Romance Book Reviews
Duchess in Love by Eloisa James
Avon Books, December, 2002Paperback, 400 pages
ISBN: 0553583913
Subgenre: Historical
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Ambrogina, Duchess of Girton, known to her friends as
Gina, was married to her husband, Cam Serrard, the Duke of
Girton, when she was only 11 years old and he had just turned 18. But as
soon as he said his vow, the young Duke literally jumped out of
a window and left England to pursue other interests in
Greece. During the twelve years which he was
gone, Gina faithfully wrote Cam, and now he's finally coming
home. He's agreed to an annulment of the marriage so that
Gina can marry someone who really loves her. But there's a
problem. Firstly, Cam is determined to throw away his
Dukedom to return to his sculpting. And when
Cam gets to know Gina again, he realizes that an annulment
is the last thing he wants. It seems that he is doing something
that is considered quite unfashionable by the ton:
he's falling in love with his wife.
Duchess in Love is a Regency romance which has a modern sensibility. The heroine, Gina, has three friends who are all stuck in disastrous marriages. Consequently, they flirt with scandal in order to escape the boredom of their lives. The secondary characters are well-characterized, and the dialogue between the women as they discuss their lives and loves is fast-paced and very entertaining. Gina and Cam make a delightful couple, and their story is filled with heartfelt emotion and humor.
Lord of the Dark Sun by Stobie Piel
Love Spell, December, 2002Paperback, 358 pages
ISBN: 0505525054
Subgenre: Futuristic
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Princess Ariana is an expert pilot. In celebration of
her graduation from the Intersystem Academy,
she and her friends travel to the Border Territory for
some fun. But the crew is overcome by mysterious
aliens and the women are kidnapped. Dumped on a primitive
planet where the humans are forced to mine a
valuable fuel source, the young Ariana must fight for
her life. But she is rescued by a young barbarian and
they fall in love. The two plot to escape the planet,
but only Ariana makes it out. Ten years later, Ariana
sets out on a dangerous mission to free the rest of
the slaves on the colony. She finds that her
former love, Damon, led a rebellion and escaped to
become a very powerful man with his own
kingdom. Damon and Ariana both have quite a few
secrets they are hiding from each other, yet they
are still attracted to one another. Somehow they
must put aside their differences and unite to face a
greater threat which could destroy them all.
Stobie Piel is really in category of her own in the romance world. She writes fantastic, futuristic adventures which sizzle with sensuality. Lord of the Dark Sun is no exception. The worlds she creates are vividly imagined and her characters are passionate and complex people. This is an outstanding example of the futuristic subgenre.
Prisoner of My Desire by Johanna Lindsey
William Morrow, November, 2002Hardcover, 352 pages
ISBN: 0060509325
Subgenre: Historical
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
In 12th century England, the beautiful Lady Rowena
Belleme submits to the plans of her loathsome stepbrother,
Gilbert d'Ambray, in order to save her mother's life. Gilbert,
who is power-mad, forces Rowena to marry a doddering old
fool who has an army. When the elderly groom dies before
the wedding can be consummated, Gilbert is furious, and orders
Rowena to have a child immediately to secure the succession.
Towards that end, he kidnaps a knight,
Warrick de Chaville, whom he chains up while Rowena
seduces him. She also allows him to escape. The tables are
turned when Warrick turns up with his own army and kidnaps
Rowena and decides to maker her his prisoner, for a change.
The two fall in love, and together must outwit Gilbert and
resolve their own considerable differences if they are to
have a happy life together.
Originally published in 1991, Prisoner of My Desire has been re-printed in a hardcover edition which shows that Ms. Lindsay's books stand the test of time. Prisoner of My Desire has a very interesting hero; Warrick de Chaville is a single father who is a bold knight with some hidden depths. Warrick and Rowena are very much products of their times and the dialogue is written to give the reader a sense of 1152 England (just a sense, mind you, the real old English would be quite unintelligible to modern readers.) There is quite a bit of animosity between the hero and heroine, but again, this is quite realistic given the time and setting for the story. Johanna Lindsey has a style that is uniquely her own; this is the classic historical romance at its best.
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