Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't put it down, but SCARY!
Review: I promised myself to read another BJ book after the Third Heiress. Like that read, if you love a love story that combines the past with the present to bring two people together, then this will satisfy you. However, unlike TH, this book is really scary. I almost felt like Cass because I NEEDED to finish the book so that I could go to sleep peacefully! This is the darkest, bloodiest love story that I have ever read. However, when I combine TH with HoD, I am still willing to pick up another read from BJ!
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best
Review: I really love Breda Joyce's previous works. She is an excellent author. This one though, I feel she has lost her way just a wee bit. It is disjointed, and does not flow. It seems full of contradictions and repetitive language. A very disappointing read.
Rating:
Summary: Too bad, it was nothing like the Third Heiress.
Review: I so loved the Third Heiress that I bought this book on BJ's name alone! It was disappointing! I didn't find much to empathize with in this ghost at all; she made bad choices in life and was just mean as a ghost. She wasn't just an innocent who was betrayed by others, so I never connected with her. And the level of violence in this book was disappointing, especially in the sex scenes. I think the story line had nice potential, but definitely got too far out there. I did find it to be a page turner and had to finish the last section (Isabel) in 1 night, but as I pushed on I started thinking, "Come on, this is too much." And so many "should have died then" episodes! Hopefully her next one will be more like The Third Heiress, where one could empathize with the ghost and the present day characters as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Could not put down!
Review: I think Ms. Joyce goes a little over the top with this one, but so what, it was such fun! Cass de Warenne is raising her sister Tracey's young daughter because Tracey is too busy with her jetsetting lifestyle to fit a child into it. Cass's constant worry is that Tracey will someday decide she wants to be a mother to her daughter Alyssa, and Cass would then lose Alyssa forever. When Tracey brings a new beau home, Antonio de la Barca, Cass is unprepared for her feelings toward her sister's newest conquest and from there things get very interesting. It seems the de Warenne family and the de la Barca family have a shared history of over 400 years, with a common ancestor, Isabel. The story then goes back and forth in time as we learn about what happened to Isabel 450 years ago and why she has been haunting the two families since then. The ghostly happenings do get a little farfetched, but I still loved every minute of it. This book was great fun to read and I would recommend it if you enjoy ghost romance mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: House of Nightmares!
Review: If you feel compelled to read this book because it is by the great Brenda Joyce, please borrow it from the library. Save your money. This was one of the few books I was tempted to toss without completing (something I have yet to do as an avid reader). These characters have no character and it drove me nuts to read how many times the characteres "paled" or "stared" when something was said or happened (i.e. confronted with the Isabel). There was no emotion in this book, just some nasty, detached, emotionless sex that did nothing for the book except make one wonder, "What is this crap!" Ms. Joyce, your audience is not that hard up, and if some of us are, this is one big let down. And the ending! I do have to say that I've noticed some kind of trend in romance today, to be more than the run of the mill "meet, obstacle, fall in love" outline...but don't you think we know what we're in for? Don't insult us with bad efforts for something new. The Third Heiress definitely boded ill for Ms. Joyce's future literary effort. And I do mean effort. (Someone mentioned McNaught in their review...I though Night Whispers was okay, but hope Ms. McNaught doesn't follow in that vein...or at least doesn't bomb atomically like Ms. Joyce's House of Dreams).
Rating:
Summary: Hello, Brenda? Why so DARK?
Review: It may be dark gothic romance, but it surely isn't the level of romance I've come to expect as a confirmed Brenda Joyce fan. However, if you like dark parapsychological historical gothics with some very strange tones, you'll love this one! Brenda worked a bit too hard to make this "odd", in my opinion -- and while I read it from cover to cover, I kept waiting for the "romance" aspect to bloom much more fully. In one particularly dark scene, the language and the physical union between Antonio and Cass borders on rape in a violent, fairly disturbing manner that was completely unappreciated. Other sex scenes are equally as unfulfilling and unsatisfying to this reader. Certainly, as a gifted writer, Ms. Joyce could have gotten her messsage and theme across in a much more creative manner. That being said, the author gets high points for weaving an intricate plot, creating great child characters and for incorporating Isabel's history in scenes that are well-done and quite strong (although a few were merely ill-timed breaks and annoying in their interference -- we'd already 'caught on', thanks!) Will this make me give up Brenda Joyce? Of course not -- every strong, talented writer deserves the chance to try something new and to push the envelope. And Brenda Joyce is TALENTED! This 'push' shouldn't be repeated, however -- please!
Rating: 
Summary: Good story, but needs a proofreader and a thesaurus
Review: Ms. Joyce tells a good tale, she just needs a good proofreader and needs to invest in and use a thesaurus. The tale itself is a mixture of mystery, historical novel, and romance. The base of the story is that a woman who died 400 years ago is linked to two families. She feels that these two families betrayed her and she's still out to get them. The story mixes modern world with the story of this woman from 400 years in the past. Meanwhile, in modern times, you've got a pretty scary ghost story going on. The story itself is highly entertaining, as long as you don't pay attention to the details. Think of it as that highly entertaining, but critically unaclaimed movie that you watch just for fun. If you get caught up in the details that just aren't right, then make a game of it, because otherwise, it will make you crazy. When I say it needs proofing, I'm not kidding. There are places where a man is described as wearing a black coat and then two pages latter it's blue. She describes a young boy as having polio. Now this takes place in modern times and this child is less than ten years old. To my knowledge, a case of polio hasn't been reported in Western Europe in the last 10 or 20 years, so that's just totally bogus!! And then there was my favorite proofing error, "She hid her hands behind her face." I'm not sure this is anatomically possible. Ms. Joyce needs to get a thesaurus to try and cure her overuse of the word gaze. She loves this word, both as a noun and a verb and in one nights reading, I kept track. The longest Ms. Joyce could go without using some variation of this beloved word was two pages. If you want a fun read, go for it. But don't be looking for literary excellence.
Rating:
Summary: Good story, but needs a proofreader and a thesaurus
Review: Ms. Joyce tells a good tale, she just needs a good proofreader and needs to invest in and use a thesaurus. The tale itself is a mixture of mystery, historical novel, and romance. The base of the story is that a woman who died 400 years ago is linked to two families. She feels that these two families betrayed her and she's still out to get them. The story mixes modern world with the story of this woman from 400 years in the past. Meanwhile, in modern times, you've got a pretty scary ghost story going on. The story itself is highly entertaining, as long as you don't pay attention to the details. Think of it as that highly entertaining, but critically unaclaimed movie that you watch just for fun. If you get caught up in the details that just aren't right, then make a game of it, because otherwise, it will make you crazy. When I say it needs proofing, I'm not kidding. There are places where a man is described as wearing a black coat and then two pages latter it's blue. She describes a young boy as having polio. Now this takes place in modern times and this child is less than ten years old. To my knowledge, a case of polio hasn't been reported in Western Europe in the last 10 or 20 years, so that's just totally bogus!! And then there was my favorite proofing error, "She hid her hands behind her face." I'm not sure this is anatomically possible. Ms. Joyce needs to get a thesaurus to try and cure her overuse of the word gaze. She loves this word, both as a noun and a verb and in one nights reading, I kept track. The longest Ms. Joyce could go without using some variation of this beloved word was two pages. If you want a fun read, go for it. But don't be looking for literary excellence.
Rating:
Summary: It's hard to exaggerate how bad this book is
Review: Not only are the characters unlikeable (save Gregory) but the story is completely and utterly unbelievable. I'm not talking about the ghost aspect as this is a paranormal novel, but why would anyone stick around that long before attempting to leave? Enough things had happened and been said to drive out even the hardiest of skeptics after the first night! And Robert fell in deep, soul searing love with Isabele after just 5 minutes? I know it's a ghost story but the characters still have to act believably within that context and everyone's actions were just all over the map. This book was just so BAD! I thought the Third heiress was ridiculous but this tops it by a mile. Cass the supposed heroine is a disingenuous idiot who showed very shallow loyalty and concern for her sister from the beginning and ends with her sleeping with her sister's ex whom her sis still loves, and the day after the breakup no less!! She also proved that ultimately her self interest is above that of her niece. The little girl is frightened to death and begs Cass to go back home but Cass actually says yes when Antonio asks her to stick around some more. Talk about self absorbed. In fact, all the lead characters are unlikeable and unbelievable - Of course Tracy (though in many ways I liked her far better than Cass), but Antonio stays at the house and doesn't shoo the guests away even though he feels his similar insistence on not leaving had resulted in his wife's death years ago. And as for Isabele, why is she so mad at her husband? So he had her moved from his life as a heretic. She only cheated on him from the very beginning and tried to pass off another man's son as his own. Oh yeah, and she spied on him as well. Why is she so outraged at him? Does she have any remorse about her action towards him at all or is her remorse solely for herself? And that violent sex scene was not at all erotic because of the context of the story and the shallow characters. Brenda Joyce should no longer be on the romance author category because there simply is no love anymore in her books despite her insistence that the characters are in love. I am deleting Brenda Joyce from my Amazon notification list. I used to really like this author.
Rating: 
Summary: NO ROMANCE AND ALL SUSPENSE
Review: okay, i have always loved joyce but these days her books suck for "romance". her books have NO romance!!!!this book is the worst!!! it has a nice plot and you do cry for the sad ghost and all but there was absolutely no romance between the main character. for a book about a ghost haunting an old castle, its pretty good, but for a book under the category "romance" this book truly sucked!! BRenda Joyce, please go back to writing like you did in "After Innocence" or the "The Game" now those two books were awesome!
|
