Customer Reviews

Fever Dreams

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Guardian of the Sword Alex Ryder has loved Lady Eve before he received knighthood and she married Lord Seymour. He failed to act on his feelings so he lost her. When her abusive spouse died, Alex decides to court his beloved, but quickly realizes that Eve mistrusts males having had a bad experience with her late husband.

Eve's sister Claire Montlow wants only happiness for her special sibling and believes Alex is the person who can provide that to her. She concocts a devious scheme in which she asks her sister to serve as a matchmaker between her and Alex. Claire assumes this will awaken Eve's heart to the love that Alex offers. As Eve rejects Alex's pleas of love, someone tries to kill her. He will risk his life to keep his beloved safe even though she rejects his song of love.

The latest Guardian romance is a fun tale that series fans will enjoy. The story line is at its best when the hero is a swashbuckling hero rescuing his woman, but at times slows down with Eve's constant lament that she's not in love until she becomes a woman in peril. Regency readers will appreciate the machinations of Claire as she sees what her sister cannot accept. Overall this is a fine entertaining historical romance that adds to the legends of the Guardians of the sword (see WICKED FANTASY).

Harriet Klausner

Alex Ryder has loved Lady Eve almost from the first moment they met, but his lack of fortune and birth keeps him out of her league, and when she has to marry a wealthy earl to save her family, he loses hope that he can ever marry her. When she's widowed several years later, he begins a campaign to win her heart - which includes battling Eve's snobby, disdainful aunts, her twin siblings' delightful machinations, the unknown assailant who's trying to kill her, and Eve's own reluctance to ever marry again.

Fever Dreams is filled with great characters, wonderful romance, hot passion, poignant emotion, and exciting intrigue that kept me enthralled. Nicole Jordan has penned another winner.

Alex Ryder dreams of her nightly. For the last seven years, the object of his nocturnal obsession, Lady Eve, has been otherwise engaged as the wife of the Earl of Hayden. Before becoming a countess, Eve was the woman that Alex loved and wanted to be his wife. Fate and unspoken rules of society got in their way, however, and in order to save her family from financial ruin, Eve agreed to an arranged marriage. Alex and Eve exchanged one passionate kiss before she was swept away to London and the man she married. Now, the Earl is dead and Alex knows that there is only one thing to do. Alex and Eve's twin siblings hatch an elaborate plan in order to convince Eve that Alex should be her next, and last, husband.

Lady Eve Montlow has vowed with the death of her husband not to marry ever again. Eve enjoys her widowed status and does not want to have to give over her life to another man. Eve is surprised to find out that the boy she once knew as Alex is now Sir Alex, extremely wealthy, and residing across the street from her. Lost in thought, Eve doesn't realize that she is being observed by the one man she is thinking about. The one man that was her friend years ago. The one man whom she hurt with her marriage.

Eve's brother and sister happily invite Alex to spend time with them all the while knowing that Eve and Alex belong together. The twin schemers and Alex come up with a plan for Eve to put her matchmaking skills to good use and find Alex a wife. Knowing that Eve will be unable to stand Alex marrying another, Eve's sister sets her cap for Alex, much to the dismay of Eve. Eve is unable to stand the thought of her sister marrying Alex, or rather; she is unable to stand the thought of Alex marrying her sister. Eve goes to Alex to ask that he refrain from pursuing her sister. Alex, in turn, has one more trick up his sleeve. He and Eve come up with a solution to Eve's request.

Alex and Eve are unable to stop their attraction to each other. It seems, though that fate may be trying its hand once again by interfering in their lives. Eve has had several attempts on her life and now it is up to Alex, a member of the secret Society of Guardians, to find the culprit before it is too late.

FEVER DREAMS, the fourth book in Nicole Jordan's Paradise series, is a poignant tale of hopes and dreams and a man's innermost desire to be with the one woman he has loved for years. In FEVER DREAMS, Nicole Jordan has woven a tale of intrigue, sensuality, and sexual tension throughout the novel that kept me guessing and enthralled from beginning to end. As with all of Ms. Jordan's novels I have read, I was thoroughly satisfied with a story well told and I know other readers will enjoy FEVER DREAMS as well. I can't say enough about this author other than she has done it again!

I'll be honest -- I buy Nicole Jordan books irregardless because she is one of the best authors in romance today. However, while I've enjoyed her previous books including those in the "Paradise" series, I found this particular installment somewhat lacking. I felt more empathy with the hero than the heroine whom I found rather obtuse in the extreme. However, more disappointing was the "mystery" at the center of the story. It had no suspense and there was no sense of immmediate danger nor life and death urgency. The supporting characters didn't incite any feelings of compassion or empathy and I found I cared very little for them overall.

I hope the next installment will see the return of Ms. Jordan's usually tight, well-written verse and well-rounded characters.

I really expected to love this book. The premise was great. Unfortunately, there was no tension and there's no real obstacle to Ryder finally getting the woman of his dreams.

The aunts from Eve's previous marriage are no real obstacles, just nuisance characters that really have no power to do anything but say nasty things and look down their noses on people.

Eve's brother and sister are in league with Ryder to help him win Eve. The only thing keeping Ryder from his heart's desire is the silly heroine Eve, herself.

The stuff about someone trying to kill Eve sounds like it was thrown in to try and add some kind of tension and danger to this rather boring story, as the question wasn't who would want to kill her, but why would anyone even bother to do it?

The story might have been better if Eve's father who was against Ryder being involved with his daughter had been an obstacle for Ryder or if Eve's husband hadn't been killed off and Ryder came back to save her from her miserable husband.

I've waited for months for this newest novel in the PARADISE series, and was not disappointed!! Ms. Jordan has given us a rich, sumptuous love story, complete with living/breathing characters -- and this isn't just the hero and heroine, it's the supporting characters, as well : Claire, Cecil, the aunts, Meade, and many others take on just as much life of their own as do Eve and Alex.

Jordan has set her (seemingly star-crossed) lovers in a completely believable setting/situation, with [yet another] amazing plot, full of delicious twists and turns. I've come to expect great plots in her novels, and she has really delivered, on this one!

I think what I love best about FEVER DREAMS (and her previous novels) -- in addition to her steamy, beautiful love scenes, great characters, and superb plot lines -- is that I'm swept away by the whole tapestry she's woven, taken to another time and place, and treated to a love story that makes me want to cry(with happiness!)... I want a great love story above all else, with strong characters who engage my heart and imagination.

Ms. Jordan has accomplished all this in FEVER DREAMS. If you love great romance, you can't lose, with her books. I EAGERLY await her next one and I'm only sad that I must wait till Dec. 2006 to read it!

What did you like about Eve-
Although I do mention below that she put her family first over Ryder, I do like that she had a STRONG LOVE for her family - esp. her sister. She would do anything to protect her. And although her aunts could be unbearable sometimes, she had a STRONG LOVE and FONDNESS for them. Although there were moments when I agreed with Ryder that Eve should stay home, away from danger, Eve was a strong-willed, stubborn cookie. She didn't want to stay home - she wanted to help solve the mystery. REBEL!!! :)

What didn't you like about Eve-
Although it was the norm at the time, I didn't like that Eve married the wrong man because she was expected to. She really hurt Ryder. Although she did it so her sister would have a secure future, and so she wouldn't shame her family, she really hurt Ryder. I also didn't like that she didn't want to remarry - sex with Ryder was OK, but not marriage? Maybe she was still thinking about her sister and family, but she was definitely not thinking of Ryder. She also seemed a little uppity - like Ryder and her sister's love interest were beneath her. Like they weren't good enough for her and her sister.

What did you like about Ryder-
Men usually don't wear their feelings on their sleeve. Men usually hide their vulnerability. Ryder doesn't. He's TOUGH, yet VULNERABLE. His LOVE for not only Eve, but for her family - her siblings and aunts. The only thing he hid was his LOVE for Eve - but that was the FUN. He used Eve to help him find a bride just to get close to her. His pain moved me when Eve and the aunts treated him cruelly. He acted like a BIG BABY because he got his feelings hurt - and that both made me smile and want to comfort him. When Eve tried to apologize, he didn't make it easy on her. He forgave the aunts quickly, but he let Eve know just how much she hurt him. I LOVE how he took charge to solve the mystery of this story.

What didn't you like about Ryder-
There wasn't anything I didn't like about Ryder. This isn't a dislike, but there were a few scenes where I thought he should be more MANLY and less GOOFY because he was in love.

Favorite scene with Eve-
Eve KICKS MAJOR BUTT when she asks questions about the attacks on her and the kidnapping of her sister, and pulls a gun on her victim.

Favorite scene with Ryder-
Everyone seems to be against Ryder for protecting Eve from her attacker. Esp. Eve. Her words hurt him the most. He blames her for not listening to him - for refusing to stay at home. He is both TOUGH and VULNERABLE in this scene.

Together-
In the carriage when Ryder denies Eve the comfort she needs and wants from him. He's still hurt by her attitude toward him.

Casting Eve, I'd cast Reese Witherspoon.
Casting Ryder, I'd cast Julian McMahon.

This is the final book in a series by Nicole Jordan. Once I got used to some of the I Love you but I am not going to tell until you say it first I enjoyed reading them. There was always an antagonist in the story and it was refreshing not to find them repetative.

Great Read Really enjoyed this Book, as I have enjoyed most of her books. Just wish she would finish 1 seris at a time.

If you love Nicole Jordan and have been following this series, you will love this one too. I couldn't put it down!