Rating: 
Summary: Dodd can do things other authors can't get away with
Review: How is it possible to enjoy a "Sheik on the Thames" romance where a bodice is actually ripped?. I've asked myself this question repeatedly and came to the conclusion that there is something about Christina Dodd's writing that trips a switch in my psyche to allow her to write scenes I'd never accept if written by another author. She did it first in A WELL PLEASURED LADY, and has done it again in RULES OF SURRENDER (AWPL gets an A from me; ROS gets a B-). Somehow, her blending of dark humor, interesting secondary characters, quick pacing, hidden pathos, and incendiary (and politically incorrect) love scenes have me loving heroes who many others find utterly unlovable. If you read AWPL and did not enjoy it, I doubt you will enjoy ROS. However, if you can set aside internal guidelines you might have about what it acceptable or not in a love scene (or hero, for that matter), you might just find this book was as much fun as I did. TTFN, Laurie Likes Books Publisher, All About Romance
Rating: 
Summary: A relatively good read, but nothing to spice it up...
Review: I was all set to *really* love this story. And for the first half of it I was enjoying myself. Then things just got old and I wasn't captivated by the story. As an avid romance reader, I think I can fairly say that I know there is a formula. I just want some interesting characters and good dialog on the way to the happy ending. This book didn't quite deliver that. I'm not unhappy that I read it - I just won't be reading it again.
Rating: 
Summary: I loved the book!
Review: I dont care what anyone else says about this book. I absolutely loved it. It was funny and gets you emotionally involved. I love the hero, even though he's too overbearing for his own good. I fell in love with the whole set of characters. Just to let you know Lords did marry governesses. They just wanted someone to watch their kids while they had mistresses. I'm an expert on historical things or so my family likes to tell me. Another author that I just love is Amanda Quick. If you love historicals like me dont miss her! You wont regret buying this book I know I didn't. Have fun!
Rating:
Summary: I very much enjoyed this book
Review: I truly enjoyed this particular book. It was a typical romance plot line (a lord falls for his children's governess, she is really a lady in hiding, they marry), but with very atypical characters. The hero, Wynter, is a bit of a dunderhead when it comes to romance. He knows he wants Charlotte as his wife, but won't recognize the admiration, repect, and attraction he feels for her as love. Charlotte is attracted to Wynter from the get go, but relies on her governess credos to tamp down her curiosity and interest in her employer, as the last thing she wants is to lose her job. Throughout the book, Wynter continues his pursuit of his, as he sees it, inevitable wife, and Charlotte continues to attempt to evade him. But through a nice touch of character developement, the reader is treated to an understanding of what the hero and heroine feel towards each other, and most importantly, why they feel that way. Too often in romance novels, the actual qualities of the hero's and heroine's personalities that would realistically drive a mutual attraction are overlooked and brushed aside for the more basic (and less complex, thus easier to write) physical attractions. My favorite novels always have included physically imperfect main characters, with a fleshed out personality such that the reader can see a lasting stability to the romance. As for Wynter's persistance and eventual marriage to Charlotte, I could understand her reluctance despite how she loved him and his children, but I could also envy her for being pursued so ardently. If she could make him understand the principles behind the emotion of love, she would have herself a remarkable and lasting marriage. The scene following the wedding, where the two consummate their relationship, I fear other readers may have misunderstood. It was not a rape, but a fight between principles and desire. They both wanted each other, but each wanted a different set of terms underlying the marriage. She wanted respect and acknowledgement as an individual, and he wanted her to fall into the role of a Bedouin wife - adoring, blissful, taken care of, but not taken into consideration. Charlotte could have stopped Wynter at any point in that scene, merely by screaming, or crying, or indicating in any way true distress or fear. But instead she tussled and fought to make her point, enjoying the combat as much as he did. And as she resigned herself to the one-sided relationship, she still was able to give him a dose of his own medicine, such that he inevitably came to his senses (with some help from his own children). The secondary characters and plot lines were well developed, as so often these things are more irritating distractions than a true piece of the main story-line. Sure, we lost track of the children for a while there, and certain bits which were surely meant to have been important to the main story-line intitaily sort of fizzled out instead, but I none-the-less enjoyed the secondary play of characters and plot as much as I enjoyed the primary play. I can easily recommend this book, and I am waiting in anticipation for the next book in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, fun, fun!
Review: I adored RULES OF SURRENDER. It's a great book to curl up with for an evening, and some of the scenes were laugh-out-loud funny. At first, Lady Charlotte and Wynter seem like complete opposites, with Lady Charlotte so prim and proper, and Wynter a male chauvinist to the point of being hilarious. I loved every minute of their witty dialogue. And the love scenes -- hot, hot, hot! I'm going to recommend RULES OF SURRENDER to all my friends. It's Christina Dodd at her best.
Rating:
Summary: Another fabulous romance from one of the best
Review: Christina Dodd has been one my favorite authors from her very first book and RULES OF SURRENDER certainly reminded me why. As a writer, her "voice" is incredibly unique and she manages to come up with a fresh idea in every book. This book captivated my attention from the first page to the last. The sparring between Wynter and Charlotte was priceless and every secondary character was beautifully drawn. (Loved seeing Adorna from THAT SCANDALOUS EVENING again.) I haven't had this much fun with a book in ages!
Rating:
Summary: hard to believe
Review: This story was just a little hard to believe, with some stretches - I mean, a governess who marries a lord? But if you can suspend reality for a few hours, this was a pleasant and often funny read.
Rating:
Summary: Loved this one!
Review: Contrary to what the "politically correct" police may have determined, there is NO RAPE in this book. Wynter and Charlotte's mating ritual may be a little primitive at times, but I can assure you that it was all consensual. Was it a little naughty? Yes... Was it more fun than a barrel of monkeys? Absolutely! The only thing more annoying than men censoring women's fantasies is other women attempting to censor them. So if you enjoy a rousing romance that doesn't always bow to the current climate of political correctness, RULES OF SURRENDER is the book for you. (And Wynter can "master" me anyday!)
Rating:
Summary: Nice book for a cold day
Review: This was a very nice book. a few parts anoyed me but over all it was pretty nice! Wynter was....well odd. I love the children they were so darling! Well I guess you want my "rating of the book" I thought it was very nice and can't wait to see what she does next!
Rating:
Summary: absolutely entertaining!
Review: I was introduced to Christina Dodd by the little old lady that works in the used book store. She hasn't disappointed me yet! I absolutely loved this book. The characters of Wynter and Charlotte played extremely well off of each other, and the secondary characters of the children, Wynter's mother, and Charlotte's family were well written and explained. I can't wait for the second installment of this series to come out!
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