Customer Reviews

Bliss

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To the reviewer who mentioned that Judith Ivory used to write as Judy Cuevas, thank you, whoever you were. I devoured every Judith Ivory book i could find after the delicious "Untie My Heart," and was delighted to learn there were a few more under the Cuevas name. I've begun to suspect that "Untie My Heart" was my first but her last. I hope not. Anybody know?

I had forgotten what an original she is. If I hadn't been familiar with her work, the character of Nardi would have turned me off at the beginning. I knew she'd turn him into a man worth falling in love with, and that she'd make me laugh and cry along the way. (When pain like Nardi's is written this believably, humor is essential for me. There are writers whose characters suffer quite well, but I can't read them because the anguish is unrelieved until the final pages.)

As much as I loved Nardi, I was most impressed with the unexpected reality of Hannah, a good girl whose bad reputation was earned. The sense of shame that might drive a girl to give her body away and regret is not unique in period romance, but what's most surprising about Hannah is that the author offers no artificial excuse for Hannah's remembered sexual encounter with someone she didn't love - and who happened to be the best friend of a young man who loved her. She used one man to break off with another. Not because she was misled or seduced, but because she feared her weakness for material things. She didn't trust herself to resist marrying for such a shallow reason, so she created an intolerable situation and the boy's family reacted as she knew they would.

Now she's living on optimism as the paid traveling companion to a woman who would, in the hands of most writers, have been a despicable old dragon and nothing more. That's the best thing about Judy Cuevas/Judith Ivory: even her secondary characters have layers. If one appears to be a cookie-cutter "type" when first introduced, get ready for a subtle and entirely believable peeling away of layers to reveal the depth and complexity that makes us all human, for better or worse.

The most startling such person waits to be discovered and awakened by Hannah in a charming reversal of roles: it's the prince who's been cursed and banished like Sleeping Beauty. Nardi is the childhood nickname of Bernardo, who at thirty-something has still not been allowed to outgrow the childhood nickname. He's a former art prodigy whose career went down in flames. His family blame Nardi for failing to fulfill their investment in his career, a fact that seems to concern them more than his opium addiction and his untidy habit of vomiting into pianos at dinner parties. To make amends, Nardi has agreed to a marriage of convenience that will restore the family fortune - provided he can be kept prisoner until he's sober enough to walk down the aisle without embarrassing the bride's family.

Believe it or not, this is the premise of a richly sensual, wholly satisfying historical romance. Trust Judy Cuevas to deliver all the elements: the wise but tormented hero; the servant girl whose presence in his life could bring ruin to an aristocratic family; the ruthless meddler. The traditional characters emerge from unexpected sources, like butterflies from pieces of fluff. The result is a mesmerizing, grown-up fairytale.

I couldn't believe I was paying $31 for a paperback romance novel. I'll be happy to pay as much for "Dance," the companion novel.

Bold, brave and charmingly naive, Hannah Van Evan longed for nothing more than to leave her old life behind and run away to Paris. She finds her chance in the form of Madame Amelia Besom. A grumpy, yet kind old woman, Mrs Besom needs a secretary/companion to accompany her to an old French chateau. There, the two women would work to recover any valuable art that could be sold at auction.

Nardi de Saint Valliers life was a mess - it was no longer his own. A recovering ether-drinker, Nardi is under lock and key in an old cottage on the grounds of the family chateau. Here, he is watched by his older brother - Much depends on Nardis recovery. Too numb to stand up and fight for himself and his freedom, Nardi willingly(though broodingly)gives in to his familys manipulations....until the unexpected arrival of Hannah. When she comes into his life, Nardi is shocked and pleased to discover that she has brought feeling back to him...and once Nardi accepts Hannahs love and offers his in return, he is unwilling to give her up for anyone or anything - not even his own disapproving family.

"Bliss" written under the name of Judy Cuevas is yet another winner by Judith Ivory. Again and again, I pick up one of her books thinking SURELY this one cant possibly be as good as the one before it and again and again, I find myself absolutley glued to the story.

Nardi was sooo charming...Hannah was so bubbly. Yet,they were both imperfect. This is something that I love about Ivorys characters. They are never cardboard cut-outs. There are always things to make you uneasy, to make you dislike them even as you love them. These flaws make them seem SO REAL. I mean, who is perfect??

My main complaint with "Bliss" was how quickly everything was wrapped up at its ending. I knocked off half a star because I wanted more...still, this is without a doubt one more keeper written by an author that I can for sure call my favorite - Judith Ivory.

Okay, I admit it..... Sometimes I'm a little slow. I had NO IDEA that Judy Cuevas is also Judith Ivory. Ms. Ivory is one of my all time favorite authors. I have read all her books and treasured each and every one. Now I understand my fascination with the Cuevas novels.

Bliss is the first novel I read under her pseudonym. Wow!! what a great book. I wasn't sure if I would like the innocent heroine saving a "tortured soul" and falling helplessly in love at the same time. WRONG!!!

The story about a mistakenly tarnished American beauty who secures a job with an elderly lady who is in the auction and fine art appraisal business. They travel together to France to appraise and auction antique pieces from a family owned chateaux. The chateaux is in need of many repairs. The money gained will be used toward restoration. There the heroine, Hannah, meets a somber and tortured Frenchman, Nardi, who is "imprisoned in a detached cottage (by his family) while he detoxes from an Ether addiction. He is an intense, handsome young artist who became self destructive from professional rejection, self esteem problems, and family dysfunction. Hannah, impossibly naive befriends Nardi and ultimately helps him "heal".

Ms. Cuevas/Ivory writes poignentely. The characters, although flawed are complex,likeable, and compelling. Hannah's determination, loyalty, and indomitable spirit casts a ray of light upon the darkness of Nardi's soul- and ignites an all consuming passion between the two. Nardi's recovery and healing helps Hannah understand and come to terms with her own past issues. The story is uplifting and speaks to the power of love, renewel, and growth.

Don't miss this book!! Why,is it not in print??

Judy Cuevas/Judith Ivory is developing a stellar track record and Bliss is no exception.

Cuevas' characters are multi-faceted and always intriguing. Hannah is an American woman pursuing her dream to become an art and antiquities appraiser. She has a love of beauty and wealth that is both exhilarating and shameful to her sometimes fueling her secret fear that she is shallow.

Nardi is a Frenchman, once his country's most promising young sculptor now trying to put his life back together in the aftermath of an ether addiction. He has given up his art fearing to risk rejection in the public eye.

Both characters are struggling to make their way ---Hannah with a ruined reputation must constantly prove herself to her current employer. Nardi is trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his family offering himself up for sacrifice on the marital alter while he lives a virtual prisoner under the ever-watchful eye of his older brother.

With a complex cast of secondary characters and a wonderful understanding of interpersonal relationships this book delivers on every level!

The only flaw in Ivory's books, is that she writes so in depth and loses herself in the process. Eventually, she realizes that her story must come to a close and so sweeps everything under the rug. The End. These characters were far too involved and intricate and 3 dimensional to just have them do things out of character to bring the ever necessary happy ending.

The first 2/3's of the book, however, are breath taking. It should, in fact, have a re-write for the ending and come back to print. It would fly off the shelves.

I absolutely adored the romance between Hannah and Nardi; it was so very honest and real! I finished this book in 3 hours and am currently scouring the bookstores for the sequel "Dance!" I truly hope that this book wins the award it's up for because I can't recall reading anything more soul moving!!!

After the lovers get together they are separated. I was impressed with the author's method of separating them. It was well done, not like many authors who rely on vague communication causing a separation. On the other hand, I had two problems with the story. One, the author used many French phrases in the book. Some were explained in English and some were not. I wish she would have explained all of them. I felt like I was missing out on parts of the story because of it. I even pulled out a French dictionary trying to find some definitions, but I couldn't find them for conjugated verbs.

CAUTION SPOILER: My second problem was with two unexplained events at the end of the book. I wanted to know why Marie cancelled the wedding. It was not explained. The author also implied something happened between Sebastien and Marie at that time. I felt like I was left hanging, wanting to know what happened.

Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: four. Setting: 1903 Miami, England and France. Copyright: 1995. Genre: historical romance.

I've never read anything like this before!!!!!

Nardi de Saint Vallier is a "burned out" French sculptor. He is ether addicted and is destroying himself. Hannah is a "ruined" woman who has come to France as the companion to an art dealer. Hannah and Nardi meet on the grounds of an old French chateau as Nardi is being "watched" as he "detoxifies" and Hannah is helping her employer look through the old, worn down chateau looking for anything that could be auctioned off. This is the backdrop for this unusual and very compelling romance.

Judy Cuevas uses the French language brilliantly and "sounds it out" so that the reader can actually "hear" how Nardi sounds....it's brilliant. The setting, the time, the plot, the characters....everything moves together at the right pace and this book never gets boring.

Nardi's "disintoxication" is something to behold, and Hannah's help in this process speaks to the power that we have in the lives of the people who love us. The ending is far to abrupt, but this book will captivate you. I loved it and don't regret the cash it took to secure my own copy!

The first time I read Bliss, I was absolutely intoxicated by it. It absorbed me and kept me completely in its power. For a whole two days all I did was eat, sleep, dream, breathe Bliss. I read it over and over, wondering each time that it should so affect me. Because by any measure this book should not have worked for me. The hero is a washed-up artistic genius who never met a drug he didn't like, and the heroine is a materialistic, ambitious upstart of a little thing who thumbs her nose at society's strictures. But somehow it worked. It really worked.

Hannah Van Evan is a woman with a sordid past. It is entirely necessary for her to leave Miami because, due to some rather scandalous behavior, she has become known as Miss Seven-Minutes-of-Heaven. She applies for a job as an assistant to Mrs. Amelia Besom, an American antiques and arts appraiser who is going to Europe to search for finds. They wind up at a ramshackle estate in rural France, and Hannah is intrigued by the owner's warning to stay away from a certain cottage.

Nardi de Saint Vallier comes from a blue-blooded family, has had every advantage given to him, and is possessed of a most spectacular talent. An acclaimed sculptor, he has been feted by all of Europe. And then a few years ago some of his pieces were not so well received. He did not take the criticism constructively and went on a bender that has included every intoxicating substance known to man. At the start of the story he has not been sober in a good long time, and his current escape of choice is drinking ether. His family has become concerned.

Due to some rather fancy Saint Vallier maneuvering, Nardi finds himself imprisoned in a cottage on the ancestral estate, engaged to the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, and denied any contact with artificial stimulants. He has been the subject of a proto-intervention, and he is none too happy about it. So when Hannah stumbles curiously into his lair, he tries to charm her into giving him what he wants: ether first, and then, s'il vous plait, Hannah herself.

I have to tell you that I was very, very prepared to dislike Nardi. He's such a mess and so terribly unrepentant about his own chaos. When we meet him first he's barfing into a grand piano at a party. He is a liar and a manipulator whose only enjoyment is telling his brother/jailor Sebastien where he can go. So how did Cuevas make him sympathetic? By making him sexy as hell, charming as the day is long, and entirely aware of all his own flaws. Nardi has no illusions about himself. He knows he's a screw-up and far too sensitive. He just doesn't know how to do anything about it. And he's so anesthetized that he doesn't care anymore about anything. Until Hannah shows up and reminds him about life and hope and beauty.

And Hannah is flawed and fully human too. She wants to be rich and successful, and so is highly ambitious. She is quite impressed with the Saint Vallier chateau, more impressed with it at times than she is with Nardi. I found this perversely refreshing. When was the last time you read about a heroine who wanted the money? Who was impressed with beautiful things? Hannah's inclinations may not be noble, but they are human, and by making her characters so flawed, Cuevas also makes them so real.

And there were so many other things that I liked about Bliss. The setting is highly original and very atmospheric. The crumbling chateau, filled with priceless treasures, both the source of great family pride and great family embarrassment, looms metaphorically in the background, half a character in and of itself. Its presence and condition affects all of the characters' decisions. The only one not obsessed with its vast potential, appropriately, is Nardi. I became half-obsessed with it myself. Where is it, Judy? Do they give regular tours in the summertime?

Two more highlights: the writing quality here is superior to just about anything I've read in romance. It's textured and tactile; you can feel every aspect of a summer evening in France, a woman's complicated clothing cage, a man's soft ether stupor. And finally, Sebastien, Nardi's brother is probably the most rounded villain I've ever come across. Every smug, controlling behavior he exhibits he truly does out of a perverse love and concern for his brother. He hurts Nardi and Hannah, but it's impossible to hate him because he's trying so hard to make everything better. You can read about him in his story, Dance.

The only quibble I have about this book is the ending. It seems rushed. Cuevas goes into great detail about the obstacles to Hannah's and Nardi's relationship, and then sort of sweeps them away at the end in one dramatic scene. I would have preferred a more resolved finish. I would have liked for Hannah and Nardi to honestly confront their problems together instead of separately with a grande finale.

But this is a minor quibble. For the many above reasons, Bliss is one of my all-time favorite reads, truly a Desert Isle Keeper. If you're looking for a fantastic story with fully-fleshed characters in a fascinating setting, search no further. Find a copy of this book.

As always, Judith Ivory has spoiled the next book I'm going to read! How can another author live up to such intelligent story telling - and sophisticated writing style? This book was brilliant! It starts off with very few scenes with Nardi the hero because he's obviously too intoxicated on ether to have a coherent point of view, so for the first almost one hundred pages his brother Sebastien takes the lead, and it keeps you in such a suspense to finally meet a sober Nardi that you are practically drooling while turning the pages! Nardi is flawed in many ways, the first being his drug use, but I loved the fact that the heroine Hannah is also flawed. She loves beautiful things and that includes men! And Nardi is certainly one of them! She also realizes that she loves money and wouldn't mine marrying into it,[ which girl wouldn't?] but Nardi the once great sculpter has ruined his life with his drug use, so her love has to be strong enough to endure many obstacles and help Nardi become whole again. These two will take you on a journey of their self redemption in many forms. This book had real fleshed out characters. Hannah and Nardi is just as imperfect in their thinking and actions as you are, or one of your best friends, and to me that is the most endearing aspect of this book.

***SPOILER***
The reason why I took away half a star is because I was a little annoyed that Nardi bought that bottle of ether in the end even though he didn't take it. It made me think that he would use it again at the slightest problem in his life. And I also wished for a more successful ending for them even though it seemed like they were doing fine and they were happy. I guess I wanted the ending to be a little more clear on their financial status and for Nardi and his family to get back the French Chateau somehow.

I absolutely loved this story! I pray that Judith Ivory is in good health, and that one day she will come back and write great books like this one again!