The Heiress by Jude Deveraux started off exceptionally well in my opinion but tapered off into mediocrity and stayed there after the jumpstart. It’s too bad that it did that as my initial impressions of the novel were four out of five stars. The editing felt choppy in the middle and was completely disconnected towards the end. There was a distinct lack of transitions between scenes and as I read I felt like I was missing the good parts, the parts that tied everything together.

It was hard to feel for the characters after the initial start as well. There was no chemistry between the two of them in the end and that’s what killed the book. I kept reading though hoping it would turn around and be the amazing story it started off as. No such luck.

Axia has forever been stigmatized by her fortune. When people first meet her, they dismiss her, but that soon changes when they hear about how she is the Maidenhall Heiress. Their entire demeanor would do a one eighty. Men previously uninterested would turn fawning gazes her way and declare their undying love and devotion. For once Axia would love to be wanted, needed, and desired for who she was rather than how much money she represents.

James, call him Jamie, Montgomery is a dirt-poor Elizabethan knight. He inherited his brother’s earldom after his death to a fever. Unfortunately for James, his brother had gambled away everything leaving the family with nothing and no way to support themselves. James had responsibilities to the tenets whose land had once been Montgomery before his brother’s debts, his withdrawn mother, blind twin sister, and tomboy younger sister. So when Maidenhall offered to pay him to escort his daughter Axia to her betrothed, James said yes.

But then his sisters found out and hatched a plan to use Jame’s beauty to save them from destitution. He would woo the Maidenhall Heiress while she was under his charge and convince her to marry him instead of the man she was betrothed too. However Axia outsmarts James and convinces her beautiful cousin to play the part of heiress to allow Axia freedom on the journey. The tale is a topsy-turvy ride through layers of deception, intrigue, and desperation.

Rating: 2 Stars

Originally posted 2008-08-25 05:41:11. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Desperate Duchesses is not one of Eloisa James’ best. I could barely focus in the beginning on all the name dropping and afterwards I was more inclined to think poorly despite all the book’s promising potential. The writing style was overly choppy and scenes jumped very helter-skelter throughout making the book a chore instead of fun to read. It is very clear that this is not a stand alone book. There are two love stories that make up this novel the main one of Lady Roberta St. Giles and Damon Reeve, the Earl of Gryffyn, and very clearly Lord Beaumont and his wife Jemma as they dance around each other. I confess I could not finish this book to find out if they got together or not due to lack of interest. A despicable man named the Duke of Villiers and Damon’s son Teddy are also entwined through chess matches, lust at first sight, wetted beds, and picnics.

Roberta was a laughing stock. The Rambler’s Magazine portrays her as a deformed mono-brow sickly girl next to her father the Mad Marquess, who is on his knees with his arms raised high pleading with God for a match for his daughter. Roberta of course is far from deformed, ugly, or possessing any disfigurement, but she can’t escape the reputation that clings to her when she’s around her father or his poetry. She’s had it, she has. Roberta will marry a sensible man, one who won’t make a fool of himself or spout poetry. The Duke of Villiers is just the right man, but he was notorious for not caring about scandal and sleeping with most of the women in the ton. She would have to trick him into the parson’s mousetrap.

Damon is also a notorious rakehell and while he and Villiers share that reputation they are as night and day. Damon possesses an honorable streak and finds himself drawn to Roberta when she comes to his sister’s home in an effort to be brought out properly into society. The more she spurns him the more he desires her. Some of the sultriest scenes are stolen moments where he convinces her to show him what she knows of kissing. But even as they exchange kisses, Roberta stands steadfast in her self-declared love of Villiers and desire to marry him. There had to be some way to win her heart, to prove to her that Villiers was the wrong rakehell and he was the right one.

Rating: 2 Stars

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The review for today is not one, but three novels.

The Raintree Trilogy is an weak, anemic effort by three different authors. The premise is that two hundred years ago there was a war between the Raintree clan, a family with paranormal abilities, and the Ansara wizards. The Ansara clan was nearly wiped out, but the Raintree clan stopped short of annihilating them entirely, a mistake that they are about to regret. The Ansara clan has been rebuilt and a rogue group is out for revenge.

Book One: Raintree: Inferno by Linda Howard

Dante Raintree is Dranir or king of the Raintree family and owns a hotel-casino in Reno. Like the other members of his family, he keeps a low profile and does not advertise his paranormal abilities, which in his case is the ability to control fire and enter the minds of others. He has no intention of ever getting married or having a family. His brother Gideon, who is heir apparent for the position of Dranir, sends him fertility charms on a regular basis. Gideon does not want to be Dranir.

Lorna Clay finds herself in Dante’s office because she is suspected of cheating. Lorna is empathic and can therefore ‘read’ the other players. She denies, even to herself, that she has this ability. Suddenly there is a fire in the casino and Dante must enter her mind to augment his own powers in an effort to control the fire. Controlling Lorna’s mind is something Dante does often in the story, albeit with good intentions. It is a wonder that Lorna can forgive him enough to fall in love with him.

Those familiar with Linda Howard’s work, may be disappointed with this book. She does not appear comfortable with this genre and has difficulty explaining the particulars of Dante’s paranormal abilities and the Raintree family. As a result, the plot seems disjointed and characters’ motivations are not easy to understand.

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Book Two: Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones

Gideon’s gift is controlling electricity and the ability to see and talk to ghosts. Talking to ghosts comes in handy with his job; Gideon is a homicide detective in Wilmington, NC. Lately, he has been dreaming of a tricky little girl ghost named Emma who insists on calling Gideon ‘Daddy’. He has carefully explained to her that he has no intention of marrying and having children, but she laughs and says that she will come to him in a moonbeam.

Hope Malory is a police detective who has asked to be transferred to Wilmington from Raleigh in an effort to be closer to her mother. In Raleigh, she worked in vice and has always wanted to work in homicide. She is Gideon’s new partner. She is immediately suspicious of him. He is too well dressed for a cop and he lives in a lovely, beachfront home. His success rate in closing cases is nearly perfect. Thinking that he is a dirty cop, Hope decides to check into him further.

Raintree: Haunted is a pleasant surprise after reading Inferno. Linda Winstead Jones is very comfortable with this genre. The plot is tightly woven with very likable characters and a good amount of humor. There were a couple of things that did not seem realistic: people have a kind of amnesia that keeps them from remembering what doesn’t make sense to them; and a heterosexual man who knows that it is not comfortable to sleep in a bra. All in all it is a satisfying book, the best of the three.

Rating: 3 Stars

Raintree: Sanctuary by Bevery Barton

Mercy Raintree is a single mother, empathic healer and keeper of the Raintree Sanctuary; the sacred, ancestral home of the Raintree Clan, located on a large area of land in the Smokey Mountains. It is here that all the previous characters meet up to defend it against a rogue group of Ansara warriors.

Judah Ansara is Dranir of the Ansara Clan. Cael, his illegitimate half brother and leader of the rogue group of warriors are challenging Judah’s position as Dranir. Judah is also the father of Eve, although he is at first unaware of her existence.

Eve is a bright, talented child with knowledge beyond her years. Since Eve is a ‘half-breed’ she should have been killed at birth and only her mother and nanny are aware of her parentage. Mercy and Judah are bitter enemies, despite the powerful lust they have for one another but they must learn to work together to save Eve and the Sanctuary.

As a finale, Sanctuary falls flat. The plot is thin and lacks cohesiveness, the characters are superficial and the ending is contrived. There is very little detail and plot elements are underdeveloped being briefly explained on the side. Most of the action during the big battle scene is focused on Dante and does not really involve the other characters. This is a disappointing book.

Rating: 2 Stars

If you would like to submit a review to LRP, we would love to have you. You can find submission guidelines here.

Thanks again Marcia! You’re a wonderful reviewer and RRN is lucky to have you!

• Review: Up Close and Dangerous by Linda Howard Bailey Wingate is living what many would believe to be a charmed life in Seattle, but she has problems. Not that she is complaining. She knows that she is fortunate. Having grown up impoverished, she became the personal assistant to...

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The Diamond King has got it all: Highlanders, pirates, lost souls, and love.

Alex Leslie used to be a noble in a world that seems to have existed long ago before the war between Scotland and England. Now he is wanted, without honor or hope for a life that had once been held so promisingly before him. Siding with the bonny Prince Charlie cost Alex far more than his pretty face, now scarred, and two strong legs, one now damaged and aching all the time causing him to limp.

Alex has seen horrors of war. The Battle of Culloden turned the tide of war against innocents as the redcoats and turncoats followed mercilessly on the trails of fleeing women, children and wounded – killing and raping indiscriminately. Stripped of his title but not his own sense of moral rightness, Alex came to lead a parcel of helpless Jacobite children out of Scotland to France. There he swore revenge… and two children swore not to be parted from him no matter the cost.

They followed him onto a ship that he was captaining under letters of Marque. Alex was planning to divest the British of their spoils on the sea and he could not do that for fear of the children. All attempts however to divest himself of the brats were pointless. They were far too crafty from their time on the run with him in Scotland to be forced to do anything they didn’t want to do. And truth be told, Alex did not want them to go. He would miss them.

His surrender to their wishes makes it all the harder on him when poor Meg gets wounded in the capture of Charlotte. To make matters worse, there’s a bloody Campbell on board. The Campbell family was the worst of all the turncoats and all the cruel deeds of the war could be laid at their uncaring, guilty feet.

Jeanette Campbell, never knew the horrors of the war. She was safe, sequestered at home where no tales of cruelty could reach her. This does not sway Alex to relent toward her. At least his hate of her is different than the hate she has felt at others hands. Jenna, as she prefers to be called, has been quite unloved by her aristocratic family and society at large. She has been spurned because of a birthmark she cannot help. Born with the Devil’s Mark on one arm from shoulder to wrist, Jenna has known only fear and instant loathing.

Given the choice of being disowned or marrying a man she’s never met, Jenna chooses to find a haven in Barbados. Certain the widow was not told of her birthmark, Jenna is fearful of her future. The thought of mothering his children is the only thing that kept her going. So when the Charlotte is captured, Jenna cannot help feeling helpless and angry that her one chance at happiness has been ripped from her. For what man will take such a bride; even a desperate one?

Rating: 2 Stars

• Review: Charming the Prince by Teresa Medeiros Let’s start this blog with my all time favorite romance novel, Charming the Prince by Teresa Medeiros. The surprising aspect of this story is that I like it despite the myriad of children presented. I am not a fan of...

To Scotland with Love is about 2 to 2.5 Stars. The rating depends on how well you can stomach the side characters. I personally thought they were annoying and too much. As I go into depth here you’ll see what I mean.

How Sir Blubbering Ravencroft got the gumption to kidnap Venetia, the heroine, is beyond me. He’s weak-willed and weak-chinned with watery eyes, a ton of debt and on the run from a duel. Unfortunately for him, Venetia is a strong woman and quite capable of throwing off his professions of devotion and grabby hands with her deadly brooch pin. Ravencroft in a hurry to place Venetia in the midst of a scandal races them to Gretna Green while telling her that her mother is ill and might be dying… the faster the carriage goes the more certain Venetia is of something not quite right going on and then the carriage tips on the icy snow covered ground leaving them stranded in the middle of North Road. Luckily an inn is nearby.

Venetia’s father, who was the fool to condone Ravencroft’s behavior, however only if she agreed to it, beseeches Gregor MacLean to rescue his daughter. Gregor is angry at the news. He has been Venetia’s lifelong friend and was on the way to meet her for a morning ride. Gregor like the rest of the MacLeans is cursed to always have his anger visible to the world in a most duex ex machina way. His anger takes the form of a snowstorm and the angrier he gets the longer it lasts and the colder it gets. If he can manage to make his way through his own stormy feelings he might just get to her before it’s too late.

Gregor reaches the inn and receives a cool reception from Venetia. It would have been warmer if Gregor hadn’t been so highhanded. This is where the real fun begins as the cast of motley members begin to make themselves known. The first of the lot is a Mrs. Bloom, blind as a bat, is critical of everything and rude beyond bearing toward her servant Miss Platt or Flatt or something like that.

Miss Platt fancies herself abuse, mistreated, and indentured is convinced by a poorly informed Venetia of the girl’s true circumstances that she deserves better. Miss Platt immediately makes goo-goo eyes at Ravencroft or Mr. West as he and Venetia are now the sibling Wests and are Gregor’s charges.

If that wasn’t enough a squire and his daughter arrive at the inn. The daughter fancies herself in love with a farm-boy from back home and doesn’t want to go to London. The squire is decent, but his daughter is a drama queen of the first sort. She puts on airs, snores, and is indecently messy with her belongings in a space meant for one but was squeezing three due to the weather.

It’s a wonder there’s any romance at all considering how much of the time is focused on the side character drama. Somehow Gregor proposes to Venetia, but it’s mostly out of duty and she refuses… she’s long past marrying age at 34 years old and she marries at all it will be for love and Gregor hasn’t proven anything beyond fondness and lust. Will he come up to snuff?

Rating: 2 Stars

Merrick and Maddie were young, impulsive, and madly in love with each other. A wild dash across England through Scotland to Gretna Green ends in marriage and betrayal. For the dashing young lad Merrick MacLachlan, this mad run would be his last act of reckless spontaneity. When Maddie’s father catches up with them – he does all in his power to break them apart and succeeds.

Merrick is beaten, trampled, and whipped and left to die. He wakes up alone, in pain and forever scarred. He tries to get in touch with Maddie but his letters go unanswered. When Merrick manages to stumble free from the hellhole he was left in back to Maddie’s childhood home he is not received. The news he receives there wretches his heart out of his chest as he realizes what a fool he’s been. Maddie has married another man and is touring Europe.

It is nearly thirteen years before they meet again quite by accident. Maddie’s second husband is dead and she is desperate to find help for her son, Geoffrey, who experiences visions of accidents/death or something similar. London is her best shot to help him. I’m sure you can guess that Geoffrey was Merrick’s son and that her marriage to her second husband is not at all what it seemed. Her choices were slim and her circumstances were grave and she thought Merrick had used her to gain her fortune. Marrying again was her only hope.

Almost immediately after seeing each other for the first time in so many years Maddie and Merrick exchange their versions of the past events that led to their marriage being dissolved. Unfortunately, Merrick and Maddie, are incredibly stupid. I’m not sure they have ears and they don’t listen to each other both so certain they were the wronged party and both so certain the other one is a cruel-hearted bastard. It gets really irritating after the second/third time through explanations. Somehow they manage to extract themselves from their past in order to see a future with each other – then amazingly they both take the risk to trust the other and fall in love again.

Rating: 2 Stars