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Summary: A MUST READ!
Review: THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR THE READERS OF ROMANCE. USUALLY I DON'T READ EXOTIC NOVEL BUT SOMETHING ABOUT THE PLOT CAUGHT MY EYES. IF YOU LOVE READING ABOUT ROMANCE AND SEX YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. MS. SCHONE HAS A WAY WITH WORDS. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ HER OTHER NOVELS. SHE HAS TRUE TALENT AND I WISH SHE WOULD HURRY UP AND WRITE SOMEMORE.
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Summary: Gail from England
Review: After reading The Lady's Tutor I started reading this straight away.. this is no sloppy romance..I really felt the emotions of the main characters.. If you like a book that has grit then this is for you.. I can't wait to read more of Robin's Books
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Summary: Beautiful story of love and redemption
Review: This is the type of book that either really moves you or it REALLY doesn't. It really moved me! That two such wounded and lonely people as Michael and Anne should find each other was extraordinary. And Gabriel! Oh MY! I certainly hope he gets his story told soon. These people were rejected, used, and damaged and yet still wanted to believe in compassion (and passion), redemption and love. The sex and the abuse are very explicit, and certainly not for everyone. However, if you are looking for a deeper level of love, sex, evil, and redemption, this story is a marvel. This book tests the boundaries of love and suffering and yet leaves you with a feeling of joy. AMAZING! KCS
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing - Overpriced
Review: Compared to The Lady's Tutor (which I LOVED), this story has no depth. I'm all for pushing the boundaries in fiction, but there just wasn't enough of an emotional connection between the H/H to make me believe they had fallen in love by the end of the story. I will definitely try Robin's next book, because I was so impressed by TLT, but I may wait to get it at the used book store.
Rating: 
Summary: ho hum
Review: I loved THE LADY'S TUTOR. Not this one though. Lots of sex--some that I could not quite picture, some that I'd wished that I couldn't. It was boring after a bit. And a little too dark. I never cared about the characters nor did I understand how or why they loved each other. Save your money.
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Summary: EXCELLENT WELL WRITTEN EXTREMELY MOVING
Review: This is one of the few books that I've read which had me hot one moment and in tears the next. Extremely well written and moving story. After reading this book which was a recommend from Amazon I order copies of The Ladys Tutor and Captivated. Write More I just love your books Robin....
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Summary: Robin Schone's book, The Lover is a big miss!
Review: I had a hard time liking this book in any respect. First off, let me state that I loved Ms. Schone's first two books, Awaken My Love and The Lady's Tutor....I was thrilled that she had a new one coming out. Unfortunately this book did not live up to the previous two, in my opinon.The hero, while not a hero at all was wrapped in an psychological mind game that we readers are not privy to. His actions are bizarre and confusing. While I understoond the heroines plight...aging spinster looking for love/sex in a time of extreme repression, there was not really any "romantic" connection ever established with Michael/Michel. Another sore point for me, was the mystery surrounding Michael/Michel. He seemed like a weak and pathetic man who could have done something instead of letting everyone around him suffer such tragedy. The sex was methodical...no love involved in this story, and I failed to find anything spectacular about this book. While I do believe Ms. Schone has alot of potential as a great writer, this book was a let-down for me in all respects. I love a good steamy romance, unfortunately this book was not one of them!
Rating: 
Summary: Almost Great
Review: I'll spare you the summary of this book (because other people have written better ones than I and because it's actually very simple), and will jump to why I gave the book 4 stars. The Lover deserves to be read, if only just for the reader to see how erotic romance should be done. Schone tries something new in romance - the hero is a male prostitute, and the heroine wants to explore her sexuality. There's no prim miss in this book, and if you qualify as one you probably shouldn't read it. While The Lover focuses almost exclusively on the sexual relationship between its main characters, it doesn't ignore the emotional bonding that must happen if the book is to fit within the romance genre. What I mean is - this book is not porn or straight erotica. The characters end up falling in love, they just take a very erotic route on their way there. Schone also gives us enough insight into the characters themselves - their past and their motivation - to understand their actions and to sympathize with them. They are not just sex machines. Schone adds in a well-down whodunnit, and an intriguing secondary character, as well. The suspense is more a catalyst for the development of the characters' relationship, and is not the focus of the book, but it grabs you and keeps you turning the pages (if the sex scenes weren't doing that already!). Michael/Michel's friend and co-worker Gabriel is really the only secondary character in the book. He's also a prostitute, but he services men. Gabriel is a character you will probably never run across in another romance novel, so enjoy him while you can. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because there seemed to be something missing. I enjoyed reading the book, and I liked the characters, but there wasn't quite enough development of their emotional bonding, in addition to their sexual bonding. In the end, I wished I'd cared more about them than I did. Also, at times, it seemed like plot twists were thrown in just to titillate and shock the reader, even when they didn't belong. However, in the end, I'm glad I read this book, and I don't think it's to be missed.
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Summary: A GREAT LOVE STORY
Review: Robin, I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down until it was finished. Then I had to pick it up and read it again. The romance was moving, the people were real, and the story captivating. I will read anything by Robin Schone and am anxiously awaiting the next one.
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Summary: The Lover is worth a read
Review: Robin Schone is one of the writers who dares to be avant garde in the field of erotic historical romance, and it is always with anticipation readers pick up her books, looking for sensuality and unexpected twists in her plots. Her last offering, The Lady's Tutor was a no-holds barred passion that shone with poignancy, enticing all your senses in the forbidden world of passion with richly-flavored historical details and stoic characters like Elizabeth and Ramiel. The Lover,her third full-length book,is more complexed, darker and more somber. She ventures into the gloomy labyrinth of male prositution with the flawed character Michel/Michael. He is tormented by his past,deprived of a childhood and suffers from repulsive burns.Anne Aimes is a spinster, who through her solicitor engages Michael to show her sexual pleasure and slowly develops her own suppressed desires with him. The Lover, with its convoluted plot and intricacies may prove hard to stomach for some. For the first half of the book, even with its surreal realm of hot-brewed lust, you cannot feel the full blast of the sensuality of the sexual scenes simply the characterization is vague. Which is a pity. For the first part of the story brims with stark lust that tempts and excites the reader, you cannot feel there is love intertwined in the process because you are clueless to inner thoughts of Michel/Michael. It is only after the enshrouding mystery is revealed towards the end of the book, then you can understand the desperation and fervor of their love-making. The last sexual scene involved reaches the zenith of desire, simply because you see the bliss of two tortured souls understanding through bondage. It is only in the second half of the book, you see the characters developing and making sense of their dialogues.This pales in comparison to The Lady's tutor who weaves heightened sensuality because of Schone's intelligent dialogues. However, credit still has to be given to Schone, who succeeds in crafting a utterly gripping tale and a climax towards the end. It is only after you understand the bitter fate of Michael,then everything comes full circle. If you reread the first part of the book again, then will you feel the urgency of their mating. Schone edges into gritty details of insertion of diaphragms and male prostitution, and created a strong female character who confronts with her passion bravely. Schone displays unprecedented courage in attempting novelties in The Lover, but romance is still a fundamental sharing of love between two souls and not just confronting with inner desires. It is what endears the readers to The Lady's tutor and A Lady's pleasure - and what makes Robin Schone a poignant writer and a tour de force. The Lover is highly sensual and is definitely worth a read even though it falters in comparison to her last work.
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