Rating: 
Summary: Mytho-licious!
Review: Okay, so the plot was a little far-fetched. Seriously, what romance isn't?!
This book frequently refers to Greek/Roman mythology, which as all you mythophiliacs out there know, is full of far-fetched situations and characters. A person stuck in a scroll/book is not nearly as crazy as some of the other stuff that goes on good ol' Greek myth. Like there was this one guy Narcissus.....
But Narcissus has nothing to do with this book. Julian of Macedon becomes a sympathetic and believable protagonist from an unbelievable otherworldly situation. I especially love that the female protagonist isn't a foxy man-magnet, but rather an average woman with freckles who worries about her weight and breast size. For those of you who can't relate to that, I hate you. For the rest of us, you'll find someone who you end up cheering for in the end, because not only does she get the man of her dreams, but also everyone else's dreams as well. Go Grace! Get that hottie!
There is a lot of quirky humor and some action which keeps the book sliding along at a brisk pace. I read the whole thing in two sittings. (I would've finished it in one but I had to work. *sigh* The curse of the working woman...)
People who would like this book: those who have a basic understanding of mythology (or the ability to keep up with brief, concise explanations), those who know someone crazy from their college years, people who enjoy seeing the less-than-perfect woman get her perfect man, those who love sugar-sweet endings.
People who wouldn't like this book: those who need to have a semi-plausible plot line (no magic, thank you), those who pay way too much attention to detail (like the whole age of living in the dorm thing. whatever.), those who don't like or don't understand myths (this book sounds like Kenyon took a little known myth and made a modern romance out of it.)
That's my two cents.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, excellent, excellent
Review: This is a great escapist book. If only Julian of Macedon existed in real life! If you can cope with the Greek mythology and accept that Aphrodite, Cupid and Athena will drop in and out of the action on a regular basis, and if you can believe that our heroine Grace can withstand the charms of Julian for as long as she does, then you will love, love, love this book. Highly recommended!!
Rating:
Summary: Loved it
Review: I just finished read Fantasy Lover, it was great!!! The plot line was actually unique, at of all the Romance novels I have read there are rarely any dealing with Greek mythology. The relationship with the main characters was great, you really felt the love! I couldn't put the book down, it is a book that I would really enjoy reading over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: OH. MY. GOD.
Review: "Fantasy Lover" is absolutely unlike anything that I have ever read!!!!I will be the first to admit that the plot of this book is ubelievably far-fetched, but oooh did I looove it!!!!! Girls, the chemistry between Julian and Grace was undeniable...and the story was wild!! DEFINITELY a MUST READ!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but just a little too far-fetched
Review: The story revolves around Julian, an ex-Spartan General who is condemned to spend eternity as a love-slave trapped inside of a book. He is released every few years to become the sexual toy of the woman who calls him into service. Enter Grace Alexander who is tricked by her friend into calling Julian from the book. Grace is a sex therapist, who has her own sexual hang-ups of her own so the last thing in the world she needs in a naked love slave chained to her bed. Instead she dresses Julian up in tight blue jeans and decides to show him the town (New Orleans). In the process she gets to know the real Julian, and begins to understand his pain and frustration. She slowly begins to fall in love with him, and decides to help him find a way to break the curse and free himself from his prison. So-far-so good, but at this point the book starts to get a little bit outlandish. Gods and goddesses start popping in and out, and the story turn into a Greek slapstick comedy. There was Aphrodite (Julian's mother), Cupid (Julian's brother who appears dressed as a biker), Priapus (Julian's other half brother), and even Athena (Julian's patron goddess). I love a good time-travel book, and while this one started out great, it quickly turned into something resembling the TV series "BeWitched".
Rating: 
Summary: Fantasy Lover
Review: This was an interesting read. You feel so sorry for the poor man who is trapped and only used over the centuries for sex. Most men's fantasies. But I could relate as no one every saw him as a real person with feelings. He is surprised when the heroine doesn't demand sex from. It has a nice ending. I will re-read.
Rating:
Summary: One of my all time favorites
Review: I don't normally write reviews on anything, but after reading this one, I had to. It's been years since I found a book that touched all my emotions. I laughed and I cried, but most of all it touched my heart. All too rare are such books as this one. Julian is strong and very alpha and normally such a hero has moments of being a jerk that make me wonder why the heroine wants him. I never felt that in this book. Grace was warm and tender-hearted. She helped him come to terms with his past and healed the wounds of his heart. The end was wonderful and it made me cry for both of them. I loved the unexpected plot twists that kept me guessing and the secondary characters who stole my heart. I hope they turn up in future books. Selena is just the kind of girlfriend everyone needs. I just wish my girlfriend would give me a studly Greek general for my birthday.
Rating:
Summary: Greek history and mythology in TT romance
Review: FANTASY LOVER is a time-travel romance that combines Greek history, Greek mythology, with the angst of a couple who seem fated to be parted as soon as they appreciate each other. At the outset, 29-year-old sex therapist Grace Alexander is offered a gorgeous naked man Julian of Macedon, a former Spartan general. Julian has been trapped in a book via a spell by a jealous minor god. The spell requires him to appear to any woman who calls him out, and he is at her bidding and control until the next full moon. Julian lived over 2000 years ago, but he has managed to keep abreast of current events since he can hear conversations that take place near the book. His past "owners" have been interested only in his body, and have treated him worse than a slave (very little food, and no clothing). His new owner Grace does the unexpected. Firstly, she is not too thrilled to have Julian appear. Secondly, she refuses to make use of him - unlike all his previous "owners." Thirdly, she treats him as a human being, feeding him, clothing him, and talking to him. The book works mostly because of Julian. He is gorgeous and an alpha-male, but a sensitive alpha. He adapts reasonably well to modern life (despite a hilarious but disastrous driving lesson). He is also trying to break free of the spell, to return to his own time period. This is one TT hero who is not interested in modern miracles; his greatest desire is firstly to be free of the spell, and then to return to his own time. Grace is a complicated and not entirely satisfactory heroine. She is a genuinely nice person obviously. But as a romantic heroine, she is a bit of a dud. She has let one bad experience color all her feelings about men and sex. She is also not particularly suited for her job as a sex therapist (or she seems to attract all the wackoes as clients). The joy of the book is in the details of their evolving relationship. The book is not so much about sex, as about what happens between a couple where their relationship is doomed to be short-lived from the outset. If the spell cannot be broken, then will Grace risk emotional commitment for a stirring affair that lasts only until Julian disappears back into the book? If the spell can be broken, will Julian return to his time or will he stay in Grace's time? And can Grace herself commit to this gorgeous man who is the epitome of every woman's fancy, not just in his looks but in his character. [Well, he has some baggage from his actions before the spell was cast...] The one problem with this book was a minor sub-plot which did not quite ring true. It did allow Julian to show how deeply he cares for Grace. I would wish though that this sub-plot had been dropped or changed. I would also have liked to have heard a bit more about Julian's experiences through time. Finally, a couple of warnings. If you are not familiar with either Greek mythology or ancient classical history, you might find this book rather confusing. A little afterword or an introductory note would have helped. This book is also not quite what I expected, in the sense that the actual consummation of the relationship came pretty late, and it was not what was expected either. If you are looking for something burning in the style of Schone, Small etc, this is not it. Nor is it filled with the requisite three or four long-drawn out love scenes in most books labelled as "hot". The heat, such as it is, comes more from the anticipation - from Julian's thoughts as he interacts with Grace, and Grace's own thoughts about Julian. The book works mostly because of Julian, who is a tragic and tormented hero. Through the book, you learn more and more about his past and his character, until you begin to wonder to what extent his own character flaws played a part in his being trapped, and to what extent the jealousies of other people played a part. My major problem with the book (the sub-plot aside) is that I never felt very involved with the characters, even with Julian.
I don't know why this was so, perhaps because I did not get a full understanding of Julian's history and background until nearly the end, and perhaps because I failed to relate to Grace (even though she was nice). This may not be your problem. I was also disappointed not to hear more about Julian's experiences in different time periods. On the other hand, I loved the use of books and reading aloud in this story. This was a very good smooth read, which just falls a step short of being a keeper. Recommendation = Recommended highly to lovers of Greek history and myth, and less highly to lovers of time-travel romance. Grade = 4.2 (B+)
Breakdown = romance element 4.1 (B+); characterization 3.8 (B-); plot development 4.2 (B+); writing 4.3 (B+).
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Story
Review: This was a great story from beginning to end. I stayed up into the early morning hours to finish it because I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read more by Ms. Kenyon! Read this book - you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Wow! I want one!
Review: Wow! I want one! (A Julian that is) I won't repeat the story line since it has been detailed enough; But I will repeat: Wow! What a guy..... I agree with another reviewer that even though he has a tortured past he doesn't whine about it. He does share it with Grace but not in a whining manner. I also like how he's not shy about coming to her defense. I love the tough guys that don't mind showing their muscle at the appropriate time but don't have to prove themselves constantly and don't have to prove their manhood by being jerks to the females in their life. Grace is also a delight (but I don't need one of her, thank you LOL ). She is just too funny trying to deal with the situation. Yes, I realize there were some not too realistic qualities concerning her career, but no one is perfect, & I'd definitely be a little sidetracked if I had my own Julian waiting somewhere for me! Selena was a hoot too..... her opening remark to Grace on page one had me chuckling immediately & set the stage for the book for me. I enjoyed greek mythology in school & this book has me wanting to do a little research on the relationships between the various gods. This book will definitely stay on my small, but growing keepers shelf. I can't wait to read the Dark Hunters series. I hope they have heroines as fun as Grace & heroes as sexy & masculine as Julian. This is my first SK book, but I will definitely be checking out others. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to write reviews & helps me find new enjoyable authors!
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