Ritual of Proof

Rating:
Summary: an exciting twist on the classic regency
Review: Courtesy of Love Romances

Marquelle Green Tamryn is a powerful She-Lord in a world where women are completely in control...and men are highly sought after. Green had been in no hurry to get married, content with her present way of life. She kept a man on the side to satisfy her sensual urges, so what did she need a mate for? Then she meets Jorlan again, as an adult and extremely desirable male. Suddenly she begins to rethink her past decisions.

Jorlan Reynard swears to never marry. He is unhappy with the balance of power, where men are often nothing more than playthings for their mates. He refuses to give in to society's dictates. Secretly he has been in love with Green since he was but a boy, but he fears her finding out and using that to her advantage and to change his way of thinking.

Then one day Green's greatest rival, Claudine D'Anbere sets her eye on Jorlan, deciding he will be her next mate, her past three having died under suspicious circumstances. When Green accidentally overhears the plans, she is forced to take drastic measures to protect Jorlan, fastening him to her life...and her bed. Jorlan is outwardly furious over the turn of events, but inside, he is delighted he will get to be with green. In spite of what he sees as manipulation and betrayal by Green, he can't help but enjoy her company, and the private pleasures of his fastening.

Trouble does not end here though, for Green and Jorlan. Claudine is enraged at being outmaneuvered by her biggest rival, and swears her revenge. Now Green and Jorlan's fastening, and Ritual of Proof, are being questioned. They must join forces, something virtually unheard of in their society, to overcome the threats and bitter accusations. For they stand to lose everything they hold dear... including each other. Will their newly blossoming love overcome it all or will it be destroyed forever?

This was a fascinating look at the Regency era, with a twist. It is a fast-paced book, keeping the reader in its thrall all the way to the surprising conclusion. Ms. Joy has created characters of amazing depth and strength. She also has quite an interesting idea in her concept of the Ritual Proof.

However, some aspects of this book are highly confusing. Ms. Joy created a whole new vocabulary for this story, which is often redundant and distracting. There is a glossary in the back of the book, but it got tiring having to flip back to it for every other page. Some of the words she uses are never defined. This reviewer feels the vocabulary was unnecessary and normal every day words would have sufficed in most cases. A couple of the stories involving the secondary characters are never fully explained. One can only hope this was intentional, to be explained in a future book. But if one can get past the vocabulary and the few unexplained storylines, this is an enjoyable read. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition

Rating:
Summary: Very good read
Review: I very much enjoyed this book,I liked the role reversal(I do tend to buy books with strong female characters).The characters Green & Jorlan were very loveable and I didn't agree with the reviewer
that said Jorlan was weak,he was prepared to fight for his family
at the end.Perhaps I like this book so much because it is not typical historical romance where the heroine is always swooning over the hero(that's why I like Sandra Hill's books so much as well),it would be great if there was a sequel!!.Although this
is a basic love story it has quite a few twist's and I found myself going back to read passages again especially the love scenes which were touching.

Rating:
Summary: An unusual spin on the age old dilemma
Review: I have read other books by this author and I found them a great romp of a read. The men are sexy and exasperating, the women feisty and put upon when dealing with the built in machismo that her heroes have, but they're definitely worth it.

This book, however, was a tad different. The idea is that men are the one's who have a virginity that is prized, and 'good boys' wait until marriage. Women are free to enjoy pleasures as they will and are expected to teach their husbands what they like because husbands, at least in the noble class, are virgins upon marrying. And it isn't easy for the men to undergo deflowering, or as they call it " unveiling". They get the jitters, pain and discomfort that women through the ages have had to deal with. A great twist! Jorlan is exactly what any woman would want for her name bearer, or husband, and Green(odd name that!)is what we'd all like to be: in control of a gorgeous hunk in every aspect of his life! The romance is sweet, the passion sizzles, as do all of Dara's tales, and they come together in an ending that makes you smile. I can also see another story coming from this one because there are a few loose ends and hints dropped throughout the tale, so I can't wait to see what she creates in the next tale.

However, this book comes with a glossary of terms that are used throughout the story. Several pages of terms, to be exact. I can understand wanting to have non-Earth terms, but this got to be absurd. I found myself sifting through the story and trying to ignore the 'new' terms and explanations. It seemed a deluge of unnecessary names and such when we all just want to read a hot romance, but all in all, it was worth the read.

Rating:
Summary: The publisher had a hand in this one
Review: This book is obviously not a true Dara Joy book. From it's poor character development to the sketchy history, it's easy to tell the publisher had a hand in this one. It is not written with Dara's typical wit and attention to detail. Everything in this piece is a failure when compared to her other works. Compared to the average author, it rates slightly higher but I've come to expect a certain standard from Dara and this one falls far short, especially for hard cover. Shame on this publisher. Go away and let the authors write without hinderance so we can enjoy what they write.

Rating:
Summary: THIS BOOK IS A REAL GRABBER!
Review: Rich in character, plot, new twists on old themes, and a unique style-this is what you will find in Ritual of Proof. Dara Joy is a writer to watch. What really amazes me about Ms. Joy is her versatilty. I am not a rabid romance reader but I do sell books so I read everything in order to keep my customers informed. There is a tremendous amount of talent here and I think she is getting ready to bust wide. I have more people than ever coming into the store who are outside the romanxce genre reading list, asking about her books. The feedback I get from my customers is "Do you have her back list?" I guess that says it all.

Rating:
Summary: Very Unique Sci-Fi-Romance-Gender Role Reversal!
Review: Talk about unique book! I didn't think I would be that interested in such a concept as sci-fi/romance with a little gender role reversal thrown in, but wow was I in store for a surprise!

~Green Tamryn is a Marquelle, equal to what a Duke is in England on a far off planet ruled by women and where men are considered second-class citizens and are used in political gain. They are sold off by their mothers to the highest bidder(a high noblewoman)of the Top Slice. (this is equal to Dukes and Lords in England) She never wanted to fasten(marry) but an evil woman with treacherous plans had made her think again. Green must fasten with the most sought after male in Capital Town, Jorlan Rynard.
Jorlan is a powerful woman's son. He is spoiled and pampered, and does not want to be fastened. He has ideals and hopes that someday men will be viewed as equals and tries to push his views but his old fashioned grandmother is aghast. In the blink of an eye he finds himself fastened to one of the Top Slice's most powerful women, a woman about 10 years older than he and much more experienced in the bedroom that he ever imagined. He is afraid he will never find his own in the woman ruled world and refuses to bend to Green's will.
Green is being hounded by her enemy and her enemy wants Jorlan. Green refuses to let the greedy woman have the only man she ever wanted. Soon Green and Jorlan find themselves answering to the She-Lords for a conspiracy that Green's worst enemy has plotted, the Ritual of Proof.
This story is so vivid and compelling I found it extremely hard to stop reading! I read it in one day! The role reversal was so different and unique I could hardly believe how well Ms. Joy pulled it off so believably! Where men are valued for their bed-price and the their veils(virginity) is a must, this tale is fasinating to say the least. I highly recommend this for something very exotic and different!

Tracy Talley~@

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Sadly, Ms. Joy's first hardback was disappointing. The characters were not well developed and the plot was too simplistic. Even the "love scenes" lacked her normal sizzle. Perhaps its time for her to get back to her Matrix of Destiny Series.

Rating:
Summary: Smashing book! Really first rate!
Review: I adored this story. Very different and so exciting! I kept saying just one more page and I'll go to sleep. Well, that didn't happen. I stayed up all night to finsh it. It was just marvelous! If someone I knew read this book and didn't tell me about it, I'd be mad. So if you're reading this. I'm saying to you, don't miss this book for anything! It's a real keeper!

Rating:
Summary: Highly Imaginative
Review: This is the first book by Darla Joy that I've read, so I can't really say if it's better or worse than her other books; I can say that it won't be the last. This is a fascinating read. She creates an intriguing world of role reversal and futuristic mysticism, replete with curious creatures and alien landscapes. Regardless of whether or not one likes the characters or the romance between them, this book is worth reading to see this strange and beguiling land.

As for the characters and the plot, I personally enjoyed both, and this author writes really steamy love scenes. However, the novelty of the world she created is what really kept me turning the pages.

Rating:
Summary: Captivated by this author
Review: I could not put this book down. I don't know how it happened. To tell the truth I wasn't that enthusiastic about reading the book at first because I had heard how different it was and I normally don't like science fiction. It was in my tbr pile because my friend absolutely raved about it but I wasn't at all convinced this book would be for me. Then I started reading and let me tell you she had me from page one. What a fantastic writer! No wonder people go bonkers for her stuff. Now I'm one as I've gone out and bought any of her books I could find. This is definitely a book to read.