandra angry and rebellious, and it never occurs to him that she'll run away yet again? Well. DUH!!!

When you get to the point when you couldn't care less if the couple drops dead, then you know it's time to read another book.

It's time to read another book! show less

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I may have actually given it a 4 or even possibly a 5 had it been a complete book. There is no ending. The books just stops. This is one of my pet peeves. There is a way to end a book and still intrigue the reader enough to make them want to read the next book. Ending the book in the middle of the action is not the way to do it. A book should have a beginning, a middle and an end. You learn this in grade school but apparently not everyone pays show more attention to that lesson. Sigh... That being said... I did enjoy the story. I honestly would like to know what happens next but I don't like cheap tactics to get book sales. If it had been a whole book, I would be more likely to buy a book by the author. However, I refuse to buy books by authors that use this tactic. I may read the next book if the library has it but I won't buy it. show less

Shawna is part white witch/part vampire, and her cruel vampire father, Pentim, is trying to find her. Raised by her grandparents after her mom’s death, Shawna is on the run while her witch grandmother and wizard grandfather are in hiding.
Chad is an immortal with a direct family line to Dracula. He has a vendetta against Pentim and plans to use Shawna as bait, so he can kill her father. Chad knows all her secrets, and since she refuses to help him, he harasses her until she breaks down and show more agrees.
Shawna is an interesting character. She’s strong, determined to survive and fight her evil father, and she protects the ones she cares for by staying away from them. She’s torn between lusting after Chad and keeping her distance from him. She’s both mad and happy when he kisses her, but then she’s mad and relieved when he ignores her.
Chad is arrogant, secretive, and controlling. I couldn’t connect with him. He refuses to answer Shawna’s questions and keeps her in the dark when her life is in danger. He expects her to trust and listen to him without explanations. Even though she’s a powerful witch, he doesn’t treat her like an equal and invades her privacy to the point of stalking.
The book is told in third person, mostly in Shawna’s POV, with some head-hopping. Chad, Pentim, and a few other characters occasionally have scenes in their POV with proper scene and chapter breaks. There is a lot of repetition (characters thinking and then saying the same thing again and again). The pacing is a little slow, especially in the flashback scenes.
I liked the overall plot that deals with Dracula’s history and Chad’s connection to him. There’s an interesting subplot about an electrical demon. Damon, Shawna’s vampire friend, is totally yummy. I enjoyed the story for the most part, but Chad’s controlling ways frustrated me.
3 Stars

Disclaimer – I downloaded this book from Amazon and volunteered to review it. I am not compensated in any way, shape, or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion. show less