November 18th, 2009 — 5 Stars, Alien, Enemies, Erotica, Foster/Orphan, Guest Reviews, Mystery, P-R, Rape/Abuse, Scarred Hero, Secret Agent, Supernatural, Suspense/Thriller, United States of America, Vampire
By Susan S., guest reviewer
Today is a Double Dose of Devyn Day! Back to back reviews!
Embracing Midnight is Devyn at her best. A sinful, sizzling “fast-paced” page turner!
Come…, as I invite you to walk along the darker side of romance. Prepare yourself for the “ultimate” good vs. evil novel.
This novel, solidified for me, the reason why Devyn ranks among my top two favorite authors. Having read most of her books, this is her best novel to date. I can envision its conversion into a movie.
Embracing Midnight will appeal to any and all of the following: erotic romance readers, readers who enjoy romantic suspense, mystery, paranormal, sci-fi, thrillers, and for those readers who enjoyed the movies The Net
and Men in Black
.
I simply could not, read this book fast enough. My review should simply read (flip, flip, flip). What first appealed to me were the double entendres, and hot sexual innuendos between the hero (Iollan Drake) and the heroine (Callie Whitten).
Callie is a 30 year old blond who’s working for the bureau as an undercover agent. Her cover is working as a waitress at a Goth club. The military taught her how to crack and hack any system in the world. An ability that she’ll have to implement soon enough.
In enters a “mega-hot” 194 year old, motorcycle riding Irish vampire into her life. Who knows just how to please a woman, he’s sex-on-a stick. Together, they’ll learn how easily friends can become enemies, and discover how sworn enemies can change into our best allies.
Drake will uncover her darkest sexual secret, and fulfill her secretly guarded fantasy. His use of the endearment “love” towards Callie was touching. Iollan quickly became my favorite character, with his vulnerability, transformation, and ultimate revenge and redemption. When he reveals the full scope of his powers as the novel approaches its end, you will be left utterly speechless.
The least likeable character was Callie’s bastard ex-lover Roger Reinke.
Favorite scene- When Callie assists Drake in a hot shower.
Embracing Midnight’s fundamental theme was to stand up for injustice and cruelty, by fighting for what “you” believe is right.
There isn’t a rating high enough for this novel, so I’ll have to settle for the 5 star rating, when in actuality in my heart it deserved a 10.
Warning--This plot includes one m, f, m, m scene. Yes, I counted those m’s correctly! There was also a rape scene that lent to the real nature of one of the characters. (Chilling and unexpected revelation)
Rating: 5 Stars
Buy: Embracing Midnight
Aphrodisia, Kensington Publishing Corp., Copyright 2008
Paperback, 304 Pages.
ISBN-13# 978-0-7582-1654-0
ISBN-10# 0-7582-1654-8
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November 4th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, ARC, Great Britain, Guest Reviews, Jane Austen, M-O, Regency
by Isabel G., guest reviewer
Marianne is one of the main characters of the story. She’s married to Colonel William Brandon, and although it is a seemingly perfect match, she becomes more insecure about their marriage. These feelings are tested when her old beau, and first love, Willoughby returns to town. Marianne learns that she still has strong feelings for Willoughby despite her attempts at denial. The fact that her husband is absent for long periods of time to aid another woman and her child does little to stifle her doubts.
Colonel Brandon is torn between duties to his own family and his duties of office. He goes to aid the child Willoughby abandoned, Lizzy, feeling it’s his responsibility to take care of her. However, one of Brandon’s trips drags out longer than any other and a letter he sends Marianne raises even more doubts in her mind. Of course, Willoughby is there to comfort her in her “time of need.” Yak! Can someone put up a stop sign?! What kind of woman would be turned on by a man who has abandoned his own child? Although the attraction and tension between Willoughby and Marianne worked for the plot, I couldn’t get past the idea. I don’t consider Willoughby a man for leaving his child and her mother behind to fend for themselves.
Marianne’s sister, Margaret, is a young lady with high expectations for a husband. She’s more concerned in being truly attracted and captivated by a suitor then with his wealth. Just as she begins to think there is no one who can capture her interest, Henry enters her life. He proves that looks can be deceiving when he begins to shower another young lady with his attention. However, the outcome is not what everyone expects.
Liked: The torn feelings some characters have towards each other. The book is also an easy read.
Disliked: In my opinion, the style of writing and some commentary does not fit the time period. It throws you out of the book at certain parts because it seems casual and modern. It also turned me off that Marianne gave in and was unfaithful in any way. What made it worse is that the attraction was to a man who had abandoned his own child.
If you ever found the idea of having two people interested in you flattering then, this book is for you.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN 978-1-4022-2267-2
Copyright 2009
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 345
Buy: Willoughby's Return
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February 4th, 2009 — 2.5 Stars, Baroness or Viscountess, Book Review, Counts, Marquis, Viscounts, Estranged, G-I, Great Britain, Heiress, Historical Romance
I generally liked this novel. It revolves around how a marriage once destroyed by infidelity can be healed. I have pretty strong views on this subject so I’ll talk about what ruffled my feathers. I’m like Viola, the heroine, at the start of the novel, looking at things in black and white. The author didn’t persuade me to think in gray matter, too bad Viola did. Luckily in the end she got what she deserved – a loving, devoted, adoring husband – but you could have fooled me. I still thought the hero was shy of truly learning how to love at the end of the book. However, you can be the judge.
Viola is the sister of a Duke and at the age of nineteen she knew she was in love with Viscount John Hammond. She also knew that despite the circumstances of his situation, he loved her, not the money she brought with her. How naïve she had been. John knew nothing of love; he was all empty words and passion.
“When unaccompanied by his love, a man’s desire was like the wind. It had no substance, and it was impossible to hold onto.” – pg 186
Now eight going on nine years after their vows, John has come to the decision to get himself an heir. For that, he will need to woo his way back into his wife’s bed. This task would prove impossible until he changed. But can a man like John, change his spots?
In the last ten pages he did. Until then the brute refused to take blame for more than half the novel and managed to in nearly every conversation lay the whole troubled affair at Viola’s feet. This is much like what happens in the movie Something to Talk About
starring Julia Roberts. This made me really mad and when it wasn’t John telling Viola how she made him break his marriage vows and slip into other women, it was the Duke’s wife that was telling her how she wasn’t looking at things from John’s point of view.
John broke his vows. Period. The end. Case closed. What kind of man has to hide his dirty deeds behind his innocent wife? In today’s world with all the diseases that can be caught, a man who cheats ought to be charged with attempted murder if he slips back into his wife’s bed (undetected or not) without first having himself checked out thoroughly.
Viola first turns John away from their marriage bed when she learns that he kept a mistress during the entire time he was courting her. All his words of love, adoration, devotion were lies. She might have forgiven him those if the other woman wasn’t involved. After all impoverished lords needed funds and heiresses to make them solvent – he could have learned to love her.
John waits a month and leaves Viola to live a separate life. There he has count them, five, mistresses in the space of the years prior to his most devout attempt at reconciling. He only does it because he needs a legitimate heir to the viscountcy. Viola is the only woman who can grant him this. So once again he plans to use false words to get her into bed and if that doesn’t work the law is on his side and he can force her there.
But in his own words the five mistresses were her own fault for being cold to him. Poor baby. Eventually he says he is sorry for his part in breaking their marriage by using his young nephew to be his buffer. I don’t think Viola had any part to breaking the marriage. Distraught as she was she stayed with him (granted making him take separate sleeping quarters and refusing to allow him to use passion against her to win his way back into her good graces) until he left.
Marriage vows are not a one way street. A man and his needs can be resolved with a hand not another woman or any of her body parts. Fidelity goes both ways. If he required it of her then it was not an unreasonable request for Viola to make of him. John said it was and refused to be sexually blackmailed. Well what the hell was he doing when he refused to promise fidelity but sexually blackmailing his wife?
Has anyone read this book? What do you think?
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Originally posted 2008-10-06 15:07:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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