Review
4 stars; K.I.S.S. Hero. If you liked Shakespeare in Love, youll adore this witty, sexy romp. Brimming over with the atmosphere of Elizabethan England and the actors life, filled with passion and humor, Tracy Cozzens has captured the era and brought it to readers on a golden platter. --
Romantic Times Magazine, March 1999Gifted author Tracy Cozzens has penned an imaginative and triumphant story of star-crossed lovers, set in the opulent Elizabethan era. A truly enjoyable romantic read! --
Bestselling Author Susan WiggsMore twists and turns than one of Will Shakespeare's plays... I was hanging on for dear life hoping that All's well would end well. And I certainly wasn't disappointed. Tracy Cozzens does a fine job of creating memorable characters. A definite author to watch! --
Suzanne Coleburn, The Belles & Beaux of RomanceOnly In Your Arms by Tracy Cozzens is a stunning tapestry of Elizabethan England, peopled with delightful and enchanting characters. Don't miss it!((Deb Stover, author of Stolen Wishes)) --
(Deb Stover, author of Stolen Wishes)Run, do not walk, to get this book A story that even The Bard would be proud of. . . Not only entertains but will keep you enthralled until the last page is turned. I laughed, I moaned, I cried right up to the amazing ending.(Scribes World Reviews (www.scribesworld.com)) --
(Scribes World Reviews)
From the Author
In 1601, the young men who first brought Shakespeares plays to life received precious little respect. Sure, they worked long hours, mastered difficult stunts and swordplay, and memorized parts in up to 30 different plays at once--all for less than the wages of the average laborer.
Yet respectable Elizabethan society considered actors little better than rogues, and London theaters hotbeds of crime and disease.
In my newest Zebra historical, Only In Your Arms, the low-born actor Marcus Sinclair dreams of raising the 50 pounds needed to buy part ownership in Shakespeares company, the Lord Chamberlains Men. In class-conscious Elizabethan England, he can aim no higher. Certainly he can never win the hand of a barons daughter, despite an intense attraction between them.
You dont have to be familiar with Shakespeares plays to enjoy Only In Your Arms, but you might recognize a few of the Bards favorite elements. Marcus and Judith suffer the slings and arrows of love at first sight when he rescues her from marriage to the reprehensible Viscount Mowbray, who plans to make Judith his fifth wife. Marcus is actually rescuing her for marriage to his friend Lord Richard, who seems more interested in seducing Judiths saucy maid Audrey. The two pairs of mixed-up lovers struggle to sort themselves out, despite their impossible desires. Like several of Shakespeares heroines, Judith and Audrey disguise themselves as boys to meet the men for a garden tryst.
The story takes a dark turn when Marcus is punished for loving Judith, embroiling him in Lord Essexs attempt to steal the throne from Queen Elizabeth. Between her father's attempts to thwart their love and marry her off to various noblemen, a beating, blackmail, Marcus pride and a murder charge, their love is put to the test, says Scribes World reviewer Maureen Boylan, who gives Only In Your Arms five stars. The Bard himself makes an appearance to ensure a happy ending.
