Rating: 
Summary: Sultry, sexy, fun
Review: This is my second Judith Ivory (my first was the terrific "The Proposition") and another enjoyable read. Stuart was dreamy! Handsome, moody and slightly dark - maybe a little scary, but definitely desirable and a nice (sometimes odd) sense of humour. He's trying to untangle his messy financial affairs since recently inheriting his title while also fighting with his uncle over possessions Stuart believes Leonard stole from the Yorkshire estate. On top of all that, a local woman has been harassing him over a lamb she claims his carriage ran over and killed! Why must things be so difficult?! Emma was smart, independent, pretty in a sturdy kind of way, and very likable. I loved her tenacity in pursuing justice for her dead lamb. She certainly threw herself completely into everything she did and she refuses to let this lordly snob get away without paying for her loss. She's no typical sheep farmer - she had another life years ago in London running con games with her recently deceased husband. She's not afraid to take him on - viscount or not! But when she can't get satisfaction through the courts, she reverts to her old ways and scams him for it. Unfortunately, Stuart is not the easy mark she thought and she is caught by him. To avoid prosecution, she reluctantly agrees to help him scam Leonard out of a statue and earrings he stole. But as things progress toward London and the scam, Stuart discovers that he cannot stop thinking about Emma and he wants her badly. Emma tries to resist, but eventually succumbs to his seduction. She finds him a bit frightening. He likes power and control - even in bed - and admits "I play. I have no shame. Only imagination." Wow. Emma's not sure what to make of all this, but she doesn't want to be just another quick tumble for him. She knows there's no future for a sheep farmer and a viscount and tries desperately to protect her heart. A fun read with some sweet and some very sexy moments. Like others, I felt the scam was a bit too easily accomplished, but on the whole I really liked this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Wish I could give it 6 stars
Review: This is one of the best of Judith Ivory's books. Since Judith Ivory's romantic fiction is at the top of the genre, that makes this one of the better romance novels. It is so much fun to read, I found myself in the unusual situation of trying not to finish it - it was such an enjoyable read. The combination of the love story with the con game - both of which really engage you, gives this book two wonderful themes that prevent you from putting this book down. Don't dismiss this as another typical romance novel - it belongs in a more respected category. I loved this book and can't wait for her next one.
Rating:
Summary: The Sting during the Regency!
Review: What a pleasant improvement on some of the other books by this author. Her writing style seems to have improved tremendously and in some scenes you practically feel like you are there. Well done detailing. The elements of the Sting operation were new and unusual in a Regency. Nice touch. I have to agree with the other reviewers though that Stuart was a bit of an anomaly. Initally the dark mysterious hero battling a stutter (I loved the scene where we first see him) he suddenly turns into a blase brash young man who is not too appealing. All in all a fine read if you like romances.
Rating:
Summary: Take one chair, a length of rope, and a sexy blackmailer...
Review: Wow. The chair scene may offend some readers, but I rank it among the most erotic "love" scenes ever written. The sexual tension between these people begins - believe it or not - long before they actually meet. His carriage runs over her lamb; she seeks recompense and is rebuffed in the most arrogant manner; she seeks revenge using con-artist skills she learned from her late husband. And when her "victim" realizes he's been conned, he sets his own trap - and the stage is set for one of the sexiest relationships I've ever read. This was my first Judith Ivory read, and I immediately bought everything else I could find. Ms. Ivory, please write faster - and don't back away from the bondage! You're duty-bound to write more scenes involving chairs.
| 
