Rating: 
Summary: OK Read But Lacks Magic Of Her Earlier Work
Review: I used to love Lisa Kleypas' romance novels. Many of them were perfect 5 star books such as "Dreaming Of You", "Then Came You" and "Because You're Mine". The heroes in these books were unbelievably wonderful and not necessarily titled lords. One hero was a gambling hall owner and another the lead actor of his day. I wouldn't part with these books for the world. However, her last three books, including this one, have been below the high marks she earned for these other works. This novel stars a hero who is an imitation of Derek, her gambling hall owner. This time he is an incredibly wealthy, ostentatious business entrepreneur. He is not nearly as well developed as Derek was in "Dreaming Of You," however. The heroine is almost too good to be true, a widow still in love with her dead husband who comes to give the hero and his family lessons in manners. The other problem is that her novel reminds me of others' novels as far as the basic idea. Judith Ivory's "The Proposition" (derived from "My Fair Lady"), for one, and, even more so, Megan McKinney's "Lions and Lace". If you haven't read Kleypas' earlier work, it is possible you may like this novel a lot better than I did. I think Kleypas needs to do something really radical to her writing though to turn this drift downwards around. Perhaps she should write in another period of time, and/or another country and/or another genre to regain her freshness and originality. They used to be her stock in trade. I believe these earlier books, referred to above, are still in print if you want to try one of them out first. I'd recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Success for Lisa Kleypas
Review: Looks like Lisa Kleypas has done it again!! Her new book WHERE DREAMS BEGIN is an engaging love story of two people who find themselves on different sides of society and who each struggle to love each other despite their differences. Lady Holland Taylor is warm and strong and courageous. Yet, she struggles with living in shadow of her dead husband's image and finding love with someone who is far from the perfect man her deceased husband seemed to be. Zachary Bronson reminds me a bit of Derek from DREAMING OF YOU. He comes from extremely poverished conditions to make himself into the kind of man whom everyone fears because of his aura of power. Zachary also must come to grips with "fitting" into the new society he's stumbled upon. And in the process, he finds love in a woman who he never thought was obtainable. All in all, there is a very powerful love story in WHERE DREAMS BEGIN. But, there is also a very strong commentary of the hypocrisy of society during that time period. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a loyal Kleypas fan or who is looking for an exciting new author to read. I am hoping that Ms. Kleypas will grace us dear fans with a book for Lord Ravenhill. He is too mysterious to not have his own love story.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book~~!!
Review: this is the 2nd book ive read of this author and i have to say that im impressed... it is mostly about a guy full of insecurites and a widow who is afraid to love.... it talks mostly about how they both try to fight it and at the end how they regret it.... i cant seemed to put it down
Rating:
Summary: Another dreamy Kleypas hero
Review: I'm a big fan of Lisa Kleypas's non-noble heroes. Zachary Bronson, like Grant Morgan and Derek Craven before him, fought his way out of poverty. Using his intellect and ambition, he has made himself wealthy and powerful. All he lacks is respect and manners. To this end, he hires Lady Holland Taylor, a beautiful widow who literally stumbles into his arms at a ball. Neither Zach nor Holly can forget their magical embrace. Zach, used to getting what he wants, invites Holly to his home and convinces her to bring her adorable daughter and live with him and his family -- for 30,000 pounds she will teach them how to behave among the haute ton. Unlike so many widows in romance novels, Holly genuinely loved her husband, George, so much so that she is shocked and frightened by her growing feelings for Zach. For Zach, an unapologetic rake, finding himself falling in love with Holly is heartbreaking. Sure that he will never be worthy of her, he fights his attraction while wondering how he will survive without her. Many things stand in the way of a future for them, including a deathbed promise Holly made to George. It's a hard road for Zach and Holly. But hard won happy endings make for deeply satisfying romance reads. Bravo, Lisa Kleypas.
Rating:
Summary: Unique, touching, and sensual. A great read!
Review: Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite authors. She manages to create memorable characters, interesting storylines, and sensual love scenes. This book was no exception.I liked this novel because there were a few elements not usually included in this genre. First of all, Holly was married before and actually loved her husband. Usually, widowed women in these stories were abused, mistreated, neglected, etc. And while I don't mind those scenarios, this one was a nice change of pace. Secondly, Holly has a 4 year old daughter. It seems to be very seldom that the heroine already has a child when she meets the hero. It added a very sweet, very touching element when Zachary forms a relationship with Rose (Holly's daughter). I actually teared up at a few of the interactions between Zachary and Rose. So sweet! Lastly, instead of totally reforming Zachary, he reforms her. Instead of making him a straight-laced, boring "gentleman," he loosens her up and makes her into a more relaxed, fun character. Holly's propriety and social awareness is a bit annoying (but most likely very historically correct). Zachary adds spice to her life and shows her that love and passion are more important than public opinion. This book is a keeper. I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: One of her best!
Review: This is one of my favorite Kleypas novels simply because the romance seems pure and true; Holly and Zachary are characters that readers can relate to and want to see succeed, in this case, in falling in love. Zachary is the type of hero that I love to love; deep and brooding and ultimately vulnerable to love. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves romance and is looking to be introduced to Lisa Kleypas!
Rating:
Summary: A good book, a FABULOUS hero...
Review: "Where Dreams Begin" is certainly not my favorite Kleypas, but the hero, Zachary Bronson, is truly one of her best. I was so taken with him from page one that even though the story didnt grip me as much as I wished, I wasnt disappointed. I will admit that Lady Holly's reluctance to love him was maddening and I felt that the ending was dragged out a bit. All in all, this wasnt my favorite, but Zachary's heady mix of pride, strength, gentleness, and pure sex appeal elevated this book to much more than mediocre.
Rating:
Summary: Great start, boring middle, but redeeming ending
Review: The start of the book is sensual and poignant-an aristrocatic young widow escapes a stifling ball only to accidentally bump into a stranger that mistakes her for his mistress in the dark. They share an unbelievable kiss that both cannot forget and the story ensues from there. Unfortunately, Kleypas does not continue in this style until you are more than half way through the book. The middle is surprisingly slow and the chemistry between the hero and heroine is tepid, mostly due to the heroine's prudish upbringing and devotion to her deceased husband, which could have been convincing and heart-wrenching but came out as irritating and frustratingly boring for the reader, instead. Following their unspoken knowledge of one another's identities, Holland accepts Zachery's daring proposal to live in his ostentatious mansion with his mother and sister in order to teach them the ways of the Ton and aristocracy-since they all come from a common background-and in return, Holland will receive an exorbitant amount of money that will secure the rest of her future and her little daughters'. Most of the book is devoted to this particular time frame, which had so much potential but kept falling short in terms of Holland and Zachery's relationship. However, the ending of the book redeemed itself beyond my expectations. Kleypas continued with her sensual, gut-wrenching, tense writing style that she adopted in the beginning of the book as soon as Zachery's whole family attend their first ball, accompanying Holland ofcourse. Zachery's comments on Holland's "drab" colored dress sends her into a rage and dresses in a revealing red dress instead. From then on, the book is a deep evocative read that compensates its earlier dissapointment. I do not regret buying this novel and it's worth reading it. Since this is my second Kleypas book, I am looking forward to reading her other novels and hope to see more of what I enjoyed in this romance.
Rating:
Summary: Just read it!
Review: Just read this book, good from beginning to end!
Rating:
Summary: Perfection.
Review: . . . and the "Golden Pen" award goes to Lisa Kleypas of Romanceville, USA. What a book! Found within these pages is everything I adore in romance reading -- lust, desire, passionate sex, and a satisfying storyline. I could not put this book down. When comparing all the books I have read over the last few years, this novel ranks up there in the top ten. Rarely do I rate a book the ultimate 10, but here I found perfection. Congratulations Lisa Kleypas! Kleypas' character study is marvelous. I admired both significant players. Lady Holland Taylor is a strong, caring, aristocratic lady in every sense of the word. Mr. Zachary Bronson is a hooligan from the wrong side of the "tracks". Bronson is the kind of man your mama used to warn you about. Yet, with this author's golden touch our lovers blend beautifully. Lisa Kleypas' secondary characters are delightful. Lady Taylor's daughter, Rose, drifted through the pages with innocent charm and humor. Furthermore, the author kept an abundance of social detail moving through the book. She covered everything from genteel etiquette to the living and working conditions of England's lower classes; yet, managed to offer these sordid facts using remarkable wit and insight. Definitely keeper material. I will invite Lady Holly and Zach Bronson to join the select desert island book bag. Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.
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