Someone Irresistible

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous, as always
Review: Adele Ashworth does it again! Someone Irresistible is her best book yet. I especially loved the mystery intwined with the...romance. Mimi is a terrific, multi-layered character I'll never forget.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: Ashworth's "Winter Garden" is on my keeper shelf, so I guess I must admit that I expected something similar from this book. I didn't get anything close. SPOILERS follow: The author lost me at Chapter 1 when it is revealed that Mimi married Carter Sinclair. If the Prologue hadn't set up the electric attraction between Mimi and Nathan first, I would have been indifferent to the fact that she had been married already. But to establish how much Mimi wanted Nathan, then to have her go and marry someone else (because her father wanted her to!) was a huge letdown from which my interest could not recover. The book was well written style-wise, but a romantic disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: A Bad Beginning and Weak Plot Detract
Review: Having read all of Ashworth's books, I have to say I think this is her worst to date. Not that that makes the book bad, exactly--Ashworth is a good writer, and it shines through; but the beginning is so rough and uninteresting, and the plot is so incredibly weak, that the romance overall seemed a little silly.

The premise is that Professor Nathan Price, at the opening of the Crystal Palace in 1851, is poised to wow the world with his ultra-super megalosaurus jaw bone. A jaw bone. Gosh golly. But when he proudly lifts the velvet draperies to reveal his discovery, there's nothing there! Meanwhile, all the greatest scientists in the world, who have gathered for the event, jump to the logical (?) conclusion, that Professor Price was lying about the whole thing to begin with and there never was a jaw bone. Disgraced, Nathan leaves for the Continent.

Two and a half years later, he's come up with a not-so-brilliant plan to catch the thief who ruined his career by blackmailing Mimi Sinclaire--nee Marsh--into sculpting a reproduction of the jaw bone. Mimi, whose husband conveniently died only two months after they were married, decides life is short and why not seduce the poor sod?

My problems with the plot is this: why do the scientists assume he was making up his discovery of the megalosaurus jaw bone? That would be stupid, not to mention professional suicide. To me the logical assumption would be that it was stolen. Also, I fail to see how constructing a sculpture of the jaw bone would prove to anyone that it actually existed, considering that no one has ever seen it or any other megalosaurus jaw bone. The conclusion of the mystery as to who stole the jaw bone and why also didn't make much sense, although I did guess who the thief was less than fifty pages into the book--it's pretty obvious.

The scenes between Nathan and Mimi are very compelling and hot, but the sheer unbelievabitiy of the plot detracted from the whole novel and made me not like it very much. It's worth checking out, but it's not that great.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I don't often write reviews of books, but I felt I should on this on this book. I have read all of Ms Ashworth's books and loved all of them. Although this book is not like her other books. The primary characters are not into spying the premise of the book is still good. You have two people that have suffered loneliness and separation. But, they can't seem to trust each other even though they care for each other. Their working out their problems makes a wonderful book. I applaud Ms. Ashworth willing to break with the tradition that she has had in her other books and writing about something different.

Rating:
Summary: Not at all irresistable
Review: I was disgusted with this book from about page 3 on. I forced myself to read it, since I had already paid for it after all, but it was such a waste of my time that I wish I hadn't bothered. Mimi is a self-centered, scheming little witch. She claims to be sympathetic to poor Nathan who has watched his entire career fall apart, but her actions tell a whole different story. Also, all the characters keep saying Nathan is arrogant. Where did this come from? The fact that the man recognizes that he is very good at his job makes him arrogant? Intelligence are arrogance aren't the same thing. I honestly think Nathan would be so much better off without her, which makes this one [bad] "romance" novel. My advice is to skip this one.

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected!
Review: I was so thrilled to get this book and so disappointed when I read it. I think that Adele Ashworth's prior books are some of the finest examples of historical romance, and this book just isn't up to par with them. I found the plot to be tedious and slow while the secondary characters were colorless and uninteresting. The bright spot to this book was the romance between Mimi and Nathan. I loved the way Mimi went after what she wanted so honestly, but it wasn't enough to make me stop yearning for the Adele Ashworth of old.

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected!
Review: I was so thrilled to get this book and so disappointed when I read it. I think that Adele Ashworth's prior books are some of the finest examples of historical romance, and this book just isn't up to par with them. I found the plot to be tedious and slow while the secondary characters were colorless and uninteresting. The bright spot to this book was the romance between Mimi and Nathan. I loved the way Mimi went after what she wanted so honestly, but it wasn't enough to make me stop yearning for the Adele Ashworth of old.

Rating:
Summary: I really disliked it
Review: I've never liked books with reluctant heroes, and this one is as reluctant as they come. The only emotion displayed by Professor Price--other than his attachment to old dinosaur bones--is the bitterness he feels for being cheated of his greatest triumph the night his precious jawbone disappeared. Well, lust does play a part in it, but no matter what lengths Mimi goes to in her MANY attempts to seduce him, he always seems to be able to resist temptation. Well, almost always.

And that leads to another thing I've always loathed: heroines who chase after reluctant heroes. And this one goes all out, even conspiring with a mutual friend to maneuver him into a situation where he can't refuse. In spite of her provocative manner of dress, "come hither" looks, and constant professions of affection, she refuses to give him the answers he seeks about what happened to his precious jawbone.

Even though I don't care much for this guy as a hero, I can easily understand why he doesn't trust Mimi or her family. I don't trust them either! In fact, the characters of the father and sister are not well drawn; it is not clear why either of them does what they do, or how Mimi could expect the hero to forgive her before actually telling him the truth about what happened.

So, I'd have to say that this book leaves a lot to be desired in a romance novel. But hey, if you're into dinosaur bones and paleontology, this one is right up your alley!

Rating:
Summary: So disappointed...
Review: The Great Exhibition in 1851 showcases the much-anticipated megalosaurus' fossils and for Professor Nathan Price, it is the closest he will ever get to secure the coveted job as a curator in Crystal Palace museum. It was on that fateful night he realized his attraction for Mimi Marsh, the daughter of renowned sculptor Sir Harold Marsh - and the astonishing disappearance of the fossils at the unveiling ceremony. His reputation is ruined overnight. After being reclusive for 2 years, he is back with a vengeance - to get Mimi to sculpt a replica of the fossils which will launch his career again and to find out the true culprit behind his downfall. As love blossoms again for Mimi aka Widow Sinclair, it is Nathan's arrogance and pride that will impede love's course. Even more so when he has reasons to believe Mimi may be the ultimate culprit with her deceptions....

True enough, SOMEONE IRRESISTIBLE is non pareil to Ms. Ashworth's magnificent previous outing WINTER GARDEN. It lacks the usual finesse and nuance in emotive depth common in her books. However it is not without its merits - both Nathan and Mimi are flawed characters and honest to their emotions. Mimi's revelation about her feelings for Nathan despite her marriage and Nathan's bigotry are foibles that made them humane and real. The romance between a dinosaur paleontologist and sculptor is a refreshing novelty. The passion in her bold strokes is sizzling and smoldering fuelled by Mimi's sexual reawakening. The front pages may not be well-developed but the final pages when the mystery is revealed deals a graceful coup de grace with its unexpected twist that brims with hidden truths. A daughter's love and Mimi's maturity are what makes Someone irresistible a cut above the rest. No doubt first time readers of Adele Ashworth will be captivated, but as for her fans her offering marks some disappointment though. Yet all is not lost - it is only because we have witnessed her mastery in producing books that are truly dazzling. This novella is arresting but certainly does not measure up to irresistible.