|
|
Tuesday, September 15, 2009:
Spotlight: L - Julie Anne Long
 Julie Anne Long is a relatively new-to-me author, but one that had a significant impact on me in 2008. I had read the first book in her Pennyroyal Green series, "The Perils of Pleasure", and enjoyed it very much. So much so that I went on to read the 2nd book, "Like No Other Lover", and this is the book that totally blew me away. It's hard to define why sometimes a book grabs a hold of you and takes you for an amazing, colorful ride. The plot was not exceptionally original: young woman must find rich, eligible man to marry or end up destitute. Simple, done before. But Julie Anne Long did it better. I adored this book, those special little moments that set it apart. Who knew the heroine's sudden affection for arachnids would be so endearing? It was just such a charming, lovely story. I have the next book in the series, "Since The Surrender", just haven't read it yet. But I will. I like Julie's writing style, so when I'm on my historical kick again, this will be the first book I grab. I love finding authors who can surprise me with in the most subtle of ways. Just when you think you've read it all, someone writes a story that you can't get out of your head, and that's why Julie is in this week's author's spotlight. Sadly I haven't met her in person, but the internet is an amazing thing, what with blogs and email and this wonderful addiction known as Twitter. So I get to "follow" Julie and see what she's up to, and hope one day to meet her and have her sign my books. One of my favorite things about reading is meeting those who write the amazing stories. I'm crossing my fingers that the opportunity to meet JAL becomes a reality someday, and gush in person about how much "Like No Other Lover" made an impression on me. What book have you read recently that made an impression? Labels: Julie Anne Long
posted by Stacy~ at 9/15/2009 06:44:00 AM
|
 
Thursday, November 13, 2008:
"Like No Other Lover" by Julie Anne Long (2008)
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon (October 28, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0061341592
ISBN-13: 978-0061341595 It's the last chance for Cynthia Brightly, the ton's most bewitching belle. Driven out of London by a secret scandal, she must find a grand husband at the Redmonds' house party before word of her downfall spreads all over England. Unfortunately, someone at Pennyroyal Green is already privy to the whispers of broken engagements and dueling lovers: Miles Redmond, renowned explorer and—thanks to his brother's disappearance—heir to the family's enormous fortune.
Miles set his sights on Cynthia once, at a time when the ambitious beauty thought herself too good for a second son. But now he's the heir apparent, relishing in his control. He strikes a bargain with her: he'll keep Cynthia's steamy secrets and help her find a husband among the guests—in exchange for a single kiss.
What could be the harm in a simple kiss? Cynthia is about to discover that it's enough to unleash fierce passion-and that Miles Redmond is most certainly like no other lover in the world.
As I mentioned earlier, I am kicking myself for not picking up a JAL book sooner. "Like No Other Lover" is the 2nd book in the Pennyroyal series, and as much as I enjoyed the first book, this one blows it completely out of the water. I spent all day Sunday reading LNOL, and it was some of the best hours of reading I've experienced in a long time.
Miles Redmond is a big, quiet man with an incredibly inquisitive mind who approaches everything from the side of logic and science. Nothing scares him as long as he can understand it, rationalize it, and confront with that knowledge. That is until one day at a ball, while just standing there, a flash of color catches his attention - the dress of a woman dancing. He's about to turn away when he catches a glimpse of her face, and from that moment on, his life will never be the same...
In those moments while Miles is staring at her, transfixed, Cynthia Brightly is secure in the knowledge that she is the hit of the season, and as such, she believes she can have any man she chooses. That distinction certainly won't go to a dull second son like Miles, though perhaps his elder brother, Lyon, will do rather nicely. Soon her future is almost certainly guaranteed when she secures the hand of the Earl of Courtland. It's only a matter of time before they are wed.
But now, a year later, things aren't going quite so well for Miss Brightly. Her fiance' has dumped her, she is days away from being completely penniless, and she must quickly and efficiently find another rich fiance' before the scandal catches up with her and ruins her chances of marriage forever. This brings her to Pennyroyal Green and her friend Violet Redmond's home. While attending the Redmond house party, Cynthia begins her rather methodical search, unaware that she is being observed doing so by Miles, who sees exactly what she's all about and doesn't care much for her cold-blooded, mercenary ways. But after trading some rather pointed and accurate barbs, Miles offers a challenge up to Miss Brightly: he will assist her in her quest for a husband by supplying her with useful information about each prospective groom in exchange for a kiss.
Cynthia reluctantly agrees, and immediately Miles directs her to a hidden location to transact their business without causing a scandal. Miles questions his sanity in kissing a woman who so obviously doesn't want his kisses, and it certainly isn't that other women don't find him attractive, but in for a penny, in for a pound. He's determined to get this over with quickly, but one touch of his lips to hers and he's lost in sensations he's never quite experienced before. Spellbound, aroused, it ends before he gets to the point of no return, and even as they walk away from each other, it takes some time for the burn to disappear, and even longer for to be forgotten.... Where do I begin? Do you ever have the problem of loving a book so much that you just cannot find the words to adequately describe it? That is exactly how this book has made me feel. As I read it I kept marveling at the layers being peeled away, revealing a thoroughly fascinating and complex relationship between two people who have been so wrong about each other right from the beginning. Miles is guilty of having seen only the dollar signs in Cynthia's eyes, unaware that she is desperately hanging on by a thread to her dignity and her reputation, whereas Cynthia believes Miles is a boring, invisible man with limited experience with the opposite sex, when in fact he is quite an exciting adventurer with a fascination for bugs and a strong sexual appetite.
Despite his promise to his father that he would court another, more appropriate woman to be his bride, Miles cannot ignore the vibrant charm that naturally exudes from Cynthia; it is as much a part of her as breathing, and he's not anymore immune to it than any other man, especially she knows how to brandish it like a weapon in order to get what she wants. It reluctantly draws him to her time and again and he finds her wit and intelligence and even her lack of goodness to be more suited to his style.
And while Cynthia once scoffed at the idea of a man like Miles courting her, now he seems to be the only man who truly captures her attention, and understands her in ways that are almost frightening. His unique and thoughtful gestures are enough to break down all of Cynthia's defenses, despite her best efforts to protect her heart.
One of the things I found so interesting is how both Miles and Cynthia naturally adapted themselves to the more intrinsic parts of the other's personality. At one time disgusted by the spiders that spun webs along her windowsill, Cynthia finds herself checking in on her arachnid roommate that Miles defends so proudly. Miles' eloquent descriptions of the bugs and insects he adores establishes a peculiar kind of symmetry to Cynthia that is pure poetry. And though Miles believes he wants a woman who is good and kind-hearted for a wife, he's utterly captivated by the more clever and resourceful aspects of Cynthia's personality; her pragmatic and ambitious goals tend to suit his logical mind more easily than the agreeable and pleasant nature of the young woman he is courting. It isn't until Miles is made aware of the direness of Cynthia's troubles that he begins to truly comprehend the fear and desperation driving her to finding a husband, and gets a tiny glimpse into what it really must be like to live her life, day to day.
I don't know how to describe the way this book made me feel other than to say that I could feel Miles and Cynthia falling in love as if it were me living through the experience. The poignant moments where they saw the other so clearly but knew their chosen paths took them in opposite directions. Their utter joy at just being in each other's presence. The complete acceptance of the other person to just "be". It was all there. And I adored every second of it. All I wanted to do when I read the last page was to go to the beginning and re-read it all over again and recapture the amazing feeling this story gave me. I wish all the books I read had such magic. Rating: ***** out of *****
Labels: Julie Anne Long
posted by Stacy~ at 11/13/2008 04:43:00 AM
|
Saturday, November 08, 2008:
"The Perils of Pleasure" by Julie Anne Long (2008)
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon (January 29, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061341584
ISBN-13: 978-0061341588 A rescued rogue . . .
Scandal has rocked the city of London. Colin Eversea, a handsome, reckless unapologetic rogue is sentenced to hang for murder and, inconveniently for him, the only witness to the crime disappears. Then again, throughout history, the Everseas have always managed to cheat fate in style: Colin is snatched from the gallows by a beautiful, clever mercenary.
A captivating captor. . .
Cool-headed, daring Madeleine Greenway is immune to Colin's vaunted charm. Her mission is not to rescue Colin but to kidnap him, and to be paid handsomely for it. But when it becomes clear that whoever wants Colin alive wants Madeline dead, the two become uneasy allies in a deadly race for truth. Together, they'll face great danger—and a passion neither can resist.
This is my first Julie Anne Long book but I've decided definitely not my last. Michelle Buonfiglio has been raving about her books for a long, long time, and I finally picked up the first book in her Pennyroyal series. Now I'm wondering why I waited so freakin' long. Colin Eversea is the kind of man everyone loves - he's a cheery sort who always manages to get himself into scrapes but he's so handsome and likable that people love him anyway. Well his latest adventure is not so much fun: he's about to hang for the murder of Roland Tarbell, a relative of the Redmonds, a family the Everseas have been feuding with for generations. Of course he didn't do it, but it's too late for that, as he's now a dead man walking up to the gallows, wearing heavy chains and a feigned look of courage. But as he's lead to his death, a voice whispers to him, uttering a command that he follows, and soon Colin is free, and given into the custody of a woman who takes him away from the danger of being hanged... But Madeleine Greenway didn't capture Colin to save him. No, she has her own plans for him, mostly to collect the money she was promised when she agreed to kidnap him from the gallows. Only the person who was supposed to pay her doesn't appear; instead someone else shows up and tries to kill her. Now her and Colin are on the run, trying to prove his innocence without getting caught, but Colin's not a guy who blends into the woodwork, so eluding the authorities - and those who covet the bounty on his head - is as challenging as ignoring the incredible attraction between them. Dodging through the city as they uncover clues to proof Colin's innocence, they both grow more and more aware of each other, and definitely like what they discover. But hovering over them is the knowledge that once Colin is released from the charge of murder is the fact that there is another woman in his life, a lovely lady who Colin had every intention of marrying and spending the rest of his days.... "The Perils of Pleasure" started out a little slow for me, but once I got into it, I really began to enjoy the adventure. I still don't understand why it took me a whole week to read it; it certainly wasn't because it was a boring book. I loved Madeleine and her quiet, confident bravery. Here was a woman who'd lost much in her life, and had to alter her way of living to survive. Madeleine is just not existing day by day however. She very much has a plan, and capturing Colin was one way to reach her goal of sailing to America. Things go awry, and the two end up spending much time together as they decide the best course of action is to try and prove Colin's innocence. But that doesn't mean Madeleine is not tempted to turn him in for the substantial reward money. She thinks about it several times over the course of their time together, until she reaches a point where she knows she cannot do it. And yes, Colin is very likable, yet also smarter than people give him credit for. As Madeleine realizes, he's always noticing things. He's very observant, which can be rather unsettling. Despite his charming, almost rakish ways, Colin's one dream since he was a little boy was to marry Louisa Porter and build their life together on a farm. Going to Newgate prompted his older brother Marcus, who's also always been in love with Louisa, to ask for her hand. Part of Colin's desperation to prove his innocence is to prevent the wedding from happening. But then there's Madeleine, who impresses and fascinates him at every turn. Having experienced the horror of prison and near death, Colin is a very different man than the one who had such simple dreams. Now with his impending innocence, he must make a decision that may alter his entire life. Together, these two make a dynamic team, working in tandem without words, but more of a flow that comes instinctively. Colin has seen war, and Madeleine has seen hardship, and this experience creates a bond between them. Eventually there comes a point where the two must give in to the simmering desire that races through them, and even in a setting where discovery is a very real possibility, they cannot resist the passion. It takes them both over, and neither regrets giving into it. While usually the idea of having sex while in danger seems really stupid to me, the very real danger and the current circumstances create a very believable scenario that is completely convincing to me. Living on adrenaline and determination, once Colin and Madeleine find themselves in relatively private quarters for the night, their coming together is at this point inevitable. Imminent capture hangs over their heads, and for a brief time, they just let go and let their bodies take over. It's urgent and quick, made more intense by their need to be as quiet as possible. It definitely drove the story forward, and initiated a series of questions in both Madeleine and Colin that now they had to figure out how to answer. So yes, I liked this book very much. I liked the subtlety of it, how it kind of sneaks up on you and lures you in until you can't help but be caught up in it. I like that it wasn't over the top, and the descriptions were given so clealy that you could hear the crickets in your mind, or smell the scent of the lavendar water Madeleine favors, even as you imagine the musk of slightly unwashed bodies and the scrape of Colin's beard. Such vivid imagery enhances rather than detracts from my enjoyment of their story, and I'm glad I already have the next book, "Like No Other Lover", in my tbr pile. I definitely plan on reading this one over the weekend. Rating: **** 1/2 out of ***** Labels: Julie Anne Long
posted by Stacy~ at 11/08/2008 10:33:00 AM
|
|
|
