Scandal's Captive

Rating:
Summary: Re-read this book, it's even better the second time.
Review: Scandal's Captive is a new favorite of mine. What a love story

Rating:
Summary: Scandal's Captive
Review: Scandal's Captive is a real jewel of a historical romance. Lady Thacea asks the Earl of Brandtwood for his help and in the course of a wonderful plot Thacea and Marcus each find what the other has needed all along. I have read this book over and over again. It is a real classic.

Rating:
Summary: Scandal's Captive
Review: Scandal's Captive is a real jewel of a historical romance. Lady Thacea asks the Earl of Brandtwood for his help and in the course of a wonderful plot Thacea and Marcus each find what the other has needed all along. I have read this book over and over again. It is a real classic.

Rating:
Summary: Had to put it aside 1/4 of the way through!
Review: This book failed to keep me interested at all. This has rarely happened that I just stopped reading a book. I was not fond of the plot at all, the characters, chemistry (of lack of it).

Rating:
Summary: More Jerk than Hero
Review: This book rather disgusted me from the beginning. It starts with the so-called hero telling his mistress (who is a married woman) goodby in the coldest terms after making love to her. (I found that particularly repulsive.) The writer of course tries to demonize the Other Woman but succeeds only in making the hero look like an adultrous jerk. The plot device known as the Other Woman then starts looking for revenge (and who could blame her?)

And to anyone who wants to insist that this is historically accurate, I would like to point out that at least the appearance of decency and politeness were highly prized during the Regency period. (Book is set in 1818) His gauche behavior would not have won him anyone's admiration at the time or later.

The writer of course is demonizing the Other Woman so she can drag out some virginal twit to "redeem" the hero. Except he isn't redeemed, he just transfers his lust to said virginal twit. Some romance writers have been allowed to get away with shoddy plotting and bad characterization as long as they deliver the goods. The goods being a happily ever after ending with some emotional feel-good buzz that passes for love-- no matter how unlikely it is that the mismatched couple would be able to forge a relationship that would withstand adversity.

I guess Sturgeon's Law ("Sure, 90% of science fiction is crud. That's because 90% of everything is crud." )applies to every genre, it's just that it is more obvious in romance because there is so much of it published.

Avoid this book if you like characterization, plotting and historical accuracy.

Rating:
Summary: I've found a New Favorite Author!
Review: This is the first book of Mandalyn Kaye's I've read, and it's a Keeper for me! She writes a great story and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!

As a Mega reader of Historical Romance, I seldom get to add a new favorite, but this is a lovely romance! The storyline is exciting, the verbage is real, and the love is lovely!

Great Going, Mandalyn, I'm looking forward to more!

Rating:
Summary: I've found a New Favorite Author!
Review: This is the first book of Mandalyn Kaye's I've read, and it's a Keeper for me! She writes a great story and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!

As a Mega reader of Historical Romance, I seldom get to add a new favorite, but this is a lovely romance! The storyline is exciting, the verbage is real, and the love is lovely!

Great Going, Mandalyn, I'm looking forward to more!