Rating: 
Summary: A Little Princess rated PG-13
Review: I'm sorry, but after enjoying Teresa Medeiros' "Fairest of them All," "Whisper of Roses" and "Charming the Prince," "Once an Angel" was little more than a ripoff of Frances Hodgson Burnett's children's classic, "A Little Princess," told for more mature readers. She even copied Shirley Temple's portrayal with her heroine's moppet looks and locks. Emily Claire has a wicked school mistress, true-blue servant friends, and she eventually finds out she really wasn't impoverished after all, nor had her father's friend abandoned her. Sound familiar? Add some tropical beaches, dangerous natives and sex, and you've whipped "A Little Princess" into "Once an Angel." Stick to some of Medeiros' other books, where she is funny, clever, surprising - and original.
Rating: 
Summary: Three stars, but just barely
Review: Like most readers, I rather liked Justin, although he sometimes seemed undependable (he had promised her father to take care of her) and a bit wimpy. His musical talent was a delightful characteristic. It seemed odd, however, that he found it so easy to adjust to being a Duke after so many years in New Zealand. Emily is often annoying; she has spirit and strength, but she is immature and mercurial. Their relationship did sometimes have moments of unseemliness, of "ickiness." The book started well, but dragged later on. The ending left far too many questions still unanswered. As a whole, unsatisfactory. Only Medeiros' ability to write beautifully, to evoke emotion, and to effectively evoke a setting raises this attempt to a three-star level. For plot and characters alone, it's only 2 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting, Funny & Passionate
Review: My sister gave me this book to read and I read it in two days. Teresa Meideros stories really draw me in with her sense of humor. Emily is so funny, naughty and very unpredictable. Justin's fits of jealousy make him very uncivilized in such a civilized society. The chemistry between the two of them is electric. From New Zealand to England, I loved how this story unfolded.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, extremely well-written, witty book!
Review: ONCE AN ANGEL was the first book I ever read by Teresa Medeiros. She is a master of her craft. An example: read each of the chapter headings as they are. They form a letter that's connected to the heroinne. Ingenious, I say. :) I won't give anything away, but a girl beating at a dragon with a broom is enough to make you fall off the couch from laughter. :) And, of course, this book (and the rest of her novels that follow) are full of humor and laughter. Be prepared to laugh with her characters. They are charming and a lot of fun to read.
Rating:
Summary: Nope, Once an Angel is not a rip-off
Review: Puh-leeze. "Once an Angel" was the first book I ever read by Teresa Medeiros, and to this day, it's *still* the best book I've read by her. The characters are charming, the plot is witty and full of humor, and the villians are well, villians. I find nothing ripped off from anywhere - Teresa weaved a great story together and made the story fast-paced and interesting. To this day, the image of Justin sitting at the piano playing at a God-awful hour of the night, reminding Emily that she owes him a dance has stayed with me. When a writer can do that for a reader, I know she's done a good job, and it's a good job well done. I have been a devoted fan ever since. If you like a good romance with humor, adventure, likeable characters, and a good setting, this book is for you. :) I'm eagerly awaiting her next book which can't be released soon enough!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful story filled with love, adventure & humor.
Review: Teresa is one of my favorite authors. This book is one of her best. I re-read it again yesterday & laughed until I cried during the lobster caper. Teresa writes so you are drawn into the characters, you can't wait to turn the page & see what happens next. Her sense of humor shines through in each of her books. They are a delight to savor! She has written many books - but they are all so different, not the same old story re-written with a slight variation. When you look at each of her books you realize the work & creativity that goes into each to make them all something different & special. That effort does not go un-appreciated! Thank you Teresa - keep up the awesome work! I continually scour the book stores waiting for your next book.
Rating:
Summary: You won't be able to put it down!
Review: This has got to be one of Ms. Medeiros's best! I read it in two days, which says a lot. I rarely can get enough time to read a couple of chapters a day. Emily's unique nature is positively funny. Her antics had me roaring with laughter, especially after she tore the cabin apart trying to escort a small dragon out the door with her broom. Justin is the ulimate hero. Every reader will fall in love with. You won't mistake Teresa Medeiros' writing for anything less than perfection among the many romance writers!
Rating: 
Summary: a good premise but...
Review: This is my first book by this author and it may not be the last but next time I will check it out of the library instead of buying it.
When I rated this book I was really torn between one and three stars. Let me explain why: the plot of the book was a good one, even though the stranded-in-a-desert-island thing has been done to death. The writing was also above reproach. It is obvious this author knows her stuff. However, what really killed this whole book for me was the heroine. Emily has to be the most immature, annoying little brat that ever appeared on ANY work of fiction.
Her father has died while prospecting for gold in New Zealand and leaves her in the care of his close friend Justin. However, Justin is plagued by guilt over the way his friend died and so never goes back to England to assume his responsibility. Emily feels abandoned and I suppose that this triggers her immature behavior when she finally meets Justin. I could understand her behavior at the beginning of the story but throughout the whole book?!! It just became annoying and detracted from the whole story. So I give this book one star because just remembering her idiotic behavior makes my head hurt. Avoid this one if you find childish, much too plucky , silly heroines hard to stomach.
Rating:
Summary: A Lovely Tribute, Not a Rip Off
Review: This is one of my favorite Madeiros books. I've read in several interviews that she meant the book to be a "tribute" to her all-time favorite children's classic, A LITTLE PRINCESS by Frances Hodgson Burnett, but with a romance slant that adults could enjoy. She succeeded beautifully, creating a modern romance classic that is just as moving as the original.
Rating:
Summary: Much More than A Romance
Review: This may be my favorite Theresa Medeiros story. The characters in this book are larger than life and when the story is finished, you want to keep visiting with your 'friends'. The story covers all the range of emotions; laughter, tears, anticipation, fear, etc. The humor is exceptional and is perhaps the best in this novel over any of her others which I have read so far. It is delightful to be reading and burst out laughing at some
unexpected surprise. There are some uncomfortable edgy scenes that fill you with dread. There are also very graphic sensual scenes which modest readers would be uncomfortable reading. But the book is so well developed that it is more than just a romance. It is an experience.
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