Tristan’s grandfather lost the family fortune and the Devonwood earldom still hasn’t recovered under his father’s tenure. In order to save the estate from disaster, Tristan is determined to wed the daughter of a duke. Lady Florence’s dowry is reputedly hefty enough to sink a frigate, so Tristan will shoulder the family’s burden, even if it means a loveless match.
When he first lays eyes on Delphinia Preston, he knows she’s trouble in a gorgeous blue dress. Despite the rumors about her being a half-gypsy witch, there’s something about the grey-eyed beauty that calls to Tristan. And he can’t keep himself from answering, even if it means wrecking all his carefully laid plans…
Lady Viola Preston can relieve a gentleman of the studs at his wrists without his being any the wiser and pick any lock devised by man in less than a minute. But she’s careful to wear gloves when she steals jewels. Because when Viola touches a gemstone with her bare skin, it “speaks” to her, sending disturbing visions–visions almost as unsettling as the sight of the cool-eyed stranger who catches her red handed.
Now Viola will only be stealing at Greydon Quinn’s behest. And even more daunting than the violent history of the red diamond he’s after is the prospect of a night in the devastatingly handsome lieutenant’s arms. Touch has always been Viola’s weakness, and the full body-to-body contact Quinn has in mind is about to shatter her defenses and set her senses reeling.
Jacob Preston has three requirements for a woman desiring access to his bed: She must be enthusiastic in affairs of passion, jaded in matters of the heart, and–to ensure the first two qualifications–she must be married.
Lady Julianne Cambourne has all the makings of a passionate lover, and she certainly shows no signs of sentimentality. . .but her unmarried status should render her firmly off limits to Jacob.
Instead, it proves only a temptation. One that grows stronger when she comes to him in desperation, looking for the kind of answers only he can give. For beyond his rakish reputation, Jacob is known for the mysterious–even otherworldly–power of detection he commands through his sense of touch. And Julianne, surrounded by long-hidden secrets that threaten to ensnare her in a deadly trap, will do whatever it takes to recruit his skills. . . using every form of persuasion at her disposal. . .
Griffin Nash, Earl of Devonwood, wants to believe that he’s seducing Miss Emmaline Farnsworth out of protectiveness for his young brother. After all, if his brother is convinced that the tantalizing professor’s daughter is unworthy of his trust, perhaps Teddy will lose all interest in such an inappropriate choice for his station.
But in truth, something else motivates Devonwood: a scintillating vision he’s had of a future tryst with the lovely Emmaline. A vision too realistic to be doubted–and too scaldingly passionate to be denied.
Yet Emmaline is not as easily tempted as Devonwood might have hoped–nor is she actually in pursuit of a wealthy husband. No, the real reason for her visit to the manor is something much more shocking. . . though being enticed by a dashing earl may prove to be a most welcome by-product of her schemes. . .
[click on the cover or the title to purchase]
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Mia Marlowe’s Bio: Award winning author Mia Marlowe writes historical romance for Kensington Publishing and Sourcebooks. Her debut title received acclaim from romance luminaries. #1 New York Times bestseller Victoria Alexander says Mia’s Touch of a Thief has “adventure and heat and everything I want in a great story!” UK’s BooksMonthly has crowned Mia Marlowe “the queen of saucy historical romance.”
Mia learned much of what she knows about storytelling from singing. A classically trained soprano, she won the District Metropolitan Opera Auditions and shared a stage with Placido Domingo. As she prepared for operatic roles, she devised back stories for her characters. Since she’s worn a real corset, and had to sing high C’s in one, she empathizes with the trials of her fictional heroines. But in Mia’s stories, they don’t die in a Parisian garret. They get to live and keep the hero!
For all you young’ens who are not familiar with Demelza, I am here to introduce her and the series, to you.
Angharad Rees “was a Welsh actress, best known for her British television roles during the 1970s, and in particular her leading role as Demelza in the 1970s BBC drama series Poldark.”[Wikipedia],
‘Poldark’ was a BBC television series based on the novels written by Winston Graham which aired in England from 1975 to 1977. In the late ’70s I found myself back in the ‘Old Country’ Yugoslavia, back then, married and very lonely at night as my brand new husband was working third shift. Serbian TV just about that time started running a serial called ‘Poldark’ and I was so happy not have had to read the subtitles, but what made my heart sing was the wonderful love story of Ross and Demelza. The main story centers around Captain Ross Poldark who was played to a tee by an actor whose name I never heard before, Robin Ellis. I honestly think that any other actor would have ‘overact’ this larger than life character. The producers, or which ever power that be chose this young actor to play this role, deserves a medal. Robin Ellis WAS Ross and we all ‘ate him up’ as he stole our hearts.
Ross Poldark arrives home from the American Revolutionary War and finds out that his life will never be the same again. His father has passed on; the farmlands and copper mines they’ve owned, are now being sold; his uncle has claimed the estate and the love of his life and his secret fiancée Elizabeth, played by Jill Townsend, is now engaged to his cousin Francis, played by Clive Francis. As Ross slowly sets out to rebuild his life and accept the union of Francis and Elizabeth, he comes across an urchin ‘boy’ who will steal his heart. Demelza, played by the beloved Angharad Rees, is a poor, hungry, fifteen year old girl who hasn’t eaten in a long while. Their first meeting takes place at a fair, where she’s caught steeling bread.
Ross feels sorry for and feeds the poor urchin, and after some persuasion from Demelza, he offers her shelter and work at his home. It didn’t take long for Demelza to ‘clean up’ and for Ross to start liking her. However, the love of his life, Elizabeth, was always on his mind and it took Ross awhile to realize that his life has been blessed by Demelza, and he finally admits his love to her.
Even though the main characters drove most of the stories, this was an ensemble series and the secondary characters had their own troubles. Who can forget Dr. Dwight Enys played by Richard Morant, a young new doctor who comes to serve the small mining community and finds himself falling in love with a married woman, Keren Daniel, who ends up killed by her husband after he discovers her infidelity. For a long time Dwight blames himself for her death, but one encounter with a very rich and very spoiled heiress Caroline Penvenen played by Judy Geeson, starts a relationship that will eventually end up in a marriage.
And then there are his old servants, Jud and Prudie Paynter played by Paul Curran and Mary Wimbush, that brought so much humor to their characters and to the series as well. And what would one of these series be without a villain, and this one had it in George Warleggan who was played to perfection by Ralph Bates. George Warleggan hated Ross with a passion and he wanted to own everything that Ross owned and loved, so he went after Elizabeth and eventually married her (after Frances died).
But what stunned me the most was the setting of this drama. It was set in Cornwall, and with its breathtaking scenery of cliffs, coves and beaches, it was pure magic.
And talking of magic, Angharad Rees’ portrayal of Demelza was magical, too. When Demelza smiles, her whole face lights up and we cannot but bask in it. She was THE ultimate romance heroine and someone that I credit for pointing me to romance novels. I just found out (through Robin Ellis’ Blog) that she passed away at the age of sixty-three. My heart goes out to all her family, friends and millions of fans. She will be always fondly remembered by all of us that adored her portrayal of Demelza. None of us can ever forget that smile that lit up the small screen like millions of stars upon the night sky.
I have never had the pleasure to meet her in person, but a few months ago I read a story that was set in Cornwall and I thought of ‘Poldark’ series so I thought to Google it and see if I can see what happened to some of the cast members, but that night I ended up re watching the WHOLE series. I also found out that Robin Ellis would be coming to my local Barnes & Nobles promoting his new cook book and ‘Making Poldark’ book as well, and I was NOT going to miss this chance to meet ‘Ross’. What a real treat that was! My husband and I had a ball meeting Mr. and Mrs. Ellis and a few of his ardent fans as well. You can also read Robin’s tribute to her here and listen to it here (about 2 hrs. and 40 min. in-move the line to the #).
Tell us if you ever saw POLDARK and your thoughts about it. Who started you on the romance ‘trip’ and how long ago?
Last couple of weeks I felt like I entered a ‘read-a-thon’ and ‘crammed’ a lot of books. Some were just okay and some good, and then there’s ‘A Gentleman Undone’by Cecilia Grant. Have you heard of her? If you haven’t, I’m here to tell you that you NEED, HAVE to read her work. She debuted a few months ago with ‘A Lady Awakened’ and now she gifted us with ‘A Gentleman Undone’. Her covers are amazing and I truly can see Martha, the heroine (sister of the hero on the second cover) to be this woman, as I could easily imagine Will to be lying there as one scene in particular brings this cover to life!
Here are some of the reasons behind my enthusiasm and why I’ve become such a fan of this author: her prose and characters make my heart flutter with anticipation and joy; her plots that set the pace of the story make me feel the angst so acutely that I don’t even realize that I’m holding my breath; she doesn’t just write romance, she writes love stories that are deep, complex and ooze passion, compassion and humanity.
She doesn’t just ‘tell’ me the story. Oh, no! She builds it with muscle and sinew, than adds the fat to it and Ifeel…I sigh…I cry and laugh…I savor. And when I’m done reading that last sentence, I feel full, my appetite satisfied and I catch myself…smiling.
If you’re still in doubt about reading both of these books [and you do not need to read them in order], here’s the Book Trailer for a Lady [which I hope will get you in a mood for a Gentleman] and two of the many, many awesome scenes from a Gentleman….
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“Again, the dark librarywith that moonlit bay window. His grip mangling the chair’s padded arms. He ought not to look this time. She’d be angry – she hadn’t liked him broaching the incident in their hallway conversation upstairs– and doubtless find a way to part him from more of his money. Fool that he was.
But he could no more stop himself than he could push back a tide. Slowly, inexorably, he came up out of the chair, angling for one illicit glimpse. Another inch– another–and he saw round the bookshelf into the bay.He could almost believe she was made of moonlight itself. Moonlight undulating, the way it did on an ocean when you’d sailed away and left shore behind.
Arms twisted up above her head. Face tilted. If only confound Roanoke weren’t there to spoil the view… and then, as though she’d read his thoughts, one pale arm sank away from the drapes. She sat her palm to the middle of the man’s chest and pushed.Roanoke stumbled backward and–most obliging of him–wavered and dissolved altogether.
She opened her eyes.Will’s heart lurched up out of his chest to thunder directly between his ears. Would that instant of awful vulnerability repeat itself in her face?– but no. She registered his presence, and her generous mouth quirked, just slightly, at the corners. He hadn’t caught her off guard this time. His heart rebounded to its proper place.She didn’t reach for her pushed-off sleeve. Steadily, without shame, she returned his gaze. Her arm lifted, and snaked back up the velvet. The other one drifted down and stretched toward him. She turned her palm up, crooking her forefinger.
Yes. He let go the bookshelf and stepped out into full view. And she did avail herself of the full view: her eyes raked down his form and went wide when they got below the waist.Don’t flatter yourself. She worked in a pleasure house. She’ll have seen all sizes. Whose intrusive voice was that? Ah. His own. That was certainly odd. No matter. Things were looking promising. He could straighten out the odd bits later.
He stood still a moment, to let her finish her perusal, and when her eyes came again to his face, he went to her. Shadow to moonlight, and they play exquisitely as shadow and moonlight always did.A sound… a bird? In this house in the middle of the night? No, that would be… he’d left a window open before he … for morning breezes and so he wouldn’t sleep too … No. No. To complete any of those thoughts would bring some dire result; he couldn’t quite lay his hands on it, but no, even that, to identify the dire result, might bring it about.
Urgency flared up in him as he took her face in his palms. A delicate rose-petal scent wafted from her, just as it had done whenever he got near enough in that dark hallway. Now he’d find out whether she tasted of roses too. He bent his head quickly, and brought his mouth to hers.But she was gone. His hands sat suspended in the air where her face had been. Despair clenched his innards in its fist–he’d been so close–and suddenly he felt a touch on his coat sleeve.
She’d got behind him somehow. Slipped away like quicksilver, but no matter, because here she was turning him, backing him up against the velvet where she’d been, and then … and then … she stared at him with her falcon ferocity, and sank to her knees.Yes. Oh, yes.‘Hurry.’ His unaccountably clumsy fingers stumbled over his buttons. ‘It’s a dream, you see, and we have to finish before I … ‘
But no, that had been a mistake, to say so out loud. Already the velvet was feeling like linens at his back, and the midnight darkness was beginning to lift. ‘Hurry, please.’ Though please, he already knew, had no affect on her. ‘If you could at least get–‘ No, she was wavering just as Roanoke had done, even as he moved frantically from one button to the next. She leaned toward him, slowly, her lips parting, but he could hear traffic from the street below.
Horses. Someone shouting. Confound his open window.He finally got himself free of his breeches and felt a single faint, dissolving touch from her lips …and it wasn’t enough. He came awake, hard and ravenous and alone in his bed.
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Lydia waited on a bench in the entry hall, wrapped in her cloak, until the creaking wheels and clopping hooves of some conveyance drew to a stop outside. She jumped up and pulled the door open.Mr. Blackshear – Will – was already out of the hackney and halfway up the steps, his face lit with a smile that would have exactly mirrored her own, had she the lopsided quality and the irregularity between the front teeth.
He cut a rather Byronic figure in his carelessly draped greatcoat, with his cheeks unshaven and one of those faddish handkerchiefs in place of a cravat. The very picture of a man poised to ruin himself in romantic fashion, a pigeon ripe for the plucking, which of course was the role they’d agreed he would play.
‘Come in.’ She stepped back. ‘I’m ready. Just let me fetch my reticule.’In fact she’d left it on the hallway table and had only to turn away, swipe it up, and turn back. But in that interval his countenance underwent a change. She faced him again to find his smile gone, his gaze pitched to the bottom of her cloak, his attention keen as a bird-dog’s.
‘I’ve never seen this gown,’ he said, and his eyes rebounded to hers with an unvoiced question.‘Ah, yes. Well, you’d better have a look now so it won’t distract you at some critical moment.’ Often enough she’d spoken flippantly of this gown and its powers, but her insouciance now rang false in her own ears. When she caught her cloak’s edges and swung them apart, she found she must look elsewhere than at his face.
Like him, she had a role to play: courtesan trolling for a moneyed protector. He knew that. He wouldn’t be shocked to find her wearing something a bit brazen. Still her nerves prickled along the cut edges of her too-short chemise, and the knots of her garters felt conspicuous as a man’s ill-timed erection. Well, he’d seen it. Now they could go.
She shrugged to flip the edges of her cloak to, and –‘Wait.’ His voice came out half strangled and his hand shot across to stop her covering herself.‘What is it?’ But she could imagine. You can’t possibly go out in that. Do you have any idea what sort of men frequent these places? At least put a petticoat on.
‘Nothing. Just… wait.”She let herself look at him. He didn’t notice. His hand still gripped her right wrist, holding that side of the cloak away, and his gaze ran over and over her gown as though he would never see it again and must fix the sight in his memory. She heard him draw a breath through his teeth.A sizzle ran from the nape of her neck right up over her scalp, and some base part of her brain scrambled to life. Take him upstairs. The hells can wait. You’ll never have a better chance.
That base part could say whatever it liked. What would her maid think of her, after all that talk of respectability, and Mr. Blackshear’s propriety? What would she think of herself, throwing off this worked-for, planned-for expedition to get a bit of what any man could give her? This man alone had put his trust in her abilities, his fortunes in her hands. She knew better than to misprize that.
‘Well, then.’ He let her cloak fall and took a step back. His voice wasn’t quite steady and his smile, when he raised his eyes to hers, seemed something he must sustain by force of will. ‘I presume that’s the gown a gentleman ought to like?’
‘It seemed appropriate for the occasion.’‘Exceedingly so. I think I just forgot my own name.’ His smile came naturally then, an easy admission of his own fallibility, an assurance that their partnership could absorb and transcend a scandalous gown and the animal response it inspired. He half-turned and crooked an elbow to her. ‘Ready to bring Oldfield’s to its knees?’ And indeed she’d never been readier for anything in her life.”
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I hope you took the time to read these special excerpts and I wish you’d let me know what you think of them. I have had the privilege to read both ARC’s and have reviewed a Lady and a Gentleman for Romance Reader At Heart website (clicking on the names will get you there) so please check it out. BUT, don’t take just my word for it! Check out some of the buzz around the blogosphere … Dear Author; Kay’s Blog; Rakehell; Happy Ever After/USA Today are just a few out there that are raving about Cecilia Grant and her impressive writing. I sure count her as one of the best discoveries of 2011, and can’t wait to find out what the future holds for her. Welcome to my Keeper Shelf, Ms. Grant. I have no doubt you’ll be there for some time to come.
The first in a trilogy of three brothers struggling to reconnect and restore their noble heritage in the aftermath of the French Revolution, each losing his heart along the way.
Twelve years after fleeing their burning château, Julien Harcourt, Duc de Valère, searches for his lost twin brothers. His frequent travels between England and France at a time when the exiled Napoleon is reported to be marshalling his troops raises the suspicions of English authorities who set secret operative Sarah Smith on his trail. A risky game of cat and mouse leads the two from the ballrooms of London to the prisons of Paris and into a fragile love that neither dares to hope for.
A very dangerous attraction…
Julian Harcourt, duc de Valere, is more than willing to marry the lovely young lady his mother has chosen. Little does he know, she’s been sent to prove him a spy and a traitor.
And an even more dangerous secret…
Sarah Smith’s mission is to find out whether the Duc’s trips to the Continent are as innocent as he claims, but the way he looks at her is far from innocent…
Their risky game of cat and mouse propels them from the ballrooms of London to the prisons of Paris, and into a fragile love that may not survive their deceptions.
Twelve years in a French prison have left the once dashing Armand Harcourt, Comte de Valère a hollow shell of his former self. Though safely back on English soil, Armand remains locked in a prison of his mind, unable to interact with the glittering social world that was his rightful place. When his family hires the beautiful and determined Felicity Bennett to teach Armand, he is shaken by the onslaught of desire Felicity awakens in him. As Felicity slowly helps reclaim Armand, their passion begins to blossom into a transcendent love capable of healing the scars of both their pasts.
Twelve years in prison has stripped him of his humanity…
Armand, Comte de Valère has lost the ability to interact with polite society, until his family hires him a beautiful tutor, and he starts to come alive again…
Saving him is her only chance to escape a terrible fate…
Felicity Bennett vows she’ll do whatever it takes to help Armand fight back the demons that have held him captive for so long…
With Felicity’s help, Armand begins to heal, until a buried secret threatens to destroy their growing passion…
The Marquis de Valère escaped certain death in the French Revolution and is now an infamous privateer. Out to avenge the death of his mentor, Bastien discovers himself astonishingly out of his depth when confronted with a beautiful, daring young woman who is out for his blood…
Revenge should be sweet, but it may cost him everything…
The Marquis de Valère escaped certain death in the French Revolution and is now an infamous privateer. Out to avenge the death of his mentor, Bastien discovers himself astonishingly out of his depth when confronted with a beautiful, daring young woman who is out for his blood…
Forgiveness is unthinkable, but it may be her only hope…
British Admiral’s daughter Raeven Russell believes Bastien responsible for her fiancé’s death. But once the fiery beauty crosses swords with Bastien, she’s not so sure she really wants him to change his wicked ways…
I am in the middle of re-reading the first two books of this series and I had to stop and tell you how much I love them. Bastien’s story (previously titled ‘The Making of a Rogue’ and in my mind it will always be THAT title and THIS cover) is coming out next month on February 7th and I needed to get into the story, ergo my immersion into the series.
I would ask you to please click on the book covers and read some of the excerpts of each book and let me know what you think of it.
I thought each book was so well written and in spite of the setting and plots, all had managed to be amusing, witty and fun as well. All three books cover the period of the French Revolution (1789-1799) in France and Georgian Era (1801) in England and the author did an awesome job taking us through such a turbulent time in history.
If you haven’t read Shana Galen lately or at all, I think it’s time you picked up one of her books. She can make you cry in one paragraph, and by next she just might have you in stitches-laughing! Not many authors can do that.
She went all out in creating a wonderful series full of intrigue and sensual and romantic love scenes. The dialogue in each story is full of charm and wit, and the pace in all three flows perfectly. This is one of the best series I’ve read and just thought to share
STORY: Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.
Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
WINNING WILL MAKE YOU FAMOUS. LOSING MEANS CERTAIN DEATH.
REVIEW: In this first book the Author Suzanne Collins introduces the reader to the main character and heroine Katniss Everdeen. In a post apocalyptic North America set many years into the future, the survivors of a devastating war and society have formed what is called Districts; there are 13 in all. The main governing body is called The Capitol whose ruler is a heartless dictator and governs over the rest of the districts, determining food supply and the quality of life. Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year-old girl from District 12, a mining district. The story begins with a description of Katniss’s life in the district, examples of the terrifying and oppressive dictatorship and how the people, including her family, struggle to survive. When years earlier the Districts unified and chose to rebel against The Capitol’s oppressive leadership, the near destruction of District 13 and the news that it was obliterated sent fear through the rest of the Districts causing them to surrender. As a punishment for their rebellion, the Capitol created a yearly game designed to intimidate and prevent any future uprising. Each year every child that is between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district, a boy and a girl, are randomly selected from a pool of names to take part in a Gladiator meets Running Man (Schwarzenegger movie) nationally televised event called The Hunger Games. Each selected child becomes a tribute to their district, and must fight to the death in a deadly arena becoming killers in order to survive. At the end of the games, there can be only one victor. The prize of course for the victor and it’s district is very enticing. The district earns food and special treatment for all it’s citizens for a whole year, and the victor and it’s family for the rest of their life. But at what cost?
We get to know Katniss Everdeen. We spend all our time in her thoughts, her emotions, and experience her fears. We learn that she spends most of her time in her district doing what her father taught her best, hunting for game by bow and arrow. In a bleak District 12 hunting is illegal, and Katniss has found a way to sneak out of the protective fence daily to do her hunting. In the neighboring forest, Katniss meets a young male named Gale. The two form a camaraderie, and begin hunting together. Because they share the same grim reality in District 12, the time they hunt together becomes special to them, and helps them stay focused while providing food for their families. As they become keen hunters working together for the others benefit, an unspoken fondness forms between them. Gale becomes Katniss’s personal confidant, and she his. Together they are each others spark among the dismal conditions that await them back at District 12 when they return from their hunts together. As readers we realize how rare this must be in the District, as there is so much wanting, needing, and fearing. There is little time to form close personal relationships.
It’s a painful reality for all the families in each district that have to give up their children in the games each year without the knowledge of whether they will ever see them again, and the horror that they may have to witness their death live on television. The reality also befalls the children who each year must stand in wait in horror to find out if they will be the next tribute, to find out what other child and possible friend in their district they will have to kill to survive. This year, during the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen will be one of the children standing. Her name being submitted in the pool for her district many times over since she turned twelve. This year, Katniss’s sister, the recently turned twelve Prim, will also be among those children. However, the one comforting thought for Katniss and her Sister is that Prim’s name has only been entered once, while others have their names submitted dozens of times. The odds are in Prim’s favor. In a last-minute twist, Prim is chosen as District 12′s tribute. Disbelief and horror overwhelms Katniss and she does what she promised herself she will never stop doing for Prim. Katniss promised to always keep Prim alive, and she chaotically scampers to take her place. She volunteers herself into the game.
At this point Katniss is thrust into a new world. A world of the Hunger Games. Being a tribute is nothing like being an onlooker. The Capitol wants the odds to be in every child’s favor, and extremes are taken to make sure each has a fighting chance. As readers, we are immersed into a story of survival, courage, and deep unexplainable love. The other tribute chosen from her district, Peeta, has made a historic impression upon Katniss’s heart. One that can prove fatal for her in the games. We are thrust into this story and realize quickly the admiration between both Peeta and Katniss. As the story heats up, we are dragged through the arena with Katniss and Peeta and the other 22 tributes to experience the depth and pain of such monstrous games.
The next two books Catching Fire, and Mockingjay continue to mesmerize us and immerse us in the darkness that is The Capitol and the Districts. There is never a moment to cease wondering where the next chapter will take us, as the story becomes more convoluted and disparaging. Just when one finds hope in a moment, that moment is flitted away by the perverse acts of The Capitol. We as readers are taken through a roller coaster of emotions, and truly get to experience the tale of a war stricken oppressed nation that finds hope in one-act of defiance. That act of defiance comes from a young insignificant teenager named Katniss Everdeen from District 12, whose inner suffering and rage is channeled into acts of courage, strength and perseverance. We are challenged to empathize with this young heroine, as Katniss finds herself in a mess of emotions over her love for Gale and Peeta. But so do we.
I really enjoyed these three books by Suzanne Collins. Although it wasn’t a typical book I would pick up to read, it quickly challenged me to think about the nature of war, love and loss, and the perverse nature behind reality t.v.. It’s probably one of the few stories that have made me actually cry while reading. It kept me deeply riveted and constantly coming back for more. I read the entire trilogy in about 12 days. I have to say that although the first two books really captured my attention, I was a bit more cynical midway through the Mockingjay. There were periods of bewilderment for me as I tried to piece together all the intricate stories that Collins developed. Some threads were a bit looser then others. The last book was exceedingly dark as it concludes the desperation of all the Districts and The Capitol, the pivotal role Katniss plays in their liberation, and finally the ultimate finale which is hardly anticipated. This trilogy will amaze and excite you as you become immersed in the characters’ flaws as well as strengths. I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Hunger Games and try it out, it’s one of the best stories I’ve read in a long time.
If you liked watching “The Tudors”, “Rome” and you really, REALLY liked “300” well than, you’ll love this show! I’m glued to the computer screen as I get it through You Tube every Thursday night! Oh, and have I mentioned that I’m Serbian and speak not a word of Turkish? Yet, I am riveted by the story. Let’s be clear here: Muhteşem Yüzyıl (Magnificent Century) is a Turkish television series based on the life of Suleiman the Magnificent. To watch the 1st Episode with English subtitles click here:
It is a serial about the past of Ottoman Empire. You know the one that had my people under that rule for Centuries? Yet, I’m still riveted by the story. Apparently, the serial has triggered protests from the conservative public (and I thought our Conservative’s were bad) even before the pilot episode has been aired. They thought that the scenes showing Harem dancers, around Suleiman while he was having wine, were indecent and against their religion. They didn’t want the Ottoman Empire to be seen as such a den of iniquity. They went so far as to read passages from the Quran egg the building of Show TV station and tear down public ads. I don’t think it’s working, however, as the 7th episode aired just this Wednesday, the 16th of February. Now they’re all over blogs, websites and Facebook groups who are protesting the TV serial! WHATEVER!!! I hear that it is the MOST watched show in Turkey. I hope it stays that way. It’s just a show! Get it together, People! Should you not be glad that your country is getting some attention? And good, I might add. Oh, have I told you also that I’m Christian? Yet, I’m riveted by the story. If you would like to catch it, visit here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBxXN3HyBcg&feature=fvsr. That’s the link for the 1st Episode and from there you can follow through. The series just premiered this January and I’m not sure how long it will last. Every Thursday you’ll be able to watch new Episode. I hope you like it!
As I said before, I don’t speak the language, so before I went to watch the first Episode, I visited Wikipedia and here is what it says:
Suleiman was infatuated with Aleksandra Lisowska (c. 1510 – April 18, 1558), or Hürrem Sultan, meaning the “laughing one”, a harem girl of Ruthenian origin, then part of Poland. In the West foreign diplomats, taking notice of the palace gossip about her, called her “Russelazie” or “Roxelana”, referring to her Slavic origins. The daughter of an OrthodoxUkrainian priest, she was enslaved and rose through the ranks of the Harem to become Suleiman’s favorite. Breaking with two centuries of Ottoman tradition, a former concubine had thus become the legal wife of the Sultan, much to the astonishment of observers in the palace and the city. Her intrigues as queen in the court and power over the Sultan made her quite renowned. Their son, Selim II, succeeded Suleiman following his death in 1566 after 46 years of rule. He also allowed Hürrem Sultan to remain with him at court for the rest of her life, breaking another tradition—that when imperial heirs came of age, they would be sent along with the imperial concubine who bore them to govern remote provinces of the Empire, never to return unless their progeny succeeded to the throne.
Suleiman I (born on 6 November 1494) was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He ruled from 1520 to his death in 1566 and is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as the Lawgiver and was responsible for complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system. His mother was Valide Sultan Aishe Hafsa Sultan or Hafsa Hatun Sultan, who died in 1534. At the age of seven, he was sent to study science, history, literature, theology, and military tactics in the schools of the Topkapı Palace in Constantinople. He spoke six languages: Ottoman Turkish, Arabic, Serbian, Chagatai (a dialect of Turkish language and related to Uighur), Persian and Urdu.
Upon the death of his father, Selim I (1465–1520), Suleiman entered Constantinople and acceded to the throne as the tenth Ottoman Sultan. An early description of Suleiman, a few weeks following his accession, was provided by the Venetian envoy Bartolomeo Contarini: “He is twenty-five years of age, tall, but wiry, and of a delicate complexion. His neck is a little too long, his face thin, and his nose aquiline. He has a shade of a moustache and a small beard; nevertheless he has a pleasant mien, though his skin tends to pallor. He is said to be a wise Lord, fond of study, and all men hope for good from his rule.”
Whilst Sultan Suleiman was known as “the Magnificent” in the West, he was always Kanuni Suleiman or “The Lawgiver” to his own Ottoman subjects. As the historian Lord Kinross notes, “Not only was he a great military campaigner, a man of the sword, as his father and great-grandfather had been before him. He differed from them in the extent to which he was also a man of the pen. He was a great legislator, standing out in the eyes of his people as a high-minded sovereign and a magnanimous exponent of justice”.
The overriding law of the empire was the Shari’ah, or Sacred Law, which as the divine law of Islam was outside of the Sultan’s powers to change. Yet an area of distinct law known as the Kanuns (canonical legislation) was dependent on Suleiman’s will alone, covering areas such as criminal law, land tenure and taxation. He collected all the judgments that had been issued by the nine Ottoman Sultans who preceded him. After eliminating duplications and choosing between contradictory statements, he issued a single legal code, all the while being careful not to violate the basic laws of Islam. It was within this framework that Suleiman, supported by his Grand MuftiEbussuud, sought to reform the legislation to adapt to a rapidly changing empire. When the Kanun laws attained their final form, the code of laws became known as the kanun‐i Osmani, or the “Ottoman laws”. Suleiman’s legal code was to last more than three hundred years.
Suleiman gave particular attention to the plight of the rayas, Christian subjects who worked the land of the Sipahis. His Kanune Raya, or “Code of the Rayas”, reformed the law governing levies and taxes to be paid by the rayas, raising their status above serfdom to the extent that Christian serfs would migrate to Turkish territories to benefit from the reforms. The Sultan also played a role in protecting the Jewish subjects of his empire for centuries to come. In late 1553 or 1554, on the suggestion of his favorite doctor and dentist, the Spanish Jew Moses Hamon, the Sultan issued a firman formally denouncing blood libels against the Jews. Furthermore, Suleiman enacted new criminal and police legislation, prescribing a set of fines for specific offences, as well as reducing the instances requiring death or mutilation. In the area of taxation, taxes were levied on various goods and produce, including animals, mines, profits of trade, and import-export duties. In addition to taxes, officials who had fallen into disrepute were likely to have their land and property confiscated by the Sultan.
Suleiman personally led Ottoman armies to conquer the Christian strongholds of Belgrade, Rhodes, and most of Hungary before his conquests was checked at the Siege of Vienna in 1529. He annexed most of the Middle East in his conflict with the Safavids and large swathes of North Africa as far west as Algeria. Under his rule, the Ottoman fleet dominated the seas from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. With his main European rivals subdued, Suleiman had assured the Ottoman Empire a powerful role in the political landscape of Europe.
He also instituted legislative changes relating to society, education, taxation, and criminal law. His canonical law (or the Kanuns) fixed the form of the empire for centuries after his death. Not only was Suleiman a distinguished poet and goldsmith in his own right; he also became a great patron of culture, overseeing the golden age of the Ottoman Empire’s artistic, literary and architectural development.
Education was another important area for the Sultan. Schools attached to mosques and funded by religious foundations provided a largely free education to Muslim boys in advance of the Christian countries of the time. In his capital, Suleiman increased the number of mektebs (primary schools) to fourteen, teaching children to read and write as well as the principles of Islam. Children wishing further education could proceed to one of eight medreses (colleges), whose studies included grammar, metaphysics, philosophy, astronomy, and astrology. Higher medreses provided education of university status, whose graduates became imams or teachers. Educational centers were often one of many buildings surrounding the courtyards of mosques; others included libraries, refectories, fountains, soup kitchens and hospitals for the benefit of the public.
Under Suleiman’s patronage, the Ottoman Empire entered the golden age of its cultural development. Hundreds of imperial artistic societies (called the Ehl-i Hiref, “Community of the Talented”) were administered at the Imperial seat, the Topkapı Palace. After an apprenticeship, artists and craftsmen could advance in rank within their field and were paid commensurate wages in quarterly annual installments. Payroll registers that survive testify to the breadth of Suleiman’s patronage of the arts. Whereas previous rulers had been influenced by Persian culture (Suleiman’s father, Selim I, wrote poetry in Persian), Suleiman’s patronage of the arts had seen the Ottoman Empire assert its own artistic legacy.
Suleiman himself was an accomplished poet, writing in Persian and Turkish under the nom de plumeMuhibbi (Lover). Some of Suleiman’s verses have become Turkish proverbs, such as the well-known “Everyone aims at the same meaning, but many are the versions of the story. When his young son Mehmed died in 1543, he composed a moving chronogram to commemorate the year: Peerless among princes, my Sultan Mehmed. In addition to Suleiman’s own work, many great talents enlivened the literary world during Suleiman’s rule, including Fuzuli and Baki. The literary historian E. J. W. Gibb observed that “at no time, even in Turkey, was greater encouragement given to poetry than during the reign of this Sultan”.
Under his pen name, Muhibbi, Suleiman composed this poem for Roxelana:
“Throne of my lonely niche, my wealth, my love, my moonlight.
My most sincere friend, my confidant, my very existence, my Sultan, my one and only love.
The most beautiful among the beautiful…
My springtime, my merry faced love, my daytime, my sweetheart, laughing leaf…
My plants, my sweet, my rose, the one only who does not distress me in this world…
My Constantinople, my Caraman, the earth of my Anatolia
My Badakhshan, my Baghdad and Khorasan
My woman of the beautiful hair, my love of the slanted brow, my love of eyes full of mischief…
I’ll sing your praises always
I, lover of the tormented heart, Muhibbi of the eyes full of tears, I am happy.”
Suleiman also became renowned for sponsoring a series of monumental architectural developments within his empire. The Sultan sought to turn Constantinople into the center of Islamic civilization by a series of projects, including bridges, mosques, palaces and various charitable and social establishments.
Pargalı İbrahim Pasha was the boyhood friend of Suleiman. Ibrahim was originally Greek Orthodox and when young was educated at the Palace School under the devshirme system. Suleiman made him the royal falconer, and then promoted him to first officer of the Royal Bedchamber. Ibrahim Pasha rose to Grand Vizier in 1523 and commander-in-chief of all the armies. Suleiman also conferred upon Ibrahim Pasha the honor of beylerbey of Rumelia, granting Ibrahim authority over all Turkish territories in Europe, as well as command of troops residing within them in times of war. According to a 17th century chronicler, Ibrahim had asked Suleiman not to promote him to such high positions, fearing for his safety; to which Suleiman replied that under his reign no matter what the circumstance, Ibrahim would never be put to death.
Yet Ibrahim eventually fell from grace with the Sultan. During his thirteen years as Grand Vizier, his rapid rise to power and vast accumulation of wealth had made Ibrahim many enemies among the Sultan’s court. Reports had reached the Sultan of Ibrahim’s impudence during a campaign against the Persian Safavid Empire: in particular his adoption of the title serasker sultan was seen as a grave affront to Suleiman.
Suleiman’s suspicion of Ibrahim was worsened by a quarrel between the latter and the Minister of Finance Iskender Chelebi. The dispute ended in the disgrace of Chelebi on charges of intrigue, with Ibrahim convincing Suleiman to sentence the Minister to death. Before his death however, Chelebi’s last words were to accuse Ibrahim of conspiracy against the Sultan. These dying words convinced Suleiman of Ibrahim’s disloyalty, and on 15 March 1536 Ibrahim’s lifeless body was discovered in the Topkapi Palace.
Suleiman’s two wives had borne him eight sons, four of whom survived past the 1550s. They were Mustafa,Selim, Bayezid, and Jihangir. Of these, only Mustafa was not Hürrem Sultan’s son, but rather Mahidevran Gülbahar Sultan‘s (“Rose of Spring”), and therefore preceded Hürrem’s children in the order of succession. Hürrem was aware that should Mustafa become Sultan her own children would be strangled. Yet Mustafa was recognized as the most talented of all the brothers and was supported by Pargalı İbrahim Pasha, who was by this time Suleiman’s Grand Vizier. The Austrian ambassador Busbecq would note “Suleiman has among his children a son called Mustafa, marvelously well educated and prudent and of an age to rule, since he is 24 or 25 years old; may God never allow a Barbary of such strength to come near us”, going on to talk of Mustafa’s “remarkable natural gifts”.
Hürrem is usually held at least partly responsible for the intrigues in nominating a successor. Although she was Suleiman’s wife, she exercised no official public role. This did not, however, prevent Hürrem from wielding powerful political influence. Since the Empire lacked any formal means of nominating a successor, succession usually involved the death of competing princes in order to avert civil unrest and rebellions. In attempting to avoid the execution of her sons, Hürrem used her influence to eliminate those who supported Mustafa’s accession to the throne.
Thus in power struggles apparently instigated by Hürrem, Suleiman had Ibrahim murdered and replaced with her sympathetic son-in-law, Rustem Pasha. By 1552, when the campaign against Persia had begun with Rustem appointed commander-in-chief of the expedition, intrigues against Mustafa began. Rustem sent one of Suleiman’s most trusted men to report that since Suleiman was not at the head of the army, the soldiers thought the time had come to put a younger prince on the throne; at the same time he spread rumors that Mustafa had proved receptive to the idea. Angered by what he came to believe were Mustafa’s plans to claim the throne, the following summer upon return from his campaign in Persia, Suleiman summoned him to his tent in the Ereğli valley, stating he would “be able to clear himself of the crimes he was accused of and would have nothing to fear if he came”.
Mustafa was confronted with a choice: either he appeared before his father at the risk of being killed; or, if he refused to attend, he would be accused of betrayal. In the end, Mustafa chose to enter his father’s tent. Suleiman’s Eunuchs attacked Mustafa, with the young prince putting up a brave defense. Suleiman, separated from the struggle only by the linen hangings of the tent, peered through the chamber of his tent and “directed fierce and threatening glances upon the mutes, and by menacing gestures sternly rebuked their hesitation. Thereupon, the mutes in their alarm, redoubling their efforts, hurled Mustafa to the ground and, throwing the bowstring round his neck, strangled him.”
At the time of Suleiman’s death, the Ottoman Empire was one of the world’s foremost powers.
STORY: Şehrazat Evliyaoğlu, a talented architect who works in Binyapı, a construction company owned by Onur Aksal and Kerem İnceoğlu. She is the mother of a five-year old boy who suffers from leukemia and needs an urgent and very expensive surgery.
Onur Aksal is a successful businessman and Şehrazat desperately tries to find ways to borrow the money she needs for her son’s very costly surgery, a bone marrow transplant. Only her boss Onur, who is secretly attracted to her, is willing to give her the money on condition that she spends one night with him.
Will she accept the offer and how far will she go to save her son’s life? That and many more questions are asked and answered in this riveting love story.
REVIEW: Here in the USA we had “Dynasty” and “Dallas”, but I think this serial was far better than both of those combined. One of my friends knows how much I love to read Romance Novels, so she sent me a link to this Turkish Serial. At this point, I wish she hadn’t. I literally spent a week glued to the Computer screen. This show is made of 90, one and a half hour episodes that spans 3 seasons. Now you do the math! You know how we sometimes do the most stupid things in our life, but are not sure why? That’s me and this show. I got hooked into it so easily.
I mean, this whole show revolves around these two trying to come to terms with a conscious decision they both made to spend one night together. To some, this might not be a problem. I mean we have entered a 21st Century for Heaven’s sake! It’s a one night stand with a rich dude, hopefully a great lover, and plus you get the money to save your kid! Get over it! Oh, and let’s not forget, the rich dude falls in love with you! Can this be any easier? Apparently not as we get to see how hard it is for both of these characters to come to terms with it. To better understand them we slowly get to know both through their family and friends as well as the way they interact with each other.
Scheherazade is a twenty-six year old widow, successful architect, and a mother of a five-year old boy. In order for us to understand this complex woman and why she does things, we need to know that at 12 years of age she loses her mother, at 19 her father and at 24 her husband whom she married against his family’s wishes. To make things even worse, shortly after her husband dies, she finds out that her son might die as he’s diagnosed with Leukemia. Life has not been kind to this woman, and in order for her to cope with everyday life, she pours all her love and attention to her son.
Scenes between the son and the mother are just heartbreaking. I found myself shedding a lot of tears while watching those and plenty of others as well. Also,
we get to understand the reasons behind decision to keep the existence of her son a secret from her superiors. It was an unwritten rule for many companies to pass on hiring women with children in a misguided notion that such employees would devote less time to their work. It was a very common thing in the work environment and she could not risk it. The first time we meet her, she’s late for work and the reason was because she was with her son. Onur, her boss, was not a pleased man and tried to embarrass her in front of her coworkers, even though she was the one to win the bid of their project in Dubai.
Through all three seasons we watch her make her decisions on a lot of issues, based on her past. She just could not bring herself to trust anyone but herself. After the Black Night, as she’d begun to call the night that she sold herself to Onur, she thought herself a whore. She used that excuse to push him away on many occasions even though she fell in love with him.
And then we meet Onur. What a piece of work our hero turned out to be. It’s been awhile since we met such a complex human specimen. He’s ALL THAT, and more! In his mid thirties, Onur has lived a charmed life, or we think it at the start of the story. We do get to learn a lot about him through his mother, his best friend Karem and various other professional people he gets in contact with. He also lost his father when he was 12 and the way that his father passed shows us a bit about why he doesn’t trust women. His mother adores him and has always been possessive of him and his time. His friend seems always in a competition with him on both professional and personal front. They both fall for Scheherazade and neither is willing to admit the fact, at the beginning.
However, after Onur spends that night with her, he knows that there’s no going back. He knows that he loves her, that the desire he feels for her is not just a passing fancy and that now he must work very hard to show her that love, so he starts courting her. Down the line we finally find out the reason for his jealousy and trust issues in women. Apparently, he caught his betrothed with another man in his bed, in his house, a week before the wedding. From that point on, women were not to be trusted and not to be loved, just used. Until he met Scheherazade.
Through three seasons of this show, we follow their love as it progresses from one night stand into an epic tale of love, betrayal and heartache. We also meet her In-Laws, his Mother, their best friends and their families, coworkers and we get to see many, many scenes of Istanbul and Turkey that I never thought I’d ever see. What a wonderful background Istanbul made!
Kudos to casting directors for casting the parts of Onur and Scheherazade with Halit Ergenç and Bergüzar Korel who I found out married in the second season. Tardu Flordun and Ceyda Düvenci were wonderful as Kerem and Bennu. There are many secondary characters that were so much the part of the story that we loved to hate some, and others just loved. I have to also give credit to the director Kudret Sabanci who was just amazing. Here are just a few scenes that I’ll never forget:
The scene in which they enter a hotel room on that night is one of the sexiest I’ve ever seen, and we don’t even see them in bed! She enters behind him and as he takes the drink, she just stands still with her head lowered, her eyes glued to the floor. He puts the drink down, walks up to her hardly looking at her, and slowly, ever so slowly he raises his hands and takes her shawl off to reveal the black dress she’s wearing. Again ever so slowly he reaches to the back of her head and slides the pony tail band and reverently touches her hair. WOW! Besides feeling the sexual tension between them, we could feel the shame and the desire.
The scene in which Onur proposes marriage to her takes place in a very posh, upscale restaurant that he bought out for the evening and had it decorated all in white, with soft lighting and a classical three-piece orchestra playing in the background. He knows that she’s skittish and so the approach he takes is that of honesty as he says this:
“You know better than I the story of Shah Sheharyar where he says ‘Friend, do not trust women’ . It takes Scheherazade Thousand and One Night to tell Shah Sheharyar her stories and at the end she saves herself as well as all the women. Together we spent one night, but that one night is for me longer than thousand and one. Scheherazade, I know if I spent thousand and one nights on my knees and begged your forgiveness, I would never atone for it in my heart. Every night that I’m alone I think of only one thing: How can I erase that night from your memory. Will You Marry Me? Please, do not hurry with your answer. I am afraid that it would be No. In order to get the answer that my heart wants to hear, I will be patient. For you to say Yes, I will wait thousand and One Night because I love you. I have never said those words with fire that burns within my heart. You have entered my soul, I feel you all around me, and you are the very breath I take. I wondered for a while what gift of my affection I can offer to you. No precious jewels could ever show you how much I love you, how much I suffer for the deep hurt I brought you, and how sorry I am for hurting you. You deserve the best that this world can offer. Everything. So I gift you with a piece of my childhood.”
With that he takes out of his pocket a small warned out toy of a horse and slowly pushes it toward her. She looks at it for a while and you can see it in her eyes that she’s battling herself as to what she should do and say. She never takes the horse, but tells him that she thinks it’s too soon, she needs time and to his relief she does not say No.
Every scene, and there are many, in which Onur reads the “Thousand and One Night” is a gift to us. I’ll be hearing his voice in my dreams, and seeing him ride his horse, Shah Sheharyar. It is the most impressive and soothing voice I’ve heard in a long time. The music played a major role in this series. It was beautiful and very haunting.
There’s also a scene where he just about had enough with her running away from him, so he arranges to have a business meeting where her presence is important, so after the meeting she can’t start her jeep and he offers her a ride and she acceppts. In the car they have a minor disagreement, and he abruptly stops the car and forces her to get out of it, then proceeds to drag her into the forest and pours his heart out, YET AGAIN!
“You’re right, Scheherazade. Totaly!I will NEVER forget that night! Every time I look at you, I remember the night I fell in love with you! That night brought me one more thing, and that is a lifetime of jealousy! Towards Everyone! That wil NEVER change!If ever we get back together, we WILL fight over it! Not because I don’t trust you, but because I don’t think I deserve you! I’ll be always scared to lose you! That is WHO I am! I am a man who NEVER trusted women before that night. I am a man changed by love from that night! If you can tell me you don’t love that man, then take the car keys and go!”
She does not take the keys and they stand there in the pouring rain in the middle of the forest and kiss!
The scene at the end of the series, where Scheherazade is set to wed another, and is asked the question “Will you….” And she just sits there so quiet, so afraid that once she answers it, it would be too late. You can feel her doubts…and then HE walks in, saying nothing, just solemnly looking straight at her, making her turn and then we all see what she sees. Onur, flanked on both sides and holding hands with their children, little Kaan (her son) and Lilliput (his daughter who finds him after nine years).
The look he gives her, the words really would have been too much. Onur is daring her to say Yes, daring her to deny the love and their family that only he can give her. WOW! Cried crocodile tears!
These are only a handful of scenes that have made a lasting impression on me, but there are too many to go into, least of all THE scene in which she asks him for money and he makes her an offer she really had no choice but to take. These actors were chosen so well and did an outstanding job in conveying to us the pain they both were in, the love, the desire, the chemistry was undeniable.
BRAVO! Bravo to all. Even though this was a love story of Onur and Scheherazade, we know it took a “village” to bring us this story and we know this was an ensemble show. As far as I know it was aired in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Kuwait, Greece, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia. I watched it with Serbian Subtitles and I tried to find out if it was available in English, but could not find it.
Basic Information:
Binbir Gece (“Thousand and one nights“) is a Turkish television series starring: Halit Ergenç, Bergüzar Korel, Tardu Flordun and Ceyda Düvenci; Director: Kudret Sabanci; Screen Writer: Mehmet Bilal, Murat Lutfu, Yildiz Tunc, Ethem Yekta; Episodes: 90; Broadcast Network: Kanal D; Broadcast Period: November 7, 2006 – May 12, 2009; Production Company: TMC Film. It won a 34th Golden Butterfly Awards for Best Actress (Berguzar Korel), Best Actor (Halit Ergenc) and Best Drama (Binbir Gece). To catch Berguzar Korel: Endless Song (Bitmeyen Sarki) or Halit Ergenc: Zerda (Zerda), Aliye (Aliye), Magnificient Century (Muhtesem Yuzyil).
Sample the music, the scenery of Istanbul, and the chemistry of Onur and Scheherazade:
I thought it would be interesting to review this series as a whole, rather than each book.
Ms. Wildes has done a wonderful job of bringing us a story of three best friends, Lord Alexander St. James in “My Lord Scandal”, Luke Daudet, Viscount Altea in “Our Wicked Mistake” and Michael Hepburn, Marquess of Longhaven in “His Sinful Secret”. All three have survived the Napoleonic/Peninsular War and are now trying to get back to the life they were meant to lead. There is plenty of romance, intrigue and mystery in all three stories.
In the first book we meet our first Hero Lord Alexander St. James, younger son of a Duke and a former soldier. He’s breaking into Lord Hathaway’s home to retrieve a key that rightly belongs to St. James Family. Even though this should have been fairly easy to carry out, especially with Michael’s help who has worked with the War Office, things go awry when Lady Amelia Hathaway unexpectedly returns home and finds Alex on her balcony. From here on we’re treated to a wonderful love story as well as a mystery. I very much liked the slow unraveling of the mystery. It was a pleasant surprise to meet secondary characters that were as well-developed as the primary. As soon as these two meet, sparks are flying and we can’t help but like both of them. Every moment that we share with Alex and Amelia, be it on the dance floor or by a gazebo, we’re left breathless! Through all of this, we find out how these two families share in a tragedy that happened a generation ago. I was much reminded of Romeo and Juliet and prayed this one would end happily. Their romance was so well written that brought tears to my eyes. The author treated these characters as grownups and we so appreciate it. There’s not much misspeaking, meaningless fights, or disrespect. Our Hero and Heroine are a couple that understand each other and even though the obstacles they faced were not small, nothing would stop these two. This was a fast read and not once was I bored reading it. You’ll be surprised by the plot twist at the end.
The second story “Our Wicked Mistake” is about Luke Daudent, Viscount Altea and Madeline May, Lady Brewer. It opens when Madeline summons Luke, with whom she is acquainted as they spent one night together awhile back, to her home as she’s in trouble. He’s not very happy to hear from her because Madeline is the only woman who has the power to tear down a long built defense to his heart. Luke just couldn’t handle the all consuming passion he felt for her and he just tried very hard to forget and ignore her and the night they spent together. We’re sucked into their story and we’re made to understand both of them as wonderfully flawed, yet very compassionate beings. It’s heartbreaking to find out the reasons for his fear of intimacy, and we just can’t help but read on and hope that Madeline’s courage would prevail. This one was a bit sad, more serious but still witty and very well written with yet again secondary characters that are so easily woven through the main story. I found the book full of suspense and I loved the dramatic conclusion.
In “His Sinful Secret” we find our last Notorious Bachelor Michael Hepburn, at a point of his brother’s unexpected death. With him inheriting the title of Marquess of Longhaven, he now must fulfill the betrothal contract that was long-standing between his brother and Julianne Sutton. The author has outdone herself in creating such a wonderful relationship between these two people. It was such a pleasure to encounter this young woman, Julianne who was so smart and way too perceptive for our Hero. Michael was astonished and pleasantly surprised with her. They both have great expectations of this marriage and. Michael means to keep separate his physical relationship from his deep feelings for her. This was one of the sweetest romance novels I’ve read in a long while. There’s plenty of spy intrigue, lots of twists and turns and finally we get to find out who the notorious adversary spy is!
I have waited to buy all three books before I read them, and truly was glad that I did. Each story is unique, but unified by these men and their women. All three deliver on suspense, romance, intrigue and wit. We get to know these men and we love watching them fall prey to love and at the end, marriage. It took me awhile to pick out my favorite one, and I thought Michael’s story, for me, was the best written and best developed as well as the most interesting of the three.
I highly recommend all three and have only one complaint: that all those secondary characters had a book of their own, that’s how good they were.
Tristan’s grandfather lost the family fortune and the Devonwood earldom still hasn’t recovered under his father’s tenure. In order to save the estate from disaster, Tristan is determined to wed the daughter of a duke. Lady Florence’s dowry is reputedly hefty enough to sink a frigate, so Tristan will shoulder the family’s burden, even if it means a loveless match.
Lady Viola Preston can relieve a gentleman of the studs at his wrists without his being any the wiser and pick any lock devised by man in less than a minute. But she’s careful to wear gloves when she steals jewels. Because when Viola touches a gemstone with her bare skin, it “speaks” to her, sending disturbing visions–visions almost as unsettling as the sight of the cool-eyed stranger who catches her red handed.
Jacob Preston has three requirements for a woman desiring access to his bed: She must be enthusiastic in affairs of passion, jaded in matters of the heart, and–to ensure the first two qualifications–she must be married.
Griffin Nash, Earl of Devonwood, wants to believe that he’s seducing Miss Emmaline Farnsworth out of protectiveness for his young brother. After all, if his brother is convinced that the tantalizing professor’s daughter is unworthy of his trust, perhaps Teddy will lose all interest in such an inappropriate choice for his station.
Mia Marlowe’s Bio: Award winning author Mia Marlowe writes historical romance for Kensington Publishing and Sourcebooks. Her debut title received acclaim from romance luminaries. #1 New York Times bestseller Victoria Alexander says Mia’s Touch of a Thief has “adventure and heat and everything I want in a great story!” UK’s BooksMonthly has crowned Mia Marlowe “the queen of saucy historical romance.”
