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58 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fitting beginning for the Malloren saga!, May 17, 2000
This review is from: My Lady Notorious (Paperback)
Lady Chastity takes on the role of a highwayman and kidnaps a coach and its aristocratic occupant in order to rescue her widowed sister and baby nephew from their crazed father. But Cyn Malloren doesn't remain a captive for long. A soldier recovering from a life-threatening illness, Cyn impulsively offers to help the young "Charles" and his widowed sister escape their pursuers. When the handsome reward offered for their capture tightens the web around them, Cyn dons feminine apparel to throw off the scent. The scene where Cyn (dressed as a lady) avoids detection by engaging in a passionate liplock with Chastity (dressed as a man) is real jewel! The sexual tension between Chastity and Cyn is explosive, even though Chastity doesn't know that Cyn is not fooled by her male apparel. Cyn falls deeper and deeper in love as he tries to ferret out the truth of Chastity's reputation and family secrets. Chastity knows that her unsavory reputation makes her unsuitable to become the wife of a Malloren, so she clings all the more closely to her bitter secrets. Originally published in 1993, this book is the first of a series of five (so far) dealing with the Malloren family and its dictatorial head, Rothgar. Before reading the highly-acclaimed fifth book, "Devilish," I decided to acquire the first four and read them in order. (I do love books with recurring characters!) If the other four books turn out to be as engrossing as this one, I may not be able to get any sleep this week!
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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gender Bending And Tawdry Fun!, May 24, 2003
This 1st book in the Malloren Series by Jo Beverley includes gender bending, cross-dressing, seduction, and adventure. What a combination! Though the first quarter of the book is slow-moving if you are patient you will see it is only the beginning of a very multi-layered and enjoyable tale. We are first introduced to Cyn Malloren as his carriage is hijacked by Lady Chastity Ware dressed a highwayman. Desperate to help her widowed sister and baby escape the man intent on taking her child from her, she resorts to thievery in order to aid her sister's plight. However, Cyn is bored and wishing for adventure and is a willing victim. Immediately noting "Charlie" is not truly a man he is intrigued and willing to go along for the ride. We are introduced several times to the head of the Malloren Family, Rothgar, a charismatic man who is both bold and one we find dipping in the snuff quite a bit! What might be a major flaw in the story is the very overshadowing of the hero Cyn by his more intriguing brother. There is no fault in the character build up of Lady Chastity who proves to be both passionate and a victim of her father's cruelty, however Cyn comes across as a much lighter version of his brother. Rothgar had a previous tryst (although fairly innocent) with Lady Chastity and there seems to actually be a rather deep connection between the two of them. The much talked about LADY NOTORIOUS, the 1st book in Jo Beverley's Malloren Series, was not at all as I expected. Perhaps a book and series with such a reputation must perform immediate miracles or one is disappointed. Rest assured, this book picks-up
tempo quite swiftly mid-way and was indeed a joy to read. The sensual scenes becoming quite explicit, and due to the beginning being a rather slow and innocent tale, you can see that Ms. Beverley has merely played you into her talented hands. The story engulfs you in it's fun, depth, and layers. The 2nd book in the Malloren Series, TEMPTING FORTUNE, tells the story of Lord Arcenbryght Malloren and Portia St. Claire.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Larger than life - and rivetting, July 2, 2002
Pick up this new edition of the first book in the Malloren series and you'll realize that the series is good from the very beginning. Cyn Malloren is back from the wars, fed up with recuperating from a fever and so impatient to stay out of his family's solicitous hands that he plays along with a young highwayman rather than shoot him where he stands. He soon realizes that the young man is a woman but hides his realization for a good part of the book - finding it more enjoyable to tease her in various ways as the story goes on. Lady Chastity Ware is desperate to help her widowed sister and baby travel to a safe haven and irritated to put up with the advice of the aristocratic prisoner, soon turned conspirator and mastermind. But his advice and presence is so helpful, when they are fleeing not only Verity's brother-in-law (the man who destroyed Chastity's reputation) but also their own father, who has incomprehensible plans for Verity and whose attempt to force Chastity into marriage is slowly revealed to be more and more horrific. The sensual interaction between Cyn and Chastity starts of at a sparkling intensity, as Cyn plays games with the young woman pretending to be a man (though he wonders exactly how innocent Verity's sister might be) and breaks into raging fire when Cyn realizes that he is dealing with the Notorious Chastity Ware of disrepute and bawdy cartoon fame. The chapters covering their stay at a shocking party at Rood House practically melt off the page. But the story is not even half over. Beyond the problem of the attraction between Cyn and Chastity and their ultimate fate as a couple, we still have Chastity's ruined reputation, Cyn's overbearing brother the Marquess of Rothgar and the opinion of his family, Verity's wedding, Chastity's one-time suitor and Chastity's father and brother all remaining to be dealt with. The book comes to a huge finale involving scenes played out in front of royalty in a display of mania, arrogance, and manipulation beyond description. A truly fitting opening to the series. If you haven't read them, this is the place to start - and if you have, it's time to snatch up a replacement for your worn out copy and begin again.
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