Customer Reviews

Obsession

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

 

 

This book was a disappointment to any reader who loved Devotion for its strong characters and romance plot. Although I was initially thrown off by that book's abrupt ending, it still satisfied, as it left the reunion between Trey and Maria to the reader's imagination, with some positive prompting by the novelist's conclusion.

However, not only does this sequel lack any romance (the steamy cover and blurb are ludicrously misleading), but specifically, it lacks any romantic tension between the two principals, which is what necessarily drives any great romance novel. Not only do the hero and heroine never kiss, but never even have a decent conversation.

Had I not read Miracle and Devotion, I would have been uninterested and confused by all the secondary characters dominating the plot. Luckily, I cared enough for them and my memory of Maria and Trey to keep reading. But Maria seemed distant and cruel, while Trey seemed alternatively compelling and repulsive in his weakness. I loved his weaknesses in Devotion because of his circumstances and consistent character development, but not here. The plot twisted about haphazardly as well. After so much time lapsed between the two books, I was hoping for a finely crafted and satisfying conclusion to their story.

Like most other reviewers, I wish I hadn't read this sequel. Try Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale for a similar plot to Devotion, which still stands as one of my favorites.

I refuse to believe that Ms. Sutcliffe wrote this god awful mess. I think this was one of the biggest disappointments I've ever had with a book. This was an author I would automatically buy as soon as her books came out and I feel almost tricked. This was not a romance. The hero and heroine have about 5 pages of actual dialogue together. I don't mind dark gothic styled stories, they're actually my favorite, but this story was just depressing.

I have read a few books by this author, many years ago, that I enjoyed. I picked this one up at a used book store for $1. Thank goodness I did not spend full or half price on it. The beginning seemed so promising, but by the first 3rd of book, I could tell it was not up to the usual standards for romance novels.

This paragraph is a spoiler so skip it and go to the next one if you don't want to know a few details about the book. It starts off with Trey at the altar about to marry Edwina, a wealthy widow. Someone burst in to tell him his one true love who disappeared 6 months prior has been in an asylum which was orchestrated by his manipulative, hateful grandmother. From there the writing becomes very amateurish. Very unrealistic scenarios follow (not unexpected in a romance), but quite unlikely. Two examples: 1) the previously selfish, rude, debauched duke decides to work in a mine, voluntarily 2) the woman he left at the altar stays in his home after he jilted her. He allows it even though he shouts, threatens and tells her to leave every few pages AND she remains through all this even though he professes to love Maria every few paragraphs.

Even though it was a quick read, I realized it was because the text was in a larger than usual size. There really wasn't a lot of substance to this book. Quite disappointing, mainly because it had so much potential.

The book starts with the hero speaking in first person, may be annoying to some...then again is not criteria enough to slander this book. It is not a book written with romantic babble, yet it is very deep, very emotional, and bittersweet. You will not find sexy scenes, however, the story does not needed for it is a dark yet, beautiful book...It is just different from all its counterparts in this genre, that's all. If you are looking for something different, then this book is for you. However, it is not a keeper.

Thank goodness the store where I bought this book had a money-back guarantee if you didn't enjoy it, because I HATED this one! I would give it zero stars if I could. Does KS really think she can pass these off as the same two people from "Devotion"? Because I don't recognize either one of them now. The two strong people who fought for what they wanted (each other) in the previous novel are nowhere to be found here. Trey is the worst - where is his spirit and backbone? And he and Maria don't get so much as a tender kiss in the whole novel. I gave "Devotion" 3 stars because it ended so abruptly, but looking back I wish KS had left us hanging forever with that one. This wrap-up is a disaster and I will try to forget I ever read it. If you liked "Devotion" at all please don't ruin your memory of it with this garbage.

This was my first book by this author, and it will be my last. When the book first started, I was a little surprised to see that it was told in the first person from the hero's point of view, and that snagged my interest. I spent the rest of the book simply becoming more and more angry at the weakness of the hero and the fact that he allowed his lover to continue to live in his house and share his bed (you read that correctly) while his supposed love of his life was down the hall, having been rescued from an insane asylum. He was no hero. The only character with personality was the lover, Edwina, and she was manipulative and self serving. Trey and Maria end up together at the end, and it is by some miracle apparently, because they certainly never had a real conversation. This book had real potential, but was obviously poorly planned and written to make a buck. Don't waste your money.

I read and critiqued the prequel to this novel Devotion without realizing Trey's story continued in Obsession. Trey, the Duke of Salterdon, was going to throw his duty to family away by wedding a poor vicar's daughter, Maria. She had saved him from madness and now she ran from him, later marrying another (or so he thought). Trey found out the truth moments before his own marriage. Maria was alive, imprisoned in Menson, a mental asylum.

And she was, by the time he reached her these six years later, mad. You can imagine the brutality and horror of an asylum for the criminally insane in the 1800s. Trey's grandmother, the ruthless dowager duchess, was responsible for Maria's placement in the asylum. Trey sets out to save Maria. He still loved her. Maria lives in a dark cocoon comforted only by the voice of her long dead brother and as she begins to enter the light again, remembers feelings of betrayal by Trey. She too has been misled and told lies and only remembers that her beautiful baby, Sarah, had been wrenched from her arms after giving birth to her in the asylum.

The story focuses on Trey's struggle to regain pride and fortune, with the undercurrent of mystery surrounding his own birth and that of his missing child Sarah. From Devotion, we meet again with Trey's twin brother Clayton and his wife Miracle. There is the added element of tension with Lady Edwina, Trey's fiancé, literally left at the altar. Will Maria ever be whole again? The ending to this novel, unlike the prequel, is very standard and appealing. I enjoyed it very much. I did not find the descriptions of Maria's stay in the asylum as oppressive as it could have been. The elements of mysticism (ghosts & miracles) are all right. The tale is uniquely told in first person. Different, wonderful reading.

A must if you have read Clayton's story (Miracle) and Trey & Maria's first story (Devotion). As other reviewers note, this book lacks the sensual appeal other novels have, but I didn't miss it in the storyline. Katherine Sutcliffe has not disappointed me yet.

No, make that port. The "hero's" favourite drink. That is about all he did.....whine and drink! I wish I had read Amazon reader reviews before wasting my money. I think Ms Sutcliffe must have assigned the writing of this book to an under-under-understudy.

I am a long time historical romance reader (over 20 years now) and also, a fan of many of Katherine Sutcliffe's novels. My favorites by her are "Shadow Play", "A Fire In The Heart" and "Dream Fever". If you have not read these books, do so now. These three are tops for character development, intensity, passion, and deep emotion. These are not books that are light, airy and for the faint of heart. They are emotional novels with dark passion and sizzling intensity. The hero's in these stories are real guys - lots of faults yet, lots of sex appeal and intelligence. The heroines are real gals - down on their luck and not perfect but, have that special something that draws you in. I like those kind of love stories now and then to get away from light and fluffy regency romances and urge you to read these other books if you haven't.. KS also has many other novels I read and found decent too....those such as:
"Miracle", "Jezebel", "Devotion", "Hope & Glory", "Renegade" and more. Mind you...this last group is not nearly as good as the first three I mentioned. I became a fan of hers after those and the rest simply fell into place to complete her book collection for me.

I recently bought "Obsession" because I didn't have it to complete my collection of most of her books. The money was not well spent as the story was completely awful. I hate saying that to an author I really like but, it must be said to get the bad taste out of my mouth on this one. Like many other reviewers noted, this story is actually the third book in the Hawthorne brother's stories. Clayton's story was told in "Miracle", Trey's in "Devotion" and Trey's story continued and ended in "Obsession". You really should read the first two so, you can learn about the history of the twin brothers, their family legacy and their initial life stories and loves. I pulled out the other two and lightly flipped through them to re-acquaint myself with some things as it has been years since I read those story lines. As I re-read some parts, I remembered both stories were pretty good - "Miracle" by far the more enjoyable of the two though. It's important to read these books first because if you start with "Obsession" you may never give KS or her books another chance and that would be a shame. Don't let that happen.

Little good can be said of the "Obsession" story line. Trey was really made to look like a terrible guy. All he did was drink, get drunk, gamble, enhance his already terrible reputation, sleep with anything and anyone and eventually be willing to sell his soul and manhood for a few bucks to Edwina. Grant you...he really fell off the wagon when Maria left his life and he thought she married another. Everything he did in life seemed to come from wanting to strike out at his terrible and nasty grandmother the Duchess. She seemed to detest her grandsons and likewise, they hated her. The story discusses in final detail why their relationship never worked and never would. So...at least you got answers finally. Probably....the highlight of the book.

In turn, Maria was in a mental institution for years because of Trey's grandmother again. Unknown to all...she had Trey's child there and she was taken away and that made Maria go even more crazy. Maria was released when Trey found out where she was and he tried to nurture her back to sanity much like she did to him years before.

The twists and turns in this story will make you dizzy....Trey playing nurse maid, Trey keeping Edwina - his lover - in the house while he does this, Trey working in the mines to feel like a man for once, Maria thinking her dead brother talks to her, Maria thinking a doll is her daughter, Trey loving Maria but, she hates and doesn't remember him, Trey being mean to his brother, nieces/nephews and everyone else, the nasty grandmother making things worse by paying Edwina to get involved and so on....See why you'll get a headache from this one? The sad thing is, this story had the makings of a good book - all the necessary elements to be intense, passionate and complicated were all there...it just went way, way too far over-board. I felt insane myself in parts and I wasn't the one in the asylum. I didn't miss the sex scenes in this book and had any been there it would have been awful - not a good fit at all.

In a nutshell, this book simply got away from KS and there was no saving it until the very very end. We find out that Maria regains her memory by going back home to her dying father, she almost marries another man, his daughter ends up being important and Trey cleans up his act and searches her out to mend old wounds. I'll say no more. Tidy in the end but, messy, messy, messy throughout the rest of the book.

I have to say, even if this story was written better, I wouldn't have liked it. Two books of KS were written in the first person "I" style - "Heart Possessed" and This one - "Obsession". I do not like when authors put their hero or heroine in a first person set up. I think it is awkward in a love story for the main character to allow you into their head the whole book. It then makes it hard to connect with other characters and hear/see what they think and feel. The story becomes much to one dimensional and that never works in a detailed historical romance. I think the reason you don't see first person very often is is DOES NOT work and editors and publishers know that.

I had hoped long ago to read about Trey and Maria's grand final love story and was sorely disappointed when I finally read it in "Obsession". This was written in 2004, many years after the other books were written and published. Perhaps too many years went by and a good thing should have been left as is. I often like follow up books but, this one was better left to the imagination.

If you hated this book, try the others I mentioned, they are worth it. If you liked this book...well, keep reading her others. Hopefully, you'll like those too. I hope KS gets back to her old style of historical romance reading or I'll be moving on to other authors. There are great ones out there. KS may become an old favorite of mine and that's it.

To spite his odious grandma, Lord Trey Hawthorne is marrying "whore" Edwina Rhodes, who slept with his deceased grandfather. She is a wealthy widow and he needs cash. Trey has never recovered from the betrayal of his beloved Maria Ashton, a commoner nurse who helped him heal when he was ill, but she married someone else. At the ceremony, a woman objects saying that Trey was deceived by his grandma. Maria lives, but resides at Minson Asylum for the Criminally Insane.

Trey leaves Edwinna at the altar and rushes to the asylum where he does not recognize his beloved until she hums the love melody he wrote "Maria's Song". He is shocked as his beloved is no better than an animal if she is even that well behaved. Still he takes her back to his estate where he tries to nurse her back to health through his love for her though everyone believes it is too late for them.

Fans will relish this potent historical romance once they get over the shock that a person would destroy someone's life without blinking. The metamorphosis of Maria is interesting to observe as readers picture a kind gentle soul turned into a frightened trapped beast ready to spring at anyone before they can assault her. Trey is heroic, but a lifetime with someone who fears, distrusts, and ultimately wants to harm him is sacrificial, but can he really sustain his OBSESSION over the long haul if she shows no progress. Katherine Sutcliffe provides a powerful tale though the final twist seems an unnecessary cleansing of the blood (read this strong book to understand the comment).

Harriet Klausner