Customer Reviews

Love's Tender Warriors

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

LOVE'S TENDER WARRIORS marks a stylistic departure from Radclyffe's most recent works of lesbian fiction (ABOVE ALL, HONOR and HONOR BOUND, about the relationship between the president's daughter and the Secret Service agent bound to protect her, and SHIELD OF JUSTICE, about a police detective and a psychiatrist whose lives become entangled). In these novels (which I wholeheartedly recommend), Radclyffe deftly weaves the strands of action and romance; but the reader never skips the plot to get to the "good stuff," because the plots are always character driven, and romance -- and sex -- suffuse every single scene. LTW is different: set against the backdrop of a Philadelphia dojang where the two central characters train in the martial arts, the novel is a meditation on the different ways human beings, battered and bruised by life, attempt to shield their hearts and minds and souls from future injury.

The result is a quartet of character sketches: Sean Gray -- the psychologist who absorbs the pain from those around her and who helps others heal, and who believes herself incapable of passionate emotional response; her identical twin sister, Susan -- who is terrified by the intensity of the emotions she feels, who is too wary to trust, expecting all relationships to fail; Drew Clark -- martial arts master and Marine, haunted by nightmares of her past that she believes must make her present need unattainable; and Ellen Tyler -- who, having waited fruitlessly for her lover's trust, lives in terror that the full-time life she so yearns for may be beyond her grasp.

Set against the year of Sean's training and preparation for her black-belt test, LOVE'S TENDER WARRIORS explores the many ways people cope with pain as well as the eternal and most essential power of love to heal those deep wounds we hide from the world. Like all of Radclyffe's stories, this one is beautifully written, erotically charged, and hot, hot hot: you'll cry, and you'll soar.

Let?s face it, there are a lot of bad books being sold today, and like others I know, I?ve been burned not realizing I was plunking down a chunk of change for what was essentially a self-published, unedited book. Love?s Tender Warriors ? like Radclyffe?s other books ? does not fall into that category!

Not only are the characters sharply defined and able to converse in realistic dialog, and not only do they act and do things that make *sense,* this book is a professional?s work, and has obviously been professionally edited as well. (Compare this book to Around We Go, which had grammatical faults on nearly every page and missing punctuation ? an amateurish mess! Those who love the book say an editor should have caught when ?there? was used instead of ?their? but I think a writer ought to know the difference!) You can read samples of some of Radclyffe?s books here on Amazon and at her website and you?ll see for yourself.

From now on when I don?t recognize a publisher and I can?t read a sample somewhere, I?m not going to buy the book. But from now on I?ll buy Radclyffe?s books, and likely the other books from her publisher. They obviously care about the final product! Love?s Tender Warriors was a hot, entertaining, realistic book and a great way to spend my money and time!

I like how Radclyffe blends every day issues that touch so many of our lives into a believable story with real women you feel like you could meet at the store. Not that they are ordinary, but they're *real.*

But like others of her books, there is just one note in the core relationship: Drew and Sean are drawn to each other immediately and only one thing separates them. It takes 250 pages to work through the one issue. It's realistically handled but if it weren't for a side plot with Sean's sister, this novel would have been 100 pages. In many ways, the side plot drove the action, not the main plot. Also, while Drew and Sean seem very real, there are a few characters who are just too wise, too calm, too good to be true.

It's a small quibble because basically this is an enjoyable solid romance easily worth the time and money. The sex scenes are warming, the dialogue engaging. I totally agree with another reviewer who says this is the work of a professional.

I have read a lot of the lesbian romance novels, but found this to one of my favorite!! A great plot, realistic characters and not too sappy. I love this author's style of writing. I am looking forward to reading another novel by Radclyffe.

Not only do you get well developed characters, even with some darkness shown, but you get an excellent plot that will keep you turning the pages to the end. Solid 5 star story, by an excellent writer. You can't go wrong by buying this book.

Drew Clark hides a dark past behind her warrior's exterior. The ex-Marine joins the dojang of an old friend. There she meets Sean Gray who is able to get beneath the warrior's armor.

Whether you read Radclyffe's series books or you read one of her stand-alone romances, you can not go wrong.

I have been reading lesbian fiction for many years, and can honestly say that I have never come across a writer that has so affected me. Her characters are strong, intelligent, and romantic. Naysayers will say that Radclyffe's characters are too perfect almost never flawed - either in looks or character. That may be true, but aren't you tired of the genre's penchant for ordinary? Radclyffe's characters are always enchanting, intoxicating, enticing, and intense. The stories, particularly in the series books, are all first class. Most of her series books are page-turners. And in two of the books, I actually turned to the last page to make sure that the main characters survived - something I never do.

Radclyffe let us believe, at least for the duration of each of her books, that the grand passion, the true love, the happy-ever-after are all possible. She lets us believe that being a strong, intelligent woman does not mean that we will be alone and/or isolated.

The only caveat I have is to read the series books in order. And if you enjoy watching a writer grow, then read the non-series books in the order they were written and watch Radclyffe's talent grow before your very eyes.

One of Radclyffe's shorter books, `Love's Tender Warriors' is well worth an evening spent in your favorite spot. The author has incorporated her love of both martial arts and medicine into an intense, heartfelt romance between two strong women.

Sean Gray is a wealthy young psychologist with an identical twin sister. She shares her therapy practice with her best friend, who is also her sister's lover. Sean has experienced significant heartache in her short life. Her parents are both dead and her short marriage failed miserably. It seems like all of Sean's friends are lesbians, but she won't even entertain the idea. That is, until she meets the enigmatic and beautiful Drew Clark.

Drew Clark is a recent ex-marine who also holds Black Belt rank in Aikido and Jujitsu. Upon leaving the service, Drew finds her way back to the dojang and the Sensei who taught her the way as a young, troubled teen. After losing her brother to a violent crime, Drew is reluctant to get close to anyone again. That is, until she meets the tenacious Sean Gray.

As usual, Radclyffe brings colorful, intelligent, beautiful characters to life on the written page. These women seem alive and tangible, and they're the kind of women we would all like to meet. Add these wonderful characters to an intriguing story with ample twists and turns, and you have a great book. Once you pick it up to start reading you won't want to put it down. Get comfortable in your favorite reading spot, grab your favorite cold beverage, take the phone off the hook and prepare to be wowed!

I was able to re-read Love's Tender Warriors by Radclyffe this weekend. This is a great story that takes the reader on a journey through the world of martial arts. Radclyffe gives a glympse of the parallels of the rigid structure of martial arts with that of the military. Retired marine Drew Clark returns home to teach in the dojang she trained in for many years and unexpectantly falls in love with the schools top student, Dr. Sean Gray. The story has one of those typical love story themes of the injured mysterious stranger who needs to heal before she can truly love and the loving caring and patient woman who ultimately helps her to open up and love again. Although we might recognize the story, we can't know how Radclyffe will tell it. She is masterful at telling the story, weaving in little bits of each character as the story progresses. And it is amazing how Rad can show an attraction developing just by describing the looks that transpire between two people. We all know they will end up together, but it doesn't stop the anticipation of how and when it will happen.

And as always with a Radclyffe novel, that is not the only story. Radclyffe is good at developing side stories and characters that add dimension to the story. This is one thing that separates her work from many of the others. It's not always just about the two main characters. In this story, Sean's twin sister Susan finds herself in a whirlwind of heartache with her lover Ellen. These side characters allow for the writer to add real life heartache with out ruining the fantasy of the perfect love story with the main characters.

There is a bit of mystery with the story. We don't find out until the end what haunts Drew and if she is able to over come it. I also found myself wondering if Sean every earns her black belt.

I really loved this book. The main characters are thoroughly fleshed out. By the end of the novel I felt I knew them as well as I do my family. Part of the focus is on the world of martial arts which holds little apeal to me, however the author made even those scenes interesting and appealing. This is a romance but it has several hard hitting moments and you will find you can't put it down.

Look for the Bold Strokes Books edition published August 2004.

This is a Keeper !

This was a great book! This was my first book by Radclyffe and I plan to read more books by her. I like the fact she didn't draw out Sean coming to terms with her feelings for Drew because most lesbian books do that entirely way too much. She focuses the book on something else besides 2 people falling in love. Overall, the book's romance and suspense made it worth reading.