Rating: 
Summary: I applaud Ms. Ranney for writing the book of her heart
Review: I just closed the covers of My Beloved and signed on here to read all the glowing reviews. Imagine my shock when I came across such a polarized range of viewpoints and a shocking number of them negative. This book entranced me from the first page -- from the childhood separation of Juliana and Sebastian to their eventual emotional resolution, I was spellbound. The prose is lyrical and full of rich depth, the love scenes both sensual and compelling. What's not to love? Slow moving? Give me a break...some of the best romances don't gallop along, they meander gracefully and let the reader savor every step. My best friend is a calligrapher, so maybe that's why I found the scenes in the scriptorum so intriguing (this seemed to be a frequent complaint of the naysayers). I thought that that unusual skill added character to Juliana. And as for Sebastian's dark secret, well, someone spilled the beans to me before I read the book and I STILL found his plight and his longing for his wife to be heartbreaking. This is what the craft of writing romance is all about -- emotional tension, sexual chemistry and enough historical detail to make it all seem convincing. I salute you, Karen Ranney, and I spit in the general direction of your critics (to borrow an apt insult from Monty Python and the Holy Grail).
Rating: 
Summary: Not my Cup of Tea
Review: I picked this up because of the good reviews not only here but on TRR and AAR. I have two words to describe this book. NOT EXCITING! This book is completely boring! I had a really hard time getting through this one. Don't get me wrong, Sebastian and Juliana did have a sweet love for each other (although I had a hard time with his disability...YUCK) but there was absulutely nothing at all exciting about this book. I was not blissfully anticipating the next page or chapter. I did not squirm and my heart strings never ached. I honestly don't know what all the fuss is about. All in all, more than a little dissapointing. I will not be in line to buy the next one.
Rating: 
Summary: A different kind of love story
Review: I picked up this book because I enjoyed My Wicked Fantasy. Although I agree with other reviewers that this book is a little wordy, I thought Ms. Ranney made it work. I truely cared about the characters, and didn't find the book to drag at all. True, the sex scenes are somewhat graphic, but unlike other readers, I didn't find the need to count them. I found the history interesting, and I thought Ms. Ranney did a good job of interweaving the history with the development of the characters. Once the reader knows the history, she can understand Sebastian and Juliana's motivations. If you're looking for a historical romance not set in the Regency time period, this is a good place to start.
Rating:
Summary: I'm not really sure why I liked this book so much
Review: I purchased this book thinking it was one thing and finding that it was something else. Yes, it's wordy, but it flows beautifully, almost poetically. The characters are deep, but sometimes boring. The plot is one of the most original I've read, yet it lacked excitement. The love story is beautiful, but very drawn out. I hated the ending, it left me feeling lost. But overall I'd have to say that I liked the book.
Rating:
Summary: If you liked The Da Vinci Code, you might like this book.
Review: I read The Da Vinci Code last summer, and have been intrigued by its secrets ever since. After reading the review on TRR, and finding out this involved the Treasure of the Cathars, I knew I had to read this book. I wanted to see if it really revealed the Holy Grail of Dan Brown's book. It does, but not in much detail; In fact, it kind of skims over it. Karen Ranney must have done her research through the book Holy Blood Holy Grail or another book dealing on the subject, since her book came out first.
This book may be a little wordy, but for those of us who are interested in history that may have been kept from us, it's very intriguing. I also liked the way the characters got to know each other before having sex. All in all, a good read.
Rating:
Summary: For the intelligent reader who wants a great love story.
Review: I think Karen Ranney's books appeal to a different type of romance reader - the one who wants something intelligent and different. My Beloved is a great love story along with being thought provoking. Frankly, I think those who don't like this book are more the boink-boink fest types as mentioned earlier. This is a beautiful, glowing story of a deep love. It has beauty, passion, mystery, and a poignancy that marks all of Ranney's books. But, like I said, it won't appeal to all readers - only the intelligent ones.
Rating:
Summary: Ranney is back! Great read!
Review: I was a huge fan of Ms. Ranney's early works such as TAPESTRY & HEAVEN FORBIDS. I've been disappointed with her last 2 releases before MY BELOVED. Well, the drama and pure emotion that always drew me to Ms. Ranney's writing is back! This was a tremendously moving book! While I guessed the hero's problem fairly early on, I couldn't stop reading because I couldn't imagine how the situation could be resolved in the scope of a romance novel. There is great resolution and the love between Juliana and Sebastian was intense. The ending could of been stronger I thought, but that would be my only complaint! Great job Ms. Ranney! Thanks for a great read!
Rating:
Summary: Ranney is back! Great read!
Review: I was a huge fan of Ms. Ranney's early works such as TAPESTRY & HEAVEN FORBIDS. I've been disappointed with her last 2 releases before MY BELOVED. Well, the drama and pure emotion that always drew me to Ms. Ranney's writing is back! This was a tremendously moving book! While I guessed the hero's problem fairly early on, I couldn't stop reading because I couldn't imagine how the situation could be resolved in the scope of a romance novel. There is great resolution and the love between Juliana and Sebastian was intense. The ending could of been stronger I thought, but that would be my only complaint! Great job Ms. Ranney! Thanks for a great read!
Rating:
Summary: NOT a keeper!
Review: I wouldn't go as far as saying this book is boring...but it sure isn't all that exciting either!With that said, the medieval details appealed to me (I love Medieval history) and the loves scenes were pretty spicy (which I liked a lot). Other than that, the plot was more of a mystery than a romance. By the time it warmed up to being a romance, I no longer cared. The hero is monkish. Yes, monkish. Right down to his long black robe. No exactly my fantasy, you know? He's very serious, solumn and gruff, even a little shy. Tortured. Normally this would tug at my heartstrings--but not in this case. It was hard to feel anything for such a weirdo. The heroine is described as 'shy, timid, mousey, quiet'. She was raised in a convent and is scholarly to boot. Ok, not bad if this were a real person, but it does not make for very exciting reading. (At least the author spared us the naive innocent who is all of a sudden worldly and experienced beyond her years.) Also Juliana is very young--only 17, whereas the hero is what? 30? 32? Yuck! I know that's how things were done, but it is not fun to read about or imagine, ok! (Still, it beats the 13, 14, and 15 year old heroines I have been subjected to reading in many historical romances and their unbelievably 'worldy-wise' ways. I HATE THAT!) She is well matched with Sebastian. They are both pretty dour people. The secret is handled well (not going to reveal it) but it could have come out sooner. The whole book in fact could have used a major edit. Too damned wordy. The prose is too damned purple (especially the love scenes) and the dialogue and secnic observations could have been shortened or even removed in some scenes with no major effect on the rest of the story. I like details, and do in fact read historicals to learn about my favorite historical periods--but this book is a few adjectives away from being a history book, which may tick off most romance readers. One last thing--obviously the author knows her history and researched this well. But do we need to be hit over the head with descriptions of ink, scribing, parchment, and everything in between that goes into manuscripting? I don't think so! This was my first Ranney novel--given that her next is a sequel, and this is by no means a keeper on my shelf, it may well be my last.
Rating:
Summary: Typical Karen Ranney - A wonderful & sensitive love story!
Review: I've never been disappointed by a Karen Ranney story and "My Beloved" was no exception! This is truly a story to cherish. Sebastian and Juliana become more and more alive with each page. I had trouble putting it down ... even the traffic lights back and forth to work each day weren't LONG ENOUGH!
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