Customer Reviews

Love Storm

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

Oh Sasha. I really enjoyed this book, but then I love Ms Johnson's Russian characters. They provide a much needed break from the Dukes of Regency England, the Wild West Cowboys and Indians and futuristic/time-traveling love stories. But this one also provides some really great love scenes between two people who enjoy "making up." The sauna scene is wonderful, the squabble over his nickname "archer" is cute, but I have to admit the purchase of Zena was extremely hot and unique. (I've since read her latest book Touch of Sin which sort of replays this scene in a different light, but this one is the original! And I much prefer it.) Only one thing... Just for once, I'd like to see the "I'm master, let me hear you beg woman..." adjusted. I'd really like to see the heroine be better at playing hard to get that that... Which I guess is why I like the idea of Sasha having to chase after Zena. Warning: This book is NOT for the conservative readers who like to read 200 pages before the first fondle or kiss. This one's hot and fast. I like that so I know I'm keeping it!

Dear readers, when I first started reading romance novels a year ago, I think I read about twenty books before I got to Susan Johnson's Love Storm. I was blown away. After all the books i've read, I had never read a book by an author that was so bold, so sexy, and so entertaning! She opened my eyes to my ultimate fantasy hero. This book was so good, so steamy, so hot, that I could not put it down. Susan Johnson brings you right there with all the characters. You feel as if you are Zena, and Sasha is your man, and you want to snatch out Amelia's eyes with your fingers. Now listen , and listen well, this book is not for the prudish, fainthearted, or bad boy haters, because Sasha is a very bad boy indeed! You must be somewhat worldly, and openminded to appreciate this book. One reader went as far as to say, "Who makes love like this anyway"? You get my point don't you? This book is not for everyone. I still can say today, that Love Storm is still my favorite romance novel of all time!

I love all of Susan Johnson's older romance novels and this one being no exception. It was super SEXY and has a good historical plot, which makes for a good reading break between the ultra hot scenes. What makes Johnson a good writer is that a lot of the time she removes romantic fantasy from the story and settles for lust and passion. It's good not to have the overly sappy romance plot sometimes; very reminiscent of the Anne Rice Sleeping Beauty books, so if you like those books, you would definately enjoy Susan Johnson.

This is not one of the 'good' SJ books. It was written a long time ago, and is quite like the romances published in the early eighties where the hero was perpetually unfaithful to the heroine and the heroine was docile and obedient.
The sex scenes were quite ok, though quite brief compared to her later novels. This was not a book I enjoyed a lot, primarily because of the arrogant and cruel hero.

The title of this book should have been Sex Storm. I honestly can not see where this author came up with the title of Love Storm. The "hero" of this story had sex with so many women before he was "in love" and after he was "in love" that I lost count. Even after Sasha started feeling romantic feelings for Zena, that did not stop his sex feast. He had sex with other women because he was trying to forget his feelings for Zena, he had sex with other women because he and Zena had a fight, he had sex with other women to teach her a lesson. I'm a sucker for a good sex scene but give me a break. This story should not have an underlying "love" story - the reader does not get the sense of love at all from this story. I was so disgusted with this book that not only did I throw the book away the night I bought it, I have yet to purchase any more of SJ's work as a result. I would recommend this book to persons who are looking for nothing more than sex scenes that have absolutely no meaning and those who have absolutely no romantic soul!!

Love storm is a story of intense lust and passion about the handsome Russian Prince Alexander Nikolaevich Kuzan and the young, innocent, beauty, Zena Turku, the daughter of Baron Turku. Alex has a past of hard, cold-hearted women in his bed and life and has learned to use women as a means to only warm his bed, not his heart. He rescues Zena as she is running away from a forced marriage with the revolting, aging General Scobluff. Thinking she is a courtesan, he takes her innocence and then attempts to justify his action by taking her into his protection. Zena has been raised to be a lady, and although she feels the passion and desire that Alex has awakened in her young body, her heart becomes more involved and she begins to fall deeply in love with Alex. She soon discovers that she is carrying his child and knowing that he can never offer her the love she so desires, she flees, only to be captured as a love slave in a harem. Alex begins his search and rescues Zena once more while in this erotic sensual captivity. As Zena is with him once more, he continues to take her in passion and lust while struggling with his hard heart and unrecognized feelings of love. Finally her family discovers the relationship and insists on a marriage, which causes further conflict as a marriage of convenience is anything but. This is not a story for the light romance reader. The sex scenes are intense and many times rough, as intense and rough as the emotional relationship between these two intensely passionate individuals, time and place. The story twists and turns and sweeps across Russia and the harems of Turkish sheikhs and beys while Alex fights his love for Zena. Zena continues to give into Alex time and again. Some readers may have problems coming to terms with the intense sex and Zena appearing weak, but in a period of history where women did not have much power, in this character's defense, Zena begins the story as a young, weak girl, who at the end becomes a strong woman winning the love of a man who seemed incapable of ever loving. The story is well-researched and developed, as the reader is swept away in the beauty and history of the Russian aristocracy. It is a pleasure to see this reissue of an epic erotic romance destined to be part of a new generation of romance collections.

This SJ book was quite disappointing. Susan Johnson writes beautifully, but in this novel, there's no romance. Sasha is hot-headed, like most men in novels, but the way he treats Zena is horrific. Zena is made out to be some meek, who can't speak up about the way she's being treated.

Why, oh why would anyone think a human being getting "sold" would be romantic?
Who thinks rape is romantic?
Who thinks being treated like less than decent is romantic?

This hasn't kept me from reading other SJ novels, though. BRAZEN by far is my favorite. This one is a little on the egde (and I don't mind that IF IT'S ROMANTIC).

I'm not going to say, "Don't go out and buy this book," you make your own decisions. But if your a romance nut like me, this one isn't for you.

Zena, attempting to get away from a man that she is supposed to marry, meets Prince Alex (Sasha) as he is heading out. He agrees to take her with him thinking she is a streetwalker and doesn't mind the auburn haired beauty's company. He finds out soon enough she wasn't what he thought but decides to 'keep her' for a while. He does not want to marry anyone at his age so he makes it quite clear to her of his intentions. Tempers flare and the trouble begins.. This book was quite graphic and that is fine but I don't usually like books where one of the main characters is not faithful after they meet. Also, there is a rape scene that I agree with another reader, was made to sound like it was not rape at all. I would have rather that not have happened at all. I was hoping against hope help would arrive in time. Other than that, the storyline was good and I enjoyed it when this 'Archer' Prince realizes how much he cares for Zena and goes after her.

I picked up this book because I wanted to try a new author. I started to read it and it was good and everything. I didn not finish because this book is just awful. All I can say is EEEEWWWWWW. Those sex scenes and the rape is horrible. Please do not subject yourself to to this book. At least in other books when the hero rapes, you know it is the woman he ends up with and she usually is willing. She is raped and fondled by awful men.

DO NOT READ!!!!

It started out well enough. Zena, the orphaned heroine, has totake her baby brother and leave her Aunt, who was going to marry heroff to a lecherous old man. Zena showed strength by leaving all that was familiar to her with nothing but the clothes on her back, and embarking on a journey to her grandfather's place, which she thought was her only hope of survival.

Enter the hero, Alex. He thinks she's nothing but a common hooker, and thinks she'll be good for a few romps in the hay. He even manages to fall for her. Not bad, considering that in this book, women are just men's chattel, to be bought, sold, and traded. They argue, so she continues on to her grandfather.

Along the way, she is attacked, and Alex, feeling guilty about arguing with her, goes after her. He finds her drugged and ready to be sold at auction... How romantic. He "buys" her (after all, women are just commodities to the aristocratic playboys) for some rubies and horses. Then he takes her home and uses her some more (because that's all women are good for in this book).

After another argument, she runs away again, to bear Alex's child alone. She gets raped by one of the men who bid on her at the auction (but lost)... What garbage!

This book was just one outrage after another. Save your time and money!