Customer Reviews

Desiree (Signature Select)

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

 

 

I was like a kid at Christmas when I first learned there was to be a new installment in the wonderful Roselynde Chronicles. I have old, yellowing editions of all the previous installments, which Ms. Gellis wrote in the 1980s, and they will remain on my shelf 'til the day I die. But as I read _Desiree_, I was repeatedly dismayed at almost every aspect. I only finished it out of a sense of loyalty to an author I admire to the point of reverence. Had this book been written by anyone other than Gellis, I'd have put it down before the halfway point.

The main characters are colorless and sometimes not even likeable. Desiree, especially, is weak and vacillating and has no self-control whatsoever. The hero, Alex, is a nice guy but so full of self-doubt that I questioned my beloved Simon's judgment in appointing him as a castellan. And Alex, like Desiree, turns out to be lacking in the self-control department. The villain, Vachel, bungles all his half-baked schemes, and the one character who might have made a worthy opponent for the hero and heroine remains offstage throughout the story.

The premise is a good one: Desiree married an old man for protection against a neighboring lord who tried to force her to marry him. Now her kindly old husband is debilitated by illness, and Alex comes to serve as castellan so there will be a strong male presence on her lands. While Alex works to protect Desiree's domains from incursion by her old enemy, they fall in love. This could have been a heart-wrenching scenario: a young lady in a platonic marriage to a kind old man nobly fighting her attraction to a young, virile knight who likewise would cut off his arm before he would wrong his helpless old employer. But alas, this is where Alex and Desiree's lack of self-control made me cringe.

Even the writing disappointed me. It's as if some wannabe writer set out to imitate Gellis's style. There's a familiar echo now and then, but precious little of the vibrancy and richness that makes the previous Roselynde installments pure joy to read.

_Desiree_ is not without redeeming qualities. Gellis's loving attention to historical detail is there (albeit in a lesser quantity than before). The fleeting glimpses we get of our beloved Simon and Alinor are the highlights of the story. They are just as we would imagine them during the early years of their marriage: happy, openly affectionate and ruling their lands jointly. Alinor is her usual pragmatic, forthright self and has bought the office of sheriff of Sussex for Simon.

If this is your first Roberta Gellis book, please don't judge her by it. I feel certain the inferiority of _Desiree_ is due to the dictates of her publisher and not to any diminution of her abilities or standards. This isn't the 1980s, and she simply wrote _Desiree_ in the way historical romances are written today.

The good news is that Harlequin is going to re-release the entire Roselynde Chronicles over the next year or two, so there will soon be crisp, shiny new editions of Gellis at her best. I just might replace my old, crumbling copies. Meanwhile, if you like medieval mysteries, Gellis's Magdalene la Batarde books are among the best and prove that her abilities are still completely intact.

I normally love Roberta Gellis's work, but this one almost got wall-banged several times throughout the reading. I only stuck with it out of respect for Gellis's earlier works, including Roselynde and Alinor. This one is poorly thought out and executed. None of the characters rang true; Alex second guesses himself so frequently that I wanted to scream. Desiree's abrupt personality changes made me shake my head in wonder. I could never work up enough interest to care whether or not Vachel actually carried out any of his not well planned schemes. And the love scenes were almost laughable at times....an example is a one sentence paragraph: "Oh, oh!" Desiree cried. I am saddened at this below-par work from a normally engaging author and I hope her next book takes us back into the writing and magic of her earlier works. I give this book 2 stars based on my respect for Gellis as an author, not based on my enjoyment of this book at all.

After leaving his loveless home in Normandy, Alex journeys to England to ask his uncle Sir Simon Lemagne for a position with him. After training, Alex is knighted and sent to prosperous Exceat whose ailing lord Sir Frewyn is probably dying. With Richard held for ransom, the coastal estates prepare for an invasion by the minion of Prince John.

The Lady of the manor, Desiree appoints Alex as her castellan. They are very attracted to one another, but neither acts on these feelings out of respect to Sir Frewyn. Alex shores up the defenses at Exceat while keeping a close eye on his brother Vachel who is on a mission for Prince John. Vachel intends to kill his uncle, his uncle's wife, and his brother so that Nicolous of Lewes can have Desiree and her estates while John can have is vengeance on Simon and his wife. Though aware of his sibling's perfidy, Alex, lacking proof, will have to use skill and intelligence to keep his beloved family and lady safe.

Readers rejoice! The latest Roselynde Chronicles is out and Roberta Gellis shows she remains one of the most brilliant historical romance writers of the past decade or two. This novel occurs between ROSELYNDE and ALINOR, which leads the audience to feel a homecoming with friends they have not seen in over a quarter of a century. The sexual tension between Desiree and Alex runs at high levels throughout the book as both ethically refuse to cuckold Frewyn. This spices up the story line that concentrates on readying the keep for invasion while surviving Vashel's machinations.

Harriet Klausner

This book was apparently published in 2004 as an addition to and intro to a planned republishing of Gellis' beloved Roselynde books. The story is about Simon's nephew Alex who leaves his home in France after his mother (Simon's sister) dies. Simon and Alinore take Alex under their wing and after he is knighted he is appointed as the castellan for the aging Sir Frewyn and his young wife Desiree. Of course, sparks fly between the two, Alex's evil brother bungles (and I do mean bungles!) his way through his attempts to murder Simon at the order of King John and thus begins a very predictable and not well written historical romance.

I totally agree with the other two reviewers who felt this book was poorly executed, and I too felt that the characters were either black or white with no character development at all. Alex was wishy washy, his brother is the world's most incompetent spy and would-be murderer and Desiree is so irritating and immature at some points that I wanted to slap her. The love scenes were way over the top and at times so silly that I could barely slog through them. I also got very tired of the way Alex was always, well, er, ahem, "rising to the occasion" at the smallest glimpse or touch from Desiree. It got to be quite old after a while, and I would have wall-banged the book but it belonged to the library :0

I had planned on reading the rest of the Roselynde chronicles, but since it appears that the rest of them are not going to be reprinted and the used copies are a bit on the expensive side, I am sorry I will have to miss those wonderful books. I am just grateful that I was able to obtain this book at my library instead of paying the exorbitant price for this used book currently being offered via Amazon. I would have given two stars for the storyline, but I'll give Gellis an extra star for her knowledge of Medieval times and customs and being able to impart that knowledge into her storylines. Three stars.

Roberta Gellis wrote a historical romance series back in the 1970's called the Roselynde Chronicles. Eventually it became six novels, all well-researched and set in the times of Kings Richard and John, based around a fictional family with strong willed women and the men who loved them. What set them apart from other romances is that the author knew what she was writing about and the historical background which gave the series a depth and base that made it just as much fun to read the details as with the romance between the leads. Now in 2005 she returns to these books with a story set in the long running feud between King Richard, and his sneaky younger brother John. This time, the hero is a nephew of Simon Lemagne, the youngest son of a large brood who has come to England to make his fortune. Alexandre Baudoin hasn't much to his name except a letter to his uncle, and a strong will to succeed. He's been bullied by his elder brothers, and has fled France as soon as he could, and joined his uncle in England. Simon has fared far better than Alex -- he's married a rich heiress, and discovering that he likes what he sees in his nephew, helps Alex out by grant him the castellanship of a holding that he wants prepared against an invasion by the French. Desiree, the lady of Excaet, is young and pretty and has been watching her beloved husband die by inches. But when she meets Alex, she finds her marriage vows severely tested by this handsome knight, and how the pair of them deal with this unexpected passion provides the romance in the novel. There is also Alex's landless brother, Vachel, who is more than willing to conspire with Prince John for his own fortune, and coupled with his hatred for his brother Alex, makes for an interesting villain. Gellis stays within the style and writing of her earlier novels, and compared to what sort of thing passes for historical novels these days, this is one of the better ones out there. Fans of the series will rejoice to see Alinor and especially Simon make a reappearance. It also looks as though the entire series is being brought back into print as well.

I am a great fan of Roberta Gellis. Of all of her books, I love the Roselynde Chronicles the best. So, I was glad to see another story from that series, although it is not of Alinor's direct family. The hero is the nephew of Simon, Alinor's first husband and the story occurs between "Roselynde" and "Alinor". Those of you who like the rich historical detail and the authenticity of her stories will be glad to know that Gellis has continued to be true to the period. Those who like "bodice rippers" in general will love the story as well.

Of late years Ms. Gellis has been away from the historical novels and writing sci-fi fantasy. She returns to history with her newest addition to the Roselynde Chronicals, Desiree. As always, with a Roberta Gellis book this one is well written with characters that are very well depicted and engaging.

Desiree is set in the early years of Alinor and Simon's marriage, shortly after they have returned from the crusades. While not as history intensive as the remainder of the Roselynde Chronicals, Desiree is a very welcome addition to the series.

Thank you Ms. Gellis for letting us visit with old friends, Alinor and Simon, and find new ones in Alex and Desiree.

i have read all r. gellis' historicals - not into sci-fi. OK - so maybe i would rate this book a 3 1/2. but guys - she is breaking her tradition of people who are really competent from the get go, with desiree and alex who are still learning. so the story line is a little black and white - the villian vachel - but k.c.hess - don't you remember your first kiss? mine was mind boggling - and it was 46 yrs. ago! i cannot wait for her next book. it is behind schedule.
for those of you who are more into gellis' type of historical information than the romance, i recommend the lymond series (did not really like nicholas - another series) by dorothy dunnett or dunnet. probably out of print. elizabethan times - you want politics -you got it. NOT for folks who like 'bodice burners'. first book - i think is game of kings. enjoy!