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Title: Absolute Pleasure by Cheryl Holt ISBN: 0-312-98459-6 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 17 February, 2003 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.36 (14 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A Wonderfully Sensual Regency
Comment: I read numerous reviews before buying this book and clearly it was a - love it or hate it type of book - I wanted to see for myself, bought it, read it and I find that it was an 'absolute pleasure'.
Gabriel Christofore, the male lead ' and by no means a hero, was a scoundrel; his life shaped clearly by the father he adored, the fourth son of an earl, who was also a scoundrel! Gabriel's Italian mother, who was the love of his father's life, had been murdered so that this father and son relationship was extremely close as they only had each other. Lady Elizabeth Harcourt, was targeted as a 'mark', for Gabriel, an accomplished and gifted artist, as well as a master in seductive arts.
Lady Elizabeth, at the age of 27, has never been romanced; for years her father's personal secretary, hostess, etc. her life was mundane and having known none other, content ' until her father married a young girl of 17 who was turning her life into hell. The outrageous appeal of this handsome, outspoken, and flamboyant artist was a temptation that held appeal. Elizabeth soon realized that the painting was secondary in nature to Gabriel's true mission but just as he awakened a passion in Elizabeth, she did the same to him which would end up consuming them both.
One would think that you should dislike Gabriel, but through the author's deft characterization, you see that he was not all bad ' outrageous at times ' but not a bad or evil person. When he soon realized that he came to care deeply for Elizabeth, he tried to break it off and remove himself from the situation but Elizabeth wouldn't let him and what follows was an extremely sensual downfall of this scoundrel ' and his father as well. Yes, as a secondary romance, even Gabriel's father was struck by Cupid's arrow. This was a very good story ' I thoroughly enjoyed it and except for a warning to the very faint hearted as to the explicit sexual content I heartily recommend it!
Rating: 1
Summary: Trashy and Crass
Comment: It may sound prudish, but it went beyond p*rn, it was trashy and crass. I guess this would draw more readers to find out what it's all about. I've read better books that were ultra sexy but not as tasteless as this one. And I could have done without the mention of the "p" word and the "c" word when describing bodily parts! Sorry, but it was a crude and tasteless book. Maybe I'll try another novel by Ms. Holt, I hope I get better results.
Rating: 3
Summary: A Holt fan for sure - but this one was a little empty
Comment: The half Italian - half English, hero of Absolute Pleasure, Gabriel Cristofore, paints portraits of rich English ladies. He researches his future clients well - assuring that the next lady chosen will provide him not only a fee for her portrait, but also extra payment in the manner of jewels or other valuable items. Why would these ladies pay more than their portrait fee? Yes, you guessed it. Gabriel provides these chosen ladies with another service that requires great discretion. He finds painting a lady, servicing the same lady, and receiving multiple payments from said lady, is a fine way to earn a living.
Elizabeth, the heroine, is a rather plain and obedient daughter of a harsh, autocratic earl. She has not married because her father has needed her to head his household and has, therefore, selfishly made her into a mid-twenties spinster. Now her father has remarried and Elizabeth finds she is no longer required to manage her father's home and she has time on her hands for the first time in her life. She is a very sensible and kind young lady and cares greatly for those around her (with the exception of her new stepmother).
Gabriel has researched and chosen Elizabeth as his next potential portraiture (or should I say victim). He successfully arranges meeting Elizabeth at a public gathering and casts his net upon her. She falls for it and shows up at his home to discuss his painting of her portrait. Thus the foundation is laid for Gabriel and Elizabeth's romance.
I have enjoyed many of Holt's books and really looked forward to her newest publication. This book, however, is a little sterile. I love good writing and romance combined. But books that tend to have words holding together a string of sensual scenes scarcely hold my interest. And I am afraid that Absolute Pleasure almost slips into that category. However, Holt saves this book from that category in that she holds to the premise that the romantic leads must be faithful to their relationship. These sensual scenes are not sex for the sake of sex. There are deeper feelings involved and - though not spoken - fidelity for the span of their relationship.
This book did not impress me as a great book. The leads' relationship seems contrived for at least the first 100 pages. When I found myself finally believing that there might be something positive come from Gabriel and Elizabeth's romance, all hell breaks loose. I had to actually make myself pick up this book and read it because I found myself dreading the next possible scene. As the reader, you don't want Elizabeth hurt even if you believe her actions are foolish.
Gabriel is repeatedly unkind to Elizabeth and ruthless in his behavior towards her. Although we discover later that Gabriel believed he had her best interests in mind, it still tastes of revenge and meanness. His cruelty occurs too often for my tastes. It is a stretch for me to understand how Elizabeth could believe in Gabriel so strongly and love him. After all, Elizabeth has done her research too and knows that Gabriel is a swindler, defiler of women, and insincere. I wish I could have given Elizabeth a copy of "Women Who Love Too Much" to read. She is immature in her expectations of him.
This book has received criticism for it's many sensual scenes. Yes, there are more of these scenes than in most romance novels. But those scenes are not graphic and hardly ever depict "the deed". I rate the sensual scenes about a 4.5 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines).
Although several of Holt's other books sit on my keeper shelf, this one will not. There just wasn't enough substance to the story. Gabriel is not a hero I could connect with or even understand how Elizabeth could fall for him. Maybe I am getting more conservative with my reading requirements but there just wasn't enough good old plain love for me to remember the story line fondly.
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Title: Love Lessons by Cheryl Holt ISBN: 0312978405 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 14 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: Complete Abandon by Cheryl Holt ISBN: 031298460X Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: Total Surrender by Cheryl Holt ISBN: 0312978413 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 07 July, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: The Prince of Pleasure by Nicole Jordan ISBN: 0804119805 Publisher: Ivy Books Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Devil You Know by Liz Carlyle ISBN: 074343787X Publisher: Pocket Star Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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