Rating: 
Summary: Raunchy romance
Review: This is a raunchy historical romance, which makes a refreshing change from other simpering historicals. I liked the overt sensuality of both main characters, even though the development of their love for one another is not clearly shown. Charles is a bit of a male chauv., but I still really enjoyed it. I have been keeping a look out for more books by Robin Schone since this one was published a couple of years ago. When's the next one coming along?
Rating: 
Summary: Schone's first book and I think her best
Review: I don't usually read Robin Schone books. Well, actually, I have read all of her books, but have decided they are too dark and explicit for my tastes. But after getting rid of Gabriel's Woman and The Lover (yes - I had to keep The Lady's Tutor), I had let Awaken My Love, Schone's first novel, sit unread for well over a year. Now, after reading it, I think this is the best of Schone's books. As are all of her books, it is far from the norm as far as romance writing goes. It is very entertaining reading although it has a most unusual time travel twist. I usually don't care much for time travel stories but this is a definite exception. Charles Mortimer, Lord Arlcotte, is the extremely appealing hero. He has a very strong personality, alpha extreme, but is just so downright cool that you want to melt as you read about him. He has a great problem on his hands. His young bride has never let him even touch her since their marriage a year ago. No matter - he is determined to have a heir. He decides she will come to his bed and learn to like his touch. He WILL warm his cold frigid wife. After their joining however, he is quite discouraged. She apparently despises him. Imagine his surprise when he finds his wife emerging from her bath. Charles knows something is awry - Morrigan has not taken a full bath since their marriage. She is different somehow and although he is still angry over her distaste of him, he cannot seem to resist tormenting and teasing her. He is continually drawn to this oddly different Morrigan and is encouraged to proceed with her education despite her protestations. He can see the difference in her eyes - he senses she will now accept his advances. Elaine Metcliffe is a twentieth century gal, thirty-nine years of age, who is a computer analyst married to a really boring guy. They have been married for years and he has never been too interested in their love life and has no desire for children. One morning she awakens to find herself in another time and another body. Her body is no longer the slightly chubby body close to forty - it is a very young and slender body of a woman named Morrigan. An old hateful nag is apparently her maid - one who acts like a mad, religious zealot, constantly shouting about Morrigan's sins and her need for cleansing and forgiveness. Attempting to adjust to this highly distressing change of events, Elaine (Morrigan) asks to take a bath and all hell breaks loose. Insisting on a bath and then dressing in one of Morrigan's many beautiful gowns, gains the attention of everyone in the household. Morrigan has only worn one ill-fitting gray dress for the past year. She has never desired to wear any of the beautiful clothes her husband gifted her with as her trousseau upon their marriage. And certainly she has never taken a bath! Elaine is startled when she sees an extremely handsome and obviously very virile man standing in her room as she is finishing with her bath. Soon she discovers this is now her husband and he is very angry with her for some reason. So begins the sensual education of Morrigan (and actually Elaine as well since she is a sexually repressed twentieth century woman). Highly intrigued by her husband's lessons, she also feels unfaithful to her twentieth century husband. Charles, on the other hand, is alternately thrilled at his wife's apparent sexual awakening and angered by her denial of it. But he has become very determined in his quest and will brook no argument. This portion of the book, which is the majority of it, is overlaid with tenderness as Charles comes to appreciate and cherish his strange wife. This is what sets Awaken My Love apart. Although nothing is spoken of love early on, the leads' relationship develops slowly into one of trust and respect. It is that which drives the overall tone of the book. Yes, true to Robin Schone, the sensual scenes are just that - very sensual and numerous. They rate a 5.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for sensual rating guidelines). I can think of only one other book I have rated 5.0 in this matter. I had read in the reviews of Awaken My Love that it was not as sensual as Schone's other novels. Well, yes - it may not be as explicit as her other novels, but it is still highly sensual - make no mistake. It still rates far above the average romance novel in this aspect. Elaine is somewhat too meek in her role as Morrigan. Sometimes, I wanted to shout "Speak up Elaine!". Her inability or lack of willingness to stand up for herself was the only irritating thing about the story. Occasionally she would demand attention or her way but far too seldom. But this was not a story full of disagreements or misunderstandings. It is the story of a relationship, written in a definite spicy manner, but a precious one all the same. I am sure there is some hidden psychological yearning behind the heroine's age and it feeds well into a fantasy of once again living in a body eighteen years younger yet with the wisdom of a thirty-nine year old woman. It only adds to the overall charm of the book. I have read that this is an expensive book once you find it. It is well worth the effort to find it and only a few dollars more than you expect to pay for a used paperback. It is a definite keeper.
Rating:
Summary: More than erotic scenes
Review: This story is different from Robin's later stories in that it is about a woman's experience and her attempt to survive an confusing, hostile situation. Sex is not the central focus. I ended up enjoying the "time travel, other body" element of the story. Robin always draws her characters in vivid detail making them very real. We are able to get inside their skin and become them. On page 118 I stopped and said to myself, "no sex scenes yet, but I am fully envolved in this story. Yes, Charles is a true victorian man, king of the castle type. But, he is human, faithful, caring and that combo is part of what propells this story. Eliane is just the right mix of modern, intelligent, self confident and wanting to be loved woman. In fact, now that I think about it, these elements are what drives the story and makes it work. Charles and Elaine both want to be loved, want to have a intimate, personal relationship. The elements of evil and shattering life experiences that Morrigan suffered are very much a central part of this story. Although not center stage her presence is sucessfully woven into the story and necessary. The supporting characters are drawn with the same realistc detail. Following katie and Fitz through their affair was just as pleasing as watching Elaine and Charles and their rough path to love. I enjoyed hating Hattie and I cheered when Elaine won the cat fights with Hattie. I also enjoyed hating the Boleigh family. They were really awful people in their stupidity and "nose in the air" holyness. Give this story a try. Don't compare it with Robin's other tales. I am sure you will enjoy Robin's delightful story telling skills.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Keeping in mind that this was Ms. Schone's first book, I rated it four-stars. I know what she is capable of as a writer, and this novel only hinted at the deep storytelling that was to come in subsequent books and shoter works. The opening of the novel was definitely an eye-opener, and I enjoyed the unusual plot device. I don't understand why some publishers balked at a depiction of the heroine pleasuring herself. Considering that practically every type of coupling is allowed in romances these days, I really don't see what all the fuss was about. Ms. Schone also depicted foreplay during menustration, another radical concept. I also liked Elaine, the heroine--basically for the same reasons that I have liked all of Ms. Schone's female protagonists: She is not some perfect size six who has never been touched. Elaine's problem is that she just hasn't been touched the way she wants to be--a situation that many women actually face. Elaine is a woman who is sexual, but is stunted from fully enjoying sex by a husband who just doesn't get it. An amusing moment of the book is Elaine's discovery that nineteenth century women didn't shave their legs. That being said--the out-of-body situation was a little nonsensical, and it was difficult to figure out just what was going on. The male protagonist, Charles, was definitely a man on the edge, and it took quite a bit of time for me to warm up to him. Ms. Schone played a little with the gothic trope of the madwoman in the attic, except that Elaine is quite sane. Morrigan's relatives were quite heinous, and I was waiting for Elaine with her twentieth century sensibilities to take them down a notch. 'Awaken, My Love' was not Ms. Schone's best book, but it is highly readable. Just know that her style gets better with each new novel.
Rating: 
Summary: There Might Have Been a Good Book in There Somewhere
Review: This was the second book by Robin Schone I have read. The first one was My Lady's Tutor. I thought it was rather stulifying with an over the top villain. I had heard that this book, Schone's first, was liked by people who found her others tiresome. Overall it was stulifying with an over the top villain. Things I liked about the book: 1. The heroine in the beginning. Middle-aged, dumpy Elaine in a dull marriage gets a second chance in the body of Morrigan, a thin twenty-one year old upper class lady. Yay, good for Elaine. 2. The initial confusion that Elaine had after she was propelled into the past and a less than happy situation. Elaine's attempt to edge into the role of Morrigan. I can even accept Hattie the Harridan, which at first was a rather fun twist on the motherly old family retainer who protects the heroine. Hattie is a beldame with a taste for the more punitive aspects of the Christian religion and clearly has dominated Morrigan. Things I didn't like: 1. Whether you are right or left handed has everything to do with the body and has nothing to do with who is living in your head. This could have been an interesting situation, but instead it is just an annoying distraction. 2. I do not believe that a 39 year old modern woman who has been married for 17 years has NEVER been french kissed. I just do not believe it. 3. Why does the hero put up with his wife's obnoxious relatives who clearly she does not even like? 4. Oh, no, another over the top villain. This one is really over the top. Sorry, I don't buy the villain at all. Schone's villians strongly suggest that she has some gender issues. Why are all of the females in this book (aside from the heroine and her maid) two dimensional monsters? Why does the author equate being overweight with either being sexually unfulfilled and/or ill mannered and evil? Did it ever occur to Elaine while she was staring at her hairy legs that attacking those hairs with a straight razor might make everyone think she was, well, unhinged? By the time it got to the climax, I just didn't care. The author had made too many blunders, the plot was weak and the only character who appeared to be more than two dimensional was Elaine.
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