Rating: 
Summary: A HOT read...but all her plotting made me tired...
Review: I bought this book because I really enjoyed Nikki Donovan's short story in the 'Delighted' anthology. There is definitely plenty of explicit sex scenes and I think that's probably the only reason to read this book. The storyline was a little thin ... after 1 night of incredible sex, Fawkes, our hero, dreams of Nicola throughout his stint in the Crusades and returns to claim her. But from the moment she hears of his arrival she starts plotting. Plotting what? Disaster after disaster, that's what. How many bad ideas can one woman have? Plenty apparently. Every 20 pages has her coming up with some new plot to conceal her son from Fawkes. Every single one of them has "bad idea" written all over it. Theoretically a reader would probably dislike her because of her manipulative ways, but in truth she's so inept its almost funny if her schemes didn't have the potential to kill hundreds of people. I would never trust a word that came out of her mouth. So my conclusion is, read it for the sex scenes if that's what you're interested in because you definitely can't read it for the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Why Not Just Call It Erotica?
Review: I did not find anything romantic or intimate about No Surrender. It seemed like this author was so wrapped up in writing the sex scenes that she suddenly remembered that she needed some sort of plot. While her hero, Fawkes, was more likeable and human, her heroine did nothing for me and her behavior was silly from start to finish. She has this great guy who has dreamed of rescuing her from her brutal husband and giving her a good life for years, and she repays him by betraying him and lying to him continuously. Another problem I had with this story was a lot of the dialogue. I know for a fact that the four letter "F" word did not exist in England during the 1100's, and it is used excessively here. Also, Donovan has a habit of repeating a lot of words. One reviewer said that she uses the word Quim a lot and I totally agree. I got so tired of reading phrases like, "Her throbbing quim," or "Her wet quim." Instead of the sexy scene it was intended to be, I was laughing. All in all, No Surrender did not hold my interest. It might not have been so bad if it was labeled erotica, but when I read a romance novel, I want to read about romance.
Rating: 
Summary: For Playgirl
Review: I don't think this book was interesting in the least. I would expect to find something like this written in the pages of Playgirl.
Rating:
Summary: Attack of the killer quim!
Review: I grudgingly like this book, but have issues with two aspects of it. First, I don't expect a romance to contain an extremely high caliber of writing. However, I do get frustrated reading romances where I know the writer is lazy. I was unable to smoothly read this story because I kept pausing to reword sentences. Too many hads...had this and had done that...passive voice is a killer for prose. In comparison, "Stealing Heaven" by Madeline Hunter brims with sharp prose. It's in the present, it draws you in and captures you. It's not lazy. I haven't finished it yet, but the prologue in and of itself is superior to the quality of the writing in this novel. Secondly, holy mother...how many times can you say quim in a row? How many more times can you squeeze wet quim into one paragraph? After the first few chapters all the wet quims wearied me. It's as if the author plugged in an automated "fantasy" blurb whenever she thought the protagnists needed to agnoze and think about sex (which is frequently). But, as with most blurbs, there is no true heat, no passion borne of discovering a delicious mind in a delicious body...it was all body and it didn't make me feel anything but vaguely repulsed. If I'm going to read graphic things, at least make it passionate. This was like trying to imagine two machines going at it. Not romantic and not attractive. That said, there is a glimmer in this novel. The author is effective in relaying her setting and I think with a bit more soul and a bit more care for the prose, it could have been fabulous. It's a light read, and probably an okay read if you aren't in a picky mood.
Rating:
Summary: Very Hot Love Scenes!
Review: I have to agree with some of the other reviewers that the characters were a little lacking in depth but the love scenes are very erotic and graphic. If you are not a person who likes to read very erotic love scenes then I wouldn't get this book. Its a story of how two people are brought together by the heroine's mad husband, to mate so that he may have an heir. The Hero, Fawkes, was sent to couple with the heroine, Lady Nicola. He never realized how that one night would effect him for the rest of his life. Now 3 1/2 years later he has returned a victorious knight to claim Mordeaux Castle and the Lady Nicola. Nicola's life was also profoundly effected by that one night. It was the only night of pleasure that she's ever had. Her husband was a cruel man, and now that he is gone she is both thankful and fearful. She doesn't recognize the knight Fawkes as the tender lover of years past. She is afraid of him and keeps many secrets. But even though she fears him she is strongly drawn to him as he is to her. The passion they share is explosive and they are unable to fight it. Soon passion leads to love but when the secrets are reveiled all could be ruined. I look forward to more from this author.
Rating: 
Summary: Is Passion a powerful ruler?
Review: I have to agree with the first reviewer. THIS BOOK IS HOT,HOT,HOT AND HOT,THEN WE HAVE ...,...,... AND MORE .... A madam twisted ego brought them together. A king command ripped them apart. But the single night of shattering ... pleasure they shared has not dimmed in Fawkes de cressy memory.For three years he has waited to return to Mordeaux Castle and claim Lady Nicola Mortimer as his own forever.Yet upon his approach,Mordeaux army attacks and all signs point to treachery on her part. Suddenly Fawkes is torn between desire and distrust.FOR while victory in battle has won him the Lady Nicola,he is no longer certain he knows the woman with whom he has dreamed of sharing his bed and life. Whispers of a dangerous secret Nicola keeps only makes Fawks more determined to bend her to his will.But will it be he who surrenders his heart? This book is a must read and a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book From A New Author
Review: I thought No Surrender was a fun read. I know some people don't like the erotic theme, so this isn't for everyone. Just be warned: this story has a lot of sex. For those who like erotic romance, you will really like it. For those who are more geared towards purely romance, don't read it. All in all, I thought No Surrender was well written, engaging and sexy. If you like authors like Susan Johnson, Thea Devine and Virginia Henley then you need to give this author a try. I will be looking out for more new books by this author. She has promise.
Rating:
Summary: Crude, Nasty and Downright Dull
Review: It was all I could do to finish this book. It startes out interesting enough but nosedives from there. While the hero, Fawkes, is a likeable character, Nicola did absolutely nothing for me and her behavior is silly from start to finish. She has a great guy who worships her and saves her from her brutal husband, and she pays him back by lying to him consistently throughout the story and hiding his child from him. Her reasoning for doing this was ridiculous and very contradictory to the strong, intelligent woman that she is described as. Another thing I didn't like about No Surrender were the endless sex scenes that must have taken up about a third of the story. I didn't find them the least bit sexy, but crude. There is no intimacy or sharing, just a lot of rough sex. And when they aren't having sex they are talking about having sex or thinking about having sex. There is no desire to just be with one another, just sex. Lisa Kleypas's latest book, "Lady Sophia's Lover," was blasted for this but it was a lot more tasteful and romantic than this. And a lot of crude terms used to describe sexual encounters were not used in this time period...Also, the hero and his knights did not sound like men from the medeival period, but like modern sex-crazed young men. By the time I was reaching the end of No Surrender, I really didn't care what happened to Fawkes and Nicola. For those who felt the same way, I would to and buy a story by Tina St. John or Shana Abe. They write medeival romance and do a good job of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Hot book just wish there had been a little more plot
Review: No Surrender is a good read but I wish there had been more of a love relationship between the characters. This book is good for a light sexy read. I'd read more from this author.
Rating:
Summary: OK, but I would prefer more emotional depth
Review: She is Lady Nicola, a beautiful, wealthy, landed lady trapped in marriage to a dissolute monster. He is Fawkes de Cressy a lowly squire in her husband's employ. At her husband's command, she and Fawkes are to sleep together in order to beget the heir her husband cannot. So begins this tale of sex, betrayal and love. Love? Personally I saw little evidence of love between these two characters unless you equate love with sex. After spending two hours in a dark room having sex, he decides he is in love with her (!) and spends the next three years on crusade completely celibate for her and planning to rescue the lady from her husband when he gets home. He's built her up to be some sort of paragon or goddess and is bound to be disappointed. And he is. When he returns to rescue her, he is betrayed by her as she has warned her husband that he is coming. What Fawkes doesn't know is that she is trying to protect someone and will scheme and plot no end to protect this person. But Fawkes prevails, they marry and it is nothing like he has dream about for three long years. There is so much tension, so many lies, so much distrust between them and all can be laid at Nicola's door. Her scheming is endless and rarely works out the way she hopes. She seems to just make things worse and worse to the point that Fawkes finally will trust not a word she says. Very sad since he has loved her from the beginning (or at least he thought he did). I felt so sorry for Fawkes. He was a good, kind man mistreated by a woman who refused to trust him - though you can cut her some slack since her first husband was such a pig. This would have been a much better book if there had been any non-sexual relationship between these two characters. You'd think given the way they started out and that they haven't seen each other in three years, that they would spend some time trying get to know each other. But they have very litte conversation with each other and spend little time together. Instead they are immediately estranged and are only brought together in the end when a tragedy nearly takes one of them. But again, I was so disappointed that they are brought back together by sex - not by honesty, words of love or affection. What a let down. If you are simply looking for an erotic story, I suppose this book will suit. But if you want more emotional depth and feeling between the couple this falls short. Emma Holly blends the erotic and emotional much better (see Beyond Seduction/Innocence).
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