Customer Reviews

Legendary Lover (St. John-Duras)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

Legendary Lover continues author Susan Johnson's highly sensual and erotic romance style and, like the others in the Duras family series, this one sizzles with sex from beginning to end. Pasha Duras' daughter Venus is similar to Daisy Black in another of Johnson's series on the Braddock-Black family. Venus is independent and wealthy enough to thumb her nose at society and do as she pleases in and out of bed. Like many of Johnson's female leads, she has an interest in more than just society life. Jack Fitz-James, young and cut somewhat out of the same mold as Trey Braddock Black, is the rich and sexy Marquis of Redvers, a notorious rake. The book plot, a little weaker than her other books but still good, is propelled largely by steamy sex as the two try to avoid marriage to each other and any other suitors. You definitely don't have to read the previous two books in the series to enjoy this offering. As always, Johnson incorporates a heady use of elegant and sophisticated vocabulary to create her scenes and her dialogue entices with its brevity, laced with innuendo and suggestive spice.

Jack Fitz-James and Venus Duras are stunningly attractive, wealthy, independent, and bored, bored, BORED! Bored with popular society and it's aimless pursuits. Bored with the countless members of the opposite sex who throw themselves at them. Bored with the love affairs that they have both had. And then...Venus and Jack meet. Sparks fly. Clothes are thrown off. A torrid love affair begins. And Venus and Jack begin to wonder - is this just lust? Or is the irrestible pull they feel toward each other something more...?

Why do I enjoy reading Susan Johnson's books? Is it for the labyrinthe stories? The deep and moving characters? No, no, no! It's for the erotic and imaginative love scenes - and this book has them (plenty of them). No one writes witty repartee between lovers better than Johnson does, and there is plenty of that here, too. The previous Duras family books are my favorite of Johnson's novels, and this one is right up there with the other two.

I don't mean to sell this book short. Ms. Johnson does research her novels well (her books are the only romance novels I know of that have footnotes). And there is a story, of sorts. But really, you won't care because the love scenes, and the lovers, are so hot and so much fun. If you're looking for a fast, sexy, and witty romance, this is the book for you. Thanks to Ms. Johnson for an entertaining read!

While I do not like the work of Susan Johnson, I feel obliged to defend her use of certain vulgarisms in this book about the Regency era. The F word is known to have been in use since the 1400s. Back then, it meant to destroy or spoil. Its use to describe the act of copulation has been in existence since the late-1600s. The C word is even older than the F word, and has been in use since the early 1300s. So, contrary to what various reviewers have said previously, Ms. Johnson IS entirely accurate to have Regency era characters use these words, vulgar as such may be.

Information about the historical appearance of English words is available in the book, English through the Ages, by William Brohaugh. It was published in 1998 by Writers Digest Books.

Legendary Lover is a wonderfully light novel about sex, society, and secrets in nineteenth century England. Susan Johnson is known for her inventive love scenes, and this book certainly doesn't lack in that respect. I do disagree, however, with the reviewer who said that sex was all that Venus and Jack's relationship is based on. The main point of Jack's attraction to Venus is that she is different from all the society belles he has known: she has a brain and thinks for herself. Johnson's novels of late all feature this same sort of independent female lead character and it makes for some intriguing dialogue and situations. It's true that this book doesn't have as much plot as some of Johnson's older ones, but you probably won't care because the characters are so interesting. And the sex is as hot as is to be expected from Susan Johnson. She is truly the queen of romantic fiction, and I look forward to having the chance to read her again.

Let me sum up the plot of this entire book for you: SEX.

An oversexed man and an oversexed woman meet and they have a lot of sex. And then they have more sex. And more. And more. And, let me think--yep--more. I never thought I'd grow tired of reading about sex, but well, there you have it...I did.

If you think I'm exaggerating, think again. This book was page after page of nothing but sex with very little plot or dialogue in between scenes. And of course, when there was actual dialogue, the hero and heroine were usually having sex at the time. The most exciting part of the entire book was when they got tired of having sex in the country, so they boarded the heroine's boat to have sex at sea. It wasn't much, but at least it was a change of scenery.

Still, I gave Johnson a three for a few reasons: (1) she's a good writer, (2) unlike the majority of her books, the hero and heroine remained faithful, even during their inevitable separation toward the book's end, and (3) she does write good "scenes"--the problem is that she just writes too many of them.

Johnson would be incredible if she used her talent for the erotic in combination with the culmination of an actual plot. As is, however, Ms. Johnson gives new meaning to the phrase "too much of a good thing".

No story line. The only thing the book is about is sex. If the book was made into a movie it would be rated XXX. I like romance not porno.

Susan Johnson never fails to exude an indulgent and passionate style in her stories, and with Legendary Lover, she scores again with her fluid grace and stark eroticism. Venus Duras and Jack - the Marquis of Redvers are attracted hypnotically to each other from the start of the book - and showers of sparks flew between them with their witty and quirk innuendoes and dialogues. They are too obstinate and independent to let passion overrule their mind, but as they entrenched in hot carnal mating, both are discovering their inexplicable infatutation and desires for each other.

Susan Johnson is one of the few romantic authors of today who dares to be unbridled in her sensuality. Her writing is refreshing, teasing and engaging. None of the authors today can rival her in crafting scintillating dialogues and feisty heroines like Venus. Lengendary Lover is indulgent and scandalously bold - with such melting chemistry between the two characters. There is a lush moment of poignancy when Jack realizes he rather trade his freedom for the love, and behind the treachery of the ton and whimisical villains such as the Palmers - the exciting pace of the romance is set.

My only complaint is that Johnson's trademark historical details are quite lacking in this book - but with the story's wit and wicked sensuality, it more than makes up for it. Detractors may find the sexual scenes in the book an affront, but for me, it just spice up the chemistry even more.

Susan Johnson never fails to amaze readers with her richly-taliored historical details and sensual writing. It is what sets her apart from accomplished erotic writers like Thea Devine and Beatrice Small - who strays onto dark eroticism. Her style is warm, passionate and inviting - and that is what makes up Legendary Lover to be the hottest book up-to-date.

This was the worst book I have ever read , possibly including college textbooks... at least those have some educational value.

Johnson's novel, however, was horribly disappointing. There was so little character development and plot that the only thing that I remember about the hero and heroine was that they were physically engaged more often than not. What was even worse was the abundance of crude conversation throughout the novel. And just when I thought there might be some small hope for redemption, the book ended.

The thought of keeping it on my shelf (with my keepers, of all things!!!) was so distasteful that I donated it to the local library. I think that the only reasons that I chose to finish this book (and it was a very conscious decision) was because I've never stopped reading a novel before its ending and I was on vacation in Laughlin. I should have spent more time in the casino...

I buy all of Susan Johnson's novels. Unfortunately, the last one that I actually felt had a good story and interesting characters was Brazen (which I'm re-reading now). Legendary Lover is not that great, but I got through reading this one as opposed to her last two novels in the Duras family saga. I would say, that if you're a fan of Ms. Johnson's previous novels you'll enjoy Legendary Lover, but it doesn't live up to her previous novels.

This was one of the worse books i have ever read and I usually like this author very much. There is no plot at all. The entire book is one sex scene after another.