Rating: 
Summary: Overblown language alert!
Review: I read numerous reviews before buying this book and clearly it was a - love it or hate it type of book - I wanted to see for myself, bought it, read it and I find that it was an `absolute pleasure'. Gabriel Christofore, the male lead - and by no means a hero, was a scoundrel; his life shaped clearly by the father he adored, the fourth son of an earl, who was also a scoundrel! Gabriel's Italian mother, who was the love of his father's life, had been murdered so that this father and son relationship was extremely close as they only had each other. Lady Elizabeth Harcourt, was targeted as a `mark', for Gabriel, an accomplished and gifted artist, as well as a master in seductive arts. Lady Elizabeth, at the age of 27, has never been romanced; for years her father's personal secretary, hostess, etc. her life was mundane and having known none other, content - until her father married a young girl of 17 who was turning her life into hell. The outrageous appeal of this handsome, outspoken, and flamboyant artist was a temptation that held appeal. Elizabeth soon realized that the painting was secondary in nature to Gabriel's true mission but just as he awakened a passion in Elizabeth, she did the same to him which would end up consuming them both. One would think that you should dislike Gabriel, but through the author's deft characterization, you see that he was not all bad - outrageous at times - but not a bad or evil person. When he soon realized that he came to care deeply for Elizabeth, he tried to break it off and remove himself from the situation but Elizabeth wouldn't let him and what follows was an extremely sensual downfall of this scoundrel - and his father as well. Yes, as a secondary romance, even Gabriel's father was struck by Cupid's arrow. This was a very good story - I thoroughly enjoyed it and except for a warning to the very faint hearted as to the explicit sexual content I heartily recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: One of the worse books I've ever had the missfortune to read
Review: I think this definitely does it for me. After this I won't be buying any more of Holt's books. The "hero" was an insensitive, cruel, callous bastard, and as if this is not enough, a pimp. He seduces rich woman to swindle money out of them. Sorry, but after reading so many novels, that feature such wonderful heroes, I can't respect or like this one. The heroine I think I could have liked, in a different book. In this one, all I could feel for her was pity. Cheryl Holt has a very dislikable tendency to create male characters that behave in a completely and utterly dispicable way, but in the end, it is always the woman who comes back to him and seeks a reconciliation. If you like books where the female characters are week and abused, and where women are treated like garbage, read this one.
Rating:
Summary: didn't cure warts as promised
Review: I thought reading this book would cure warts. I read it 7 times in the first month. I thought the warts were shrinking, but it turned out I just needed glasses. What is wrong with me? Why am I afflicted with being "wart-face"??
Rating:
Summary: didn't cure warts as promised
Review: I thought reading this book would cure warts. I read it 7 times in the first month. I thought the warts were shrinking, but it turned out I just needed glasses. What is wrong with me? Why am I afflicted with being "wart-face"??
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time
Review: I've enjoyed other Cheryl Holt novels, but this one was not worth my time or money. The hero is thoroughly unlikeable. The plot was non-existent. Holt wasted too many pages on sex scenes. What was the point of this book? To show that sex with love is always better than without it? We're romance readers. We know that already! Her heroine was exactly like all the women that the hero duped before he meets her, so to accept that he falls for her as opposed to his previous conquests, is unsupportable and unbelieveable. Don't waste your time with this one.
Rating:
Summary: BLECH!!
Review: I've read a few of Cheryl Holt's books and was obviously pleased enough to read this one, which I have to say was a real disappointment. The hero, is completely unlikable. I can't imagine what the heroine sees in him, other than eye candy. Secondly, while I like the idea of 3 different stories happening at once (hero/heroine, heroine's father and obnoxious teenage bride, hero's father/housekeeper), I felt like none of them were developed properly. The hero/heroine plot is flimsy at best. I could care less about either of them and think they deserve each other. The hero's father/housekeeper plot could have been engaging, but they went from having 2 conversations to groping each other in a carriage, to marriage so quickly that I had to read it twice to see what pages I missed the first time around. Unfortunately, I didn't miss any. Forget the heroine's father/obnoxious teenager storyline. My tastes don't tend toward the prudish, but this was quite simply, gratuitous [...]. But my biggest complaint is that same cookie cutter pattern she's used in the last three books: Innocent, "Quality" female meets unsuitable, reticent male. In an inexplicably short period of time, they have reached the point where the male has described, in explicit detail, everything that can/would/should happen during numerous sexual acts. After which the female, mesmerized by the recitation, decides to throw caution to the wind and succumb to her irresistible hormonal urges. Fair enough. But, of course, they fall in love--she willingly and he, not so willingly. Eventually, the only way she can get him to admit his feelings is to break down his masculine walls by turning herself into a wanton seductress. It may work for one book (as it did with Love Lessons), but this is one too many for me. I feel as though she's just rewriting the same book, without even bothering to check her thesaurus. If I have to read "virgin's blood", "haunting groan" or, "bigger than most" one more time, I'll demand a refund.
Rating:
Summary: Overblown language alert!
Review: If you're at all sensitive to language that is trying WAY WAY too hard to impress, avoid this book at all costs. As Dorothy Parker once said, "Tonstant Weader frowed up."
Rating:
Summary: Trashy and Crass
Review: It may sound prudish, but it went beyond p*rn, it was trashy and crass. I guess this would draw more readers to find out what it's all about. I've read better books that were ultra sexy but not as tasteless as this one. And I could have done without the mention of the "p" word and the "c" word when describing bodily parts! Sorry, but it was a crude and tasteless book. Maybe I'll try another novel by Ms. Holt, I hope I get better results.
Rating:
Summary: Trashy and Crass
Review: It may sound prudish, but it went beyond p*rn, it was trashy and crass. I guess this would draw more readers to find out what it's all about. I've read better books that were ultra sexy but not as tasteless as this one. And I could have done without the mention of the "p" word and the "c" word when describing bodily parts! Sorry, but it was a crude and tasteless book. Maybe I'll try another novel by Ms. Holt, I hope I get better results.
Rating: 
Summary: 6 Stars!!!
Review: Meoooowwww! This book is the best I have read by Cheryl Holt; an erotic mix of sex, true love, and inner battles with conscience come together to make Absolute Pleasure one of my absolute favorites. I highly recommend this book due to the believable characters and likeable co-characters. I think I just might have fallen in love with Gabriel myself. Before you read this, make sure you have a man handy to take care of any needs that may arise! Even the characters you hate get their just rewards. Two love stories in one, Absolute Pleasure was truly an inspiring read.
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