Customer Reviews

The Charmer (Wheeler Romance)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

abandon the medieval period for the regency period. I was further disappointed by the first book in this series The Seducer that while extremely well written and readable did not pack the emotional punch of her previous efforts. I am happy to report that with The Charmer Madeline Hunter is once again at the top of her game and at the top of my autobuy list.

Adrian Burchard the third, unwanted son of an Earl is sent to Paris on a mission to bring the errant Duchess of Everdon back to England. After the death of her cold, autocratic father Sofia Raughley has been made Duchess in her own right.This means she now holds one of the most powerful titles in the peerage. Adrian's task is to bring Sofia back not because anyone is interested in her personal well being but because she now has the power to sway key votes in the Tories favor to help defeat the Reform Bill. Sofia is under no illusions as to why she is being summoned back with such haste by the King and others. She is to be used again as a pawn by powerful men who will try to marry her off so they can put a man in control of Everdon again. She refuses to accompany Adrian back but he is not a man who can be easily dissuaded from his mission especially by a seemingly decadent, spoiled, petulant woman. The stench of revolution permeates England and his own future hangs in the balance thus in this Adrian cannot fail. So, he does the only thing a man in his position would do he throws her over his shoulder and forcibly hauls her off across the Channel. Before long though Adrian realizes that there's much more to Sofia than the haughty, frivolous demeanor she presents to the world. Little by little and in his own quiet understanding way he begins to peel away Sofia's layers to uncover the tortured,terrified but strong woman that hides beneath.

I loved this book for many reasons but the most important is that this book is about a relationship between a man and a woman. By this I mean that while there's intrigue, a villain and a rich historical backdrop Adrian and Sofia's love story remains firmly in the center. Also,Madeline Hunter's quiet almost lyrical prose makes this book a pleasure to read. Furthermore, the characters are unique, believable and fully fleshed out. Sofia is a strong, intelligent heroine and Adrian is to die for. Something else I loved about this story was that the hero never fought his feelings for Sofia. He was in love and without mincing any words he let her know it. To me, this was a refreshing change because any die hard romance reader knows the hero usually fights his feelings for the heroine almost to the last page. In short, Madeline Hunter has created an unique, moving love story with credible and memorable characters who will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Highly recommended :0)

Setting - France and England 1831 --- In THE CHARMER, this third entry into Ms. Hunter's latest Regency era series I find Hunter back where she belongs - right on top with SOLID GOLD! One cannot but admire the ingenuity of this regency romance using as a background the seldom discussed period of British history political unrest circa 1831-1832.

Sophia Raughley, with the death of her father, was now the Duchess of Everdon. Eight years previously she had fled, from her autocratic father to the continent and had been living outrageously in France. Now, none other than the king of England himself has summoned her home and sent a handsome messenger to complete the task. Charged by Wellington with the task of bringing the duchess home is one of the most divine hero's to hit the pages of this talented wordsmith. Adrian Burchard, third son (though illigetimate) of the Earl of Dincaster. While Adrian's first impression of the new Duchess of Everdon did not display her in the best of circumstances - she really did `display' quite a bit of her charms - her impression of him was of another autocratic and manipulative male. Knowing full well that the summons is only to marry her off in order to put a man in one of the most powerfully political seats, she is resentful at being forced into being manipulated and used once again by the men in her life. Both lead protagonists, were resentful of one another but circumstances compelled them into a close association and as Sophia began to trust Adrian, they both began to recognize a kindred spirit as they peeled back the layers of mistrust, and lack of nurturing they'd both endured during their formative years. Adrian realized that under the frivolous demeanor Sophia showed to the world there existed a terrified and tortured soul that with his quiet strength and understanding helped her to overcome her fears - all the while as they opened their eyes and embraced the passion that soon overcame them both they stole what happiness they could as he tried to protect Sophia from the treachery of those who would use her for their own means.

This was a fabulous read with two very intelligent, complex and wonderfully defined protagonists. The passionate intensity of the story and the steamy love scenes were all the more poignant as through it all, Adrian because of his checkered bloodlines and political affiliations knew that their love had no future. He loved as though each time might be their last and the sensual dialog's were so beautifully composed that they truly did touch my heart. Along with this very moving romance, we are treated to a wonderful cast of secondary characters of which Sophia's two protégés, Attila and Jacques, who were tremendously delightful, especially when Jacques reprimanded Adrian for not being a good lover -- then proceeded to give him tips! On top of all of this, the reader will uncover a very surprising twist at the end that I never saw coming - but you'll have to read the book to discover it! Bottom line -- THIS is romance at it's best and what I've come to expect from Madeline Hunter! --- Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com ---

This has to be one of the best novels I've ever read. Adrian was such a great guy, so smart, exceptionally handsome, loyal, gentle to those he loved, and tough to his enemies.
Sophia's friends, Attila and Jacques very nearly stole the show, though! These two were hilarious, especially when they showed up in the park.
Adrian's older brother, Colin, (the oldest we never did meet) was a wonderful man, yet I did wonder why there was no explanation about Colin's feelings concerning Adrian's birth. Colin accepted Adrian, which was fantastic, but what led to this great friendship?
Also, I'm sorry to say that I found one scene in this book totally boring and I didn't like the distraction. It was when Sophia visited her ancestral home to fight the ghosts of her past. Her relationship with Adrian was progressing nicely, then all of sudden Sophia leaves and the action just stopped! I would never discount the severity of her tragic past, but we learned nothing new by her going there. Her supposed conversation with her deceased father was boring, and not the least informative.

I love the romance genre so I mean no disrespect to it when I say that this book rises above the "genre" label. This is literature. Not only was it one of the best romances I've ever read - it's simply one of the best books I've ever read. The complexity of the characters, the pacing of the story, the historical details, and the lovely use of language all combined to make this an unforgettable read. These characters and their story will stay with you long after you finish the book. Don't miss it!

In THE CHARMER, Madeline Hunter has honed her writing skills - I found this book to be exceptionally well written, the writing alone would be worth five stars, plus. But there were some aspects of this story that grated on me, which is why I bumped my rating down to four stars.

Sophia has run away to Paris to escape the ghosts of her past. She has created a life for herself there of sorts until her father died and she inherited the dukedom. She is compelled to return to England to accept the title of Duchess, and the duties that would be inherent in the title, as her father's sole remaining heir. Actually, Sophia does not feel at all compelled to return on her own, so that the Duke of Wellington sends his messenger - Adrian Burchard - to bring her back to England, and Mr. Burchard does it the old-fashioned way - by picking her up and carrying her there! Now Sophia can no longer run away and hide, she has to confront her ghosts, ghosts both from the past and ghosts that are very much there in the present, including her growing attraction to Adrian which opens a Pandora box of its own... and from which she tries to run away from as well.

This story is well done. The characters in this story are very real, the book is well-plotted, and Ms. Hunter has set this story in a time (1832) where the historical detail is very much a part of the plot of this story. It happens that I have read many books set between 1750-1850, and many books that feature dukes, and not once has it even been hinted that dukes have any kind of power, or votes, not one book that I have read had explored the House of Commons/House of Lord relationship, and how the nobility feature in the world of politics at all. (Truthfully, I still have a sketchy understanding of English politics, but this novel has piqued my interest enough that I will now do some research on this subject). Very, very well done, Ms. Hunter!

I also found that Adrian's parentage was very nicely done, and very well explored, in a realistic way. It IS discussed, and it is also one of the central plot themes, too. Also, it was realistic that one brother was kind to him and one brother wasn't - and the fact that Colin was decent about everything is not a question mark to me - they were at the very least half-brothers - they shared a mother after all, they should have had a strong kinship, they shared blood after all.

My favorite part of the book was when they are both exploring why their respective families - Sophia's and Adrian's - rejected them - and Adrian very calmly explains - I didn't mind it so much because I knew there was a reason behind their behavior - but it must have been much harder for you because they simply rejected you for no reason. Well done, Ms. Hunter!

There were some parts of the story that I really did not like, however. First: Much of the story centers on Sophia's emotional weaknesses, and Adrian's manipulation of her, and ultimately "fixing" her. Sophia comes across as a very needy, emotional woman, and Adrian comes across as the all-knowing, all-seeing savior - of the variety of "I always know what's best for you, even if you don't, and I will force you to do what's best for you". Some people may like that kind of a plot, but it's just not for me. More unsettling is the constant use of physical force - while the first time he picked her up - physically - and carried her where she had to go, it made sense, and flowed with the storyline, by the third (was there a fourth time?) I felt that it was just too, too much.

I was trying to think about what I didn't like this aspect of the story, and the word "emotionally controlling" came to mind. Adrian is constantly telling Sophia what to do, how to fix herself, etc. He may have been right, but even so, I feel it is simply too much for one human being to have so much power over another human being, to the extent that it happens in this story. Like I said, some people may go for this plot theme, I didn't. I like my heroines to "fix" themselves (okay, with a little help from the hero), but still, it would have been nice to see Sophia have done a *tiny drop* on her own. But, that's just MHO. For what it's worth.

Another thing that was unrealistic to me was the way they fell so deeply, so overwhelmingly in love so early in the story. Besides for the fact that I had no idea what Adrian saw in Sophia (pity?? Her title??), it was just too quick for them to have fallen so deeply in love - so quickly, and so completely, on such a deep, emotional level, it usually takes couples years to develop that kind of a connection. Unrealistic or not, it did make for some very emotionally satisfying reading, though.

I also could not understand what exactly kept these two apart for the entire book, and why it was assumed by both of them that they could not marry, and suddenly, the book is at the end, and we are told - of course it doesn't matter to Sophia about his past, or about the fact that polite society will ostracize them. If it doesn't matter at that point - then why couldn't it have not mattered a little earlier in the book? What was keeping them from getting married earlier?

Another thing - while the characters in this story were very real, and they both came very much alive to the reader (that part was well done), on the other hand I felt that they were forced into a mold to do and say things that their characters the way I perceived them to be would not have said and done. In other words, the characters were very well portrayed, and while sometimes they said and did things that were realistic (indeed, very realistic), at other times it felt forced and contrived. Such as when Adrian is talking to Sophia, helping her understand her past and her reaction to it - it felt more like a therapy session than a spontaneous conversation between lovers. Adrian is always very careful in how he says things - he always says the right thing, always does the right thing - it it possible? Perhaps it *is* possible, but not very probable, or realistic.

This book has a lot going for it - it is well written, well plotted, emotionally complex, with a lot of historical background and information. It also has strong characters, and a very interesting and varied plot-line, which is very well wrapped up by the end of the book.

This is only the second book that I have read by Madeline Hunter, but I do seem to sense a pattern here - extremely well-crafted and emotionally deep characters, along with a realistic sense of the time period. In this book, the writing was exceptional, as well.
You will probably enjoy this story more, though, if you are looking for a top-of-the-line plus very emotional and beautiful read and don't mind a weak heroine/strong hero combination - so while this was indeed a very, very good book, this was not a keeper for me.

"The Charmer" by Madeline Hunter is absolutely charming. In this novel we encounter Sophia, who has left England fleeing a father who physically and mentally abused her. When her father passes away it is up to Adrian Burchard to retrieve Sophia back to England so that the 12 votes she commands can be utilized for a reform party.

This synopsis in no way captures the heat and strong-will that Sophia and Adrian have. The story revolves around Sophia dealing with the demons she lives with when it comes to her father, her deceased brother, and how all men, including Gerald, never see beyond the inheritance to the real woman. For the first time in her life she encounters a man who does, namely Adrian. After erecting figurative walls to protect herself from the hurt others may cause, will Adrian be strong enough to scale them? Will Sophia allow herself to overcome past hurts?

I genuinely enjoyed this book, and found myself captivated from the very start. I truly appreciated the strong wills of both Sophia and Adrian, and the struggles they both have to overcome to become friends and lovers. I only wish as a reader that we learned more about Adrian's parentage, and how despite his unique origins formed such a strong bond with brother Colin. I look forward to more of Madeline Hunter's books.

Maybe I have great expectations regarding Madeline Hunter, and that's why I didn't give this book 5 stars. It was very good, but I didn't like it as much as "The Saint", the previous book in this series.

I think the start of the book was a little slow. I could not point out the exact reason why I find it so, perhaps it is because there was too much politics, and that bored me a little, but I didn't find myself dragged into the book until almost half of it.

The second part, however, more than made up for that. It was filled with such poignant moments and heartbreaking passion, that it captivated me, and I even dropped a tear or two.

Overall, the book was really good, I can't wait for "The Sinner" to come out. Fortunately I won't have to wait months or even years. It will come out in a few days, and I will run to get it, because the fragment of "The Sinner" that was included at the end of this book was very interesting.

It's hard to live in a world where you don't know, at first, who your friends are, and learning to discern your true friends from fair-weathered ones starts at a very early age. It's also hard to live in a world of privilege where there are heavy expectations on your shoulders, that as a woman, it is your duty to marry a gentleman of your father's choosing for his own purposes and not yours.

Sophia Raughley, heir and daughter of the Duke of Everdon, lived in such a life. Instead of succumbing to her father's obstinate will to marry his choice for her, she fled to France. Eight years later, her father is dead and the King of England has summoned her home. England is in turmoil and Sophia has in her power as Duchess of Everdon enough votes to swing the political pendulum toward the Tories. King William and his influential men plan to forcibly bring Sophia back to England, marry her to the man her father chose for her, and thus subduing Sophia to her husband's will.

Adrian, third son of an Earl and also the Duke of Wellington's man, is sent to France to retrieve Sophia. He successfully does his task but becomes increasingly disillusioned as he discovers the plans laid out for Sophia's future. Sophia, for her part, sees herself surrounded by enemies, but despite her reservations, she finds an unlikely ally in Adrian.

There is a lot of backstory to this tale but it makes the ending that much more exciting. Sophia's father is evil, calculating and morally repugnant. It seems he somewhat redeems himself in the end but, for him, it comes too late.

This was an exciting tale with intricate storylines and a plot that, upon its full unveiling, was both shocking and scandalous. You won't be disappointed. Madeline Hunter never ceases to amaze me. She comes up with such great storylines and supported with beautiful prose, wonderfully endearing and heroic characters and vile antagonists.

In 1831 King William sends Adrian Burchard to bring Sophia Raughley back to England though she feels her home is in Paris after eight years there. However, with the death of her estranged father, Sophia inherits the Duchy of Everdom. This means among other things she is considered now a key political person because she controls several rotten borough representatives in the House of Commons including her escort.

Adrian first meets Sophia when she is almost unconscious during an orgy. An artist stud that she sponsors slipped her a knock-out drug so that he could have sex with her even if she is out cold, but Adrian stops him. Taking advantage of her claim that she is married, Adrian says he is her spouse and demands that her sponsored artists must stay away from her. Adrian forces Sophia to return with him, but quickly finds himself in love with a woman he thought was a crazy nymphomaniac. She falls in love with her escort who she thinks is a pawn of the rich and famous starting with Wellington.

As she did with THE SEDUCER and THE SAINT, Madeline Hunter provides her audience with an engaging historical romance that uses historical tidbits to bring alive the era and to enhance the lead couple, especially their relationship. Once Adrian arrives on the scene with his first impressions, the novel moves rather quickly forward as the twosome argue over just about everything except love. Madeline Hunter provides a delightful tale that will please her myriad of fans who can look forward to a sinful encore.

Harriet Klausner

Plot Summary: Sophia Raughley fled England nearly eight years ago, without the least intention of returning. During a harem-theme party in a Parisian salon, Adrian Burchard meets the woman who has become the next Duchess of Everdon, sprawled half-naked and drunk in the arms of a worthless man. Upon her father's death, Sophia inherited the title and the votes that the King needs during a time of unrest in England. Adrian's job is to bring her back, and he intends to do just that, even if he has to carry her like a carpet over his shoulder. They have an attraction, but Sophia is far too lofty for the lowly third son of questionable parentage, no matter how high his family. Unfortunately the man her father groomed for the job is ready and determined to marry Sophia.

I tried my best, but I just could not get into The Charmer. It's the first time I've been disappointed by a Madeline Hunter novel, but sometimes I disagree with my favorite writers, and this is one of those times. The reason this fails for me is because I couldn't find much to like in either Sophia or Adrian. Of the two, Sophia was definitely harder to handle. She had a poor little rich girl story that didn't involve me emotionally, so all of her evasions stank of selfishness rather than self-preservation. I admire pluck, levity, or tenacity in a heroine, but Sophia was sorely lacking any of these attributes.

Adrian was surprisingly uncharming given the title of this book. He was good at being a bully most of the time, with a few tender moments sprinkled in. I never felt that spark that inspires me to love him, to love her, or to love the both of them together. I'm just left with an empty, detached feeling toward their plight. So, The Charmer was no go, but I'm still a fan of Ms. Hunter's historical romances. I'll just try another one.