Customer Reviews

The Greatest Lover in All England

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

 

 

Christina Dodd has a talent for creating delightful characters and fascinating plots. And she perfectly captures the merriness and the danger of colorful life in late Elizabethan England in her excellent novel, The Greatest Lover In All England.

Since her narrow escape from danger as a small child, orphaned Rosie has been raised by her beloved father figure, the notorious actor Daniel Plympton. Danny, Rosie and their jolly acting troupe flee London when Danny's life is endangered by his discovering a powerful plot against Queen Elizabeth.

They arrive at Odyssey Manor, the estate of the dashing Sir Anthony Rycliffe, the master of the Queen's Guard. Rosie, now twenty-one, has always acted with the troupe, disguised as a boy who plays women's roles. As sparks fly between Rosie and Tony and they narrowly escape an assassin, Tony discovers that their love is threatened by puzzling memories from Rosie's past and that seemingly everyone has a motive to kill at least one of them. Revelations from Rosie's past pit her against Tony, and their witty sparring and romantic tension is one of the pleasures of the book.

This fast-paced romantic suspense novel keeps us constantly entertained and guessing as we root for the sympathetic and charming Rosie and Tony. Supporting characters such as Danny, Lady Honora and Uncle Will (William Shakespeare) are well developed and equally delightful. Dodd has created an especially lively portrait of Queen Elizabeth. Humor and pathos pull us through a wide range of emotions as we race through the novel's many surprises. This thoroughly engaging story pleasantly transports us to a wild and creative moment in history, which we experience through fun and likable characters.

Orphaned as a young child, the only life Rosie can remember is traveling, and appearing on stage with a ragtag band of actors. Disguised as a boy, Rosie is Sir Dannys daughter and part-time son, who barely live above the law. But Sir Danny has plans for Rosie. Plans which involve an arranged marriage to Sir Anthony Rycliffe, master of the Queens guard, and the first to see the woman beneath Rosies disguise. The Queen awarded Sir Anthony an unclaimed estate for his loyal service. But theres talk of an heir who could return and stake a rightful claim. And if Sir Anthony doesnt have enough to worry about, he must also protect Rosie from someone who would rather have her out of the picture permanently.

This story is full of Ms. Dodds delightful humor. I was hooked in the first few pages and found it difficult to put the book down. A sexy, compelling love story with great main and secondary characters  Sir Danny and Lady Honora come to mind. And even William Shakespeare himself plays a supporting role. Definitely a must read, especially for Dodd fans such as myself.

I am 18 years old and have already read many romance books. This one I picked up because it had an interesting synopsise. And it was definately worth it! This book had believable characters, a wonderful story line, a rambunctious herione, and a dashing hero. I was left spell-bound by Rosie's actor friends and was moved to pity by the unfortunate seperation of Rosie and Tony...but in the end, everything worked out beautifully. Dodd writes a compeling story of new love and English intrige. I look forward to reading another book by this author.

I have to admit I'm leary of "Shakespeare" - era books. All the "Thee's" and "Thou's" can really get to me, but I thought I'd try it because the review on the cover mentioned "Witty" and I was in the mood for some humor. Boy were they right! This book surprised me in a super way. The characters really brought a smile to my face and a few chuckles to my heart. I guess I'm a "stupid trout" for ever doubting you Ms Dodd. This one's a keeper.

Christina Dodd has a talent for creating delightful characters and fascinating plots. And she perfectly captures the merriness and the danger of colorful life in late Elizabethan England in her excellent novel, The Greatest Lover In All England.

Since her narrow escape from danger as a small child, orphaned Rosie has been raised by her beloved father figure, the notorious actor Daniel Plympton. Danny, Rosie and their jolly acting troupe flee London when Danny's life is endangered by his discovering a powerful plot against Queen Elizabeth.

They arrive at Odyssey Manor, the estate of the dashing Sir Anthony Rycliffe, the master of the Queen's Guard. Rosie, now twenty-one, has always acted with the troupe, disguised as a boy who plays women's roles. As sparks fly between Rosie and Tony and they narrowly escape an assassin, Tony discovers that their love is [endangered] by puzzling memories from Rosie's past and that seemingly everyone has a motive to [deatroy] at least one of them. Revelations from Rosie's past pit her against Tony, and their witty sparring and romantic tension is one of the pleasures of the book.

This fast-paced romantic suspense novel keeps us constantly entertained and guessing as we root for the sympathetic and charming Rosie and Tony. Supporting characters such as Danny, Lady Honora and Uncle Will (William Shakespeare) are well developed and equally delightful. Dodd has created an especially lively portrait of Queen Elizabeth. Humor and pathos pull us through a wide range of emotions as we race through the novel's many surprises. This thoroughly engaging story pleasantly transports us to a wild and creative moment in history, which we experience through fun and likable characters.

This somewhat confusing, but fairly enjoyable book is not Dodd's best. I have loved so many of Christina Dodd's books and this one seemed to lack the punch of her other works. The beginning is very slow and if I hadn't been *positive* the story would improve, I simply wouldn't have continued reading. That said, it did get better as it went along, and I was very glad that I 'stuck with it' and didn't give up.

Quite honestly, this seemed to be a mix of an amnesia story and "Shakespeare in Love". If you enjoyed the premise behind the movie of "Shakespeare in Love", you will most likely enjoy this book. The characters, however, were not as fully developed as most Christina Dodd's characters generally are. However, with a lot of imagination, you can make this story one worth reading.

I would recommend this book to others, but with the caveat that they should read other Christina Dodd books first. If this is the first Christina Dodd book you've read, please don't judge her style, her character development or her themes by this one book.

Rosie-Rosencrantz to all who know her as the young man her adopted father has disguised her as-has come to the country with him in order to flee London. "Sir" Danny Plympton, Rosie's surrogate father, is an actor in love with his own dramatic flair, who has overheard a plot against the queen-and by no less than the noble patron of his rival and friend, William Shakespeare.

Sir Danny has chosen to take the troupe to the estate of Sir Anthony Rycliffe-the self-proclaimed (and unchallenged) Greatest Lover in England. But Rosie is troubled by her stay at the estate-not only does Sir Anthony immediately see through her disguise, but he has settled on her to be his wife-largely to escape the unwanted pursuit of another lady who has announced her intent to wed him-but also because it is obvious to society by the members of the guest list at his current gathering that he is in the market to wed. (Besides, he wants her.) *G*

And then there are the dreams. Rosie has always had disturbing dreams, but they have grown far darker and more frequent during her time at Rycliffe's estate. And why does so much of it seem so familiar?

Christina Dodd has fashioned an oddly quirky tale, set in the days of the Bard of bards. The originality of the characters requires a bit of adjustment as the reader settles down into the realization that this differs somewhat from the usual fare of the genre, and perhaps even a bit from the author's own customary style. But, once done, the tale is enjoyable and entertaining-to a great extent because of the story's characters, which manage to remain true to the times while not treading the path of cliche.

The mystery surrounding the circumstances of Rosie's past-and of her future-furnish the plot which drives the story, and Dodd maintains both suspense and tension throughout, even though the solution to all problems is obvious fairly early on. Another well-written effort by this popular author, sure to be enjoyed by old and new fans alike.

Reviewed by Lee M



Copyright © 2006 CK2S Kwips and Kritiques. All rights reserved.

I picked this up because mainly (a) I'm in a mood for a "Shakespeare In Love" fix and (b)$3.99 is just too good to resist.

And it is definitely worth the bargain price. The story is fast paced and the characters fun to read. I enjoyed myself tremendously, although I still think Ms Dodd's "Uncle Will" can't really compare to Joe Fiennes' dark Mephistophelean Will Shakespeare. A good book nonetheless.

christina dodd has a great, informal writing style that quickly drew me into the book. the characters of rosie and tony are bright and interesting as i found myself smiling at their actions. this is a shakespear era book and the references to the playwrite are a little blatant but easily accepted. though the passion ins't white hot, dodd's love scenes are tasteful while still conveying passion between rosy and tony. this is a book i would recommend to any romance reader. it delivers the classic romance with a nice and unexpected twist.

I have liked (and occasionally loved) many of Ms. Dodd's novels. I disliked this one.
The plot idea is funny. A girl dresses as a boy who acts onstage for girl parts. Then she meets someone who sees through it and decides she is his way out of an undesirable engagement. This would have been spectacular if only the girl acted like she had any gender whatsoever. All the characters felt flat and one-dimensional. The "hero" was conceited and overly cocky. His sisters were submissive and feminine. The woman who wants to marry him was just unrealistic. The only characters I actually enjoyed were the girl's foster father and one of the villains. I'm guessing Ms. Dodd did not intend for the villain to be liked. And all this was set in a very romance-killing time, the 1600s. The girl's bath (probably her first in years) was over-emphasized. The whole "it is okay to have a bath as long as you don't have one more than four times a year" was unromantic and gross. Who wants to be reminded how unclean their ancestors probably were?
Overall, this book was a dud. You would be better off buying another of her novels or one by Lisa Kleypas.