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Until You

Until You

List Price: $14.00
Your Price: $10.50
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Calling all Bertrice Small fans!
Review: "Until You" is the second in the Friarsgate Inheritance Series. It continues the story of the lovely and valiant Rosamund Bolton ("Rosamund"), who at the age of 22, and thrice a widow, finds herself truly in love for the first time -- with 50-year-old Patrick Leslie, father of the long-lost Janet Leslie ("The Kadin"). The two immediately embark on a mission for King James IV of Scotland that turns out to be less exciting than one would have thought...the mission is more of a chance for the reader to be exposed to the emotions of Rosamund and Patrick as they fall in love and deal with the knowledge that their union is not fated to last forever. Patrick's continuing sorrow over the "unsolved" mystery of his only daughter's disappearance 28 years ago is touching in the extreme. The book contains the usual Small twists and turns. The strength of Small's writing is in creating believable, mutifaceted characters and putting them in a culturally accurate setting: few of the people in her works are all bad or all good..even the most wretched of her villians has his/her story. Small pays particular attention to clothing, food, the social and cultural climate, as well as the historical settings of her works; she is careful not to give her characters 21st century, politically-correct views (for example, Rosamund truly cares for her servants, but still considers that she and her children are their "betters"). She has pushed the envelope of romance fiction for over 25 years, as her heroines tend to have several love affairs and marriages, instead of one soul mate for life, which is one of the major conventions of the romance genre. This book, and the first in the series (which I rated a 4), are well worth your time. I am looking forward to the next book, due out in October 2004.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: How repetative can she be
Review: I always loved Small's work, but this is a story that should have been a short story. Small's characters retell the same thing over and over and over again. It is really annoying. Makes me think she didn't believe I absorbed the explanation the first time or am too stupid to retain it longer than two pages. ( I am refering to Patrick Leslie's explanation every two seconds about why he was sent off to a beautiful Island as the Kings man to help prevent a war)As always, her historical accounts are really terrific, and her lusty scenes are extensive. However, the sex scenes are numerous. If you like that sort of thing, you will be thrilled with this new addition. However, if you are like me and prefer the romance and tension in a relationship, you will be disappointed to find out the first lusty scence comes as quickly as page 7! And then pops up so often I just started skimming paragraphs to get to the story plot.The lovable characters of the first book are there, as is the mean ole Uncle, but truthfully, this story just plays out way too long. It would have been tighter and more enjoyable had she put it in a collection of short stories.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: not a critic "until now"
Review: I have never considered myself a critic of novels. I simply read them and typically enjoy them! Some books I obviously enjoy more than others. Unfortunately this was the most boring book I have EVER read.

Thankfully I did not purchase this book and only borrowed it from the library.

I have read most all of Ms Smalls works and enjoyed them tremendously. This was a failure! Consider yourself warned!!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not great, a bit predictable
Review: I knew the minute Patrick Leslie showed up just how the book was going to end. but i'll not say anything. But it was a fun ride, and while this book was not the best, it wasn't the worst either. I wish the time in San Lorenzo had lasted longer, i would have liked to have seen a whole book placed there.

Rosamund matured a bit in this book. while at times she still annoyed me, it wasn't too bad.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: not a critic "until now"
Review: I loved "Rosamund" but thought this book came up a bit short. It is still interesting, and I recommend you read it. It's just not as good as "Rosamund".

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Average....
Review: I read Rosamund and I quite enjoyed it. So, I was very excited to read this one. When I did read I was a bit disappointed. I found myself disliking Rosamund in this book whereas I liked her in the first novel. First of all, I found the first scene with Patrick and her unbelievable. Secondly, I found her behavior rather rash in comparison to the first book. I just found her too bold. Not that there's anything wrong with that it's just not the way I imagined her to be after the first book. Then she took up and left her three daughters for months so she could cohabitate with Patrick in the warm weather. I guess that was accepted in those days but I don't agree with it. In a way Rosamund was selfish. Also, the ending was quite predictable as to who she would be with. Nothing new here!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: delightful sixteenth century Scottish romance
Review: In 1511 The Border, widowed three times and only twenty-two, Rosamund Bolton informs her cousin that she is no longer interested in having a husband. She especially wants to avoid a betrothal to anyone selected by someone but herself. Instead she plans to visit her friend Margaret Tudor married to King James IV of Scotland unencumbered by a spouse.

At the court, Patrick Leslie sees Rosamund sitting near the queen and knows he has found love for the first time in his life. Rosamund shares his deep feelings, but has doubts about another marriage. When King James assigns Patrick a mission in San Lorenzo to try to stop a pending war, he brings Rosamund along not realizing at the time the danger of their adventure, but the feeling that they belong together.

UNTIL YOU, the sequel to ROSAMUND, is a delightful sixteenth century Scottish romance that is a typical Bertrice Small historical tale. The story line moves rather quickly once the duo leaves Scotland (relatively early in the novel). Fans of the sub-genre, especially those of the author, will appreciate this rich story starring two charming protagonists who feel like they have been part of the Skye is the limit mythos forever

Harriet Klausner

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not the best Bertrice Small has to offer
Review: In the sequel to Rosemaud the heroin falls in love with a much older man. (I will save the ending for those of you that did not spend $14 on this book.) She also is being chased by a man that needs to realize that it is not romantic to chase a woman that prefers anyone over you, that it just seems kind of desperate. The story did have some of the flair that I have come to expect from Bertrice Small, but the whole time I was reading this book I was hard pressed to find any part of the plot that felt like it really worked.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good writing, but amazes me how the point of view is flawed
Review: No one can say Small isn't a good writer, but...how does she manage to keep breaking point of view rules? I'd love for her to answer this, as I can't believe that she doesn't know differently. Flying into all the minds of the character in one scene is dizzy. As a result, I find the characterization weakened and I'm vaguely disappointed. I also didn't buy the whole first meeting scene...sorry, not real enough. Contrived. Cliched. But please, this is just one opinion, and no one can deny her talent. Maybe she DOES know she's breaking basic writer rules and doesn't care because she is who she is??

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Until You
Review: Once again, I seem to be the only one that is really loving this series. I enjoy a strong heroine that is willing to fight for what she cares about & what she feels is injustice to her because she is female. Fluffy characters are just not my type & once again Beatrice Small delivers a refreshing change from the idiots that are in most romance novels. Read for yourself & decide.


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