Customer Reviews

The Enchanted Land (G K Hall Large Print Book Series)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This book was truly a great and challenging love story. It just goes to show that you just don't fall out of love with someone, when it is true love. I think this is one of the greats. I couldn't put it down. (I read it on my day off)

I can't believe Jude Deveraux. She is one of my top authors, and everytime that I read one of her books, I am amazed once again at the sheer genius of her writing power. It is impossible to read one of her books without being involved in it and moved. _The Enchanted Land_ is no exception, and I am once more awed by the power of her skills.

Morgan Wakefeild's got a problem. Her rich father, whom is recently deceased has left everything from his life to her... on one condition. She has to marry a man and live in New Mexico for a year to inherit it all. This is big trouble for Morgan because, ever since she was one years old, she lived with her mother in a house with little contact to the outside world. When her mother died, Morgan went to her uncle to live. Morgan's uncle was a very greedy man, and when he heard about the will, he figures that if Morgan doesn't marry, he will get the money. So, he hides her beauty beneath baggy clothes and keeps her hidden from society.

At one of Morgan's rare outings, a couple days before a prolonged trip to Europe, Morgan hears a group of two women talking about Seth Coulter. He's got a ranch in New Mexico. This seems an answer to Morgan's prayers. She aproaches Seth and offers him twenty five thousand dollars to marry her. Seth is amused and attracted to this strange little girl and decides to accept her offer. The two journey on to New Mexico.

A love blossoms between these two amidst the backdrop of an enchanted land. But, fate seems to feel that they must fight for their love, so it interveens. Jealousy, lies, and fate makes them enemies. Can destiny and love prevail?

_The Enchanted Land_ is a must read for any reader who enjoys reading about the American frontier. I always love a break from the lords and ladies of England. Sure, America isn't always the most origional, but I still love it as do many other readers. Jude Deveraux has a funny way of filling her books full of historical detail without taking away the enjoyment and romance factors. Morgan was a lovely heroine. I loved the fact that she was beautiful, but it's not rubbed into the reader's face. It's more of a decision that the reader has to make for herself. Seth was the guy that you want to punch. I've got to agree with another reader that Jude's style in this book was very similar to Judith McNaught's. Seth was the man that you want to scream at so he can get over his blindness. I loved him, though. And he does make up for his blindness. New Mexico was such an interesting setting, and Jude Deveraux makes it come alive for the reader. I could feel the heat, and I was caught up in the world she wrote for us. A word of caution out there for people, though. There is a bit of seperation that the hero and heroine go through. And, there is a guy who tries to get Morgan's heart that isn't Seth. But, it's still an awesom book, and I loved it completely.

If you liked this book, let me recomend some more. _Whitney, My Love_ and _Until You_ by Judith McNaught ~ _Honor's Splendour_ and _Saving Grace_ by Julie Garwood ~ _Counterfeit Lady_ and _Temptation_ by Jude Deveraux. Please, give _The Enchanted Land_ a chance. It is one of Jude's earlier works, but it is wonderful.

I have read a lot of Jude Deveraux & enjoyed most of it, but this book (originally published in 1978) is obviously an early near-fatal attempt at writing. Fortunately J.D. went on to more successful books, but this one is definitely not worth your time or money! If she would re-write it in her current more flavorful style, it would probably be fine. The descriptions are incomplete, the settings poorly described, the emotions difficult to follow. I've made it through 1/4 of the book & it's now going to hit the trash after reading the highly unnecessary rape. I read for relaxation & pleasure, not to be upset by violence or annoyed with poor writing!

This was my all time favorite book! It was sooooooooooooooooo good. I've easily read it 5 times. I can't put it down. I luv what goes on between Seth and Morgan. . I luv Seth's possesiveness towards Morgan and his distaste towards frilly,flirty girls and his forwardness then his sudden stop, well you have to read it. Morgan and Seth soo belong together. This is my favorite book of all time even over-ruling my favorite "The Reef" by Nora Roberts . . want a good book? Read this book or "The Reef".

I am a big Jude Deveraux fan, but this is the worst one I have read. In my library I have 42 Jude Deveraux books that I have read, but would tell any other fan to miss this one. The story line, was choppy and there were sections in the book that were not necessary to the storyline. Not a typical Jude Deveraux book. Still a fan of the author but not this book. Skip this book in your search of books to read.

I found this one pretty darned awful. The heroine is one of those dishrag types who are always acted upon and don't act themselves until life has so beaten them up (hundreds of pages into the book) that they have to do SOMETHING or just wither away from self-disgust. The plot is one of these Perils of Pauline deals, where the heroine is fished out of one peril just to fall into another, ad nauseum. Villains are cartoonishly so (and even though the heroine knows better, she trusts them long enough to fall into another trap). And the characterizations are such that people change from paragraph to paragraph, depending on whether the scene's going where it should or not. These aren't real people; these aren't real adventures. This is the kind of book that gives romance its bad reputation.

The biggest problem is, I read this book because an acquaintance told me how much she LOVES Deveraux! I guess either Deveraux had a temporary low spot in her career, or that I need to have my acquaintance read, say, Smith's A Place to Call Home or Jeffries' The Dangerous Lord to find out what good romance writing is.

While reading other reviews of this book, I'm beginning to wonder if I read the same book as others! This was the worst book I have read. No sympathy toward Morgan and what she went through. And Seth, betrays her because of a kiss? He doesn't like women, and yet can't see through their conniving when it comes to Morgan? The character's were completely unbelievable, and I can't believe Morgan would put up with Seth, especially when he "kidnaps" her at the end. As if she wouldn't be completely tramatized after what she has been through before!! Yuck!

This book began with tons of promise. Cute beginning. Young Morgan Wakefield is set to inherit her beautiful Kentucky estate, where she has been raised, admittedly, as a sheltered and well-cared for young woman by her single mother. She is a sweet, smart girl, and must deal with a situation: she must marry for one year and live on her father's estate in the wild west in order to inherit her birthright in Kentucky. Thus she makes a bargain to sexy, strong Seth Colter: that he marry her for one year (in name only) in order for her to meet these requirements and then she will pay him off, annul the marriage and move back home to Kentucky.

The beginning continues to be rich with Seth being delightfully attracted to Morgan in all the right ways. They have an adorable, flirtatious beginning. The story is fun and adventurous.

Then the story just went horribly askew. The couple spends only a few months together, and years apart. There are some spoilers here, so don't read on if you don't want them.

Romances love to play off The Big Misunderstanding, but this novel could have set the standard. Seth abandons his true love without thought and never even double checks her where-abouts when she is abducted and sold into slavery. He doubts her love and loyalty because he saw her walking in a garden with the bad guy. Whatever!

Things get worse when he finally (after a LONG time, like over a year) finds her. There's a moment of true happiness when he beds her but then he immediately rejects her again. AGAIN. For another two years.

OK, I was exasperated. This Seth seemed like a real dolt. Luckily, Morgan moves on and lives her life. The story is very entertaining still, but not romantic.

And I'm amazed at how no one minded the last third of the book. With Seth living on Gordon's land and the couple pretending not to know each other. It was absolutely ridiculous. Seth wasn't a MAN at all. In fact the entire book he was shrugging responsibility and running away and not facing his issues. I was astonished that any woman would forgive him.

He seemed amazing at the beginning... what happened?! A frustrating read indeed. However, I can see the promise of Deveraux in the rich and beautifully written host of side characters. I loved Jess, Gordon... I thought they made the story readable.

I truly enjoyed this book. This is the second Jude Deveraux book I have ever read, the first being Eternity. I didn't like Eternity as it was too sugary but this one was great. It is because of this one that I decided to read more of JD's books. If you liked this one you should try Judith McNaught as this book was written in her style... Man meets woman, man and woman fall in love, trouble and misunderstandings... man and woman separate... misunderstandings resolved, and in the end, back together again. As I neared the end of this book I couldn't put it down and when it ended, I wish it hadn't.

Morgan is raised by her mother in the East, abandoned (so she thinks) by her father in New Mexico as a child. Her mother is a puritanical man hating snob and raises morgan to believe that they are worthless, hurtful...and to make matters worse that she is homely and no man would want her anyway. The book begins with Morgans need to find a husband to save her inheritance from her father! She proposes $25,000 to a stranger, seth colter, if he will marry her and live in new mexico with her for one yr and then get an annulment. Seth agrees. Their relationship has problems but eventually starts to flourish. However Seth is a very hot headed, jealous man. He finds Joanquin, a rancher neighbor, kissing Morgan and leaves her alone at a party. Joanquin, a not nice man, kidnaps Morgan on the way home. Her forces her to write a note to Seth saying she has run away with her "lover". When Seth finds her, Joaquin "kills" him and sells Morgan to a white slaver. All the nastiness of that situation ends in Morgan being sold to a brothel and being put into a private auction. However, Seth recovers from his nearly mortal head wound and winds up in california and finds morgan. He makes loves to her, calls her a whore and leaves her devestated. (Unbeknownst to Seth, Morgan has escaped any sexual encounters with the bad guys.) Morgan becomes pregnant from her night with Seth and returns to new mexico to have her child. Seth pans for gold for 2 yrs until he finds out the truth about Morgan and returns home looking for her. Morgan has had a wonderful little boy and is happy living with her cousin Gordon, who is falling in love with her. Seth pretends to be Dave Blake and takes on a foreman job for Gordon to be near Morgan and his new found son. Seth and Morgan are on the verge on reconciling when little
Adam gets deathly ill and nearly dies. Together they fight for his life. Morgan gets so obsessed with little Adam that she shuts out life around her so seth "kidnaps" her to bring her into a healthier existence. And they do finally reconcile. This bk has many likeable characters, certainly several storylines and is quite entertaining. On the downside Morgan never quite captured me. I thought she was immature and bratty quite often. The bk referred to her need for a strong man to tell her what to do....duh...!! apparently because she had been so dominated by her mother as a child. The other thing I didn't like is the finale kidnap scene. After what she'd been through with bad guys, kidnapping her and scaring her half to death wasn't the loving way to get her attention. Overall, it was a different plotline and good read.