Customer Reviews

Only in Your Arms (Zebra Splendor Historical Romances)

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

 

 

This romance novel came highly recommended to me but I kept putting off reading it. The reviews that claimed historical accuracy and references to Shakespeare were more of a turn off for me. I prefer completely fictional romances where I don't have to worry about comparing it to 17th century history or anything that would half-way resemble a scholastic study. I read romances for pure pleasure and not to expand my already cramped, looking for escape, college-grad, mind.

Therefore, I was VERY VERY pleasantly surprised when I got an entertaining love story after all! I am now in awe of Ms. Cozzens. Her ability to draw such fascinating and endearing characters is amazing and everyone who enjoys love stories will feel the same after reading this romance.

I could care less if a girl in the 1600's wouldn't be allowed some of the freedoms that Judith was allowed. (again, historical accuracy and blah, blah) What I care about is reading an outstanding and captivating love story and that is exactly what I got. As I was reading about Judith and Marcus, Judith did everything that I wanted her to do. There was nothing that would stand in her way of seeing Marcus if that is what she had to do. How did Ms. Cozzens do that? More to the point, how did she draw her characters so that I would not be disappointed in any of them?(even her father!) Whereas I've read other romances where the characters would fall short of my expectations and disappoint. The characters in ONLY IN YOUR ARMS were not all good and all bad. Ms. Cozzens really excelled at making her characters three-dimensional and not one character was less than interesting. Be ready for an emotional roller coaster ride. I cried like a baby at the end so be warned. (Nothing too ugly or sinister in this book to make me cry, they were the welcoming kind of tears that come from having gotten caught up in and enjoying a wonderful fantasy)

The hero is Marcus and he's a low-born actor. Judith's father doesn't trust him but he's the most pure of them all. (and he's sexy to boot!) And spunky and beautiful LADY Judith has eyes for noone else as soon as their eyes meet. And she doesn't try to hide her dreamy eyes from her diapproving father or either of her titled fiances! Had this story been told by a romance author from the 80's, there could have been so many misunderstandings, one after another BUT THERE WAS NOT! Instead of taking that well traveled easier road, she paved her own way. She took the high road and she had the talent to go that route. Because of that, we get to delight in a unique tale of courageous and self-sacraficing love.

Into that mix is another wonderful couple that Ms. Cozzens describes just as well. But this is not your ordinary secondary couple. They shined just as well as Judith and Marcus. I relished both couples and the wonderful tapestry that is ONLY IN YOUR ARMS.

p.s. did I mention the very sensual love scenes? This book deserves another star for letting us enjoy the passion these two couples can generate.

Actor Marcus Sinclair's mission is to save the woman that his friend Richard loves. He never expects to fall for her himself. But he and Judith Ashton feel a connection immediately. She is betrothed, however, to a perfect monster. Judith's feelings for Marcus become obvious, and once again, Judith must be rescued from an uncomfortable situation. High Shakespearean drama, a charming secondary love story, and smoldering passion make this 4½ star read an irresistible read from a rising star in the romance galaxy.

With great historical accuracy, Ms. Cozzens truly brings the spirit of Elizabethan England alive in ONLY IN YOUR ARMS. The characters are people you'll truly care for--Marcus is a poor (but gorgeous!) actor, and Judith the wealthy woman he desires. Can they overcome their class differences and get together? What about the depraved (and very scary) Lord Mowbray, whom Judith is pledged to marry?

An engaging secondary plot revolves around a romance between Judith's maid and Marcus' best friend. Their hilarious story adds a dose of Shakespearean-style wit to this well-crafted novel. Five stars! Ms. Cozzens' story is not to be missed.

I saw on The Romance Reader site that their reviewer gave "Only In Your Arms" five hearts, their highest rating, so I ordered it. I wasn't disappointed. What a wonderful book, filled with action and well-drawn characters. And it is truly romantic! I highly recommend it to any historical reader.

Ms. Cozzens has obviously put a great deal of heart and soul -- and very hard work -- into ONLY IN YOUR ARMS. For the most part, she's put her extensive research on Elizabethan England to good use -- most of the details are right on, and one certainly gets a nice feel for the period. The story moves along at a good clip, and the climax is a real page-turner, even for an old, jaded reader like me. The story is a good one, well worth reading, and it's lovely to see disproven the theory that a character in the theatre -- the hero is a Shakepearean actor -- is somehow unappealing. However, I had problems with certain aspects of the book which kept me from giving it a full five stars.

While I understood why she chose the basic premise for both the primary and secondary lovestories -- overcoming class barriers in order to find true love -- I frankly had a little trouble suspending disbelief enough to fully "buy" the resolutions. Or the seventeen-year-old heroine's seeming ability to slip away on her own as much as this one did. But this is fantasy, heaven knows, not a documentary, so I doubt this aspect would bother a lot of readers. I had a bit more trouble with the lovers' overly-affectionate dialogue at times, a few anachronisms that jarred me right out of the story, and the constantly shifting viewpoints -- on occasion, the POV shifted within the same paragraph, which was very disconcerting. And the hero's repeated attempts to push the heroine away from her own sake seemed a little forced to me after a while. More than that, however, the storytelling was more "typical" than I was hoping to find. All in all, a nicely enough done historical romance, but not enough to set it apart from dozens of others for this reader's admittedly picky tastes.

Even so, ONLY IN YOUR ARMS has a lot of good things going for it -- and Ms. Cozzens a tremendous potential I'm sure she hasn't even begun to realize.

Tracy Cozzens brings you into a story and doesn't let you go till the last page is turned! Only in Your Arms was no exception. As a fan of the late Victoria Holt, Tracy has been able to again take me back in time to that romantic era of old England. A must read for every romantic out there!

Another fabulous book by Tracy Cozzens. Tracy proves that writers aren't stuck in one "time period." Tracy's now just about done them all, and done them so well they belong on your keeper shelf. Buy "Only in Your Arms" today. You won't regret it.