Because You're Mine is a delicious, exquisite, and absorbing read. Absolutely delightful from start to finish. The pacing, diction, plot, and characters were all to my liking. There was nothing in the novel that drew me out of the reading experience. Honestly, I just couldn't put it down. I have a love of all Kleypas novels. She is simply a fantastic author.

Madeline Matthews is in trouble, but not the trouble one would usually expect. No, most of society would say Madeline was not in trouble at all as she was on the verge of making a most excellent match. For Maddy however the upcoming nuptials was the kiss of death. Marriage to Lord Clifton (cue many a bad guy's looks and smell) was tantamount to a gilded cage. He desired her only as his blue blood broodmare, a situation she could not endure. Explaining her feelings to her parents gained her nothing so Maddy hatched a plan that would in essence remove her as a possibility to be Lord Clifton's wife.

The plan is nothing short of daring as Maddy escapes boarding school and travels to London with a crazy plan to throw herself at Logan Scott's feet. Why him? She saw a print of his image and decided that he would be the one she would lose her virginity to... and her approach would be forward, because how else could a girl like herself gain the handsome actor's attention?

Logan Scott is attracted and irritated with the young girl. He knows she is a well bred lady, and a young untouched one at that. He refuses to give into her bewitching charm and plea to take her to his bed. In fact he tries to immediately send her packing. Unfortunately for him he just won't be able to help himself. A constant temptation, Maddy is underfoot all the time because the comanager of the Capital, the Duchess of Leeds, hires her to be an all around assistant for the theater.

Who will surrender first to the emotions brewing behind the curtains?

Rating: 5 Stars

Originally posted 2009-02-18 05:08:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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This story by Kleypas is an exciting adventure from start to finish. It all starts with a manhunt… or should I say a woman-hunt? Nick Gentry is looking for the wily Charlotte Howard. He has a small portrait of her in his pocket and his brother-in-law’s backing to get him into the Earl of Westcliff’s home where he’s tracked Charlotte. The Earl notices something fishy about the Viscount John Sydney and sets about unveiling the man’s secrets.

Meanwhile, John Sydney aka Nick Gentry, is prowling the premises for Charlotte and comes upon a young lady on top of a stone wall starring out across the grounds. Her foot is caught in her dress and Nick springs into action to save her… only to find the appealing woman in his arms is the very woman he’s been paid to track down.

Against all better judgment, Nick decides he can afford to stay and watch the lovely and lively Lottie. He comes to the startling conclusion that he wants her for himself and Lord Radnor can go hang before he’d ever bring to the obsessed creep a treasure such as her. Just as passion is sparking between Nick and Lottie, Westcliff pounces with the truth of Nick’s identity.

Frightened but determined, Lottie vows she will never go back to Lord Radnor. Westcliff offers to marry her to keep her away from Nick and provide protection, but Lottie turns him down. Instead she offers herself up to be Nick’s mistress which he refuses because he’d also rather have her as his wife…

I’m classifying this novel under virgin hero, not because Nick was a virgin in his relations to Lottie but because we see him lose his virginity to the Prostitute Gemma, well I suppose she was the Madam of the brothel.

This book would be rated higher, but I was a little disturbed by Radnor’s obsession with trying to break Charlotte as if she were a horse. I also didn’t like learning that her parents were okay with her being locked in a room alone with Radnor while he forced her to sit on his lap and answer to him while he touched her inappropriately… and while there was no full blown rape in the story, this qualifies to me as rape and is marked as such.

Luckily for readers Nick is a dominating force and dispels upsetting Radnor’s presence pretty easily. Oh and this is the first time I’ve seen a shower scene in a historical but Kleypas explains in her author notes why she included it based on her research. It’s solid so don’t let the idea of inaccuracy turn you away from reading this book.

Interesting term found within the prologue: buttock-and-file whore which is an old term for a street prostitute who was in connection with a pickpocket or also pickpocketed her customers. So you would pay, pay again involuntary, and perhaps gain a new venereal disease. Cool.

Rating: 4 Stars

Originally posted 2009-01-15 05:56:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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By: Zarabeth, guest reviewer

This is a fantastic spinster story set in 1836 England. Our heroine, Amanda, is a 30-yr old spinster supporting herself as a novelist who has decided to do something for herself, for once in her life. As we well know a never-married 30 yr old woman is quite on the shelf, but this does not prevent her from having the same sexual needs as any other woman. So our heroine, and my heroine for this, hires a male prostitute for her 30^th birthday completely disregarding social conventions of virginity and premarital sex.

On her birthday a suitable man with an association to the escort service does appear on her doorstep and we assume that this is her prostitute. As the reader we are mortified to learn that this man is not a prostitute despite his sexual actions with our heroine. Later in the book Amanda and the not-prostitute Jack meet at a social/publishing event.

The story as a whole involves Jack doing everything he can to get Amanda back in bed and eventually convinces her to have an affair with him. I very much enjoyed the affair and the experiences of our main characters in public and in private (rating: 5). Once Amanda decides that the affair must end, things get pretty complicated and despair ensues. Months into this unfortunate depression we discover that Amanda is pregnant. Again, our never-married 30 yr old woman has just discovered that she is pregnant- this is a problem. Our Amanda must now decide whether to move to the continent or marry below her standards and whether or not to tell Jack about his child (rating: 4).

I call this a solid 4.5. There are 2 reasons that this review is not a full 5: there is some rear-entry stuff (gags and feels uncomfortable) and there is a bit too much time spent on inner-turmoil instead acts based on inner turmoil.

Rating: 4.5

Originally posted 2009-01-13 05:00:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Mmm-mmm delicious. I love the plot to this novel, which looks like it will drive the second in the series. I also love the romantic conflict- it’s simply too yummy. Roman certainly has a way with storytelling, twisting and weaving different threads into one cohesive whole. I listened to the audio version of this book and was tempted more than once to click double speed just so I could devour this novel faster. Of course, I didn’t, that would take out half of the fun. Medea Carter Beckett is truly the best narrator Ravenous could have found for the job.

Magickers are being hunted. In the age of the English witch hunts, known as the Great Purification, one man rises above the rest to the head of the assault. Nobody is safe while Corwin continues to breathe. He is clever and charismatic, wooing people to his viewpoint. A bill is in parliament and if the Magickers are to have any hope at all for survival it must pass.

Malcolm Wargrave, earl of Preston, is on the fence. He is neutral and has not taken a stance, either agreement or disagreement to Corwin’s speeches. He is Lady Raven Drake’s lover. They started their affair almost immediately after their mutual friend’s house party began. She was a virgin when they met, and while she gave him her virginity she could never be his as she belonged to another. That and because she kept a secret from Malcolm.

Gareth, Viscount Moore, is Raven’s intended. They are engaged for several purposes. Not only were they well matched as both were Master Magickers, but they also stood as the only defense for their people. As the heirs to two of the very last powerful lines of Magickers, their alliance would create a new line of Masters. Their children would be powerful. United in marriage, their union would be a beacon of hope to their people.

Raven will face the toughest decision of her young life – will she give into her heart or into duty?

Rating: 5 Stars

Buy the audio version here.

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Virginity in a contemporary novel is particularly frowned on as being unrealistic. Speaking as a virgin in this modern society, I am proof we do exist.

Why is it considered practically a sin to mention you are a virgin? I have even been told not to be proud of my status as one. Why are women and men being so judgmental on those that choose to stay chaste? Why is waiting for the right partner or waiting for marriage deemed inappropriate?

Being a virgin is as natural a state to be in as is the opposite. Experienced or inexperienced should make no difference to the right people. Intimacy is not found only in the bedroom. It’s built out of little moments, secret moments between one soul and another.

I choose to wait because I value it. I do see it as a sign of love to wait for the right man. Call me a hopeless romantic, I don’t care, I’ll be the first to admit it. Others value their virginity for religious or cultural reasons. I know of men who wait for the right woman, and while virgin males in real life are rarer than male virgin leads in romance, they are out there. They do appeal and they won’t always be the nice guy who finishes last.

A woman can be sensual and kind and loving without having given it up. The same for a man. Virginity does not automatically equal to being frigid or a prude. Opposed to heroes and heroines of historical romance, contemporary leads and real life virgins are vastly more knowledgeable... after all there's any number of books, videos, courses, etc. on human sexuality.

Some say that staying a virgin (representing optimism/idealism) is to be on the opposite extreme as a man-hating woman (representing pessimism/cynicism) and that both are just as bad. Based on that I must wonder then if the middle ground, being a realist, is the only type of person to be interested in? I very much doubt that.

Virgin or not, I just don’t see the point in getting emotionally entangled with someone just to stay in the game. Does that mean I think less of those that want to be actively in the game or that my bar for a man is unbearably high and impossible to reach? I don’t think so... all women/men are different, we all have different opinions on relationships and want different things for ourselves. I feel a relationship should be built on mutual attraction and compatibility. Good chemistry in both aspects is easy to spot before you get to the bedroom. If it’s not there why start something that will ultimately fail? Or as a pushy partner might say, lead them on?

I know what I need in a man: sexual appeal, compatibility, and stability. In addition to those needs I would like several other things in a man and yet understand that what I want I may not get. Would I mind if he was a wealthy, charismatic, world trotter that was impossibly arrogant with a tender side devoted just to me? Not at all, but I’m not holding my breath on the chance that I'll score the next (Harlequin) billionaire.

As a virgin with limited relationships, I don’t feel that I lack the life experiences necessary to spot a prince. Frogs and toads can be avoided without having to kiss them first. Princes can be missed while being distracted by frogs. Ultimately, what I most hear as a virgin on 'game' advice is this: if you're not shopping around how will you know what fits and doesn’t fit? Shouldn't you at least check him out in the changing rooms? The answer I have for that is my gut reaction, inner instinct, or women’s intuition. Call it what you will.

I’m tired of being thought of as every parents’ dream, many an experienced woman’s object of scorn or pity, and every man’s worst nightmare. Virginity has merit; it’s time society remembered that.

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