Duke of Midnight

Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt

Maximus Batten, the Duke of Wakefield, is but a child when he witnesses his parents being murdered in St. Giles. Now he rules Parliament and is a model of propriety in society, but in his secret life he is one of the Ghosts of St. Giles, protecting the people and secretly hunting for the person who murdered his parents. Artemis Greaves is a ladies companion for her spoiled, but naively sympathetic, cousin Penelope, because of a tragedy that left her brother wrongly accused of murder and locked up in Bedlam. One evening she is forced into St. Giles because of her cousin and when the two are accosted they are rescued by the Ghost and in the struggle, Artemis pulls Maximus' family ring off his finger. Maximus is trying to court the equally proper Lady Penelope, but once Artemis puts together all of the clues she recognizes Maximus as the ghost and decides to use this knowledge to help her brother, Apollo. She threatens to go to the police if Maximus doesn't help her brother escape.

Maximus is trapped, but he can't help but find himself drawn to the withdrawing young lady who hides in the back ground but has no problems blackmailing a Duke. He agrees to help her and she becomes companion to his sister so she can be closer to Apollo, but also means that she is much closer to him. Artemis wants to figure out why Maximus continues to go out, putting his life at risk and wonders what has happened to turn him into a cold and seemingly heartless man. But Artemis begins to melt Maximus and he finds himself thinking about more than just revenge and his parents' fate. Kisses and caresses turn into far more, but while Maximus knows he cannot live without her, Artemis knows she cannot live with him as his mistress, especially if he still plans to marry her cousin. Maximus is closer than ever to finding out who murdered his parents, and a clue reveals that Artemis' brother might know more than he is letting on. Even when confronting a murder, Maximus knows that what really matters is Artemis and finding a way to convince her that he is the one who needs to become worthy enough to earn her love.

Hoyt's ability to write likable, realistic, and three dimensional heroines remains unparalleled in my opinion. Artemis is a living, breathing woman with faults and hopes and love and fears and Hoyt does a fabulous job of drawing the reader in to Artemi' life and enabling the reader to truly feel like Artemis is a real person. Her love for her brother, her sense of duty to her cousin, her terror of her uncertain future with Maximus, her resilience in the face of a family tragedy, and her pride that carries her through some not so pleasant scenes with Maximus. Maximus' childhood has created a man who seems to have no emotions and he is quite chilly and unlikable for much of the book. His dedication to finding the person who killed his parents overshadows everything else in his life and it is only when he realizes he might lose Artemis, and thus any chance at happiness in his future, that he truly starts to change. He continues to remain stuck-up until very near the end.

Together Artemis and Maximus make a seemingly mismatched pair because she is so vibrant and alive and he is stuck inside a very chilly shell. I liked that with Artemis' help, Maximus began to change as he loosened up his necktie and moved beyond his prejudices and lost his stuffiness. He helped her find her brother and protected her from gossip mongers. It was an interesting relationship because I felt like throughout it, both of them realized Artemis was too good for Maximus, and he was trying to make it up to her. However, it wasn't until the very end that he finally made it up to her for good by proposing. There was lots of sex and as usual, Hoyt is one of the best historical romance writers out there for writing super hot sex scenes full of passion and love. The plot involving his parents death was engrossing and kept a great bit of mystery going throughout the whole book. While it took up a large portion of the book, I never felt like it took away from the romance of the story.

Rating: One of the best romance I've read in a very long time. A wonderful heroine and a tortured hero in a loving relationship,with an engrossing mystery.

Lord of Darkness

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

Lady Margaret Reading and Godric St. John were forced to marry two years ago when she became pregnant and her fiance, Lord Roger Fraser-Burnsby, is murdered in St. Giles. In her grief Megs goes to the St. John country estate to live with Godric's step-mother and half- sisters and she miscarries her unborn child. Two years later she decides she would like a child of her own so she surprises Godric in London, determined to become pregnant while not betraying the love for her former fiance. Godric is also recovering from the loss of a spouse; his deceased wife Clara was the love of her life before she died slowly and painfully of a wasting disease and he too has vowed never to betray her memory. He has thrown himself into his work as the Ghost of St. Giles and has no time for friends or family now that he is trying to track down more lassie snatchers that have begun operating again. But Megs knows how to make herself difficult to ignore, bringing laughter and happiness into his dark and dreary existence. Unfortunately Megs is out to get revenge on the Ghost because she believes he killed her fiance.

When Megs finally gathers the courage to ask Godric to help her get pregnant he turns her down, telling her that he is celibate in remembrance of Clara. However, when Megs make an excursion into St. Giles to hunt for the ghost she is startled to find herself in the Ghost's embrace, so much so that she stabs him and belatedly discovers that her husband is the Ghost. This discovery/ revelation brings the two of them closer together and Godric agrees to help Megs discover who killed Roger and he will impregnate her, if she agrees to return to the safety of the country once she is pregnant. Megs agrees but their coupling is awkward at first because of her fear of the growing feelings she has for Godric. As Godric becomes closer to finding the lassie snatchers and Roger's murderer he is terrified of losing Megs. Both of them have learned that falling in love with each other does not mean they love their previous partners any less and they work together to unravel the mysteries of St. Giles so they can plan for their happily ever after.

Meg was lively and energenic in a very real way that made it impossible not to like her; she had a genuine love for those around her and was passionate about gardening and other people being happy. Godric was the perfect mix of brooding, vulnerability, and masculine strength and I absolutely loved him. They both had a very well done melancholy regarding their past lovers and it was remarkably well done; both of them were suffering and worried about betraying the memory of those they loved. They worked together to overcome these feelings and came to understand that those they loved would have wanted them to be happy- and it was done in a way that didn't seem corny. I think the tragedy from Megs past also helped her work past the defenses that Godric had built up around himself and made her more sympathetic to what he was going through with his family and as the Ghost. It was better that she was not just a happy go lucky girl who saved the tortured hero.

Their relationship was beautifully written as the two of them spent a lot of time together, getting to know each other and enjoying being in each other's company. I felt like there was a nice mix of emotional connection and happiness between them in their relationship. There was a lot of sex between them and Hoyt is back in fine form because it is smoking hot; she goes above and beyond most historical romance novels sex and takes it to another level while still keeping it away from porn. My problem with the book lies in the entire Ghost plot because I realize I am getting tired of St. Giles and, although I loved them all in their own novels, I am tired of the same people. To make matters even worse, the matter of the lassie snatchers was the exact same problem that Ghost in the last story was trying to solve! She's recycling plots! I'm glad that the Ghost plot took a backseat to the relationship, but wish that it had taken up even less of the story. Hoyt sets up the next book in the series beautifully, but I'm wary of another book about the Ghost of st. Giles.

Rating: Wonderful relationship with completely meant for each other characters, but a recycled side plot that I'm quickly getting tired of made me unhappy.

Thief of Shadows

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt

Winter Makepeace has lived his life helping others from running a home for orphaned children in the seedy areas of St. Giles to masquerading as the Ghost of St. Giles. As the ghost, Winter fights against injustice and protects those weaker than him, but his anonymity has lead many to paint him as a villain and law enforcements is searching for him. One night, after saving the life of Charming Mickey O'Connor because his sister is in love with him, Winter is wounded and while escaping through the streets is picked up by the widowed Lady Isabel Beckinhall. Isabel leads a charmed life, she is popular with the ladies of the ton and she immerses herself in fashion and charity. She is immediately taken with the ghost of St. Giles as her household works to save his life even though she never removes his mask. The two share a passionate kiss but both know that the ghost will never reveal himself to a lady. Winter goes back to the orphanage and Isabel continues with her life.

The orphanage he runs has lately been endorsed by a ladies charitable syndicate and the leader of the group decides that Winter does not do an adequate job of presenting the home and wants to install a new manager. Isabel decides to take Winter under her wing and teach him how to operate in society and while Winter is reluctant but he does want to continue running the orphanage. It is not long before Isabel begins to suspect that Winter is the ghost and as the two become closer he finds that he can confide in her and their relationship grows stronger. But Winter is determined that he will never give up his crusade for those less fortunate even if that means giving up his own chance at a true marriage. He needs to find the peer who is running a child sweatshop that sews ladies' stockings but with the police force on his back it is extremely difficult. At the end of the day he must decide if helping the children at his orphanage and making the woman he loves happy is enough of a reward and Isabel must show him that a life of happiness is within his grasp.

I have been eagerly anticipating this book for what feels like forever and after 3 books that hinted at the ghosts' identity, and reading about how monk-like Winter Makepeace was, I could not wait to read his story. He proves to be just as intriguing a character as I had anticipated. He was conscientious and caring, he wanted to help those less fortunate and he was single-minded in this pursuit, and a man who is so great with kids is always fascinating to me! I was not surprised that his chosen life had meant a life of celibacy for him and so I knew that whatever woman convinced him to find his own happiness first had to be spectacular. Isabel, while not as spectacular as I had anticipated for Winter, was perfectly acceptable for Winter and they did work as a couple really well and I enjoyed reading about their relationship. They spend quite a bit of time together and I really sensed the development in their relationship, which is something I always look for.

I did not enjoy how so much of their character was, quite literally, hidden behind masks, as if they were hiding their real selves from everyone and only could reveal themselves to each other. While this is a romance novels staple, I wanted more from Hoyt and was disappointed by how often this was mentioned. It started to seem like the characters themselves were not real people because they were so busy hiding. There was surprisingly little sex for a Hoyt book, and for a book about a male virgin who should have been far more excited about the prospect of losing it to such a wonderful woman, and it was not really all that exciting and stuffed toward the back of the book. The plot with the ghost and the police did take over the book eventually and it really did seem like it played an equally important role with the actual romance and I was surprised by how little interest I had for it. I also found the writing surprisingly flowery for Hoyt who usually has such great writing.

Rating: An enjoyable book, far from Hoyt's best, but two well suited characters who I liked and who had a strong relationship, with an interesting side plot.

The Ice Princess

The Ice Princess by Elizabeth Hoyt 1119

Coral Smythe is the Madame of the most famous brothel in London, Aphrodite’s Grotto, but because of some financial difficulties it is actually the cruel Jimmy Hyde who owns most of the business and in effect controls Coral. Captain Isaac Wargate is not a fan of Aphrodite or her business and every time his ship docks in London he is forced to go and rescue his men. He and Aphrodite have a bit of an interesting relationship where every meeting leads to a war of words. But one day Jimmy decides to auction off a week of Coral’s favors and she has no way to refuse. Sensing her dilemma Isaac throws himself into the fray and through luck or fate he ends up winning. Neither Coral nor Isaac are certain how this week should play out and Coral is determined to maintain business like and not become the scared little girl she was when she first entered the business. But Isaac throws her for a loop by spending the entire week going slowly, getting to know her and winning her trust and eventually her heart. Coral is terrified of love and it is up to Isaac to prove to her that their pasts don’t matter and they can have a future together.

This was a short story and I will admit that I have recently really started liking short stories because they often skip some of the filler and needless problems that longer novels contain. When written well, like this was, I get a decent feel for the characters and the relationship they have together. Ladies of the evening have been featured as heroines in several books recently, almost always with a back-story to explain away their profession and this was no exception. Coral had family issues and needed the money but she did not make any apologies for her decisions and I admired that. Isaac was wonderful as the dark and handsome hero who was widowed, loved his wife and didn’t have to vilify her in order to fall in love again, and he was so obviously dedicated to Coral. They really got to know each other during their evenings together and I could really sense that they worked well together and had a solid relationship. The sex between them was not as hot as some of Hoyt’s other writings, but it was interesting enough and served to cement the feelings they had for each other.

Rating: A very good short story that I very much liked with two wonderful characters and enough problems between them to keep it interesting. 

Scandalous Desires

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt 1108

The widowed Silence Hollingbrook has a scandalous past with river pirate Mickey O'Connor since she went to him a year ago after he stole her husband's cargo. Even though he did not touch her it left her reputation in ruins and her marriage was never the same and after her husband's death she comforts herself with the orphanage her family runs in St. Giles and Mary Darling, an infant left on her doorstep. Mick has never forgotten the innocence of the beautiful and loyal young woman who begged for his help and so when he needed a safe place for his young daughter he immediately thought of Silence. When Mary's hiding space is compromised Mick takes her back and Silence refuses to leave the child she has quickly become attached to even if it means being forced to move into a pirate's palace. Mary is determined to keep her pride even while doing something that could ruin her and, if discovered, could ruin the foundling home and her siblings.

Mick knows that Silence is too good for him and that he is only bringing her into danger and exposing her to the Vicar of Whitechapel, the notorious gin runner who Mick knows from personal experience has no care for anyone save himself, who would do anything to bring Mick down. Life in his palace is far from Silence's normal way of life; guards on every corner, rich and plentiful food, gold and silver accents, and luxurious furniture and rooms. Upon closer inspection she discovers that Mick is attempting to make up for a childhood spent in abject poverty and she realizes that there are secrets, very dark secrets, in his past, that he is attempting to hide from her but will help her understand all of his actions. Silence's family and friends encourage her to leave Mick, but she knows that there is good inside of him and she wants to bring it out and make him into a better man. When the Vicar makes his move it places Silence in danger and Mick must do all he can to save her and his child, but when everything has settled he has to decide if he can ever be a man who is worthy of love from the woman he loves.

This book starts out immediately where the previous books int he series left off and pretty much jumps right in with the assumption that the reader knows what happened. I enjoyed this because I did know and would not have liked to have pages of catch up when I did not need it but I imagine it would be confusing for some readers. Mick certainly did not come across as a good guy, or as hero material, in previous books as his actions could have destroyed Silence's husband and did end up ruining her reputation and her relationship with those closest to her. It was apparent that there would need to be a major overhaul of his character to make him worthy of love from our heroine and I felt like Hoyt fell short in this. Mick got his jollies by killing people and ruining people just because he could and while he did have a horrific childhood, I felt like this was no even close to a decent excuse for most of his actions. I understood that he was redeemed through his love for Silence but I wanted to know what happened to the other people whose lives he had destroyed.

Silence was loyal, caring, and sweet so she was basically the complete opposite of Mick and her character was obviously meant to show that a good woman could transform even the most wicked of men through said goodness. While I admired her determination to first see to her husband's well being and then to see Mary Darling, I did not understand her feelings for Mick. I wanted him to suffer for what he put her through and it felt like he did not make up for what he had done. Their relationship was difficult to understand and their forced proximity made me wonder if there feelings were just based on her exclusion from her family and friends. They did interact with each other a lot and they had time to get to know each other but I was still just waiting for some reason to find Mick worthy of Silence. There was some sex between them, but not very much and it was not as hot and steamy as I'm used to from Hoyt. The plot involving the Vicar was engrossing and reasonably introduced and carried throughout the book and blended well with everything.

Rating: Great writing as usual and an interesting story but I could not get over Mick and his unlikability even while enjoying Silence and the side plot.

The Serpent Prince

The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt 1023

Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content with her quiet life in Maiden Hill, being courted by the local vicar, friendly with all the locals, and living with her father, Captain Craddock- Hayes, and her grumpy man of all work, Hedge. Viscount Simon Iddlesleigh vowed revenge against his brother, Ethan's, killers after a group forced him to issue a challenge to a man more skilled them him and he was killed. He has already successfully killed two of them when they find him first and leave him for dead in Maiden Hill and it is only with Lucy's skillful nursing that he survives. He imagines her as an avenging angel come to save him and warn him away from his wicked plans and he wants her soothing touch and voice near him always. Lucy finds that the arrival of the suave man from the city is making her question the choices she has made and her supposed satisfaction with her life and she wonders if she is destined for something more. Simon feels that he is becoming more and more attached to Maiden Hill and the people in it so he heads back to London to finish his revenge plan and try to move on with his life.

Lucy tries to move on as well with her life but she cannot forget the brief glimpse into another life she was given with the arrival of Simon. When he finally realizes that he will not be able to get Lucy out of his mind he heads back to Maiden Hill and proposes and she accepts but there are still secrets about the motives behind Simon's actions. She gets along well with his family and even her own father grudgingly approves of the  marriage and while most aspects of their marriage work, there is still the problem of what Simon is is up to. While Lucy knows that what happened to Ethan was a tragedy and she understands why Simon feels he need to avenge his brother, she worries that he is slowly losing his soul, and perhaps his life, every time he fights another duel and takes another life. She tries to get him to see reason, but he is driven by a single purpose and when he discovers there was a master behind the plot to kill Ethan there is no stopping him. Lucy loves him but does not know if she can live her life under a cloud of revenge and Simon realizes that all that really matters is his love for Lucy and hers for him.

I love that Lucy was the content country miss who suddenly realized there was a whole other world out there for her and she was determined to make the most of her life, even if it meant bucking expectations without going completely off the deep end. She was kind and intelligent, in a very confident and practical way, and she cared for the people in her community. Simon was obsessed with revenge but the motives for it were explained and proved him to be a caring and responsible man with hints of honor because he was looking out for his family, including his sister-in-law and his niece. I wish there had been more to him though because while I could see why he would fall in love with Lucy, it seemed unbelievable that she would fall in love with him knowing so little. It was more like she was in love with the idea of a new life and something exciting than she was with Simon himself. I wish there had been more about their relationship progressing to love and them getting to know each other however I liked the longing that existed between them during the period when they were apart.

The one part of their relationship that was very well developed was their sexual relationship and the sex was scorching hot and both of them were confident sexual beings and it showed throughout the book. Eventually the book came to be more about the duels than the romance and that is when I really started just wanting it to be over. There was such a big to do about how what Simon was doing was bad for his soul and was going to lead to his downfall and wouldn't he please just stop. While I understood that murder is bad and it was obviously draining him, I felt like it was an attempt to put some sort of wedge in an otherwise very well suited couple who were getting along perhaps too well for a romance novel that still had 70 pages to go. The plot itself was certainly well integrated into the story because it really was the impetus for them getting together and was interwoven somewhat in the story, but it really did just overwhelm everything and it the book definitely came to be more about him getting revenge than about Lucy and Simon falling in love.

Rating: Excellent writing as usual but this book was not Hoyt's best work because the focus was off the romance and I got tired of the revenge and duels.

The Leopard Prince

The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt 824

Lady Georgina Maitland is accompanying her land steward to visit her estates when their carriage overturns and while the groom goes to get help she stays with Harry Pye. Harry has known many aristocrats and has tried to keep his distance from his beautiful and intriguing employer, but this adventure is bringing them closer. When they finally make it to her estate they discover that sheep on the neighboring estate of Lord Granville are being killed with hemlock and that Harry is the prime suspect. Years ago he and his father had worked for Granville and there had been a big fight that still remained fresh in people's minds. George knows that Harry could never do what he has been accused of, especially as she spends more time with him and truly feels for the land and the people who work it. As George listens to Harry explain the estate business to her, he realizes that she is different than aristocrats like Granville, who don't care for the people. George has never been one for adhering to the class hierarchy, even less now that she is falling for Harry.

Granville has harbored a grudge against Harry for years, ever since Harry refused to bow to Granville's superior standing, and he is using the sheep killings as a way of getting back at the upstart. George is determined to help prove that Harry is innocent, even if it means showing up at his doorstep very early in the morning, or very long late at night, and riding with him across the estate. He knows that anything more is impossible, but both of them can't help but give in to lust and begin a very physical relationship. When the other townspeople begin to sneer at their relationship, Harry wonders if he is being used as nothing more than George's low-class fling and he is angry and hurt about the possibility. He starts to push her away and when George discovers there have been consequences to their liasion, she too begins to doubt Harry's feelings for her and leaves her estates. But Granville is not willing to let natural justice take it's course and Harry is forced to call for help and he is left with the realization that he needs George in his life no matter their social standings and he will stop at nothing to convince her of the same.

Elizabeth Hoyt is without a doubt one of my favorite romance author, hitting it out of the park with nearly every single book. As a result I recognize that I expect a lot from her and judge her more harshly than many other authors, and luckily this book does not disappoint at all. She always writes characters that are realistic, flawed, and slightly different from the norm while still being comfortable enough to read about. George was excellent as the independent woman living in a time when men still controlled everything and I found her perceptions of class differences enlightened, if not particularly in keeping with the time period. She understood her own shortcomings and was willing to listen and learn to those who could enlighten her and I loved that she was the oldest and only girl in her family because it led to some wonderful interactions between her and her, also very enlightened, brothers. Her determination to help Harry and prove his innocence was admirable and I admired that she did so in a composed and thoughtful way and not by running in their guns drawn as many heroines seem to do.

Harry was also great because he worked his way up the working class social ladder and was proud of what he accomplished and, while not scared of offending people who thought he should stay in his place, he also recognized that there was a social hierarchy. His dedication to the land and his own background involving Granville and his actions since them made him clearly a wonderful hero for a book. George and Harry had so many important interactions, talking, riding, working out the mystery of the poisoned sheep, and it really showcased how great these two were together. Those moments are always my favorite in a book. As usual Hoyt excelled at writing steamy and passionate love scenes that brought more emotion to the story. The mystery of the poisoned sheep was intriguing, well written, adn truly blended well into the story without overwhelming the romance aspect of the story. Even though this is part of a series, it works completely well as a stand alone as the leads from the other books only make brief and fairly minor appearances, which totally works for me.

Rating: Hoyt writes another wonderful read with two excellent characters who had a great romance with an intriguing mystery thrown in.

The Raven Prince

The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt 624

Anna Wren has been widowed six years and has been living with her mother-in-law and a maid of all trade, but they are barely scraping by on the money they are earning. Her entire town of Little Battleford is abuzz that Lord Edward de Raaf, Earl of Swartington, has returned after years away. Edward wants a family because he misses having people around, after his entire family died from a smallpox epidemic that left him with scars that would later terrify his wife before she died in childbirth. Edward has quite the temper and after one more secretary quits, his estate manager hires Anna to be the new secretary even though he has some reservations. Meanwhile Edward is in London finishing up an agreement with an upstanding family to marry the daughter of a Barron. He wants a large family, wants the laughter and excitement and warm fuzzy feeling that feeling like he belongs, but his lack of people skills has lead him to a very arranged marriage with a woman he doesn't truly care for. He meets his match in his new secretary and immediately the two of them get off to an exciting start.

Anna accompanies him across his farm to help with the tenants, she diligently helps him work on his new book on horticulture, she soothes his temper and looks after him when he gets in a fight. Edward cannot fight the attraction he feels for his new secretary so he makes arrangements to go to London and visit Aphrodite's Grotto. Anna is furious that he is turning to other women, but luckily her newest friend is the older sister is one of London's most famed courtesans, so she finagles her way into the Grotto. She is the masked woman who greets Edward and the two spend two nights together before Anne realizes she wants more from Edward than just sex; she is in love with her caring, temperamental, and very intelligent employer. There is also the matter of the woman who Anna's husband had an affair with and she is desperate to keep Anna quiet so that her own husband does not find out. She wants to keep Anna and Edward apart and knows just how to do it; by revealing all their secrets to each other. There is a lot standing between Anna and Edward but they know it is best to work them out for the sake of love.

I immediately loved Anna because she was self-assured and able to take care of herself in a genuine way, not in the way many helpless heroines think they can take care of themselves. However, she was not scared to admit that she needed outside help or that she wanted someone else in her life. She knew what she wanted and she definitely went out on a limb to get it and she took some major risks by taking in a sick prostitute and then traveling to London to be with Edward. She had true friends who she treated well and held her own with her enemy and she faced some pretty tough situations in her marriage with her head held high. Edward was a little unusual in a hero because he was physically imperfect, we were told numerous times about his pox scares and how they had horrified his deceased wife, and he did seem to be a genuinely angry person. He wasn't a mean angry, although he did not deal with incompetence well, but he was hard to get along with and at one point he berated his own house which I had never heard of a romance hero doing. Nevertheless he was incredibly sweet with Anna.

The majority of the book was spent with these two spending time together which is really important to me in a romance novel and it really allowed me to see that these two worked really well together. They had common interests, they cared about the other, and they were willing to go out of their way to do nice things for each other. There was a sexual undertone throughout the book and when it was finally unleashed it exploded and set the pages on fire. It was HOT, it was slightly kinky, and it was great to read about these two outwardly staid people finally getting it on with each other. The sex was really just down perfectly because I was so invested in them falling in love and finding their happily ever after. There were a few side plots, including a really interesting one involving small town morals and a prostitute that Anna takes in and cares for that really shows off her great character. There was also the mean spirited woman who wanted to hurt Anna and while her attempts were short lived, still added a nice little "what might happen" to the book.

Rating: Another stupendous showing from Hoyt and I really hovered between 4 and 5 hearts here, but Hoyt just impresses me so much on all levels.

Notorious Pleasures

Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt 223

Lady Hero Batten Is a very proper young lady who follows the dictates of society, including her engagement to the Marquess of Mandeville, who is equally staid and proper. She is not prepared for meeting Mandeville's brother, Griffin, Lord Reading, who is everything his brother is not and makes Hero feel more alive than she has ever felt before. Their first meeting is inauspicious to say the least as she discovers him engaged with another woman and it is not long before she is informed that he had an affair with Mandeville's first wife. She is working on restoring a home for orphaned children in St. Giles, and when Griffin sees his brother's far too perfect fiance carousing around in the seedy part of town, he appoints himself her protector and accompanies her on her errands. It is not long before he is helping her work through the problems that have arisen on the new building site, and Hero begins to look at Griffin as more than just a degenerate rake. But when she discovers that he is one of the notorious gin distillers of London, who have been blamed for all the ills in the town, everything she had started to feel for him threatens to abandon her.

Griffin knows that Hero is so much more than the perfect lady she presents to the ton, but he cannot give up his gin still as it supports his entire family, even if his lordly brother refuses to acknowledge it. He becomes determined to make Hero lose her facade and he is quite successful as he proves that Hero's attraction for him can make her lose her head. Hero does not know what it is about Griffin that makes her lose control and part of her likes it; being with him makes her feel alive, like nothing she has ever felt before. With Hero's brother threatening to shut down all the gin distilleries in London, and a rival distiller using violence in an attempt to shut Griffin down, and Hero still unsure of how she will choose between him and his brother, Griffin only knows that he needs Hero. But she is not quite as sure as him and worried about what her brother will do and she worries about how her decision will affect her family and that her brother will go after Griffin unless she marries Mandeville. Things all come to a head when Mandeville discovers their relationship and her brother decides it is time to finally put a stop to the distillery. Hero is forced to confront her feelings for Griffin or face the possibility of living her life without him, and that is one thing neither of them could live with.

Elizabeth Hoyt is nearly always perfect in my experience and this book was no exception. She has a way of writing two wonderful characters I fall in love with, and who are perfect as they fall in love with each other. Hero presents herself as perfect and proper to the rest of the world and for the most part she is, except when it comes to Griffin. He gets her to open up, be more herself, take risks, and causes her to rethink what she has always expected out of her life. It is really only with him that she can reinvent herself and not worry that she will be judged or turned away. I love that she was sharp witted and could hold her own in conversations without being mean or overly harsh and judgmental. She had the correct amount of respect for her family and she obviously loved them, but she also went after what she wanted with Griffin- even if she couldn't admit it to herself. Griffin was also great and I really loved the way he blurred the line between being a rake and a romance hero. His introduction was a little icky as I am not a fan of heroes having sex with other women, and the fact that he ran a gin still was not very likable, but his interactions with Hero made all of it worth it. These two were the definition of characters who were good apart, but didn't really shine until they were put together.

Their relationship had it's ups and downs and I loved the angst and turmoil that her engagement to his brother caused as they felt guilty or jealous alternatively. One area they especially shined in was the bedroom and Hoyt completely outdid herself and made these characters light up between the sheets. The sex was HOT and STEAMY, very well written, loving and in character, and spread well throughout the book. There were so many side plots that went really well with the story because they directly involved the characters and didn't overwhelm anything. Especially wonderful were Hero's involvement with her brother and her younger sister who is going blind, and Griffin's relationship with his brother, which is strained and so tragic that I loved it. The gin distillery added an aura of dangerous-ness and blurred the line between right and wrong which I thought was a very brave move by Hoyt as gin really was quite awful in London at the time. And there was a little side romance between Mandeville and a completely inappropriate older woman that I absolutely loved because it made him into a human being and was so out of character for him. The book also set up the next novel in the series very well and it's definitely going to be a doozy and I can't wait to read it.

Rating: An amazing read from Hoyt as usual, but there were parts when I got a little short with Hero and her perfectness. And this book was quite close to perfect.

Wicked Intentions

Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt 913

Temperance Dewes helps her younger brother run an orphanage in the seedy St. Giles and on an excursion to rescue a baby she runs into Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire. Caire is hunting for the man who murdered his mistress and is determined to find him even though he admits that he did not love her. He is coming to a standstill in his hunt so he enlists the help of the very beautiful widow to help him navigate the underworld and talk to people who would never dare talk to him. Temperance is scared of Caire; scared of what he's doing and definitely scared of the feelings he is arousing in her. Sex is a sin and she knows that her urges are bad and that she must attempt to fight them and it doesn't help that everyone knows that Caire's urges are unnatural. Caire is surprised to discover he has all these new emotions in him after avoiding feelings since his sister died.

Caire recognizes that, like him, Temperance avoids emotions as she refuses to get close to any of the children at the orphanage and avoids her sexual urges. And Temperance is fascinated by Caire, especially his assertion that other people's touches cause him pain and she wants to take that away from him. The two of them get closer and closer to the truth behind Marie's murder and begin to peel away the layers that they're each hiding under. Meanwhile Temperance's family is undergoing a crisis as her younger sister has to help her husband escape a piracy charge and the brothers all decide that Caire is going to lead their sister straight to hell. But it is not long before the person who killed Marie comes after the two of them with the intent of shutting them up. Suddenly their little affair mans so much more Caire and Temperance realize that their love can heal the problems from both their pasts.

Temperance is a heroine with demons of her own as she suffers immense guilt surrounding her sexual appetites and the death of her husband. This is really woven into the story very well and contributed to the romance greatly throughout the novel. Her attempts to keep people from getting too close to him were beautiful really as it was so obvious that she did care about the children but she was so scared of getting hurt or letting someone down. And of course I loved that she worked so hard at an orphanage and that she wasn't a member of the peerage so her actions did not seem like rich guilt. Caire was also tortured as he suffered from thinking his mother did not love him and losing his young sister. I will admit that at times his aversion to being touched, the pain he felt at it, seemed ridiculous and weird. It was not really explained int he book and just kind of went away- at least where it concerned Temperance.

Their eccentricities and fears were made even better because they were able to overcome them with the other's help. Caire learned to care and feel for and except love from other people while Temperance certainly overcome her guilt over sex. The two had a good amount of very hot and inventive sex and were very attracted to each other. Much was made of his perversions and I guess in those days it would have been bad, but it came across as just a kinky part of his personality. It was not overdone, there wasn't too much of it, and it worked in with both of their characters. The plot where they searched for the murderer never completely drew me in but liked that it added a touch of mystery and the ending was certainly a nice surprise. I especially enjoyed scenes between them and their family members because there were just so many elements at play and really showed what they were going through.

Rating: These were two very tortured characters who worked very well together in a very well written book with a feweccentricities I didn't completely buy but did not detract from the awesomeness of this story.

To Desire a Devil

To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt

Lady Beatrice Corning is the niece of the current Earl of Blanchard, who gained the title five years ago when the previous earl died with no living heirs. Things get a little crazy when Reynaud St. Aubyn, the son of the late earl, shows up unannounced after seven years of being presumed dead. His entrance is startling and paves the way for those who want the current Earl to remain in his seat to claim that Reynaud is incapable of holding the position. The only one in the Blanchard household who truly understands Reynaud is Beatrice and she finds herself drawn to this dark and angry man who is so different from the young man in the portrait over the mantle whom she has admired for so many years. Beatrice and her friends have been hard at work trying to get a bill through Parliament that would provide pensions to former soldiers in the army and Beatrice's Uncle Reggie is part of the conservative Tory party that plans to vote down this plan. Beatrice hopes that if/when Reynaud gains back his title he will join the struggle to provide a living for the returned heroes, but it do not seem likely that this will happen. Despite Beatrice's attempts to win him, Reynaud remains selfish and unconcerned with others, thinking only of gaining back his title.

Even while he is drawn to this perfect example of English womanhood Reynaud is suspicious that Beatrice's loyalties lie more with her uncle, the pretender to the earldom. This does not stop Reynaud from regarding Beatrice as his and he wastes no time in staking his claim and making it well known that Beatrice belongs to him. Beatrice is still worried that Reynaud will never be able to forget his harrowing past as an Indian captive or be able to open his heart to loving feelings again, but that does not stop her from falling in love with him. Even after the wedding has been finalized Beatrice cannot let go of her fears especially when it comes to her uncle and she worries that Reynaud will throw him out and he will vote against the pension bill. Finally crunch time arrives, both for Reynaud and for the bill and those in power fight to claim that Reynaud is mad and that the bill is a waste of the crown's money. Beatrice can only wait and hope that everything works out for the best and that Reynaud finally acts like the man she has always known he can be.

I have been looking forward to this book for what feels like forever and had incredibly high hopes as I was judging Hoyt on "To Seduce a Sinner" and "To Beguile a Beast" which were both phenomenal in every aspect and remain two of my all time favorites. I realize that my expectations were probably too high as this book was very disappointing while at the same time I know that it actually wasn't a bad book. I can't put into words exactly what I was expecting but this book definitely did not live up to those expectations. I didn't like either Beatrice or Reynaud all that much except when it came to their actions regarding the Veterans Bill as neither was exactly likable. Renyaud was a bit of a moron to be honest- he was willing to marry to prove that he was sane, but he wasn't willing to remove his earring or cover up his tattoos with some makeup. (Reynaud has 3 birds tattooed around his right eye- which do NOT show up in the stepback picture. Although the stepback is amazingly hot.) The best scene he had- the only reason I don't completely write him off- was his speech about the bill and his amazing and heroic actions at the very end.

Beatrice is incredibly lustful for Reynaud and there are many times in the book when necessary arguments/ discussions between them are waylaid by his seduction and it got irritating after a little while as it was so obvious and I wanted Beatrice to be smarter than that. There were quite a few steamy scenes (although very little build up) but these were also quite disappointing. Hoyt is a master at super HOT scenes, but this book just fell flat- still more steamy than many romances writers, but once again did not live up to expectations. My favorite parts of the book revolved around other characters. Vale and Lady Vale were brought back once again although I was surprised we did not see much of the new Lady Munroe. Uncle Reggie was written superbly as the well meaning, slightly confused, but really very loving and lovable despite his faults. Especially wonderful to read was the story of Beatrice's friend Lottie who leaves her husband because she believes he treats her like she is just another possession. I found it sad that I wanted to read mroe about them than I did about Beatrice and Reynaud.

Rating: Not at all a bad book, but I can not get over my disappointment. If I hadn't read her other entries in the series I might not notice, but it is hard to go from "Seduce" to "Sinner." Undoubtedly deserves 3 but I have to give it a 2.

To Beguile a Beast

To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

Helen Fitzwilliam has been the Duke of Lister's mistress for 14 years, since she was 17, and has born him two children, yet when she realizes hse is nothing but a mere possession to him she takes the children and runs. With a note from her friend, Lady Vale (from "To Seduce a Sinner") she heads up to Sir Alistair Munroe's dreary Scottish castle to be his housekeeper. Alistair was left deeply scarred, including a missing eye and two missing fingers, after the French and Indian War, where he was taken prisoner after being betrayed at Spinner's Falls and tortured by the Indians. He is none too happy to have Helen, Abigail (9) and Jamie (5) join him in his self-imposed exile. Nevertheless he is enormously attracted to "Mrs. Halifax," Helen's assumed name, who is regarded as one of the most beautiful women in London. Helen, her children, and Alistair, really begin to bond when Alistair's long-time pet, Lady Grey, dies and Alistair gets a replacement puppy nicknamed "Puddles."

The two begin an intimate relationship and Alistair is desperate to keep Helen coming to her bed, but is convinced that she will eventually leave him because of his scars. Helen has been hoping that the Duke of Lister will be unable to find her away in Scotland, but Alistair's disgruntled ex-employee leads him straight to Helen. He kidnaps Abby and Jamie and Helen is forced to reveal the truth about her past to Alistair who is understandably horrified by her revelation. Nevertheless he agrees to help her regain her children and the two head back to London. Despite his anger he cannot keep his hands off of her and she beins to realize what a great man Alistair is. Unfortunately Lister is not willing to give the kids up unless Helen comes back to him, not because he loves her but because he regards her as his property and he does not want to lose her. Alistair is terrified she will choose the duke, but luckily, with the help of Vale he is able to ensure that Helen never have to worry about the Duke again. However, despite the seeming happy ending Alistair is still terrified to give his heart to Helen because he is convinced she will leave him eventually. It takes a visit from his sister to set him straight and ensure our HEV.

As with Hoyt's previous book this was is plenty steamy. Amazingly steamy really. And she certainly does not shy away from the less savory aspects of sex, including a graphic blow job scene, an interrupted masturbation scene and a hero who admits to being obsessed with her breasts. But what I found really intriguing was the use of a small lemon as birth control, as opposed the usual romance novel staple, the ever effective "pulling out." I found it odd that she had apparently never enjoyed sex with Lister. I thought that having a former mistress for a heroine would mean that she would at least not be innocent in that, but, despite knowledge in other areas, she is innocent in pleasure. And like Hoyt's previous book our hero apparently finds said pleasure hilarious as both Lady Vale and now Helen throw back their heads and laugh during orgasm. This confuses me and an adequate reason behind this odd behavior is not given. Pushing the envelope even further was an implied lesbian relationship between Alistair's sister Sophia and her compoanion Phoebe MacDonald. Although not explicitly stated, her speech to Alistair at the end makes it clear she is certainly not spending her life without love.

The mistress as heroine isn't precisely new and unusual, but it is not exactly common in historical romance novels, yet I still found it interesting to read about a woman who had taken control of her life and decided to start out completely on her own. Helen was a heroine I found incredibly easy to like as she managed to hold her family together and grapple with her own burgeoning emotions. Her children were realistic and perfectly written as well as being an asset to story and the romance between Alistair and Helen. Alistair was a great tortured hero who managed to be both angst-ridden and yet, despite his wishes, remains hopeful that he could make Helen love him. The book also had wonderful and brief little bits of humor as Helen attempts to put to right the drafty and long neglected castle which Hoyt writes wonderfully. I also like the brief, and not at all overwhelming, glimpses of the Vales', our heroes from "To Seduce a Sinner." Throughout the book we are given brief glimpses of Vale and Alistair's attempts to figure out who betrayed them at Spinner's Falls, but this is not explored all that much. I am sure this will be different in Hoyt's next book, "To Desire a Devil," which I am definitely looking forward to.

Rating: This is so much better than most of what I have read recently, but I feel like it is not quite as good as "To Seduce a Sinner." I would give it 4 1/2 hearts, but since I can't I will give it 4 to show that her previous book is better.

To Seduce a Sinner

To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt

The book is the second book in the series, The Legend of the Four Soldiers, which follows the lives of four soldiers who had all been taken and tortured by American Indians during what I presume is now known as the French and Indian War. To Seduce a Sinner opens with Melisande Fleming proposing to Lord Vale as he sits forlornly pondering why he has once again been left at the alter. We are quickly informed that Melisande has been pining for Lord Vale from afar while he of course has barely noticed her. Melisande uses as her excuse her age, her lack of physical appeal, and her boring and tight-fisted (but not mean) relatives for her proposal and the two are quickly married. Lord Vale had been the leader of his troops and had been spared the torture his men had suffered through, but what happened during the war still haunts him and obviously leads to much angst and drama in the book.

The little details of their married life together are perfectly written, from his reactions to her admittedly annoying little terrier, Mouse, to the more complex way they deal with the nightmares from his past. Vale knows that he had been betrayed during the war and the side plot of this story is him trying to figure out who it could have been. The only people who knew where he was going to be when his troops were taken were all part of the brigade and thus suffered along with everyone else, so finding the betrayer is tough going and when s/he is eventually revealed it is an expected surprise.

I absolutely loved this book. He is just the right amount of tortured soul, but she is as well so this is a story of two people who have been hurt in the past healing each other and it is completely believable. The angst is perfect, with her being upset that he shuts her out while she is secretly in love with him, and him constantly worrying about who killed him and how to deal with his burgeoning feelings for his wife. I will also admit that I admired the fact that the dreadful war that forms the basis for the books side plot is not the Napoleonic Wars as is the case for most of these books. I just can't think of a single part of this book I didn't like.

Aspects of the book that irritated other reviewers I actually loved. The dog, Mouse, is supposedly too irritating and unlikeable while I found him cute and true to the breed. The "dirty talk" during the sex was described by one as being laughable, but I LOVED it. The book had numerous, and I do mean numerous, incredibly HOT scenes, including two that are some of my all time favorites. Another thing to love about the book because it's just such an unusual thing: our heroine is not a virgin- and no, she wasn't raped, and no it wasn't awful. The book perfectly sets up the next book in the series without being just one overwhelming set-up and I will admit To Beguile a Beast is in my amazon.com shopping cart all ready for when it is released in April.

Rating: Duh!