Customer Reviews

Absolute Pleasure

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

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.

I've read a few of Cheryl Holt's books and was obviously pleased enough to read this one, which I have to say was a real disappointment.

The hero, is completely unlikable. I can't imagine what the heroine sees in him, other than eye candy. Secondly, while I like the idea of 3 different stories happening at once (hero/heroine, heroine's father and obnoxious teenage bride, hero's father/housekeeper), I felt like none of them were developed properly.

The hero/heroine plot is flimsy at best. I could care less about either of them and think they deserve each other.

The hero's father/housekeeper plot could have been engaging, but they went from having 2 conversations to groping each other in a carriage, to marriage so quickly that I had to read it twice to see what pages I missed the first time around. Unfortunately, I didn't miss any.

Forget the heroine's father/obnoxious teenager storyline. My tastes don't tend toward the prudish, but this was quite simply, gratuitous [...].

But my biggest complaint is that same cookie cutter pattern she's used in the last three books: Innocent, "Quality" female meets unsuitable, reticent male. In an inexplicably short period of time, they have reached the point where the male has described, in explicit detail, everything that can/would/should happen during numerous sexual acts. After which the female, mesmerized by the recitation, decides to throw caution to the wind and succumb to her irresistible hormonal urges. Fair enough. But, of course, they fall in love--she willingly and he, not so willingly. Eventually, the only way she can get him to admit his feelings is to break down his masculine walls by turning herself into a wanton seductress. It may work for one book (as it did with Love Lessons), but this is one too many for me.

I feel as though she's just rewriting the same book, without even bothering to check her thesaurus. If I have to read "virgin's blood", "haunting groan" or, "bigger than most" one more time, I'll demand a refund.

I think this definitely does it for me. After this I won't be buying any more of Holt's books.

The "hero" was an insensitive, cruel, callous bastard, and as if this is not enough, a pimp. He seduces rich woman to swindle money out of them. Sorry, but after reading so many novels, that feature such wonderful heroes, I can't respect or like this one.

The heroine I think I could have liked, in a different book. In this one, all I could feel for her was pity.

Cheryl Holt has a very dislikable tendency to create male characters that behave in a completely and utterly dispicable way, but in the end, it is always the woman who comes back to him and seeks a reconciliation.

If you like books where the female characters are week and abused, and where women are treated like garbage, read this one.

I've enjoyed other Cheryl Holt novels, but this one was not worth my time or money. The hero is thoroughly unlikeable. The plot was non-existent. Holt wasted too many pages on sex scenes. What was the point of this book? To show that sex with love is always better than without it? We're romance readers. We know that already! Her heroine was exactly like all the women that the hero duped before he meets her, so to accept that he falls for her as opposed to his previous conquests, is unsupportable and unbelieveable. Don't waste your time with this one.

Cheryl Holt's style has tangibly ventured out of the comfort zone with more erotica-than-romance reads such as Love Lesson and horrid misses like Total Surrender. Absolute Pleasure as her eighth novel clearly has stayed clear of debauched orgies and unconscionable heroes, restricting its intimacies between her central couple Elizabeth and Gabriel.

The sexual scenes however are by no way tame and one shouldn't expect an alpha male. In fact bleedheart lothario Gabirel Cristofore is a gifted artist moonlighting as a social escort who offers carnal pleasures to bored widows and wives. His conscience is pricked when he is after Lady Elizabeth Harcourt, daughter of the social hypocrite Earl Norwich. At 27 and still a virgin, she conceals a sensual radiance which Gabriel is strongly attracted to and succumbs to temptation despite knowing that Gabriel isn't the material for love.

Holt's romance is ugly but at once brutally honest. Charlotte as the young stepmom of Elizabeth is spiteful and seethingly jealous of her stepdaughter but surely does not deserve the fate of being bounded to the violent Norwich who abuses and rapes her for a heir. Mary Smith is refreshingly worldly as Norwich's servant and secret mistress who later falls in love with Gabriel's dad John and regrets her earlier misplace of passion. Elizabeth is deprived of freedom and independence while Gabriel is spurned as a by-blow by his mother's relatives. Cheryl Holt's explicit sex scenes unflinchingly flashes out the evil, flaws and naked pleas to be loved and understood.

Absolute Pleasure, as such, is a straight hate-it-or-love it affair that is certainly out of the mainstream romance. However unlike the bleak Total Surrender, we appreciate Gabriel's redemption and the hope of love found here. Ms. Holt redeems herself beautifully with this effort that gives renewed faith and pleasure over her work once more.

Cheryl Holt's style has tangibly ventured out of the comfort zone with more erotica-than-romance reads such as Love Lesson and horrid misses like Total Surrender. Absolute Pleasure as her eighth novel clearly has stayed clear of debauched orgies and unconscionable heroes, restricting its intimacies between her central couple Elizabeth and Gabriel.

The sexual scenes however are by no way tame and one shouldn't expect an alpha male. In fact bleedheart lothario Gabirel Cristofore is a gifted artist moonlighting as a social escort who offers carnal pleasures to bored widows and wives. His conscience is pricked when he is after Lady Elizabeth Harcourt, daughter of the social hypocrite Earl Norwich. At 27 and still a virgin, she conceals a sensual radiance which Gabriel is strongly attracted to and succumbs to temptation despite knowing that Gabriel isn't the material for love.

Holt's romance is ugly but at once brutally honest. Charlotte as the young stepmom of Elizabeth is spiteful and seethingly jealous of her stepdaughter but surely does not deserve the fate of being bounded to the violent Norwich who abuses and rapes her for a heir. Mary Smith is refreshingly worldly as Norwich's servant and secret mistress who later falls in love with Gabriel's dad John and regrets her earlier misplace of passion. Elizabeth is deprived of freedom and independence while Gabriel is spurned as a by-blow by his mother's relatives. Cheryl Holt's explicit sex scenes unflinchingly flash out the evil, flaws and naked pleas to be loved and understood.

Absolute Pleasure, as such, is a straight hate-it-or-love it affair that is certainly out of the mainstream romance. However unlike the bleak Total Surrender, we appreciate Gabriel's redemption and the hope of love found here. Ms. Holt redeems herself beautifully with this effort that gives renewed faith and pleasure over her work once more.

This is no "slam, bang, see you ma'am" project. This is seduction. The promise of pleasure is slow going, and the incentive to read is intense.

Lady Elizabeth Harcourt is a twenty-seven-year-old spinster, who has lived a ho-hum sedate lifestyle. As time slips away, Elizabeth's days are consumed with managing her papa's life. Suddenly things change, her father, the Earl of Norwich, marries an infantile, imprudent young lady. The grand old earl must sire a male child -- an heir to his title.

Handsome, Gabriel Cristofore is an extraordinary artist. He is also a con man. His confidence game -- he seduces lonely, wealthy women. Lady Elizabeth Harcourt just happens to be his next mark.

I liked Elizabeth Harcourt. She sprang from the pages as intelligent and wise. Even though she has lived a sheltered life, she seems to know the score; yet, is willing to take a chance to add a little spice to her life. However, Gabriel Cristofore is an enigma. He was a philanderer, a cad, and after his liaison with Elizabeth did he truly reform? When I finished the last page, I wasn't sure Elizabeth made the wise choice.

Also Elizabeth's father is a riddle, his character is bewildering. He seems kind and concerned with his daughter, when he ends her sexual affair; but he is so cruel to his child bride, Charlotte. If the author wanted us to truly despise this girl, she should have expanded further into the girl's persona. Charlotte's eavesdropping at an upstairs stovepipe might be immature, but it is not revolting.

Still Holt's art of seduction is wonderful and I read this book with great gusto.

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.

I have a weakness for reissued books only costing 4.99. I bought all of Cheryl Holt's book at one time and hoped beyond hope that i wouldn't feel let down. Well, I was let down on all of her books with the exception of "The way of the Heart". Excellent book!

What happened? Why can't all her books be that exceptional? I like a romping good time while reading and not really a stickler for little mistakes but this book was just too much.

First of all, Elizabeth like many of Ms. Holt's heroines are the most stupidest, naive and downright unbelievable characters I have ever read. I don't care how "sheltered" they are not knowing what a man's privates are is just stupid. Did her father keep her in a bubble? I mean to hear her ask "What's that?" and Gabriel answering had me rolling me eyes. Insulting my intelligence does not endear me to a book.

Secondly, I know i've written this in my other reviews of her books but what is it about repeating the same lines. "Bigger than most" COME ON! Obviously not...considering her other male leads are as well. Couldn't the author come up with another line?

It's really sad when the secondary romance overshadows the primary. I basically skipped through Gabriel and Elizabeth's mess and went right to John and Mary's.

I think I'll stick to Ms. Holt's earlier works and leave these alone. Please borrow or find it in a library but DO NOT buy this book. It is a waste of time and money.

I have read several of Ms. Holts books in the past so I bought this one sight unscene and without looking at reviews. So I was disappointed by what I ended up reading.

This book really has three different storylines running at the same time. There is the relationship between Gaberial and Elizabeth, Mary (Elizabeth's servant) and Elizabeths father, and then the father and his spoiled brat of a bride. While all of these storylines were entertaining I felt that it may have been too many for one book. Gaberial is not a likeable Hero. Normally her hero's are dark and brooding, looking for the one that will change them, this just was not the case, he seemed more of an opportunist and less as a hero to me. Elizabeth for all of that was just too unbelievable for words.

The end of the book was rushed and as a result the reason I feel that I came away feeling cheated not only by the story but by the author. She has done so much better in the past. Don't let this one put you off totally and if it is your first by this author pick up one of her later titles to see why I fell in love with her writing to begin with. I hope her next effort is worth the wait.

I have to say that I expected a lot more from this book. The hero, Gabriel, is refreshingly diffrent from the dukes and earls that abound as heroes in all historical romances. Elizabeth, the heroine, too is diffrent, in the sense that she pursues Gabriel more forcefully...generally it is the hero who wears down the heroine with his persistence, but in this case it was the reverse. It was fun to read a novel where the heroine takes the initative.
The sex scenes were raunchy and erotic, and frankly I enjoyed reading them, only wished they were longer!
What I didn't appreciae was that there were three stories involving three couples in the book. I felt the author wasted too much time on secondary characters, and frankly I was interested in reading only about the H&H.
The worst thing in the book was that for the last hundread pages of the book, there was only one chapter devoted to Elizabeth and Gabriel, and that was really frustrating.
The book would have been more believable and enjoyable if there was more interaction between the lead pair. I still have to read Love Lessons and Total Surrender, and I hope Ms Holt has devoted more time to the primary characters than the secondary ones!