She was unmarried, untouched and almost thirty, but novelist Amanda Briars wasn't about to greet her next birthday without making love to a man. When he appeared at her door, she believed he was her gift to herself, hired for one night of passion. Unforgettably handsome, irresistibly virile, he tempted her in ways she never thought possible. . .but something stopped him from completely fulfilling her dream.

Jack Devlin's determination to possess Amanda became greater when she discovered his true identity. But gently bred Amanda craved respectability more than she admitted, while Jack, the cast-off son of a nobleman and London's most notorious businessman, refused to live by society's rules. Yet when fate conspired for them to marry, their worlds collided with a passionate force neither had expected. . . but both soon craved.

What I liked: The tension between the two characters and the humor with which they dealt with their situation. He is considered a rogue and businessman - and completely against the idea of love. She is an accomplished writer and self proclaimed spinster who enjoys the freedom that her lifestyle has brought her. Obviously, the two do not at first see eye to eye but the relationship that develops is both hot and sweet.

What I didn't like: While I will admit that it's been a little while since I have read this book I think that I can honestly say that there weren't any serious problems with this book. It was light and fluffy, the way that a romance novel should be written.

Details:

• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers


• Pub. Date: June 2001


• 384 pgs.


• Author website: Lisa Kleypas

Plans: Added it to historical romance bookbox

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All London is at Julia Wentworth's feet. The beautiful, enchanting actress is the toast of the theater world -- and anything she desires is hers for the asking. But the incomparable leading lady guards a devastating secret: a mystery husband whom she does not know, dares not mention...and cannot love.

For years Damon Savage has been searching for the stranger his unscrupulous parents wed him to without his consent. Wanting no more than to be legally rid of the foolish chit, Damon is shocked to discover his "bride" is the exquisite stage performer whom he intended to make his mistress! But though his wife by law, Julia will never truly be Damon's -- until he conquers her fears, his formidable rivals...and the stellar lady's proud, independent heart. (Synopsis from author's website)

Review: Although Lisa Kleypas is fast becoming one of my new favorite authors, this book did not inspire me to dig out the rest of her novels in my possession and devour them. I did enjoy the story but it was not in the least awe inspiring. The story is great, the two main characters are married as children and although Damon has been searching for her, Julia has been doing everything within her power to avoid her husband. And while I don't think that the story was underdeveloped or the characters were lacking in that human characterization that makes them worthy of connecting to I just felt that the story was somewhat flat.

There was so much potential and I just don't think that she reached it in this novel. I can't quite put my finger on what this one was lacking but whatever it is, her other novels have it.

Details:

• Publisher: Avon (October 1, 1996)
• Pages: 384
• Author: Lisa Kleypas

Plans: To be included in my historical romance bookbox

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Ramses the Great lives . . .

Reawakened in opulent Edwardian London, he becomes Dr. Ramsey, expert in Egyptology and member of a group of jaded aristocrats with strange appetites to appease. But searing memories of his last reawakening, at the behest of Cleopatra, burn in his immortal soul. For he has drunk the elixir of life and is now Ramses the Damned, doomed forever to wander the earth, desperate to quell hungers that can never be satisfied. And his most intense longing of all, a great love undiminished by the centuries, will force him to commit an act of unspeakable horror . . . (from back cover)

Review: I will admit that I approached this book with a great deal of trepidation after being warned about Anne Rice's writing style but I am happy to say that I enjoyed it much more than I thought would be possible. As far as the writing style, I enjoyed the detail included in the novel and found the two main characters endearing. I was afraid that her style was going to be comparable to Nathaniel Hawthorne in the Scarlet Letter with whole paragraphs devoted to one sentence and instead found that she included enough detail that the reader could easily envision the settings of London and Egypt without being overwhelmed. Another aspect of her writing that I found enjoyable was the pace of the novel; the story did not feel rushed nor did it drag.

As for the characters I could not help but to be drawn to Ramses with his mixture of worldly knowledge and amazement at what had changed since Cleopatra's time. His constant study for things that I would find dated intriqued me and further endeared his character to me. I did feel however that the rest of the characters were more of a backdrop for his story than maybe they should have been. Regardless of what I saw as this minor flaw the rest of the book was enjoyable.

Plans: This book has arrived safely in Japan.

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Frair Agostino Leyre, a Papal Inquisitor, is sent to Milan to confirm--or not--the messages of the "Soothsayer," who alleges that Leonardo Da Vinci is a heretic and has hidden heretical messages in his painting of The Last Supper. Leonardo is a figure larger than life, literally. A blue-eyed, tall, handsome man, always dressed in white, he is surrounded by faithful students and friends who are his acolytes. His brilliant mind, ranging over a multitude of ideas, has gained him a reputation for "hiding heterodox ideas in paintings apparently pious."

Review: The jury is still out on this one. While the story was intriguing and the secret of Da Vinci's Last Supper revealed on the final page was unexpected, the journey to the final destination was convulated and confusing. I am, however, willing to take some of the blame for this as I did not have nearly the grasp of Church history needed to breeze through this book easily; instead I struggled through it bit by bit determined to reach the end in order to learn the secret touted throughout the book. It was worth the work on this one as I did not see the secret being what it ended up being. The only real major problem I had with this novel is the same problem that I generally have with the historical fiction novels and that is the overload of information that most authors feel is needed in order to authenticate their novels. This can be overwhelming if you are not familiar with the time period and the subject matter.

However, this is not say that others should not read this book as much as it is a warning for anyone that is under the assumption that this book is light and fun like the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It is not light and unless you really love historical fiction it's not a great deal of fun either (although the twists and turns in the plot were pretty fun because they were not easy to guess) but it is informative and interesting and I think, worth the read.

Plans: Going to lend it to a friend and then I will make it available.

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