Customer Reviews

Dearly Beloved (Signet Regency Romance)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Personally, I loved this book. This was the first one that I read by this author, now I just finished reading it again and loved it even more the second time.

I know several other reviewers disagree with me, and I have to admit that this book is not for everyone, but if you like a romance that deals with serious issues, without losing the magic, this is it.

Mary Jo Putney combines polemic issues like rape, homosexuality, child abuse and prostitution, an accurate historical background, an interesting plot with a few twists, and a very poignant and passionate love story. What more can you ask for?

All the characters are well developed and three dimensional, and even though I didn't always agree with the way they acted, I was able to understand the reasons, fears and inner conflicts that motivated them. Personally, I loved Gervase and Diana, as well as Diana's son Geofrey. They became real to me, and I cared deeply for them and their happiness.

I won't say anymore because I don't want to spoil the book for those who haven't read it, like some reviewers have done. I'll just say that in my opinion, this a very well written and enjoyable book, one that makes the Romance genre proud.

Dearly Beloved is an historical romance by Mary Jo Putney. Now then, I love some of her historical romances - River Of Fire, Shattered Rainbows (Fallen Angels), and One Perfect Rose (Fallen Angels) are among my all time favorites Regencies. But this book was a little too grim for my tastes. The fact that the hero rapes a very young virgin in the opening chapter was a big turn off. The fact that this isn't even the darkest/worst thing in his life was an even bigger turn off.

Some of the sex scenes between the hero and heroine were very well done, quite hot, as I would expect from Putney, and I liked the heroine a lot, but I was never able to get over that rape scene (or the even worse thing that happened to the hero that I do not want to spoil).

I had a hard time believing this came from the same author who wrote such a sweet love story as One Perfect Rose (Fallen Angels)

I'm an avid MJP reader and couldn't believe it when I started to read this book. One of the most outstanding things about MJP is that she is able to create tormented yet sympathetic and believable male characters who you cannot help but like from the start. Even if the hero doesn't believe or trust in love anymore he is always gentle and caring with the woman he gets involved with. But Gervase is a real turn-off right from the beginning. In the first chapter we see him drunken to oblivion and forced by a mad vicar to marry a 15-years-old girl whom he has unintentionally compromised. Gervase thinks he has been trapped by both-the mad vicar and the girl and brutally rapes her (MJP doesn't spare us the details) merely for vengeance. He is too much of a coward to strike back against the father, who would be the most responsible part in a conspiracy, he prefers to vent out his anger at a little girl. Honestly, can a man sink lower than that? After his fit of rage he disposes Diana like a piece of garbage and condemns her to a life in a tiny village at the end of the world, very much like an imprisonment, determined to never see her again. Here is the first contradiction: Gervase thinks he must do the "honorable thing" and marry the girl, yet after the ceremony he acts like the lowest of villains. Such a character would not have married in the first place, at least not after his life wasn't threatened anymore, which was the case here at some point of the book.

MJP try to make us believe that Gervase has been haunted by the memories of that night ever since which simply isn't true. He feels uncomfortable when thinking about it, but that's all. Like Diana points out in the end, he has never done any action that would prove his regrets which is why he obviously never made inquiries about Diana's welfare in all those years.

As a result of the rape the girl becomes pregnant and nearly dies in childbirth because she's obviously physically too underdeveloped to give birth to a baby (which makes Gervase's rape suspiciously look like child-abuse). Yet she has absolutely no problems in accepting and loving her child right from the start. She even thinks her rapist can't be bad because her child is so lovely. Oh yes, of course and pigs fly. Rape victims who become pregnant don't react that way, especially not if the victim is a mere child. If Diana slowly had come to love her child, though I might have bought that. But MJP is not very subtle or authentic-neither in plot nor in characterization.

To make it even more unrealistic the now grown-up Diana decides to change her quiet rural life-style and go to London to become a courtesan. While it is understandable that a young woman wants to replace her sad memories and make new and pleasant ones it is absolute nonsense that she will choose her rapist to make that memories. And Gervase is not at all the haunted hero who looks out for redemption. This is their first encounter : "The two of them might have been alone in Eden and Diana was aware of nothing but the dark man and her own fiercely beating heart. That austerely handsome face was familiar to her as her own nightmares, and in a flash of fear and awe and tremulous anticipation....She knew beyond the shadow of doubt that this was the man she had come to London to find."

This made me nearly retch. If you tackle a hot issue like rape or domestic violence you have to be very, very careful . MJP has handled that issue with such lightness as if such a crime wasn't a crime at all and doesn't affect the victims in any way. Diana seems not to have suffered at all. What makes it worse that the book is not even entertaining. The courtship of Gervase and Diana and Gervase's spy actions are boring and the villain in the piece is so cruel and bad that it is almost laughable. He is simply put in the story to make Gervase look a little better (in another novel of MJP he would be the villain of the piece and what an icky villain he would be!). Gervase's misogyny and constant mistrust of women in general got on my nerves and his dark, dark secret is simply disgusting. Skip this book and try one of MJP other stories. This novel is highly unsavory.

Just finished re-reading it and I have to agree with fellow reviewers - it is still one of Ms Putney's best. I read it when it first came out in 1990 and reading it again still makes me wonder how she manages to put so many ingredients into it. I do agree with some of you out there that there are some unpleaseant plot twists in the book. But we have to give Ms Putney due credit for being brave enough to deal with taboo issues like homosexuality, breast cancer and epilepsy in her story. Don't forget, this book is set in the early 19th century and people DO not talk about them.

Diana Lindsay is one of Ms Putney's most unforgettable characters as she is loving and warm despite her bad start with the hero, Viscount Gervase St. Aubyn. She was brave enough to find herself a lover even if it meant it had to be with her very estranged husband. No doubt readers do not care for Gervase's behavior when he finds out Diana has been witholding the truth from him all along, but they have to understand his attitude is very much shaped by his dark and horrid past. I also admire Diana's go-getting attitude after Gervase spurned her (again) and she had to "take the bull by the horns". Of course, it helps that this book has some of the most sensuous scenes Ms Putney has created. Moreover, there is a double romance between Maddy and her reunited lover, Lord Farnsworth.

I would dearly love to read Geoffrey's very own book. I wonder if Ms Putney will oblige? He is certainly a character worth expanding as he has so many lovable qualities - smart, warm and loving - just like his Mom. It would also be great to see an older version of Diana and Gervase come back. All in all, Dearly Beloved remains one of Ms Putney's best, if not the best.

Most of Mary Jo Putney's books are my favorite, because of the flaw character, the conflict, and the emotions. But this book is at the top. Putney is at her best here, she wonderfully made an intense plot become believable, full of emotion, deception, and tension, with love growing in the air. I'm especially love the heroine, for doing whatever she must to find the things that she desire and be strong with her decision, also, at the same time a loving mother and a loyal friend, as a whole, a caring person with her own personal flaws. I can't put this book down the first time I read it, I want to know how the hero and heroine solve their problems and help each other on their way to happiness. I've reread it a few time and it still very emotional to me.
You cannot pass this book, I recommend it to every one.

I love Mary Jo Putney books, but this has got to be one of her very best. I read it when it first came out in 1990, and it is still one of my favorites today, I could read this book over and over again, this is definately a keeper. I recommed it highly.

I had high hopes for this book, but I really wish there had been some sort of warning. It begins with a brutal rape scene (Putney attempts to portray it gently, but the hero is definitely aware that he's raping a 15-year-old girl) and ends with the Gervase's confession that he lost his innocence as a 13-year-old when he was raped by his mother.

No thank you. Absolutely revolting. There's no excuse for child rape and I definitely don't want to be reading it.

My apologies for spoiling the story for anyone, but again, I sincerely wish I'd known before purchasing this book.

The rape scene of a 15 year old INNOCENT virgin was sick! The fact that he was so quick to believe that she was in on her father's so called "plot" was sick. Never mind that Gervase was even coherent enough to realize he was in HER ROOM nor did he EVER, EVER apologize for the act. Oh he felt bad but not bad enought that he searched for her. No instead when he discovered her little "fib" he got really mad at her, how dare she seek vengenance upon me and in such a horrible way! Wow, is this guy for real? The really sick and disturbing part is what happened to him at the age of 13!! Really could have done without that!!!! If possible I would give this book 1/2 stars just because the paper was of decent quality!!!

This was my 2nd MJP book. After reading The Bargain, I was looking forward to Dearly Beloved but I basically had to force myself to finish this book. I found many of the several plot twists and subplots to be excessive, distasteful and exploitative. Really, is it necessary to incorporate rape, incest, sadism and prostitution (etc.) into one little story? I was very turned off by much of this. That said, I did think that the homosexual subplot was handled with sensitivity. Finally, I just couldn't bring myself to like the two main characters or find their actions and responses to be even remotely realistic. I will probably give MJP another try since I enjoyed The Bargain, but this time I will definitely get her books from the library, not the bookstore.

This is the love story of Gervase, Lord St Aubyn,and Diana Lindsay, supposedly a 'courtesan'. Diana is living with her six year old son in a very remote part of Yorkshire and whilst she lives peacefully she is restless. She saves the life of a mysterious stranger who fuels her desire for change and she moves to London. Here she meets Viscount St Aubyn and becomes his mistress. He is a very private and severe character and seeing their relationship develop in this story is really moving. They both have dark secrets in their pasts which you can sense but which are well hidden. St Aubyn finds himself drawn to Diana's warmth and unconditional love in spite of himself and whilst she loves him deeply she can sense that he is a very troubled character. His secret work for the government makes for an excellent subplot with a satisfactorily evil villain. This is a very moving and well written book about two very anguished people. I loved it. The distressing plot twist at the beginning which some reviewers complain about is quite a dark element of the story but IMO St Aubyn redeems himself and personally I don't have an issue with these types of storylines if they are written as well as this one.