Castles

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL READ!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I am a longtime Garwood fan. I have every book she has ever published. This is one of the best. It is a MUST READ! Make sure to read the other two books in this trilogy, Guardian Angel(1) and The Gift(2).

Rating:
Summary: GREAT!!!
Review: This was one of the first books that I read of hers and i have to say that it was one of the greatest!!! This book comes in a close second to my favorite Julie Garwood book. SAVING GRACE being the first.

Rating:
Summary: not worth the time of a long time fan
Review: This story greatly disappointed me. The character of Princess Alesander has great similarity with Christina from the book titled "Lion's Lady". Both make the hero confuse and make you laugh to read their act in trying to understanding the lady. It's fun for the first time fan. But not worth the time of a long time fan like me

Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: Definitely one of her best! Castles captures that special emotion deep inside you and leaves no hearts untouched, no eyes dry and no lives unattached. The characterization is great, the conversation - funny and witty. Garwood can really grab our attention if she wants to. I can attest to Castles. I love that book!!

Rating:
Summary: It ws Good
Review: Ok, so this story was not as good as The Gift but still good.

Princess Alesandra had lived with nuns since she was 12. General Ivan, an insurgent from Alesandra's homeland, wants to marry her so he can take over the kingdom. So her guardian, her father's friend, The Duke of Williamshire, has requested her to come to London. After she arrives and is preparing to go the London for the season the family gets sick she has made important plans so she goes to Colin's house so that he can take over for the time being as her guardian. She feels that she must marry ASAP so that the threat of the general will end. She asks Colin to marry her and he says no because he has a 5 year plan and he can not get married before then. He is trying to make his shipping company successful and doesn't have time for a wife or anything else that doesn't involve work. Alesandra, a compulsive list-maker, makes a list of other men she could marry, but Colin doesn't like any of them and finds something wrong with each and every one of them. So he ends up marrying her and it turns out to be the best decision he has ever made.

Alesandra is a very intelligent lady. She has got to be the smartest women in any of the books I have read so far. She really does not like the word obey and the way she reacts to certain things Colin has her do is funny.

Colin is very strong and not really all that worried about loving someone, he just doesn't want to because it could ruin his plan. He is the second son and therefore doesn't have a title so all his efforts are on making a name for himself. The thing I like about him best was that he did not want his wife to obey him all of the time. He thought it was ridiculous that a wife had to vow to obey her husband, he thought it would get old and was very pleased Alesandra would not obey all the time. When her safety was in question, though, that was a different story.

There was one thing that bothered me about this book. Alesandra would lose every thought whenever Colin kissed her but he was still in control. I do not mind it normally in other books because it shows the men having a hard time with their control also. It seemed that there weren't enough of his thoughts until the end. That bugged me because I was so looking forward to getting to know him, but was left disappointed. Maybe Julie Garwood did it on purpose but I did not like it. At the end when he opens up it is very sweet though and kinda made up for the lack of his thought.

So even with that said it was still a good story and I would recommend reading it.

Chrissy


Rating:
Summary: BOOOORIIIIIING!!!
Review: I, as other readers, was also persuaded to read Ms. Garwood by other reviewers. This is my second Julie Garwood, and I'm determined it will be my last for the following reasons:
(1)The plot is sketchy and contrived, and the regency period is not portrayed in a realistic manner, even by romance novel standards.
(2)While I appreciate wealthy and titled characters that treat their servants kindly and have enjoyed many novels in which the serving class characters have made major contributions to the story, I had a hard time getting into the story because I felt that the way Ms. Garwood portrayed the relationships between the butler and the main characters was simply ridiculous (the hero asked the butler to call him by his first name, the butler was extremely nosy and treated visitors as if they came to see him, etc. etc.) Instead of finding this funny or endearing, I found it irritating and disruptive.
(3) The relationship between the hero and the heroine lacked sensual tension and depth. It was very easy for them to suddenly discover that they loved each other, which made finishing the novel and unexciting chore. I had to FORCE myself to finish it and it took me forever.
(4) The suspense/mystery subplot seems to be there as a way to lengthen the book, but I knew from the beginning who the evil villain was, so this didn't help to dispell the boredom.
(5) How realistic is it, even by 21st century standards, for a husband to take his wife into his lap in front of visitors? I found that the public displays of affection, in the Regency period no less, took me out of the action. While I extremely enjoy characters who demonstrate their passion and love to each other, I felt that this was not the way to do it.
In summary, if you like romance novels with a pinch of historical realism, character development, plot depth, and really intelligent characters who communicate in a sensical manner, Castles is not the book for you. On the other hand, if you like fluffy, juvenile novels that could have been written by a teenager for a tenager, enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely enjoyable..............
Review: After reading The Gift by Julie I have been clamoring to find the other three books of series and for some reason I bought this one first. I guess Colin had a lot to do with it. He really made an impression on me and I had to find out about him. This book was really enchanting and Alesander was maybe a little naive but being raised in a convent she would have been very sheltered and loved. I will go into detail of this book because so many people have,but I will say that it was a wonderful follow-up to The Gift. I'm so happy that Colin and Alesander found a deep and unbounding love for each other. Really enjoyed the humor and slight mystery tones as well. Read this book I highly recommen it. Now I'll have to go look for Guardian Angel,and Lyon's Lady.

Rating:
Summary: It's a great story but..
Review: I liked this book alot, it's one of my favorites. But it was just way too predictable, the serial killer's identity should be easy enough to uncover..

Rating:
Summary: Castles is first rate Garwood!
Review: Princess Alesandra is exactly the gal to domesticate the work driven, suave confirmed bachelor, Colin. The suspenseful anticipation of their sensual saga is just why romance novels are loved.

Be sure to read the entire series: 1. The Lion's Lady 2. The Guardian 3. The Gift 4. Castles

Rating:
Summary: Cute Characters
Review: The witty, playful dialogue was a joy to read and I found myself laughing out loud several times. The characters were a joy also, the two leads were sweet and adorably flawed and the secondary characters were also surprisingly well rounded. The family members as well as Colin's servant enriched the story with thier little nuances. The plot didn't get tired or boring as some often do. I really recomend this book!!