Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing, mysterious and darkly passionate
Review: He calls himself Peregrine... and thus, right at the start of the book, we're given to understand that there is something mysterious about the man who's just landed in London from somewhere in India and who has sent for a friend who, apparently, owes him a favour - Lord Ross Carlisle, the son of a duke, who agrees to sponsor Peregrine in the society of early Victorian London.So who is Peregrine? Putney's introduction of the character is masterly. We know that he comes from Kafiristan; but he never claims that he was born there. We're told his name is Mikhal Khanauri; but he never claims that this was his birth name. And Ross describes him as a prince, but Peregine never claims to be one. He is dark-skinned, but with unusual green eyes; eyes the villain of the piece recognises and finds troubling. The only thing Putney does tell us about Peregrine right from the start is that he is looking for revenge, and that his desire for vengeance is all-consuming. Peregrine's friend Ross has a cousin, Lady Sara, who is engaged to the man Peregrine is out to kill, Sir Charles Weldon. For Ross's sake, he will detach Sara from her fiance before he destroys Weldon; but he didn't expect to find himself overwhelmingly attracted to Sara, and she to him. An innocent in the experience of passion, Sara finds herself drawn to Peregrine more and more, and one kiss is simply not enough... But as the events roll on inexorably, Sara has to ask herself whether Peregrine wants her for herself, or because she was one of the possessions which he is busy taking away from Weldon. Furthermore, she has to persuade Peregrine, a man who has never known love, to choose between vengeance and love. Although I didn't find this book as compelling as other Putney works such as Thunder and Roses and The Rake, it was a fascinating and addictive read. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Mikhal and Sara in the two other books in the Silk series - the next book is about Ross, who played a minor but important role in Silk and Shadows but around whom there seem to be some interesting questions. Oh, and just who is Peregrine? You're going to have to read the book to find out!
Rating: 
Summary: What about homophobia and racism?
Review: I do see why readers will enjoy the (typical) troubled masculine hero needing to be reformed and the spunky heroine who'll help him. Action and adventure, too. What I miss in the reviews here (and elsewhere) is acknowledgement of the "cream rises to the top" racism of this novel (of course the hero turns out to be white and British; cf. _Tarzan_) that takes the potential for truly examining cross-cultural/interracial relationships and racist responses to them and ends up positively reactionary. The cartoonishly evil villain (wife murderer, brothel owner, slave owner, sadist...) is unnecessarily excessive. And then there is the fact that the hero makes the worst crime of all being raped by a man (of course this is horrible, but is it worse than women being raped by men? -- the heroine asks this question, but we as readers are left with the troubled remains of the hero to answer "yes, it is worse, apparently"). Frankly, I'm tired of reading romance novels that use homosexuality as part of a villain's perversity (see also Mary Balogh's _Irresistable_, for example). How about homosexuality as just another valid option that the wise-beyond-their-time hero and heroine come to accept? (Emma Holly does achieve this in the otherwise forgettable _Beyond Innocence_, by the way.) And how about interracial/cross-cultural romance that truly IS interracial? I worry about the racism and homophobia seeping through this novel's pages so apparently unnoticed by many readers (and the author herself).
Rating:
Summary: Classic MJP
Review: I have read several of MJP's series (e.g., the Fallen Angels) and found her work to be exceptional overall. I enjoyed this book, first in the Silk series. The hero and heroine each have their own demons to conquer, but they find that it's easier with each other. The villain is perhaps a shade too villainous... An excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: A Keeper
Review: I really loved this book. It's close to perfect, even though or perhaps because it included some gritty detail. The only real problem I had was Peregrine and Sara's consummation scene - not very believable. But, still, best romance I've read in a long time.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and heartbreaking
Review: I'm a sucker for angst. I'll admit this upfront. What's wonderful about this book is that the characters don't wallow in their problems; they get up, keep moving, keep fighting, which allows you, the reader, to cheer for them. Lady Sara is the epitome of a proper Victorian lady; well-born, well-bred, polite and restrained. Peregrine is the epitome of everything exotic and unEnglish, and he calls on Lady Sara, through his friendship with her cousin Ross, to educate him in the proper ways of British society. In truth, though, he is conducting a complicated revenge against Sara's betrothed, a venal and wicked man who abuses innocents and murders without compunction. Peregrine's scheme to bring him down becomes even more complex when, in trying to ruin his plan to marry a wealthy, high-born wife (namely Sara), Peregrine begins to see her as more a person in her own right and not just a pawn to attack her fiance. Putney is known for her "issue" books, and this is no different. Sara was injured as a teen and bears the physical and emotional injuries into her late twenties, and Peregrine was abused horribly as a young boy, fueling his need for revenge. But Putney does not insist on the world stopping to coddle her characters, and that's what keeps the action and the romance going. This was my first of Mary Jo Putney's books, and I have become an avid and loyal fan ever since.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and heartbreaking
Review: I'm a sucker for angst. I'll admit this upfront. What's wonderful about this book is that the characters don't wallow in their problems; they get up, keep moving, keep fighting, which allows you, the reader, to cheer for them. Lady Sara is the epitome of a proper Victorian lady; well-born, well-bred, polite and restrained. Peregrine is the epitome of everything exotic and unEnglish, and he calls on Lady Sara, through his friendship with her cousin Ross, to educate him in the proper ways of British society. In truth, though, he is conducting a complicated revenge against Sara's betrothed, a venal and wicked man who abuses innocents and murders without compunction. Peregrine's scheme to bring him down becomes even more complex when, in trying to ruin his plan to marry a wealthy, high-born wife (namely Sara), Peregrine begins to see her as more a person in her own right and not just a pawn to attack her fiance. Putney is known for her "issue" books, and this is no different. Sara was injured as a teen and bears the physical and emotional injuries into her late twenties, and Peregrine was abused horribly as a young boy, fueling his need for revenge. But Putney does not insist on the world stopping to coddle her characters, and that's what keeps the action and the romance going. This was my first of Mary Jo Putney's books, and I have become an avid and loyal fan ever since.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Series by MJP
Review: I've always enjoyed reading MJP's books and this book starts off the excellent "Silk" trilogy. In this first instalment, Sara and Peregrine come together as 2 characters who have lived very different lives; yet are able to find true love by thwarting the very evil and villainous 'pimp'. MJP once again demonstrates her superb story telling talent by crafting a very seamless tale that shows how wonderful falling in love is. Her supporting cast is great. She was able to contrast the lightness and warmth of Sara with the darkness and enigma of Peregrine. MJP is unique in that she constantly deals with issues that other authors shun like child prostitution or heroes/heroines who are not quite complete and yet are able to come together to become the sum of a greater whole. Read this one, it is great.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Series by MJP
Review: I've always enjoyed reading MJP's books and this book starts off the excellent "Silk" trilogy. In this first instalment, Sara and Peregrine come together as 2 characters who have lived very different lives; yet are able to find true love by thwarting the very evil and villainous 'pimp'. MJP once again demonstrates her superb story telling talent by crafting a very seamless tale that shows how wonderful falling in love is. Her supporting cast is great. She was able to contrast the lightness and warmth of Sara with the darkness and enigma of Peregrine. MJP is unique in that she constantly deals with issues that other authors shun like child prostitution or heroes/heroines who are not quite complete and yet are able to come together to become the sum of a greater whole. Read this one, it is great.
Rating:
Summary: Exquisite
Review: I've never read books by Mary Jo Putney before and I'm definitely glad I've found her. This book is amazing. Before, when I read books even written by the best author I caught myself imagining a different storyline altogether. Not with this book. The storyline is very strong and I can't hardly put it down. I had to finish it and I ended up still awaked at 4 in the morning.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed Feelings About This One
Review: Mary Jo Putney is one of the best writers of historical romance. Her heroes and heroines are always well-drawn, flawed, interesting and attractive. Her settings and her eye for authentic detail draw the reader into the story. And she doesn't shy away from the darker side of life. This book is no exception. The hero, Peregrine, certainly struggles with his darker impulses; in fact it is hard to see much goodness in him in the beginning of the book, and it is enjoyable to see the goodness emerge. Sara, the heroine, also develops signficantly over the course of the novel. The villain, however, was so one-sided as to not be believable. I found this true also in the China Bride. I hope that Ms. Putney remembers to put as much work into her villains and her endings as the does to her heroes and settings. In addition, I found that the descriptions of child prostitution and white slavery made the book too heavy. While I have applauded Ms. Putney's willingness to grapple with problems like alcoholism and fatal illness, I think that in this book and in one of her Fallen Angels books, which dealt with sadism, she goes too far into sordidness. I often read romances at bed time,and I do not want it to give me nightmares.
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