Customer Reviews

Insatiable

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

 

 

I love Virigina Henley's historicals. You are ALWAYS guaranteed a good historical read. Her characters are always vibrant and alive and Patrick and Catherine are no exception. These two strike sparks from their first introduction and it doesn't end there. As a result it was fun to read how these two very strong willed people were able to find love between themselves without loosing that which set them apart.

Readers that might be new to Ms. Henley might be put off by the strong-willed nature of Catherine...okay, Catherine is a brat to put it mildly. But she will be tamed by her Scot. Patrick is beyond patient with her and understands her better than she understands herself. The fact that he has the capability to see her thoughts gives him the added insight he needs to love her the way she deserves. Her past has dictated the way she acts and he understands this. He sets about to gain her without killing her spirit.

With the back drop of Queen Elizabeth's court and all of the intrigue that came with this time period, fans of historical romance will be well pleased. Ms. Henley truly has a talent for transporting her reader into whatever time period or location her creative mind chooses. As a result the reader will not only be gifted with a sensual and romantic story, but they will also be given a small lesson in history.

This is one historical I have no problem recommending and doing so highly. If you're only going to read a select few authors in the historical romance genre...you would do well to add Ms. Henley.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

In this book we meet the lovely, willful Catherine (Cat) and the dashing, ambitious Patrick (Pat). Cat is an heiress (of course)and dress designer for Queen Elizabeth. With a deceased father and cold, distant mother who cares more for her job as Her Majesty's Wardrobe Mistress than her only child, Cat grows to be an impulsive (but lovely) young woman who strives to get attention from others via her outrageous actions. Pat's father is an exiled ex-earl (treason) whose wife went into exile with him, leaving behind their only son to fend on his own. Pat retained control of the family manor house, but nothing else, so his overriding ambition was to marry well, preferably into a title. Things somewhat change when he has a psychic vision of the lovely Cat and becomes obsessed with her. Also, the fact that she's filthy rich (and lovely) and heir to an earldom is all the reason he needs to pursue her across England and Scotland.

As with other Virginia Henley novels, the main characters are far less likable then her secondary characters. Cat's impulsiveness wears old as does Patrick's need to find a rich wife. Further, the first half of the novel is simply repetitive. I quickly grew tired of hearing how lovely and delicate Cat was. If you've tired of reading about it in this short review, guess how much worse it will be when you read it on seemingly every single page for at least half of the book. The novel is repetitive in another way - it borrows heavily from Ms. Henley's earlier novel "The Dragon and The Jewel". For example, the events that drove the characters into each others arms is nearly identical in both books. Cat even refers to Patrick as her "magic man" just as Elenor does with Simon.
The book does pick up steam towards the end, with Catherine "growing up" and showing how much love she is capable of giving. The scene between her and her childhood nurse toward the end of the book was very touching and demonstrated Cat's growing maturity.
Summary: The book is fine for a bit of light reading, but if you are pressed for time, have already read Dragon and the Jewel, or will be annoyed by the repetitive dialog, you might be better off looking for another story. If you like Ms.Henley or historical romance, you might enjoy her older novel "A Year and a Day". It is more tightly written, has a better plot and very likable characters.

Catherine Seton Spencer works as a dress designer in the court of Queen Elizabeth. She is known by her friends as impulsive, which she agrees as she only wants a little fun and excitement and a lot of love in her life.

Scottish Lord Patrick Hepburn spent four months patrolling the Middle March of the Borderlands, but completed his assignment. When he informs King James that his second sight reveals his monarch will succeed Elizabeth, the elated regal sends him to his future court as his emissary to Her Royal Highness. At court he and Catherine meet with terrible first impressions. He thinks she is spoiled while she concludes he is pompous. However, they end up working together trying to prevent a conspiracy to dethrone Elizabeth and prevent James from following her; that teaming leads to better understanding of the other and soon love.

Few writers can bring together a spicy romance within a commanding period piece as the great Virginia Henley consistently does. What makes Ms. Henley so remarkable is she accomplishes this reliable quality while constantly changing eras. Her latest triumph stars two fabulous protagonists falling in love though seemingly opposites in attitude. Adding a touch of the paranormal to the mix, historical readers receive a wonderful Elizabethan Era love story that brings the intrigue of the age to full life.

Harriet Klausner

As a newcomer to Virginia Henley books I was more than pleased with what I've read and I intend to buy her other novels. Virginia definitely does not disappoint; I could not put this book down! I count Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor as my favorite book therefore, I was overly impressed with 'Insatiable.' The stories are so similar (which I loved!!)and the ending of 'Insatiable' doesn't leave you to draw your own conclusions; unlike Forever Amber. I would (and do) recommend it!

I really recommend it if you like history with a litle romance because it had a great amount of historical detail. It is an entertaining read. The heroine was a little too bratty. All her VH's heroines are headstrong impulsive types but this one was annoying because she kept denying her attraction to the hero for so long. Once she started being honest with herself, she wasn't irritating. This book has grown on me. I really do like it now but at first I hated Catherine. I liked Valentina in 'Tempted' mainly because she realized that she was attracted to Ram even though she didn't like him in the beginning. Since my first review of this book I realized that VH does explain why Catherine is a litle bratty and self-centered (mother issues) so it makes more sense. As always the historical details are great. Another bonus is that there is no extreme purple prose filled sex sessions every ten pages. Also there is no domestic abuse which is a real turn off even if it is appropriate for that period.

Set at the end of the Tudor reign, Lord Patrick Stewart, was summoned to the court of James VI, King of Scotland. James, knowing of Patrick's gift of foresight, wanted to know when the throne of England would be his and sent Patrick as his emissary to the court of Queen Elizabeth I to see if his `gift' could foretell when he could expect it. Traveling to England and staying at his friend Robert's home he came upon the young woman he'd seen and had been plaguing him in visions that had aroused him in a way no woman ever had.

Lady Catherine, gifted with beauty and an innate sense of style had been brought up at court. Her impeccable style brought her to the attention of Elizabeth who made her the queens very own dress designer. Gifted with all the graces and enjoying being in the limelight, she was also the recipient of an impulsive personality that led her to push the envelope as close to the edge of propriety as was allowed. As it happened, it was not under the best circumstances that Catherine met Patrick. Cat mistakes him for a poacher, and a barbarian Scot and the sparks do fly! Patrick, of course, recognizes Cat as the woman from his visions and baits her unmercifully, also realizing that though she was the most exquisite woman he's ever met, she's also a little hellcat who needed taming and he was just the man that was going to tame her.

Try as she might to deny the attraction, Cat would find that Lord `Bloody' Stewart's arms were the only safe haven she would ever know or want. Set in the tumultuous end of the Tudor reign, amidst the powers struggles and intrigues of two powerful courts, Cat and Patrick find themselves embroiled in plots of deceit and danger that threatens to topple the throne - and tear the lovers apart.

My God! What an exciting, enthralling, and totally HOT read! You will just fall in love with Lord "Bloody" Stewart, as he sets out to tame the impulsive and diminutive Lady Catherine! Steeped in rich historical detail, Henley has fashioned a magnificent pairing of two perfectly fabulous protagonists in this `over the top' sensational new offering! With an impeccable writing style, Henley transports her readers to feel like players on a stage surrounded by actual historic events. BOTTOM LINE - Henley writes with undeniable passion for both the romance and the period in this beautifully sensual tale that I really hated to see end. -- Marilyn Rondeau, for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

This book was so bogged down that the only way I got through it was by heavy skimming. I found if I mostly read the italicized sentences (there were many) I could keep up with the story and make it to the end. It didn't help that I found the characters basically unlikable and constantly changing, the amount of time spent on describing clothing mind-numbing, and the ending terribly rushed. I did like that the hero could visit the heroine in dreams, but that aspect was discarded early on. I also enjoyed bits and pieces of the historical information, a lot more so than the people, which is sad when you think about it as this was supposed to be a romance.

I own all of Virginia Henley's books. She has a spicey personality that comes out in all her books. I recommend this book or any of her books!

When I want a good historical romance, Virginia Henley is who I usually turn to for that fix. This was not one of her best works, but it was enjoyable all the same. The characters were certainly well shaped and the plotline interesting. I especially liked the twist of Lord "Bloody" Stewart's "gift" of second sight as it added an extra bit of intrigue to the novel.

I only had one problem with the willing suspension of disbelief that most readers have to face in order to become encompassed by a work of fiction. To me, it was utterly unbelievable that our heroine made it through catching the plague and all the gruesome lovliness that came with it, and still remain pregnant!

All in all, I would recommend this title to Romance readers and Henley fans alike. However, I will always be partial to Ms. Henley's earlier works, namely (as I like to call them) the "And the...and the" series: The Pirate and the Pagan, The Falcon and the Flower, The Raven and the Rose etc.

Virginia Henley I believe has set the standard for how good romance fiction should be written. I have read three of her books and already she is my favorite author. I actually read the book twice. She always has two strong characters within her books and this one is no different. The booked flowed so well that I could not put it down. I also liked the fact that the women who she rights about as main characters are not simple minded. I had to order the rest of her books on line because I can not find them in the library.