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Title: The Saint by Madeline Hunter ISBN: 0-553-58590-8 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 04 November, 2003 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.25 (4 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: 4 1/2 stars - better than first in series
Comment: I thought this book was really good - I enjoyed the characters but the biggest problem I had was with the last page. It seemed to just be cut off - the ending was just really abrupt and didn't feel like an ending at - felt like it stopped mid-thought. Otherwise would have been a 5 star.
Rating: 4
Summary: A singing heroine and a kinda saintly hero
Comment: The Saint is the second of Madeline Hunter's new series set in the Regency era. I am a great fan of Hunter and absolutely loved her two medieval series. She is one of the authors that I will read anything she writes. Although I enjoyed The Saint, it just wasn't as good as the great books contained in those two earlier series. Those series had books with very involved stories, deep characters and realistic plots. Both The Seducer (the first of this new series - I have written a review on this book as well) and The Saint don't fall into this absolutely excellent category Hunter has created for herself. The Seducer and The Saint seem formula driven - similar in many ways to the current series written by Nicole Jordan or Cheryl Holt. Although not quite as sensual as those books, Hunter's new series still follow those similar plot lines, which seem to be popular in romance reading today. These plot lines involve men in some sort of spy work or searching out some very dangerous mystery. The books are driven by the mystery portion of the book as much as the romance. So, that said, I found The Saint somewhat dry reading with average formula writing.
Also, I should state that I strongly believe positive or negative reviews are often a matter of taste. I have no doubt many readers will give The Saint a five star rating. I, however, want more depth to the characters and more romance than mystery when reading a romance novel. Therefore, take my criticism as a statement of my taste as well as a general review of the book.
Virgil Duclairc, Viscount Laclere, is a morally upright man who has tracked his errant American ward, Bianca Kenwood, to a questionable establishment where she entertains with her singing. Bianca has come to England to claim her inheritance and continue her operatic training with intentions to eventually perform onstage. She never planned on having her unknown guardian locate her or even be that interested in her life. But she soon discovers that Virgil does care about her behavior and is appalled at her ambitions. Much to her distress he physically removes her and her maid to his home and the companionship of his two sisters.
Virgil has plans of his own for Bianca. He is well aware of her inheritance and it's value. His own family needs cash since his father was hardly frugal with the family's finances. Virgil wants Bianca to marry his younger brother, Dante, who is known as quite the rake. Dante, although not too excited about marriage, agrees to court Bianca and he is confident she will accept his proposal. In the meantime, Virgil has his own heiress he is planning to marry. But then Bianca shows herself and Virgil's well-laid plans soon lay in the dust as she fights his authority over her every step of the way and completely rejects Dante's overtures. Bianca is determined to have her operatic career. She realizes she will not marry because of her chosen, disreputable career. But she comes alive when she sings and is truly most talented.
Bianca is determined to escape the machinations of Virgil and finds him a very stubborn adversary. She decides to behave so outrageously that this saint of a guardian will want her out of his home and his family's life. The action is fast as Bianca turns one-way and then another to outsmart Virgil and gain her freedom. It is during this portion of the book that I became rather disenchanted with the heroine's character. I can understand her desire for the freedom to allow her to follow a life long dream of becoming an opera star. However, in her pursuit she often comes off as mean and hard-hearted. Virgil gradually becomes less powerful as Bianca gains the upper hand. This is where my taste in books plays a role in the rating of this review. Virgil is not as strong a hero as Hunter usually creates. I don't want to see the hero emasculated in any way. Yes - I think it is grand when a hero gets a proper comeuppance. But I don't want the hero lead on by the heroine for endless pages, as it seemed to happen here. And since Bianca is an immature heroine, it only makes her victories over Virgil that much more distressing. There are a few sensual scenes that rate about a 4.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). On the plus side, the leads do know how to communicate openly and we do not have to endure one misunderstanding after another. Also, Bianca's love of singing is quite original.
Now despite my concerns about the heroine, I still enjoyed this book. I do not give a four star rating unless the book contains a lot more fun than irritation. There are many of you who will savor the heroine's character and that will make this book even more enjoyable for you. I plan to continue to relish this series as it is published. The publisher has an aggressive schedule for release of the books in this series. The Seducer was released in October 2003 and The Saint followed closely with a release in November 2003. The third in this series, The Charmer, is scheduled for release 12/03/03 followed by the fourth book, The Sinner, which is scheduled before year-end of 2003. What a wonderful thing to do for us as readers. So often books in series are released so far apart that I have to review the previous book(s) to fully appreciate the next release. Hunter remains on my "must read" author list and I eagerly await the release of The Charmer.
Rating: 5
Summary: This series just keep getting better and better.
Comment: I enjoyed this book, (the second in the series) even more than "The Seducer" if that is even possible.
I love Vergil's type. Quiet, proper and dispassionate on the outside, but smolderingly sensual and passionate in the inside. It shows you that appearances can be deceiving and the contrast between what he appears to be and what he really is makes for a nice surprise and is incredibly appealing.
This book is intelligent and well thought. It actually has one of the best conversations about the reasons to marry (or not) that I have found in a romance novel. In other novels I have gotten really annoyed when the heroine refuses to marry the hero (or viceversa) for no good reason, when it is obvious that they are head over heels in love with each other. In this book, for the first time, I have read an intelligent discussion about the subject. She really loves him, but she wants to pursue her career, and he is not willing to permit it, moreover, she is not totally convinced that he is not pursuing her (at least in part) for her money, so she tells him that she needs some time to think things through, and he accepts this. The character really acted like adult people, which is not usual and that impressed me.
I once mentioned in another of my reviews that if I could put together Stephanie Laurens' incredibly sensual love scenes, with Jo Beverley's interesting plots and Judith McNaught gift for creating emotionally charged, heart wrenching scenes, I would have the perfect romantic novel. Well, this book is it.
I literally could not put it down. Madeline Hunter has made herself one of my favorite authors with this novel. And it is only the second one I read from her. I just hope she keeps writing about the Regency period since I'm not really into Medieval Romances. But according to the reviews those are very good too, so I might give them a try.
Please, don't miss this series. If you are tired of the silly romance novels out there and want to read something really good.
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Title: The Sinner by Madeline Hunter ISBN: 0553585924 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 30 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: A Gentleman's Honor by Stephanie Laurens ISBN: 0060002077 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 30 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh ISBN: 0440241065 Publisher: Dell Publishing Pub. Date: 30 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Married to the Viscount by Sabrina Jeffries ISBN: 0060092149 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 30 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: The Lady Chosen by Stephanie Laurens ISBN: 0060002069 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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