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4.0 out of 5 stars
A scorching read!, March 29, 2011
This review is from: The Family Jewels (Paperback)
Draping oneself in multi-million dollar jewels can boost your morale. Stealing them from the man you sleep with will give you daring confidence to do it again.
Olivia was a wild child. Growing up, it was just her dad and her younger sister, Lee. She tried to be a good girl, but jumping out of her bedroom window every night to go to a party just became normal. She wasn't very interested in school, just boys. She never went all the way with them, because she knew it would hurt her father if he found out. But she loved making out with them, and moved from one boy to the next looking for the next most handsome and beautiful man in the world.
She became friends with Athena, a young woman on the rich side of town. Wearing Athena's rich cast-off clothes and rubbing elbows with the handsome, wealthy men excited Olivia. It made her feel sexy and on top of the world, but she was still missing something. She found him on the beach one day, the most beautiful man in the world. She instantly fell in love with him, even though she had never met him. She wanted him in the most primal way, and so she began to look for him everywhere she went to no avail. She found him at a party kissing face with one of the ugliest girls she knew and was devastated, but also intrigued at the same time. Later the same evening, she runs into him in the hallway as he is coming out of the girls bedroom. He asks Olivia to leave with him, and she does.
His name is Paul and falls in love with Olivia. He teaches her his trade, stealing jewelry, and the more intimate arts. It's not long before Olivia is doing the heists with Paul, and she loves it. The element of danger and the beauty of the jewels gives Olivia a high, the best feeling in the world. Things go great for Olivia and Paul for a few years, until he steals from and sleeps with one of Olivia's closest friends, Athena. When Olivia finds out, she leaves Paul and embarqs on her own. But years later, Paul steals the same jewels Olivia is working, before she does. He leaves her a note in the newly emptied safe to call him.
If Olivia wants the jewels back, she needs to pull a heist with him. The mark is a wild heiress whose parties are known to push the limits of all who attend. Olivia agrees, but it soon becomes a game of cat and mouse with her and Paul, the man she still loves.
THE FAMILY JEWELS is a scorching read! High stakes, fireworks and erotic scenes heat up the pages with pure fun and pleasure. Olivia and Paul, the thieves,are the bad guys that you will find yourself cheering for. Carole Hart does a fantastic job building the heists and back story for the erotic intensity of the lead characters. Overall, THE FAMILY JEWELS is a quick read that will have your pulse racing and leave you wanting more.
*Courtesy of Romance Junkies
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3.0 out of 5 stars
reviewed by twolipsreviews.com, July 31, 2009
This review is from: The Family Jewels (Paperback)
Two jewel thieves vying for the same prize begins Carole Hart's The Family Jewels. Olivia was Paul's protégé, partner, and lover. Because of a hurt inflicted on Olivia by Paul they went their separate ways, but meet again when both go after the same jewels. The question is what motivates both of them to go after the jewels. Is it the same motive or a different set of motives?
Carole Hart begins writing a good tale. For me, however, I found that her style put me off. As soon as I'd get into The Family Jewels and the story was smoothly flowing, she'd go into a flashback and the flow of the tale became choppy. I'd get into that story line and then she'd bring us back to the present and the flow jerked again, like a car with bad brakes. I liked the story but give it to me chronologically or the flashback all at once. I also found that having Olivia's sister, Lee, give us flashbacks was disconcerting. To me this was Olivia and Paul's tale through Olivia`s eyes. Lee is a secondary character and should not have been giving her flashbacks during this story. She should have her own story, especially as she also has a love interest who has claims on Paul and Olivia.
I liked Paul because I could feel what he felt, especially his jealousy and love for Olivia. He also was not as promiscuous as Olivia, but often used sex as revenge towards her, which I found hurtful. I want a hero to look up to and when Paul did things to Olivia for revenge he was not, at those times, my idea of a hero. I have to admit to having problems identifying with Olivia. It was hard for me to feel sympathetic towards her because of her attitude towards sex. Olivia was indiscriminate in her sexual relations and did not seem to practice safe sex. If she felt such a strong sexual attraction towards Paul, and believed she loved him, I found her casual sexual involvement with the victims of her thefts incomprehensible, unless we want to call her a nymphomaniac, which is not the type of heroine I`m used to reading about.
I felt more time was spent on the sex scenes, which were many and varied, though not always erotic, and I wanted more plot. I wanted to know how and what Paul taught Olivia, how they planned and orchestrated their heists, how they got away without being caught, and what they did with the jewels they stole.
The Family Jewels has a good premise and Carole Hart has the ability to write the tale, but it would be a better book if the story flowed more smoothly and had more plot and less sex.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
interesting character study, March 8, 2009
This review is from: The Family Jewels (Paperback)
Jewel thief Olivia is addicted to sex; any male will do when she has the tickle, but especially those she can steal gems from. Jewel thief Paul is addicted to sex; any female will do when he has the tickle of "impulse control". They know each other intimately, but she has an issue with his sleeping with her sister.
Olivia uses sex to rob victims. She loves her life of crime and sex. Paul feels the same way about his. They collide when they both try to steal the same jewels from an aristocrat. She purloins them with her loins and he steals them from her; leading to a challenge to see who can make the other submit to their superiority.
This is an interesting character study of two amoral unrepentant thieves who use sex as a weapon. The story line is driven by the rivalry between the lead couple although the climax (pun intended) feels out of place for this libido obsessed dueling duo. Fans who prefer a more ethical relationship in their heated tales need to pass; but those who enjoy something different starring dishonorable antagonists will want to read THE FAMILY JEWELS; as Olivia and Paul have the heart of unprincipled sex thieves.
Harriet Klausner
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