The Bookseller's Daughter

Rating:
Summary: An average read
Review: I liked the setting of the book and Joseph was a refreshingly diffrent hero. I however had problems with Marie Laure's characterisation and her quest for freedom and independence towards the end.
I also dont like novels where the hero and heroine are separated for a long period of time, and in this book they did not have any scenes together for almost a hundred pages in between! Hence the three stars.

Rating:
Summary: Yuck
Review: I read her first book *Almost a Gentleman* and liked it..The story was fun and different, but as soon as the sex comes into the book, it just goes downhill for me.
This book was exactly the same way. Pam Rosenthal is gifted; I just do not know why her books become so nasty, and sexual.. and unromantic.. half way through them.
This is truly, what people call a trashy romance. I just do not like them. I love sex in my books, but when it gets so descriptive and the words become porn and not romantic. It just turns me off. I threw this away in the trash half way in the book.
I do love the exotic, and Pam Rosenthal is truly exotic. I just do not like trashy. Take the F words out and every position known to have sex in and there is no story anymore. It starts out wonderful and just come to a complete halt.. When the sex starts.

Rating:
Summary: Yuck
Review: I read her first book *Almost a Gentleman* and liked it..The story was fun and different, but as soon as the sex comes into the book, it just goes downhill for me.
This book was exactly the same way. Pam Rosenthal is gifted; I just do not know why her books become so nasty, and sexual.. and unromantic.. half way through them.
This is truly, what people call a trashy romance. I just do not like them. I love sex in my books, but when it gets so descriptive and the words become porn and not romantic. It just turns me off. I threw this away in the trash half way in the book.
I do love the exotic, and Pam Rosenthal is truly exotic. I just do not like trashy. Take the F words out and every position known to have sex in and there is no story anymore. It starts out wonderful and just come to a complete halt.. When the sex starts.

Rating:
Summary: An average read
Review: I really liked this story about Marie-Laure and Joseph. Joseph is the second son of a duc and, due to past scandal, is at the monetary mercy of his family. Marie Laure works for his family, but is pretty enough to have gained the attention of Joseph's father and brother. In order to protect Marie-Laure, as she once saved his life, Joseph pretends to have already claimed her 'personal services.'

This is an original story because it is about two people who have to deal with the whims of fate. Although he is an aristocrat, he isn't powerful enough to save himself, but he does his best to save Marie-Laure. Marie-Laure may be powerless against some of the things fate has thrown at her, but she isn't a doormat.

Overall, this was a passionate, compelling story without some of the convetions overused by some romance authors.

Rating:
Summary: Creative and originial
Review: I really liked this story about Marie-Laure and Joseph. Joseph is the second son of a duc and, due to past scandal, is at the monetary mercy of his family. Marie Laure works for his family, but is pretty enough to have gained the attention of Joseph's father and brother. In order to protect Marie-Laure, as she once saved his life, Joseph pretends to have already claimed her 'personal services.'

This is an original story because it is about two people who have to deal with the whims of fate. Although he is an aristocrat, he isn't powerful enough to save himself, but he does his best to save Marie-Laure. Marie-Laure may be powerless against some of the things fate has thrown at her, but she isn't a doormat.

Overall, this was a passionate, compelling story without some of the convetions overused by some romance authors.

Rating:
Summary: heated historical romance
Review: In 1793, Marie-Laurie Vernet works as a scullery maid, but probably spends a good portion of her time dexterously fending off the unwanted advances of the aristocracy without offending any of these males who could easily destroy her. Marie-Laurie is probably better at eluding the men than she is at serving tea. Her only exception happens to be book smuggler Viscount Joseph d'Auvers-Raimond whom she met when he became ill in her late father's bookstore.

Joseph shares Marie-Laurie's passion for books and has gone so far as to draft an erotic tale that stars the woman who haunts his dreams, Marie-Laurie. When Joseph learns that his odious father has chosen Marie-Laurie to warm his bed, he makes her his mistress to keep her safe. Instead of sex, they discuss books and soon they fall in love. However, anything beyond being his mistress is forbidden for this duo and betrayal looms on the horizon.

Historical romance readers will appreciate this heated historical romance that occurs in France on the eve of the Revolution. The story line provides insight into what is happening in the last decade before Madam Guillotine began running the country. Being passionate for more than just each other as the lead couple is bibliophiles adds layers to their personalities. Though key secondary players like his sire seem to vile, readers will enjoy Pam Rosenthal's delightful THE BOOKSELLER'S DAUGHTER.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Sensually Stimulating and Rich Historical
Review: Setting - France 1783 (six years before the French Revolution)

We are originally introduced to Marie-Laure as a scullery maid ordered to serve tea to the aristocratic family she was working for. She is nervous enough but more so when she recognizes the younger son, Viscount Joseph d'Auvers-Raimond as the wounded book smuggler of outlawed and banned books that she and her brother had cared for one night, only to have had him disappear the next day. During that short time they cared for him, she became aware of him as a man and he, mostly in an unconscious state, inspired in her an awakening response that was so passionate in nature that she knew that the betrothal to a friend of her brothers could never be. Consequently, after the death of her father and no marriage in the offing, she was reduced to earning her way. Unfortunately, for a beautiful young woman, this involved fighting off unwanted advances from both servants and aristocrats.

Joseph recognized Marie-Laure, and was determined to do something to save her from the advances he knew his father and brother would be making and planned that he would save her by staging a tryst before they got to her. As embarrassing as the public tryst was, Marie-Laure agreed to playing the part of his mistress as they innocently spent their evenings in discussions of literature. Soon, though they each began thinking of more enticing ways to spend the time as they fell in love and after Marie-Laures innocent but provocative seduction of Joseph the nights were most definitely spent in more than discussions. But as all romances go between aristocrats and servants, jealousies and hatreds would tear the two lovers apart as betrayals abound and a murder mystery needed to be solved.

I think that for the readers who like a wealth of historical aspects thrown in to embellish their romances this book will certainly fill the bill and they will appreciate the many references made as well as the authors notes at the back of this story. The author writes in a very erotic tone both in the present, and then when separated, as letters were sent back and forth. As encompassing as the love story between the two protagonists is the author instills through the historical references, the heroines own independent spirit and mood of the common people over the excesses of the aristocracy in pre-revolutionary France. I found this to be an exceptional read that lovers of historical romances should flock to the stores to pick up and I recommend it most highly as both sensually stimulating with lush prose and captivating characters.--- Submitted by Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com

Rating:
Summary: Sensually Stimulating and Rich Historical
Review: Setting - France 1783 (six years before the French Revolution)

We are originally introduced to Marie-Laure as a scullery maid ordered to serve tea to the aristocratic family she was working for. She is nervous enough but more so when she recognizes the younger son, Viscount Joseph d'Auvers-Raimond as the wounded book smuggler of outlawed and banned books that she and her brother had cared for one night, only to have had him disappear the next day. During that short time, she became aware of him as a man and he, mostly in an unconscious state, inspired in her an awakening response that was so passionate in nature that she knew that the betrothal to a friend of her brothers could never be. Consequently, after the death of her father and no marriage in the offing, she was reduced to earning her way. Unfortunately, for a beautiful young woman, this involved fighting off unwanted advances from both servants and aristocrats.

Joseph recognizing Marie-Laure, and was determined to do something to save her from the advances he knew his father and brother would be making and planned that he would save her by staging a tryst before they got to her. As embarrassing as the public tryst was, Marie-Laure agreed to playing the part of his mistress as they innocently spent their evenings in discussions of literature. Soon, though they each began thinking of more enticing ways to spend the time as they fell in love and after Marie-Laures innocent but provocative seduction of Joseph the nights were most definitely spent in more than discussions. But as all romances go between aristocrats and servants, jealousies and hatreds would tear the two lovers apart as betrayals abound and a murder mystery needed to be solved.

I think that for the readers who like a wealth of historical aspects thrown in to embellish their romances this book will certainly fill the bill and they will appreciate the many references made as well as the authors notes at the back of this story. The author writes in a very erotic tone both in the present, and then when separated, as letters were sent back and forth. As encompassing as the love story between the two protagonists is the author instills through the historical references, the heroines own independent spirit and mood of the common people over the excesses of the aristocracy in pre-revolutionary France. I found this to be an exceptional read that lovers of historical romances should flock to the stores to pick up and I recommend it most highly as both sensually stimulating with lush prose and captivating characters.