January 3rd, 2010 — 5 Stars, Book Review, Guest Reviews, J-L, United States of America
By: Marcia, guest reviewer
Have you ever had an experience so disheartening that you want to go to bed and pull the covers over your head? That is what Julia Darrow is doing with her life, although she may not see it that way. She lives and works in Lambert Square, a renovated factory space that has turned boutique. Located in South Carolina, it is inhabited by colorful small town characters each possessing qualities necessary for the success of this supportive, caring community. Julia owns high-end linens boutique named Cocoon where she and her employees wear pajamas. Where is Prince Charming to kiss this Sleeping Beauty?
Enter John Dodge, a successful entrepreneur, who travels around the country buying failing businesses, moving on once he has turned them around. He has just come to Lambert Square after purchasing a collectible fountain pen store sight unseen. Julia intrigues him and the feeling is mutual. As the story unfolds, their emotional baggage is exposed and we learn their secrets.
Although not from the south, Rosina Lippi uses her love for language to weave a rich, tightly woven tapestry of words that accurately describes southern speech patterns, values, habits and expectations. Lambert Square is charming place and the characters that live there have depth and integrity. You will want to visit often.
5 Stars
The goal of LRP is to share and express opinions on romance novels. The aim is to sort out the best from the mediocre and to provide a full list of recommendations across many genres and authors. If you would like to contribute to this growing forum, please see the guidelines to writing a review.
Originally posted 2008-11-25 21:11:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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June 9th, 2009 — 1.5 Stars, 2 Stars, Book Review, Children, G-I, Gentry, Georgian, Great Britain, Housekeeper/Maid, Kidnapping, Mistress or Courtesan, Runaway, Scarred Hero, Widow or Widower, Writer
It is just Hoyt's terrible bad luck that I read the The Raven Prince
for the very first time just two days before I got this book from the library. I know it's in bad form to judge a book based on another book, but as both are by the same author, I figure this could be the exception to the rule. To Beguile a Beast read like a poor man's version of the Raven Prince. There were so many similarities between the too, it was astonishing.
Some of the similarities include: the fairytale story at the beginning of each chapter, the conditions of the poor heroes, and the positions of the women in the hero's life. They are all the same or at least very, very similar. Proof (spoilery):
TBAB = To Beguile a Beast
TRP = The Raven Prince
Fairytale:
Truth Teller soldier fairytale in TBAB.
The raven prince fairytale in TRP.
Heroes:
Hero is scarred in TBAB: Missing eye, missing fingers, facial scars.
Hero is scarred in TRP: Pox marks all over face and body.
Both heroes are gruesome looking.
Hero in TBAB writes on flora and fauna of New England.
Hero in TRP writes on agriculture.
Heroines:
Heroine works as housekeeper in TBAB.
Heroine works as a secretary in TRP.
Similar Hero Character backgrounds:
Hero in TBAB lost his fiancé to fever.
Hero in TRP first wife died in child birth.
The only big difference that I saw was:
Heroine in TBAB has two children.
Heroine in TRP has no children.
I was bored with To Beguile a Beast. It may be because I read Raven Prince so soon before reading this book. I believe, however, that I would have disliked it even without reading Raven Prince. The magic in the tale simply wasn't as enthralling as the Raven Prince. I closed Raven Prince feeling satisfied and happy. I struggled to make it through each chapter of To Beguile a Beast. I was glad to finish TBAB, simply so I could move on to another story. If you read it, do you feel the same way?
Rating: 1.5-2 Stars
Buy: To Beguile A Beast
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May 26th, 2009 — Contests
Tell me how Love Romance Passion can be better! Vote and discuss here.
#13
If you're completely stuck check out the Fabio Search category.
#14
One of his sexy smiles aimed at you, even if it's only on the big screen, is sure to send your ovaries into conniptions.
#15
He's a prince... it's true.
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May 9th, 2009 — 4 Stars, Another Planet/Dimension, Book Review, Fantasy, Historical Romance, Kings, Princes, Sheiks, Chiefs, M-O, Memory Loss, Queen or Princess, Runaway, Supernatural, Survival, Time Travel, Virgin Hero, Virgin Heroine, Young Adult
Of Two Minds is a very deep book for kids. As an adult how it ends leads to quite an interesting train of thought I’m not sure young children will catch. This is my second time reading it. I remembered enjoying it thoroughly when I read it back in middle school. I can’t honestly say one way or another if I caught the concept revealed at the end of the book back then. I enjoyed it just as much this time around as an adult.
Lenora is a young teenage princess from a people who all have the power to create whatever they want. To imagine it is to make it be. She doesn’t understand why it’s law not to create worlds and change things to suit your will. Why were people afraid to change the color of their hair or imagine bright pink puppies?
After one incident too many her parents decide to marry her off to Prince Coren. They feel it will ground her, get her head out of her fantasies and make her a sensible woman. To that end they even plan to set a full brigade (4K-11K men) to think her solidly on the island she and Coren will make their future home, thus making escape impossible.
Angry, frightened, and confused Lenora escapes into somebody else’s world when making one of her own is impossible. Unfortunately, she also dragged the object of her distress with her. Coren, gangly redheaded and freckled, can’t even stand up without tripping over his feet. Could he be any more useless? It turns out he can – where’s his sense of adventure?
Rating: 4 Stars
Makes me want to check out the sequel More Minds
!
Buy: Of Two Minds
Spoilers:
Pg193
“I’m not dreaming?” Lenora said. “How do I know that for sure?”
“Well,” Lufa smiled, “I suppose none of us really knows that. Perhaps this is all a dream, a fantasy we will wake out of.”
…
“And if all her imaginings could be real, then who was to say that her reality wasn’t somebody else’s dream?”
…
Surely something this real couldn’t be just somebody’s imagination. Could it?
Ah, but couldn’t it? Especially in light of her adventure with Coren. Is her story her own or the very imaginings of others?
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