Customer Reviews

Only Mine

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

 

 

I gave this novel five stars because after the first two hundred pages it became one of the best novels I've read in a while. However, the authors repetitive reference to "wind" every two paragraphs started to wear on my nerves.

I have recently reviewed another novel where I said that it had the longest love scene ever, but now I have to change that. This novel had the longest and most sincere love scene. The tender feelings that were expressed in the scenes were so strong that I nearly wept. This author knows how to make a reader want more and more.

There were some things that I really didn't like, but still doesn't take away from the five star rating I'm giving this novel.

One is how cruel the hero is throughout the first half of this book. I've read Karen Robards "Island Flame" and didn't get as offended as I did with Wolfe. He wears Jessie down until her arms lock up from exhaustive use trying to prove to him that she has what it takes to be a frontier wife. During all this he taunts her and belittles her.

Another thing that grated on my nerves was Jessie's fear of childbirth and the marriage bed. It went on way too long during the novel, should have ended midway, but her fear took over till close to the end. However, when Wolfe and Jessie make up, it was well worth the hair pulling on the reader's part. I've not read a book that touched me like this one for a very long time. And I've never wanted to weep by the sweetness of the hero to the heroine. The words that were spoken from Wolfe to Jessie (and vice-versa) were so heart wrenching that I was blinking back my tears.

All in all, Only Mine has got me reading Western Historical romances now, hoping that I can find other novels so great. To finish a book in five and a half hours shows that Elizabeth Lowell is definately an author among authors.

I reread "Only Mine" last night and was once again surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. Wolfe and Jessi loved each other from the very beginning of the story. The problem was that Jessi trapped Wolfe into marrying her to get away from England and a forced marriage arranged by her guardians. Most of the book is about how Wolfe tries to force Jessi into getting an annulment, not understanding why she claims to need him so much. Jessica was a woman who was still haunted by a childhood that had left her emotionally scarred. Her struggles to fight back her demons and withstand the scorn of the man she loved were described so well that I almost felt like I was her. Lowell's amazing talent made this book a memorable romance novel with two very strong characters. "Only Mine" also has Caleb Black, Willow, Reno, and Whip, which made it even better. I would recommend that anyone who likes Lowell read the entire "Only" series, because all of the books are wonderful.

I am normally a fan of Elizabeth Lowell's. However, this book is certainly not for those who have out-grown the whole "man who loves a woman yet is emotionally abusive to her" type of novel. Not only does the "hero" Wolfe literally spend 300 pages verbally abusing and punishing the heroine, his sins are simply absolved at the end of the story when he says "I love you" for the first and only time on the very last page of the book. So realistic. This book is told almost entirely from the heroine's perspective, and Wolfe is really a brute. The conclusion of the book is also almost identical to the conclusion of "Only His".

This novel was my favorite from the Only series. The character of Wolfe was pretty compelling, and Jessi's reticence was believable though a bit overdone at times.

Another reason why I liked this novel best was because of the fact that Wolfe's character was the most consistent throughout the series. Reno and Whip were really fun, easy-going flirts and jokers in the other books (especially in Only Mine), but as soon as each respective character took the starring role they became all moody and emotionally traumatized. The worst case of Jeckyll-Hyde syndrome I've ever read about.

This is not really a criticism, but why do all the men in the Only series have the exact same moves? It's like they all got together and shared sex tips. A tad creepy. Perhaps Lowell should imagine some new sex scenarios.

One final observation, aside from Jessi, all the female leads seem too similar. Scenarios are the same - accusations of harlotry later revealed to be false, and so on. If it weren't for the different physical descriptions, I probably couldn't correctly differentiate the characters if given paragraphs about their personalities.

This is the second book I've read in the Only Series and I've ordered the other two. I love the the strong women she writes about and the pages keep turning.

I really liked the first and third book in this series, but this one was a total dissapointment. In the other two books the heroes tended to be a bit to stubborn and sometimes even unkind, but this one was downright cruel. OK, so he didn't want to marry Jessica - because he felt that he wasn't worth her. But if he didn't want to live with her he could just leave her somewhere in the east and live by himself. Or he could demand anullment without her consent. But no. He wanted to convince her to anull the marriage. And in what way!! In the beginning it wasn't so bad, but later on, it got so horrible... He made her work really hadr, criticized her for every mistake. He didn't help her to get used to her new life, even though she was willing to learn and was trying really hard. He kept comparing her to Willow - and it almost made me dislike Willow as well, even though I loved her in Only his. I don't know why Jessica stayed with him. It would be better if she chose one of the Moran brothers, who at least respected her. All the time I just wanted to strangle Wolfe. He always assumed the wors of Jessica. And all he thought about was sex. Even when she fell from her horse in exhaustion. And he didn't even respect her wishes - she didn't want to be touched by a man, and all he did about it was starting calling her a nun and treated her even more cruelly because he wanted her but she didn't want him. He didn't even try to understand her or console her. And then when he shamed her in front of everyone... God, I hated him. And then suddenly he couldn't hold himself back anymore, so he took her virginity and then decided to sacrifice himself and go back to England - even though Jessica didn't want that. God, what a mess! And when he came after her, he just kissed her and told her he loved her and everything was fine??? Yeah, right! In the end, it seemed to me that Jessica didn't have any backbone at all. After all the cruelty she endured, she forgave him in 5 minutes? It would take 5 years to forget and forgive that kind of treatement.
This book was horribe. Don't waste your time reading it.

This is my first Elizabeth Lowell book, and I'm very impressed! This is truly a sizzling page turner of a novel. It may not be a literary classic, but it will entertain you and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. I loved it. (There were a few typos, a few mix ups of words and names, but I guess that happens.) It could have been edited down by about 10-percent easily - but it was still very good. It warmed up a very cold February night - and it was so interesting that I read it straight through in one very long sitting. :) So kudos to the author.

Let me start by saying that I love Elizabeth Lowell and it pains me to give her a harsh review. That being said, I simply did not enjoy 'Only Mine.' Young Jessica, a pretty Scots aristocrat, begs her childhood friend Wolfe Lonetree to marry her before she is auctioned off the to the highest bidder... a drunk, groper old man named Lord Gord or something. (I have to say I was grossed out when Lady Jessica's guardian tells her its OK to be with a nasty old man because soon he'll die and she'll be a rich widow. Gag.) Wolfe refuses her for sensible reasons... one, he doesn't really understand her desperation (she has a total fear of men and storms it seems). And two, he doesn't think he's good enough (he's a bastard son, half-breed American with no title). And three, he wants to return to America and he doesn't think Lady Jessica will survive well there. This all makes perfect sense, of course.

That night, Jessica is attacked by her horrid fiance and flings herself into Wolfe's room where he protects her from said bad-guy. After some argument (Jessica basically threatening to blackmail him into marriage) - Wolfe finally agrees to marry her in some kind of trial. Basically, he agrees to take her to America as his wife. He's so sure that she'll come running back to her "spoiled aristocratic life" that he promises to leave her chaste so she can have the marriage annulled upon her return.

Once she gets to America, I have to say, I slowly came to detest Wolfe. He insults her constantly, puts her to slave labor, works her to the point of exhaustion and CONSTANTLY compares her to another woman (Willow, from the first novel in this series). "Willow is the perfect Western woman and you suck." is basically what he says to her OVER and OVER even though Jessica pulls off her obstacles quite well and handles herself just fine. The whole time Jessica idolizes Wolfe and tells him she loves him and thinks horrid things like "I hope I don't disappoint my Lord Wolfe!" Oh please!!! It was way too imbalanced for me and I saw Jessica as a brainless idiot by the end of the story and Wolfe as a total jerk who deserved to be dragged in the street.

The only saving grace was the last fourth of the novel. Once Jessica finally tells Wolfe WHY she is so frightened of men- I felt a tug on my heartstrings and believed that Jessica actually had a little depth to her. What a relief! Wolfe, also, responds well to this and it seems to improve his demeanor to her. By the end, of course, he's realized the error of his ways but I wasn't really satisfied with overly neat tie up. I, the reader, hadn't forgiven him, so it was hard to understand why Lady Jessica would.

Last complaint and why it earned a rating of two stars- nothing worse than a romance novel with no plot. The story IS the introduction and nothing more- a young woman goes to America with her new husband and the marriage is a trial and he treats her horribly in some sort of series of tests in hopes that she'll run back to England but she overcomes. That's not a very good plot! 'Nuff said.

I read this book awhile ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The memory of it has stayed with me. It was the first of Ms.Lowell books that I read and because of it I discovered a truly talented author. I won't go into the details of the book because others have but I must say that the story was great and the characters were very well written.

If you like medieval romances I would also recommend "Forbidden" by Ms. Lowell.

This book is on my keeper shelf at home.

This is a story based on misunderstanding and personal demons that drive both Wolfe and Jessi to fear the worst. Wolfe's sin is to push Jessi harder and harder away, and Jessi's sin is to never trust him with her personal demon though she started it all by reaching out for him alone.

I've read this story many times. By the time I get to the breaking point scene when Jessi finally names her demon I am in tears. It is written with such ferocity and realism that you are shaken. It's frustrating to spend so long building up to that revelation, but that also adds the terror and turmoil.