Customer Reviews

Heat of the Knight

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

 

 

I've really debated whether to rate this one or two stars. While it didn't have some of the truly horrible things that I've seen in other books (such as rape), it did have some pretty awful things.

The only other Ivie book I've read is "Lady of the Knight" (guess, unlike SOME reviewers, I don't qualify as a TRUE "Ivie Fan"), and I enjoyed that a lot. I expected to enjoy this one, and for the first... quarter of it or so, I did. After that I just kept getting angrier with it.

Firstly, Lisle (said like "weasel"? They would have used that phrase back then, I'm sure) started out a strong (maybe a bit too prideful), reasponsible and determined woman. Within a couple of chapters she becomes a cowed woman who goes along with everyone else. She seems to be just along for the ride.

Langston had noble goals, we get it. But he didn't pursue them in a noble manner. He had an "ends justify the means" belief. That's not necessarily bad, but didn't endear him to me. His "noble" sacrifices, such as his first marriage and Saladin were tainted with his selfishness and how those "sacrifices" were really ends to his own means. His marriage in order to arrange a partnership with a slave-trader, and his "gift" of Saladin to engender himself with the Captain.

Langston set about to control Lisle from the very beginning, and the "trick" with the opiate in her bath was just obnoxious. Despite it not being what it seemed, he still had her being followed and jailed by her maids. How weak of mind and will WAS she to manage to be fooled by it?

As for Lisle, she became more and more TSTL thoughout the book. Her rafter climbing and spying just showed evidence of how little trust they had in eachother. Also the scene with the brazier emphasized just how little faith she had in merely his likelihood of not seriously injuring her! She found him hot, so as long as he showed any signs of even the slightest decency, she leapt at the chance to use them to justify "loving" him.

The sex scenes were okay. There were parts that felt almost word for word like Lady of the Knight, and, if not exact, awfully darn close. Oh, and of course the "he's so big, and it hurts so bad" kinda thing was there, too. *sigh* It wouldn't have gone amiss to have a couple more interludes, maybe a bit more lovingly done. The problem with that, though, is that it would imply that there WAS tenderness and love between them.

I think, though, that the most irritating facet of it all was that so little of the book came to a satisfying conclusion. The trip to France seemed to be an afterthought just to put in an historical figure. What happened with all the furniture? She never really even explained WHY he had all that furniture hanging from the ceiling! And either I don't recall it (unlikely), or they really didn't use all those complex and bizarre defenses that the castle had. 'Cause there wasn't really an ending to it, really. Which is a shame, because as we saw with her prior book, she's definitely able to write a climactic fight scene. The epilogue left me feeling no closure to the plot. It's as if Ms. Ivie just decided "I've written enough, I think I'll end it now."

I'm not "off" this author. I'm willing to read more. Heck, I'd buy her books just for the cover model! ;) But I'm sad that someone who writes SO well, who has such a great ability to bring life to characters and scenes, has wasted so much of her talent on a storyline and characters that were so unworthy of her.

I guess I'll stick with 2 stars on this, because she really IS a good writer. I simply couldn't develop an attachment to or an appreciation of the characters and their pursuits.

Yes, I admit it. I bought the book because of the hot guy on the cover. I didn't have great expectations, except to find a sweet love story with steam and maybe a sword-fight or two... What a disappointment. I couldn't finish the book. The writing was just that awful. As Simon says--sorry.

*semi spoiler* First, I would like to point out that although the Langston (the hero) uses slave trade as an explanation for his wealth, we learn that it is just posturing and that he doesn't engage in trafficking slaves.

Overall, this story was very very intriguing. I loved how the author didn't reveal the mystery surrounding the Monteith castle and Langston to the reader. We learned everything along with Lisle which kept me very interested and almost made the reader a part of Lisle's discovery and investigation. The story was intense to say the least but in a good way and I thought that the author kept the setting and the interactions between the H/H realistic to the time and place without compromising the romance. Ivie's descriptions were detailed, some might find them overly so. But for me it just brought to life the castle, the land and the life of the highlanders.

I loved the heroine, she was spirited but not in an obnoxious manner. I could understand her reactions to things, she was practical and just at times when i, if in her place, would maybe not have been, but there was so much else going on that to make stupid and irrational misunderstandings between H/H a point of contention in the novel would have ruined it for me. Luckily that did not happen, they moved past initial misunderstandings and the story became about discovery, emotional and physical. The hero was also a great package to unwrap. Mysterious, a bit tormented, afraid to open up but doesn't resist when love comes knocking, and not to mention a glorious body.

I would recommend getting it from the library, it may not be everyone's cup of tea but i certainly enjoyed it. It read a bit slow but ultimately the author did a good job of building the anticipation and drawing the reader in. I wanted to figure out the whole of the mystery and get to the end...but without skipping over a moment of everything else :).

After the disaster of the Battle of Culloden, Scotland writhes under the English boot. Weapons, the plaid, and even bagpipes are banned. Many clans are destitute, and some have been sold into slavery or transported to the new world. Yet a few Scots seem immune to the disaster. One of these men, Langston Monteith, is busy purchasing land, hiring servants, and buying crafts from Scots so impoverished they have no choice but to sell their ancient family estates. When Langston's eyes fall on Lisle MacHugh, he decides he'll buy her as well.

Lisle holds Langston, and anyone like him, as an enemy of the true Scot. Yet when Langston outflanks her, going directly to the MacHugh family with his offer, they quickly agree and Lisle has no choice but to become Langston's wife. She will not, she vows, so quickly join him in his bed--even if he is as sexy as sin. For one thing, he wastes gold, which makes him a laughing stock of the Highlands. For another, the man has only a distant acquaintance with the truth.

In Langston's castle, Lisle discovers that Langston isn't just a liar, he holds fast secrets--secrets that change how she sees him, but also that put him at horrible risk. Langston carries weapons, wears the plaid, and listens to pipes--and in occupied Scotland, any of these can be viewed as treason and punished by death. With no allies among the Scots, Langston seems to have picked a path that can only lead to his ruin--and to the ruin of his new wife.

Author Jackie Ivie spins a sexy and funny story set in a dark and dangerous time. Lisle (rhymes with weasel) is a wonderfully spunky character who quickly learns to negotiate--using every weapon at a woman's disposal. Langston is dark, sexy, and dangerous. His lies, though, keep him in trouble and form the source of the romantic conflict between the two. Unfortunately, Langston has no choice but to lie--or give up his dreams forever. Even if those lies put at risk his relationship with his wife.

I found HEAT OF THE KNIGHT to be pure fun. Lisle kept me cracking up, the sex was steamy, and Langston is a fascinating and complex hero. I think Ivie cheated a bit on the ultimate resolution, but this is a romance, after all and political realism is not an absolute requirement.

I have been a huge fan of Jackie Ivie but no more. However, thru the entire book I kept on looking at cover to verify that I was indeed reading a novel by my favourite author Jackie Ivie. Below are the reasons for the low rating that I have given this book. I would give it only 1 star but because I have loved many of her previous books in the past I decided on 2.

1. Firstly the characters were not true to original outline, especially the heroine, what happened to her spirit, it seems to have disappeared after they got married.

2. Also, I found the information about the mean at which he accumulated his wealth nauseating, the marriage to a child ( I don't care that he did not consumate the marriage) and profiting from the slave trade! I immediately wanted to throw up. This man was no hero, but unprincipled. I was also disturbed that Lisle was mortified that they had sold her clans men into slavery in the caribbean, but she felt no compassion that he was partners with a slave trader and a portion of his wealth came from the trafficing of human suffering. I understand that this was commonplace at in the Mid 1700's, but I still found it distastful. This was explained away as his deep love for King and country.

3. The ending was anticlimactic. After their grand journey from France to Scotland, I would hope for a more powerful resolution to the conflict. Yet, this book left me empty and annoyed. After reading this I gave my J.I books to the local library.

I could not identiy with the characters and I felt this to be a Disappointing read!!!!

I will start off by saying that anyone who has read, and supposedly loved, any previous Jackie Ivie book would know that she never conforms to the stereotypical mold of what a historical hero "should" be. Therefore, no one should ever be disappointed by anything underhanded or depraved said hero might do in the name of what he thinks is right.

To begin my review. I love the true historical aspect of this book. I think it was very deep in that respect, which may have taken away from the romantic aspect of it, but in no way was it so disappointing to me that I would stop reading her wonderful books.

I am a TRUE Ivie fan and will be as long as she decides to grace the shelves with her literature.